Saturday, September 22, 2012

Deadly Nightshades

For the past few years arthritis has been my bugaboo, with joint pain seeming to increase daily. I've assumed the only antidote was more Advil and another soak in the hot tub, until I chanced upon this advice in "Secrets of Longevity," by Dr. Mao Shing Ni, a 38th-generation Chinese physician specializing in anti-aging medicine: "Some people may find it helpful to avoid foods from the nightshade family, which contain a plant alkaloid called solanine. These include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and bell peppers." 

 Intrigued, I did some research and found a Pandora's Box of information on the subject. Turns out that I was the last to know that nightshades are not just what you hang on your windows.

After reading many testimonials from people who swore it worked I figured it was worth a try, and so one week ago I stopped eating those vegetables cold turkey, although I do still eat cold turkey. This was no small feat around our house, and almost grounds for divorce since this summer my husband's garden has yielded copious amounts of the offending veggies. Many--no, most--no, all of our meals have included tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, either raw, cooked, baked or stir-fried. What with eating organic and getting back to the land and local is better being all the rage, I have surely ingested more than my fair share, while filling the freezer with buckets of tomato sauce and foisting the rest on the neighbors.

But pain trumps hurting your husband's feelings, and so what if a few of them rot on the vine? Since quitting, I have been 100% pain-free. Do with this information what you will. You can learn more at www.askdrmao.com.

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