Category Archives: excitotoxins

Whole Food Plant-Based foods without food additives and excitotoxins

Flavored Milk; Petition to Amend the Standard of Identity for Milk and 17 Additional Dairy Products

Every now and then there is something in the news that really gets me going! Right now it is chocolate milk.

Why?

Because the dairy lobby is pushing the FDA to approve the use of the artificial sweetener aspartame in chocolate milk. Sugar isn’t bad enough now they want to add excitotoxins to dairy products on the down low.

Terrific idea – take milk which has many harmful side-effects and up the ante by adding excitotoxins! And this is how my tax dollars are being spent. . .

by Genene Cote Posted on March 19, 2013
Posted in excitotoxins, John McDougall, vegan, vegetarian, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

2013, The Obesity Epidemic and Plant-Based Nutrition

“This is another fine mess that you’ve gotten us into, Stanley.”

In case you were culturally deprived when you were young, that quote is a rather famous accusation voiced frequently by Ollie in the Laurel and Hardy comedies. About the only thing that I never heard Oliver Hardy blame Stan Laurel for in those movies was his weight. Obesity was not viewed as a national health crisis in the twenties thirties and forties, hunger was closer to home for a lot of our population.

The weighty have always been among us. They have never been as dominant in numbers as they are today. Along with the new fat epidemic comes symptoms of ill health that worry us (a lot) when we exhibit them. Added to that are diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes; all common problems related to the obesity. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on January 16, 2013
Posted in additive-free food, diabetes, excitotoxins, Food Additives, plant based diet, processed food, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where’s the Salt Shaker

salt shakerOne of my greatest morning pleasures used to be reading the New York Times online. In our present political silly season. . . not so much! But every now and then, there is a piece that tickles my funny bone. The latest one was in the science section and called Some Restaurants Reduce Salt but Critics Call Moves Unnecessary.

The piece reported on the new table top salt shaker holders – see picture.  In an effort to cut down on the unhealthy effects of sodium the company has replaced salt shakes with these little signs.  If you have trouble reading it it says: (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on August 27, 2012
Posted in excitotoxins, Food Additives, GMO foods, processed food, Resturants | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Big Scam: Non-Fat, Low-Fat and Fat Free

nonfat

This was posted to my Facebook news feed awhile back. I shook my head and then burst out laughing.  The sign totally embodies my experience with fat-free and low-fat food. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on July 25, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, excitotoxins, sugar-free food, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based Food Kitchen, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Plant-based Fourth of July

No long weekend this year; the fourth is right in the middle of the week.  I hate when that happens.

Traditionally the 4th is a time for “All American” picnic foods.  Things like hotdogs, hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, pasta salad. strawberry shortcake and cherry pie.  I have the  Hamburgers, Baked Beans and corn on the cob covered. That just leaves the salad and dessert.

(more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on July 3, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, Beans, burgers, diary-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, gluten-free food, menu, salad, vegan, vegetarian, Whole Food Plant-Based recipes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Eating Out–Subway Offering Vegan Sandwiches

Plant based eating is becoming almost mainstream! Subway is offering vegan sandwiches in the South (Virginia and Maryland).

The news made me remember a trip to the Southern US thirty years ago.  My most vivid memory of the trip is that I almost starved to death!

We were traveling and eating in restaurants. Every day, feeding myself was a challenge! The first hurdle was finding anything vaguely vegetarian on the menu.  If I found something besides salad I still had to be very careful.  Lots of added bacon (salad dressing, baked potatoes, even mac and cheese) and foods cooked in lard. Asking the server about the ingredients was a whole other problem. Mostly the people who served me and the people I ate with couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t eat any meat. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 22, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, Resturants, vegan, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Plant-Based Diet Myth: It’s Expensive

moneyOne of the most baffling  things people say to me is “I would love to eat a plant based diet, but that is just too expensive!” I am always a little blown away but this assertion. I go to the grocery store and I watch food prices closely. . .

It was nice to find a discussion about this in The Starch Solution. Here, John McDougall states that a plant-based diet averages $4,000 savings per person per year. Or savings of  $333 per month.  You can read his discussion on pages 203-206 or search for “Food Costs” on your digital device.

For our household (just the two of us) that means saving about $650 per month. That, by the way is about what we currently spend each month.  In other words if we started eating animal based products we would double our monthly food costs.  Just in case I need another reason to stay on a plant-based diet that would work! (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 20, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, Beans, diary-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, fresh veggies, menu, plant based diet | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Do You Know about Excitotoxins?

Four years ago David developed a gluten allergy. That began a series of radical changes in our diet. But there were more to come!

Two years ago he started having a series of “weird” problems.  He was not diabetic or even pre-diabetic but he clearly had a blood sugar problem!  On any given day his blood sugar spiked and dropped for no apparent reason.  He was alternatively shaky and moody. And eating seemed to make the problem worse.

We were at our wits end!  So in an effort to figure out what was going on we started tracking the symptoms and what he ate. The place to start was in the grocery store; reading labels. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 8, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, gluten-free food, weigh loss | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment