promoting a healthier geek and nerd

[catsclaw227]

Though you would be surprised at the chemicals that are used in and on non-natural or organic foods.

No, I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm perhaps somewhat more educated than most on the subject.

I know I was quoting you, but that statement was meant for the general "you", not you personally. I should have been clearer.

As we've noted several times already in this thread: whether or not a thing is bad for a human body depends very much on how much of the stuff you take in. Just plain sugar is horrible for you if you take in too much.

Sure, if I suck directly on the nozzle of the crop duster, I'm apt to not feel too well afterwards. But by the time it gets to me, and into my system, the chemicals are not present in doses I feel a need to worry about.

Obviously, the pesticides on fruit and vegetables that conventional growers use must pass USDA government safety thresholds, but there are other things that make Organic better, such as USDA regulation bans or severe restrictions on food additives, processing aids - substances used during processing, but not added directly to food (like the way canola oil is processed, scary) - as well as fortifying agents. Some of these include preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and MSG.

Also, personally, it helps me take one step closer to lowering my carbon footprint because organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality.

I know there are other ways, but this one little thing helps me and the environment.

I am not an organic freak. I also am not a vegetarian, but I have found that my health has improved dramatically.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

On the cost of organics:

It depends on what you're buying and where. Organic Peanut Butters where I am cost 2-3x Peter Pan. And my dogs don't like it- we give them their meds in PB- so it's just not worth it.

Similarly, organic turkeys are quite pricey where I am as well, and I can get nice, fresh turkeys with no preservatives, etc. easily at half the price or better. Since I cook about one 20lb bird per month over the course of a year, that adds up quickly.

OTOH, I've found great deals on organic produce and certain meats- especially exotics- and get them when I can.

 

[Scott DeWar]

We go one step further, in that whenever our schedule allows, we serve a home-cooked meal for games. Not much call for munching the salty, fatty, or sweet snacks when you've had a healthy dinner before play begins.

that is great!

 

[catsclaw227]

It depends on what you're buying and where. Organic Peanut Butters where I am cost 2-3x Peter Pan. And my dogs don't like it- we give them their meds in PB- so it's just not worth it.

Ha! I guess in your case, if the dog eats as much as you, then going Organic might not make sense.

Similarly, organic turkeys are quite pricey where I am as well, and I can get nice, fresh turkeys with no preservatives, etc. easily at half the price or better. Since I cook about one 20lb bird per month over the course of a year, that adds up quickly.

That's a lot of turkey! Your family must love turkey sandwiches!

Are the plain ol' free range turkeys as expensive as Organic where you are? Whole Organic Turkeys are really expensive because to be certified organic, the farmer has to give them organic feed as well, and that gets expensive.

 

[Scott DeWar]

herein the puny po-dunk town of Columbia Missouri we have 3 hy-vees that tend to have the high end of produce. the organic is even purchased from local farms when possible. There are two clover's natural food markets that only buy certified organic IIRC-I know the owners, As I did 95% of the electrical work on the second clover's market, and there are at least 3 Asian markets and one middle-eastern market. I even found 1 eastern European market. of those all, The Hyvee's and clovers have the best organic. a korean market has fresh produce, just not organic as far as i know.

The over all price of the organic foods is still higher then non organic. sometimes as a factor of 3 to 5 (usually 1.5 to 3). When I have ask my self which one of three things I will have to pass one: gas/Insurance; nice food or rent/utilities, I see that the nice food will have to be set aside. I get beer once a month-one 6pac-that is my entertainment expense.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's a lot of turkey! Your family must love turkey sandwiches!

First of all, I make one of the best turkeys out there.

Second, once I get that bird cooked, we use him for all kinds of things (after the initial dining experience): turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, as an ingredient in soups and gumbos, and the carcass becomes the basis for a stock I use in beans, greens, and soups/stews.

Are the plain ol' free range turkeys as expensive as Organic where you are?

We don't see too many of those, so I can't really say. I don't even recall when last I saw one.

...my blood pressure was 165/110...

Amateur! I nearly killed my doctor trying to figure out what was going on with me!

I had more than one reading of 220+/200+. I was completely asymptomatic. My daily sodium intake was judged to be around 2700mg a day. All of my blood tests came back dead center of the normal range. After doing various tests that involved me taking dyes and diuretics and sitting in a scanner until I damn near wet myself, they tried me on an ultra-low sodium diet and a more powerful diuretic medication.

In 2 weeks, my BP dropped Into the 150/100 range and I dropped 20lbs of water weight as I did my impression of a water clock set for 15 minute intervals.

 

[catsclaw227]

First of all, I make one of the best turkeys out there.

Second, once I get that bird cooked, we use him for all kinds of things (after the initial dining experience): turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, as an ingredient in soups and gumbos, and the carcass becomes the basis for a stock I use in beans, greens, and soups/stews.

Wow... I can feel my mouth water just reading this. Good thing I already ate this morning.

Amateur! I nearly killed my doctor trying to figure out what was going on with me!

I had more than one reading of 220+/200+.

Holy sh...[grandma filter]!

I was completely asymptomatic. My daily sodium intake was judged to be around 2700mg a day.

That's a little high, but not that far off the RDI for sodium.

All of my blood tests came back dead center of the normal range. After doing various tests that involved me taking dyes and diuretics and sitting in a scanner until I damn near wet myself, they tried me on an ultra-low sodium diet and a more powerful diuretic medication.

In 2 weeks, my BP dropped Into the 150/100 range and I dropped 20lbs of water weight as I did my impression of a water clock set for 15 minute intervals.

My god... So did they ever find out the root cause? Or were they just finally relieved that they were able to get your BP into controllable ranges?

Were you bloated as if you had edema?

Or was there some bizarre biochemical reaction to something else that prevented you from normally processing sodium? There might have been some toxin or medicine that had a contraindication or interaction with sodium that prevented you from normally expelling it from your system. Like the opposite of how ACE Inhibitors can cause hyponatremia.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My god... So did they ever find out the root cause? Or were they just finally relieved that they were able to get your BP into controllable ranges?

Were you bloated as if you had edema?

Yep- my sodium intake, modest though it was- was causing "Funky Cold Edema".

When I was diagnosed, 2000mg/day was considered a "low-sodium" diet, even though that was the number they calculated the RDA off of. Its only in the past few years that this level has become the RDA in the press releases. So now, I'm on a 2000mg or less diet (w/meds, of course), and my BP Is typically in the 130/80 range.

But the adventure never ends: my old doc retired and my new doc added one med to the mix- hydroclorothyazide (which I'd had before, to almost no effect)- so now I'm getting occasional dizzy spells of "the room is spinning!" magnitude.

And of course, if I drink alcohol, I have to be VERY careful. Alcohol magnifies some of my meds' effects. Roughly speaking, 1 drink = 3 drinks in terms of how my reflexes are affected...but that is coupled with the standard effect on my mind and duration. So it's like being mildly intoxicated in a drunk's body.

 

[catsclaw227]

Yep- my sodium intake, modest though it was- was causing "Funky Cold Edema".

When I was diagnosed, 2000mg/day was considered a "low-sodium" diet, even though that was the number they calculated the RDA off of. Its only in the past few years that this level has become the RDA in the press releases. So now, I'm on a 2000mg or less diet (w/meds, of course), and my BP Is typically in the 130/80 range.

Yea... those numbers have changed. the RDA measurement is sorta out of date, Nutritionists prefer a RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) and there is actually there is something called UL (Upper Tolerable Limit) also called a DV (Daily Value). Unfortunately, the UL is often used by food manufacturers and fast food companies to describe RDA. Yes, that is the maximum Recommended Daily Allowance, but they like to leave out the "maximum" part.


For sodium, it depends upon age, but the RDI for 15-50 yrs is 1500mg and it goes down as you age. (1300 for 51-70, 1200 for 71+). The new UL of sodium is 2300/day.

Buying canned goods off the shelf or boxed goods from the "inner aisles" at the grocery store can quickly get someone over their sodium RDI and blasting above their UL.

But the adventure never ends: my old doc retired and my new doc added one med to the mix- hydroclorothyazide (which I'd had before, to almost no effect)- so now I'm getting occasional dizzy spells of "the room is spinning!" magnitude.

Yep. I had that one too, and I had a terrible potassium depletion due to it. Your doc should have had you run labs after a month of taking the hydroclorothyazide to check your potassium levels (and possibly your fasting blood glucose). Zinc and magnesium, too.

Thiazide diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide is one) commonly produce loss of potassium. Supplementation is often necessary.

I made sure I checked with my pharmacist about any special supplementation I would require due to taking the drug. Many Doctors, unfortunately, don't know all the drug/nutrient interactions or depletions of the pharmaceuticals they prescribe.

BTW -- do you eat much black licorice? That can cause a condition called hypermineralocorticoidism and it can get nasty.

 

[Scott DeWar]

I get that when i take 2.5mg of lysinaporil-no imagine being at the top af a ladder whenthe med kicks in. NOT.FUN.