tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post1675953511230922200..comments2024-03-09T23:07:41.551-08:00Comments on Vegan Lunch Box: Long Shmoo Update, with Bonus Momma LunchJennifershmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08663322884550580226noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-88681264135489769312009-11-21T14:01:31.591-08:002009-11-21T14:01:31.591-08:00I know this is super late (was surfing and found y...I know this is super late (was surfing and found your blog), but yes. It's the milk.<br />I had serious asthma the whole time I was growing up...and being fed a steady diet of milk, cheese, pudding, and second hand smoke. About 10 years ago I gave up the milk (after a long battle with a chronic sinus infection that came out my tear duct...then I surrendered). For 9 of the last 10 years doctors have told me that I no longer have asthma. 33 years of a disease and it just disappears. it was the milk. Good luck with it. It just depends on individual people's tolerance of milk. Mine is apparently zero.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07515778267115773998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-81232248439007822102009-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:002009-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00>>One question :- Did you do allergy testing...>>One question :- Did you do allergy testing for your son?<BR/><BR/>No, we didn't go in for allergy testing, although I would have if stopping milk hadn't worked. Luckily it seems to have worked perfectly -- not a hint of cough, cold, or asthma in the last few weeks! :-)<BR/><BR/>>>Also , would he drink the unpasteurized milk without boiling? Back In india where I come from we get this milk but we do not drink without boiling. <BR/><BR/>I wish my husband would boil it, but he doesn't. There's a whole group of people here that believe in the health benefits of drinking raw milk that hasn't been exposed to heat. <BR/><BR/>It's interesting to note how many cultures that traditionally consume dairy turn their raw milk into a fermented product (like yogurt) before they consume it. Perhaps that was their way of making it safer and more digestible?Jennifershmoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08663322884550580226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-48825593357089214632009-03-18T17:20:00.000-07:002009-03-18T17:20:00.000-07:00It is great that your son is better now.One questi...It is great that your son is better now.<BR/>One question :- Did you do allergy testing for your son? <BR/>Also , would he drink the unpasteurized milk without boiling? Back In india where I come from we get this milk but we do not drink without boiling. <BR/>Just curious.Vibhavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441907111181773668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-45598854800505382952009-03-15T08:24:00.000-07:002009-03-15T08:24:00.000-07:00Illness is what pushed me from a vegetarian diet t...Illness is what pushed me from a vegetarian diet to a vegan diet. I kept getting sick- bronchitis that lasted over a month, etc. I knew that dairy created phlegm and knew that cutting back on dairy was good. I then read something about casein and the way in can inhibit your immune system. I did a two week trail run of veganism to see if I noticed a difference. This July will be my third veganversary.Illinois Locavorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10701358529152648737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-91874717010016570572009-03-10T19:23:00.000-07:002009-03-10T19:23:00.000-07:00Dairy increases phlegm production in any one, so a...Dairy increases phlegm production in any one, so at the very least it would make asthma symptoms worse. That said I had asthma-like symptoms growing up (not to mention chronic ear infections), turned out to be the dairy, specifically cow related dairy. So he could have a bovine allergy (anything from a cow, or other animal of the bovine family). So if he is eating beef, then you might have an argument for him to try laying off that for a while too, and see if the rest of the symptoms go away.Clark but not Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00425821015068484897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-5838772202971412692009-03-10T12:29:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:29:00.000-07:00I'm a vegan, so I don't believe that milk is made ...I'm a vegan, so I don't believe that milk is made for human consumption.<BR/><BR/>BUT IN DEFENSE OF MILK, You get the nasty bacterias from factory farm dairies. If you get your milk from a small local dairy where the animals are well cared for your risk of getting the dangerous bacterias goes way, way down.<BR/><BR/>As for all the other living things in raw milk, it's antibodies the mother cow passes to the babies. No, it's not made specifically for humans, but they aren't "bad," either.<BR/><BR/>That being said, I do feel that dairy had a lot to do with your son's flare-up with asthma and allergies. My hubby is still a vegetarian, but in the home we're vegan. He hardly ever eats dairy. When we go to my mom's house he eats gobs of cheese and his asthma and allergies kick in. When we're at home eating vegan he doesn't have problems.<BR/><BR/>And I want to give a shout-out from the Tri-Cities, that's where I grew up! Hi!Kristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06964580963048511157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-83677032861951713632009-03-03T20:06:00.000-08:002009-03-03T20:06:00.000-08:00I think you were too hard on yourself at the end o...I think you were too hard on yourself at the end of the post. You've been a great role model for your son! One of the things I'm grateful for is that my mom was constantly (constantly!) cooking new things and introducing us to new fruits and veggies in our vegetarian household. It was a great lesson in learning to try new things...<BR/>On a related note, as a child I was diagnosed as being "allergic" to corn, malt and milk. (I've never considered myself to have allergies, because I've known people who carry around epi-pens and end up in the ER if they eat a certain food; thank goodness that wasn't me!) But my mom didn't make too big of a deal of it, since it didn't seem to affect me all that much that I could tell - and she could never find a milk substitute in the 80's that I liked. I thought they were all too sweet; thank goodness there are better alternatives today.<BR/>As an adult, however, I was better at noticing reactions to the food I ate. I was like your son with milk: I could down glass after glass - I craved it. And that's what made me stop. I finally realized that drinking milk just made the craving worse and I didn't like it. And while everyone is different, I have also noticed that when I eat processed foods with a lot of corn or corn oil, or lots of milk, my pulse goes up. Within 20 minutes of eating more than I should have of that food, I can be in the 90-100/beats per minute range, when normal rest for me is in the 60's. That reaction may not occur for everyone, but it was something I learned only after some research - it was my body's way of reacting to something that wasn't quite right. <BR/>Your son has a good foundation; he is learning good habits. So don't kick yourself for not regulating things enough; you're doing a great job! And if he's like myself and many others, he'll turn out just fine...Texan Will Travelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14556276926576816146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-42670937890855415682009-02-26T06:34:00.000-08:002009-02-26T06:34:00.000-08:00Two of my brothers had some pretty bad allergies g...Two of my brothers had some pretty bad allergies growing up. We drank milk substitute and didn't eat eggs because of it. Of course we did eat meat like liver, so we were in no way vegan. I know my two brothers would test out foods to see if they were allergic, and sometimes claim they could drink milk no problem after having it at school once or twice. Typically the onset for milk allergic symptoms is 7-10 days. Funny enough, one of the brothers got 'asthma' and had an inhaler and the whole nine yards. My mother found a different milk substitute that we liked the taste of and his 'asthma' went away. The doctors said he might have outgrown it, but when he didn't even develop it until he was 14, I doubt it was really asthma.<BR/><BR/>Have you tried giving him oat milk? Its definitely not the same a whole raw milk, but its a reasonable substitute for skim.rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02366992997140067774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-51651720191334995762009-02-25T07:56:00.000-08:002009-02-25T07:56:00.000-08:00My son is severely IgE allergic (anaphylactic) to ...My son is severely IgE allergic (anaphylactic) to milk and cannot consume even minute quantities and has not, except for some horrible mistakes, his whole life. He still has a cough variant asthma from his environmental allergies that is controlled with medicine. Milk (while evil to my son) is definitely not the whole story. There is a sort of IgE bucket theory of allergies out there that may apply to your son. That your body can deal with so many allergy issues but eventually the bucket fills up and your body reacts with symptoms. Milk may have pushed him over that edge if he is sensitive to it. The theory goes that removing any allergen may help. It may be worth finding out if he has other allergies. Just a thought, it's no fun trying to figure this stuff out. Good luck, I enjoy your blog.Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610518376118890912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-30726690538640779792009-02-23T19:00:00.000-08:002009-02-23T19:00:00.000-08:00I just thought I'd say I've had allergies all my l...I just thought I'd say I've had allergies all my life and asthma since my early 20's (after a bad bout of pneumonia, but predisposed to it thru family)<BR/><BR/>A few years ago I gave up drinking milk because I thought it was bringing on migraines, but I kept on eating cheese and ummm... a lot of ice cream ;)<BR/><BR/>I found out that when I was a baby they told my mother that I was allergic to milk but that I would grow out of it...<BR/><BR/>however, just a few weeks ago, I'm in my mid 30's now, I had blood tests run for allergies. Along with some surprises (cats... we have 6!) there was milk on the list with a significant reaction.<BR/><BR/>So now i'm starting to adjust my eating habits to eliminate all dairy from my diet, and I think it's already making a difference.<BR/><BR/>I'd suggest taking shmoo back to his doctor, the new blood test is sooooo much better for detecting allergies, both food and pollen/environmental, than the old scratch test. I had the scratch test years ago and it was <I>miserable</I> (so very itchy).<BR/><BR/>That way you'll know for sure if he's got a milk allergy, which is apparently fairly common. Also, the allergen is the protein so the whole milk with the cream would probably just have more of the associated proteins so the reaction could be stronger.<BR/><BR/>Either way, you shouldn't feel bad at all. I've been reading your blog off and on for years and I think you've done an amazing job. Besides, nothing is as ornery as a pre-teen or teen... I bet as he gets older the healthy habits are what will come naturally to him and he'll really appreciate the time and effort you spent to give him the healthiest start you could.millipuppyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09392848286126525748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-26023042467145527442009-02-23T08:04:00.000-08:002009-02-23T08:04:00.000-08:00Hi Jennifer,I drank milk while growing up and beca...Hi Jennifer,<BR/><BR/>I drank milk while growing up and because I didn't have the typical lactose-intolerant symptoms (gas, diarrhea, etc.) I thought I was fine. I did occasionally break out in hives, and I constantly had a runny nose and watery eyes starting in high school, but didn't think of it. It wasn't until the stress of planning my wedding that I started breaking out in hives daily, which drove me to see an allergist. After taking a test for IgG antibodies, I found out I was sensitive to dairy (and eggs and yeast). Anyways, since I cut out the dairy, I've felt much better. Occasionally I will make exceptions (ice cream, cheese) - but it's always done with the consideration "is this food going to give me such pleasure that it's worth the consequences the next day or two?" I think as Schmoo gets to know his body better he will naturally choose foods that make him feel good.Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17690593490652876421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-34781191326728687072009-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:002009-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00I was born in the mid 80s and brought up on a heal...I was born in the mid 80s and brought up on a healthy vegetarian diet. <BR/>I am interested to read that you are not strict with your son ie. you allow him to make his own decisions. I would advise you, based on my own experiance, to continue in this way. My own parents were very strict with what I ate and as a result as soon as they were out of sight I ate any unhealthy snack I could lay my hands on! When I was a little older, they chilled out a lot and when they started allowing unhealthier foods in our home as a choice these snacks stopped being so exciting and I found that I would rather eat the tastier healthy food than the bland formerly forbidden food that had seemed so tempting before.<BR/>As a result I grew up to have a very healthy lifestyle that does not feel like a chore.<BR/>Carry on giving your son all the information he needs to eat healthily, but don't ban unhealthy snacks, it just makes them more tempting. If he makes the decision himself he is far more likely to carry on eating healthily when his parents are not there to police him.<BR/>Regarding his asthma; My father developed severe asthma at 35 and after a year of doctor visits and hospital admissions he sought the advice of a homeopath. Within 5 minutes she suggested a dairy free diet and he has since gone from daily problems and life threatening attacks to a mild attack avery few months. <BR/><BR/>I hope this is of interest.Islahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10184241811973239625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-26579796817425405992009-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:002009-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:00I'm sorry to say, but it's the milk. Milk causes ...I'm sorry to say, but it's the milk. Milk causes a build up of mucus in the body. If you get your son back on a veggie diet with NO milk at all, his weight will come down and his asthma will disappear.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-81399729534301844442009-02-20T17:54:00.000-08:002009-02-20T17:54:00.000-08:00poor lil shmoo...i hope he feels better soon. milk...poor lil shmoo...i hope he feels better soon. milk is bad and i am highly sensitive to milk products too....<BR/><BR/>he has an awesome caring mom looking after him.<BR/><BR/>it's gonna work out:Daredcardiganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18440186568018717998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-11233848379871014252009-02-20T08:58:00.000-08:002009-02-20T08:58:00.000-08:00You might be interested in reading The Untold Stor...You might be interested in reading The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid. It explains why so many states and countries have banned the sell of raw milk, as well as its health effects (different from pasteurized milk).Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606313461746374678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-40897711110672292802009-02-19T22:54:00.000-08:002009-02-19T22:54:00.000-08:00Here's hoping Shmoo feels better soon! The Flick...Here's hoping Shmoo feels better soon! The Flickr photos are beautiful. I was so happy to see the Turkish recipe for stuffed eggplants, or as they say around these parts, zeytinyağlı patlıcan dolması :) One of my favorites!Narhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11075884607576132782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-2187304050894599142009-02-19T20:49:00.000-08:002009-02-19T20:49:00.000-08:00My son is 7 and vegan, thanks to you. He was diagn...My son is 7 and vegan, thanks to you. He was diagnosed with asthma at age 18month and did 2 40minute nebulizer treatments per day. At age 6, we had his allergy tested and he came up allergic to milk and sensitive to gluten. With those foods removed, he has been off all medications for over a year. He is healthy again. I highly recommend a homeopathic MD who will encourage allergy testing and supplements. Good luck!Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13599350032073143948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-24838332005707212572009-02-19T20:36:00.000-08:002009-02-19T20:36:00.000-08:00My kids live in the same situation. A vegetarian ...My kids live in the same situation. A vegetarian mom, from birth, and a meat eating dad. The first two I let choose when they wanted to eat meat. The last three are not *allowed* to eat meat. I made a mistake letting the first two eat meat and now they are too old for me to break them of it. I know they will choose the right thing eventually...<BR/><BR/>Oh one of my vegetarian children has asthma and allergies (shots, 5 daily meds :(). Food or milk made no difference in his symptoms, sadly.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09463592882893384383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-85807921888845812822009-02-19T11:16:00.000-08:002009-02-19T11:16:00.000-08:00Sorry to hear of your & Schmoo's troubles....Sorry to hear of your & Schmoo's troubles. I have to admit, though, it sounds like the problem is *excess* milk rather than milk in general. Moderation, therefore, might be what you need there. I have lactose intolerance - or did have - since I was a baby. Of course that didn't exist back then, and my mother noted that I just didn't sleep and had "colic" and all that. As a college student I noticed that I had bouts of upset stomach after multiple glasses of milk, so I cut milk out entirely for a while, then started having an occasional glass of milk - not more than a cup at a time, never more than once a week. Now I can't even tell that I have a problem. Turns out I can tolerate that much - so now I know my limit and stick to it. Also, I think it is fair to note that milk is baby food and we may not be able to process it as well the older we get. My daughter has stopped asking for it, and I don't force it on her. She happily drinks water with her meals now, and no complaints. Milk does still go good with cookies, though! :)<BR/><BR/>I hope this helps.Stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16972142811671064736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-60423830208926744942009-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00I don't have a kid but I am a vegetarian (mostly v...I don't have a kid but I am a vegetarian (mostly vegan) married to a carnivore (who is at least particular about the meat he eats). <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I have gotten acupuncture from several practitioners over the years, and they have always advised me to not consume dairy. They tend to identify it as a root cause of my allergies. <BR/><BR/>I still do eat cheese in the course of a week, but don't drink cow milk. <BR/><BR/>I have noticed a big difference in my allergies and overall constitution.Liz Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13547153594715433846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-41071846542140025552009-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:002009-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00Lay down the law vegan momma! I was force fed mil...Lay down the law vegan momma! I was force fed milk my whole childhood with constant nose bleeds - asthma, ear infections, and several vists to the ER. "Is she drinking enough milk?" My doctor would ask - Vegan for 20 years now.....2 vegan kids.....all perfectly healthy.....hardly even a cold ever for my kids. I told my husband prior to marriage.....a non vegan lifestyle would be a deal breaker. He has thanked me many times over for forcing his eyelids open - His asthma of 32 years dissapeared. No more inhaler. My kids will also proudly state they do not eat muscle. you go for it!!!!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05531251917004712520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-74433157881817384362009-02-18T20:53:00.000-08:002009-02-18T20:53:00.000-08:00What beautiful pictures of your new book. I'm ver...What beautiful pictures of your new book. I'm very excited to get the cookbook after seeing them. Everything looks so delicious.<BR/><BR/>We have a mixed house here too so I know it's hard and I have 2 kids that get eczema after eating dairy. It sounds like you are doing the best you can.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17790324353097400267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-9310871881559528282009-02-18T20:38:00.000-08:002009-02-18T20:38:00.000-08:00>>Quick question... if your son is getting a...>>Quick question... if your son is getting allergy medication, what is the dr. saying the allergy is to? Milk? or is he turning up allergic to something else as a by-product of drinking large quantities of milk that he's not accustomed to?<BR/><BR/>Oh, that's a good point -- the allergy symptoms are red, itchy eyes and a runny nose, so the doctor said he was probably just allergic to dust and pollen. She prescribed something like Claritin and didn't think it had anything to do with diet.Jennifershmoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08663322884550580226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-32008339667710801192009-02-18T18:41:00.000-08:002009-02-18T18:41:00.000-08:00>>Have you noticed problems when Schmoo is d...>>Have you noticed problems when Schmoo is drinking milk that isn't raw? Is it all dairy? (It is a very common catalyst for allergies, as Hermione says.)<BR/><BR/>This is really the first time shmoo found milk that he loved so much he started drinking it in big glassfuls every day. Maybe it has more fat than storebought milk, or maybe it's just the quantity?Jennifershmoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08663322884550580226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16132334.post-76686539514546524232009-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:002009-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00Don't feel bad! When I was a kid, all I ate was ho...Don't feel bad! When I was a kid, all I ate was hot dogs, Kraft Dinner, fish sticks, chicken mcnuggets and potatoes! I clearly remember the first time I ever tasted broccoli; I was 19! So even with the junk food and pop, your child is eating better than 90% of children in North America. And that's awesome!<BR/><BR/>As a side note, I was brought up on raw, whole milk as well (my step-father worked on a dairy farm, so it was legal), and I never had a single allergy problem in my life. I would venture to guess that milk doesn't <I>cause</I> allergies, but it probably aggravates existing allergies that would probably be very minor otherwise.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09958185713678691551noreply@blogger.com