Janice Ewald
JANICE EWOLD | Meridian Magazine Article | July 5, 2021
Janice’s Food Selection
Here are the foods that Janice found worked for her. She has consulted with her doctor throughout, but was proactive in both prayer and personal research for the foods and eating plan that would be best for her. That is good information and a good idea for all of us! Janice deals with Diabetes and IBS and has customized her eating around those needs.
She says: “The word “diet” is not in my vocabulary. It seems to indicate a quick, easy way to lose weight. A fad diet is not the way to get to the point of being healthy again. Focus is very important. If one worries about their health but doesn’t do anything about it – a quote I was given says -“Worry is worshiping the problem”. Oops! Has the condition of our bodies now become our idol?
Elder Holland says, “we should focus on the Savior, not the storm.”
So, the list of foods that have gotten 255 lbs off (413-158 )= current weight on my frame! Having lactose, soy, & gluten intolerance, and IBS restricts the selection of foods, but I have adjusted to them. The categories: fruit, vegetables and protein. Sounds simple but some of the foods in each category have toxins or ingredients that do more harm than good to our bodies.
(NOTE:) I use many canned foods as my gums shrunk and the dentures won’t stay in the mouth! So I grind the canned foods to just short of puree (ugh) so my food will digest, as I can’t chew them up fine enough just by gumming them.
Fruits: berries are the top choice of the gurus – the best ones are blackberries, raspberries and boysenberries. Blueberries are okay once in a while (a couple of times a week). It is okay to have 1/2 c of mandarin oranges, because they are not oranges, they are tangerines and much lower in acid, which upsets tummies and give canker sores to some people (like me!)
Kiwi and passionfruit are also listed as a good source of what makes the body work better, but I have not tried them. Pineapple is also very good for the body.
Bananas are almost on the bottom of the list because if they aren’t green, the sugar load is very high in a ripe banana. I discovered that just a quarter of a medium one was all I could tolerate or my blood sugar would go sky high. It is now under control (mostly under 115).
Being a chocoholic was super tough until I discovered plain, alkalized cacao (not misspelled) powder. It has no other ingredient, just the powder from the bean. I add Stevia (a natural sweetener, not a chemical that can royally mess up your gut buddies-good bacteria). I use it in a smoothie, or just mix it in Almond milk and get my chocolate fix without messing up my program.
Veggies: The number one is sweet potato the orange one, but also a purple one, which I didn’t even know existed. Seems it is even better than the orange one because as it heats up during cooking, cools down afterward and then heats up again when you serve them, there is an ingredient that ramps up many times more than the orange ones and is great for the gut. The low carb food plans don’t work for me. I get too weak, but a few more carbs gives me the energy I need.
Number 2 is avocado. It is recommended that one a day would provide nutrients that make the body feel good and is full of GOOD fat, that the body burns, instead of hanging on to it to create very overweight people.
Okra, mushrooms, butternut squash (take the seeds out as they are one of the toxins that mess up the tummie. Same applies for tomatoes – don’t eat them unless they are peeled and the seeds removed. (I grew up in the south and so okra is okay with me!)
Carrots are okay if it’s 1/2 c cooked, as they have sugar too. Keep the portion low and it’s acceptable.
Beets are another veg to eat sparingly as they can hurt the digestive tract. I like the pickled ones as they go down better, but only less than 1/2 c.
greens are being touted too, but I can’t eat them, so I take
Spirulina, an algae that is actually loaded with good stuff – even better than the greens. I use
Spring Valley from WalMart and the info on the bottle says,
NO gluten, yeast, wheat, milk or milk derivatives, lactose, sugar, preservatives, soy, artificial color, artificial flavor, sodium.
As long as that info is on everything I eat, my body does not rebel.
No to Cruciferous veggies: they may not agree with everyone. They include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower & artichokes. They are major gas producers and with IBS they are totally disagreeable to the digestive system (for me).
NO to Nightshade family – white potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, hot peppers, pimento & goji berries. The only one I’ve been able to eat so far is the tomato, because I peel it and remove the seeds. You can do that with various squashes too, as it is the seeds in most foods that are the toxins that cause pain in various places in the body.
Proteins: Eggs are okay especially if they are omega 3 or cage free. This means no antibiotics or hormones are being fed to the hens. Antibiotics usually mess up a person’s digestive tract causing pain and diarrhea. If the chickens are getting that, then I don’t want to eat it.
Same with the beef – however I found a brand called Kirtland and it says the animals have not been fed any of that stuff, they are grass-fed 100%. One pound of patties costs $4.56 at Walmart. I’m going to try them.
Chickens and turkey also need to be antibiotic and hormone free and cage free. As I said, I get canned foods and there are a few that boldly state they are not fed that stuff too.
Salmon is the number one fish – it is loaded with nutrients – however they need to be fresh caught, not raised on a fish farm. Because, guess what happens there? They get fed corn and other toxic food instead of being able to eat what is in the river!
Sardines are highly recommended but make sure they are not packed in soy oil, canola oil, sunflower oil. The ones packed in olive oil are acceptable.
Big fish, like tuna should be eaten sparingly because as they grow bigger and bigger they accumulate toxins that can cause upset.
Shrimp is highly recommended.
I continue to experiment with various foods in these categories, check how I feel and either keep it or forget it.
JUNK food is a big fat NO, NO. And as you get used to enjoying the sweetness of the fruits, for me anyway, I don’t even have a desire for chips, cookies , ice cream , cake
, pudding, etc. etc.
There aren’t enough emojis to cover how grateful I am to no longer have a desire for these foods!
