Genetic Testing & DNA

Natalie has had LOTS of genetic testing.  There’s never been a diagnosis that encompasses more than one or two of her … issues. I remember her old neurologist – back when she had seizures – said he was sure she … Continue reading →

Quotes

My last post referenced the book The Shape Of the Eye by George Estreich.  I am enjoying this book so much.  I have not been able to read it as I normally read a book, blasting through from start to … Continue reading →

Too Hot To Handle – updated

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Sometimes when feeding blended meals via g-tube, the food is actually too hot to put in the tummy!  Our mouths are our first line of defense, protecting our bodies from food that is too hot to eat.  But we still … Continue reading →

Eggs

I just read this over at Yahoo Health’s “8 ‘Scary’ Food Myths – Busted!” by David Zinczenko “Nutrition “Scare” #8: Eggs are Cholesterol Bombs! Perhaps the biggest nutrition myth is that eggs are bad for your heart, a fact attributed to the cholesterol … Continue reading →

MMPP: My Most Popular Posts

Before and After Photos of my girlie-girl, Natalie Calorie Requirements by Age and Recipe Calorie Counts Feeding Schedule Using 2 Ounce Syringes Unclogging a G-Tube and Attachments Recipes and Other Info

AFTER the Medical Appointment

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As the parent of a child with special needs, our car knows the way to the local children’s hospital by itself. I honestly have NO idea how many times we have visited over the last 13 years, and I don’t … Continue reading →

COLD water

Do you notice when you prepare food how often the instructions say to start with a pan of cold water? Whether it is for boiling pasta, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. the instructions invariably say to use cold water. I recommend using cold water in my recipes also.

Here is the reason:  “All” plumbing pipes can contain lead.  It is THOUGHT that HOT water pulls more of the lead from the pipes into the water.  Using cold water is THOUGHT to not pull lead from the pipes. However, I use my PUR water filter to avoid the issue altogether.  But don’t run hot water through a PUR – it ruins the filter.

So, although it would take less time to boil hot water, use cold, okay?

More Unclogging Info

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There are those times, when feeding someone via g-tube, that extension tubes and/or the actual button get clogged.  It is a rare day for me, lately, but just last night AND THE NIGHT BEFORE, Nat’s button got clogged. Now while … Continue reading →

Beets and Beet Greens

Beets seem like the funniest little vegetables.  In our culture, we don’t really consume them often, but they have some important nutrition, especially when raw!   Here are some facts I’ve found on the internet, specifically at a website called The World’s Healthiest Foods:

Beets belong to the chenopod family which has some unique health values not readily available in other foods. Chenopods include chard, spinach, and quinoa. Here are a couple things you want to know about beets:

1. There is a special connection between their phytonutrients and our nervous system health
2. In a recent lab study on human tumor cells, betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth
3. The longer you cook beets, the more they lose the betalains’ nutrient value
4. The phytonutrients betanin and vulgaxanthin have both been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
5. They are a wonderful source of folate
6. Beet greens are incredibly rich in nutrients

According to the above-referenced website, beeturia (a reddening of the urine after consumption of beets) occurs in 10 – 15% of adults.  It is not considered harmful in and of itself, but it may be a possible indicator in one particular set of circumstances involving problems with iron metabolism. Individuals with iron deficiency, iron excess, or specific problems with iron metabolism are more likely to experience beeturia than individuals with healthy iron metabolism. So if you experience beeturia, it is worth following up with a healthcare professional to verify iron status.

Two more bits of info for you…

Beets do not need to be peeled… the peels contain lots of nutrients and can be scrubbed well before use.

One or two whole medium beets per week is enough to benefit from their rich nutritional value.

The Process

Blending meals for use by g-tube dependent persons isn’t really hard.  Here are some pics of my process.  I cook the meat in two pans while the various vegetables are soaking in a water/vinegar bath. Then I set up my assembly line and blend one batch after another.

Setting up the assembly line

 

Blender and meat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End Result

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I find it is much faster to make several batches of food if I get the meat mostly cooked, get all the vegetables, etc. prepared and then blend one batch after another.

You’ll notice some of the batches are the usual green (thanks to spinach) and some have a reddish-brownish tint.  That is because of adding beets.  More in my next post!