Iodine Testing : Examples

Rice

Above is cooked basmati rice. Below is the reaction after adding several drops of iodine. 

Glutinous Rice Flour

Above is glutinous rice flour mixed with water. Below is the same after adding several drops of iodine tincture. 

The mixture actually turns a brown colour and not the inky blue black colour that normal rice will turn (amylose). This brown colour is not actually the colour of iodine, rather this is the colour of amylopectin reacting with iodine. Glutinous rice is very unusual for a grain in that it contains no amylose at all, and instead stores carbohydrates as amylopectin. 

Curry Powder

Here is some curry powder above mixed with water only. Below is the reaction when mixed with two drops of iodine. 

The reaction was mild, not an inky blue black reaction, and so I'm not worried about it. This looks like it has some amylopectin (safe) and no significant amylose (unsafe). 

Custard apple for Prostate & Proctitis?

It is far too early to make a call on this but it looks promising. Here are my notes so far. 

Log: Custard Apple

Key: soursop

-- Observation summary --

* small brief sharp pain in prostate area

* custard apple is known to kill prostate cancer cells in the lab

20140530 Custard Apple ***

Pretty sure custard apple clearer my Proctitis. I should have reacted to the sticky rice, the sugar in the Korean sauce and also for having sweet food after dinner. 

Dinner: Custard apple (desert, lots of it). Sticky rice. Green curry fish w green beans. Pork belly w Korean BBQ sauce (ask Dave for brand). Chinese greens w ginger. 

20140521 & 23 Prostate

Twice I had some custard apple and noticed some small sharp pains in prostate region. They were brief and transient. Rather than being bad for the prostate, I'm going to run with the theory that this is a type of "healing crisis" reaction. Reason: lab tests show custard apple kills prostate cancer. Also, prostate health was very good after the pains went away, and this is unusual. 

Amylopectin, NSD and Dental Health

I find my teeth are stronger on the NSD. One thing I keep forgetting to mention - glutinous rice gives me energy and endurance, but it is as bad for the teeth as any other starch. A small cavity that had pretty much healed over whilst on the NSD had reappeared and with it a small amount of tooth pain occasionally occurred. I now am much more selective about when and how I eat my glutinous rice, and it has since started to calm down again.

Coconut Jelly Recipe

This recipe is copied from the Encyclopedia of Asian Food. I have made some minor alterations for clarity, and also many of you will want to swap sucrose for something else. 

Photo from http://asiasociety.org/

A favorite in Burma, where it is called kyauk kyaw (pronounced chow chaw), Burmese for agar-agar, or any jelly made from it.Serves 8.

Ingredients

7g agar-agar strands (or 4 teaspoons agar-agar powder)
400 ml can coconut milk
375ml water (1 and 1/2 cups)
125ml (1/2 cup) canned coconut cream
125g (1/2 cup) sugar, rose water to flavour - I use fructose or honey instead

Directions
Soak the strands of agar-agar in cold water overnight or at least 1 hour. Drain and measure. There should be 1 and 1/2 cups, loosely packed.
Put the strands with coconut milk and water into a saucepan and stir constantly while bringing to the boil. Add sugar and keep stirring and simmering 10-15 minutes or until all the strands are completely dissolved.

If using agar-agar powder, sprinkle over the coconut milk, add sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut cream.

Flavour to taste, then pour into a dish rinsed out with cold water and allow to set. Cut into diamond shapes or squares. This firm jelly is meant to be picked up with the fingers.

Recipe excerpted from the Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)

Easy Indian - NSD Safe

Yay I found some Indian food at Coles that is safe :-D

The first one is Chicken Tikka. This one is a bit pricy, but still much cheaper than eating out. And you won't have to worry about unknown starchy additives. 

This is the second one. All the other Pataks bottles had starchy additives except this one. Make sure you read the label on the back as you will need to buy several other ingredients, ie. meat, canned tomato, minced ginger and some garlic. 

Prawn Masala (NSD, Paleo)

Ingredients:

Half a kilo prawns (shelled)

600-700g Eggplant 

1 can whole peeled tomato (400g)

1 onion, medium size, cut 

1-2 cloves garlic, cut finely

Masala spice powder to taste

2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Fry turmeric, onion and garlic in plenty of coconut oil. 

When onions are cooked add masala powder, eggplant, and tomato. Mash the tomato with your spatula. 

Cook until eggplant is very soft then add prawns last, as these cook quickly. 

Pancakes without the pain !

-- Benefits --

* less fatigue 

* weight gain - was far too skinny

* less stiffness

* possibly improved amylose tolerance
* easier to cook than the other non-starch recipes - the other ones I've tried would fall apart when I flip them, or burn before they even cook through, or be too dry.

Problem: don't overdo it or candida could be an issue. These days I cook this mainly when I know I will need to do a fair amount of physical work, such as moving house.

-- top rated recipe (modified) --

Serves : 2-3 people 

This makes great pancakes. Possibly even better than the usual wheat based ones.. And no pain! =)

1 cup glutinous rice flour

1 egg (can double)

3/4 cup water (or milk if safe 4 u)

2 tbsp butter / coconut oil melted

1-2 tbsp fructose / honey 

Half tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda, half tsp cream of tartar (original recipe doubles this)

* Beat eggs until fluffy (can skip)

* mix everything, add milk gradually 

* Leaving the batter to sit for 10-20 mins may give fluffier pancakes

* Pan is hot enough when a drop of water dances on surface 

* When bubbles start to break it is ready to turn and cook the other side

http://www.food.com/recipe/pancakes-25690

-- my own quick & easy recipe --

7 heaped tsp glutinous rice flour

1 egg

Add water slowly whilst mixing 

Optional: Salt & honey to taste

Optional: Butter/Coconut Oil/Banana

Mouth Ulcers Gone :-D (AKA Canker Sores)

I used to have a lot of trouble with mouth ulcers (you guys probably call them 'canker sores'), this was an ongoing issue for 10 years or more. Anytime I bit my lip or cheek, or even just a minor abrasion to the lining of my mouth, and I would be guaranteed to get a mouth ulcer. Tried the usual antibacterial type remedies such as topical peroxide, iodine, bicarb, salt, rinsing with alcohol. That stuff didn't work for me though.

In the end my ulcers turned out to be caused by a virus (maybe a strain of HSV), and a potent anti viral called BHT worked for me - from what I read it only works for lipid-coated viruses (fortunately the majority of viruses are lipid coated!). I took about 500mg of BHT twice a day and that fixed it. And by fixed I mean I'm practically cured, as I don't need to take a maintenance dose of BHT to keep the ulcers away. 500mg worked, but maybe 250mg would be fine too, but I know that taking 1000mg in one dose was too much for me to handle as I would get some pains in my tummy (possibly liver struggling to metabolise it).. that only lasted an hour or so.



-- Update :: I posted the following on EarthClinic.com --

BHT is what worked for me. I tried the usual antibacterial modes (iodine, salt, baking soda) and nothing would help one little bit. Any time my mouth had a little scratch it would inevitably result in a mouth ulcer that would take weeks to heal (you guys call them 'canker sores').

I eventually tried BHT thinking it might help some other immune problems (I have an inflammatory autoimmune disease). Well, only one thing changed noticeably - no more mouth ulcers. Ever since trying BHT I have been clear of this issue, and it has been a stark change. Now if I bite my lip there is no problem, yet before I would be absolutely guaranteed to have a very nasty canker sore.

Now I can't guarantee this will help anyone else, I never expected that my mouth ulcers could be caused by a virus!! (ehh sorry I mean 'canker sores) But there you go.. learned something new. I suspect the majority of folk are still caused by bacteria, but hey if iodine, ACV, baking soda and salt don't help then maybe you should try this!

You can read more about BHT here: http://www.projectwellbeing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/BHTbook-StevenWmFowkes-100903.pdf

Most important - make sure it is food grade.