Dragonfly News

The Official Monthly Newsletter of Song of Health
DECEMBER 2009

Click here to download a printable
version of this newsletter.

January 10 Newsletter
November 09 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 on the website.

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.

The information in Dragonfly News is brought to you by the Song of Health Team:

Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health
Dr. Letitia Dick, N.D., Staff Doctor
Dr. Jared Zeff, N.D., Staff Doctor
Dr. Caryn Potenza, N.D., Staff Supporting Doctor
Elizabeth Vedder, Manager of Food Resource Updates
Shawn Murphy, Song of Health Webmaster and Graphics Designer

We wish you all a wonderful holiday season …
And a very happy, healthy New Year!

IN THIS ISSUE:

SUBSCRIBERS SPOTLIGHT:
Stories, Comments, Questions Asked
and Answered

SHARING EXPERIENCES: Reminders For Coping With The Holidays; “The Christmas Pot Luck” By Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health

RECIPES:
Biscuits, Breads and Crackers:  Bretheren’s Cheese Bread; Orange Raisin Butter Bread
Cakes and Candies:  Honey Peanut Brittle; Popcorn Balls
Cookies:  Christmas Pecan Butter Balls; Hanukkah Cookies; Snicker Doodles
Custards and Puddings:  Mock Chili Relleno Custard
Pies, Pastries and Cobblers: Blueberry Pie No. 2; Gooseberry Pie

FOOD RESOURCE UPDATE:  December 2009

The Carroll Institute of Natural Healing, co-founded by our renowned Doctors Letitia “Tish” Dick, N.D. and Jared Zeff, N.D., LAc., is an educational opportunity for Naturopathic physicians and students to further their education in the traditional methods of Naturopathy, not otherwise taught in the Naturopathic colleges. This is where physicians and students learn how to perform the Carroll Food Intolerance Evaluation method, constitutional hydrotherapy and other important methods of traditional natural healing.

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

We invite everyone to contact us with any questions you may have regarding these methods 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!

THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST CATEGORY “YOGURT” IS BEING CHANGED TO “YOGURT AND KEFIR.”

  WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE SUBSCRIBERS RECIPES SECTION, AND ARE NEARLY COMPLETE! ~  

~    We are nearly done adding food category codes to the recipes, identifying what ingredients to be aware of.  We hope this will better guide you in your cooking endeavors! From now on, the recipes included in the monthly issues of Dragonfly News will also be coded. We are also adding cooking and baking tips and suggestions.

~    Look for a Recipes Index coming in the near future.

 THE FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS LIST:  Check the list for new additions.

 ARCHIVE OF ARTICLES LINKS REPAIRED:  A few of the links to articles in the Archive of Articles list were not linked properly.  That has been fixed and you should now be able to easily link to every article.  If you find that we have missed a proper link, please notify us immediately.  Thank you.

SAVE 10% ON YOUR NEXT SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL:

Refer a new subscriber and receive 10% off your next renewal!  To receive your 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. It’s that easy!

Visit Sandra at Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. You’re invited to follow and share comments!

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Click on the box to:

Learn how to quickly identify your personal food intolerances in ingredients lists on food packaging.
Learn new, easy recipes and substitutes for favorite ones that your entire family can safely eat and enjoy.

If you have any questions or need help with the appointment or payment process, please contact us at: manager@songofhealth.com.

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For your generosity YOU will be honored with

10% OFF YOUR NEXT SUBSCRIPTION!

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	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 Song of Health 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.

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.

REMINDER: IMPORTANT!  We will continue to print this message in every newsletter from now on. It is an important issue that we believe needs to always 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

QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED:

Questions Emailed to us:

From Donna D.:  Hi Sandra.  I have a question regarding the Peruvian root vegetable called maca. I have been taking about 1/2 teaspoon of Royal Maca each morning. It works great in balancing hormones. In less than a month, my hot flashes stopped and I would love to continue taking it, if I can. I am potato starch intolerant and I have just learned that maca has a similar consistency as potato starch. Is this true? I hope to hear some good news from you that it's ok for someone who is potato starch intolerant.

If you decide to include my question in your next newsletter, please include that if any of your readers want to try it, they should get the "Royal" Maca brand. The regular “macas” out in the market don't work as well. The Royal Maca is more concentrated and it does work like magic.

By the way, I am having a tough time finding a non-dairy beverage in New York. The brands listed in the website are not sold in NY. I am presently using the Westsoy Rice Beverage which, according to the website, has tested inconsistent as far as potato starch is concerned.

Likewise, I have not been able to find corn chips in NY that are ok for a potato starch intolerant person. I know you are potato starch intolerant also and was wondering what brand you use. It appears that the Tostitos brand is no longer very popular in NY. Regards, Donna D.

Reply from Sandra:  Hello Donna, I will forward this to our doctors to see if they know.  I looked it up in Wikipedia, which classifies maca root as a relative of radish and turnip, neither of which are in the potato family.
Re corn chips:  I eat Que Pasa tortilla chips, free of potato.
Re non dairy beverages:  Most of the brands tested are distributed nationally, as far as I know. Have you checked out the Recipes section under Drinks, which has great and easy homemade recipes.  In Health, Sandra

Donna:  Thanks Sandra. You're as quick as a storming wind in your replies! I have not seen the Que Pasa brand tortilla chips in NY. I will keep it in mind in case I come across it somewhere.

I don't know why my Naturopathic doctor says that maca is potato starch related. According to a website I just researched, it says that "Maca is a vegetable root or tuber, related to the potato family, which grows in the high Andean plateaus of Peru..." According to others it says it's related to the turnip/radish family. If you do get an answer from the doctors, I would be most interested in what they have to say about it. I was taking it for a month and had no reaction to it that I am aware of.Thanks again.  Take care!  Donna

Sandra:  Hello Donna.  Thanks for sharing what you've found out. Dr. Tish responded to our question re maca, and she doesn’t know what it is related to.  My suggestion is to send the product you are using in for evaluation. That is the only way to know, for sure, what it contains.  Sandra

From Donna O.:  I had some non-dairy milk products tested several weeks ago, but they are not on the list. How often is the food list updated?

Reply from Sandra:  Hi Donna.  Generally, the updates are published and emailed once a month along with the newsletter. Did you receive the results directly? If not, if you can tell me which products I will be happy to look on the list I've received and see if they're listed. I'm in the process of preparing the latest list of updates now.  In Health, Sandra

Editor’s Note: Donna was gracious enough to furnish the products our doctor evaluated for her and they are included in this month’s Food Resource List Update.

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Samples From The Forum:

Posted by Sadie:  My husband has had moderate to severe IBS symptoms for several years.  After doing a "Candida cleanse" for two weeks, these symptoms all cleared up, as well as the acne he had on his back. He did eat yogurt almost every day during this cleanse. We have been suspecting he was gluten intolerant for a while now, and on this diet he had no gluten; so it seemed to confirm our suspicions. Then, last week his mom informed us that her father's whole side of the family are celiacs.  But, we sent samples to Dr. Zeff to find out his Carroll intolerance and his came back as dairy and fruit/sugar combo.  So, we're not really sure why he could have such a strong reaction to gluten and it not come up on his Carroll test as grain? And how he could have had such great results on his "cleanse" when he was still eating dairy?  Any thoughts?  Thanks!

Reply by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Hello Sadie.  It’s not unusual to show reactions to a specific food(s) and find out that's not your intolerance. When you consume foods you are intolerant to, it causes the body to respond to its poison by reacting and alerting the immune system to go after an enemy, which consumes energy and causes weakness; it blocks proper digestion for everything, and consequently causes taxing of our well being. Dr. Zeff discusses cause and effect in his article "What Carroll Testing Tests For," in the March 08 issue of Dragonfly News. (See also the Archive of Articles.)  So, when your husband eats his actual food intolerances, his digestive system is so compromised that he is not able to properly digest other foods that would otherwise not cause him problems.  When we compromise our well-being, dis-ease attacks the weakest part of us.  Once that part is destroyed, the next weakest part of the body is attacked, to which we have little to no defense against, and so forth.  Maybe, the first affliction is gluten intolerance; then it goes deeper, causing a threatening illness.

Colonic cleanses, toxin cleansing, etc. are great for cleaning out the intestinal tract of the digestive system, which is where the root of disease lies.  The problem lies in continuing to consume foods we are intolerant to, causing the same problems, filling our systems up with more poison.  So the cleansing your husband did helped, but as soon as he ate yogurt he started the process of dis-ease all over again.  How long it takes for discomfort and dis-ease to reappear is different with each individual and their immune strength.  In fact, once you've done a cleansing, it's possible that different symptoms could appear than what was previously experienced.  I would guess that, once your husband is cleansed of the toxins in his system from consuming his food intolerances and refrains from eating them from now on, his weakness toward gluten will also wane.  A note on cleansing:  When I was first evaluated for my food intolerances by Dr. Harold Dick, over 30 years ago, he had me fast for 3 days, drinking only water, to cleanse my system while I waited for my test results. Then he treated me with the traditional methods of hydrotherapy and herbs.  Fasting is extremely effective and natural, and the water does the cleansing.  The hydro treatments helped to pull the toxins out even faster.

Food intolerances tend to be genetic, so it isn't surprising that your husband's reactions and consequent weaknesses to, i.e., gluten, would be inherited.  I wouldn't be surprised to find out that his family has some of the same food intolerances as him.

Another interesting factor to the "gluten issue" is that so many of the grain products on the market today (including organic products) include fruit or potato derivatives.  Fruit is a biggy, as citric acid is used to preserve the grain products for longer shelf life. (Refer to the Food Resource List under grains and also flours.  Note how many contain fruit or potato.)  So it's possible that what your husband is reacting to is actually the fruit, and not the gluten!  The easiest solution to that is to cut out the refined sugar, which isn't good for us anyway.

I suggest scrolling down the Archive of Articles list for more reading.  We are also happy to answer any further questions you may have on this, or any other related subjects.  Does this help??  In Health, Sandra

From Sadie:  Given that corn is a relatively new food from an agriculture perspective, why isn't corn one of the intolerances tested for?  Along this same line, given how much commodity corn is used in our country for things other than food, could it be that many of the things that test potato are really corn?  For example, in Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma, he talks about how fructose is typically made from corn rather than fruit and how many vitamins (the B's) are made from corn.  Just wondering what the Carroll perspective is on this topic.  Thanks!

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Dear Sadie, corn is a grain and is, therefore, listed in the grains category.  It is possible that a person may find corn hard to digest, but that doesn't mean they are intolerant to it.  However, if they are grain intolerant, then they are corn intolerant, which then causes more than involving extra energy to digest; it causes toxic reaction.

High fructose corn syrup will usually evaluate positive for both grain and fruit, depending on the product.  Either way, it is a very unhealthy product and should be avoided.

My personal opinion on outside research, opinions, etc. is that the researchers, who generally approach health and medicine from a different perspective than traditional naturopathic doctors do, complicate things to prove some "original point."  All that succeeds in doing is causing unnecessary confusion.  Keep it simple!

Regarding foods testing positive for potato which could actually be corn (grain category) --- not likely!  Our doctors who furnish us the information of hidden ingredients in the foods evaluated, learned how to do this from Dr. Harold Dick, who was Dr. Carroll’s protégé.  True, they are human and can make mistakes too, but the accuracy of the Carroll method of evaluation has a far higher percentage than any other testing or evaluating we have found, to date.  However, we have found a number of grain products that do include potato derivatives, generally used as a stabilizer or thickener.

I realize how difficult it is to wrap one's brain around the fact that the Carroll method is so effective and has been the result of so many people getting and staying well.  If it's so accurate, then why doesn't everyone get it, adhere to it and pass this great secret on?  As we have written in a number of articles (see the Archive of Articles), follow the money!  The AMA is very powerful in this country, and now the concept of addressing symptoms instead of the cause of a disease has also infiltrated into the naturopathic world.  Dr. Tish calls it Green Allopathy (see my article in the May 09 newsletter).  Millions of dollars go into research for so-called answers and secrets to healing, when the answers are directly in front of their noses.  The AMA lobbyists have so much influence in government that there are still many states in this country that do not even recognize naturopathic physicians as legitimate doctors!  These states do not have licensure for Naturopaths and other alternative healers, such as Chiropractors, so these doctors are very limited in the methods they are allowed to use.  Their vast healing skills are virtually being unused.

It’s always good to keep an eye on what's going on around us, with medical research, politics, etc.  I’ve have learned to be an avid filter system!  I adhere to results.  The Carroll method of evaluating people for their food intolerances and, consequently, our doctors now evaluating foods for hidden ingredients, has proved to work for those people who choose to follow their diets correctly.  Hope this helps.  In Health, Sandra

Posted by Sandy:  What natural remedy can I use for relief of prickly stinging from coming in contact with stinging nettles?

Posted by Dr. Tish:  Oh my!  Mashed up cleavers (do you know this plant?) as a poultice is the natural antidote.  Sheep sorrel may also work.

Posted by AJS:  I’m new to this site and to the concept of food intolerance in general.  I recently consulted with an acupuncturist for anxiety and sleep problems.  He performed the Carroll test and informed me I was intolerant to fruit (as well as potato and grain consumed within eight hours of each other).  I have two main questions:

1. I tend to eat a lot of fruit, yet I have absolutely no physical health problems.  I never get sick, have zero gastrointestinal problems (aside from occasional gassiness, which doesn't seem correlated with fruit consumption), and am generally in excellent physical health.  I understand the concept that eating intolerant foods will cause problems with your most vulnerable organs, and maybe that's somehow related to my anxiety, but common sense seems to say that if I was consuming several pounds daily of a substance that is essentially toxic for me, there would be at least some general health and gastrointestinal issues.  Am I missing something here?  Furthermore, there seems to be no correlation between how much fruit I eat and severity of my anxiety issues.  For example, I had severe anxiety and sleep issues about five years ago, at which time in my life I was eating no fruit and conversely, I’ve had periods free from anxiety when I’ve eaten a great deal of fruit.  All in all, it just doesn't seem to add up.

2. Is there a linear correlation between the amount of prohibited foods one eats and the negative health consequences?  That is, if I cut out 99.9% of my fruit consumption, will I get 99.9% of the benefits?  This is essentially what I’ve done in the last few weeks:  I’ve completely stopped eating fruit, but I have continued to enjoy foods that contain minute quantities of fruit-derived compounds like citric acid.  Overall, I am probably eating less than one one-thousandth of the fruit I was eating before:  I’ve gone from several pounds of fruit daily to, at most, a few grams of fruit compounds.  Should I expect a proportional reduction in symptoms?  If not, I’d be interested to know why.  And how much symptom reduction should I expect?  Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this.  AJS

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Hello AJS.  It would be sweet if we were all able to be lumped into the same barrel of symptoms to actions.  Obviously, that's not realistic!  So, each of us will react in different ways - acute or chronic conditions; no immediate obvious symptoms; hours, days or even years of exhibiting adverse results. Oftentimes, a person whose body is clean of toxins created by eating food intolerances may inadvertently eat their intolerance (even a minute amount) and then experience a symptom(s) within an hour.  This is an acute, or immediate result.  Then there's others who consume their food intolerances, not realizing the potential consequences, and will not necessarily feel immediate acute symptoms (such as headache, stomach ache, nausea, gas, etc.) but what is happening is that the body may be going into a more chronic condition - deeper into the systems - causing more serious disruption, i.e. cancer, fibromyalgia, diabetes, lupus, migraines, heart condition, blocked arteries, prone to infections, etc.

Some people may go through life with minor irritations, eating everything under the sun. Our hats off to them!  Most of us aren't so lucky.  And, the more years we abuse our bodies, the older and more worn down we get and the less chance we have at overcoming disease.

I suggest reading many of the articles available in the many issues of Dragonfly News, our newsletter. Our doctors explain how the healing process works, what happens when we consume our food intolerances, and the concepts of Traditional Naturopathic medicine.  For some great articles by our doctors on the subject, see the July 07 issue, October 2007, November 2007, March 2008, and June 2008, just to start! (See the Archive of Articles for a complete list of articles.)

We realize how shocking, confusing, angering and disruptive to our daily routines and lifestyles it can be to learn that what we've been eating all along - and told by mainstream medicine leaders that we need them in our diets (such as fruit) - turns out to be poison for us.  We will go to many lengths to prove the Carroll methods wrong, deny, defy and altogether ignore following our personal food intolerance diets until we are willing to accept the validity of how and why this works.  This is why we are all here for each other - to learn, support, and offer a place to vent!  Hope this helps…In Health, Sandra

Posted by Sadie:  I'm stumped as to what to feed my 6-month-old baby as first-foods.  Her intolerance is fruit with potato/grain combo. I plan to start her out with some mashed sweet potato or yam.  But what else should I feed her in these first few months?   And, what about the risk of allergies if grains are introduced too early?  Is it generally thought by Carroll-minded people that people who develop allergies from having grains introduced too early as children may not have had that happen if they had been able to avoid their intolerance since birth? Do grains really pose a risk if one's intolerance is avoided?

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Dear Sadie, your question has been forwarded to our doctors for their input.  In the meantime, I can answer that consuming food intolerances pose issues of digestion.  Once in a while, it is not noticed in children, or even young adults, until later in life, when the body has been stressed for so long that it no longer has the strength to deal with the toxic overload.  The buildup of toxins, after time, causes inherent weaknesses to present themselves in the form of physical illness, or disruption.  Some people have a stronger constitution than do others, so it would appear they are not as affected as adversely as others.  Down the road, one way or another, a person's health is going to be affected if they continue to consume their food intolerances, just like consuming any other poison.

Allergies are a symptomatic reaction to something introduced in the body.  Consuming food intolerances can trigger allergic reaction.  Remove the food intolerances from the diet and most allergies will begin to subside, especially with Traditional Naturopathic help, such as constitutional hydrotherapy treatment.  The quicker a problem is identified and addressed, the less time it will take to restore the body to well being.  I suggest referring to the diagram of the Process of Healing. (Or you can go to the Subscribers home page and can click on it from there.)

If a person is not intolerant to grain, then it shouldn't cause them a problem at any age. However, if they are intolerant to something else, i.e. potato, and they consume that, it can be enough to weaken their system so that grain, or some other food, can cause an allergic reaction.  Once again, remove the food intolerance from the diet and many of the other problems will also disappear, in time.  In Health, Sandra

SUBSCRIBERS:  Do any of you have suggestions for Sadie re feeding her baby?  You may email us at manager@songofhealth.com or post a response in The Forum. You will find Sadie’s post under the section “Food Questions.” Thank you.

Posted by Leslie:  I am looking for an alternative to egg as a binding agent for stuffing.  What would you suggest (also looking to avoid potato, dairy, seafood)?

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Hi Leslie.  Have you checked out the stuffing recipes in the Recipes - Stuffing section?  There are a number of recipes, none of which call for egg.  What kind of stuffing are you making - bread, rice, etc?  If using bread, usually it binds nicely on its own with the liquid.  I’ve never used egg in my stuffing.  Are you stuffing a bird with it or making it in a pan? Have you checked out my recipe for making it in a crock pot?  For me, it turns out better than any other stuffing I’ve ever made!  If you want the meat flavor, you can make a broth by boiling the giblets, then use it to moisten the stuffing mix.  If desired, add the cut up giblets.  In Health and Happy Day of Gratitude, Sandra

Posted by Leslie:  Thank you Sandra.  I am modifying a multi-generational bread stuffing recipe.  We don't generally make it in the bird. So, I will just leave out the egg and see how it turns out.  Thanks for your help.

Posted by Sadie:  I just found out my baby is fruit with potato/grain combo. I assumed I could feed her yogurt, until I found out that all yogurt is fruit.  What about homemade yogurt?  Is there a way to do homemade yogurt that isn't fruit?
Also, what about kefir?  I didn't see kefir listed on any of the lists (SOH or Windrose hardcopy) and was wondering if they use a grape seed starter for kefir too?  Is there a way to make homemade kefir that isn't fruit (provided that I use a milk that's neutral dairy)?

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Hello Sadie.  I will look into this in depth and get back to you.  I will also forward your question to Dr. Tish and dr. Jared to see if they have insight on this.  In Health, Sandra

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health  Hello again Sadie.  I have been scouring all my cookbooks and on-line sources to try to find a recipe for homemade yogurt that doesn't contain commercial starter.  No luck so far.  Even twittered for help!  I will post any responses if I hear anything. In the meantime, maybe one of our doctors will have an answer soon.

I did find out that kefir is basically a fermented kind of yogurt.  So I’m guessing we're looking at the same fruit issue with it too.

Wish I had a more positive solution for you.

Posted by Prudence: I'm new to The Forum. My doctor tested me and said I have a fruit intolerance and also shouldn't combine grain and sugar. It seems everything has fruit in it and I can't find much I can eat. Feel like I'm starving to death. My stomach is so messed up it seems there is no way out. Help!

Posted by Sandra, CEO of Song of Health:  Hello Prudence,
We all can understand your frustration!  It isn't easy to change our eating habits, but you will find this is well worth it.  I offer advice and counseling sessions, if you are interested.  You mail email me and I can help you with more involved information than just a few sentences here.  

Without knowing what you generally eat, I'll give some general information here, and HOPEFULLY OUR FRUIT INTOLERANT SUBSCRIBERS WILL SHARE HOW THEY EAT.  The most important thing to do is become so familiar with the information on the food category list that you know it by heart.  Then refer to The Food Resource List for products that have been evaluated for fruit.  That will give you a good start what to avoid!

Now for what you can eat:  Re fruit:  Vegetables are safe.  Most meat and seafood are safe.  You can have all melons, tomatoes, salad using rice or white vinegar (grain) and oil other than olive or grapeseed, such as safflower (neutral), sesame (grain) or sunflower (grain).  Re grain/sugar:  I highly recommend you refrain from refined sugar, which is awful for our health.  Use honey, maple syrup or agave syrup instead.  That will protect you from the grain/sugar issue.  Check the Food Resource List to make sure grain and flour products are free of fruit, often used as a preservative (citric acid). 

You are generally better off to refrain from boxed and canned food products. Many of the canned foods, such as tomato products, contain citric acid (fruit).  It is time consuming to make dishes from scratch, but much healthier.  Check the Recipes section for some great ideas, and the Food Substitutions List for alternative ingredients you may use to substitute fruit, sugar, etc.  In Health, Sandra

SUBSCRIBERS:  Have any of you seen a recipe for yogurt that doesn’t call for grape enzyme live culture?  Please email us at manager@songofhealth.com.  We need your help!  Thank you.

Subscriber Stephenie R. suggests:

 When posting a question or comment on The Forum to a thread that is not recent (within the current week), PLEASE CREATE A NEW THREAD, even if the topic has been discussed at a prior time. This way, new entries won’t get unintentionally missed.

The Forum is a great way to make new friends!

It is a great opportunity for you to share tips, meals, recipes and any other information to help support and educate each other!

.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

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

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SHARING EXPERIENCES:

COPING WITH THE HOLIDAYS:

CHECK OUT OUR ARTICLES FOR HELP WITH YOUR “HOLIDAY CHALLENGES.”

       Dragonfly News, December 2007:

Article: Holiday Time, By Dr. Jared Zeff, N.D.

Sharing Experiences - The Visit,  By Sandra Strom, CEO SOH

       Dragonfly News, November 2008:

Sharing Experiences -
Winning Over Holiday Blues and Winter’s Dark Days, by Sandra Strom

       Dragonfly News, December 2008:

Article: Following Your Diet During the Holidays, By Dr. Caryn Potenza, N.D.

THE CHRISTMAS POT LUCK

By Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health

Last nite I tagged along, as an invited guest, with friends to a Christmas party with their car club cronies.  The holiday event of their year included pot luck dinner and, although I happily offered to bring a dish – specifying a green salad or cole slaw – I was told all the food dishes were covered, just come along for the ride and bring a small gift for the exchange game.  I should have followed my inner voice and brought a salad anyway, but I didn’t – BIG MISTAKE!

The people were genuinely nice, the hostess especially hospitable and generously friendly.  I love to meet new people, from all different origins, and from the looks of the foods that eventually appeared it became apparent that I was in the company of many Scandinavians, who are heavy meat and potato eaters, and are known for their buttery pastries.  

Although not a meat eater, I graciously helped our hostess make a platter of ham and turkey while she carved, in preparation of the holiday meal.  Then everyone brought their dishes to the festive table.  As a guest, I kept my initial appalled moment a secret – there was no vegetable dish – not one!  No salad, no veggie platter (I thought those were givens), no cooked vegetable.  The salad dishes contributed were potato and Waldorf (made with fruit, mayonnaise, sugar, and stuff).  The entries were meat, almost entirely meat, save a pint of home canned pickled fish, fresh-baked white rolls, and hummus with homemade crackers --– Meat goulash, meat spaghetti, meat and potato sausage, smoky beans with meat, the sliced ham and turkey I helped serve, and a few more meat dishes.  Did I mention I don’t eat land meat?  My food intolerances are potato and fruit/sugar combo.  Peeking at the dessert assembly in the kitchen, I knew my choice was sugar over fruit (I was prepared for it) and my dinner was going to consist of lots of sugar. 

My first move was to grab the package of #50 capsules (gentian and skullcap) from my purse and immediately down one with a tall glass of water.  #50’s (available through Windrose Clinic) are good for helping to overcome illness due to eating when taken prior to the meal.  

I sheepishly took my place at the end of the line.  Although I had quickly downed some food before leaving the house, I was still quite hungry and was now positioned to starve or eat meat, and probably my food intolerances.  Meat it was, with a healthy portion of the pickled fish and the hummus.  I took tiny portions of meat stuff, just enough to sustain me in anticipation of a major sugar rush about to occur.  After it all, I took several pellets of homeopathic Nux Vomica, which is good for counteracting poison!  No one knew my dilemma, as I conducted myself like a perfect lady (I think) at the table.  The Naturopath’s aids actually helped me from feeling sick, save a few stomach pangs, and the nite went on, as planned.

When I returned home I made a huge cup of hot peppermint tea, which aids in digestion, and gave my stomach a rest until the next morning.  In disbelief, I am not sick on this day following, albeit somewhat crashed from all the sugar consumption.

I wish you all many joyous experiences during this winter celebrating, and may you be blessed with lots of food you can eat and that you do not suffer from indigestion!  May this coming New Year be filled with many blessings for you and your loved ones.

To All My Relations, Sandra  

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

NEW RECIPES

REMINDER:  The Recipes section for Subscribers
is undergoing major changes!

        The ingredients in each recipe are being coded for food intolerance items.

        A Table of Contents is being created for each section, including links for each recipe.  Eventually, there will also be a Recipes Index.

        The Food Substitutions List has been restructured into table form, making it much easier to read.  Links from the Recipes pages to The Food Substitutions List and The Food Resource List are made readily available so you can toggle back and forth, whenever necessary, in order to be able to easily adapt a recipe to your special needs.

        We continue to add cooking and baking tips in order to help and teach you how to easily adapt recipes, to prepare meals easily and sometimes quickly, and to help you enjoy cooking!

        Check out some of the new pictures added!

        WE INVITE YOU TO SHARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS, RECIPES, COMMENTS AND CONCERNS.  Please go to The Forum and post in the Recipes section, or contact us at manager@songofhealth.com.

~ Always use organic products whenever possible.
~ We recommend you use Celtic sea salt, which is Neutral.
~ All new recipes are now coded for Food Categories. 
~ If a recipe contains your food intolerance, see the FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS LIST for alternative ingredients.

KEY FOR CODES

REMEMBER TO: REFER TO THE FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS LIST FOR ALTERNATIVES AND THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST FOR HIDDEN INGREDIENTS.  

This month I am sharing some old favorite traditional family and friend holiday recipes.

 Many of these original recipes call for sugar, but honey or agave syrup may be substituted (which we recommend doing) by cutting the amount in half, i.e., 1 cup sugar = ½ cup honey. Cookies made with honey keep for much longer than sugar cookies. You can make the cookies several weeks ahead of time and freeze.

Do you have favorite recipes you would like to share with your fellow subscribers?  We invite you to email them to us.  Sandra

BISCUITS, BREADS AND CRACKERS

BRETHEREN’S CHEESE BREAD
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift together the dry ingredients.
Stir in honey.
Cut in butter with two knifes, blender, or fingers (the old fashioned way), until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in cheese and dill.
Add milk and eggs.  Mix just until moistened.
Grease 4 loaf pans 6” x 3-1/2”.
Spoon mixture into pans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Yield: 4 small loaves.

ORANGE RAISIN BUTTER BREAD
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

This recipe was given to me by my sister, from New Zealand.

FOOD CATEGORY	INGREDIENTS
G	4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups flour
S or H	¼ cup sugar or honey
F	shredded rind of 1 orange
F	1/8 tsp. mace
	1-1/2 tsp. salt
P or S	2 pkg. yeast
	1-1/4 cup lukewarm water (or 1 cup if using honey)
D	¼ cup butter
E	2 eggs at room temperature
	½ tsp. vanilla
F	¾ cup raisins
	2/3 cup nuts
D	2 Tbsp. butter for slashed loaves

Measure 2 cups flour, sugar (if using), orange rind, mace, and salt into large mixing bowl.
Add yeast; blend.
In a saucepan, heat water, butter and honey (if using) until warm. (The butter does not need to melt.)  Add to mixture in bowl (flour, yeast, etc.) and mix well.
Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat with electric mixer at low speed until everything is moistened, then beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
Stir in raisins and nuts.
Gradually add more flour, as needed, to form a soft dough.
Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.  (Or cheat like I do and put dough in breadmaking machine on dough cycle, and let the machine do the kneading.)
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Butter 2 loaf pans.
Punch dough down (using your fist, punch dough ball in the center).
Divide in two.  Shape loaves and place in pans.
Let rise for 20 minutes.
With a sharp knife, make a slash ½” deep lengthwise down center of loaves.
Brush 1 Tbsp. softened butter on sides of slashes.
Let rise 25-35 minutes longer, or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake 35-45 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on rack.
Yield: 2 loaves.

REMEMBER TO: REFER TO THE FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS LIST FOR ALTERNATIVES AND THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST FOR HIDDEN INGREDIENTS.

CAKES AND CANDIES

HONEY PEANUT BRITTLE
 (Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

In saucepan heat honey on low heat until it is liquid.
Stir in butter, peanuts and salt. Turn up heat to medium high, stir constantly until mixture reaches 295 degrees (use candy thermometer to test).
Remove from heat and immediately add baking soda, stirring constantly.  Mixture will foam up. 
Stir in vanilla.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.
Divide mixture in half, pouring onto sheets.  Let cool, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stretch brittle out over each sheet.  Allow to harden.
Break brittle into big pieces and store in covered container.        

POPCORN BALLS
(Contributed From The Collection of The Late Dr. Harold Dick,
Windrose Naturopathic Clinic)

Put honey and water together in a saucepan.  Turn on high heat, stirring constantly until it boils.
Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir.  If it starts to rise, blow it down. 
To test for being done, put a drop in cold water and if it balls, remove mixture from heat.
Mix in vanilla.
Pour over popcorn, mix well, and form balls.
Roll balls in ground nuts, wheat germ or sesame seeds.

COOKIES

CHRISTMAS PECAN BUTTER BALLS
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream the butter.
Add honey and cream together.
Add flour and vanilla.  Mix well.
Stir in nuts.
Form into small balls.
Place on greased baking sheet.
Push a pecan half or quarter piece into top of cookie and slightly flatten.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet when done.  (Rule for most cookies.)

Hanukkah Cookies
Great for Christmas cookies too!
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

This recipe was given to my mother many years ago and is a favorite amongst family and friends. The origin is from Spanish Jewish baking.
The original recipe calls for sugar. You may substitute with 1/2 cup honey. 

Blend the eggs and sugar. 
Add the oil and mix until smooth.
Sift the dry ingredients and slowly mix in.
Beat in the orange juice.
Turn dough out on a floured board and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the texture is such that the dough can be made into a ball and ready to be rolled out. 
Wrap the ball of dough in wax paper and refrigerate overnite.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease cookie sheet, wiping any excess off.
Barely dust board with flour, just enough to keep dough from sticking when rolled out. Roll the dough out about 1/8” thick.
Dip your favorite cookie cutters in flour and shake off any excess.  Cut the dough with cutters and place on cookie sheet, about ½” apart.  Make a ball out of the dough scraps and pat or roll out again, until all the dough is used. 
Bake 8 minutes.  Check to see if they are done.  Bake 2 minutes longer if needed.
Yields a bunch!  That’s the best my 84-year-old mother could tell me.  I confess she has spoiled us with her baking every year, so I haven’t made them in a very long time.

SNICKER DOODLES
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Cream the butter until smooth.
Add vanilla and honey.  Cream until smooth.
Add in sifted dry ingredients and mix well.
Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until well chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dust hands with cocoa and roll dough into about ¾” balls.
Roll balls in the cocoa or glaze.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

CUSTARDS AND PUDDINGS

MOCK CHILI RELLENO CUSTARD
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

This is a quick and easy dish to prepare during the holiday rush. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Using a pan large enough to place an 8 inch baking dish in, fill with water to half full.  Place in oven as it preheats, in order to get the water hot.
Grease an 8 inch square baking dish.
Cut peppers into 2 inch pieces.  Place in baking dish.
Cover with the grated cheese.
Beat together the eggs, milk, flour and salt.
Pour over the cheese and peppers.
Carefully place the baking dish into the pan of water and return to oven.  (I pull the rack with the pan of water out enough to place the dish in, then carefully push it back into the oven.)
Bake for 45 minutes, or until custard sets.
Yield: 4 servings

PIES, PASTRIES AND COBBLER

BLUEBERRY PIE NO. 2
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Here is another version of Blueberry Pie.  I made this one for Thanksgiving “Eve.”  It was served with homemade whipped cream which was flavored with honey.  It turned out delicious. Sandra

If using fresh-picked blueberries, wash and discard any stems and leaves. Drain well in a colander.  If using frozen berries, thaw before using.
FILLING:  In a saucepan place 1-1/2 cups of the berries, honey, cornstarch, salt and butter. Mix well.
Turn heat on to medium and stir until mixture is clear and thickened.  (Note: Stir continually to keep berries from burning.)
Remove from heat and slightly cool.  Add remaining berries and stir in.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Using recipe for Plain Pastry Pie Crust, roll out half of the dough and line pie plate.
Spoon in the filling. 
Roll out remaining dough and place over top.  Pinch edges together with fingers or crimp by pressing fork tines down around edge to seal. Prick the top of pie with a fork. This keeps the filling from bubbling up and breaking through the sides.  (Have fun making a simple picture, such as a couple berries, or a simple design.)
Bake for 45 minutes. Cool on rack.

GOOSEBERRY PIE
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl mix gooseberries with honey, flour, orange rind (if using), salt and cinnamon.
Let stand while preparing pie crust.
Line pie plate with bottom crust. Spoon in filling.  Dot with butter.
Cover with top crust.  Flute edges or press with fork tines to seal.  Prick top crust with a fork to let steam escape.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crust is browned and juice is bubbling through the holes.

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 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 not included in “Evaluated 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 (D).”

 Under “Purchased At” we furnish where the product was purchased, whenever the information is available, in the newsletter. (Most brand foods considered “natural” or organic products may be found at your local natural foods store.) We are not able to show the “Purchased At” column on the website, however.

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

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES
DECEMBER 2009

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