New Diet New Spin

 Sometimes your body tells you to go on a diet. Kidney stones, gallstones, stomach issues, they all gently dictate that maybe we should eat healthier  and better.  THe foods have to get better.The old habits have to be replaced by new.

I'm discovering this as I found out I'm plagued by kidney stones.These are not little grains of sand..They're huge , honking rocks that are causing blockages. They have to be blasted out of me in what's known as a ureterscopy where a laser is inserted and used to destroy the offending stone. I've had kidney stones for years but they didn't;t become troublesome until some urine tests came back abnormal. Further investigation led to a giant stone in the ureter the tube that takes the urine form the kidney to the bladder. Stones are caused by a number of bad food and drink choices. After all ,like the liver ,the kidneys are filters, filtering any liquid we ingest. I quickly found out my diet soda habit had to be quit.Dark colored colas like Coke and Pepsi (along with other brands) are full of phosphoric acid .This acidifies the urine which produces crystals which eventually become stones.I 've switched to lighter  ro clear colored sodas like Poppi which is lower in sugar along with Fresca. It also helps to try to drink as much water as I can to let the stones flow out (although this can be hard, especially if you're not a water drinker like me)>

Salty foods are also off the table. I can still have chips but they have to be the lightly salted kind. Some fast foods are allowed but only in moderation. Burger King's Impossible Burger is ok to eatbut only once or twice a month.The fries should be the kid portion size. Even taco Bell is allowed with such options as been soft and crunchy tacos.My favorite ,the veggie power bowl with chicken is a fine dinner thanks to the chicken , fresh veggies (just go easy on the tomatoes) and beans. At home I find forgoing the Gardein nuggets which are high in  damaging sodium.Their chicken strips ,made with pant based meat are healthier,especially when dipped unflavored olive oil and then so air fried they resembled chicken fries. Surprisingly the usually healthy veggies like spinach and kale are definitely off the table. Both contain high amounts of potassium . LUckily there is my other favorite  broccoli which I can eat just steamed  and plain. Certain fruits are now forbidden too. Bananas are off the table along with avocados. Coconut is frowned upon too. However I can eat as many strawberries and blueberries  as I want which I love with coconut cream  (which is weirdly allowed.)

Keeping kidney stones at bay requires a new diet.Some foods are old friends. Some old friends have to be forgotten. It's a new world navigating what right and what's good for me.

Pizza On The Grill

The grill is good for almost everything. You can cook the old standards such as dogs and burgers on them, get experimental with any kind if fish or kabobs, and even cook fruit. However you can use your grill as an outdoor pizzeria. You can create delicious pies right out in the open air.

How do you bake pizza on a grill? There are two ways.One is to mix the dough and roll it out on a cookie sheet.Then slide it onto the grill for two minutes and then flip so that the other bakes. The other way is placing the dough on a pizza stone. This is a round, thick plate that's usually made from ceramic or earthenware. After the dough starts to rise,brush with olive oil and then tomato sauce. Add cheese and toppings and then cover for two to three minutes more. If your grill doesn't have a cover you can tent aluminum foil over the pie as a kind of out door oven.

Toppings for outdoor pizza can be as varied as an inside one. For a garden fresh one, sub in fresh picked beefsteak tomatoes and freshly picked basil instead of sauce and the dried herb. Barbecued steak or chicken also make great additions,especially the steak, Cook the meat rare and let the juices mix in with the sauce. You can also try a seafood one by adding some chopped clams mussels and oysters along with shrimp. Another fun outdoor pizza topping is crumbled hamburger on top.

There's nothing like pizza on the grill. You can make a fantastic tasting outdoors one in just seconds.It's a perfect alternative to traditional dogs and burgers.

Getting Your Goat

Now that spring is here a lot of cultures are turning to goat to grace their holiday tables. Goat meat is nothing new. it;s been a Caribbean staple for centuries as well as a Middle Eastern one. However some people are squeamish about eating it. It may take a while to get used to but it is known to be delicious , especially if served right.

For millenniums now goat meat has graced Indian, Pakistani and Arabic cooking. The meat is still grilled today and is also subbed in for lamb. Both meats are similar in taste and often the Indians refer t o it as"mutton" Caribbean cuisine has several goat meat recipes, particularly Jamaican. There it's turned into a spicy curry or jerk to be eaten with rice. Kid meat or young goat is big in Mexico where the recipe starts with milk fed young goats and then spiced. with chilis They are they put on a spit to roast also known as asado. The Mexicans also prefer a kid stew called guisado which is made with smaller bits of the meat soaked in various spices.

Any big city butcher will sell goat meat. You can buy mature goat known as chevron or kid as a whole carcass(not recommended for the squeamish,) quarters or cuts. Fresh meat should be removed from the wrapping paper that It comes in and rewrapped. You can leave it without wrapping if you're planning on cooking it that day. The cuts can be frozen up to three days. Cooked goat meat also has to be stored right away and in the coldest part of the fridge. Since it doesn't last as long as other meats such as beef or chicken, it has to be eaten within days of cooking.

Goat meat is an acquired taste. However if you're looking for a different alternative to lamb this holiday season, then try it. It is versatile and can be served anyway from barbecue to cutlets to stews. Enjoy it as an alternative to lamb or chicken for your Spring holiday meals..

Killer Foods

Surprisingly enough your diet may be killing you. I'm not talking about the fried food and beef here but the good stuff. Some fruits and vegetables can have some negative side affects. We all know about their attributes but did you know they also have a dark side? Yup. What may look like a plate of pure healthy may actually be bad for you.

Take for example the beet. Yes it's good for you in moderate doses. Who doesn't love it in a salad covered with vinaigrette and set off by onions? Yet eat too much and it can cause kidney damage. It's also not recommended for people who suffer from kidney stones. The same applies to the iron rich spinach. We're all taught from an early age to venerate spinach yet it does have a dark side. Again it's not good for those suffering from kidney stones. However it still is a good green to eat so have it at least once a week.Then there are tomatoes. Yes they are tasty and are good from salad to soup however they are high in acid. This is a bad thing for those suffering from stomach disorders.

Fruits should also be eaten with care too. The main reason is that they are packed with sugar - albeit the natural kind. Gobble down too many apples and bananas and you'll gain weight. Some berries like strawberries contain powerful allergens which can cause all sorts of painful rashes and hives. Ditto for oranges. Eating a lot of this fruit can bring on the case of hives - definitely not a good thing with the winter wool season coming.

Veggies and fruits are healthy for you. However , like with any other foods, don't over do your intake! Ea in moderation and they'll remain healthy and good for you!