Which “Type” of High Blood Pressure Do You Have?

What is high blood pressure? Which high blood pressure do you have? And, how did you get it? We hear all the time our students tell us that high blood pressure runs in the family so they can’t do anything about it. They feel destined to take pills for the rest of their life. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We aren’t doctors we are chefs. But we are passionate about helping you feel better. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two types of high blood pressure. One called primary (essential) hypertension and secondary hypertension.

I would wager a bet not a lot of people know that! I figured high blood pressure was high blood pressure, period. In an article from Mayo Clinic they state that Primary hypertension, “For most adults, there’s no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure, called primary (essential) hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.”

A gradual rise in blood pressure can be associated with age, race, family history, smoking, drinking, not exercising, stress and other relate factors. When it comes to the age question, I know I grew up thinking only older people get high blood pressure, grandma and grandpa type folks. But that’s not true. High blood pressure doesn’t care how old you are, I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure in middle school.

Next, we go to secondary hypertension. The Mayo Clinic article described secondary hypertension like this. “Some people have high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions and medications can lead to secondary hypertension, including:

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Kidney problems
• Adrenal gland tumors
• Thyroid problems
• Certain defects you’re born with (congenital) in blood vessels
• Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers, and some prescription drugs
• Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines”

Which makes me wonder. How many people really have secondary hypertension? And if by eliminating the medications, drugs and other underlying problems their blood pressure would correct itself? It’s worth asking your doctor which type of hypertension you have. Who knew birth control pills and over the counter sinus remedies could be the culprit?

Growing up I figured high blood pressure was just from salt. We’ve all seen the “super salter” at the table layering on the salt over their food. But who knew how much sodium you already get without adding any. Lord knows there’s enough salt in all the manufactured foods out there without adding any on our own. I love this article from Mayo, “How to Tame Your Salt Habit.”

Well, I hope this tip of the day will help you on your journey.  Be sure to ask your doctor what over the counter meds or prescriptions you may be taking that could be having a negative impact on your blood pressure.

Stay well and choose today to be happy joyous and free.

Talk soon,

Kristi and Miriam

http://www.vigoacuisine.com

 

 

 

Symptoms of Diabetes, Is Your Child at Risk?

Seems like a crazy question, are you or your child at risk for diabetes? Why are we talking about diabetes, don’t we make olive oil? We do make seasoned olive oils, but our real passion is using those oils to help people live healthier lives. And diabetes prevention and care is one of those passions. One of our main questions we ask our students, “Do you get overwhelmed with all the confusing labels and weird names for ingredients?”

You’re not alone. We travel the U.S doing cooking classes and always hear the same concerns, “What is all the junk in the food?” If you can’t pronounce it you probably shouldn’t eat it! Well the AMA is trying to make life a little easier when it comes to our health and sugar.

The American Medical Association has adopted a policy to make consumers more aware of sugars that are being added to food by manufacturers and are urging the FDA to make the “front of pack warning labels” a priority for foods with high levels of added sugars.

The American Medical Association is also seeking the FDA put limits on the amount of added sugars that would be allowed in food that makes health claims or is promoting their food as having nutritional benefits.

This is great news for everyone who is fighting to not become a diabetic or who are already struggling with their blood sugar. November is National Diabetes Awareness month, most people have no idea how much of an epidemic diabetes is in the U.S

According to the CDC, “More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report finds that as of 2015, 30.3 million Americans – 9.4 percent of the U.S. population –have diabetes. Another 84.1 million have prediabetes, a condition that if not treated often leads to type 2 diabetes within five years.”

9.4% is almost 10% of the Population of America! I had no idea but back when this study was done 2015, who knows what the stats are now. But back then Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S

1 in 4 adults living with diabetes doesn’t even know they have it. “Diabetes is a serious disease that can often be managed through physical activity, diet, and the appropriate use of insulin and other medications to control blood sugar levels. People with diabetes are at increased risk of serious health complications including premature death, vision loss, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and amputation of toes, feet, or legs.” -ADA

It’s so important the entire family is watching their sugar intake as we are seeing an extreme onset of adult diabetes now occurring in children. According to Mayo Clinic, it is important to manage your child’s diabetes as left untreated will have lasting health effects or possibly end up being life-threatening.

Do you or your child have the symptoms of diabetes? According to the American Diabetes Association, some symptoms may be mild at first and can go undetected.

Diabetes Symptoms

“The following symptoms of diabetes are typical. However, some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed.

Common symptoms of diabetes:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry – even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss – even though you are eating more (type 1)
• Weight loss in Children is less common for (type2)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

Early detection and treatment of diabetes can decrease the risk of developing complications of diabetes.

Please help spread the word as diabetes caught early enough is reversible and small changes in your diet and exercise have seen the reverse of diabetes. Even losing 10-15 lbs if you are 200 lbs could reverse diabetes. Get tested today.

If going to your doctor is inconvenient I have used a company called Life Line screenings they come to communities across the U.S and offer glucose testing right on site, a simple finger prick and you got your facts.

Let’s all help each other live longer healthier lives. One day at a time, One bite at a time

Take good care,

Kristi Linebaugh

p.s Whenever you’re ready, here’s another way we can help you. We are an approved vendor for the American Diabetes Association for our seasoned olive oils Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil. We have zero sugar and the sodium is almost classified salt-free. We are having our holiday shipping revving up if you would like to try some of our seasonings or give some away to a friend who is struggling with their sugar.

You can grab a 4 pack and get Free Shipping on www.vigoacuisine.etsy.com or for larger orders Get 10.00 Flat Rate shipping on 6 bottles or Free Shipping on a case of www.vigoacuisine.com

Check out the American Diabetes Association Food Tips

3 Recipes for leftover Rotisserie Chicken

I love leftover land, most of the people I know live between “I forgot my phone Avenue” and “Where are my keys Blvd.” We all seem to be in a rush now days, much more rushed than we use to be. That’ s why leftover land is so highly populated and growing 😉

So here are three time saving tips for leftover Rotisserie Chicken. Salads are healthy and fast but how about making a Fattoush salad and kick up the protein and crunch while you’re at it. Fattoush is also a great way to use up any flatbread or pita you have leftover.  It’s simply your favorite greens and veggies . Simply drizzle your favorite flavor of Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oils over the pita and toast, then when golden crumble up in salad and add cut up grilled chicken. Full recipe Bon Appetit

 

Italian chicken salad is a great way to use up your leftover chicken. Add chopped chicken into greens add a bit of roasted peppers and red onions a little slivered almonds and capers how about a little sliced basil for that little extra something. Add Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil to all ingredients and mix together. Sounds good to me.

Speaking of Italian who doesn’t love a little gnocchi every once in awhile? Here is a great recipe for when you are in the mood for a bit of a cream sauce for those cold Michigan Summer nights 😉

Or my personal favorite chicken taco with Miriam’s famous chimichuri sauce sprinkled on top and a bit of Hot Splash as a finisher. oooh weee!!

Till next time take good care,

Kristi and Miriam

p.s

Whenever you are ready here is another way we can help you. We will be in South Haven Michigan Sept. 1-2nd for the All Crafts Fair

If you can’t make it to the Fair and you would like Free Shipping on 4 bottles of Canary Island Olive Oil go to our Etsy site.

Which Vegetables are Good for Grilling

Grilled veggies are great on the day you grill them and also as leftover on a panini or on some pasta. It’s an easy way to add veggies to your diet without effort. That is no effort after you grill them 😉

Here’s a list of great veggies to use on the grill.

I Love Corn on the grill it’s easy and fast and if you have leftover you can use it in a salsa or mix it with quinoa and beans and make an afternoon salad.

• Mushroom, Shitake, Button or Portabello mushrooms are great marinated in Canary Island Olive Oil and a bit of red wine and balsamic vinegar
• My favorite is Eggplant mixed with the portabello and then serve it on top of a baguette with hummus. Hallelujah!!!
• Squash and Zucchini always a favorite and so easy to cook al dente my favorite to add the leftovers to a homemade soup, why wouldn’t you!
• 
• Red Onions (because they are sweet) and colored peppers of all shapes and sizes, if you are brave through some jalapenos on there!
• Asparagus and grape tomatoes  ( need a grill pan for these) or you will be ducking and weaving to keep them out of the fire.

So, tell me now, are you going to save us some of your veggies you grill? Because I totally want to put some in a breakfast wrap or on a veggie pizza or shoot can you just put a little Canary Island Olive Oil into some feta or goat cheese and serve it on a cracker with the veggies on top!!

Take good care,

Miriam and Kristi

p.s

Here’s another way we can help. Are you trying to reduce inflammation related diseases in your life? Have you been diagnosed with several diseases and you find it hard to eat and still feel good? You will want to check out our new book “There’s No Food in Your Food 

Bonus

Our Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive OIl is now sold on Amazon

 

Summer Grilling Tips

Summer is always better with good friends and good food! Miriam and I love to grill out while we are on our Summer tour. Walleye or Salmon or chicken on the grill, what’s not to love? Whether you use Gas or Charcoal remember to get that grill Hot so the meat and veggies sear when you pop them on there.  Pre-heat the grill for 15-20 minutes for best results. Always clean your grill to get any leftover chars off of there before adding new food.

Keep it Healthy

Steer clear of burning or charring your meats on the grill. According to research not cooking your meat till it burns will help protect against the potential risk of cancer. Also marinating your meat (try marinating is Hot Splash!!) as well as avoiding processed meat and cooking smaller portions to avoid prolonged cooking times, will help you help yourself 😉

To avoid potential flare-ups of the flames when grilling, trim the fat off meats and take the skin off the chicken. By keeping the flames down you will reduce the risk of charring. If all else fails to keep a squirt bottle nearby to tame the flame.

Of course, don’t forget adding fruit and veggies to your BBQ, Miriam loves grilling pineapple and peaches to add to a big salad drizzled with Splash.  Now you got your greens you’re good to go!

So here’s to great grilling and enjoying the family and taking a little time to just kick back and relax. I think that’s what the Summer is supposed to be for right? 😉

Let us know how you’re doing.

Talk soon,

Miriam and Kristi

p.s

Stay connected on www.facebook.com/vigoacuisine 

Whenever you’re ready here’s another way we can help you.

Need more Splash you can grab a 6 pack with 10.00 Flat Rate shi!pping on our website www.vigoacuisine.com or Free Shipping on a Case if you need more to share at the BBQ

How to get more energy naturally

How can I get more energy? I’m tired of energy drinks and they aren’t good for me anyway and you can only drink so much coffee! There are energy pills and potions and then there’s just pushing your way through until you drop in a heap on the couch.

Believe it or not, what you eat really does impact your energy levels, and it all starts in the morning.

Kristi: If I eat a doughnut or pancakes I might as well say… night night buttercup! If I have a bagel with cream cheese I might swing it but I can only eat half at a time.

Miriam: Really the best way to start the day is with a protein a carb and a fruit for fiber. Hows a couple of eggs a little oatmeal and a tangerine or apple sound? I know for me I have to have protein in the A.M to last the day.

Here’s a list of four ways you can have more energy throughout the day.

• Eat at regular times, don’t skip meals, avoid processed carbs & chemical laden foods.
• Control your stress use meditation or breathing exercises to ease your mind
• Lighten your load, share your concerns with a friend then let it go, usually what you worry about never happens, but it does zap your energy worrying about it all day.
• Talk to yourself! Yep talking to yourself in a certain way helps regulate your emotions relieving stress. But there’s a technique!

One of my favorite ways to get more energy naturally is Eating!!! Yeah me!

Natural juice in the blender is much better than a juice which strips the fiber out of the veggies. I love to throw a carrot in the blender with a handful of baby greens and a chunk of ginger and slice of lemon. Instant energy! Skip the store-bought juice as it’s like candy bars in a cup!

Also a nice bit of apple with peanut butter or a handful of walnuts and pecans maybe a bit of blueberries on top of a peanut butter sandwich, and a bit of cheese.

Oh okay, now I’m hungry!

Gotta run,

Till next time, Miriam and Kristi

p.s

Whenever you’re ready here’s another way we can help you.

If you are in Michigan we will be doing shows throughout July here in Michigan and we would love to see you. Let us know where you’re at and we can tell you if we have a live event near you! We will be in Elk Rapids on June 21st for a great show!

P.P.S

If you need more Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil you can grab a 4 pack with Free shipping on www.vigoacuisine.etsy.com.

Need larger orders? Grab a 6pack for 10.00 Flat Rate or a case of 12 for Free Shipping on www.vigoacuisine.com

 

Lab Made Burgers

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like it’s science fiction right? Something from a late night movie when nothing else is on t.v. Well, welcome to the future. They are now growing meat in labs and expect that by 2020 it will be available on grocery store shelves.

So here’s the deal. They take a sample of stem cells out of the muscle of the cow and put it in a petri dish and they feed the cells and the cells grow. Then they layer the laboratory muscles together add coloring and fat and make a hamburger. :-}

The idea behind it is that it’s more efficient to feed people meat from a laboratory than from a cow as a cow takes up a lot of room, 28 times the room to be precise, and lots more food to produce food, not to mention the stinky butane production.

It’s interesting to say the least. Here’s the video for the “Lab-burger-tory”

Would you eat a hamburger from a “lab-burger-tory” I wonder if they would serve it with a real tomato or maybe just a 3D copied tomato 😉

Hope all is well with you and yours.

We are heading up North for our Summer tours, maybe we’ll see you up there. Do you live in Florida or up North?

talk soon,

Miriam and Kristi

p.s

Whenever you’re ready, here’s two more ways we can help you.

Our Canary Island Olive Oil is now sold in Lucky’s Markets as well as Whole Foods Markets.

If you rather not run around looking for your favorite flavor of Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oils you can grab a 1/2 case for 10.00 Flat Rate Shipping or a whole case for Free shipping on our Website www.vigoacuisine.com\

Prefer the Artisan Market of Etsy we now have all our books as well as all our flavors on Etsy 

Also our third book:

There’s No Food in Your Food: Do you strip paint with it or feed it to your children?             is now available on Amazon as well as our Etsy site.

 

How to get rid of a Headache

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

Headaches 101

We have all had them and I know I have caused more than one of them as well 😉 It is one of the top reasons why people call in sick every day. Well, let’s break it down. There are two categories of headaches.

Primary Headaches and Secondary Headaches.

According to the National Headache Foundation, 37 Million people suffer from a Migraine and headache. This form of a headache can be debilitating and as yet there is no known cure. Different things trigger people in different ways. Stress may bring them on for some people or a change in hormones even food allergies can bring them on.

These types of headaches fall into the primary headache category. The secondary category includes neck injuries tumor or other pathologies that would need more intensive treatment so we will focus on the primary headaches for this article.

Although it’s not a cure there are some acupuncture and acupressure points that have been found to be effective for many people.

Acupressure

Since most of us can’t do acupuncture on ourselves at home or in the office, let’s just stick with acupressure 😉

There are several points in the face that are very effective, I actually used this a lot after long hours at the computer.

These are suggestions from a great article from Choice Chiropractic and Wellness Center, P.C from Pennsylvania.

Your third eye. Using your thumb put pressure on your third eye area which is located smack dab in between your eyebrows. Now we aren’t talking about trying to snap a snap closed on your jeans, not that kind of pressure, a light pressure is sufficient.

Under your Eyebrows. This is my favorite one, I do this and I almost immediately get relief. It is located under your eyebrow slightly inside the ridge closer to your third eye. Apply gentle rubbing pressure I prefer circular in nature.

Under your Cheekbones. According to Choice Chiropractic, “These points are located near your nostrils, exactly below the pupil. These points provide the quickest relief for serious headaches.”

Have you ever had a stress-related headache like this guy hunkered over his laptop? We just finished our third book and there were several times I looked just like that guy! How funny I keep my coffee on the left as well. I started having tension headaches after I realized I was staring at the computer for hours and hours on end.

According to the American Migraine Foundation 1 in 4 households, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men suffer from Migraines.

I know for me stress and relaxation play a big part. Nothing helps more than a great massage and deep breathing a nice walk in a calming park or hitting the yoga mat.

Foods that help with a headache

This is a great article from Woman’s Day,

Watermelon

“Dehydration is a major cause of headaches, explains Stella Metsovas, BS, CN, a nutritionist in private practice in Laguna Beach, California. So instead of popping a pain pill next time your head throbs, consider reaching for water-rich foods, like watermelon. “The natural water contained in both fruits and vegetables contains essential minerals, like magnesium, that are key in headache prevention,” she says. Try this tasty, hydrating watermelon smoothie: In a blender, combine 2 cups seeded watermelon chunks, 1 cup cracked ice, ½ cup plain yogurt, a drizzle of honey and ½ tsp grated ginger. Blend and enjoy. (Bonus: The ginger can help ease headache-induced nausea symptoms!) Other foods with high water content include berries, cucumber, melon, soups, oatmeal, tomatoes, and lettuce.”

Grab a Big Salad

Salads are lush with water-bearing ingredients, chuck it full of cucumbers and crunchy organic romaine and spinach and baby greens. Toss in some tri-color peppers and radish and tomatoes. I love to throw in a bit of cilantro and drizzle with Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil a splash of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar it’s the only vinegar we use, and a touch of Honey.

That ought to perk you right up!

Take good care and stay connected,

Miriam Vigoa and Kristi Linebaugh

p.s

Here are two more ways we can help you.

If you would like Free shipping on larger orders (a case) of Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil you can now get it on our website. www.vigoacuisine.com

AAAAAND Drum Roll Please!!!

Our third book, There’s No Food in Your Food, is now available on Amazon!

 

 

 

 

 

3 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

A healthy way to start the weekend! We are all ready for the week to wrap it’s self up and send us off into weekend bliss. 😉 Okay so Miriam and I will be working on the weekend, but we do love seeing all our customers so I can always pretend… it’s a party!

We get lots of requests for healthy ways to live, we hear a lot of people wanting to get off blood pressure medicine and other drugs. So here is a real quick read and a few simple steps you can take today to help lower your blood pressure.

Now, remember we are not doctors and we don’t even play doctors on t.v.! 😉

Start here.

1.) Go for a good walk.

Instead of running errands on your lunch break. Strap on your walking shoes and head out for a brisk walk. If you are in an area that is not conducive to walking, do what my Mom does on rainy and snowy days. Run over to your local grocery store and take a 30-minute walk around the outside of the aisles. Just steer clear of the Twinkie aisle.

Hypertensive patients have been able to lower their blood pressure because the exercise helps the heart use oxygen better so it doesn’t have to do so much work when it’s pumping blood to all the important parts! Shoot for 30 minutes a day slowly increasing speed and time so you are always giving yourself a challenge.

2.) Relax with a bit of Jingle Jangle

Use music to relax and bring down your blood pressure naturally. According to research done at the University of Florence in Italy, the right music can lower your blood pressure. Listening to soothing bossa nova, classical or Indian music for 30 minutes while doing deep breathing lowered systolic readings by 3.2 points and after another month the reading had further improved by lowering 4.4 points.

Truth be known I’m listening to a little Bossa Nova right now.

3.) Be Salt Savvy

We hear a lot of customers tell us, it is important to have salt, it’s no good to go totally salt-free. Her’es the deal McNeal. You can never go 100% salt-free.

Here’s why.

Everything you eat when you eat premade or eat out, it’s already chock full of salt and “fake salt” (that’s a whole nother topic) So there is no way you won’t get “enough” salt. When you eat out you can get up to 3,000mg of sodium. And, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”…err I mean yes, high blood pressure is related to sodium intake.

There are people that are more sensitive than others, elderly and African Americans and people with a history of hypertension in their families surely need to steer clear of salt. But, in reality, there isn’t a surefire way to tell who is and who isn’t sensitive to sodium intake… so let’s all be on the safe side… and cut that out 🙂

So shoot for below 1,500mg a day if you really would like to truly lower your blood pressure. How do you do that? Well… I hate to break the news to you it’s a very difficult and a long and tedious process that only professionals can help you with…

Are you ready for the news?

You have to start cooking at home. See, that wasn’t too bad. Much less traumatizing than all the doctors visits poking and prodding and gulping handfuls of pills and potions. Simply pop a little Splash in the pan with a little zucchini, onion, tomato, eggplant if you like and add a little chicken, saute and pour everybody over a nice organic salad.

Drizzle a little Splash (Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil) over your greens a dab of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and a drizzle of Honey. Hallelujah! THat’s some kinda good eating and the sodium won’t leave you feeling like you ate a salt lick for lunch.

 

Here’s the even gooder news! 😉 Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil has only 15mg of sodium per serving (almost a tablespoon is the serving) and even better… drum roll please… 10mg of sodium is considered salt free… so 15mg is lip-smacking heart healing good!

Hope you like the tips, Let me know what health info would help you the mostest.

Talk soon,

Miriam and Kristi

p.s

Here’s another way we can help you when you’re ready.

Call us for 5.00 shipping when you order 2 bottles of Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil simply call 1.800.975.2677 ask for “5.00 shipping on 2 bottles.” We’ll make you feel right at home, actually, we’ll ship it right to your home. 😀

Or if you rather join us for a live event. We will be in Fort Myers this weekend at the Bell Tower Shops Saturday and Sunday 10-5 for an Awesome Art and Craft Festival the date is March 24-25th

p.p.s

When you’re ready here’s three more ways we can help you,

We are now sold in all the Lucky’s Markets in Florida

Find a location near you  ((A new one just opened in Claremont))

Health Food Center of Winter Haven now

carries all three of our flavors

The Cheese Room of Winter Haven now

carries our Splash

We are also participating in the small farmer’s program

with Whole Foods Grocery Stores in Florida

Find a location near you

Our cookbook is now available in

Digital Ebook

format on

our Etsy website.

www.vigoacusine.etsy.com

Love Amazon?

You can grab our

Hot Splash on Amazon now!

Love Blogs?

Want up to the minute Health Tips and

Easy Recipes?

Follow our blog here

Like Free Shipping on Larger orders?

Grab all your favorite flavors

from our website

www.vigoacuisine.com

Thank you for being our customer!  If you have a friend or family

member that suffers from inflammation and you think they

 would benefit from knowing about our oils, please

share us with them. We appreciate you and thank you in advance

🙂

Miriam and Kristi

Gout Report March 2018

Gout, Gout, get it all out!

If you or a loved one has ever suffered an attack of gout you will appreciate that statement. For those of you lucky enough to never experience this painful condition, here’s the scoop.

Gout is a different form of arthritis, it’s very painful and can come on suddenly, it happens with there is too much uric acid in the blood and crystals start to form and accumulate around the joints. A very common joint it attacks seems to be the big toe.

But what is Uric acid?

Uric acid is a compound produced when your body is breaking down purine. Now, purine is naturally occurring in your body but it’s also packed into certain foods. Usually, uric acid is excreted in your urine, but when there is a build up in your body and you can’t process it, that’s when the attacks happen.

Gout Diets

Following a gout diet may not only reduce the pain and inflammation related to gout but may also help you avoid medication. Since so many of our students tell us they have a collection of pills the Doctor has already given them 🙂 it’s nice to have a helpful hint that doesn’t include pill popping. A gout diet is simpler than it sounds and may help lower the risk of future attacks as well as helping protect us from progressing joint damage.

A quick history lesson.

Centuries ago when gout first popped up on the radar, it was dismissed as a disease of the wealthy. It was an overindulgence disease. It was believed that overeating meats and over drinking alcohol were the main reason the disease appeared. Even back then the Doctors of the day saw relief for their patients by using diet restriction.

Here’s the Good News It was once believed the “cure” for gout was an extremely difficult diet that must be followed to the T. It included long lists of foods that must be completely avoided it also contained foods that had low as well as high levels of purine. But having such a strict diet to follow made it very hard for people to effectively stick to the plan.
As we all know, when following an eating regimen if it’s too hard, too long or too confusing, we won’t follow it for too long!

The Good News

With more recent studies we have obtained a clearer understanding of gout as a disease and the important role that following a gout diet can play in your recovery. Yes, there are some foods that during an attack should be strictly avoided… I’d say the pain will help in the desire not to indulge. But the good and exciting news is, foods that once were considered on the no-no list are now part of the yes yes list.

In previous incarnations of the Gout diet, all foods with purines would have been eliminated, even fruits and vegetables. It was believed this was necessary to quickly reduce the uric acid levels.

Today’s Focus

The gout diet as we know it today really focuses on management of the risk factors for all disease. The awesome goal of the gout diet is obtaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy well-balanced diet, and in return, you are lowering your risk of other diseases. Pretty good bonus package 🙂

Here’s the Deal McNeal… Losing Weight. As we all know being overweight is a huge risk factor for many diseases and gout is on that list. Losing weight even if you are not following a purine-restricted diet will net you fantastic relief, your joints will automatically thank you for lessening their load. Many people also are unaware that losing weight will lessen the damage to your kidneys. The fat in the abdominal area puts a great strain on the blood vessels feeding the kidneys causing eventual kidney stones and other kidney distress.
Eat Carbs! I have to admit, carbs are my go to. I love a bowl of cereal and some fruit. But the powerhouse of carbs is stored up in the complex carbs department. In the previous version of the gout diet, it was believed you should avoid all fruits and vegetables that contain purines. But what we have discovered, it is not necessary to restrict or avoid fruits and veggies even if they run a bit high in purines. It’s much more important to avoid processed carbs like bread, candy sugary beverages and… dun dun dun…. High fructose corn syrup! (which seems to be in everything so read your labels.

Water is the Word. Drink more water, for sure drink your 8 glasses a day it will help your kidneys have something to flush out the bad stuff. Think of it this way. When planning for gold you must have water to wash away all the excess dirt and sand. The kidneys are the same way they must have fluid in the body to release all the excess “dirt and sand” we eat during the day
Cut back the Fat Attack. Focus on reducing your saturated fat intake from meat, poultry, and dairy, yep that includes your mocha from Starbucks (dadgummit!) the sacrifice will be worth it. Power Proteins pack too much of a punch. There are so many diets today that focus on extremely high intakes of animal protein. Unfortunately, this is a huge stressor for your kidneys. Limit your protein from fish, meat, and poultry to 4 to 6 ounces. That is the size of the outside of your hand when made into a fist ( a woman’s hand that is). Focus for a bit on low-fat dairy, usually, we suggest not using low-fat dairy as they will always add sugars, but for a bit when you need the dairy it’s going to be okay. Check out this list of low and high purine foods.
Good for You veggies.Eat lots of fruits fresh cherries are awesome for gout but don’t do what one of our customers was doing. After he heard cherries were good for gout he started eating a jar of maraschino cherries every day. Also, increase your nibbles of veggies even if they are high-purine counts (eat multiple times a week, v.s large amounts at once), always include peas, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus. Include your favorite beans and lentils to help boost your proteins. Limiting amounts at serving time is better than eliminating these foods totally.

Purine-Rich Foods.Avoid All organ meats. All processed meats, bacon ( I know that freaks some of you out) also avoid all processed deli meats as they contain loads of salt and chemicals, (we talk more about that in our second book, There’s NO Food in your Food)
Seafood. For now avoid anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, haddock, mackerel, tuna, and herring.

Alcohol.I know that will be hard on your social life if you enjoy having a beer with your mates but alcohol significantly raises your uric acid production and also is a factor in dehydration. Beer specifically increases your risk of having attacks of gout. For wine drinkers, the verdict is still out.

Coffee Lovers rejoice! For whatever reason (let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth) coffee consumption may help reduce the risk of gout attacks, especially the regular caffeinated coffee. Can we all say, Thank you, Jesus!

Quick Menu Ideas

Breakfast Old Fashioned Oatmeal for Breakfast (not instant) drizzle a big of Original Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil over the top before serving. Super Delish! I can’t eat oatmeal without it 🙂

Lunch 2 oz of sliced chicken breast 2 Tablespoons of Black Beans ½ apple diced Sliced almonds Sliced cucumbers
Serve on top of organic arugula and spinach salad Drizzle Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil over top with Drizzle of Honey

Following these simple steps is a huge step in the right direction.

Take it one day at a time and add our Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil to everything you eat. It is sugar-free contains no high fructose corn syrup and is almost totally salt-free. It hits all the right targets for a gout free lifestyle.

If you have a friend or family member that suffers from gout attacks please share this information with them.

We thank you in advance, take good care. Miriam Vigoa and Kristi Linebaugh

P.S

Join us this weekend in Valdosta Georgia for the Azalea Festival March 10-11 It’s a great festival and lots of wonderful people and a beautiful area. We would love to see you come on by and say Hi!

P.P.S When you’re ready here’s two more ways we can help you.

www.vigoacuisine.com

www.vigoacuisine.etsy.com

For free shipping on a 4 pack of our oils, use our Etsy site with the shop code SHIPMEFREE