Healthy diet

I know aspartame is bad for me, Faye. That's why I'm trying to reduce my diet coke intake. It's addictive and causes more thirst which you try to quench with more aspartame laced diet coke. That's why I've introduced my water target. Once I've managed to achieve this target I'll change it and reduce my diet coke intake even further. I have tried many times to give up and failed miserably each time. I reckon reducing is better than nothing and the extra water will help to flush my system.

rosequartz canola is actually rapeseed oil. Canola oil and vegetable oils go through a process using solvents and bleach. I found this link for you.

vampirequeen I know you know it's not good for you besides now research has shown it causes weight gain it also causes ill health. It must be vey addictive.

I know I go on a bit but have spent the last few years reading so much about food. Ever since my mother died of cancer of the eosophagus and I realised I was just starting to get the same swallowing problems she had had for years, but hers started at a much later age. It frightened me and I started changing what I ate and it stopped those problems. Then my niece before the age of thirty started having the same problems, it must be in our genes, and she also had to change her diet.

What swallowing problems?

I find if I'm stressed I have problems swallowing (or I ^think I will have^), and this is the second time today I've read something which indicates it could be a sign of oesophagal cancer!

Although the article I was reading at the doctor's said heartburn and/or acid reflux was the most common symptom.

I would not have thought that 'cold pressed' rapeseed has gone through that process.

The trouble is that the food industry giants have so many vested interests we cease to believe many of them in the end.

Ana I have the same problem, and I've had it for over 20 years!

Phew! Thanks Galen, it can't be that serious then...(I hope!)

Ana I think my mother having her eosophagus stretched every year and up to three times in as many months some years caused more damage. Plus she should have been eating a more alkaline diet. My mother was 88 when she died and had the swallowing problem for around ten years, sometimes it caused her to pass out.

rosequaertz here is a short film clip about canola and rapeseed oil. I found the same film clip used elsewhere and the voice over says how healthy canola oil is whole showing it being cleaned with solvents and bleach.

Why did she have her oesophagus stretched, Faye? Was it because of the cancer, or just because she had difficulty swallowing?

My mother had her eosophagus stretched because she had difficulty swallowing her food. She never had problems just swallowing. They didn't find the cancer until about three months before she died.

Thank you, although I'm not sure I'm reassured, because it's food I have trouble swallowing at times. Or at least, I panic and think it's going to get stuck.

Perhaps I'll try the alkaline diet route.

It really, really helped me, also my arthritis seems to have gone too, except for my crooked fingers. There are lots of benefits with an alkaline diet.

I would love to know more about the Alkaline Diet. I Googled it but it's a quite difficult to work out.

Keeping acid low has got to be a good thing.

A list of tried and tested alkaline food would be much appreciated.

My mother had difficult swallowing all the time I remember. It wasn't anything sinister - just pent up emotions. I have the same feeling from time to time.

A friend swallowed some food recently and said "Oh that went down heavy"
and I knew what she meant.

Here is a list Falconbird. I notice it has almonds as alkaline but almond milk as acidic. I think they may mean processed almond milk.

Thanks, Faye, I will have a look when I get back from town. We have 2 bottles of olive oil in the cupboard as well.
However, the cold pressed organic rapeseed oil (British) doesn't look as if it has been bleached - it is a bright yellow!

Very occasionally I have a problem swallowing - water feels like a painful lump going down but it is more like a spasm similar to cramp. Is it when you have something cold,*ana*?

Vampire Queen.....I too am addicted to diet coke. I don't drink tea or coffee and struggle with just water. I know it's bad for me, and have really tried to reduce the amount that I drink.

I realise it's the aspartame that's addictive. I also have a problem with sugar free mints and eat a packet a day.......again aspartame.

Until I tried to give up/cut down, I had no idea just how addictive aspartame is.

Same here. I thought I was addicted to the caffeine and replaced the diet coke with coffee but it didn't work. That's when I discovered it was the aspartame.

Have you tried flavouring your water with a small amount of fresh fruit juice or fizzy water? Be careful of the flavoured waters on sale as they often contain aspartame.

Yes I sometimes drink fizzy water, but I always end up needing my 'fix' of diet coke. I crave it I'm afraid, and I'm the same with the mints. I actually panic if my supply of mints is running low.

I know that feeling. I panic if I'm running low on diet coke.

I have problems with swallowing as well . Mainly liquids. No problem with anything I shouldn't eat such as cake or chocolate though .

I went on an elimination diet connected to migraine 30 years ago. I can only say that most food addictions are over in 5 days if an elimination diet is followed. and that just cuttung down doesn't help. l.

I don't read what 'experts ' say, I eat pork and pork fat and prepare eveything from real raw food into meals. Real food is food and it cannot be unhealthy we are humans and able to eat everything.

Smoothies are not the answer either. Saliva is an important stage in digestion and the breaking down of the food. It is better for your dates and nuts to be in contact for several seconds with saliva.
Thats why chewing gum is good for heartburn, it makes a lot of saliva which calms ( neutralises) the aesophagus

Tegan my yogurt stuck and hurt as it went down yesterday, although a piece of Christmas cake was fine.
The yogurt was cold.

I dislike chewing gum though

Have those of you having difficulty swallowing liquids tried thickening them slightly. In the NH where I worked, we used a product called Thick & Easy. It comes in very fine granular form and mixes to a smooth consistency in all liquids either hot or cold. We used to thicken tea, coffee, soup and fruit juices, even water! It is lactose and gluten free. Available from Amazon etc.

I don't seem to have a problem with hot/warm liquids, just cold (and not often) but thankyou for the tip.

I thought it was like a cramp, which I get anyway.