Resources for trying to go Non-GMO, gluten-free

[Handmaiden50]

About six months ago I began to change my diet by purchasing only meat and dairy that was hormone/antibiotic free and purchasing those organic vegetables that I could afford. I tried to educate myself but it seems very complex to me. I guess I restricted my diet so much by cutting out processed foods that my electrolytes got messed up and I ended up in the ER one night 'cause my potassium and sodium levels were extreemly low. This incident sort of spooked me and I have been "off the wagon" since. . the only healthy food I have in my fridge are hormone/antibiotic free eggs and milk (which I usually use only for my one cup of coffee in the morning) and I have been eating convenience foods again. I want to get back on track, but wanted to know if anyone knows of any resources that I could look into so that I can learn to make this lifestyle change in a healthy way? Thanks!

[Maria]

I have also had to be treated in the ER for a potassium imbalance.
When in the hospital, they had to give me an IV with a potassium drip.

Apparently, from what my doctor told me, it is fairly common.

Eating organic bananas and organic potatoes help as these produce are sources of potassium.
You can also purchase conventional avocados as they have thick skins which prevents the pesticides from passing through into the fruit.

I eliminated all processed foods with the exception of organic whole wheat bread or organic rice cakes which I purchase from Trader Joes or Whole Food Market. I do check to make sure there is no canola, soy, safflower, or corn oil in the bread.

The elimination of processed foods removed the bulk of sugars from my diet, so I have increased my consumption of organic and/or pasture fed cow's milk products: kerrygold butter and New Zealand cheeses made from milk from grass-fed cows. We also get the European style organic yogurt. The butter, cheese, and yogurt help keep our energy levels up, as our body burns the fat and not the sugar. As a result, my blood sugar has normalized and I do not have reactive hypoglycemic attacks as I once did. Another plus: my blood pressure has also normalized and my cholesterol levels are now normal. So, it is a win-win.

For supper, we have a mixture of steamed vegetables: organic potatoes, carrots, onions, and broccoli. When other vegetables or fruits are in season, we will add those. For example, fruits such as steamed organic zucchini or summer squash are excellent sources of potassium. We use thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, and salt for seasoning. After these veggies are cooked so that they are not soggy, then we add olives cut in half for flavor.

Hope this helps.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

[Maria]

In your OP, you mentioned coffee?

Coffee drinkers - which owl are you?

[Barbara]

^ Funny picture ! It took me a minute to divine what was going on.

Yes I suggest eliminating the coffee in favor of strong Pu-Erh tea from China, organic if possible. Rishi Teas offers a good
Pu-Erh selection [bird's nests are the most fun, you will see]. Whole Foods sells these Rishi Teas.
That will help break you away from that strong taste of coffee and gradually move toward teas of your liking. A huge
improvement right there !

Then, bread with NO FLOUR in it is completely essential to avoid multitudinous problems.
It HAS to be "Sprouted Grain" - or ELSE !
The best in my opinion is actually named after a Bible verse, Ezekiel 4:9. The same company makes a Genesis Bread
and a Cinnamon Raisin bread for more of a treat.
ALL are EXCELLENT tasting and the only healthy bread out there.
Essene bread was another neat one but it's gone from the market, along with Manna Bread, apparently. I haven't seen the
latter for awhile. That is delicious but more almost like a dessert.

This Ezekiel and Gensesi bread are suitable for toast, etc. Notice all the variants available on the company's website,
so you can have a large variety.

http://www.foodforlife.com/product/brea ... seed-bread

[Handmaiden50]

RE: Coffee I have my one cup in the morning - regular. At coffee hour at church I usually cut it with hot water (LOL)

It's too late this evening to reply to either of your posts, Maria and Barbara. Will get back to you tomorrow sometime.

[Handmaiden50]

I have also had to be treated in the ER for a potassium imbalance.
When in the hospital, they had to give me an IV with a potassium drip.

Apparently, from what my doctor told me, it is fairly common.

Eating organic bananas and organic potatoes help as these produce are sources of potassium.
You can also purchase conventional avocados as they have thick skins which prevents the pesticides from passing through into the fruit.

I eliminated all processed foods with the exception of organic whole wheat bread or organic rice cakes which I purchase from Trader Joes or Whole Food Market. I do check to make sure there is no canola, soy, safflower, or corn oil in the bread.

The elimination of processed foods removed the bulk of sugars from my diet, so I have increased my consumption of organic and/or pasture fed cow's milk products: kerrygold butter and New Zealand cheeses made from milk from grass-fed cows. We also get the European style organic yogurt. The butter, cheese, and yogurt help keep our energy levels up, as our body burns the fat and not the sugar. As a result, my blood sugar has normalized and I do not have reactive hypoglycemic attacks as I once did. Another plus: my blood pressure has also normalized and my cholesterol levels are now normal. So, it is a win-win.

For supper, we have a mixture of steamed vegetables: organic potatoes, carrots, onions, and broccoli. When other vegetables or fruits are in season, we will add those. For example, fruits such as steamed organic zucchini or summer squash are excellent sources of potassium. We use thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, and salt for seasoning. After these veggies are cooked so that they are not soggy, then we add olives cut in half for flavor.

Hope this helps.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

With regard to milk products if on the label it only says "Organic" can one assume that this is synonymous with "grass fed, no antibiotics/hormones"? Eggs, too, are tricky. Some just say "free range" or "all vegetarian grain feed", but don't also mention "no antibiotics/hormones" so I get confused. As well, with beef that only says "grass fed" on the packaging.

We have Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but it is about an hour away in the city, however last week they opened a new Whole Foods in a nearby town, so I'm looking forward to going there.

My diabetes was under much better control when I ate better.

[Handmaiden50]

^ Funny picture ! It took me a minute to divine what was going on.

Yes I suggest eliminating the coffee in favor of strong Pu-Erh tea from China, organic if possible. Rishi Teas offers a good
Pu-Erh selection [bird's nests are the most fun, you will see]. Whole Foods sells these Rishi Teas.
That will help break you away from that strong taste of coffee and gradually move toward teas of your liking. A huge
improvement right there !

Then, bread with NO FLOUR in it is completely essential to avoid multitudinous problems.
It HAS to be "Sprouted Grain" - or ELSE !
The best in my opinion is actually named after a Bible verse, Ezekiel 4:9. The same company makes a Genesis Bread
and a Cinnamon Raisin bread for more of a treat.
ALL are EXCELLENT tasting and the only healthy bread out there.
Essene bread was another neat one but it's gone from the market, along with Manna Bread, apparently. I haven't seen the
latter for awhile. That is delicious but more almost like a dessert.

This Ezekiel and Gensesi bread are suitable for toast, etc. Notice all the variants available on the company's website,
so you can have a large variety.

http://www.foodforlife.com/product/brea ... seed-bread

I have a book with sprouted grain bread recipies and this weekend someone was kind enough to give me a bread making machine, so this fall/winter I want to experiment with baking. I like the Ezekiel bread that my local healthfood store carries and, with it just being me at home, it lasts a while.