Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Food Review: Trader Joe Products

Ive been meaning to list some of the items i've tried.

Trader Joe's Corn Tortilla Flat Breads - okay so they are not GF however I still really like them!

Trader Joe's Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil. Use Christopher Walken's voice: "O'WOW". These are so good. Light, not salty and fully kernals! (It is made in a facility that process's wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts and soy.)

Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Spread - this is really good.  If you love green and kalamata olives this will do it.  I had some on TJ Onion & Chive Seeded Corn Crackers (GF).

TJ Onion & Chive Seeded Corn Crackers (GF).  These little chippys are tasty.  Tastes like a corn chip but not really with the onion & chive.  My taste buds like these. =)

But back to the TJ Organic Popcorn w/Olive Oil. OHMG I will have to watch out with this one.  I think I could possibly eat the whole bag.

Monday, July 12, 2010

What is hypothyrodisim?

What is hypothyrodisim? That my friends is a question I am always asked.

Side bustin': As I as searching for a GF Magazine (because somewhere in my lil' mind, i thought non existed prior to googling it...i came across a site that stated there are some medications not GF friendly. 

Web links as of 7/12/2010:
     Originating site: http://www.theglutenfreelife.com/articles/gluten-free-medications-list/
     Linked Site: http://homepage.mac.com/sholland/celiac/index.html
     .pdf file: http://homepage.mac.com/sholland/celiac/GFfoodlist.pdf

Back to what is hypothyrodism.

This is what i got from Kaiser Permanentes' website Drug Encylopedia for my particular medication Levothyroxine (currently 200mcg is my dosage). It does note that "this is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product."

Uses

Levothyroxine is used to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). It replaces the hormone that is normally produced by the thyroid gland. Low thyroid levels can occur naturally or when the thyroid gland is injured by radiation/medications or removed by surgery. It is important to have adequate levels of thyroid hormone in your bloodstream to maintain normal mental and physical activity. In children, adequate levels of thyroid hormone are important for normal mental and physical growth and development.This medication is used to treat other types of thyroid disorders as well (e.g., certain types of goiters, thyroid nodules, thyroiditis, thyroid cancer).

It also says how to use it.
 
How to use

Take this medication by mouth usually once a day on an empty stomach, 1/2 to 1 hour before breakfast, or as directed by your doctor. To prevent difficulty swallowing the tablet, take it with a full glass of water unless otherwise directed by your doctor. For children who cannot swallow whole tablets, crush the tablet and mix in 1 or 2 teaspoons (5 or 10 milliliters) of water, and give using a spoon or dropper as soon as possible after preparation. Do not store the mixture for later use. Do not mix crushed tablets in soybean infant formula. Consult your pharmacist for more information.Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time each day. Your doctor may need to adjust your dosage based on your medical condition, your response to therapy, and your laboratory test results. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting with your doctor. Replacement therapy is usually taken for life. It may take up to 4-6 weeks before the full benefits of this medication take effect. Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.
As i've read and read about thyroid, endocrine disruptors, hypothyroidism patients should stay away from Gluten and Soy (go to wikipedia and type Goitren
 
OH goodness and the side effects.  Although it says the symptomes should dissappear...that's the key word...'should'.  It's never 100% because i have variations of these for the past 6years or so:
 
Side effects

Symptoms of low thyroid levels include fatigue, muscle aches, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, slow heart rate, sensitivity to cold, or dry brittle hair that tends to fall out easily. These symptoms should disappear as your body adjusts to the medication. If they persist or become bothersome, notify your doctor promptly. Headache, nervousness, trembling, sweating, increased appetite, diarrhea, weight loss or insomnia may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor promptly. In rare instances, some hair loss may occur during the first few months of starting this drug. This effect is usually temporary as your body adjusts to this medication. If this effect persists or worsens, notify your doctor promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Seek immediate medical attention if you have any of these very unlikely but serious side effects: chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, seizures. An allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Drug Interactions....lucky for me this is pretty much the only prescribed medication I take....however take a look at the items in Rojo.

Drug interactions

Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription drugs you may use, especially of: warfarin, digoxin, estrogen products (including estrogen-containing birth control pills), diabetes medicines (e.g., insulin, glipizide, rosiglitazone), amiodarone, iodide (including radiographic contrast agents containing iodine), lithium, anti-thyroid agents (e.g., methimazole, propylthiouracil), androgens/anabolic steroids, glucocorticoids (e.g., dexamethasone, prednisone), high dose salicylates (e.g., aspirin), phenobarbital, rifamycins (e.g., rifampin), beta blockers (e.g., propranolol), antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, maprotiline, sertraline), cytokines (e.g., interferon-alpha, interleukin-2), growth hormones, ketamine, theophylline. Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products, diet aids) because they may contain ingredients such as decongestants or caffeine that could increase your heart rate or blood pressure. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of these products. Certain medicines may decrease absorption of this drug into your bloodstream. Therefore, take levothyroxine 4 hours apart from: calcium supplements, iron supplements, antacids, simethicone, orlistat, cholestyramine, colesevelam, colestipol, sucralfate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate. **Certain foods may decrease absorption of this medication when taken at the same time. Take levothyroxine separately from: soybean flour (soybean infant formula), walnuts, dietary fiber.This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacis
**CHECK OUT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen 7/12/2010

Also look at Endocrine Distruptors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor as of 7/12/2010

So that's me.  I have hypothyroidism and above is the jist of it.  Later I'll share my fantastic story of how I diagnosed myself and a doctor said I wasn't doing enough and was calculating wrong.

What should I name my Thyroid?

What should I name my Thyroid?

People have names for pets, cars....or in my case my metal monkey candle holder 'Sherman'.

So why not name my Thyroid? It's always with me and a nuisance at times but it'd be easier to say 'Oh i gained weight because I spent the weekend with Agatha this weekend and she made me eat that plate of pasta!'

Better to blame someone else rather than myself right? lol jk.

But really....I do want to name it. =)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Made the better choice today

As of this week...wait...as of last week. I kinda...no I have fallen off my 100% GF plan. poop.

What I have been doing is kind of a I rub your lamp, you rub mine.  I've been mindful but not 100% of what I should be doing.

I've been WOOCing (so what for 2 days only now) and every morning right away theres fires to put out. Meetings, running around and of course the water pipe at my casa busted so no water at my house yesterday or today. 

Today I got invited by a workflow group to go to lunch (since I do a lot of the updates and posting).  Im like the Wizard of Id. So we went to Applebee's and at first everythign was gluten laden.  I was thinking of having soup and pasta or hot wings.  Then i saw fajitas.  No rice, but yes on the meat.  I was browsing through the dessert menu when i seen nutritional value.

WOAH! Everything was over 1200 calories! For lunch! Lunatics.  So i opted for a 550 cal meal and added some grilled shrimp.

I was craving some yogurt but i didnt get any.  Why because the place i like you can add all the toppings you could if you were in an ice cream shop.  I might've failed that test.  So i just took myself back to work, strolled to my office and sat in my chair and ate some pineapple.

And look what I came upon just a while after: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/worst-fast-food-meals-america