For those of you who don't have PKU, have you ever wanted to try some recipes of low protein food that people with PKU eat all the time? For those of you who have PKU, have you ever wanted to share your
favorite recipes? Have you wondered what others who have PKU like to
eat? Periodically, I am going to start posting recipes. I am, also, interested in hearing your favorite recipes!! I want you to find some of your favorite recipes and email them to me! You can find my personal email at the end of this post.
This is an odd recipe that I found. I am willing to try it even though it sounds funny.
SPRITE POTATOES
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
Cook in big
pot/skillet until onion is translucent and bacon is starting to crisp.
-*STRAIN BACON MEAT- leaving only grease and onions in pot.
Then add:(I usually use my food processor to slice the potatoes and carrots)
5-6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (more or less depending on how much you want)
9-10 baby carrots sliced thin
Stir and season to taste with the following:
seasoned salt
onion salt
garlic salt
salt
pepper
Add:1-2 cans sprite, enough to just cover the potatoes.
Cover
and bring to a boil, simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes
and carrots are tender and most of the liquid has reduced.
Cover generously with PKU cheese shreds and cook about 3-5 more minutes - or go without the cheese at all
*Sometimes
we add a little more sprite to keep them from drying out before the
potatoes and carrots are all the way done. We also leave a little
liquid in the bottom when we put the cheese on so it's not to dry).
Sounds interesting, huh? If you try it tell me what you think!
Until next time,
Phe
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Email at me:
lauragoode@hotmail.com
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Low Pro Equals No Fun
As many of you know, I have been trying to go back on my low
protein (or low pro) diet. I told you how my doctor gave me come low
protein and medical protein food. I thought it would be just like the
food that I have been eating, boy was I wrong.
Now before I start I want to say, this food is not the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted, but pretty close. I started out trying the sports drink first. It was supposed to be like Gatorade and it had medical protein in it. Needless to say it wasn't tasty. It wasn't too bad except it had a metallic after taste, so I mixed it with Sprite, hoping the carbonation would be more prominent. It tasted fine after that and then it made me sick. My body reacted to it as if it were poison. NOT GOOD.
After that, I was nervous to try anything else for a few weeks. But I, finally, brought myself to try the Tweeks. They are supposed to be the PKU equivalent to chicken nuggets. So, my husband and I prepared them as the box directed. They didn't seem too bad, but nothing like chicken nuggets. I was too nervous to try it first, so my husband did. He did a very good job at keeping a straight face. After finally biting into it I realized how good of an actor he was. It looked like a chicken nugget, but was filled with mushroom paste. I like mushrooms, but they were nasty.
I waited awhile longer and then my husband and I sat down one night to test out the formulas. I was nervous for that because that was the reason I stopped the diet in the first place, my formula made me sick. There were some really nasty ones, others weren't too bad. After trying them all, we realized some of them were expired, but there were no side effects. But as it stands right now I am probably going to order the formula I use to have, only because it's a safer choice.
Other than those, I haven't tried anything else. From the list of medical foods and drinks that I told you about a couple of weeks ago, I have a lot more to try. I will be sure to keep you updated on how everything is. All I can say is, parents with kids who have PKU.... Make An Appointment To Taste Everything Yourself Before Ordering It For Your Child!!!!!
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheDailyStrugglesOfPKU
Follow me on Twitter: Phe_ThePKUGirl
Now before I start I want to say, this food is not the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted, but pretty close. I started out trying the sports drink first. It was supposed to be like Gatorade and it had medical protein in it. Needless to say it wasn't tasty. It wasn't too bad except it had a metallic after taste, so I mixed it with Sprite, hoping the carbonation would be more prominent. It tasted fine after that and then it made me sick. My body reacted to it as if it were poison. NOT GOOD.
After that, I was nervous to try anything else for a few weeks. But I, finally, brought myself to try the Tweeks. They are supposed to be the PKU equivalent to chicken nuggets. So, my husband and I prepared them as the box directed. They didn't seem too bad, but nothing like chicken nuggets. I was too nervous to try it first, so my husband did. He did a very good job at keeping a straight face. After finally biting into it I realized how good of an actor he was. It looked like a chicken nugget, but was filled with mushroom paste. I like mushrooms, but they were nasty.
I waited awhile longer and then my husband and I sat down one night to test out the formulas. I was nervous for that because that was the reason I stopped the diet in the first place, my formula made me sick. There were some really nasty ones, others weren't too bad. After trying them all, we realized some of them were expired, but there were no side effects. But as it stands right now I am probably going to order the formula I use to have, only because it's a safer choice.
Other than those, I haven't tried anything else. From the list of medical foods and drinks that I told you about a couple of weeks ago, I have a lot more to try. I will be sure to keep you updated on how everything is. All I can say is, parents with kids who have PKU.... Make An Appointment To Taste Everything Yourself Before Ordering It For Your Child!!!!!
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheDailyStrugglesOfPKU
Follow me on Twitter: Phe_ThePKUGirl
Saturday, March 17, 2012
My Story
I have noticed that my last few posts have been very impersonal. I
was basically giving lessons like I was a teacher. I want my followers
to know me in a more personal way. I'm going to tell you in this post
of how I got to where I am today with my PKU.
I know I have mentioned in at least one post in the past, my name is Laura. I am 20 years old, married, and as I'm sure you have figured by now, I have PKU. Well, since the introduction is over, let's start when I was younger....
I was pretty good with my PKU diet when I was little, but I had no choice. My mom, dad, and grandparents were very good at keeping me on the right track. I never really enjoyed what PKU entailed. There was the formula, the blood tests, limited food choices, and frequent doctor's appointments. But back then the only thing that I didn't realize was the limited food choices. My parents and grandparents took care of that part.
The part that was the hardest for me when I was younger was the weekly blood tests. No one likes to be poked and having an ever sore finger. Well as I grew into a pre-teen, the weekly blood tests turned into monthly, annual , and eventually nonexistent blood tests. I hated those tests with a passion, and looking back on it, they weren't that bad. But as time progressed, the blood tests were the last thing on my mind. My new struggle was with my formula. It was so harsh on my stomach, and didn't taste very pleasant either. So with that, it wasn't hard to forget to drink it everyday.
As soon as I was old enough to start playing sports, I did so. My 7th grade year, I joined the basketball and track team. When I entered 8th grade, I threw volleyball into the mix. Back then I thought I was very busy, then I realized what busy meant when I got into high school. In high school, I played volleyball and ran track. I was also on two cheerleading teams (the varsity team and the competition team). Add in school and work, it isn't hard to imagine that I forgot to drink my formula, and breathe at times.
I was in high school when my diet took a back seat to everything else I had on my plate. I have mentioned in high school, I started having skin problems (eczema) and mood swings. I thought the mood swings were normal for a teenage girl, and I thought I just had really dry skin. I never realized until recently that that was signs I had been eating too much protein
.
In my senior year of high school, I met the man I know as my husband now, Chipper. We started dating and that added into my busy schedule, I also started attending church three times a week. The fall after I graduated, I moved and began attending college. Since I moved away from Chipper, I was traveling 180 miles (round trip) at least once a week to see him.
Shortly after my first year of college, summer of 2010, Chipper asked my to marry him. Two weeks after that, I had a surgery that put me out of a job for a while. I started planning my wedding, and on February 26th, 2011 Chipper and I were married. Directly after the wedding we moved 165 miles away from the town that we both knew as home for as long as we can remember.
Marriage is quite an adjustment for a couple, especially if they haven't lived together before had, like Chipper and I. I forgot all about my PKU, well as much as one can. I always remembered what I could and couldn't have. But formula, blood tests and all that never once crossed my mind. One day, my husband mentioned something about my PKU effecting a baby if I got pregnant. I had really never thought too much about that. Thank the Lord he had said something.
I started researching what high protein levels could do to an unborn child. I cried when I found some answers. Not too long after that, I started this blog. This, also, helped me to open my eyes to what damage I could be doing to myself, and if I wasn't careful, a child. That's when I called my Metabolic Specialist.
Now, with the support of my wonderful husband, loving parents and in-laws, my grandparents, and Dr. Kathleen Huntington, I am working very hard to get my diet under control. I want to start preparing my body for when Chipper and I decide to start our family.
This blog has helped me so much, so far. It doesn't really matter if anyone reads this (of course I would love it if someone was reading) it still helps me to feel accountable to my readers. Who am I to tell you that people with PKU should stay on the diet for the duration of their life, if I can't set a good example.
Well, thank you for reading and now you know more about me. :)
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Twitter: Phe_ThePKUGirl
I know I have mentioned in at least one post in the past, my name is Laura. I am 20 years old, married, and as I'm sure you have figured by now, I have PKU. Well, since the introduction is over, let's start when I was younger....
I was pretty good with my PKU diet when I was little, but I had no choice. My mom, dad, and grandparents were very good at keeping me on the right track. I never really enjoyed what PKU entailed. There was the formula, the blood tests, limited food choices, and frequent doctor's appointments. But back then the only thing that I didn't realize was the limited food choices. My parents and grandparents took care of that part.
The part that was the hardest for me when I was younger was the weekly blood tests. No one likes to be poked and having an ever sore finger. Well as I grew into a pre-teen, the weekly blood tests turned into monthly, annual , and eventually nonexistent blood tests. I hated those tests with a passion, and looking back on it, they weren't that bad. But as time progressed, the blood tests were the last thing on my mind. My new struggle was with my formula. It was so harsh on my stomach, and didn't taste very pleasant either. So with that, it wasn't hard to forget to drink it everyday.
As soon as I was old enough to start playing sports, I did so. My 7th grade year, I joined the basketball and track team. When I entered 8th grade, I threw volleyball into the mix. Back then I thought I was very busy, then I realized what busy meant when I got into high school. In high school, I played volleyball and ran track. I was also on two cheerleading teams (the varsity team and the competition team). Add in school and work, it isn't hard to imagine that I forgot to drink my formula, and breathe at times.
I was in high school when my diet took a back seat to everything else I had on my plate. I have mentioned in high school, I started having skin problems (eczema) and mood swings. I thought the mood swings were normal for a teenage girl, and I thought I just had really dry skin. I never realized until recently that that was signs I had been eating too much protein
.
In my senior year of high school, I met the man I know as my husband now, Chipper. We started dating and that added into my busy schedule, I also started attending church three times a week. The fall after I graduated, I moved and began attending college. Since I moved away from Chipper, I was traveling 180 miles (round trip) at least once a week to see him.
Shortly after my first year of college, summer of 2010, Chipper asked my to marry him. Two weeks after that, I had a surgery that put me out of a job for a while. I started planning my wedding, and on February 26th, 2011 Chipper and I were married. Directly after the wedding we moved 165 miles away from the town that we both knew as home for as long as we can remember.
Marriage is quite an adjustment for a couple, especially if they haven't lived together before had, like Chipper and I. I forgot all about my PKU, well as much as one can. I always remembered what I could and couldn't have. But formula, blood tests and all that never once crossed my mind. One day, my husband mentioned something about my PKU effecting a baby if I got pregnant. I had really never thought too much about that. Thank the Lord he had said something.
I started researching what high protein levels could do to an unborn child. I cried when I found some answers. Not too long after that, I started this blog. This, also, helped me to open my eyes to what damage I could be doing to myself, and if I wasn't careful, a child. That's when I called my Metabolic Specialist.
Now, with the support of my wonderful husband, loving parents and in-laws, my grandparents, and Dr. Kathleen Huntington, I am working very hard to get my diet under control. I want to start preparing my body for when Chipper and I decide to start our family.
This blog has helped me so much, so far. It doesn't really matter if anyone reads this (of course I would love it if someone was reading) it still helps me to feel accountable to my readers. Who am I to tell you that people with PKU should stay on the diet for the duration of their life, if I can't set a good example.
Well, thank you for reading and now you know more about me. :)
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Twitter: Phe_ThePKUGirl
Friday, March 9, 2012
Feeling Foggy?
Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like you were going
to have an "off day"? You can't seem to think clearly enough to do
anything right? Well, that's an all too common thing for someone with
PKU who isn't on the diet.
PKU and tons of protein don't mix. When too much protein is eaten it can effect the brain. It effects the front lobe, which is responsible for all the cognitive functions. The protein makes it hard to focus on something for too long, and makes it hard to think clearly at all.
It's important to know how much protein you can handle. Everyone is different when it comes to this, just like it is when someone has diabetes. That is determined by how well the enzymes in the liver work. Like I have said before, some people with PKU can only have as little as 2 grams of protein a day, all the way up to 16 grams. Whatever the limit, if they go over it can cause lots of side effects.
One of those is feeling foggy. When someone with PKU has too much protein it makes them have to focus really hard to do even the simplest tasks. Even finishing a conversation without forgetting what the topic was, is a challenge.
Another side effect is being overly grumpy or depressed. It's so easy to get mad or take anything the wrong way. I have to say, this one is the one I usually suffer from. Well, I should say everyone around me suffers. All sorts of things can happen when someone with PKU eats too much protein.
If you know anyone with PKU, and you notice they are having an off day, this could be the reason why. And for those who have PKU, be conscious of your protein intake, if you don't, the people around you can and probably will face the consequences.
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Twitter!! Phe_ThePKUGirl
PKU and tons of protein don't mix. When too much protein is eaten it can effect the brain. It effects the front lobe, which is responsible for all the cognitive functions. The protein makes it hard to focus on something for too long, and makes it hard to think clearly at all.
It's important to know how much protein you can handle. Everyone is different when it comes to this, just like it is when someone has diabetes. That is determined by how well the enzymes in the liver work. Like I have said before, some people with PKU can only have as little as 2 grams of protein a day, all the way up to 16 grams. Whatever the limit, if they go over it can cause lots of side effects.
One of those is feeling foggy. When someone with PKU has too much protein it makes them have to focus really hard to do even the simplest tasks. Even finishing a conversation without forgetting what the topic was, is a challenge.
Another side effect is being overly grumpy or depressed. It's so easy to get mad or take anything the wrong way. I have to say, this one is the one I usually suffer from. Well, I should say everyone around me suffers. All sorts of things can happen when someone with PKU eats too much protein.
If you know anyone with PKU, and you notice they are having an off day, this could be the reason why. And for those who have PKU, be conscious of your protein intake, if you don't, the people around you can and probably will face the consequences.
Until next time,
Phe
Follow me on Twitter!! Phe_ThePKUGirl
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