I know but I thought this recent article about DEG again might be of some interest - I think it's really frightening and very sad.
Some time ago several people posted about tainted and/or adulterated cough syrups and toothpaste from China that contained DEG (diethylene glycol) instead of glycerin. This Times piece is long but it traces the DEG history back more than 10yrs and presents a very good discussion about the incredible difficulties encountered when trying to track down "ingredients" from foreign suppliers particularly when people, companies and countries flat out lie.
Sorry to be such a downer - Alkymst

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/wo...rssnyt&emc=rss

but true. The 'anything for a buck' philosophy reigns? The 'products' go thru soo many processors and distributors and repackaged etc that we may never know what is real.
Kind of a reminder of the 60's & 70's and the whole 'back to earth' movement. Some parts had validity. And, while Some progress has been made here, at the same time we never know what our meats and veggies are grown in or where, not to mention how processed and packaged.
I think akin in some ways [not all-gotta have my chocolate and ice cream!] that aspects of David's approach are valid. There are limitations tho for us who cannot eat other than specific foodstuffs or have food preparation issues due either to the neuropathy or the ability to stand, prepare and cook foods.

I would turn my whole front yard into a raised bed veggie garden If I could get away with it and wasn't anticipating some heavy equipment there for some perpetually postponed major house work in the future...I wouldn't worry about pilfering, as eggplant, squash, cukes and all well, there'd be more than enuf. Why the front yard? Only place where there's enuf sun!

Yes, Alkmyst, I sort of hi-jacked your thread. I think not in other ways tho. When I lived in an apartment...I tucked and tucked vegies and flowers around the foundation plantings...everyone enjoyed them - visually and practically. It can be done just about anywhere. So at least...if there's nothing deadly in that soil, you can control what goes in the ground and on the plants.

Good thoughts for all!? - j

We went to St. Louis for a special treat,at a very expensive well know
resturant. Few days later everybody felt fine. But little old me,tummy
hurt,good thing Dr. is only a mile away. Because then came the horriible
bouts of diahrahea. Tests were done and the health department got
to before my Dr. I ad never deal with the health department before,so
i kept saying what,huh,but i'm a fanatic,listen here i have color coded
cutting boards,and lysol wipes,and and and before i heard her saying in
loud voice,have you eaten out lately. But i'm the only one sick,and the
only one with Autoimune diease. They calm me down ask if they could
tape everything i was saying. And by then i had a few choice things to
say. Then Dr. called was upset they called before her,we had along talk,
anyway i ended up with Salmonella for just over 4 months,needless to say
i really got sick,missed Thanksgiving,Christmas,and Easter and felt
like Thphoid Mary for a very long time. You would not believe what that
bill was from that resturant,you just never know. The lady told me it would
be a good idea not to let them put ice in your glass,they may wash there
hands but the bathroom door thing and not putting gloves on to fill you
glasses It was alfull,i don't think i'm ever been that sick or want to
again. Now all this other stuff, GOOD GRIEF,honest it was a nightmare
Sue

It is always a gamble to eat out. Them's the chances we take if the proper food preparation sanitary controls aren't met.
It can happen anywhere.
The best and most expensive restaurants, or Taco Bell, or
(as we are well aware) packaged spinach from the market.
Especially if our system's oversensitive or we have
a specific condition that makes us vulnerable to things
most people can fight off, or don't even notice.

I have a question about eating out in fast food restaurants. Actually we don't and haven't for a long time, but once in a while, if we are at an appointment, theres usually a subway and we each can get a salad with low fat dressing, or I get a little thing of vegetable soup (100 calories) and it holds me over.

But... I just saw a commercial on tv and I think it was for Quiznos, or Subway, I'm not sure. But I am sure of what I saw on that sandwich and it just about blew me away. Now I'm not a lumberjack by any means. Neither is Alan. But in our youth, we would have eaten a club sandwich, or even at the deli, a brisket of beef on a roll with mustard. They would make them really big.

But nothing, and I mean nothing prepared me for this commercial for this particular sandwich. It's called a Meat Lover's Sandwich or something to that effect. I have never seen such meat piled in a loaf of bread in my entire life. It's like there was 5 pounds of cold cuts in that sandwich. Roast beef, or whatever meat it was. Like slabs of beef, (it had to be 5 or 6 inches high).

And they put some dressing on it. When they cut it in half, it could have fed a third world country. I remember immediately calling up my girlfriend and saying "did you just see this commercial?" we watch the same talk show that was on. She said "oh haven't you seen this, it's for people to get heart attacks". I said "how on earth can they be allowed to serve this and who on earth would buy this??" She said "Oh these big contstruction workers who eat like there's no tomorrow, that's who buys this sandwich".

I have never seen this in my whole life. The whole thing must have been 5000 calories (in one sandwich!!!!!). Jeez.

And have you ever seen a Denny's commercial for their Lumberjack Breakfast (at least I think it's for Lumberjacks). It's 3 humongous pancakes, 3 strips of bacon, 3 eggs, etc. etc.j

Talk about cholesterol happening!!!!

These restaurants that serve these things are creating an obese society that, well, forget about it in twenty years. These people will all get diabetes (that is if they survive their clogged arteries)!

Just wanted to pipe in.!!

Melody

Toxins are a known cause of peripheral neuropathy: aromatics such as petroleum solvents, chlorine gas, many insecticides and herbicides, fungal toxins, drugs (*see list below), heavy metals, alcohol (long time abuse), etc. The list includes hundreds of items: see http://database.healthandenvironment...dex.cfm?id=795

*Drugs known to cause peripheral neuropathy: (from http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/i...y-to-drugs.htm )

• Heart or blood pressure medications
  • Amiodarone
  • Hydralazine
  • Perhexiline
• Drugs used to fight cancer
  • Vincristine
  • Cisplatin
• Drugs used to fight infections
  • Metronidazole (Flagyl)
  • Nitrofurantoin
  • Thalidomide (used to fight leprocy)
  • INH (isoniazid) -- used against tuberculosis)
• Drugs used to treat skin conditions (Dapsone)
• Anticonvulsants (Phenytoin)
• Anti-alcohol drugs (Disulfiram)
• Drugs to fight HIV
  • Zidovudine (Retrovir, formerly AZT)
  • Didanosine (Videx)
  • Stavudine (Zerit)
  • Zalcitabine (Hivid)
  • Ritonavir (Norvir)
  • Amprenavir (Agenerase)
• Drugs to lower cholesterol
  • Lovastatin (Mevacor)
  • Indapamid (Lozol)
  • Gemfibrozil (Lopid)
• Arsenic