Discussion Board

Hi cbs

I love the taste of cooked sprouted chick peas! I don't think sprouted legumes would last very long in the fridge without cooking them, but the freezer would be fine. Make sure you label whether or not they are cooked. I still can't digest sprouted beans that haven't been cooked. I don't know of many people who can . I think you have to get a special type of rice in order to actually sprout it with the tails, but a good long soak should help the digestability. It will make it softer.

Sour dough type things are also easier to digest. There is an Indian "pancake" called dosa that is made from fermented lentils and rice. Often they are filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

I found my digestion improved when I added a little fermented vegetables (pickles or sauerkraut) or miso. Have you investigated probiotics? Not yoghurt. It's the wrong bacteria. Maybe it's too soon for that? Or you could ask your doctor about it?

Any way, I don't mean to overwhelm you. I think you have a good plan to try to add 1 or 2 things a week.

I understand about the art/meditation thing. I'm a musician. I get down when I don't practise and if it goes on too long I find it a real struggle to get motivated to play again. The only solution I find is to push through the bad feelings and do it anyway. Gradually, I start to feel better. I find actual sitting meditation for short periods of time like 15 minutes helps support me. Yes, it can be real struggle to sit there sometimes. Like my engine is revving and my mind is whirling, but I'm doing that anyway whether I'm meditating or not. If I give myself the freedom and time to rev and whirl, then I find I'm calmer later on. Jon Kabat-Zin is an excellent meditation teacher. You can find some of his lectures on Youtube. He works with people who are seriously ill. His books are golden. I really like "Wherever you go, there you are."

Thank you for listening to me, too, and I'm pleased to have been able to help you a little bit.

KA - you're so sweet, hugs to you too!

i got a bit of lundberg rice and also some sprouted brown rice from tru-roots. its too expensive for me generally but right now its so difficult to do much and i could just heat that and add almond milk if i cant motivate myself to cook. tomorrow will be my first day trying new foods again. today i sampled some vegan chicken and eggless salads at the organic market and i did not like the tvp anymore. it reminded me of rubber, yuck. i guess this is good since its carcinogenic anyway i think lol but its easier for me to deal with dried up things then slimy tofu. lol sorry. but i'm thinking i have lowfat veganaise, i can try to make a salad with the lentils and that later. i want to stay away from the big beans starting out. i couldnt get the tofu salad because it would upset me knowing its all fat and i dont know how much. if i get too upset i wont eat for a couple days. i want to stay consistent so my metabolism starts working normally again and i can feel better.

so i got the lentils and rice and have popcorn to try to. i like curry so i could make a curry lentil soup and blend it? i got one can of oil free split pea soup to try to see if i like it since the large peas take more effort. i never was obsessed with small amounts of oil but now i understand as its in almost every processed food. i looked at everything and every processed gluten free food has hidden oil and no nutritional value.

but if i cook rice or lentils after i sprout them, how long do they keep in the fridge? its so hard for me to cook. i would like to keep that down to 2-3 times a week only and then just have 5 minute max reheats lol.

i have 2 jars almost full of digestive enzymes i'll try but hoping my gut and cooking methods will adjust in a month or so. i think i will limit the bean consumption to 1/2 cup a day to start. i was upset seeing that rice isnt very nutrient dense. i almost bought some mesa flakes since i liked those and thats my level of effort but it has hardly any nutritional value!

i'm not much of a pumpkin person but i love spaghetti squash and like acorn and butternut squash in the winter when its more affordable.

tomorrow i will try to force myself to get outside and start doing something. that will help. i have to soon get myself to do my art! making dietary changes is wearing me out. i keep thinking i should go back to eating just fruit but my dr. has made me award how deficient that is in EFA and amino acids and i constantly feel hungry on that diet. plus it cost me a lot of money in dental bills and i still have 4 cavities that i havent been able to afford to get filled so yes, thats out!

i have some probiotics still i think in the fridge i took after my surgery/antibiotics. i can try those. i'll ask my dr. i think its more of a problem with my colon rather then bacteria as far as the runs go and i think my body isnt producing the enzymes yet.

so i will start soaking/sprouting tonight. i am also cooking them btw, but both together and i could even put a piece of kombu in it too i think and i'm hoping i wont have any issues.

I find I can keep beans and rice for 1 to 2 weeks depending on how quickly I get it into the fridge after I cook it.

THe same goes for noodle things..
Since you like winter squashes you will also like Kabocha squash too it has the same flavor as butternut,

Hi,

I love kabocha squash, too! KA, what do you like to do with it?

I make a couple of big pots of rice a week. I really have no idea how long cooked rice lasts because DH and I eat it very quickly!

cbs keep working at it. All the hard work you are doing right now will really pay off long term. Good job! It gets easier.

RRC

i feel better today! i did the rice thing. it IS chewy. the only negative is that the rice does not make the milk part as creamy as the oats do. my guess is that oat milk is amazing.

should i blend or grind some of the rice beforehand or add coconut flour or corn starch? just craving creamy right now.

i found a lentil recipe that is blended so maybe i will like that and it will be creamy. i'm really having a hard time with protein foods as my dr. wants me to have more of. i'm wondering if i should switch to soy milk instead of the almond milk and even get some cereal. i dont like beany flavored milk but the silk in the hospital seemed creamier and was ok. i digest soy ok and not concerned about small amounts of soy. no more runs finally but wondering if i should be more lax about some processed foods until my gut can handle more fiber and get the mesa flakes and have a small serving of that instead of using vega and supplements for protein. i used to follow the cereal and milk centered diet so thats how i used to get my "protein" lol. hopefully soon potatoes will be enough. id prefer to not have to use supplements again. anyway, so far i'm happy about the rice!

Hi cbs,

Yah, for the rice! Glad you're feeling good today. I grind the rice a bit (like 10 seconds) before cooking into porridge and I find it gives a nice creamy texture. Nothing is the same a oatmeal though. It's like trying to find a good coffee substitute. I just gave up after a while. I miss oatmeal, too. Don't know about adding flours. I've never needed to. Coconut flour smells amazing and might taste really good, but it is really high in fibre and will soak up the liquid like crazy.

Lentils, especially red lentils, are nice and creamy. And very high in protein. I love red lentil based soups, especially Mary's Hearty Dahl Soup. You can also just cook red lentils, let them cool, and use it as a spread like homous on rice cakes or corn thins or top potatoes. If you can tolerate soy, then maybe soy milk is the way to go. You will certainly get more protein from soy milk than from almond milk.

I do eat a lot of legumes in addition to potatoes. I like the way they taste and they help me feel fuller for longer. I can't tolerate feeling hungry all the time.

As to eating more processed foods, I think you will certainly get more calories in that way and I would think the nutrients would be easier to absorb. Dr. Mcdougall has a newsletter article called "How to Gain Weight on the Mcdougall Diet" maybe look into that? If you are starting to feel better, then stay the course and try not to worry. The gut heals very quickly, and your body is learning and making adjustments everyday. Try to relax and trust your body to do what it needs to do.

All smiles for you today!

RRC

thanks rrc!

i had an ok day. would have been better but i started to feel guilty about going outside and having fun. i dont understand..... but tomorrow i will go roller skating even if for just a bit. i have to push myself out and just get started. i cant keep punishing myself like this for nothing. at least i feel better. actually today no bms, some gas pains, so maybe now i'm constipated? i'm like an old lady lol. i guess no more supplements (yay) and its ok to eat whole foods again. i am guessing it could have been the oats because in the hospital i ate a lot of salads, apples and potatoes and went a lot but not diarrhea. this makes me sad. but i'll try the grinding the rice or i could blend some after its cooked? i have a nice blender!

tomorrow i'll make some lentils finally. i get overwhelmed with too many new things because i get depressed because i feel guilty and think its not ok. but i decided to make ethiopian lentils with yams tomorrow. its been a long time and i used to love it so i should really like it and i told myself its ok to like food. i'm tired of hating eating. so i'm going to try to make things i like.

i think i might try the soymilk if i want something richer. i'm supposed to have more fats anyway and she would be happy if i got in more protein. in refeeding its easy when eating mentally to feel unsatisfied/hungry even though your stomach is stuffed. the fats help somehow and so do the starches so i dont obsess over my next meal. i really worry about the fats but its more important now to not spend all my day thinking about food. i could even blend in a tbsp of hempseed you think to make it thicker?

where is the dal recipe? i'm hoping the lentils go well and i like them. i'm happy now i have choices. i was so bored just eating yams/potatoes and some fruits and vegetables.

Hi cbs

Glad you went out today. Rollerskating tomorrow sounds like a fun idea. I think you should do anyway no matter how you feel. It's good to give yourself a break once a day. Feel how you feel don't try to change, but you don't have to believe it either. It sounds trite and over simple, but focus on the positive. The more you do that the more positive things will seem. Repetition is the key.

As to the rice, I cook mine from dry in the morning, so grinding it works well to make it creamy. If you are reheating already cooked rice perhaps you could mash it in the pot, might be easier.

I will look up the Dahl recipe tomorrow. It's in one of the newsletters. I just can't remember which one right now.

I feel like a old lady sometimes too. All obsessed with my bm's. Lol. Don't worry about not going for a day. It's very normal to not go for a day or even two. Are you feeling uncomfortable or in pain? Or just concerned that you haven't gone?

If you have celiac don't rush into the oats. Take some tome to heal and stabilize then try again if you want. Jeff Novick always says there is no one food that is required for human health only nutrients- that includes oats.

Have good night and I'll get you that recipe tomorrow.

RRC

HI CBS YAy for you going out ROller Skating.

I know you said you were tired of potatoes but what about MAshed potatoes maybe with some mixed vegetables thrown in... very creamy and filling


I am like RRC I have found thta beans and lentils with the potatoes is the best option of me... they help me to not be hungry all the time.. and keep my blood sugar more even.

as to the oatmeal.. I found I need to use the gluten free oatmeal... but it costs a lot more but the results make it worth while as like you I love the creamyness of htem.

Lentils do make a lovely creamy mix... and I love teh red lentils too they are ohhh so yummy.

I also like the silk soy milk.. something about it.

Hope today is better for you.

Be careful of the flax. You should start very slow and very small amounts because it does tend to bloat and upset your stomach if you add it to fast and your body isn't use to it. Common problem.

One of my favourite meals is a baked potato topped with veggie chili with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Yum. So satisfying. But if I'm going out and I know I won't be able to find any thing to eat, I will take a potato or 2 with me and that really stops the hunger until I get home. The dahl recipe is in the November 2007 recipe collection

Hearty Dal Soup

This is a variation of the Festive Dal Soup from last month’s newsletter. This creative addition was suggested by Tiffany Hobson, executive assistant to the McDougall’s, who thought the soup would be a bit more filling by adding some potatoes and chard. We agree, so give it a try and see what you think.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 4

3 ¼ cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red lentils
1 15 ounce can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chunked Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
2 cups fresh chopped chard

Place ¼ cup of the water in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the ginger, paprika, cumin and several twists of freshly ground pepper. Mix in well, then add the remaining water, the lentils, garbanzos, tomatoes and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add lemon juice, chili paste (start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste) and chard. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until chard is tender. Season with a bit of sea salt, if desired. Serve hot.

I make it a little differently. I cook the onions and garlic first, no salt, then add the lentils and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, and cook the lentils for 20 minutes. Then I add all the veggies including the beans and tomatoes (I use a 28 ounce can) except the chard leaves and cook until the potatoes are done, about 15-20 minutes. Then I add the spices and grated ginger, stir to mix and then the greens and cook for another 5 minutes. Makes a huge amount. I never get tired of this recipe! I've made this with kale, and spinach would be very good too. I tend to use twice as much greens as the recipes calls for.

The ethiopian lentils and yam recipe you mentioned sounds good. Can you share it?

RRC

If you are not up for making traditional dal with all the ingredients, you can just boil/simmer some red lentils in water (1 part lentils to 4.5 parts water) until they start to fall apart (about 30 minutes, I think). I think they taste nice just by themselves. You can season them if you want.

for now flax and oats are out. i did get the GF oats but i think those did me in.

i got some silk for when my almond milk is out. but i did the rice thing with grinding some and then added some better then milk soymilk to the almond milk. like 1/2 tbsp and that made a difference! so i'm happy with that part. i thought i could sprinkle some lowfat coconut on it or even make like a chinese curry with tumeric and mixed veggies? i saw some oatmeal recipe like that with tumeric, nutritional yeast and spinach. i'm having such a hard time with foods i like so if i'm happy with something i want to mix it up some maybe.

i still love potatoes. i like them best roasted in the oven but just get tired of them if i'm ONLY eating those as a starch, so i want to eat them once a day now. i want to make potato-leek soup soon.

i did the lentils/yams. they ARE more filling. it was a lot of work. i cheated and had some bereri spice mix from the organic market as its a struggle right now to do all this cooking. i was proud of myself for making this and made half the recipe in case i didnt like it, and for some reason i did not like it a lot. i guess it was too spicey for me which is odd but its been years since i had it and i havent had many spices. so maybe it overwhelmed me when im used to fruit/sweet foods. i usually made it from a recipe from dr. mirkin eat more weigh less i think the book was and used to love it. i would use a red onion in this and maybe some cut up carrots as i felt it was not sweet enough. but heres the link to the recipe RRC. i used yams instead of sweet potatoes too lol:
http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/07/ethiopian-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes.html

i did a few things today. i repotted my tomato plants and made pots out of plastic containers. but it gets so hot and humid here and i got a bad headache (probably from going back on the ativan again) and cramps in my intestines. like i said i feel like an old lady. im struggling with my sleep so will try to get up early and exercise a bit in the morning. i could roller skate on the streets. i'm just worried starting out with the air quality level orange. i hope i can get up early! everything is a bit messed up now but i'm trying hard.

i will try the red lentils. i did not like the texture of the brown ones. i think if they go to mush i'll like them better lol. i hope i can find a lentil recipe i like. i know it would make my dr. happy to have some protein food in my diet. she keeps saying to add more and i cant seem to find anything i like besides the ensure but i hate the fact its crap food and not vegan. she mentioned protein bars but all of them have gluten, egg or dairy in them and lots of sugar so not sure how that is any better at all then ensure? the only "protein" food i seem to want is "diary" so maybe the soy milk will work out or i hope soon to find legumes doable. i will try the dahl and see if i like that better after this is gone. i know protein shouldnt be an issue but when i plugged in my foods when i was eating less though, it was 15 grams a day total so she has a point.

i will try other recipes as i havent cooked much in a long time and been eating a very bland diet. i do like korean foods (tamari and sesame seeds) and jamaican curries. one food ive made i liked is a jamacian curry with almond milk with a bit of corn starch or coconut flour and coconut extract, then i add garlic, ginger, jamaican curry powder, allspice and thyme, red pepper.

i just feel down because of the cramps and not wanting to do anything this evening. i was busy earlier. i did cook and that was hard. i couldnt be a nutritionist. making dietary changes is like pulling your hair out piece by piece. sometimes heavy people judge me because i'm anorexic that i would judge them i guess but i struggle meal by meal just like they do. maybe even more so.

Thanks for the link cbs. It look so good. I will have to try it the next time I get an urge to make injera. I tried to make injera once but found it hard.

I hate to say this because you are doing so well, but beware of gluten in spice blends. It is sometimes used as a filler or a contamination issue. Make sure that the blends are gluten free or make your own spice blends. I have found this part to be the most maddening part of living gluten free. Individual spices are considered to be safe but blends are a mystery. Grrrrrr! Gluten free is so much work. I think it's worth it in the end though. What can be more important than feeling well and like life is livable and worth living?

Definately a good idea to get out before the air quality gets bad. I feel so lucky where I live that our air and water stays very clean.

Glad the rice is working for you. Could you mix in some quinoa? Quinoa is very high in protein. It also cooks pretty quickly.

Glad to catch up with you today. Hang in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

RRC

HI CBS, Keep up the good work... as to proteins... have you tried pinto beans they have a mild flavor and cook easily and can take on many flavors besides mexican.

and teh shell of the bean goes really soft once they are cooked...

also you will love the red lentils.. they are very different fromt eh green ones(why they call them green is always a mystery to me... LOL they are a muddy brown color)
Anyway.

I am really enjoying doing the rice thing right now.

I haven't tried teh ground up rice thing yet... I will do that tonigt at least toast the rice... and then try to make the cereal tomorrow morning.. IT sounded really good.

And mixing the two milks... what a great Idea. that would give you the best of both of them.

I think fro many people food is such a landmine. IT becomes the enemy for anyone with a food disorder.

Also RRC Thanks for the DAL Recipe I will have to make that .. it sounds yummy.