This happened to me this weekend, after a trip to my favorite health food store.
I have had some extra things going on in my life the past few weeks - a slight change in schedule, and it's added an extra inconvenience to my already complicated dietary issues. To make life easier on myself, I've allowed myself to spend a little extra and indulge in my favorite treats as well as trying some new ones.
For lunch both Friday and Saturday, I fixed an extra big salad, with organic field greens and baby spinach, and I added salsa, turkey, and vegan cheddar shreds...
This is where it got a little weird...
I do sometimes use substitute non-dairy "cheeses". I know these are not real food, and I don't eat them all the time. But I know as well as you do that if you don't bend sometimes, you'll break eventually. So, there I was, eating my lovely salad with cheese, and reading the back of the package like one would a cereal box over their morning coffee. When I turned the package around, I noticed something I had missed earlier - the words "New Formula" were boldly printed on the front of the bag.
That really made me think!
Exactly what kind of food is described as a "formula"?!
Yipes! I didn't even want to spend time wondering how this was an improvement on the old "formula"!
This is where eating for your health can get tricky. I know there are certain things that I simply can not eat, because those things really hurt me. Those with food allergies or lactose or gluten intolerance will understand what I mean. If you have spent 28 days on our very strict anti-candida diet, you may have noticed some adverse reactions to some of the foods we have re-introduced so far. While it can help a great deal to avoid those things in the future, it is also wise to educate yourself about the available "substitutes". Let's face it, vegan "cheese" isn't cheese, just like tofurkey and soy-based "meats" aren't meat at all. Gluten-free processed junk food is still processed junk food. And the healthiest foods have five or fewer ingredients - ingredients that can be pronounced and don't require a degree in science to recognize.
Beware of clever marketing. Words like "vegan", "gluten-free", "natural flavors" are all used in labeling with the purpose of selling a product to health-conscious folks, who may be willing to spend a little more if they believe it is "good" for them. We've already determined that fresh veggies are pretty affordable and make great meals, so don't get caught up in health-food fads that are making somebody a lot of money and not really helping your health at all.
I thought my fake "cheese" story would be good food for thought this week, as we introduce dairy products back into our candida + blood type diet. I think grains is unsteady ground for many folks trying to improve their health through diet; milk is more like thin ice. Between lactose, casein, and all of the "stuff" that gets added, it's no wonder so many people have so many different adverse reactions to milk and milk products. Things to watch out for here include gastro-intestinal woes, skin problems like eczema, excess mucous and respiratory problems, to name just a few. For me, personally, just the tiniest amount of cheese brings on debilitating congestion that starts within hours after eating the offending food and can take weeks to get over. At the same time, their are certain dairy products I can eat with no problems, like butter and mozzarella cheese. I don't know anything about the production of these foods, so I can not tell why some are safe for me and some are not.
As you try adding dairy into your diet this week, pay close attention to your body and any messages it might be sending you. As always, I am using http://www.dadamo.com/ as my source for the list...
DAIRY
Almond milk
Almond cheese
Rice milk
(The above may not be considered "dairy",
but they are listed here as possible substitutes if you must avoid milk.)
Farmer cheese
Feta cheese
Ghee
Goat cheese
Mozzarella cheese
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