I checked the Schwarzbein website yesterday and I found some-thing new on it--you know, it doesn't change very often. It seems that Dr. S is going to have an exercise tape available soon. It will be interesting to see what that's like.

I also e-mailed her asking a question (I've never gotten a response back before but thought I'd try it again) and also suggested that she possibly put out a stevia cookbook (for desserts and the like) that go along with her program. I have no imagination at all when it comes to cooking and need all the help I can get ! Maybe if she got a lot of requests for this, she would come through with it. I still have not totally lost my sweet tooth and especially need recipe ideas around birthdays and holidays.

Tig

Let us know when the exercise tape is out. I've also asked and question and received no reply. But I'm sure it was too lengthy of a question to answer.

Pianobeiner

Hmmm, that's funny, I asked 2 questions and got replies. But then, the questions were very short (ie. where is their bulletin board that Dr. S. mentions in her book, how to get cortisol test in Canada). I really wish they had that bulletin board that Dr. S. talks about.

Tigger64, have you considered getting a stevia cookbook? I have a couple of them, but I don't use them much since I try to avoid anything sweet tasting. If you go to amazon.com, there is quite a selection.

Good luck,
Wanda

Wanda,

What response did you get in regard to the question about the message board on her web site? A while back, I sent a message to the webmaster expressing how nice it would be to have a more interactive website, kinda like Suzanne Somers'. I didn't get a reply to that one either.

I have several stevia cookbooks. It's kinda hard to know (at least for me, anyway) if all of the baking ingredients are legal on her plan. I'd love to make some of these baked goodies, especially for my kids, but only want to go to the trouble if it truly is following her plan.

It's nice hearing from you again!

Tig

Hi again Tig:

They just mentioned that there is no bulletin board at this time. They didn't even say whether or not they were planning on having one (even though it's mentioned in her book). It would be a good idea for everyone on this forum to e-mail them asking if they have a BB, so at least Schwarzbein will know that there is interest out there.

As for the baking ingredients, my guess would be that baking ingredients are not totally legal (since that is your concern), but if you find something man-made without chemicals, stimulants, damaged fats or sugar, it would probably be OK in moderation. It's better than the alternative. In SPII, she even uses an example of eating homemade pie with a whole wheat crust filled with a natural apple filling.

Here are a couple of items I can think of. Extracts are made with alcohol, however, I have found organic, alcohol-free extracts made with soybean oil at my HFS that could be used. Other alcohol-free items are made with glycerin which wouldn't be legal. You could find aluminum-free baking powder at a HFS, which would be better than conventional baking powder.

If you are concerned about the legality of baking ingredients, it might be a good idea to gather a list of ingredients you think might be acceptable and then e-mail them to her, asking if they are OK. Are you using the "email us" link at the bottom of her home page? Or the fill-out form at the bottom of her Q&A page? I've used the link at the bottom of her home page with success.

Hope this helps a bit, Tig.

Wanda

Thanks, Wanda! I've been using the link at the bottom of the Q & A section. I'll try the one on the home page and see if I get better results. I think you're right about everybody getting together re: requesting the bulletin board. As terrible as it is sometimes, my experience has been that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" and multiple requests are often listened to. Also, thanks for the links to adrenal fatigue. I'm learning alot and have even bought a book (Dr. Wilson's?). I feel pretty terrible a good part of the time and am really looking forward to feeling better. Thanks for heading me in the right direction. Good talking to you again!

Tig

Hi Tig:

Have you considered starting a journal? It would be great to visit some more SPII journals. We all need as much support as we can get.

Wanda

I just checked my e-mail and recieved a reply to a question I posed to the FAQ forum. I asked if they were planning to have a message board. "We are thinking about planning a community forum" Betsy Stanshine R.D.

Sounds good to me!

Wanda, Where do you get pharmaceutical grade supplements. Does that mean they are prescribed by a doctor?

Pianobeiner

Rosarugosa, that's great news. It would be SO helpful. Maybe if everyone asks, it'll help them make a decision. Hey, maybe we should start a new thread about this.

Piano, when I went to my integrative doc, he put me on pharmaceutical grade supplements. They are generally sold to doctor's offices, but I've noticed some specialized supplement stores also sell them if they have doctors (usually doctors from out of country) on hand. Mine are Genestra brand supplements, but I also get AOR or Jarrow. I know with my Genestra brand, their products are sent to neutral 3rd party labs for analysis and these "assays" are made public. It significantly raises the cost, but at least I know what I am getting.

A good example is L-tryptophan, which was taken off the market due to a contaminated batch that killed several people. On further investigation, I found out that the offending company, Showa Denko, actually made the batch with Genetically Engineered (GE) bacteria b/c it grew at a faster rate (therefore, more profit). It can't be coincidence that their first GE batch also killed 37 people. No one will ever know b/c they destroyed the evidence before it could be analyzed.

Another excellent example is probiotics. Most people unknowingly buy probiotics that are already dead, so they are just wasting their money. Unless something proves that the bacteria are live, who's to know what they are getting? My brand has public assays that are analyzed up until the expiration date to show that the bacteria are still live.

Sorry Piano.... I think I rambled a bit.

HTH,
Wanda

I use the Jarrow acidophilous from Whole Foods (because I'm taking antibiotics right now) - great stuff.

Jinx

Hi Jinxy:

I've never used the Jarrow probiotic before, although I've used some of their other products. The cultures die off pretty quickly after production so the only way to make sure there will be enough live cultures is for the company to actually double the cultures to account for die-off. You can bet cheaper brands won't do that.

Are you taking an extra strength probiotic? The extra strength is best for taking when on antibiotics.

Jinx, you might find these links of interest:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/...gurt/index.html
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...7705#post907705

Wanda

Dr. S's exercise tape is out and available on her website. It is a little more involved ($wise) than I had thought it would be.

Tig