Why I hate vitamins.

Growing up w/ a nurse mother, I was hounded daily to TAKE MY VITAMIN!  Flintstones chewables weren’t bad, but b/c they were mandatory I resented them.  Their grainy texture, metallic taste, the stain they sometimes left on my teeth & tongue.  By comparison, my best friend (one of seven children) was never offered vitamins at home.  She used to come over and when my mother wasn’t looking, she’d take the bottle and eat them by the handful.  This always scared the crap out of me, as my mother cautioned against that sort of thing, but the over-supplementing never seemed to do anything to my friend, good or bad.

From childhood through early adulthood, I took a daily multivitamin.  Every single morning, along w/ my frozen waffles, cereal, or scrambled eggs.  It was rote.  Once I hit my twenties, I added calcium pills to the regimen.  My mother, the nurse, was always going on about preventable osteoporosis.  How too many women my age were forgoing milk in lieu of water or diet soda.  How my entire generation was going to be hunchbacked by 2040.  So I took them, thinking I was doing myself a true service.  Unfortunately, vitamins didn’t keep me from getting Meniere’s Disease.  Something I was diagnosed w/ at the age of 31.  As a Meniere’s sufferer, I was put on a strict low sodium diet, limited to 1500 mg or less per day.  I had to account for everything I consumed.  I noticed the multivitamin I was taking listed several types of sodium on the label.  Not salt, but sodium.  Hmm.  Was this “bad” sodium?  I went to the pharmacy to compare brands.  All of the vitamins contained at least one type of sodium, more often several.  I was stumped.  Should I worry about the sodium in multivitamins?  Could it exacerbate the Meniere’s?  I asked the pharmacist.  Who didn’t know either.  I went to a different pharmacy and then another.  I asked my mom, I asked my doctors.  No one knew.  So I stopped taking vitamins altogether.

That was 6 years ago.  Recently I have begun thinking about osteoporosis, wondering whether I am getting enough calcium.  I’ve always had a tendency towards slouching.  I slump when I sit in chairs, I’m hunched over right now as I type.  I hear my mom’s voice echoing through my head, I envision myself having to shop at Big & Humpy.  For the past week I’ve mulled over the idea of supplements.  Yesterday I happened to be at the pharmacy and finally said what the heck.  I picked up calcium pills and a multivitamin for good measure.

I took them first thing this morning.  I thought YES! as I swallowed them down w/ a glass of water.  But after a short time, I noticed something.  Everyone says vitamins are good for you, but I felt sick as hell.  First, they made me burp.  I have no idea why, but they did.  I burped all day long.  These burps smelled (and tasted) terrible.  Before you say OH YOU FORGOT TO TAKE THEM WITH FOOD, no way.  I took them after consuming a full breakfast.  But even w/ the food, they still made me feel queasy.  Like having morning sickness all day long.  And no I am not pregnant.  I normally have a stomach of steel.  These stupid vitamins, which everyone touts as being supremely good for you, they make me belch, they make me want to wretch.  It is awful.  I hate these terrible sick-inducing vitamins.  Earlier I went to the supermarket, and felt dizzy.  Yes, I do have Meniere’s Disease, and feel dizzy quite a lot of the time, but this was different.  I was pushing the cart and felt like I might topple over from gag-producing illness.   That was VITAMIN dizzy.  I am sure of it.  I hate you vitamins.

HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF WINNERS!

It’s been five days of HARD WORK PEOPLE.  Cranking out batch after batch of scrumptious goodies.  Almond Butter Crunch at 9 am, elfin shortbread bites at noon. My yoga pants have never had such a workout in all their life.

BUT AS PROMISED, I am here to announce the three winners of my FIRST Annual Low Sodium Holiday Bake-Off. TA-DAHHHH!!!

THE PRIZES!!

Natalie (aka, CURLYWURLYGURLY) makes her debut today w/ Bratty Natty’s Berry Bars. We all know Nat brags about her lack of culinary prowess, but these little babies are FABULOUS.  Many thanks NAT (and NAT-IN-LAW!)

Tracie has wowed me with one heirloom recipe after another. Look for her Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge tomorrow.  Big on taste and short on work, this one promises to please even your pickiest PB lover.

And last BUT NOT LEAST, the lovely Lucille G. sent a stupendous recipe from her own grandmother as well.  Lucille’s Lemony Sprinkles will shine on Wednesday.  Light and ethereal, these simple sugar cookies are simply DELISH!

MANY THANKS to Nat, Tracie and Lucille for sharing such delicious treasures w/ the rest of us. You’ve all earned a treat — look for Lindt Chocolate arriving in the mail soon!

And for EVERYONE: Now through Christmas Eve, check back daily for another new holiday favorite on THE DAILY DISH!

Thanksgiving is ALMOST HERE!

Hello everyone! I hope that you’re enjoying the crisp autumn weather, as the days grow shorter and snowflakes begin dotting the air. As our thoughts turn collectively to turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, I wanted to touch base for a quick run-down of Thanksgiving recipes.

The holidays can be especially hard for those on salt-restricted diets – but they don’t have to be. With a little preparation and ingenuity, these times can be the best – and healthiest – you’ve ever known.

So let’s talk TURKEY. When it comes to the bird, think fresh. Although most free range fresh turkeys are expensive, they’re worth it. Not only will you be getting a bird much lower in sodium, but the animals themselves are also treated much more humanely. WIN-WIN. Whole Foods Markets, as well as many food co-ops, farmer’s markets, and butcher shops are selling fresh birds like hot cakes this time of year. With a little leg work, it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to find one. If you haven’t or can’t purchase a fresh bird though, don’t despair! Most supermarkets have a whole array of options. In the past I’ve opted for kosher birds, which tend to be lower in sodium than the standard butterballs. But don’t limit yourself. Roast chicken is a healthy substitute, as are guinea hens, duck and quail. And many butcher shops have fresh birds that have not been treated with the broth/salt injections commonly afforded the processed birds.

Or, if you’d prefer skipping poultry altogether, I highly recommend this fabulous recipe for Roast Pork with Dried Plums.

Not to overlook vegetarians, I have recipes for several meat-free entrees that are sure to please. Vegetarian Holiday Loaf is adapted from a Vegetarian Times recipe of the same name. Vegetarian Lasagne, Zucchini Cakes, and meaty Gorgonzola Portobellos are all delicious, and there are a ton of other vegetarian entrees at THE DAILY DISH.

But – as usual – I’m getting ahead of myself! Why not start at the START with a delicious soup or salad! Soup makes any meal more memorable, and I have recipes for some serious stand-outs. Butternut Squash Soup will have your guests raving. As will the phenomenally gorgeous Beet Soup or Apple Butternut Soup. If greens are more your speed, try this tasty Warm Asparagus Salad or Simple Autumn Salad.

Now, let’s talk sides. No turkey dinner is complete without Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing! Baked apple slices are delicious with fowl, and are a sure hit with kids. Another idea is topping Mashed Sweets with some marshmallows, baking, and serving as an irresistible sweet potato casserole. Or you could try your sweet potatoes roasted, as in Fingers and Sweets. Creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes are FABBBULOUS, as are the always popular Twice-Baked Potatoes. Winter squash is also wonderful this time of year! For an extra showy and delicious meal, I highly recommend both Stuffed Acorn Squash, as well as Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots.

Since most of us love some bread with our meal, try the simple rolls I made this summer with my daughters. Incredibly easy and delicious – and a great time even if you don’t have children of your own.

And what holiday meal is complete without DESSERT? Pumpkin pie is a must-have at our house. But there are some other absolutely delicious pies to consider as well – Squash and Pear Pie and Sweet Potato Pie are particularly popular this time of the year. I also highly recommend Pears in Wine, which look (and TASTE) divine but are supremely simple to make.

Finally, don’t forget beverages! I recommend a nice chilled white wine to complement the meal, but if you don’t drink alcohol, there’s no reason to feel deprived. Try some sweet milky Chai Tea with dinner or dessert.

Just remember, Thanksgiving is set aside as a day for giving thanks for all of our blessings, enjoying friends and family, and celebrating life. So don’t let your kitchen time stress you out so much you lose perspective. If things burn, flop or turn out just plain ugly, laugh and put your feet up, knowing you tried your best. There was always plenty of cursing around the kitchen while I was growing up, and my mom often sat simmering long after the meal was over. But there’s no reason to sweat the little things. So enjoy yourself, and enjoy a big satisfying meal without having to worry about the aftermath.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!