Monday, May 27, 2019

Experiments and Decisions



We all have to make nutrition-related decisions based on factors such as  quality, taste, price, availability, shelf life. For instance: organic vs.inorganic products; tap water vs. bottled water. 

I sometimes do little, rudimentary, home experiments to help with my shopping decisions. Although  I have  preferrences as a result of these 'experiments', I often give in to price and availability, and... 'sleep well'  with that.

How come? Well,  my major conclusion is that most health issues stem  from lack of moderation and balance, less from eating conventional grown items (yes, with traces of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones), or drinking tap water.

Eggs are a good example .  They have been linked to high cholesterol (major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases).
On the other hand,  their protein is of the highest quality regardless of production method.  Without good protein one might experience among other bad symptoms, hairloss and weight gain.


So, the bottom line would be moderation. One  boiled egg per two (2) days , is probably safe in the cholesterol area, and provides the protein neccessary for body functioning. One could also choose to eat the whites only,  have a tiny bit of the yolk or not  yolk at all.

Price and availability do play an important part in my decisions. The small apple with the worm (organic growth) is tastier, probably healthier, than the one with the traces of pesticide (inorganic), but  more expensive , and  not always available at the nearby grocery store. This applies to almost all fruit,legumes and veggies, 




Goat milk yogurt is definitely superior to cow milk yogurt (because of its probiotics benefits), and the taste is great.
Lately, the price of goat milk products has gone up steeply, so I  switched to balkanic cow milk yogurt for the time being (produced by the same firm - Gad Dairy)  ; it's cheaper and tastes good.

goat youghurt and cow milk youghurt in similar bottles

Tap water is cheapest and of optimal availability. However, after doing some  experiments in the kitchen (boiling the water and examining the deposits on the bottom),  I've decided in favor of bottled water both for cooking and drinking.


bottled water

(For my indoor plants - lucky bamboo - I buy distilled water at the pharmacy; that seems to be the best water for keeping them well).

In this post, I'm not referring  to people with allergies or specific health issues. I'll only mention a case that gives hope to many.  Sometimes at the supermarket, I meet a lady who has gone through any allergy one could possibly imagine (according to her stories).

Doctors have failed her, and she cannot always afford all those free gluten, free lactose, free sugar, free whatever, food items. So she has found a way of her own ,essentially  based  on  veggies, fruit, rice, and fish (all available at the local supermarket). In addition,  she also keeps away from doctors and medications.
Well, not only is she alive and active, but she even looks much younger than her 76 years.






52 comments:

  1. The lady at the grocery store sounds wise. Eat real food, not too much, and avoid doctors! ;-)

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    1. She's certainly an interesting trial and error case; it's not easy to solve one's health problem.

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    2. Is that yogurt the drinkable kind? I have never seen it in bottles like that, except for kefir.

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    3. Yes, it is. In the fridge it gets thicker and I like to sprinkle it over boiled/mashed potatoes or polenta.

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  2. Good to hear about the lady eating "real food" and doing so well. Sounds like a great diet.

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    1. Yes, it's a case that gives much hope to people in similar situations. It shows that solutions are within us. People are too dependent on outer factors (doctors, consultants,meds), and that causes much frustration.

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  3. When I think what I have eaten during my whole life when nobody paid attention to what they ate because they were hungry, I would be dead by now probably. I eat what I like and have no health probblems so organic, gluten free or not doesn't matter, with 75 years I won't change !

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    1. I didn't know your age, but now that you've disclosed it I must compliment you, Gattina. In the photos of your post you look lovely. May you go on like that for many years to come!

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    2. Thank you ! BTW my mother collected jewelry and oriental carpets when everybody got back to normal life, because these two items provided food during the war ! Like your mother with her rings !

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    3. I think jewelery have always served as a means of providing for bad days (war, immigration, loss of job). Jewelery pieces are small - easy to hide and carry.
      I remember I once bought a little ring, and the old jeweler blessed me with "you shoukd never have to sell it for money or give it away for food!".

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  4. Interesting post! I agree moderation is an important part of eating healthy.

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    1. I've come to the conclusion that moderation is a big key word when it comes to nutrition. We don't have to totally give up eating things that are considered harmful, just having them seldom and in tiny portions.

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  5. I agree with your "moderation" and with the others comments about the lady who has a good basic diet, good for her to have found something simple to stay healthy, and within her restrictions. It can get quite complicated in the supermarkets these days, and I think too eating as local and fresh as possible is good, and usually reasonable too!♡

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    1. The lady mentioned in my post is a good example of finding the solution to our problems within ourselves.
      She's a simple woman, doesn't even own a computer with Google to come to her rescue, and yet her persistence and stubborness, her willingness to experiment with products and explore their effect on her health has put her on the right track.

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  6. Thoughtful and informative post, I love eggs but we do have to limit them

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    1. Thank you, Christine.
      It's hard to find someone who doesn't like eggs. They are a dominant item in our nutrition. And yet, as you say, "we have to limit them" because of the cholesterol risk.

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  7. lately we decided not to buy bottle water and use tap instead, but when it comes to real summer we will probably have to come back to bottles (I first boil the tap water so it would take a lot of time to have fresh cold water)

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    1. Yes,I know what you mean. There's work to be done: boiling, filtering, distilling. I'm lazy about all that, so I turn to bottled water.
      Luckily, there's a great and good variety to choose from, both domestic and imported.

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  8. It never occurred to me that we should buy distilled water for house plants! They grow better? I imagine they should, God only knows what toxins we have in our tap water. Do you have problems with water in your country, given that your land is very dry?

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    1. To me neither. My indoor plants (over 30)all belong to the type of 'lucky bamboo'(dracaena sanderiana).
      I had problems with it, so I looked it up on the Web.In a small indian video on Youtube I found the distilled water suggestion, and it worked beyond any expectation. It's cheap at the local pharma, so I don't need to buy some distillation device.

      Our tap water seems to be OK. However, when I examined the deposit on the bottom of pot (after boiling it for a certain period of time)it looked toxic; yellowish in color. The bottled spring water deposit, on the other hand, looked all white. Salts is also not the greatest bargain; that 's why I buy the low sodium bottled water.

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  9. Very interesting to read …

    Of course we do have to take any allergies, or health related illness etc into consideration when choosing the foods and lifestyle we follow.

    I would always favour real foods over processed and I always start my day with an egg … they are a powerhouse of good nutrients.

    One of our grandsons couldn't do this as he is allergic to eggs but he does eat a very good range of fresh foods, and aren't fresh vegetables and fruit delicious.

    I enjoyed your post Duta, thank you.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks, Jan, for your kind words.
      As for allergies, I suppose they are caused by either some sort of deficiency or by an inflamation.

      I was once allergic to touching peaches; that is even before tasting a peach I got a red, itching rash on my neck. It went away without me doing anything about it. I guess, one of the supplements I take (don't know which) helped with it and made it dissappear.

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  10. I have heard that you can eat eggs everyday, they are not so bad for cholesterol like they thought before, actually they are extremely healthy☺ Have a lovely week☺

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    1. There are still differences of opinion among scientists. So,let's say if someone wishes to eat more than one egg per day, he should check his colesterol level and then decide about the number of eggs he could eat daily/weekly.

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  11. I am with you in terms of moderation and such. And the opinions seem to change on a regular basis! It is unfortunate that costs often control one's ability to select as they choose but choosing wisely will indeed help. We are very fortunate to have good tap water. Up north, we buy distilled water at the store.

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    1. Our water authority claims our tap water quality is excellent. Yet, I've decided in favor of bottled spring water after noticing the deposit on the bottom of the pot following water boiling for a certain time period. It looked vert bad.

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  12. Moderation is the key to eating healthy. I agree with that.

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    1. I wish we could all apply this principle into practice. It would make for a healthier and better world.

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  13. I agree moderation is the way to go. I had to try gluten free and dairy free as I had severe IBS
    I haven't had IBS for half a year now and my asthma has mostly disappeared which I think is because of the milk
    It is indeed expensive and it is hard to do 100%
    It is worth though for me because of the results
    So yes it works

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    1. I had to google IBS. Glad the change in nutrition helped. I like to hear and read about health problems solved by lifestyle changes.

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  14. Interesting post, DUTA. I buy organic, sometimes, but probably not as much as I should. Cereal is a big thing for me, and I always go organic with that. Fruit and vegetables...sometimes organic, sometimes, not. Eggs...I love eggs, and eat more than is currently advised. At least, currently advised. I'm sure they'll change it again.

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    1. Thank you, Bica.

      Most people "dance on both weddings" - organic and conventional, because of price and availability mainly. That's OK as long as people practice balance and moderation.

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  15. Well done (goed bezig). I am consciously looking for food that contains magnesium and vitamin D. Water? I always drink water from a bottle (spa). Eat a varied diet. Eggs are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. So I eat 2 eggs a week.

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    1. For magnesium I've been taking for years, Solgar's supplement of magnesium + B6.
      You're right about eggs; they are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals.

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  16. This was an interesting post, Duta. I enjoy eggs cooked various ways, but mostly hard and soft-boiled or scrambled. We drink bottled water vs. tap water. As for milk, we enjoy almond milk and I now only buy whole milk for baking.

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    1. Thanks.
      I usually don't drink any milk. I only put some drops of cow milk in my cup of coffee, each time I drink coffee.
      As mentioned in my post, I do, however, like youghurt, especially goat youghurt.

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  17. Yes, I agree that all these fancy product are not always the answer. Eating what is fresh, healthy and what is in season along with moderation can often be the answer to good health.

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    1. By 'fancy' you mean free of...
      Well these products might help, but they're usually more expensive, and not everyone is willing or has the means to pay the price.

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  18. I agree with you about everything-in-moderation. That's how I live as well.

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    1. Good to hear that. Of course, if we wish to lose weight or deal with some health issue, moderation should be carefully planned and carried out.

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  19. I've been trying to be so much better on the things I eat, and I have been drinking sparkling water, eggs and lots more fruit, and somehow it's been making a difference. Thanks so much for all your great tips! Hugs...RO

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    1. Good for you!
      I like sparkling water too; it's my favorite drink. or regular soda water if sparkling water is not availble. I believe this kind of water neutralizes toxins in the stomach.

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  20. Eggs fried in onions are my favorite, as well as vegetables, are the most important part I have to consume every day.
    The post is very interesting, greetings ...

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    1. Thank you.
      Your daily food intake sounds delicious. I'm a great lover of onion, especially the red kind.

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  21. As my husband says, "Doctors PRACTICE" and I tend to agree. They speculatye about his aches and pains. Too him six months of therapy before an MRI which indicated torn ligaments in his knee.
    Ah Moderation. I must learn that when it comes to sweets.

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    1. Sadly, people in the West are too dependant on doctors.
      As for sweets, it is possible to learn and practice moderation. It's a matter of finding one's own way of doing that, and knowing that your health greatly depends on it.

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  22. I quite agree, Duta, moderation in everything.
    Good nutrition, adequate sleep, keeping your mind active, as well as your body, and avoiding too much of anything. Take care!

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    1. "avoiding too much of anything" - well put! I like it.

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  23. I never buy bottled water. Fortunately, here where I live our water supply is excellent. On this property we depend on both rain water and bore. The mountain aquifer supplies an abundances of crystal clear water. Many water tankers draw water from the mountain aquifer...for bottled water companies, beer-makers and Coca Cola.

    It would be silly for me to purchase bottled water as it probably comes from here!

    However, water intended for drinking...I do boil.

    I've always a good supply of cow's milk in my fridge...and eggs.

    As with everything...moderation is the key! :)

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    1. Good for you! I wish I wouldn't have to buy bottled water myself, but then, my experiment with the deposit on the bottom doesn't give me peace.

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