Ioanna's Journal

[Paleo Donk]

I wouldn't do that, that says that I devalue my own work... I have great pride in my work, have produced great work, and earned my paycheck.  Besides, I'm not vested yet so they will get back 80% of any vested amounts in my name.

I assumed that since you weren't finished training that you have actually cost the company money since training requires investing lots of resources before the employee can start being a profitable asset. Good luck though it seems regardless you are in a good position.

[Ioanna]

I assumed that since you weren't finished training that you have actually cost the company money since training requires investing lots of resources before the employee can start being a profitable asset. Good luck though it seems regardless you are in a good position.

oh... no.. i am not costing them... i am a chemist so the 'training period' means that my supervisor has to sign off on my reports/interpretations until the training period (a formality) is over and I can sign off my own stuff.  I'm doing plenty of work for them!, not a cost except the time for an additional person (my supervisor) to review my work.

[miles]

how about some pics with full-body armor on

NO, fem-armour!..: http://godlesspaladin.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/armor.jpg =)
http://www.yeuxdtv.net/images/humanWarriorsFem3.gif

The farm beef I get from a small town abattoir/butcher leaks blood when thawed, while the stuff from the local stores does not leak any.
I assume that this means that the store gb is kosher, and that might be why I could eat it for so many years without apparent problems, and why I have to dry the farm beef. This is assuming that Dr. Harris' description of an allergen in beef blood is true, and that some drying neutralizes the allergen.

Maybe it's the blood?

Interesting... A lot of the the religious practises do have practical reasons.

"The major beef allergen is called bovine serum albumin (BSA), a naturally occurring protein found in the blood of cattle. But BSA can be rendered harmless by the application of heat, so most people with a beef allergy react only to undercooked beef and have no problems eating a well-done steak, for instance. Similar albumin proteins found in pork, lamb, and chicken also seem to cause allergic reactions, but are different enough that a person with a chicken allergy may tolerate beef, and vice versa. There may be cases of cross-allergy, but they’re not well studied, says Taylor.

Low levels of these albumin proteins are also found in milk and egg yolks, so people with meat allergies are encouraged to consume only pasteurized dairy products and to make sure their eggs are thoroughly cooked."

Just from a quick search.

Can some people add comment to the discussions of allergens in beef blood?

I did notice though, that these allergens seem to be in all the main 'food-animals'. Is it possibly something to do with the grain they eat? Comments!

Thanks..

[PaleoPhil]

....Do men ever feel guilty?... or is that only woman's way of thinking?  yes, I do feel guilty if I leave so soon without some loyalty 'payback'. Men don't think this way?.. they just move upward and onward to their best/be the best provider for family needs?

Men can feel guilty too, sure, but I wouldn't feel guilty in your situation. I would just treat both my current and future employer well. It's not only ethical, it's in your interests too.

[wodgina]

People get trained up and leave all the time, especially the ones who are going places!

From a completely unemotional/male    point of few I think your crazy turning down this interview. I mean it's more money, is close to your friends and in a workplace where you have worked previously and liked.

[William]

I did notice though, that these allergens seem to be in all the main 'food-animals'. Is it possibly something to do with the grain they eat? Comments!

I've been to the farm, seen the animals enough that I'm reasonably sure that the animals were never fed cereal grain, but still got a  stop unless it's dried.

[Ioanna]

I'm very happy here, but have really been considering moving abroad.  I love and am grateful for the opportunity here, but miss the cultural differences (where my family is from).  Lately, I cannot get the idea out of my head... which I take to be a sign of excellent health as I would otherwise be too scared to even consider  My career is easy to transfer though, so I will continue to consider.  IDK... just a ramble.  

[sydney]

Hi Ioanna I really enjoyed reading through your journal here just now. I admire you for being brave enough to bare your soul. The Ibs sounds like its been truly horrific and I am glad the new diet is helping. To make such progress in your education and work under such adverse health condition shows a lot of determination. Well done! 
I especially enjoyed the video of the man in his 90s, and his exposition on mono diet. I haven't found much on the net about it so will see where his links lead. Thanks. Sydney

[sydney]

Also I'm wondering what your diet was like that you got the ibs? You probably have posted on this before but being a newbie I don't know how to find. Sydney

[Raw Kyle]

I chose a lower paying job over taking an interview for a higher paying one and am regretting it now. The reason I chose it was because I had been doing it for a little while, met my manager, and really liked her. Right off the bat they got me some lab coats and safety shoes and I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea of leaving them that soon, especially since they were so short handed.

[Ioanna]

Hi Ioanna I really enjoyed reading through your journal here just now. I admire you for being brave enough to bare your soul. The Ibs sounds like its been truly horrific and I am glad the new diet is helping. To make such progress in your education and work under such adverse health condition shows a lot of determination. Well done!  
I especially enjoyed the video of the man in his 90s, and his exposition on mono diet. I haven't found much on the net about it so will see where his links lead. Thanks. Sydney

wow, thanks so much! i think i kinda cheated though since i didn't bare anything of my issues until i had something of improvement to report. if you find anything in your net search, please report to us!

Also I'm wondering what your diet was like that you got the ibs? You probably have posted on this before but being a newbie I don't know how to find. Sydney

i don't think i've ever posted..  
i had been living in italy, and when i came back was for some reason repulsed by meat and started a vegetarian diet... eating all kinds of food (soy, legumes, rice) i'd never eaten before.  the soy/tofu stuff i stopped very quickly as i would vomit within 5-10 minutes of eating any of that stuff.  i was eating a lot of grains and a lot of legumes that i learned to prepare for myself in an indian cuisine style. i know people think italians eat a lot of pasta, but we really don't. pasta is a "first", like a side (?) or a part of  the meal.  meat/seafood is the "second", or main part.  so this vegetarian transition was kinda like 'my big fat greek wedding' crazy!  but at the time i liked it.  it was the middle of summer.. i was heavily into triathlons/training... about one year after eating vegetarian... hit hard with hardly a warning... i was throwing up everything (quite painfully), my throat ulcerated (hence the really bad anemia), my intestines were inflamed (feels tender/bloated, i couldn't even rest on my stomach)... and it all continues and/or worsens from there intermittently for years...

raw kyle - i ended up staying, and hope i don't regret it.  i explained my situation though and they said i could submit my resume in a year or so.... so maybe the timing will be better then. or maybe i'll move somewhere else.  i was thinking though, if i never moved so far away from everything/one that i know i don't think i'd be where i am health-wise today.  i'd probably still be trying to make pemmican work because it's socially acceptable. (not a stab at william!) like how would i have time to experiment with all this aged meat hanging around the kitchen with a roommate and friends/family walking in and out all the time?  i can only blame my dog for so much of the unconventional things i do   and when i get brave enough for high meat (and i will! )  i'll be glad to be in my own space.

the down side... i'm in a new city and it's really hard to make friends when i don't socialize with food.
 

[Ioanna]

another set back i forgot to report that happened about a month ago...

i was baking brownies for a friend's (co-worker) birthday. i love to bake!!.. it's a part of my fave childhood memories with all my greek and italian aunts.  it's also a creative outlet.  i used to enjoy cooking too, as well as the presentation of all my dishes or baked goods. anyway, i baked brownies... apparently i should have been wearing a particulate mask?!?  symptoms were almost as if i actually ate a bit of one... set back for a week

is this crazy?? i can be that sensitive?

my baking days are over!  i'm going to learn to sew now, lol

[goodsamaritan]

That would seem to be the case.  Looks pretty obvious.

[Inger]

Hello Joanna!

This brownie thing is really crazy! 
(maybe baking is not a good idea, then.. but I see you, me too LOVED to bake before.. and to cook too, BTW.  )


Have you ever tried to make pemmican with dried (raw) jerky and marrow? I do that now, and it tastes really good! I just mix the pulverized jerky with the marrow, just left the marrow out some hours before, then it is soft and easy to mix! This is a completely raw pemmican. 


Inger

[Ioanna]

Have you ever tried to make pemmican with dried (raw) jerky and marrow? I do that now, and it tastes really good! I just mix the pulverized jerky with the marrow, just left the marrow out some hours before, then it is soft and easy to mix! This is a completely raw pemmican. 


Inger

When I made pemmican I tried to make it truly raw.  The fat was either marrow or suet that I just warmed for an hour in the dehydrator (80F), then food processed to mush.  The jerky I made similarly.. at 85F for three days (I think), so technically it was all raw.  DISASTER.  By accident I later realized that it was not the fat, but the dehydrated lean giving me the problems.  I would snack on this same kind of fat with no problem, but the lean was quite troublesome. Maybe it's too concentrated at this time for me?  I read "even a baby can digest" it (pemmican), so I thought I would be fine... oh well.   I did love the taste!! and convenience and I could eat it in public. 

[TylerDurden]

While most seem to find pemmican to be very harmful because of the rendered fat component, it also seems that some others also find even dried raw meats to be a problem, while still others have found problems with even ground, raw meats. It seems that any kind of processing is a rather bad idea, and even more so the worse off the state of your digestive system is in.

[alphagruis]

Drying meat (or fruit or vegetables) decreases by definition the water content of the food and consequently concentrates the flavors and so makes it more palatable. Exactly in the same way as seasoning augments palatability.

The consequence is a clear cut tendency to overeat dried or seasoned food which certainly explains at least part of the adverse effects some people experience with dried or seasoned food.

Similarly ground beef is much easier to chew and in general food texture modification is well known to change palatability and thus there may also exist a tendency to overeat ground beef for a fraction of the humans.

Do these considerations simply mean that any kind of food processing implies adverse effects? I don't think so, things are as usual not that simple. Fermentation for instance is also clearly a kind of food processing as with fermented fish or meat (high meat) or vegetables such as cabbage (sauerkraut) and seems in contrast to have even unambiguous positive effects.  

[TylerDurden]

Well, I've tried fermenting vegetables and it didn't help me in any way. Fermenting raw meats worked rather better re digestion. And fermenting cannot really be described as an artificial process(i mean cutting raw meat with knives or rendering it is certainly an  artificial process, but leaving raw meats to ferment on their own and be filled with extra bacteria is not comparable and isn't really a process).

As for constant complains re the harm done by pemmican etc., plenty of such reports involve nasty reactions to even small amounts of pemmican so it cannot be simply a case of overeating, but more likely a nasty reaction to toxins in pemmican and/or because the body's digestive system is so damaged that it cannot even handle slightly-processed foods. Unless one is suggesting that pemmican can only be healthy if eaten in very small doses at a time.

[alphagruis]

Leaving meat (or figs or grapes in nature) to dry in sun and wind is as "natural" as leaving meat to ferment and has nevertheless clearly adverse effects.  

In fact fermentation of meat or fish or cabbage implies some careful control of the process (uses a fridge for instance or a barrel for fish or cabbage etc) which implies conceptual intelligence or an "artifice".

Let me emphasize again things are not that simple and distinguishing seriously what's "artificial" and what's "natural" is actually scientifically impossible and anyway simply not pertinent here.

[TylerDurden]

Well, some RVAFers either exclusively or wholly ferment their high-meats outside the fridge(I've done that at times, myself). Some more advanced RVAFers have even reported eating high-meat with maggots in it!

And also, many wild animals(not intelligent as such in a sentient sense) leave meats out to age for various reasons. Plus, drying in a dehydrator is hardly the same as drying in the sun over a longer period.

[Ioanna]

While most seem to find pemmican to be very harmful because of the rendered fat component, it also seems that some others also find even dried raw meats to be a problem, while still others have found problems with even ground, raw meats. It seems that any kind of processing is a rather bad idea, and even more so the worse off the state of your digestive system is in.

omg!!!.. rendered fat would have me not leaving bed for at least a full day it's so bad for me!! the last time i ate cooked fat my mom asked why i had food poisoning... i was that sick!!... and that comment made me realize, 'omg, i have food poisoning!'...that's why when I tried pemmican i tried to keep everything raw.  didn't work, but if i made it the traditional way... ooohhhhhh, i don't even want to think about the consequence

[Ioanna]

i am great with ground beef or bison though, even better when aged. 

[TylerDurden]

i am great with ground beef or bison though, even better when aged. 

I had slight issues with raw ground beef at first when I first went for raw animal foods. I was doing the Primal Diet at the time(well minus raw dairy and raw veggie-juice) and I just found that ground beef took longer for me to digest than raw, whole meats. Maybe it had something to do with the  ground beef being more oxidised?

[William]

*Troll's post deleted due to trolling about pemmican*

[PaleoPhil]

....Fermentation for instance is also clearly a kind of food processing as with fermented fish or meat (high meat) or vegetables such as cabbage (sauerkraut) and seems in contrast to have even unambiguous positive effects.

There is not unanimity about "unambiguous positive effects":

http://www.zhion.com/kimchi_cancer.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/kimchi
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7813983
Food safety and toxicity by John De Vries--according to this book, fish paste (fermented soy and fish) and stinky cheeses (fermented cheeses) are particularly high in toxic amines, much more so than sausages (fermented meats). Fermenting soy seems to produce the most toxins of any fermented food. I've always been skeptical of natto and this makes me even warier of it.

However, I'm also skeptical that the cancer correlations in the fermented food studies are actually causative to the extent that the study designers think. My guess is that the probiotic effects of these foods offset the toxicity somewhat. Overall it does seem like every form of food preservation produces some toxins. Whether the flora in a healthy person are able to handle them all or not and what actual effects they have, I don't know. It's interesting that moist high meats produce some of the least toxins of all the food preservation methods--the opposite of what most moderners would think.