FOOD RESOURCE UPDATE:
SEPTEMBER 2013

is an educational opportunity for Naturopathic physicians and students to further their education in the classical methods of Naturopathy, not otherwise taught in the Naturopathic colleges.  This is where physicians and students learn about the Carroll Food Intolerance Evaluation methods, constitutional hydrotherapy and other important methods handed down by Vlassical Nature Doctors.

Song of Health and The Carroll Institute of Natural Healing work together to reach as many people as possible in order to educate and help in understanding the importance of avoiding personal food intolerances, applying Classical Naturopathic methods of healing, and naturally restoring the body to health.

We invite everyone to contact us with any questions you may have at manager@songofhealth.com.

Song of Health.com actively promotes physicians and professionals who support our work and companies who act with integrity and are honest their products and services.
Check out your Goods and Services section at Song of Health.com.

Those interested in advertising at Song of Health.com, please CLICK HERE or email us at advertise@songofhealth.com.

WEBSITE CHANGES AND NOTICES

The Forum is back up and running!  If you have difficulty posting new threads, or discover that the program is not working properly, please notify us immediately.

Our progress updating the website to the new php format:  We are getting closer to the new and improved changes to .  To review up and coming changes:  1) interfacing the subscription and payment software programs, making it far more convenient and efficient for new and renewing Subscribers.  2) Payments will be accepted through PayPal, which also accepts all credit and debit cards.  The process is smooth; you won’t have to “jump” from one account sign-in page to another.  3) The new Forum ~ an exceptionally improved program that offers much more flexibility, including notification of new posts to a thread, ability to upload photos, an in-forum email service, and more. 4) Updating The Food Resource List and the Recipes section (The Food Intolerance Cookbook), and input all the existing data.  5) Search box mode to ease access of information throughout the website.    

WE INVITE YOU TO EMAIL YOUR SUGGESTIONS
FOR OUR NEW WEBSITE LOOK NOW!  
We love to hear from you and consider your suggestions and comments.

WAYS TO SAVE $$ ON YOUR
NEXT SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL:

Give and you shall receive!
Honor your friends and family with a subscription to .
For your generosity YOU will be honored with an additional 10% off your next subscription or 2 free bars of soap!

Refer a new subscriber and receive an additional 10% off your next renewal or 2 free bars of soap! (Shipping will also be free.)

To receive your discount coupon, email manager@songofhealth.com and tell us the name of the person you are referring.  Once they subscribe, you will receive your 10% discount or free bar of soap. It’s that easy!

To order:  Contact manager@songofhealth.com

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS
WHEN YOU RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION.

Renew 6 months early and receive additional months and $$ off!

Use the promo codes in the renewal notifications emailed to you for other special discounts!

If you need help or have any questions, feel free to contact us. 

	SUBSCRIBERS SPOTLIGHT STORIES, COMMENTS, AND QUESTIONS

Share your story with others.

SUBSCRIBERS, PLEASE…help others by sharing your story.  When you allow us to publish it in Dragonfly News and Subscribers’ Testimonials, a dedicated section on the website, you provide the opportunity to reach out to 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 others to step through the door toward wellness. WE WOULD BE HONORED TO INCLUDE YOUR STORY about how you came to follow the 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. So, DON'T BE SHY!

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! We invite you to check out Subscribers Testimonials to read what subscribers have shared.

~~~~~

QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED

Email Correspondence:

Song of Health has been given permission by our Subscribers whose names appear, to share the following with you, so that we may all benefit.  Some have chosen to stay completely anonymous, in which cases you’ll see the name as “Subscriber” or initials .

From Spencer, July 27^th:  Can't believe how great the shave soap works, no more razor burn!  Much love, Spencer

From Sandra, CEO of SOH: The following link was posted on Facebook by my friend Karen, who keeps us updated on news about Lyme’s Disease:  CDC: Lyme disease underreported to feds.  Sen. Gipson says new statistics show the importance of his TickBITE Act by JAMES GORMLEY

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2013-08-26-84879.113122-
CDC-Lyme-disease-underreported-to-feds.html

An adult deer tick, a common carrier of Lyme disease. Sen. Terry Gipson, D-Rhinebeck, is citing new statistics by the Centers for Disease Control to push his bill requiring insurers and workers' compensation to cover long-term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens.

The following was an email we received from David Stelzer, CEO Azure Standard, Aug. 27th:  I am sharing it with you because his message is important for us all.  Azure is a reputable company of high food quality standards.  Note: It is not my common practice to bother you with requests to contribute to the causes of outside companies. This is an important vote that is being overrun by Monsanto and other GMO perpetrators.  We need to stand up for our rights!

Dear Azure Community,

As you know, providing our customers with natural and organic, health-giving food is a mission of Azure. We strive to do it better and better every day. That is why the subject of labeling GMOs is so important to us. We do our absolute best to not buy or sell products with GMO ingredients, and for the last few years we have required non-GMO statements from companies for any new (not certified organic) products we buy. But, there needs to be more transparency on the broader level.

I am writing to personally ask that you support Yes on 522 - even if you don’t live in the State of Washington, because its passage would be a landmark statement, and hopefully provide the tipping point we need for people to understand what genetic engineering of foods means. Labeling GMOs is not the end game, but it is the critical start. We need the non-natural GMOs labeled clearly so that more and more people can become aware of their presence, and then learn to make informed decisions on their growing, purchasing, and eating habits.

Right now, the vast majority of people (clearly not Azure customers!) still don’t know what GMO means. The only way we can help them to understand is by getting the labels in front of them – it will beg them to start asking the questions, “What is that? Where did that come from? Is that safe?” We can then address those questions through education and healthy options. But, if people don’t even know what ingredients are HIDDEN in their foods, they don’t know to ask. Right now, Yes on 522 needs financial contributions, sooner than later. That is how this battle for labeling will be won or lost which was made clear from the results of the efforts to label in California. Those who supported the Right to Know in California donated about $8 million dollars, and those who opposed the Right to Know donated $45 million in total. The margin of defeat was narrow – about 3%, but definitive. So far, we have heard that Yes on 522 has raised around $3 million dollars. While that is great progress, it is not enough.

So, here is our challenge: Azure is committing to donate (a minimum of) $1 to the Yes on 522 Campaign for every Azure customer who donates to Yes on 522 by October 15th. Please click here to donate to the Azure Standard/Yes on 522 match program!

We have a large customer base, and we know this email will reach the vast majority. We know you care about the food you eat, and we truly hope this incentive we are putting forth will encourage all Azure customers, friends, AND families to participate and support everyone's Right to Know, Yes on 522 in Washington.

Finally, I want to let you know that SO many Azure vendors are stepping up- some very significantly, in support of Yes on 522. Please take a look at this list of vendors who endorse Yes on 522. We feel they deserve recognition and our appreciation! One of the stand-out supporters has been Dr. Bronner's. Not only have they contributed substantially, but the Bronner family also made a short video explaining what Ballot Initiative 522, "The Washington Right to Know Genetically Engineered Foods Act" means to them. Watch it here, and thank you.

In Abundant Health, David Stelzer, CEO, Azure Standard

From Tessah, August 31^st:  Hi Sandra, so far I am finding the page very difficult to navigate and I see nothing about a food alert list.  I will be adding more comments/questions after I look around a bit more.

Reply from Sandra:  The Food Alert List is a record I keep in case a question, etc. comes thru referencing the food intolerance.  It just aids in keeping you posted so you don't miss anything of importance to you.  Also, in the newsletters I keep you informed.  Hope that helps.

Tessah, Sept 1st:  Hi Sandra, I e-mailed you before to ask about your forum, and now that I have seen it, I agree that it is in desperate need of an overhaul.  I hope the new forum is ready soon and that it is easier to post and search and get notifications, etc.  I know I can help to get the forums established by posting often to stimulate conversation.  If I may make a suggestion in terms of forum organization, though, I think it would be helpful to have separate forum categories for each of the common food intolerance categories (+ Other Intolerances), and then within those categories people can start threads for combination intolerances, food questions, recipe sharing, etc. There can still be a separate recipes section and it will still be important to keep the General Health category (which may or may not include the Naturopathic Remedies--this can be separate or combined), and the Miscellaneous board could be split into Subscriber Questions/Comments/Suggestions (for people who want to address you, the manager) and possibly Off Topic Discussion, for community members to get to know one another outside of these interests--if you are comfortable with that--because I think it would help to generate a feeling of community.

Anyway, with all that said, it doesn't seem like the time to ask questions on the forum right now, so I will ask you what I have been wondering (you can share this question as you like):  When I received my diagnosis of potato intolerance, naturally I started looking online for more information about such an intolerance.  One thing I found out was that potatoes are in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family of plants, and there are people who are sensitive to these.  Nightshade vegetables include potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.  However, sweet potatoes and yams are NOT part of the nightshade family.  So why do potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams all test positive for "potato," while tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers do not?  What is it that we are reacting to?  Should potato intolerant people avoid things in the same family as potatoes?  I don't understand these classifications, but then again I don't understand why honey, maple syrup, and agave do not count as sugar.  Thanks, Tessah

Sandra:  Regarding foods included in potato intolerance and other nightshade members that are not:  In the October 2011 newsletter, an extensive question/answer discussion was printed regarding what designates a food in a food intolerance category.  The link is ARTICLE: "What is the "Common Thread" of Food in Food Categories?"  If you are logged in to SOH, you can click on the link and go directly to the article.  (Note: It is also listed in Archive of Articles on website.)  From what I understand and with previous conversations with Dr. Tish, it is not the solanine that causes the difference.  It has to do with how the proteins in the food breaks down into different sugars.  Here's an excerpt from the article that should help you to better understand:

"Chemically speaking, honey breaks down into different "sugars," as described by a chemist into simpler sugars; as does corn syrup, agave, and even milk.  The chemical names for the sugars are based upon how many carbohydrates they contain in a chain...The chemical elements of these complex sugars, made up of the simpler sugars, actually have nothing to do with how our enzymes react to the foods they are in.

Our digestive enzymes recognize proteins, and those proteins are tagging the molecules that come from particular foods.

The lactose in milk reacts by dairy intolerant people because of the protein related to the dairy, and not the simpler sugars that make up the lactose (which, if I can remember, is galactose and sucrose).  The same occurs with sugars which come from grapes, apples, melons, tomatoes, or a cucumber.  The sugars in these are all broken down from enzymes made from your stomach, pancreas, liver, etc.  What matters here is where these sugars come from.  A sugar from a melon will digest for a fruit intolerant person, whereas a sugar from an apple will not.  It has to do with the protein markers on the foods which are the identifying parts of the foods for the human body.

...Back to the fruit issue.  Dr. Carroll, Dr. Harold Dick, and I all have asked the same question as all of our fruit intolerant patients ask...if the fruit category really includes all fruit.  Believe me when I say that there has been so much investigation on this that it is 100% accurate when we tell someone they must avoid the entire category of fruit.  We are not just making this up.  It has been studied and repeated hundreds of times to prove that a fruit intolerant person must avoid all berries, apples, citrus (lemon, lime, oranges), pears, plums, tropicals as in bananas, papayas, star fruit, kiwi, and the list goes on.  Not only is it the fruit of these plants, but any part of the plant as well.  This would be raspberry leaf tea.  Even the leaves of the raspberry plant are fruit.  The bark of a cherry tree is fruit.  So, you see, it is the protein of the plant which indicates to the human body what the enzyme reaction will be.  It is not just the fact that fructose is in the raspberry, for example.  There wouldn't be any fructose in the leaves of the raspberry plant.

So, what makes a fruit a fruit?  The complex protein of the plant which is coded in the DNA of that plant makes it what it is. Dr. Tish

The article is lengthy and extremely informative and important for us in understanding the complex nature of foods and intolerance.  Hopefully, the article can answer your questions.  Let me know, and if you need more explanation.

Regarding your input on how we can improve topics in the new forum format:  Great ideas!

1)  I will definitely add "SOH Subscriber Room" or something similar, under which will be "Introduce Yourself."  I belong to a soapmaking forum, and that category gets tons of activity.  It's fun to get to know each other and oftentimes we share what country/state/province we live in.

2) We will take your advice and add the different food intolerance categories under the main heading of "Specific Food Intolerance Categories."  Other Categories is also a good idea, as many of our Subscribers also have issues such as Gluten Intolerance, which is not evaluated under the Carroll methods.

3) The Recipes section in The Forum is for Subscribers to share their favorites.  They are usually not included in The Food Intolerance Cookbook Recipes section, as that is reserved mostly (a few exceptions) for mine and the physicians' entries.  Eventually, this section will be the main crux of the cookbook I plan to publish, under the same name.  As you'll note, I categorize the ingredients as best I can.  It is complicated, and to try to categorize others' entries would be a feat of sainthood.  Thus, the separate sections.  (Editor’s note:  It is my intention to include recipes avoiding refined sugars and other unhealthy ingredients in the cookbook section.)  The Subscribers Recipes will definitely be in the new forum.

4) We will also take in consideration your ideas for the other categories.  Thank you again, for your valuable input.

Please feel free to use The Forum currently as is, as our fellow Subscribers do read what you post.

Love your questions.  Even if they have been discussed before, it's not always easy to find on the website; this gives us an opportunity to go back and review for some, and learn firsthand for others.  So, keep 'em coming, Tessah! 

Tessah:  Here is my next question for you:

I bought yuca root/cassava today because I happened to see it at the store and I know it is your recommended choice for replacing potatoes.  So I took it home and looked online to try to figure out what to do with it and I saw that cassava can be very toxic if not prepared correctly.  So how do you make sure that it is prepared correctly?  Does boiling and/or baking/roasting ensure the toxin is gone?  Can it really be used like a potato, or do certain precautions need to be taken?

Sandra:  Hi Tessah, grateful for your input. Re yuca. I eat it as often as I can get it.  The skins are waxed to preserve and they are hard n yucky, so use vegetable peeler or knife to remove skins.  Then cut off amount you want to use.  Cut down middle lengthwise n remove woody core if there.  Check out recipe section under Vegetables for ways to cook. You need not worry about getting sick from them if you aren't cactus intolerant.  I've taste tested them before they were tender and didn't get sick.  Can you refer me to reference site where you found info about being toxic?  That's first I've heard that, except for the wax they coat with.  I also wash that off piece I'm preparing (not whole root so it keeps from rotting sooner in our damp weather).  I can also walk you thru other recipes if you want, but try what I've added to recipes.  In health, Sandra

Tessah:  Yuca root = cassava, which is known to contain cyanide. There is quite a lot of information about that on the internet.  However, I made the mistake of reading the Wikipedia page first, which had me overly concerned over nothing because it wasn't clear to me after reading it that it is the sweet variety that is sold in North America.  In the sweet variety, the cyanide is concentrated near the surface and normal cooking is sufficient to remove it.

http://www.thekitchn.com/a-staple-starch-cassava-manioc-yuca-ingredient-spotlight-176111

http://latinfood.about.com/od/plantains-roots-tubers/p/Cassava.htm

That was all I needed to know. Thanks!

Tessah, Sept. 2^nd:  Hi Sandra, I just had roasted cassava (which I boiled first) with my roast chicken and I'm still alive!

I have another question:  Is vitamin A palmitate potato based?  On my results list, it is listed both under potato and fruit as being derived from or containing potato/fruit by-products; but your site only lists it under fruit. Is it ever cultured on potato like the B vitamins?

I e-mailed the Silk company about their almond milk and they assured me that neither their B-vitamins nor the vitamin A Palmitate that they add to their almond milk are potato based, so I was about to open the carton I have in my fridge... until I saw your list and Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened All Natural Almondmilk tested positive for ALL.

Sandra:  I am so grateful for your input ~ suggestions, comments, questions.  You are surely a valuable contributor and a bright star! 

Just a note on how much longer it will be until we get the new forum program and new website look...our webmaster, Shawn, is working hard to not only set up the new programs, but figure out the best way to integrate all the current info in the existing programs over to the new ones.  Then I can help to input the info.  It is a lot to transfer and we want to be sure not to lose anything; so, Shawn determined it would probably take us a few months to complete the process.  For sure, we will have it done by November, though our goal is by next month.

Now for your questions:

1)  Yuca (cassava, manioc, tapioca) root ~ I researched a few sources regarding potentially dangerous levels of cyanogenic glycosides in yuca root.  From what I have read, preparing it properly will detoxify the root.  Below are a couple internet links that describe the benefits and proper use of yuca.  Note, the first one says detoxification occurs "by chopping and grinding under running water prior to preparation."  Per my communication, I explained to skin the root off, then wash the root (scrubbing also helps) well in order to remove any leftover waxes used to preserve the root during shipping.  As for chopping and grinding, I have eaten whole root that was baked in the oven at a Tonga (Pacific Islander) wedding and it was absolutely yummy.  I follow the indigenous Native peoples' ways with foods, as they have ancient history to prove safeness or otherwise of their local products!  By the way, I want to point out...yucca root is often mistakenly identified as the same thing.  It is not.  I just noticed that it is listed in the Food Categories Potato page as the same.  I have corrected that.  They are two different animals and grow in completely different regions of the world.  Goes to show, we can't believe everything we read on the internet!

A) http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/natural/cya.htm

"Cyanogenic glycosides are present in a number of food plants and seeds. Hydrogen cyanide is released from the cyanogenic glycosides when fresh plant material is macerated as in chewing, which allows enzymes and cyanogenic glycosides to come together, releasing hydrogen cyanide. Cassava, an important source of carbohydrate for people in Africa and South America, is detoxified by chopping and grinding in running water prior to preparation.1"

B) Health Benefits of Cassava: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=174366

How did you enjoy the roasted cassava? It's good news to hear you survived!

2) Vitamin A Palmitate ~ In the original packet of information provided by the late Dr. Harold Dick, ND some 30+ years ago, Vitamin A Palmitate was identified as potato.  Since then, his daughter and our staff physician, Dr. Letitia (Tish) Dick-Kronenberg, ND has updated its identification as fruit - derived from palm, which is a fruit.  Why it was originally on the potato list we don't know.  Dr. Tish and I discussed this variable a number of years ago and couldn't determine what caused the Vitamin A Palmitate to evaluate positive for potato for her father.  Possibly, it was the food products analyzed that also contained a hidden potato derivative.  Hard to say for sure, as he crossed over some 20 years ago, so asking him is, well...difficult!

3) Ingredients in Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened All Natural Almondmilk, per their website:  Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Sea Salt, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum, Natural Flavor.

I'm guessing the potato is hidden in the Locust Bean Gum, at the least.  Potato starch is often added to stabilizing agents.  I don't believe it needs to be listed on packaging, as it is considered a minute amount not required by the U.S. FDA to list separately.  Gellan Gum is a gelling agent whose structure includes D-glucose; I'm guessing this ingredient contributes to the sugar.  Sunflower Lecithin is grain; Natural Flavor can contain a multitude of ingredients, considered "natural" per FDA requirements - which is pretty loose, to say the least.

The companies of such products as this rarely understand that even the most minute amounts of a food intolerance can trigger a reaction.  Nor do they realize what all is actually included in an ingredient(s) in their product; i.e., Locust Bean Gum, which doesn't always contain potato – we only really know when our doctors evaluate the products.  That is why The Food Resource List and the efforts are doctors invest are so invaluable.  We didn't always have this problem, until all sorts of additives were included in our foods.  Furthermore, ingredients in packaged foods may change, as can the derivatives of the additives.  It's not possible for our doctors to constantly evaluate everything; so, they usually analyze what Subscribers and patients submit to them.  That is why The List is "a guide."  That said, if there is a hidden ingredient listed in the Results, I abide by it, no matter when the test was performed.

Thanks again for sharing and questioning such important info.  In health, Sandra

Tessah:  I do have a lot of feedback I can give about the organization of the site in general (for example, is there a way to easily see past issues of newsletters? I'm thinking that at minimum, there should be a page that has every issue listed by month and year with hotlinks to the issues--a description of what is contained within each would be ideal), but hopefully the improved forum with search function will make the page easier to navigate because people will only have to ask once to get a link to the appropriate page and it will be easy for everyone else to find the response through the search function.

I have posted a couple questions on the board, but I don't think it will get much action in the current format. I'll be back later with more feedback.  Tessah

Sandra:  Hello Tessah, thanks for your input once again. On the current website there is a link on the left side of most of the pages: Archive of Articles. In the Archive is a list of all the articles published in the newsletters and their dates. Granted, this is an elementary form of listing; however, for now if you click on a link it will take you to the article and the entire newsletter. I'm counting on the new format to have a more evolved method of listing, plus we will have the search function. Also, the new Forum will have its own search function.

Great ideas! Thanks again.

From Tessah, Sept. 10^th:  Hi Sandra, I found the link to the past newsletters. Thanks!  It is organized pretty well. It is just confusing because some links are across the top and some are down the side--and there are different links down the side depending on whether or not one is logged in.

I am sure you get this question a lot in some form or another, but as someone who has been newly diagnosed with a potato intolerance, I am starting to feel discouraged.  I thought I was doing well at getting the potato out of my diet, starting with the obvious (potatoes, fries, chips) and then moving onto the less obvious (baked goods) and potential sources (which is pretty much everything, it seems).  Now I have realized it is in the supplements I am taking and even my water supply (softener salts)! I'm starting to think I will never be 100% potato free.  And I am wondering if it is worth it to continue living this way if I can never get all the potato out of my life.  Is it beneficial to my health to drastically reduce my potato consumption?  Or since our body seems to get more sensitized to small levels after the food has been removed, is it just as bad to continue to include it at low levels as it would have been to never have taken it out in the first place?

What am I supposed to do about potato in my water supply?  My husband says there is NO WAY we are getting rid of the water softening system. In his defense, we live in an area that supposedly has the hardest water in North America.

Sandra:  I want to respond to your first questions first...

Yes, you are surely not the first person to feel discouraged as you do your best to avoid your food intolerances!  I do believe every one of us have experienced the same frustrations and feelings of discouragement as you are going through now.  You might browse through a few of the "Sharing Experiences" that I wrote, especially the first year we came into existence, which may boost your resolve and encouragement to keep on keeping on, i.e., from April 2007:  ARTICLE: The Healing Process and Sharing Experiences, "The Grieving Process"

The truth is that our bodies never get "sensitized" to even small amounts of our food intolerance.  The body is a very sensitive machine and recognizes everything.  That said, the more you keep it clean from toxins, in this case the poison is foods you have intolerance to, the stronger your body is toward protecting and healing itself.

You have taken the most important first steps to restoring your body to a healthy state; one of the end results is that you will feel so much better, with increased energy and overall well-being.  Once you are "clean" of food intolerance caused toxins, when you do consume something with potato, etc., your body will react and you'll realize how important it is, not to mention the comfort level, of doing your best to stay free of those products.  Trust the process!

Regarding vitamin and other supplements:  Both of my Naturopaths also have potato intolerance, as do I; we haven't taken vitamin supplements in many years and do just fine without them.  The best way to get what our bodies need is to eat fresh foods, organic or non-sprayed whenever possible, non-GMO products, locally grown if possible, foods in season (difficult for us northerners, so winter foods consist of squashes, root vegetables, those foods that store well).  Cook and bake from scratch - There's lots of recipes to inspire you in the Recipes section.  I highly recommend you consult your Naturopath to determine what supplements you may need to support your healing process and have them evaluated by Dr. Tish at Windrose Clinic.  You can click on SEND A SAMPLE FOR EVALUATION for instructions on how to submit a sample.  Also, the clinic has many supplements that the doctors have already evaluated for food intolerance that may help you.

Re your water softener:  I will ask Dr. Tish what suggestions she may have regarding options for you.  One option that may help you is to purchase a water container with a filter that you can safely fill from your tap.  I use the Britta brand container; however, it has not been evaluated, so I can't guarantee it.  I know that I don't feel symptoms with use.  Pur is another that attaches directly to the faucet.  Again, it hasn't been evaluated; I personally haven't felt symptoms with use.  I'd have to do some research for you later, to see if either is available in Canada.

We do the best we can with the tools we have to work with, one of them being The Food Resource List --- thanks to our wonderful doctors.  In this "modern" world, adulterated with a multitude of unhealthy abominations, it is nearly impossible to always avoid all things containing our food intolerance, thus, your water softener.  Bottom line...the better we maintain our diets, the better we will feel and the healthier we will stay.

Hang in there, Tessah...it gets better and easier with practice! In health, Sandra

Reply from Dr. Tish:  Hello Tessah, water softening salts all check out to be contaminated with potato.  I am very sensitive to this (that is how I discovered the issues, was with my own health concerns) as well.  I suggest plumbing the water softener to be used only for your laundry and other house hold needs, and to have the kitchen or at least your drinking and cooking water (i.e., kitchen faucet) plumbed separately.  This is what I have done to a past home I lived in.  Now, I have my own well, and I don't care that we have very very hard water...It just means I decalcify my shower heads in vinegar more often.  I don't want the exposure to potato solvents in the water I consume or bathe in.  I hope this helps.  Dr. Letitia Dick

From Tessah, Sept. 18^th:  I have a question about tapioca. I understand it should be avoided because the pearls are coated in potato starch, but is that always the case? Bob's Red Mill claims that they get their tapioca from a supplier/manufacturer that only produces tapioca but would such a supplier necessarily use potato starch in that production?

I see that tapioca is actually listed as "not classified as potato" on your resource list, but tapioca pearls are. This is confusing. If tapioca (particularly tapioca starch) is listed as an ingredient, should I assume that it comes from tapioca pearls and therefore contains potato? If it didn't come from pearls, would it say "cassava" or some other version of the name? Why is tapioca the name used most often when referring to the root as an ingredient? Does that have to do with the processing? 

Reply from Sandra:  "Manioc" (or Mandioca in Portuguese) is the name of the root which is native to South America northeast of Brazil.  The name tapioca is derived from the Native Tupi language word tipi'óka, the name for the starch that is extracted from the root.  It referred to the extraction process they used.  Portuguese explorers discovered the Native people using the root; they and Spanish explorers later spread the root to the Pacific Islands and other continents, including Africa and Asia.

Today, we use the words Cassava, Yuca, Manioc, and Tapioca interchangeably in reference to the root, depending on what part of the world the root is grown.  Tapioca is the general term used for the starch.

I looked Tapioca up in Wikipedia, and this is their description of the tapioca extraction process:

"In the North and Northeast of Brazil, traditional community based production of tapioca is a by-product of manioc flour production from cassava roots. In this process, the manioc (after treatment to remove toxicity) is ground to a pulp with a small hand- or diesel-powered mill. This masa is then squeezed to dry it out. The wet masa is placed in a long woven tube called a tipiti. The top of the tube is secured while a large branch or lever is inserted into a loop at the bottom and used to stretch the entire implement vertically, squeezing a starch-rich liquid out through the weave and ends. This liquid is collected and the water allowed to evaporate, leaving behind a fine-grained tapioca powder similar in appearance to corn starch."

The starch can then be processed into several forms, one of them being tapioca pearls.  The moist starch is pressed through a sieve under pressure.  It can then be dried for use later.

I am guessing that tapioca, when used locally where it is produced and not shipped, can be dried or used fresh as it is.  Obviously, the Native people who originally used it didn't ship it around the world and have to figure out how to preserve its natural integrity.  Tapioca pearls or in other forms are, by nature, sticky.  As I recall the story (I'm having her confirm my memory on the facts), our Dr. Tish discovered by happenstance that the pearls were being rolled in potato flour (starch) to keep them from sticking together.  Every time she evaluated tapioca pearls they "tested" positive for potato, which was puzzling.  Through her investigations she learned this secret.

As far as we know, all commercially processed and sold tapioca pearls are potato coated.  As for tapioca flour, the only way we know for sure is to have a sample submitted to our doctors for evaluation.  It is not uncommon to find "hidden ingredients" in a product that the manufacturer claims to be pure.  Oftentimes, they are not aware of contents of ingredients they acquire in the U.S. as, unfortunately, the FDA doesn't require ingredients be listed if they are under a specific amount (as if our bodies wouldn't recognize!).

I haven't had time to try extracting the starch from the root myself – it’s on my bucket list.  Periodically, I run into someone whose heritage is from the Pacific Islands and whose family uses the roots for desserts as well as main meals.  One such person described her family somehow cooking the root to soften, then filling with fruit and steaming.  I would love to get my hands on that recipe and share!

I'm not sure how much that helps you; keeping your ingredients as simple as possible is about the best we can do in this day and age of so much commercial food processing, especially those foods that are not local to our own environments.

Clarification from Dr. Tish:  Dr. Tish responded that it was a biodegradable plastics company she found next to the potato processing plant; the plastic was being made from potato by-products.  She found out about tapioca pearls being rolled in potato starch through research years ago.  In health, Sandra

From The Forum:

Editor’s Note:  We are in the process of rewriting the website in the newest format available.  This will include a new forum format. Shawn has been able to resolve part of the issue with the current Forum software, but his time is best suited to building the new format.  I invite you continue to go to The Forum to post and read threads; or, you are welcome to email any questions, comments, posts to me directly. Thank you for your patience. Sandra

Category: Food Questions Thread: baking soda

Posted by Tessah, 3rd September, 2013: 

The consensus seems to be that baking powder almost always tests positive for potato and therefore should be replaced with a mixture of corn starch and baking soda (or find recipes that call for baking soda only). I guess that was okay when Arm & Hammer tested neutral, but since it has tested positive for potato, there seem to be very few options for baking soda.  The only two I see that have tested neutral are Karlin's Finest and Western Family. I have never heard of these before. Are they available in Canada? Where can I find them? Thanks!

Posted by Sandra Strom, CEO of SOH, 4th September, 2013:  I found Karlin's finest on amazon.com.  Are you able to order from them in Canada?

Category: General Health Discussions Thread: dry eyes

Posted by Tessah, 3rd September, 2013:

About 10 years ago, I developed dry eyes after an eye infection and an allergic reaction to two different eye drops used to treat it. I was told to use preservative-free eye drops from now on (since it was hypothesized that was what I reacted to) and to use them often. I used them all the time at first but gradually phased them out because of cost and forgetting and running out.

When I saw the eye doctor in the spring he said my eyes were extremely dry and it might be a sign of autoimmune disorder and he prescribed a steroid eye drop to get the situation under control, followed by regular use of Systane preservative-free eye drops. I found out a few weeks ago that I have a potato intolerance, so I started cutting it out of my diet. For the past couple of weeks, my eyes have been bothering me more, so of course I have been using the drops more often.  Imagine my surprise when I logged in here for the first time and found that these eye drops test positive for potato! So I have been avoiding them for a few days now and my eyes are red and sore. I could ask whether there is a preservative-free, potato free eye drop available, but instead, I am hoping that with my new diet my dry eyes will get better. Has anyone else had dry eye symptoms improve once they started avoiding their food intolerances?

Posted by Sandra Strom, CEO of SOH, 4th September, 2013:  Hello Tessah, our bodies react in a multitude of ways when confronted with the immune system being taxed, and then when the body reverses and goes back through the healing process. Please refer to the diagram of the healing process to see how this process works; the link is on the home page. (Or click on link above.)

I use the homeopathic brand Optique eye drops, which I obtain from Windrose Naturopathic Clinic. I believe they are also sold in some natural/health food stores. I would suggest contacting Windrose or your own Naturopath to discuss your condition and see about getting a natural eye drop.

The issue with chemical eye drops, as with most chemical meds, is that they do not encourage your body to produce what is necessary for healing; they only address symptoms temporarily. The result is that the body becomes dependent on the drug to do the job for it. Unlike using such brands as you've mentioned, when I use Optique, which is not often, my eyes not only feel immediate relief, but I generally do not have to use them more than a couple times for my eyes to return to the natural comfortable state of well-being.

Once again, we stress to contact your Naturopath for consultation. Every part of our bodies is connected! It’s all related to being in balance.

Category: Food Questions Thread: Plantain, Okra - Fruit?

Posted by Erin Livers, 10th September, 2013:  Are either plantain or okra considered fruit?

Posted by Sandra Strom, CEO of SOH:  Hi Erin, plantain is fruit. Okra is not.

Category: Recipes Thread: sweet and sour meatballs?

Posted by Tessah     

9th September, 2013:  I would love a potato-free, sugar-free recipe for sweet and sour meatballs. I have maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and coconut palm sugar for the sweet part, but I'm not sure which or how much to use. All the recipes I've seen call for ketchup and soy sauce. I suppose I can make my own ketchup following the recipe on this site, but I don't know if I can trust soy sauce to be potato-free? Does anyone have a safe recipe?

Posted by Sandra Strom, CEO of SOH:  Hi Tessah, I can help you with substituting and altering a basic recipe(s) so you can enjoy. I will post a recipe in the September newsletter, coming out very soon, and also notify you and fellow subscribers when it is available.

Editor’s Note:  See this month’s recipe below.

Category: Food Questions Thread: added salt

Posted by Tessah, 15th September, 2013:  Is it fair to say that if a product has "salt" listed as an ingredient, it will always test positive for potato, while if it says "sea salt", there is a chance that it won't test positive for potato?

Posted by Sandra Strom, CEO of SOH:  Although most often [mined] salt contains potato starch to keep it from coagulating, there have been products evaluated containing salt that did not "test" positive for potato.  That said, unless something has been evaluated by our doctors and it contains "regular" salt, I avoid it to be safe.

If you peruse The Food Resource List SALT category, you notice that some of the sea salts do contain potato.  I stick with the known pure sea salts, such as Celtic.

FOOD LABEL QUIZ

CAN YOU GUESS THE FOOD CATEGORIES OF INGREDIENTS
LISTED ON THIS LABEL?

As part of my goal to help you in the quest of eating safely in accordance with your personal food intolerances, this section is another way to help you identify suspicious ingredients and … HAVE SOME FUN!

The answers are below the New Recipes section, just above The Food Resource List Updates.        ~~~

THE SOAP CORNER

CUSTOM MADE SOAPS AVAILABLE. Email me for a quote.

soaps may be used as SHAMPOO BARS too!

Remember…Do you have a special occasion coming up?

Consider  Party Favors

Guest Size sample soaps are the perfect Wedding, Anniversary, Bar Mitzvah, you-name-it

Special moment to remember. 

Custom made to order ~ Personal message and names on packaging. You choose the natural colors and scents of essential oils. Everyone loves to receive a gift of Fabulous and Beautiful Soap!     Email me at manager@songofhealth.com for your personal quote

 

 

~ Feel Clean, Revived, & Moisturized! ~

REMEMBER TO USE YOUR SUBSCRIBER PROMO CODE
TO RECEIVE 14% OFF ALL ORDERS:

yummy soap

~ Each month we bring you articles on a myriad of topics regarding health and environmental issues. The main focus of is to avail you of expert information on the Carroll Food Intolerance dietary methods.  This – DIET - is the first step to getting and staying well.  We feel there are also many other interesting and important issues to be aware of, so we share our findings with you, on what may have a cause and effect on our health and lives.  This month…

Information Good to Know:

How To Test For Real Biodegradable Cello Bags.AVI

I came across this short YouTube video on how to determine whether the cellophane product you are using is really biodegradable.  Some are not, even though the manufacturer claims such!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVn9ei1buj4

SHARING EXPERIENCES:

Remember that eating our food intolerances can have a dramatic effect on our moods as well as other symptoms we discuss, ad infinitum.

LEARNING TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
By Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health

August is annual camping month for the small spiritual community I am in.  Last Spring I was asked, in a fairly traditional way – a huge wooden ladle was handed to me – if I would please accept the responsibility of running the kitchen on the days I would be in camp.  As cooking for the people is one of my better abilities, while physically strenuous work required for many of the chores is not in my repertoire, it didn’t take but a moment for me to say, “Ok, I accept!”

Late in the magic light hours of the afternoon on a gorgeous, warm and sunny day, I finally arrived at camp.  Located in the middle of the Cascade Mountains surrounded by breathtaking waterfalls, lush evergreens, and food-supplying brush delivering such delicacies as wild blue huckleberries, I found many of our fellow campers who had already been situated for pret’ near the week.  One of our sisters who had also volunteered for KP duty was on her own during that time; when I pulled up she was ready to kiss me in anticipated relief.  Empathizing with her while needing to set up my new domain, I promised to step up for the next morning’s breakfast and we could figure meals out together from there.

Once in the kitchen, I was first met with the local yellow jackets, residents who were curious and excited to see what new yummies would be added to their menus.  I perused the various labeled coolers of dairy, meat, vegetables, and who-knew-what-that-was.  Camp kitchen tip:  Empty everyone’s coolers, then designate for specific categories; label the coolers with masking tape and sharpie pen. This project was handled prior to my appearance – yea!  I opened the Meat and Eggs cooler – the largest one of ‘em all – to find umpteen packages and varieties of sausages, ham, roasts, ground meat, at least 5 dozen eggs, fish, and who-knew-what-that-was. 

Obviously, once again I-who-does-not-eat-land-meat was going to be cooking out of my comfort zone for the next 7 days.  The more meat I fed them, the happier campers they were!  I learned how to cook roasts on the propane stoves, simmering all day until they pulled with forks.  The same method can be applied to stove top cooking at home; I plan to share basic recipes with you in time for the holidays.  (This week I was asked to find a safe-for-potato-intolerants recipe for sweet and sour meatballs; thus, this month’s new recipe.)  I managed to get sausage, omelets, and toast coordinated on plates for hearty breakfasts.  Lunch was usually some kind of meat sandwiches on Dave’s Killer Bread.  Dinner was, yup, meat and whatever.  They were fed tons of vegetables and fresh salads too.  Complimentary remarks flew, hailing how good and healthy the food was, while I craved getting everyone tested for their food intolerances.  It wasn’t my job, though, to push them to the Naturopath – it was my job to make sure the food was made with good thoughts and intentions of well-being for the people, and that whatever I was presenting looked and tasted good.  Although we didn’t have the modern home kitchen amenities to work with, there’s something to be said about eating in the open fresh air in the middle of Nature and Creation that really works up hearty appetites and makes the food taste really good. 

While I cooked and cooked more meat dishes, my friend who does eat meat cooked up wonderful vegetarian delights.  Gorging on her food in gratitude, I found the humorous irony in our role switching. 

Important cooking tips:  Keep reliable taste testers around if you aren’t able, or choose not to taste what you’re cooking.  Protect your hands from foods you are intolerant to, such as potato, by using a towel or wearing gloves while handling.  With just a little change of heart, we find it truly is easy to climb out of our comfort zones and paradigms to accommodate those around us.

I admit, it was much easier to cook all that meat in the great outdoors instead of in my kitchen, allowing the smells to waft out to those who appreciated it.  I’ll have to continue to work on that.

“Every dis-ease known to humans is created in our digestion system” (Dr. Harold Dick, N.D.)

NEW RECIPES

Each month new recipes are published in the Recipes section at Song of Health.  In the newsletter they are listed and linked so you can easily go to them in the Recipes section.

 The ingredients for all the recipes are coded for food intolerance items.

Just click on the recipe link to go directly to it in the RECIPES SECTION, or copy and paste the "url". Remember to log in first!

Is there a recipe you would like to have, or need help adapting?  I'm happy to help! Contact me at manager@songofhealth.com.

MAIN DISHES:  SWEET 'N SOUR MEATBALLS

Check out the Recipes category in The Forum for recipes that fellow Subscribers have been gracious enough to share!  Plus, cooking and baking questions are asked and answered.

*About this month’s picture: 

~ Sweet Basil ~ Herb Grown in Pot ~ It is easy an convenient to maintain your own herb garden in manageable pots.  Left outside in the warm seasons, many of them, such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme will survive well during the cold winter too.  Sweet basil should be brought in before the first frost.  Remove the buds to continue growth; use to flavor dishes, fresh and cooked.

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES

THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST ON THE WEBSITE IS 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 analyzed by our staff doctors, they are then added to the Food Resource List on the Song of Health website. We compile the updated lists to email to you as well.

 The items are listed per category.

 By listing the “Date Evaluated” you can be assured of the most recent updates.

 Under the “Evaluated For” column, “ALL” signifies that the product has been analyzed for all food categories included in the Carroll Food Intolerance Evaluation Method.

In some cases, you will see ingredients listed in the “Results” column that are ot included in “Evaluated For.” This is due to: 1) the ingredient has been listed on the packaging; 2) or it is obviously in the stated category; 3) or our doctors evaluated for more than what was asked for. For example, results for milk will be “dairy (D).”

 Under “Purchased At” we no longer furnish where the product was purchased; however, if the product was purchased outside the Pacific Northwest area, the region will be noted.  Sometimes, I will be able to locate a place to purchase a product for you, if requested.

If you have any questions, please contact us at:
manager@songofhealth.com. We are happy to help!

• SHOPPING SUGGESTION: Do you have a smart phone? You can log on to Song of Health.com, The Food Resource List, and look up items while you shop!

FOOD RESOURCE LIST
JULY 2013

TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE...

GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

©2013 Song of Health (Reproduction of this information without permission is illegal.)