Q & A: April 1, 2012

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Every Sunday, I answer your questions.  I’ll answer as many questions as I can each week. If I didn’t answer your question this week, please check back next week.

1. Question:  Thoughts On Quality Of Raw Whey?

Hi!

I recently made some raw cream cheese (using the  Nourishing Traditions directions). I have done this many times in the past few years, but this time the whey came out cloudy instead of clear and whitish instead of a yellowish hue. I had already had trouble getting the cheese to set up — I think perhaps either the milk had been shaken, or my kitchen was cold, or something like that. Anyhow, my question is: is the whey safe to consume? I mostly use it to up the protein in smoothies I occasionally feed my children for breakfast, but I had planned to use some for fermenting, and I’m especially afraid to do that.

Thanks!
Brandy

Answer

If you use it soon, yes, it’s fine. If you are not going to use it for a while, try straining it again. Or you can freeze it.

2. Question:  Opinion About FCLO And Fever Blisters?

Hi! I have been following your blog for a while and love everything about it.  I realize you are not a medical professional, but I thought I would throw this question out to you and see if you had ever seen any research about this.

I am fairly new to the WAPF way of eating and recently started taking fermented cod liver oil. I am nursing and I am taking a teaspoon every day.  I am prone to fever blisters on my lips and nose but haven’t had an outbreak for around 9 months, when my son was born.  My main triggers are hormonal (beginning and end of pregnancy), the sun, and trauma to the lip.

After a week of taking FCLO, I now have a large fever blister outbreak on my lip.  Do you think there could be any correlation between large amounts of vit. D causing fever blisters like the sun would?  This may be a silly question but I’m trying to figure out if the FCLO could possibly be causing this.  I definitely don’t want to stop taking it, but if it’s causing outbreaks, I may have to.  I know that cod liver oil is great for boosting immunity and that fever blisters can also be triggered by low immunity but this Vitamin D thing has me concerned.

Thanks for all of your hard work!

Tara

Answer

From what I have read, fever blisters are caused by a virus, Herpes simplex type 1.

Several factors weaken the body’s defenses and trigger an outbreak of herpes. These include emotional stress, fever, illness, injury and exposure to sunlight. Many women have recurrences only during menstruation. One study indicates that susceptibility to herpes recurrences is inherited. Research is under way to discover exactly how the triggering factors interact with the immune system and the virus to prompt a recurrence of fever blisters. (Source)

Cod liver oil is antiviral, as it is loaded with vitamin D. I wrote a post a long time ago about how I kicked bronchitis, which is a viral infection, with large doses of cod liver oil. Click here to read the post.

Also, see this study: Fatty Acid Extract From Cod-liver Oil: Activity Against Herpes Simplex Virus and Enhancement of Transdermal Delivery of Acyclovir In-vitro

I suppose it could be a healing crisis. This can happen when we introduce healing foods — things get worse before they get better. In which case, it might be worth continuing, but maybe reduce the amount you are taking and gradually build up.

I’d be very curious to hear what Dave Wetzel, founder of Green Pasture Products, would say about this.

3. Question:  Suggestions For Kids With Food Allergies?

Hi Ann,

I’m a big fan, thanks for ALL you do (which is a TON).

I have a client completely frustrated by the food restrictions of her two children. She’s spent a lot of money on a Naturopath for two years and her children’s food allergies have not gone away. The kids don’t tolerate: gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, coconut, and nuts. She says it’s a struggle to make anything they like. What happens is the kids don’t eat enough and then are cranky a lot. (She does cook most meals).

She feels like all these allergies are not fair: why do her kids have to deal with this, why does she have to deal?! We’ve talked about how she’s got to turn her thinking around to be sane and find joy through all this. Her main health concern is anxiety, stress, and overwhelm… so she can’t find joy in this because she’s mentally exhausted (but runs on adrenaline).

I’m working with her on her anxiety. She’s very sensitive to supplements, can’t tolerate a lot. So, we’re trying singles and back to almost square one on calming remedies: Inositol next, then L-Theanine Her blood sugar is back to balance nicely.

What resources do you suggest so she can find foods her kids will enjoy eating? Her complaint is that protein and veggies is not interesting and too bland for the kids (not creamy, etc). I will recommend your GAPS cooking class for sure. Do you think she can modify the recipes to make it work? Is there a chat group? I thought you’d be a great person to ask for help.

Thank you so much in advance.
Marcie

Answer

I’m not surprised that the kids don’t like anything she’s making. No gluten, dairy, eggs, coconut or nuts? Sounds like a very bland and unappetizing diet, indeed.

Are they on the GAPS Diet? One of the things I really like about the GAPS Diet is that it encourages that people start introducing new foods very early on in the diet. One of the things I see that causes people to fail on the GAPS Diet is that they restrict too many foods for too long. I’ve seen people stay on the Intro Diet for years — this is not recommended.

The idea is to start introducing small amounts of fermented dairy foods such as home-fermented yogurt, kefir and sour cream, almost from the get go. You start slow and you introduce the foods very gradually. Once you can handle yogurt, kefir and sour cream, you can then try ghee, then whey, then hard cheeses, and then soft cheeses, then butter, then finally milk and lastly, cream.

They also need to be getting strong (therapeutic grade) probiotics. Just restricting doesn’t do anything for you — you have to add back in the good bacteria. The GAPS Diet also incorporates a lot of bone broth, which helps to heal and seal the gut lining.

4. Question:  Does Coconut Water/Meat Have The Same Benefits As Coconut Oil?

Hi AM,

Quick question. In the states it’s all the rage to add coconut oil to food and drink for health benefits.  I live in the Philippines and fresh coconut is available everywhere. Do you think coconut water or the coconut meat have the same benefit — I mean in the same concentration or do you think I would have to consume lots more?  They have coconut oil here of course but I figured it is good to eat it straight off the tree but I wonder how much I would [need] to consume.

Thanks

Answer

Coconut oil is one part of the coconut. Whole coconuts, when they are processed, are made into dessicated (flaked) coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut water. If you eat the whole coconut, you are getting all of these things.

So yes, eat whole coconut! It’s super good for you.

To learn more about the benefits of eating all kinds of coconut foods, check out the book,  The Coconut Oil Miracle.

5. Question:  Suggestions For Organ Meats?

Hi Ann Marie,

I would like to eat more organ meats, especially liver, but since I got pregnant I have an aversion to strong-tasting meats. I am really looking for creative ways of incorporating organ meats into my diet which would disguise their flavour a bit and make them more palatable for me. Do you have any suggestions?

I tried to find a recipe for liverwurst but couldn’t find any online. I haven’t eaten any organ meats since getting pregnant but I’d really want to.

Also, is there anything else I could eat instead which would be as nutritious? Recently, I seem to have a liking for raw fish — would that be a suitable alternative to organ meats?

Please help,
Marta

Answer

I don’t blame you for not wanting to eat liver while pregnant. It’s hard for most people to stomach liver when they are not pregnant, and almost impossible when they are.

There is a huge difference between regular old beef liver and liver that is prepared properly. For example, liverwurst. Liverwurst is delicious! I love it, and have been eating it since I was a child (I think this is partly what gave me straight teeth — I never needed braces; I was eating liverwurst regularly as a preschooler.)

Liver pate is also really good when made correctly. I like liver pate made from chicken, duck or goose liver, or from pork liver.

Calves liver is also much more tasty than beef liver. If you want to try to eat beef liver, make sure you soak it in milk or lemon water for several hours prior to cooking. That will make it much more palatable.

My favorite way to eat liver is foie gras. I guarantee you, you will love it. It tastes nothing like liver — it’s just delicious.

There are also other organ meats that are much more palatable than liver. Sweetbreads, for example. Also heart and tongue.

If you just can’t do liver, or can’t find other organ meats, I highly recommend eating shellfish, particularly mollusks (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, clams, oysters, scallops, geoducks, mussels, as well as snails and slugs).

Raw fish is good, but mollusks are the most nutrient dense form of fish and are, in fact, right up there with organ meats. Why? Because when you eat a mollusk, you are eating the whole animal — organs and all.

6. Question:  Advice On Pasteurized Nuts?

Hi Ann Marie,

Are pasteurized nuts fine to consume? If so, do they still need to be soaked?

Thank you,
Erica

Answer

Yes and yes.

7. Question:  Recommendations For Using Buttermilk?

Hello,

I would like help in utilizing buttermilk created from making raw butter. The buttermilk is different from cultured buttermilk, and I’m not sure how to use it. I’ve added it to various breads such as pancakes, etc., but it changes the finished product.  I have a lot of it to use up, since we have 3 Jersey cows.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Answer

Sorry, I don’t know how it is changing the finished product for you so I’m not quite sure how to advise you. I am also not an expert on buttermilk made from raw butter. I generally use kefir in the place of buttermilk for all my recipes, since I don’t have buttermilk made from butter.

Maybe someone else can share their ideas in the comments.

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