Friday, May 29, 2015

The Juicy Goods

Greetings, All,

The goods?  The pure cherry juice has arrived, (thanks again, P!).

Here is some interesting reading from the renal point of view regarding hyperuricemia.

I started the experiment this morning in my mueslix which, for the first time in months, had fruit other than frozen squishy cherries in it, (apple 'n cinnamon).

Luckily, I just happen to have a big blood draw coming up (never thought I'd be typing that kinda sentence), at the hospital soon (for MPA/renal control + a couple of trials I am in), so I'll be able to see any uric acid changes right away.

The study below, (taken from here), used 90mL/day doses of concentrate, but according to the last sentence, that might be a bit of a waste.

Since I am not using concentrate juice, I will start with an even 100mL/day of this pure stuff and within a week, I'll know if more is needed.

I'm still not sure if the type(s) of cherry juice I'm using is the one that does the gouty trick but so far so good with nondescript frozen ones, so I'm thinking this stuff should have some kind of positive impact.

Hopefully, I'll have something down right gob-smacking to report soon enough.

+++vibes,

J

"There were 12 participants in the study, and each was given two doses of concentrated tart cherry juice for each phase. Each phase lasted two days with a 10-day washout period in between. The first dose was given in the morning, while the second one was administered just before dinner.

The first dose was 30ml of concentrated Montmorency cherry juice mixed with 100ml of water. The second dose was 60ml of the same juice concentrate mixed in with 100ml of water.  Blood and urine samples were collected immediately after the doses were administered and in intervals for the next 48 hours.  

Results showed that levels of uric acid in the blood were reduced while uric acid levels in urine spiked, suggesting that the Montmorency tart cherry juice promoted the elimination of harmful acids in the body.

The experiment also yielded the same results whether participants consumed 30ml or 60ml of Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate."

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Cherry-Acid Developments

Bonjour, Readers,

For those keeping tabs on this, the latest blood tests show a decrease in serum uric acid by a 5mg/L.

While I'll take any reduction, this still means the my levels are a good 15% higher than the max of the norms.

So as I typed I would, I have already increased my daily cherry intake (now to 30/day), and hopefully the next blood test in early June will show even lower levels.

That said, the work will be done in a different lab than this one, (at the H), so there's that lab-to-lab variable.

I'll still be digging any decrease.

In the mean time, P this past weekend found a seemingly great artisan connection to pure cherry juice and I will pass that on to the organic store I frequent.  It'd be great if I could just drink what's needed as, I must confess, I'm a tad cherried-out.

That's it for today,

+++vibes

J

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Coco-nana Muffin Tops

Hello again, Readers,

Sharing what was perhaps, naaaay certainly, the most delicious and healthy muffin experiment here yet.

And what better day to share it on that Mother's Day, (in Canada), as my dear and wonderful mother happens to love trying out new and healthy recipes, so this one is in her honor and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Maman!

 I guess I'll call them, "Coco-nana Muffin Tops", (coined by P), as using shallow tins like this one amounts to basically everyone getting the pleasure of the top each time.

Preheat oven to 175 C.

1 cup oat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/3 ground flax seeds
1/3 cup coconut shredded
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg white  
****3 tbsps EVOO
1 1/2 cup of milk of choice, (spelt this time)
Stevia or likely ~ 3/4 cup honey
2 ripe bananas, mushed

Blend separately, the wet and dry ingredients, then mix the wet and dry and spoon into shallow non-stick muffin tins.

Bake for about 25 minutes.

(Makes 12 wee muffins but would but would be even easier in a shallow baking dish.)

Mmmmmm:  I just envisioned this as a layer cake with mushed super ripe banana between, drizzled in perhaps some sweetened/lemony Greek yogurt.

Or, for those healthy-shmealthy-ers, with a sweetened filly layer drizzled with melted dark chocolaaaaaaaaate.

*gulp*

Ahem.

****INTERESTING NOTE: The above pic is of the first batch--the one I made forgetfully without oil, but they still turned out mouth-huggingly moist and so damned good we ate the whole tin, for supper, basically.

All that to say, feel free to skip the oil if you're watching your calories, or if you just don't believe me.  ;)

I won't even talk about the second batch, (which had crushed walnuts and just a micro-pinch of sea salt as well); may they rest in peace.

So, that's my latest low fat/sugar/cholesterol/sodium fiber-rich, healthy and yet still, #%!*&@!'n yummo muffin offering.

Bon ap,

J

Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Electric Cherry Acid Test

Hi, All,

Well, today is the day.  The day I had my (amongst many other things), serum uric acid levels checked, which I'm hoping hard will reveal lower than before levels--which have been too high for too long, IMNSHO. 

I'm keener than usual to see these results as for a month and a half now, I have been eating 20-25 whole cherries, (frozen), a day after reading some studies on how cherries/juice can reduce serum uric acid levels, as well as improve the symptoms of gout.

I thankfully do not have any gout symptoms but am more than keen to lower the uric acid due to its connection to future adverse cardiac events.

Mine has been pretty high since starting the early menopause, (chemo-induced), which is apparently, fairly common for us dames when we make the change.

For those of us with kidney damage, we are already in a risky group for heart problems; I have read and heard from more than one doctor that most kidney patients die of congestive heart failure long before reaching the dialysis stage.

All the more reason to do all I can to stay the hell out of that demographic.  

Here is some of that uric acid-cardiac info from Stanford.

Here is a study on the cherry-gout connection.

This is a human study on cherry juice and uric acid levels.

An interesting rat study on hyperuricemic rats' uric acid levels, post cherry juice.

And one more rat study for the road.

I will have my results in one week so all digits crossed that my little plan works like I'm hoping it will.

If it doesn't, I will likely double the cherry intake and have it tested again a month later.

Barring that, perhaps a pure cherry juice infusion at the hospital?

I kid.

With that, I bid you all a fine day.

+++vibes,

J




Monday, May 4, 2015

J's Choco-Wal-Flax-Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

Hello again, Readers,

I've been craving chocolate lately, but not wanting to give into the urge to snarf down *a bunch* of high-bad-fat Belgian heaven, coupled with enough pain to keep me in, as well as a weekend trip coming up soon for which I'll need some healthy and easy breakfast options, I came up with these chocolatey lil devils today.

No butter, no sugar, no white flour, no salt, no yokes and even so, it was a challenge not to enjoy them into extinction.

J's Choco-Wal-Flax-Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

1/2 cup of ground flax seeds
1 cup oat flour  
1/2 cup quick oats  
1/3 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda Stevia, (dose depending on your type)
-or 1/2-2/3 cup of honey, (Acacia would be great with its delicate flavor)
1 egg white, (or whole egg for those not watching the lipids)
1/3 cup olive oil, EV
~1 cup of spelt milk, (or whatever "milk" you dig)
1/2 cup walnut halves, crushed

Blend all the dry ingredients and whisk the wet, then mix both together and drop into muffin tins, (~2tbsp per cup), and bake in a preheated oven at ~190C, (375F) for 25-30 minutes.

All ingredients organic when possible.

Makes 9 muffins.

Due to my going pretty light on the Stevia, I shmanged more than a few down with some lovely lemon-mandarin marmalade.

Chocolate craving, satisfied.

bon ap,

J