Dragonfly News

The Official Monthly Newsletter of Song of Health
January, 2009

Click here to download a printable
version of this newsletter.

February 09 Newsletter
December 08 Newsletter

Welcome Subscribers, to Dragonfly News. We are excited about the opportunity to share interesting and helpful information with you in our monthly newsletter, which is available to subscribers only. We first email the newsletter and food resource updates to you directly in .pdf form. Then, in a few days you will be able to access the newsletter on the website. The food resource updates will be incorporated into the existing Food Resource List and can be found by clicking the icon on the left side of most pages.

If you did not receive this issue at your email address and would like to, please notify us immediately at manager@songofhealth.com.

We may need you to remove a pop-up blocker on your computer or to update your current email address with us.

On January 5th our subscription rates increased. The new rates are as follows:
1 month subscription: $17.00
6 month subscription: $91.80 (10% savings)
1 year subscription: $163.00 (20% savings)

We understand economic times are tough for all of us and we are working hard to keep the cost of your subscriptions as low as possible. We thank you all for understanding the need to cover the cost of expenses in order to continue bringing you all this wonderful information.

WEBSITE CHANGES!

The following changes have been made to the Food Resource List:
The heading "Chocolate" has been changed to "Chocolate and Cocoa."
All Chocolate items listed under "Baking Supplies" have been moved to "Chocolate and Cocoa." Carob listings remain under Baking Supplies."
The category "Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements has been changed to "Vitamins, Health Care Products and Nutritional Supplements.
Eye Drop listings have been moved to Vitamins, Health Care Products and Nutritional Supplements.
The format of the Food Resource List has been made more uniform. Hopefully this helps to eliminate any confusion between listings.

Please let us know if you find anything else that needs to be addressed.

GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH:
honor your friends and family with A subscription to SONG OF HEALTH.

WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER?
Our goal is to serve you. Please help us by sharing what you would like to see in the Dragonfly News. We also invite you to share your favorite recipes with us.

You may contact us at: newsletter@songofhealth.com

SUBSCRIBERS SPOTLIGHT
STORIES, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Share your story with others.

SUBSCRIBERS, please. . . help others by sharing your story with us and allow us to publish it in the next issue of Dragonfly News and Subscribers’ Testimonials, now on the Song of Health website. We have this opportunity to help those who still suffer but are not confident that our dietary lifestyle will work for them. By hearing and reading about how our lives were dramatically changed we can help them to step through the door toward wellness. WE WOULD BE HONORED TO INCLUDE YOUR STORY about how you came to follow the Dr. Carroll Food Intolerance way of life. We reserve the right to edit for grammar and spelling correctness, however we will not change your story content.

IF YOU PREFER US TO HELP YOU WRITE YOUR STORY, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO. JUST ASK!

Please email your contribution to manager@songofhealth.com

Thank you for helping us to achieve our goal of reaching out to as many people as possible in order to provide help, hope and answers. The more we give away, the more we receive!

A note of encouragement: A subscriber was concerned that her story was uninteresting. There is no such thing as a boring, uninteresting story! We are here to support each other and every contribution helps, no matter how small or large the content. Please don't let that stop you!

AS PROMISED:
In our last newsletter in “Sharing Experiences,” Sandra promised to continue sharing information about the HCV (Hepatitis C virus) as pertains to discussions, naturopathic or otherwise natural healing methods. Below is an excerpt of a testimonial by a patient of Song of Health supporter Dr. Norman SuHu, taken from his website, per his permission. (To see the complete version go to the page on his website at: "http://superpageshosting.com/drsuhucom/qualifications

January, 2006
My name is Barbara and I would like to share my story with you…

…May 1998…There was a lot of emotional tension in my life…I began to think I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome…moved on to seek professional help. Watch out for the professionals, they will tell you…it’s all in your head, or ask…“How old are you?” “When did you begin menstruating?” …then they would answer the questions themselves and tell me I was beginning menopause and I would be feeling better soon…

2001. I can’t even get out of bed. I decided to find another rheumatologist...he asked if I had ever been tested for Hepatitis. I said no and he asked if he could run the series. After the holidays I decide to call him to find out the results…not only did I have antibodies for Hepatitis B but tested positive for Hepatitis C! He suggested I make an appointment with my PCP to get quantitative levels run….after 3-½ years of feeling really bad, at least I had an answer. I made the appointment with my PCP (who…never tested me for this virus) and had the Hepatitis Levels run…My PCP suggested I see a hematologist which I did, and surprise, after a liver biopsy, they offered me no help. They believed I had contracted the virus sometime in the late 1970’s due to a blood transfusion, and because I had had the virus for over 20 years, I would die of old age, and there was really nothing I could do…

Not everyone agreed with this diagnosis. Some believed I should try Interferon. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with this drug, but it makes chemotherapy look good, so of course, after not getting any 2 professionals to agree on anything, I decided to seek my own professional help. That’s when I began acupuncture. That was in the summer of 2001. I saw that healer for over 3-½ years. I was happy with the results; however I had to have treatments in the beginning 2 & 3 times a week and took 18-24 spoonfuls of herbs daily. Not only was this time consuming, it was really expensive…In the beginning the results were great. It took us sometime to balance me, but I was beginning to function like a woman my age should. I was exercising again, and loving life. Was this the answer?

I had continued to monitor my liver enzymes along with the viral load. It was remaining high, but the western medical community offered me no solution. After 2 years my viral load increased to over 600,000. Depending on what you read, that is still low, but it was increasing, which concerned me. Maybe the answer was Interferon. I began to research this topic and spoke to the professionals again. I also wasn’t feeling as good as I had been feeling in the beginning. Maybe we had gone as far as we could go? That’s when she suggested the Holistic Practice down the road from her office…it was Norman!

I had seen Norman when this started, but never continued. I wanted quick results and was not able to compute the understanding that anything complimentary would take time. WOW! I was making a full circle. I called him, made an appointment and have been seeing him ever since. First we spoke about my overall health…he gave me a blood test, in the right earlobe. It gave him a reading on my liver inflammation. He also tested my diet and found out what foods didn’t agree with me. I had always thought my diet played a significant role in my overall health, as I would have highs and lows daily and, of course, 2 weeks before menstruation that chocolate fix was needed to a ridiculous amount. There were times nothing would satisfy me! You know there is a problem then, but still no one would listen, except Norman. His kind and gentle technique along with his compassion and knowledge has made this part of my healing journey quite easy. It [is] not as intensive as the other treatment and it’s really easy. I am on a therapy--1 teaspoon of a remedy in water every other day and a spoonful of licorice daily. That’s it! I am also watching for the foods I can’t have. For the most part I feel better than I have ever felt before. If I stray back to having eggs or wheat and potato products together I begin not to feel good. I get tired again, and cranky…I am at peace, secure and confident. I can’t begin to tell you [how] Norman has changed my life…I know that with his guidance and support this will be the last leg of my healing journey and I will be Hepatitis C free!!!

QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED:

IMPORTANT! It has been brought to our attention an important issue that we believe needs to be addressed: On occasion, a subscriber will ask our doctors a question regarding a food intolerance and their responses will slightly differ. This has sometimes caused confusion and has been expressed directly to one of our doctors by several patients.

Per Dr. Zeff: “…most likely, we are not evaluating foods for, e.g., potato content. We are evaluating a food against a blood sample of a person with a known potato intolerance…” Test results for one patient to a food can vary from another patient, even though they are intolerant to the same food category. So, Dr. Watrous may determine a different result than Dr. Zeff, or any of the other doctors who competently perform this testing, because they are testing a patient’s specific blood sample to a specific food sample. As Dr. Zeff puts it, “It is one of the peculiarities of the methodology.”

For this reason, we constantly emphasize throughout the Song of Health website that the information found on the website is a guide only. If you have any personal issues with a product, in other words, a test evaluation shows a food should be o.k. for you to eat, yet you have a reaction to it anyway, we suggest you refrain from consuming it until you have it tested for you personally.

Always, always, always consult your physician with any medical issues you may be experiencing, any drugs you have questions about or your medical care. Our purpose is to help you to determine what foods are included in food intolerance categories. All other information, including articles, are for educational purposes, and is not meant to replace your doctor’s care for you. We are set up as a support team for doctor, patient and subscriber. There are many questions Song of Health can answer for you, and we encourage you to ask us first, in regards to food and food intolerances. What we are not qualified to answer directly, we refer to our doctors and they, in return email their responses to us. You may consider Song of Health as your information center.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us. We are here to support you and your efforts to claim and maintain great health by refraining from your food intolerances and learning about other natural health issues.
In Health,
Sandra Strom

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS/COMMENTS WERE EMAILED TO US SINCE THE NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER. THEY WILL ALSO BE POSTED IN THE FORUM. Be sure to check The Forum daily for new entries.

From Jerry. Dear Sandra, I am having a hard time cutting out all potato, do you have a resource for what I can have and not all the other stuff? Also, what about no potato recipes? Any books for just simple stuff? Just looking through your list I am still getting a lot of potato. Your data base is a huge help.
Jerry

Reply from Sandra. Good morning Jerry, I understand your dilemma - I too, am potato-intolerant as well as fruit/sugar combo. I will give you some major tips on how to use the website for specific info and also what you can eat in replacement of potato:

When you login, you will come to the Subscribers' Home Page. I highly advise taking the time to read through it, tedious as it may seem. It will give you an overview of all the different website sections and pages - how to get to them and what you will find there - basically, how to find what you are looking for.

First, click on to the Food Categories icon, then click on "Potato" to get to the page that lists everything we know of that either is in the potato family, is derived from potato or contains potato in the product, such as baking powder. This will give you a good feel of what you need to give away in your cupboard to someone who eats potato! Note, on that page it says:  Kabuki squash, jicama and Jerusalem artichokes (also known as Sun Chokes). You may also be intolerant to these. Those things may or may not cause intolerant reactions in you. Personally, I stay off jicama completely. Dr. Watrous and I have both found that we can eat a little of Jerusalem artichoke, in very slight moderation, our bodies will be ok. But if we eat a lot of them, especially more than 1 day in a row, look out - we're sick!

Excellent substitutes for potato is yuca, or yucca root. It is a cactus, and it tastes so much like potato that it will make your mouth water! I French fry them, boil, steam, bake, mash, hash brown, country fry - you name it. If you eat meat you can put them in pot roast. They come mainly from Costa Rica and, unfortunately, I haven't found any organic yuca, but oh well when it's that or nothing! To prepare, you must scrape the thick skin off, then in the center is a woody core which peels right out or is easy to cut out. Look in the RECIPES section on the website under vegetables for some recipes. Or you can email me and ask me for more help with them.  Be sure to buy the ones that are very solid. If they have soft spots or any mold, don't buy them. They should be whitish inside. If they are dark or soft they're not going to taste very good. Sometimes, I'll get one that has a few dark "lines" running through it and it will still be good, especially if fried. (Remember to use organic oil - safflower, sunflower or olive oils are best.) I always cut the pithy parts out. They can be found in most superstores, such as Safeway or Fred Meyers. In Longview, Washington, if you go that direction, Market Place on Commerce has them also. The cost usually averages around $1.49 to 2.10 per pound. Let me know what you think about yuca when you try it. They don't mash as well as potatoes do - they come out pastier. So I like to mash them, then put them in a glass baking dish and bake them in the over for about 15 minutes at 375. They get a crust on top and it's pretty good that well, albeit a bit fattening.

Other substitutes are rutabaga or turnip, but that doesn't really do it for me like yuca does.

Check out The Forum for questions/discussions regarding yuca, potato, etc. There are a lot of us potato intolerants out there.

The Food Resource List is a good guide for foods that have been evaluated, i.e. for potato. Remember, these are all guides. You may or may not find you react, but my rule of thumb is - if it tests potato I stay away from it. Our bodies are sensitive machines to toxins/poisons. They can tolerate a little when our immune systems are strong and we aren't already fighting to get well from some dis-ease. If our health is already taxed, eating even small amounts of our intolerance foods can be enough to send us over the line of wellness/illness.

Does this help? Please don't hesitate to contact me for whatever you need help with and any other questions you may have.
If you don't mind, I will share your question, anonymously, and this discussion with the other subscribers in the next newsletter and in the Forum. You are not alone in the quest to eat in a good way for ourselves. If we break it down into simple concepts, then it doesn't seem so overwhelming!

Let me know how you do and how I can further help. In Health, Sandra.

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!

Please post your replies to our other subscribers at THE FORUM.
Thank you.

HEALTH HUMOR

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Do you have any silly Health Humor you would like to share? Email to: manager@songofhealth.com

SHARING EXPERIENCES
By Sandra Strom, CEO

“The Inner Healer – How Powerful is it?”

Many years ago my sister and I discussed her skepticism of the need to follow her food intolerance diet when she believed that a person’s spiritual being, or higher self, is perfectly capable of rising above the condition of the physical being, thereby “trumping” physical aspects and enabling the body to heal from a higher level.

I argue that this is very possible; however, most of us are generally not, 24/7, in a state of mind to, or have never had the opportunity to learn how to accomplish this. For me, I believe that refraining from food intolerance is essential and primary to maintaining a healthy immune system, along with practicing a healthy lifestyle. I am convinced by the immense evidence, through the years, to trust this process.

That being said, many stories of successful spiritual healing have been shared. The most important aspects I believe necessary for this to occur are 1) the patient must have hope and faith in a Power greater than themselves; 2) patience, with no expectations of time relevance, is required; and 3) support of others is vital for success.

Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., PhD., author of several books and supporter of our work at Song of Health, discusses the concept of miracles through spiritual healing in his book Coyote Healing.* “…the inner healer part of us initiates the increase in natural killer cell numbers---cells capable of defeating invaders and cancers…This inner healer can be difficult to find, but the quest to uncover it encompasses most of the healing journey.”** He further writes, “An approach to healing that is inspired by indigenous cultures begins with the search for the inner healer.”… “The inner healer must be sought before the cure can be found.”***

Regardless of whether a person believes in their effectiveness, faith healing ceremonies from all religious walks are as old as the religions themselves. Having attended many healing ceremonies in Native American tradition, I have witnessed the miracles of spiritual healing work; I have personally experienced it myself. I also know that the healing process isn’t completed merely by attending ceremonies, or simply stating “I believe.” The patient must follow the instructions for required continuing work, which is designated by their particular circumstance. In my case, I was plagued with two herniated disks in my lower back, which were pinching on nerves. The pain was excruciating and my life was nearly coming to an abrupt halt; at the very least it was drastically altered. The beginning of the healing process was experienced during the actual ceremonies, but the journey was also leading me to open new doors, to grasp the courage to walk through them and to recognize the healers who could help me.

My medical insurance only covered allopathic methods, so my primary care provider (PCP) prescribed physical therapy, which didn’t work. While still seeking help paid for by the insurance, I also chose to stay under Dr. Zeff’s care, my real doctor! His treatment included acupuncture, as well as cell salts to specifically strengthen the disks. Although helpful, I was still suffering and considering drastic possibilities as a last resort. Then, after attending ceremony, several incidences occurred which changed my life.

First, by circumstance, I met a guy (who turned out to be a sociopath, but…) who referred me to a chiropractor/acupuncturist in Lake Oswego, Oregon named Dr. Kennedy. He used an electro-stimulator, which enabled reaching all acupuncture points along the medians in one sitting. He also taught me treatments I could do on my own, such as to purchase a red laser “flashlight” and hold the light on specific points around my fingernails and toenails. These “points” release endorphins when stimulated, as does lightly rubbing the crown of the head, thereby helping to diminish some of the pain. I followed Dr. Kennedy’s and Dr. Zeff’s treatments simultaneously for nearly three months, then the pain finally began subsiding.

During this time another pertinent experience occurred. Following the recommendation of the PCP, I also went to see a neurologist for another, more in-depth diagnosis. They had no answers for me and I walked out of their office feeling so hopeless and defeated that I literally experienced an emotional melt-down. I was crying hysterically and called Dr. Zeff, who invited me to his clinic immediately, fitting me into his already packed schedule. We began discussing issues of fear and explored what emotional, mental and/or spiritual issues might be impeding my well-being. He pulled out a book that discussed the correlation between emotional issues and dis-ease. He read to me how lower back problems can be directly connected with fears of insecurity. So we discussed, in painful length, what I was afraid of--–fear of not being able to work and support mortgage and vehicle payments, and so forth. Dr. Zeff asked me, “So what if you lose your house? Do you think you would be left out on the street, uncared for? Do you not believe that your friends and family would help? Do you think you would die?” With his help to face my unrealistic fears head-on and no longer allow denial of far deeper issues than herniated disks, I retrained my brain to replace hope and eliminate fear---and I prayed a lot! I also realized that healing is encouraged, not only from the patient’s faith, but also from the “village”---doctors, medicine healers and community who gather to rally, who care.

The paths to healing aren’t always obvious. We can hope that the guides leading us to healers aren’t generally scoundrels! The point is, we benefit to be open and willing to explore different possibilities, even through less than desirable circumstances. Life is filled with surprises, unexpected but synchronistic experiences. It was the unexpected, over thirty years ago, that led me to Dr. Dick, who discovered my food intolerances and treated me. Through his skill, intuition and faith in the process I was blessed with remarkable healing and a renewal of my own faith.

To All My Relations,
Sandra Strom

*Coyote Healing, Miracles in Native Medicine, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D. Published by Bear & Company, Rochester, Vermont. Copyright 2003.
** Page 66
*** Page 67
Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona’s website www.mehl-madrona.com

NEW RECIPES

REMINDER: ALWAYS USE ORGANIC
PRODUCTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

Soups

Black Bean and Barley
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

1 cup black beans
8 quarts water, to start
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. oil
½-1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin seed
1 tsp. 100% cocoa or cacao (not sweetened)
½-1 tsp. salt, according to personal taste
½ tsp. episote
¼ tsp. ground celery seed or ½ fresh celery stick, chopped
¼ tsp. sage
¼ tsp. oregano
Pinch cayenne
½ cup barley
3 drops Eden Hot Sesame Oil
3 drops Liquid Smoke
1 medium yucca root, peeled, deveined and cubed
1 cup mini carrots, sliced lengthwise
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup cooked squash (optional)
1 cup Vegie Rounds (optional)

Wash and drain beans. Heat the beans to a boil in 2 quarts of the water. Then remove from heat, drain and set aside. Discard the water.
Put butter in pot and heat to medium. When solids separate, skim off, leaving the clear butter. Add oil, then onion and garlic. Sauté until clear. Add herbs and cocoa. Stir well.
Add remaining water (6 quarts), then drained beans and barley. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer.
Add sesame oil and liquid smoke. Simmer for around 2 hours, until beans and barley are nearly done. Continue to add water often, as needed and stir.
Add yucca root, carrots and cilantro. Continue to simmer until soft.
Add corn, Vegie Rounds and squash. Stir to mix well, then turn heat off. Let pot sit on burner for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: Other herbs may be used in place of those listed, per availability and personal taste.

Hor Duerves

Stuffed Mushrooms
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees 

10 large mushrooms
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup cheddar, parmesan or feta cheese, finely grated
½ cup leek, green onion or shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. butter, clarified
3 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. ground dill or rosemary (each will give a distinctly different flavor)
1/3 cup half and half or vegetable stock

Wash and pat dry mushrooms. Remove stems.
To make bread crumbs: Use sourdough or wheat bread. Toast till dry but not brown. Break in pieces. In a food processor or Oscar Junior, finely grind bread pieces into crumbs. Place in a bowl. Add the cheese and mix well. Set aside.
In food processor grind mushroom stems, onion and garlic. In a saucepan, heat butter and clarify. Add 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, then add mushroom stems, onion, garlic and herb. Sauté until soft. Add half and half or stock and bring to a quick boil, then remove from heat immediately. Let cool 5 minutes, then add to bread crumb mixture in bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Using 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil, grease a baking sheet. Turn the mushrooms around in the oil in the pan to coat, then place center side up. Generously fill centers with mixture.
Bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES

THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST ON THE WEBSITE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINTABLE VERSION. JUST GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON "SOH RESOURCE LIST PART 1 OR PART 2 FOR THE VERSION IN .PDF FORM.

Use the codes below to translate the Results Column

HOW TO READ THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST AND USE THE KEY:

As items are submitted and tested by Doctors Watrous and Zeff, they are then added to the Food Resource List on the Song of Health website. We compile the updated lists to email to our subscribers as well.

The items are listed per category. By listing the date tested, you can be assured of the most recent updates. Under the “Tested For” column, “All” signifies that the product has been tested for all food categories included in the Carroll Food Intolerance Testing method. In some cases, you will see ingredients listed in the “Results” column that are not included in “Tested For.” This is because the ingredient has been listed on the packaging, or it is obviously in the stated category. For example, results for milk will be dairy. We will furnish where to purchase a product whenever the information is available.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: manager@songofhealth.com

Dedicated to Heilping You Achieve. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES
January, 2009

Together, we strive for. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

Song of Health Webmaster