The test results are in.

First of all, I'm sorry for not blogging much this week....I've been really busy with work and my husband was sick with a really high fever. I'll try to do better next week.

So most of you know I've been talking about Vitamin D a lot lately. (Check out my original post about it)  Well I finally got my blood test results from the doctor and yup, I'm low too.  BUT....I was slightly higher than my husband (maybe because my skin is a little lighter??).  The number the doctor gave me was 15.  I guess it should be above 20 or 30? So I picked up my prescription of 50,000 Units.  I tried to find out what kind of D it was....and it said the company that made it was Pliva.  You can see it here.  It says that it's similar to Drisdol, which is a brand name for D2, so I'm going to assume that my prescription is indeed D2.  Although I haven't taken it yet....

My B12 was normal!!!

On to the others.  I don't know if any of you know, but I've been trying to lose more weight these past several months.  That's why I started this way of eating in the first place.....sort of a Vegan/McDougall/Low fat way of eating.  I've been able to lose about 24 pounds in the last 6-7 months, so I'm happy about that.  I'm now in a healthy weight range AND.......my cholesterol number was under 180!  I have to tell you I didn't think that would've ever been possible.  This was my last effort to try to lower it.  I had lost about 60 pounds a few years ago and my cholesterol only came down 10 points!  My doctor was surprised as well.  It definitely runs in my family, so that makes it even harder.  But with this new way of eating, it's brought it into the healthy range, FINALLY :)  And without the help of medication.

I guess that's it for now.  I'll probably start taking the Vitamin D soon.

Here are a few pictures from this past week of eating:

A chocolate mousse pie (I bought the vegan crust a while ago and thought I'd use it), made with silken tofu, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, and amaretto (which is probably not vegan).

Bruschetta made from local hydroponic tomatoes, my fresh basil, a pinch of sea salt, and just a hint of olive oil on sprouted grain bread:

Those Monterey Mushrooms and collard greens with black pepper:

And finally, don't forget to vote for the item you want me to giveaway!! I'll probably decide on the item this weekend and do the giveaway next week....be on the lookout.

And since I forgot this week's blogger of the week....here it is:

Blogger of the Week: Bronwyn Schweigerdt's BeanDiet Blog. She's a nutrionist with lots of great info on vitamins, and your diet in general.

Eat smart,

T.

This week's produce and MY vitamin D!

So if you read my post about Vitamin D, you'll know I'm waiting on my levels.  I got a call today saying my prescription was ready to pick up (automated), so I went to the drugstore and lo and behold....there was a prescription for Vitamin D waiting for me!  My doctor hasn't even called me yet to let me know ANY of my blood test results.....but I guess I must be low on Vitamin D, since he apparently called in a prescription without my knowing.  Mine must be higher than my husband's though, since mine only had one pill for 50,000 units and his had 4!  Hmmmmm.......and the pharmacists didn't seem to know the difference between D2 and D3 because when we picked up my husband's prescription, they looked confused when I asked them.

I haven't taken mine yet.  I'm pretty sure it's D3....I'm going to assume.  I wonder how you'd find out....do they even offer D2 by prescription?  Or is that something you have to purchase online (because EVERY Vitamin D container I've looked at in Walgreens, CVS, and Target are ALL D3)? Thoughts?

On to the food segment of this post....

Saturday's produce: strawberries, brown rice, baby turnips, mustard greens, green onions, cabbage, lettuce mixes, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and hydroponic tomatoes.


Last night, I made a broccoli mushroom bake again, since I had plenty of shiitakes and lots of broccoli.  I also added some of the kale and I used about 1 cup of cooked brown rice instead of pasta.  It was really good!

I also made some more raw spring rolls, but left out the collard green leaf inside the rice paper.  Was still good, and rolled well, but didn't hold as well in your fingers without the leaf for support.  Still good though :)

And speaking of Vitamin D.....guess what I found at Target this morning??  Monterey Mushrooms!  They're grown with 100% Vitamin D, so I thought I'd try them, even though they're all the way from California.

And there's another giveaway on Averie's blog LoveVeggiesAndYoga: Lunchbox and Cooler Set! Looks awesome :)
Guess what? Someone else also has a giveaway for lunchboxes: Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom.

Eat smart,
T.

Sweeteners and Vitamin D

Today, I decided I needed to create a post about nutritional matters that I've been thinking a lot about.

Which sweeteners are considered "healthy"? 

You read so many different things from so many different articles and then you hear so many other things from other people.  I don't know who I'm supposed to believe.  I do know, however, that plain white sugar is BAD.  Ok, good, we've gotten that far.  I've heard from different sources that agave nectar, "raw" sugar (turbinado), brown rice syrup, maple syrup, and stevia are the healthier sweetener choices to make.

Recently, however, I've read that agave nectar is not so good, due to its high fructose content.  But that's good for diabetics, right?  I'm not diabetic, but I've read that it has a very low glycemic index.  So what's better: low glycemic and high fructose? Or low/no fructose?  Is fructose bad, just because HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) is bad?

And how can I tell what and how a sweetener has been processed?  It doesn't tell me on the package.  I've read that some makers of agave nectar have actually replaced the content with HFCS!! And that some agave is actually raw....or is it??

I did switch over to agave nectar and now I'm not sure that's such a great idea.  I do also have some turbinado sugar in my kitchen, which I don't use very often, as well as some maple syrup, which is used only occasionally.  I do try to use dates when I make desserts in my food processor.  Are dates the healthiest choice because they're in their most natural state??

I'm so confused! And stevia is so new....is it really the best and healthiest option? I don't think it has any calories either, which makes it an even better looking choice for a lot of us.  So what if it's from an herb....all the other sugars are from plants as well....agave plant, sugar cane, beets, dates.....all plants.  So I guess it's all about HOW it's processed before it gets to my kitchen, right?  I don't think I can grow sugar cane on my patio (although they do grow a ton of sugar cane down here) and there are no maple trees to tap.  Should I just grow my own stevia plants?  Then do I crumble up the leaves?  Can I buy unprocessed stevia sweetener?  Or are ALL sweeteners processed in some way or another?

I'd really love to hear your comments and suggestions because I'm kind of at a  loss right now.  I don't consume a ton of sweetener, but I'd really like to know what the healthiest options are.  Or is there no correct answer? Please share this post with your friends, because I want to hear from as many people as possible.

I'm also putting a poll about sweeteners on the righthand side of this page....please fill it out if you have the time (it's very quick).

Vitamin D: How do you get yours?


We've recently been tested for Vitamin D and my husband was very low.  I haven't gotten my results yet, but I'm assuming mine will be as well.  Of course, our doctor recommended a Vitamin D supplement via prescription.  It's 50,000 Units per week for a month, then 50,000 units per month.  That sounds awfully high to me.  What are your thoughts on amounts?  I think there will be a new RDA coming this year, so I'll be interested to see what that is.

We walk several times a day.....we thought we were getting enough sun that way (especially living in the south).  That doesn't seem to be the case.  I've also read that most people (not taking supplements) are deficient in Vitamin D, although vegans and vegetarians are even more deficient than non-vegetarians.  I guess that's why doctors are now screening for it.

There aren't really any food sources of Vitamin D for vegans, are there?  I recently found a company online: Monterey Mushrooms.  They've grown mushrooms with extra light, to add Vitamin D!  That's pretty clever, no?  However, I've never seen those mushrooms and I don't know if they're available anywhere around here. I'd rather not take supplements if I don't have to.

So where do YOU get your Vitamin D?  Again, I'd love to read your comments about this and there will be a quick poll for you to answer on the right side of this page.

UPDATE: Here's another interesting article on Vitamin D2 vs D3.

Thanks for listening! And pass this along to your friends!

Eat smart,
T.