The only reason I found out I'm allergic to gluten is cuz of you Amy. I decided to buy Protein Power and did the diet. Wow, never felt so amazing. Turns out wheat was fucking me over badly.

I wonder how many people are allergic to wheat gluten or high fructose corn syrup and don't know it.

I recently had to go doctor shopping after finding out I was pregnant, since hubby and I had moved after the last baby was born.
I knew I had found "the one" when he told me to avoid carbs, and eat plenty of fat.
He also isn't making me take a prenatal vitamin, since I eat plenty of red meat, and my iron levels are fine. My normal daily multivitamin, plus fish oil and 1000 IU of D are good enough, as long as I eat spinach and kale (which I already do, thank you Amy) so that I get enough folic acid.

My fiance recently had a heart attack and they have no idea what caused it as he has no heart disease. They decided to blame cholesterol for it and put him on statins despite his cholesterol being "excellent" per the cardiologist and him having no plaques in his arteries either. He had something cause his LAD artery to collapse inward and they put in a stent. He's fine know. They sent him home with a packet on a "healthy" cardiac diet and to a dietician (whom I got into a big argument over her bullshit diet with no scientifically supporting evidence). He was told to eat no more than 1000 mg of salt per day, very low fat, avoid all meat but fish, and to eat a ton of grains, soy, and fruits. To his credit, he's not following this diet, but is finally eating well consistently. He now eats eggs and meat for breakfast every morning, lunch is a chef salad with spinach or a caesar salad, and dinner is some sort of meat (he's on a salmon kick right now) and veggies. And his "well-meaning" family members such as his mother tell him he's eating all wrong because her brother and father both had some sort of congenital heart defect and what DF eats is not what they were told to eat. I hate stupid people who are unwilling to listen to science or anything contrary to their views because it's not what their doctor told them and it goes against the accepted norm.

O/T: This weekend is all about this wonderful new internet plaything. You Will Be Charmed.

O/T: Let's face it, sometimes those 5SF's are boring... They just drag on and on....

Vegans are vegans for ethical reasons, not health reasons, when it comes down to it. The regular brownie probably has eggs and milk in it, coming from animals whose treatment is not in sync with the vegans ethics. No one is a vegan because they don't like the way brownies taste.

Vegan cookies usually have the same amount of fat as regular cookies, they use margarine or vegetable oils.

And I've had plenty of vegan cookies that were indistinguishable from regular ones. Vegan brownies are easy, too. What's hard to make is things like vanilla white cake, because the flavor is subtle and gets overpowered by whatever you are replacing the eggs with. That and custardy things like lemon bars. My brother was vegan for 5 years so I learned a lot. I defy anyone to eat my vegan CC cookies and not be delighted with them.

Bunnygirl... on what planet are vegans going with the accepted norm? Vega?

Bunnygirl- Best wishes.

My sister was a vegan for health reasons. Personally, I don't think having an eating disorder is healthy.

Also Mighty-O vegan donuts are quite good.

If you're going to eat brownies, I recommend these:

http://www.elanaspantry.com/espresso-fudge-brownies/#comments

They are (comparatively) high protein. Instead of "vegan shortening," use an equal amount of unrefined coconut oil.

I began using unrefined coconut oil after my mother lived through a heart attack caused by an arterial dissection. She had no arterial plaque, healthy cholesterol, low heart rate and low blood pressure. I read somewhere that the medium chain triglycerides help keep arteries supple.

I use coconut milk beverage in my coffee, and after Amy's experience with coconut oil and migraine headaches, I keep macaroons handy, too.

And now I need brownies with my red wine. Thank you.

"If you eat a brownie, you had this wonderful, rich, sensual, chocolate-chippy (in that case) thing and that's pretty satisfying. It's a foodgasm, when they're really good."

Amen. Not something to be done everyday; but, if I'm going to eat something "bad." Then, I'll make sure that it is worth it. Otherwise, why bother?

Thanks Crid!

NicoleK, I wasn't stating veganism was normal, although around where I live it's everywhere! I was more commenting on the fact that people are making choices on what they are told is healthy even when it's not true just because the false healthy is considered the accepted norm. I'm guessing he chose the vegan cookie because oats and rice sugar are reportedly "healthy" where the chocolate and regular sugar are "bad" for you.

"I was more commenting on the fact that people are making choices on what they are told is healthy even when it's not true just because the false healthy is considered the accepted norm. I'm guessing he chose the vegan cookie because oats and rice sugar are reportedly 'healthy' where the chocolate and regular sugar are 'bad' for you. "

Exactly. It illustrates the extent to which Western culture has been overrun with superstition and magical thinking.