A VERY serious issue... sort of.

I know.  I know.  Unexpected hiatus.  Sorry.  I went on Christmas Break and... yeah.  It was a very relaxing break.

Now this upcoming subject may seem silly to you, but to some PKU'ers it's a real concern!   ;)

The awful, horrible, stinky  

Milk Breath!!!!!!!

Right about now all you non-PKU'ers are wondering: "what's milk breath?"

And all the PKU'ers are nodding thinking, "Finally she gets to an issue I care about."

Well, Milk Breath is a phenomenon that occurs after a PKU'er drinks some of their formula.  You see the formula- though is nutritious and (hopefully) delicious- leaves an odor on one's breath.  PKU'ers are very self-cautious of this fact.  They may avoid talking or even smiling when they have milk breath, which causes their friends to think that they don't like them anymore.      

 But what can one do?  After all, sugar free gum has aspartame (which we can't have) in it.  And chewing sugar filled gum all the time is horrible for your teeth.  

Here are some suggestions that I have thought of (and in some cases even tried):

1. Altoids.  Strong and tasty.  These mints will cover up the smell, and they come in several different flavors.  Plus, people won't loom at you funny for having a package in your purse/pocket.
2. Tic Taks.  Do you remember when Tic Taks were like the coolest things?  Well, they're right next to the gum in the checkout line.  Lots and lots of different flavors.  Although, they aren't as strong as Altoids they are just as tasty.
3. Earth Gum.  It's gum!  Made out of trees.  Just look on the back before buying.  I've tried one brand sold on a PKU website.  But there are other brands and I'm not sure if they're PKU-proof.  Doesn't last long, but then again.  You only need it long enough to cover up your breath.
4. The little "On the go" toothbrushes.  As long as you don't mind either: swallowing the toothpaste or running off the bathroom it's actually a really good idea.  Not as cheap as some of the other options... but your dentist will love you.

I can see some of the non-PKU'ers don't understand.  They are wondering why on earth we can't just brush our teeth 2x a day like a regular person and be fine.

Let's suppose I was a college student.  With an ever-changing busy schedule.  I need my formula during the day.  So, I bring it with me and drink it throughout the day.  Now, I have Milk Breath.  Which makes me feel self-conscious.  

Since it's the middle of the day I don't have time to run off and brush my teeth.  But if I had a pack of Altoids in my backpack... I just slip one into my mouth and be done with it.  TAA-DAA!!!!

And there are my suggestions for Milk Breath.  You're welcome.

(And I hope you didn't laugh once.  This is a very serious matter indeed.  ;)     

 

2013- PKU AWARENESS DAY!!!

HAPPY PKU AWARENESS DAY!!!

Honestly, it kinda snuck up on me this year.  But don't worry I did celebrate it.   :)

I wore a PKU Blue shirt and am making a nice low-pro dinner tonight.  I know, I know.  I could've have done a lot more to celebrate.  

I wanted to paint PKU on my cheeks and wear it around campus.  But I had a huge presentation today and needed to look nice.  (I've been worrying about it all day.  But not it's done for better or for worse.) 

But, even though I was lame this year other people weren't.  I know for a fact, that there was a Bakery in Texas that was serving PKU cookies.  And people have been changing their profile pics to the picture that I pasted above.  People are really getting into the spirit of things.  

And it makes my heart feel warm.  :)  

So once again!

HAPPY PKU AWARENESS DAY!!!!!!!!!  

 

Cook For Love

Okay guys, this one is going to be a quickie.  :)

The other day, one of my PKU friends posted a link on facebook: www.cookforlove.org

It's this really cool site that posts good PKU recipe ideas!  

Here's the bio for it:
"Cook for Love evolved out of two stubborn moms’ belief that even given the severe dietary restrictions, people with PKU should not have to settle for less when it comes to the enjoyment of food. When her daughter Molly went to kindergarten, Brenda Winiarski enrolled in culinary school. Together with Rosie Loughran, whose son Liam has PKU, they formed a not-for-profit called Cook for Love, Inc.
The founders recognize and respect that people with PKU lack a liver enzyme, not taste buds. They both struggled in the kitchen when their children were diagnosed with PKU trying to come up with foods that their children could eat and the entire family would enjoy. Their goal is to simply help you avoid some of the frustration they felt.
Through an on-line culinary website, Brenda and Rosie provide step by step instructions to make a meal that you or a loved one will truly enjoy.
Whether you love to cook, or are doing it solely out of love, join them on www.cookforlove.org as they share their recipes and experiences."

I am super excited to start trying some of the recipes out. :)  But if you're in dire need of a new PKU recipe, this is the place to go. 

Now I have been getting a few questions about me.  The mysterious writer.  Here's a quick update on my life:  I am a college student (sophomore) and am still studying to be a teacher. Actually, my technical major is Deaf Education, and I hope to teach at a Deaf School one day. 

That's basically it. :)  Anyways, thanks for reading!  See you again!   
 





 

Veggies... In a Bag

So, the other day a roommate and I tried this recipe for a really easy healthy snack; and it turned out so good, I had to share.

Veggie Bag
(Or at least, that's what I'm naming it. )

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Various RAW Veggies (We used celery, carrots, broccoli.  But I'm sure other veggies would take delicious in this too.)

Instructions 

1. In a small bowl pour some olive oil.
2. Mix in lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic (according to taste).
3. Cut veggies into eatable sizes.  
4. Put veggies in a bag (we used a gallon sized bag, but it was for more than 1 person).
5. Pour the dressing into the bag with veggies.     
6. Shake the bag, dance with the bag, and throw it into the air repeatedly.  This will get it all mixed up, so that all the veggies get some dressing on it.  If you feel boring you can just shake the bag, but I really recommend the dancing.
7. Eat it!  Straight from the bag, or poured into a bowl.  It doesn't matter.  

(Sorry I don't have proportions or measurements up here.  My roommate and I literally just smelled the dressing to figure out what it was missing and poured blindly.)

Have fun trying this recipe.  I think it's really tasty.  See you next week! 
   

Must be November...

How lucky are we? 

We all have so many blessings. 

When my Grandma was in nursing school, it said in her textbooks that PKU'ers got permanent brain damage early in life.  There was nothing anyone could do.

Now... PKU'ers can life a perfectly happy life while on a diet.

Maybe in the future there will be one little pill you have to take once a day, that makes it so PKU'ers don't have to be on diet.

But for now.  We're blessed.

The PKU Community is exactly that.  A community.  There are activities, and summer camps.  There are seminars and once a year there's a National PKU Meeting.

We can buy Low-protein foods online.  And not from just one company!  There are a lot of companies out there that cater to PKU'ers:

•  Cambrooke
• Dietspec
• Ener-g
• Med-diet
• Medical Food
• My Special Diet
• Maddy's
• Pku Perspectives
• Taste Connections

There's probably more out there. 

But that just covers the food.  There are a lot of PKU Formula companies as well (some of them serve both PKU food and formula).  If you don't like the taste of your formula... there are so many other options out there.  And they just keep getting better and healthier for you all the time.

I love trying out the new formulas.  Who knows if it'll taste better than the one I have right now?  (I seriously doubt it, because I really like my formula but...)

I digress.  Point is:  PKU'ers are blessed.  We have it a lot easier than those who came before us.  We have so much to be thankful for!  So this Thanksgiving, don't forget to add PKU onto the list of things you're grateful for.

P.S.  I'm also grateful for you!  Because most likely, if you're reading this then you have been following my blog for a while.  And have listened to what I have to say.  So thank you. :) 

       

The Way Into a PKU'ers Heart

Okay it's time... I've had this topic stirring in the back of my mind for a while.  And I think I'm ready to share it to the world.

I've done a couple posts about dating (Food And Dates, A Real Date-Killer, Oh, You're a Salad Eater?)  Mostly about keeping the status quo, trying to make a good impression, what to so about food on dates... All important.

But today I'm going to let the world in on a little secret. (Especially to those dating a PKU'er.)

One of the biggest things a PKU'er wants is someone who'll make an effort to understand PKU. 

It's complicated.

 We get that.  We probably don't understand all of it ourselves and we've had to deal with it since birth.  But making that effort to understand... that makes the world for us. 

I know it sounds contradictory to what I said in "A Real Date-Killer".  But hear me out. 

When I was younger (remember I was MUCH younger and quite the romantic!)  I used to imagine meeting someone.  While talking to me I would accidentally let it slip about my diet.  He'd find out what it was called, and then instead of asking me about it endlessly he'd look it up on the internet.  Then he'd bring me the stack of blog posts and articles he was trying to make heads or tails of, and I'd answer his well-researched questions. 

I know what your thinking but I was like 10 or 11 at the time! 

Here's the difference between what I described in "A Real Date-Killer" and in my young daydreams. 

When your on a date, you're supposed to be getting to know about each other.  What's your favorite color?  Do you have a pet?  Would you rather put your hand in a box with an unidentified snake or a mechanical whirring sound?  PKU (especially on a first date) tends to hog the conversation.  So you don't really get to know each other!   

When you go look it up yourself, it shows that your interested in them.  You are willing to live with PKU in your life.  You're willing to understand them.  At least to me, that kind of act would melt my heart.  (Then again if you're reading this... you're probably already looking up PKU.  So... good for you!)

Anyways, go on with your lives.  Thanks for reading this silly post of mine.  :)

Restaurant Review 5: A Classy Place

          Last week I ate at a fancy place called: "The Blue Lemon". 

It had a huge line and was full to the brim.  But that only testified to how good it really was. 

And the food was good. 

There were soups, sandwiches, and pastas.  As well as several different sides: sweet potato fries, rice, dips, fruit, veggies, and salads.  Sounds ideal right? 

Well, all the main dishes had meat and cheese and all that.  (No surprise.)  But there were several side dishes that are PKU proof.  And like I said before...

The food is delicious. 

WARNING:  The side dish portions are small.  I blame the classiness of the place.  So order accordingly.

Yes.  This place is classy.  Very classy.  I would say it was a 5-star place, but it really isn't.  It's like a mixture between a really fancy restaurant and Zupas. 

As you can tell, I liked this restaurant.  :)

But how friendly is it on the PKU Scale???

Probably a 9 (out of 10). 

It would be a 10 IF the serving sizes on the side dished were bigger.  That way you could just order a side dish and be good.  They have plenty of options of side dishes.  Really unique ones that other restaurants don't have.  Which I love!

I don't know about you but I get tired of the salad or fries option. Hmmmm... maybe that could be a different blog post. 

Anways... conclusion: The Blue Lemon is a great place.  Fancy but not too fancy.  Great food.  I'm definitely going to go back there.