Additional Reactions to Food, Inc.

The documentary didn't specifically mention the following ideas, but we (my husband and I) intend to:

(1) Eat more vegan meals. We already eat vegan breakfasts daily, vegan lunches 2-3x a week, and vegan dinners twice a week. We can easily increase the number of vegan lunches and dinners (from legumes and grains or legumes and nuts or seed combination foods) which we consume.

(2) Limit our consumption of poultry to organic, free-range, antibiotic free poultry, but at least turkey once or twice a year.

(3) Limit our consumption of other meats to organic, free-range, antibiotic free animal sources.

(4) Mostly eat local or homegrown products. Some of our foods come from Pacific Northwest companies like Bob's Red Mill in Portland, which produces many of our gluten free grains and cereals. However, we buy most of our gluten free sandwich breads from Ener-G foods in Seattle. My husband drives right by their bakery on his way to work. I make all of our quick breads and pastries, like fruit breads, cakes and cookies. We previously made all our own dairy/soy free icecream. However, we recently began buying Truly Decadent coconut milk based frozen desserts. I intend to either investigate that company's location and practices or resume making my own vegan 'vice' cream.

(5) Continue to freeze whatever we don't immediately consume from our produce garden harvest and other farmers' market purchased produce for later use.

(6) Try some local vegan restaurants. Perhaps that will introduce us to more vegan entree ideas. I already found many great vegan meat substitute recipes in my allergy free cookbooks.

(7) Finally, continue to eat nonallergenic foods that are healthy for our bodies. Above all, eat no more than we need according to physical hunger/fullness sensations. Serve ourselves only as much as we can comfortably consume. Then freeze leftovers for future meals. Cook in quantity to save food for future meals. We can waste less food by only serving ourselves what we need. If we feel overly full or even stuffed after a meal or if we eat more than necessary to maintain our ideal weight, WE ARE WASTING FOOD. Obviously weighing more than our ideal healthy weight means we wasted food just as effectively as throwing away good food. The solution is not to serve ourselves more than we need.

The "Food, Inc." documentary really opened our eyes to unhealthy practices in the food industry. We now better understand all the 'fuss' about non GMO foods, free range raised animals, antibiotic free meat and organic produce. We're glad we belong to and shop at a local food coop. Most of all, we appreciate what that coop is doing to support local farmers and oppose big food industry conglomerate practices.

Suggestions from "Food, Inc."

Here are suggestions from Food, Inc. to help us avoid illness from foods we eat and to avoid supporting big food industry conglomerates which promote dangerous and inhumane techniques to raise produce and meat products:

(1) Proper handling of meats: We already sterilize cutting boards and wash our hands thoroughly after handling raw meats. However I intend to abstain from poultry that isn't organic, not fed antibiotics or isn't raised free range. Of course 'free range' can merely mean the door of the chicken coop was left open the day the food inspector came to the farm. So we intend to ascertain how our meat was raised before we buy chicken or other meat in the future. We're considering buffalo.

(2) Read labels: We already read the ingredients on everything we buy, because we have multiple food allergies.

(3) Buy locally: We already buy many local products, but we can do better.

(4) Buy organic, non GMO products: We can easily do that at PCC. However, some fruits, which we peel, don't need to be organic. Nevertheless, we can still buy local 'farmers' market more than store bought produce.

(5) Raise your own produce: We already do that and store much of our harvest in the freezer for later consumption. We grow strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and grapes. We also grow lettuce, kale or spinach, carrots, leeks, green beans, peas, zucchini or crookneck or spaghetti squash (depending on the year), brocolli, tomatoes and 20 different herbs. After watching 'Food, Inc.' we discussed increasing the size of our gardens to raise even more produce.

In another post, I will describe how we plan to implement some suggestions from "Food, Inc."

Reactions to Food, Inc.

Last night we finished watching the Netflix DVD of the documentary "Food, Inc." I was both shocked by what I saw and embarrassed because I didn't know how big food companies controlled how farmers raised animals and plant crops for maximum yield in minimum time. Ironically before I watched that DVD, I had read a "Consumer Reports" article about how most raw chicken meat in this country contained high amounts of salmonella and campylobacter. As someone who has struggled with several intestinal bacterial infections, that article introduced me to what I saw in 'Food, Inc.'

I was most shocked to see how farmers for huge poultry conglomerates raised chickens for slaughter. Multitudes of chickens were crowded into chicken houses with overhead feed mechanisms. So the chickens ate and defecated in the same area with little room to even move. So they constantly stood and layed in their excrement. If one chicken developed bacterial infections, they all got the same bacteria. Furthermore, they were fed antibiotics purportedly to keep them healthy. However those antibiotics sped up the growth rate and helped develop heavier birds. Many birds were so heavy they had difficulty walking or even standing. Heavier, sick birds died and lay in the coop with the healthy ones until the 'gatherers' came to take the chickens to market.

I won't describe the inhumane treatment of those chickens during that 'gathering' process, because they would be killed for market anyway. However that 'treatment' just increased the possibility of bacterial infection. Of course the poultry industry warns us to thoroughly cook poultry to kill the bacteria, as well as sterilize any utensils or cutting boards used in preparation. However, the presence of those salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in most chickens says the antibiotics in the chicken feed don't eliminate those bacteria. The antibiotics just create bigger, heavier chickens which can barely walk. Then we consume unnecessary antibiotics, which can make our bodies resistant to those antibiotics, should we ever need those drugs to fight an infection.

Then I watched how cows were raised for slaughter and saw similar situations where cows were crowded together and covered with their excrement. If one cow got bacteria, they all were susceptible. I never have liked beef that much anyway. So that portion of the documentary turned me completely against buying big name brand 'beef'.

However, we began watching that documentary a day after Thanksgiving. We had purchased and baked an organic, free range turkey from our local Puget Consumers Coop, mainly because they don't add sugar to their turkeys. However I had previous purchased some Foster Farms chicken drumsticks. The Consumer Reports article study showed that 'FF' chickens rated high salmonella and campylobacter. Those cute chicken commercials don't tell the whole story.

Another part of the documentary showed how big food industries (specifically corn and soybean) controlled how the farmers raised their crops. I don't eat soy anyway because I have a diagnosed allergy to soy. After my husband previously had a suspicious thyroid nodule, he also limits how much soy he consumes. However we both consume products made from corn, because we abstain from gluten to avoid gluten intolerance and celiac reactions.

My first reaction to the documentary was to decide to go 'vegan' and not eat any more meat. Then I recalled how difficult a vegan diet can be without soy, which we can't eat. So I decided to use only vegan protein combinations (like legumes and grains or legumes and nuts or seed) PLUS fish. Then my husband and I discussed whether we could find any 'free range', humanely handled, locally grown poultry. We will look for those 'labels' the next time we go to PCC or even Whole Foods. However, I doubt we will find many poultry products with those labels. I don't care whether I ever eat beef again.

I was pleased and intrigued by the suggestions at the end of the documentary about how to fight big food conglomerates' hold on farmers and prevent illness from store bought meat or other food products. In another post I will describe what the Food Inc. documentary suggested to avoid supporting big food glomerate tactics. I will also comment on what we already do.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

This year we've simplified Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of making 'stuffing', we followed a recipe which uses chopped apples and onions to 'stuff' the turkey. We limited side dishes to 3, which are brussel sprouts (my favorite), corn (necessary for my husband) and yams (we both like). Instead of dessert, we'll just enjoy some nonalcoholic wine with dinner. If we want dessert later, we still have my husband's birthday carrot cake with orange/peach/ginger icing. YUMMEEE!!

Rather than eating later in the day, we're trying to have a mid afternoon meal. I'm usually hungry midday and not as hungry by evening, when I'm just tired and want to go to bed. Also we will have time and space after dinner to begin a new jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table. Hopefully we will finish that puzzle before we need the table for Christmas dinner. LOL

Rather than trying to fit in exercise sometime between food preparation or after dinner before darkness falls, we walked after breakfast this morning. I also prepared as much food as I could during the previous 2 days. So we only had to season and stuff the turkey and cook that along with the vegies. (I made cranberry relish 2 days ago to intensify the flavor.)

With simpler dinner preparation, we have more time to focus on the 'thanks' or gratitude part of Thanksgiving. So today I feel grateful for the following:

(1) I finally know how to eat normally any food that feels good (doesn't cause allergic reactions) in my body. Whether that food is considered 'healthy', high fat, high sugar, or whatever, I can listen to my body cues of hunger, satisfaction, fullness and comfort to tell me when, what and how much to eat. I no longer fear 'losing control' or overeating. I can easily maintain my ideal weight by eating intuitively.

(2) I feel healthy, even though I don't know whether 7 months of treatment has completely eradicated all my c-diff 'spores', and have none of the usual 'life style' maladies which plague people my age.

(3) I feel blessed by financial security, a house without a mortgage, an adequate health insurance plan, enough 'classic' clothes which flatter my figure, no matter what fashion dictates, and time to do whatever I want.

(4) I am continuing to learn and grow in my relationship with my husband, who has both taught me and learned from me during the past 15 years of our marriage.

(5) God's grace, both through salvation for the afterlife, and His daily presence, pardon and provision for my health and well-being in this life.

Then vs. Now

Yesterday morning I awoke from a disturbing dream. I remember that I wanted to throw up. I wanted to get away from other people to find a private bathroom. I didn't feel sick, but I was aware of too much food in my stomach. Maybe I felt guilty about what I eat. I sensed I had eaten cookies and felt full of doughy, sweet food. When I finally found an empty bathroom, I tried but could not throw up. Then I woke up.

My first reaction to the dream was to wonder why I even wanted to throw up when I felt no discomfort and was not refluxing from being overly full. After 8 months of successfully resisting bingeing and purging, I felt alarmed about even dreaming about wanting to purge. Over the past 8 months I have endured discomfort of overeating and resisted throwing up, no matter what.

Later I realized that dream had a positive message, because I had wanted to throw up but physically could not. That's dramatically different from my experience over the past 10 years. More often than not, I had not intended to throw up, but I felt painfully full after consuming moderate amounts of allergens and the food was already refluxing, when I decided to throw up. However, many years ago, I decided to throw up after feeling guilty about eating too many calories or too much high fat food. Usually I decided to continue overeating after I decided I would eventually throw up. Nevertheless, more recently food allergies and other intestinal problems caused discomfort and severe reflux before I considered throwing up.

Ironically I overate later that evening at my husband's 'birthday dinner'. Then I experienced severe reflux which showed me why I could so easily throw up after eating too many sweet foods. My husband requested liver and onions, french fries and green beans for his birthday dinner. I had already baked and frosted a carrot cake, which we planned eat for dessert after dinner. So I intended to eat only a small serving of the liver, fries and beans. However, the liver was SOOOOO tender and tasty, that I decided to eat the whole portion. I also recalled how good I always felt after eating liver, because I had borderline anemia for many years. So I felt obviously full after the meal BEFORE dessert.

Nevertheless I planned to eat a small amount of cake with ice cream with my husband. I served myself and ate about 3 bites of cake and 2 spoonfuls of ice cream. However, that small amount took me from obviously full to painfully full. I knew from experience that sipping ginger tea and just distracting myself from the discomfort would give my stomach time to digest the food, which would relieve my discomfort. However, while putting away the birthday candles, I bent over to reach a bottom draw. Bending over when I was overly full made me reflux my dessert. So I quickly stood up to prevent throwing up. I swallowed some tea to wash the food back down. Then I recalled reading that foods with high amounts of sugar and fats (like frosting) caused the lower esophageal valve to relax, just like caffeine or alcohol (which I avoid). I know I can eat small amounts of high sugar/fat containing foods and not reflux. However overeating foods that relax the lower esophageal valve almost guarantees reflux for me.

Then I understood why years ago I could easily throw up after drinking too much alcohol or overeating sweets or chocolate. I never forced myself to throw up. I just 'went with the flow' because the food was coming up anyway. That all makes sense now ... especially the panicky sensation I experienced after eating some sweet foods. I now know that I have a cane sugar allergy, which causes immediate rapid heart beat (tachycardia), which can seem like a panic attack. Even when I wanted to eat moderate amounts of sweet foods those tachycardia symptoms would make make think I was overly excited or frightened by the food.

I also felt out of control around foods which I restricted until the next binge eating episode. I believed I could avoid binges by abstaining from those 'binge' foods. However, I eventually learned that restriction actually influenced me to binge eat those foods, rather than eat them moderately. Although refluxing and rapid heart beat symptoms influenced me to throw up, fear, restriction and feeling deprived influenced me to binge.

That was then and this is now. Now my diagnosed allergies restrict me from eating certain ingredients (like wheat, dairy, eggs, cane sugar, soy, vanilla and nutmeg). However I can still eat all pastries (cake, cookies, pies, breads) which are prepared from allergen free ingredients. For example, I made a carrot cake with beet sugar, palm kernal shortening, cinnamon, flax meal (instead of eggs) and gluten free flours like rice, tapioca and bean flours. I can still eat sweets made from allergen free ingredients. So I don't feel deprived of favorite foods. I just prepare (or buy) any foods with safe ingredients.

I no longer fear I will 'lose control' and binge, because I know I DECIDED to binge and I DECIDED to throw up, when I could have resisted even when I felt painfully full and was refluxing. Above all, I can trust my body to stay in a healthy weight range when I usually eat only when hungry and stop eating when I'm moderately or comfortably full. After an overeating episode, I just don't want to eat as much, because I remember the discomfort and don't want to suffer that pain again.

After overeating birthday dinner and cake, I ate much smaller meals (and more snacks) so that I would not feel 'full' today. I enjoyed eating 'just enough', rather then reach full every time I ate. I initially thought I would not want any more birthday cake for several days, after the reflux incident. However after a small lunch I wanted to try another taste. So I sliced off a 1/4 inch sliver and enjoyed about 4 small bites without feeling overly full. I didn't want any dessert after dinner tonight. I plan to have a small salad and a larger piece of cake for lunch tomorrow. After that, I may return to fruit or ice cream for dessert. Besides, at the rate my husband is eating his cake, there won't be any left in few days. LOL

After 8 months of consciously training myself to eat foods I loved to prevent feeling deprived, stop eating when I felt full, rather than stuffed, resist throwing up no matter how sick I felt, I finally prefer feeling comfortably full or even just satisfied. I can confidently eat any foods I want and maintain my ideal weight. I can quickly recover from an occasional overeating episode and return to normal eating, without considering 'compensation' by purging or starving. Even with 7 diagnosed food allergy restrictions I eat more 'normally' now than I ever did before.

Taste vs. Stomach Cues

Every so often I reread "Appetite Awareness Workbook" by Linda Craighead. I suspect that book, more than any other, helped me stop bingeing and purging, but also learn to prefer feeling comfortably full rather than stuffed when I stop eating. I previously had read in 'Weigh Down Workshop' and 'ThinWithin' that the flavor of food diminishes as we become satisfied. So the authors of those 2 books suggest that diminished taste is a good signal to tell us stop eating. However Linda Craighead says:

"Taste, or rather anticipated taste, is not a good signal to use when deciding when to eat ... Taste is also not a good signal to decide when to stop eating. Most foods still taste good at the moderate fullness point. If you rely on the taste as your signal to stop, you will eat until the food no longer tastes good, or until the food is gone ... Since taste is a very powerful and natural signal, it is better to respect that signal and work with it rather than try to trick it ... Use taste as one of the signals you use to decide what type of food you are going to eat; doing so protects you from developing feelings of deprivation ... Balance the power of the anticipated taste with accurate predictions about how that food is going to make you feel once it gets past your mouth."

Linda Craighead also explains why relying on stomach cues, rather than taste, to decide when to start eating and when to stop eating, prevents inner struggles and/or feelings of deprivation. She says:

"When you listen more to your stomach and less to your mouth, you will find it easier to stop after moderate amounts of food. Your mouth is focused on taste, so you may end up feeling deprived is you don't eat as much as you want. Your stomach signal is based on fullness, not taste. Your stomach signal is the secret to eating less without feeling too deprived. You don't debate the issue or try to justify eating more. By using stomach signals, you take the decision to stop eaitng out of the psychological realm. If you focus on getting psychologically satisfied, anything less feels negative. When your goal is just to get food, you can feel good about stopping at moderate fullness."

Relying on stomach cues vs. taste or psychological 'satisfaction' simplifies for me the entire eating decision process. If I don't feel satisfied when I feel comfortably full, I can choose another food the next time I feel hungry and eat. If I enjoy how a food tastes, but feel comfortably full while I'm still enjoying that taste, I can always have that food the next time I feel hungry.

Habit Change: Observations

I'm amazed at how well I did during the past few days with eating 'just enough' at all 3 meals. I suspect motivation was key to my success. Rather than let rationalizations like, "I'll starve if I don't leave the table stuffed" or "I don't need to lose any more weight, so I should ignore fullness", I wanted to just see if I COULD stop at comfortably full. I doubted that I could even recognize 'just enough' or 'satisfaction'. I sometimes ate beyond 'no longer hungry', but I stopped at 'comfortably full' at each meal.

This experiment of stopping when I feel satisfied, 'just enough' and/or comfortably full reminds me of what Karen Koenig suggested in her "50 Tips to Help You Succeed at 'Normal Eating'". In the section about hunger, she said:

"14. Consider your hunger as a signal that you need fuel, not that you have to go out and seek the most fantastic eating experience of your life.

15. Practice believing that hunger is for fuel and pleasure, not for meeting emotional needs."

Those tips reminded me that eating can be pleasurable, but I have many other physical pleasures. However, overeating to the point of physical discomfort is NOT pleasureable. Above all, not every eating experience will be the 'most fantastic experience of (my) life'. Considering each meal as a way to nourish my body, rather than reward myself for enduring daily struggles or procrastinate unpleasant tasks, helps me stop eating when my BODY tells me (with slight fullness cues and absence of hunger) that the food served its purpose of nourishing my body.

This morning during my long hot shower, I contemplated what other physical pleasures I enjoy as much (or more than eating) and recalled the following:

Long hot showers

Wearing comfortable warm clothes on cold days and light clothes on hot days;

Long walks in any weather;

Aerobic exercises and/or yoga stretches;

Sound, restful sleep;

Drinking water when I'm thirsty;

Drinking ginger tea when I feel nauseas or have a cold;

Biking or playing tennis during the summertime;

Ice skating during the wintertime;

Active household chores when I feel energetic;

Smelling flowers in my garden or lavender scented pillows;

Restful activities (like blogging or sewing) when I feel tired.

I suspect I've overlooked other physical pleasures. However that list is enough to remind me eating is not my only physical pleasures.