Dr. Mercola on Plastics in Tea Bags--A Surpising Source of Potential Toxins

Dr. Joseph Mercola is a health expert who writes articles and sells wellness products on his website Mercola.com. When I want an overview of the alternative perspective on a health issue or supplement or chronic health problem I often go to Mercola first and do a search.

On April 24, 2013 Mercola wrote an article on Plastic and Cancerous Compounds in Tea Bags--A Surprising Source of Potential Toxins. It's shocking how plastic is hidden everywhere--even in our old fashioned tea bags. And, it makes you realize how going back to the most basic way of making food (and beverages) can really prevent exposure to these modern day chemicals. Some manufacturers are using plastic in the manufacturing of  the tea bags and coffee filters. The process "prevents tears that allow the tea leaves/coffee grounds to leak." And it can expose people to unhealthy toxins as the plastics used are exposed to boiling water during the process of steeping tea. If you don't have time to read the whole article Dr. Mercola suggests:

"purchasing tea from manufacturers who can certify that their tea bags do not contain epichlorophydrin, and avoid plastic tea bags. Your best option is to opt for loose tea."

"When selecting tea of any kind, it should preferably be organic (to avoid pesticides) and grown in a pristine environment (tea is known to accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil and water, so a clean growing environment is essential to producing a pure, high-quality tea."

Review: Dana's Bakery Gluten Free Macarons

Dana's Bakery has a GF macarons for every occasion. Have a Gluten Free Girl Scout? Dana's sells a box of only thin mints. Want to celebrate those little things? A small birthday cake macaron tastes like the real thing and the cookie dough flavor is better than the guilty pleasure itself. For the perfect party gift order a box of champagne macarons. A box of twelve from Dana's is perfect for any occasion. Kids will love the fun and whimsical flavors and adults will love a delicious twist on a sophisticated treat.
   
Dana's Bakery wasn't planned to be gluten free but it was a welcome coincidence because they use almond flour instead of pastry flour, but you would never expect to see the little gold "GLUTEN FREE" on the box from the taste. The texture is like cake with a hard shell and the most amazing, flavorful frosting you could ever imagine - it's a far cry from the jam full of seeds that fills macarons at cafes.
   
Little things like these macarons make being gluten free a little better--finding joy in something unexpected, and being ecstatic over those coincidences.

The macarons are $30 plus shipping for a dozen but if you sign up for the mailing list you will get an extra 10% off and sometimes you get a coupon code with your box. You can choose what flavors to get or order a variety box and get one of each flavor.

PROS: See the glowing review above!
CONS: Contains dairy. Pricey...but worth every penny!

photos by SEPNYC and ZeeBee

52 Week Challenge from Feed Me Dearly

The 52 week challenge was created Jessica who writes the inspiring blog Feed Me Dearly. Jessica created the challenge as a way to get her kids to try new foods. Each week, you try to eat a new food that you have never tried before. Even if you aren't a kid, the 52 week challenge is a great way to incorporate more variety into your diet. I am one of those people who eat the same thing day after day. I like the predictability of having one thing over and over again. But, it's also really fun to eat a wide variety of food.  Even if your kids don't want to try the new food, you can be a model for them so they can vicariously learn that trying new foods can be fun and exciting. Let me say that again--even if your kids don't want to try the new food, you can be a model for them so that they can see you trying and enjoying new foods.

By making the novelty of a new food central to the challenge, it takes away the fear of new food. Trying something new becomes a fun weekly game instead of a chore.

Spring is also a great time to try new foods because of the abundance of fresh produce at the farmer's market. For our first week of the challenge, we found micro-greens and edible flowers at the Union Square Farmer's Market. We tried:

• Yu Choi, the small yellow flowers (above) which are a type of Chinese greens called "choy sum" which means flowering stem
• Tatsoi
• Claytonia

My son tried one tiny bite of the greens and then grabbed a handful of greens (to go with his potato chips.) His hands were a little dirty--but I got a nice picture. I put the greens on a plate on the counter to take some pictures and he proceeded to eat my still life. My eleven year old tried them but passed on seconds saying she would eat the larger, edible flowers when she was in the country in the summer. The leftover greens also brightened up my tacos. 

 
If you would like to join me and Feed Me Dearly in the 52 week challenge, send me an email with the name of your blog and I will get you information on how to participate.

BLOGS IN THE 52 WEEK CHALLENGE...

Our Gluten Free Family: Microgreens
Feed Me Dearly: Sea Beans (Founder)

RELATED POSTS:

Eat Your Peas, PLEASE! 

Jicama Stackers 

Our Family FUN dinner 

Food Styling and Photography at ICE

"Less is more" seemed to be the take away of the Food Styling and Photography course at ICE taught by James Peterson, Jamie Tiampo and Jennifer Jung. Today's lecture and demo was on still lives. We pared way down from the overfilled tray of fruits, vegetables, herbs and white chocolate until we were finally left with this lonely but quite beautiful turnip. 

Here is a list of other food bloggers who are joining me at ICE...

Healthy Green Kitchen
Feed Me Dearly
HeirloomMeals

Our Gluten Free Family Cooking 2013 by Kendra Alexis

I cook everyday. These photographs give you a glimpse of me in my kitchen doing what I love to do--cooking and  preparing homemade food for myself and my family.

Kendra Alexis, a gifted and giving photographer, took them. When she isn't doing a photo shoot for families in NYC, Kendra gives back to the community by volunteering to take pictures for non-profits. She is an affiliated photographer for the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation and a member of PPA (Professional Photographers of America.) You can see more of her work at her website Kendra Alexis.

(To learn more about beet kvass--which is the sparkly wine colored beverage in the jar in the slideshow, go to my post on An Affordable Superfood--Beet Kvass.)

Review: Organic Girl Greens

Organic Girl greens are by far, the best product that has ever been sent to me to review.

Nothing makes me happier than fresh, crisp organic greens. Well, that is not completely true--washed THREE times organic produce makes me even happier. I sampled two blends of Organic Girl mixed greens (I heart baby kale! and SUPER GREENS) and baby spinach. My favorite was the SUPER GREENS which contains baby red chard, baby tat soi, baby spinach, baby green swiss chard, and baby arugula. Super Greens also contain 470% the daily value of vitamin K,  an important cofactor for vitamin D absorption.

Prewashed greens are super convenient way to get nutrient rich produce on the table quickly and the zippy Organic Girl packaging makes it a memorable brand. There are 14 different types of greens to choose from.

Last week, I discovered Organic Girl greens at Annie's Fruits and Vegetables--which is a small neighborhood grocery/produce market on the Upper East Side in NYC. Amazing that this  great product is hitting the shelves of big and small markets.

To find out where you can find Organic Girl visit the store locator. To read more about this great brand visit iloveorganicgirl.com. 



Medications May Contain Hidden Gluten: Cytomel "Very Likely Contains Gluten"

Many people assume that medications are free from major allergens like wheat. People who follow a medically prescribed gluten free diet are told (by doctors and in support groups) to look up online whether a particular medication is gluten free. When I was first prescribed Cytomel, I confirmed it was gluten free by looking it up on the website glutenfreedrugs.com and speaking with my pharmacist. It was on the list and the pharmacist confirmed it being gluten free.

When a friend, who has celiac disease and the same low thyroid issue as I do, called me to tell me how upset she was when she discovered that this brand name thyroid medication called Cytomel contained gluten, I really didn't know what to think.  Lisa pointed out "I am just so upset--every can of soup has to be labelled with ingredients and you can see if it contains wheat. But prescription medicine doesn't have to be labelled? How is this possible?"

To get more information about whether Cytomel contained gluten, I spoke to Christine with customer service at Pfizer 1-800-438-1985, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Cytomel. Christine looked at database and checked with someone else and reported back that: "it lists as an inactive ingredient "starch" which would be wheat based and likely to be a potential source of gluten"

I was actually shocked to hear that it contains wheat starch. I have been on this medicine for a few years. (A few years, I will add, that I have been doing so-so and thought that my thyroid problems were causing me problems--never thinking it might be from gluten in my doctor prescribed thyroid medication.) After hearing that Cytomel contains wheat starch, my doctor replied "I am stunned and speechless."

In an informative article titled 3 Steps to Choosing the Right Thyroid Hormone, Chris Kesser confirms

"Cytomel, which is a popular synthetic T3 hormone, has modified food starch – which contains gluten – as a filler."

Because thyroid problems and celiac disease/gluten intolerance go together it is disappointing that Pfizer is not using a different type of starch that is not a major allergen. It's not like Cytomel is a bagel or croissant that needs to contain wheat/gluten to be chewy and yummy. There is no reason to not use corn starch or another non-allergenic starch in the inactive ingredients.

But, the bigger issue,  is WHY AREN'T PHARMACEUTICALS REQUIRED TO LIST INGREDIENTS AND MAJOR ALLERGENS like food companies? How can a company like Pfizer get away with listing "starch" as an ingredient and not tell consumers the source of the starch? And how many of their other medications also contain "starch" which is actually wheat?

Unfortunately, the Gluten in Medicine Identification Act of 2012 (House of Representatives 4972 Bill) never passed. Until there is better disclosure, the safest thing to do is to call the pharmaceutical companies directly and ask if there is gluten in the medication.

______________________________________________________

NOTE/ALTERNATIVE TO CYTOMEL...

I confirmed the generic my pharmacy carries of Cytomel, called Liothyronine Sodium,  from Paddock Laboratories is gluten free by speaking directly to customer service at Paddock Laboratories (800) 328-5113. Because formulas change, it is best to check DIRECTLY with the manufacturer about whether a medication contains gluten. (You can look at the back of your prescription label to find the name of the manufacturer--but you might need your glasses because the print is so tiny.)

Paddock Laboratories, who makes the generic my pharmacy sells, is much more transparent with their ingredients (inactive ingredients: Calcium Sulfate, Cellulose, microcrystalline, hypromellose, talc and silicon dioxide) which are listed at the National Library of Medicines Daily Med site page for the liothyronine sodium. The same Daily Meds page for Cytomel does not mention any inactive ingredients so it is harder to know exactly what it contains.

NOTE TO PFIZER...
I am happy to report if you switch to a gluten free starch--and if you ever certify your medication to be gluten free!

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

From the GF archives...

A mother picked up her daughter from my house today and remarked casually about her two girls "They still don't eat any vegetables!" A few minutes later, she announced again "I just can't get them to eat vegetables." Well, as soon as they walked out the door my daughter announced "Why are we the ONLY ones who have to eat VEGETABLES!"

Four years of hard work to get my kids to eat their veggies went down the drain. "Well," I said, "we eat vegetables because they are healthy--and they taste good. And you do have some friends who eat vegetables--Billie has to eat vegetables, right?" Finally, I asked "Do you want a break from eating your vegetables?" thinking it might be good to lose the battle and win the war. So tonight, my two kids took a break from eating vegetables while I enjoyed a bowl of kale and some out of this world asparagus parmesan.

The truth is, my kids don't willingly eat vegetables. They have to eat some vegetables if they want dessert. And it's usually something green: my son will eat a salad, my daughter will have some peas or green beans or cucumbers. It's completely optional but if you want something sweet at the end of the meal you need to have "vegetables first--dessert second." I don't feel like it is bribery--you just have to do xxx in order to do yyy. Dessert is definitely a reinforcer.

"Fine if you don't eat it but we can't move on to dessert." I say if they don't want the vegetables. And I am truly fine with them not eating any vegetables and skipping dessert.

My kids didn't always eat vegetables with dinner. For a long time, I didn't want to force them to eat vegetables.They would eat whatever they wanted. There were enough rules about eating since they couldn't eat gluten (or dairy) that I really wanted eating to be fun and without additional complications so I held off on forcing the issue. They would eat vegetables in the summer and although they occasionally did eat some vegetables, it was not a routine but a random event.

Then I went to visit a relative who doesn't cook at all but had decided for health reasons her daughter who was a very picky eater needed to eat vegetables with dinner. After years of her saying "She doesn't eat vegetables" she decided that it was imperative that her daughter eat vegetables after a life threatening illness. Since she doesn't cook at all, she had a bag of frozen green beans and a bag of frozen peas and she would alternate them. Peas one night. Green beans the next. She would put a cup of water in an omelet pan and bring it to a boil with a little salt. Then she would boil the vegetables in the water for four minutes. When I returned home from our visit, I was inspired and the kids had been served vegetables every night for almost two week, so we began our routine.

To make it a little more fun I often put the peas or beans in shot glasses and gave them a choice. "Peas or beans?" I would yell for the fun of it as I cooked dinner. It didn't matter to me which they chose. We just needed to start incorporating vegetables into our dinner more regularly. "Do I have to?" they would whine at some point. "No." I would say. "You don't have to eat them. But if you want dessert we have vegetables first. Dessert second." That's it. End of story. Very unemotional.

You need to start somewhere.

"Where is your leverage?" I remember learning at a parenting course. Well, dessert was my leverage. I guess for other people it could be something else. I know the relative who got her daughter to eat her veggies used a second helping of pasta as her leverage. Sometimes you need to finish your veggies, but you never need to clean your plate. Half of whatever is healthy is the unoffical rule at my house.

And gradually, my kids have learned to eat their vegetables. I don't know if they like them. But I am guessing they have learned to not hate them. And I don't make them eat kale--although some kids love it. They eat vegetables that kids eat: carrots, cucumbers, pickles, green beans, peas as well as a few family favorites: artichokes, olives, sauerkraut, and a salad. And they each have the things they will eat and won't. My son will eat a salad but will eat only one pea. My daughter will eat salty peas but won't go near a salad.

It's not easy--it is hard work. But, it's not magic--it's just a moment in your life as a parent when you realize that eating vegetables is important and necessary to health and not something you can opt out of. I was a picky eater so I am completely sensitive to picky eaters, but eating vegetables is too critical to good health to be something kids don't do.

"Rome wasn't built in a day" so it's okay if you move gradually toward having them eat vegetables. Start with one carrot or one pea. Make it unemotional but make it count. One pea at a time. (Or jicama.) Just do it.

Related posts:
My List of all Fruits and Vegetables
Beyond "Eat Your Peas, PLEASE!"--Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables
Fresh, Raw Food--An Important Source of Glutathione
Easy Green Herb Dip
Snack Trays
Going Green with Green Beans

Toastabags for Gluten Free Toast

Toastabags are small bags that you can use to toast gluten free bread and prevent cross contamination of crumbs. I would always prefer a dedicated gluten free toaster--but in a pinch while traveling these bags might be helpful for some people on a gluten free diet. They also might be helpful for people at work. Most gluten free bread needs to be toasted or warmed up to taste like anything. When I am traveling, I end up using the broiler to make toast--but I have a few times burned toast. So, these bags might be a better option. They are sold online on Amazon or at Pip's Place in NYC.

A Gluten Free Shopping List

 

Q: Can you send me an average shopping list for a gluten free family?
Thanks. I am new to this and need a head start.
-SS

A: So amazing that you asked for a shopping list. I had a shopping list in my scanner to post today. Below is a list of what I buy at the supermarket. Some other things (like gluten free pasta and gluten free desserts) I usually purchase at a health food store  But if you don't have access to specialty markets you can serve rice and potatoes and corn as starches which are easily found at the regular market. I don't have rice/potatoes/corn on my list because I had some potatoes and rice. Also, things like Lay's potato chips and Fritos are also gluten free (and dairy free.) Regular soy sauce and Twizzler's both have gluten in them so these are things you need to be careful about. But you can buy gluten free Tamari as a substitute for gluten free soy sauce. Let me know if you need more information. 

-Kirstin

Meat/Fish:

• Hormel Pepperoni
• Boar's Head Pastrami - 1/4 pound
• Boar's Head sliced turkey - 1 pound
• chicken sliced thin (organic, raw)
• organic grass fed beef/meat
• 2 or 3 small pieces of flounder

Vegetables:

• cucumber (organic)
• carrots (organic- mini and large)
• artichokes  (3 or 4) X
• spinach (organic box or loose)
• lettuce (organic box romaine)

Fruits:

• Raspberries (1) organic X
• Blueberries (1) organic X
• 2 lemons
• 6 limes
• 2 yellow delicious apples
• 2 green apples
• oranges

Other:

• Organic juice (1 package of 3 small individual juice boxes Fruit Punch)
• Kettle brand potato chips - organic
• 2 Skinny Pop  popcorn (package of 6 mini bags)
• silk mini vanilla almond milk (package of 4 small individual boxes)
• Daiya cheese- dairy free cheese
• coconut milk - 1 can organic
• eggs 2 cartons
• Amy's organic lentil soup
• Black pitted calamata olives