Remember not long ago when I posted about how to avoid GMOs?
Well, it seems harder than ever to avoid corn, and most of the corn out there is genetically modified.
I just read a very interesting article about one woman's experience trying to avoid corn completely. I knew corn was in a lot of things, but even I didn't realize how many non-food products it is in!
Check out the article below:
http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/allergy-to-genetically-modified-corn
The author had a lot of weird symptoms that seemed allergic and autoimmune, but were very hard to pin down. She went to doctor after doctor searching for answers. Finally, one doctor helped her figure it out. Research is still sparse on the condition, but she seems to have an allergy to the GMO corn itself.
The second page of the article lists off a few of the scary
unexpected places we all may still be getting exposed to corn. It can be
found in a lot of wacky places, like tea bags, paper cup linings, the
coating on store bought apples, and additives you wouldn’t expect, like
vitamin E, citric acid, and ascorbic acid! I have found that I am sensitive to corn, so I avoid it both for my digestion's sake and because Roundup isn't a food additive I prefer to consume.
I make almost all my own food
from scratch. But I'm probably getting exposed to corn from places I didn't realize! I eat fruit nearly every day. Most is local, but some of it is from
grocery stores because we don’t grow everything here all year round. Is there corn on my fruit? Every now and then I use tea from a bag rather than loose. Is there corn in my tea? Compostable
plastic bags and utensils are made from corn. Am I consuming corn through the produce I buy in degradable bags? This makes me wonder if
corn’s ubiquity might be part of why even though my symptoms have
managed to improve, they haven’t gone away entirely.
Scary stuff, and very much worth investigating further!
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Friday, July 26, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Personal Cheffing
Hey folks!
People have been asking, so I just wanted to let you all know that I am still doing personal chef work. In addition, I teach cooking and baking, and I am building clientele as a healthy lifestyle coach. I'm working on getting more writing gigs. And I cook at Cuisine en Locale. I like to keep busy!
I have suspended the deliveries that I was doing with my business, Rather Crafty, the last couple of years. But I am still cooking! I am still very much in business, just sans deliveries.
I'm happy to cook for you and/or your family. I can do a meal at a time, cook several days' worth of food, or fill your freezer up with leftovers. I can come regularly or occasionally. It depends on your needs. I can also come and cook a special meal for your next dinner party, brunch, or luncheon.
While my diet and my kitchen are gluten free, I can bake with gluten in your kitchen. The only ingredients I will not use are synthetic ones, and also my nemesis, peanuts. (There are so many great subs for peanut butter - have you tried my north African sweet potato and cashew stew, or my almond butter chocolate chip cookie sandwiches yet?) I can work with any dietary restriction you may have - gluten free, nut free, grain free, paleo, WAPF, dairy free, low sugar, vegetarian, raw vegan, multiple allergies, high protein, low protein, high carb, low carb, PKU, GAPS, Whole30, just plain picky kids, you name it, I can navigate it. I also cook for folks with no dietary restrictions at all!
Another thing I love to do is teach you (or your kids) how to make something awesome. Kids like to make muffins, cupcakes, fruit crisps, and cookies, but they also love making soups, souffles, and gluten free pizzas. Grown-ups may want to learn my tricks for all of the above, plus nourishing stocks and broths, sophisticated chocolates and other desserts, and tips for the tenderest braises. Lessons and classes make great parties, gifts, and Mommy and me playdates.
So yes, indeed, I am still cooking and I would love to cook for your family! I have a car, so I can come to you within a reasonable radius of Boston. Plus, I know where the best farmers markets are, so we'll always start with the best ingredients.
Feel free to email me at rathercraftymary at gmail dot com or comment below with any questions. My rates are reasonable, and my food is awesome.
I look forward to speaking with you very soon!
Much love,
Chef Mary
People have been asking, so I just wanted to let you all know that I am still doing personal chef work. In addition, I teach cooking and baking, and I am building clientele as a healthy lifestyle coach. I'm working on getting more writing gigs. And I cook at Cuisine en Locale. I like to keep busy!
I have suspended the deliveries that I was doing with my business, Rather Crafty, the last couple of years. But I am still cooking! I am still very much in business, just sans deliveries.
I'm happy to cook for you and/or your family. I can do a meal at a time, cook several days' worth of food, or fill your freezer up with leftovers. I can come regularly or occasionally. It depends on your needs. I can also come and cook a special meal for your next dinner party, brunch, or luncheon.
While my diet and my kitchen are gluten free, I can bake with gluten in your kitchen. The only ingredients I will not use are synthetic ones, and also my nemesis, peanuts. (There are so many great subs for peanut butter - have you tried my north African sweet potato and cashew stew, or my almond butter chocolate chip cookie sandwiches yet?) I can work with any dietary restriction you may have - gluten free, nut free, grain free, paleo, WAPF, dairy free, low sugar, vegetarian, raw vegan, multiple allergies, high protein, low protein, high carb, low carb, PKU, GAPS, Whole30, just plain picky kids, you name it, I can navigate it. I also cook for folks with no dietary restrictions at all!
Another thing I love to do is teach you (or your kids) how to make something awesome. Kids like to make muffins, cupcakes, fruit crisps, and cookies, but they also love making soups, souffles, and gluten free pizzas. Grown-ups may want to learn my tricks for all of the above, plus nourishing stocks and broths, sophisticated chocolates and other desserts, and tips for the tenderest braises. Lessons and classes make great parties, gifts, and Mommy and me playdates.
So yes, indeed, I am still cooking and I would love to cook for your family! I have a car, so I can come to you within a reasonable radius of Boston. Plus, I know where the best farmers markets are, so we'll always start with the best ingredients.
Feel free to email me at rathercraftymary at gmail dot com or comment below with any questions. My rates are reasonable, and my food is awesome.
I look forward to speaking with you very soon!
Much love,
Chef Mary
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year, and a Happy Healthy New Approach!
Happy New Year!
This year, our dietary path has shifted from where it was the last couple years. I thought it was only fitting to move over to a fresh, new blog to celebrate the new focus!
Today is not just the first day of a new year. It is also the day Earnest and I begin a new sort of challenge: We are doing a Whole30 together. What's that? Well, the rules are here: http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
For one month, you eat only vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and high quality, non-dairy animal proteins. It's a particularly strict version of the currently-fashionable paleo/primal diet. Personally, I'm not so much one for labels as for just making Good, Solid Choices.
The restrictions you choose to follow when doing a Whole30 are: No grains, legumes, dairy other than ghee, alcohol, white potatoes, certain additives, or sugar (even maple and honey.) That's not all that far from how I've been eating lately, but I have been using some honey, maple, cheese, and homemade yogurt from raw milk. I've been making good progress with this approach so far. We've been gluten free for quite some time, and in fact GF has been an area of focus in my work as a personal chef. (The other primary focus for me has been delicious, wonderful veggies! Even though I'm not vegan anymore, I will always love veggies! I'll talk about them a lot more in future posts.)
From my own diet, I have already eliminated most grains and all legumes, because my body was responding to them with a range of reactions including true allergy, digestive upset, and inflammation. I was occasionally eating rice and just tasting the other gluten-free grain foods I cook for others whose digestion handles them better. By eliminating even those tiny amounts of grains, I hope to reduce inflammation in my body further, and continue my path of healing my gut. Later, I'll talk more about how far I've already travelled in search of a happy belly! I'll also talk about the challenges I run into on the way, as a professional cook with dietary restrictions.
Earnest has relied a lot more on grains and legumes, and he loves his sweets. This challenge will be harder for him, and I'm going to do my best to support him and make his experience positive and easy. There's nothing like having your own personal chef to make positive choices easier!
Those of you who have known me for a while know that I love raw veggies and fruits. I was vegan for two years, and ovo-lacto vegetarian for over ten years, split between two different times in my life. While I was vegan, I followed a very high raw approach most of the time. This was great for me at first. For the first year, I experienced high energy and abundant health.
Later, and whenever I ate too many grains or legumes, I started to experience a lot of strange symptoms, mostly of inflammation, digestive upset, and radical weight fluctuations. I started to feel fatigued and brittle, and knew I needed to make some changes again.
On top of these experiences, sensitivities, and restrictions, I have true allergies. I'm allergic to peanuts, soy, and some other legumes - and we're talking throat-closing anaphylaxis here. I actually had to quit a job once because of all the peanut and soy products on the menu. I am also sensitive to wheat and other gluten-containing grains. I have one of the genes that can cause celiac disease, and I experience lots of symptoms when I consume gluten, but I haven't received a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease. Interestingly, Earnest experiences many of the same symptoms with gluten that I do. In fact, we stopped using gluten at home because of his sensitivities, and I only realized I was also sensitive later.
My new goals are to continue healing my digestion, tame inflammation in my body, and have abundant, glowing energy again. I am already well on my path toward meeting these big goals, and lots of little ones along the way.
I also plan to continue eating tons of fresh veggies, mostly local even in the New England winter. I will share with you tips and tricks for choosing the best produce and getting good deals. Just as importantly, I will help you navigate the different meat choices out there. Are they all healthy or ethically raised? Not by a long shot. But are there sustainable, environmentally-friendly, affordable options out there? Absolutely. I can help connect you with your local farmers, find grass-fed beef and truly, honestly free range eggs, and choose seafood that is safe for your family and sustainable for the environment.
If you have just found me, maybe you also have a goal. Do you want to lose weight? Get stronger? Run faster? Flush away inflammation? Learn great recipes, tips and tricks for cooking and eating great food? Ways to incorporate lots more veggies into your (or your kids') diet? Gluten free substitutions and fantastic recipes? Leave me a comment and ask me anything! I've been cooking and baking for a very long time, and I love a good challenge!
I look forward to writing for you and cooking for you a lot more soon!
Much love,
Chef Mary
This year, our dietary path has shifted from where it was the last couple years. I thought it was only fitting to move over to a fresh, new blog to celebrate the new focus!
Today is not just the first day of a new year. It is also the day Earnest and I begin a new sort of challenge: We are doing a Whole30 together. What's that? Well, the rules are here: http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
For one month, you eat only vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and high quality, non-dairy animal proteins. It's a particularly strict version of the currently-fashionable paleo/primal diet. Personally, I'm not so much one for labels as for just making Good, Solid Choices.
The restrictions you choose to follow when doing a Whole30 are: No grains, legumes, dairy other than ghee, alcohol, white potatoes, certain additives, or sugar (even maple and honey.) That's not all that far from how I've been eating lately, but I have been using some honey, maple, cheese, and homemade yogurt from raw milk. I've been making good progress with this approach so far. We've been gluten free for quite some time, and in fact GF has been an area of focus in my work as a personal chef. (The other primary focus for me has been delicious, wonderful veggies! Even though I'm not vegan anymore, I will always love veggies! I'll talk about them a lot more in future posts.)
From my own diet, I have already eliminated most grains and all legumes, because my body was responding to them with a range of reactions including true allergy, digestive upset, and inflammation. I was occasionally eating rice and just tasting the other gluten-free grain foods I cook for others whose digestion handles them better. By eliminating even those tiny amounts of grains, I hope to reduce inflammation in my body further, and continue my path of healing my gut. Later, I'll talk more about how far I've already travelled in search of a happy belly! I'll also talk about the challenges I run into on the way, as a professional cook with dietary restrictions.
Earnest has relied a lot more on grains and legumes, and he loves his sweets. This challenge will be harder for him, and I'm going to do my best to support him and make his experience positive and easy. There's nothing like having your own personal chef to make positive choices easier!
Those of you who have known me for a while know that I love raw veggies and fruits. I was vegan for two years, and ovo-lacto vegetarian for over ten years, split between two different times in my life. While I was vegan, I followed a very high raw approach most of the time. This was great for me at first. For the first year, I experienced high energy and abundant health.
Later, and whenever I ate too many grains or legumes, I started to experience a lot of strange symptoms, mostly of inflammation, digestive upset, and radical weight fluctuations. I started to feel fatigued and brittle, and knew I needed to make some changes again.
On top of these experiences, sensitivities, and restrictions, I have true allergies. I'm allergic to peanuts, soy, and some other legumes - and we're talking throat-closing anaphylaxis here. I actually had to quit a job once because of all the peanut and soy products on the menu. I am also sensitive to wheat and other gluten-containing grains. I have one of the genes that can cause celiac disease, and I experience lots of symptoms when I consume gluten, but I haven't received a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease. Interestingly, Earnest experiences many of the same symptoms with gluten that I do. In fact, we stopped using gluten at home because of his sensitivities, and I only realized I was also sensitive later.
My new goals are to continue healing my digestion, tame inflammation in my body, and have abundant, glowing energy again. I am already well on my path toward meeting these big goals, and lots of little ones along the way.
I also plan to continue eating tons of fresh veggies, mostly local even in the New England winter. I will share with you tips and tricks for choosing the best produce and getting good deals. Just as importantly, I will help you navigate the different meat choices out there. Are they all healthy or ethically raised? Not by a long shot. But are there sustainable, environmentally-friendly, affordable options out there? Absolutely. I can help connect you with your local farmers, find grass-fed beef and truly, honestly free range eggs, and choose seafood that is safe for your family and sustainable for the environment.
 |
| Local Chioggia Beets |
 |
| The Littlest Carrot! |
If you have just found me, maybe you also have a goal. Do you want to lose weight? Get stronger? Run faster? Flush away inflammation? Learn great recipes, tips and tricks for cooking and eating great food? Ways to incorporate lots more veggies into your (or your kids') diet? Gluten free substitutions and fantastic recipes? Leave me a comment and ask me anything! I've been cooking and baking for a very long time, and I love a good challenge!
I look forward to writing for you and cooking for you a lot more soon!
Much love,
Chef Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)