surgeon wants to take out my breast lump!

[Arrowwind09]

Thats good to know about garlic. I've become a huge garlic fan last few years but didn't know that detail. I pickle it.

 

[TML]

Thanks guys, nice hearing from you again Jim .

I'm so mentally exhausted trying to think and figure everything out, like Arrow said, it just doesn't seems to add up. Like, why is my TSH zero and T4 normal? If I have enough or alot of iodine and/or T4 then the TSH would not send messages for the thyroid gland to make more T4, that's why it's zero, which means I could be hyperthyroid instead of hypo like my new doc and Shapshftr said. I have been taking armour thyroid for almost 4 years and my symptoms aren't going away. I think it could be all about the hormones, and I was put on Armour thyroid for no reason and that is why my I have zero TSH and normal T4 because I never needed T4 in the first place and that's why the TSH doesn't have to send any messages to the thyroid to make more T4, don't you think? Yikes! I'm so confused, I confuse myself just saying it. I can't wait to get my old lab results from when I first started going to that doctor in Houston. I want to know what my thyroid hormones were. I can't believe STRESS had gotten me this way, that's the culprit!

By the way, my metal detox tinctures "Metal Magic" have both cilantro and chlorella in it. I believe those are the only two ingredients in them. I do two bottles every two months, or at least I try to. I'm so glad to know that garlic is doing more than what it does. I have been taking aged garlic tablets almost every day since Winter started to prevent infections from my colds. I'm still taking it while doing the metal detox, and glad that it's benefitting the process. I do believe that selenium also bind heavy metals and renders them useless. I love garlic, I use garlic pretty often in my cooking. I have been using garlic water for my congested sinus and also to prevent sinus infection. Garlic is also good for your heart, I have irregular heartbeat sometimes, I don't know if it helps in that department.

Hopefully after finishing the last two phases of the detox program most of my health concerns will be resolved, fingers crossed.

I will read "The Thyroid Gland" a little bit at a time too, there's too much I have to process in head, it's pathetic. I don't suppose to have to do this, the docs are paid to do this. Obviously I went to the wrong practice. I prayed so hard for the right help and thought my prayer was answered when I, or my fiance, found out about it--in a magazine, in an airplane. I tried to find help everywhere I went, even the third world country.

Meanwhile......

 

[jfh]

I use Swanson's "Metal Shield". All the right ingredients and inexpensive. I don't care for the taste of cilantro; so a capsule is good enough for me.

I like Arrow's idea of pickling garlic. My grandmother used to pickle and preserve nearly everything successfully. She would even dehydrate slices of fruit on sheets of aluminum in the sun with no problem. I've tried pickling and preserving; but I've poisoned myself too often. Once bitten, twice shy. So, I don't do it anymore. I always have activated charcoal in my medicine chest for such problems.

My grandmother was interesting with food. She was born in the late 1800s and lived for 93 years. She would eat every part of animals; tongue, brains, pig feet, etc. She would cook with lard (animal fat) and make gravies that were more like flavored grease. My favorite was "red eye" gravy that we would put on grits (ground up hominy corn). Red-eye is made with only 2 ingredients. Bacon drippings and day old coffee. Fond memories there. Those were the good old days; when we did not worry about cholesterol, obesity, etc.

 

[TML]

Aww...Jim, I'm sorry you got poisoned so many times with those attempts. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read that. I haven't laugh this loud for awhile, thanks for that, I just love how you said it. I guess that gene in the family didn't pass on to you right.

When and where did Arrow say she knows how to pickle garlic? I luv....pickled garlic! My mom tried it many times and failed. Some of her garlic always ended up greenish in color--I think it's mold or contaminated and not as crunchy. But she and my sister always finished the whole 2 quart jar without getting sick. I ate some too, but I picked out the ones that looked normal. Many times I crave for it with my meal. I could eat it everyday.

The first time I had pickled garlic and fell in love with it was when I was living in Toledo, Ohio. It was like 14 years ago, I met this lady at a friend's house and she'd brought over some pickled garlic that she made. One bite and I fell hard--not food poison, but in love with it. She made it just right, it was mildly sweet and tangy and crunchy, uh....I'm drooling just thinking about it. I tried to find her for the recipe and couldn't get in touch, so mad! I wanted my mom to have her recipe, because I always talked about her delicous pickled garlic every time my mom makes it--not that very often.

Arrow, does your pickled garlic turns out crunchy too? Don't mind showing me how? Pleeze.........

Okay, now you know I'm a pickled garlic fanatic :lol:

 

[jfh]

Mia, Arrow told about pickled garlic a few posts up from here. Maybe she will tell us how it is done. Right Arrow?

This is what she said: "Thats good to know about garlic. I've become a huge garlic fan last few years but didn't know that detail. I pickle it."

 

[TML]

I guess I missed the last three words from Arrow's last post there Jim.

Okay, so here's my old lab test results from about three and half years ago when I to put on thyroid medication.

TSH----1.785 Range: 0.350-5.500 uIU/mL
Thyroxine (T4)----7.3 Range: 4.5-12.0 ug/dL
T3 Uptake----30 Range: 24-39%
T4, Free(Direct)----1.09 Range: 0.61-1.76 ng/dL

Everything looks within range at the time. I showed this result to my doctor on Monday and she said it looks normal. She thought maybe he's treating my symptoms. And she's right, except one thing, my main symtoms are not improving.

I know that many people have a thyroid condition and got tested and it came out negative. I also know that you can't rely on lab tests results 100% of the time. So, like I said, he is treating my symptoms and it's not helping. So what now?

I got another thyroid test done on Monday, after 11 days not on the med to see if my TSH is doing what it suppose to do, or should I say the pituitary gland.

By the way, the blood test for the antibodies came out negative. Doc said I don't have Grave's disease or something, something. That's all I wanted to hear "negative", and the rest....

 

[jfh]

Hey Mia, look what I found.

Kim Gunderson's (G&H Garlic Farm in Littleton, NH) Soy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic - Added October 14, 2005

Ingredients: Whole, peeled garlic cloves
5% Vinegar of your choice
Kikkoman's light soy sauce with reduced salt
Place the cloves of garlic in a jar with a lid and add enough vinegar to cover. Place lid on jar and store in the refrigerator for two weeks to "cure". Drain vinegar off and use seperately as garlic flavored vinegar. Place cloves into jar and add soy sauce to cover. Wait a week or more before eating. These should keep almost indefinitely, covered and refrigerated.

 

[Jualsy]

Here in Spain we have the most delicious pickled garlic cloves in small jars with herbs in the liquid they are in. I mix about 8 of them with about 6 tomatoes and liquidise them.....add some lemon juice and it is delicious on toast or toated baguette.

In Spain it is a breakfast dish called "Tostada con tomate"..... I am hooked on it and have it every day!! Good to know its all healthy too!!

 

[jfh]

You're fortunate Jualsy. I wish I could find some already made for sale. Maybe in larger cities. I remember them when young; and just like to eat the pickled ones whole. Just like a snack.

 

[Jualsy]

They are lovely....just looked at the ingredients and it says garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar water, salt and herbs. Sounds easy enough. I may try to make some myself next time round.

They only sell them in Mercadona....I guess its just a Spanish supermarket.

 

[TML]

I wonder if I can use something else besides soy sauce. I wonder if it will taste right if I add apple cider vinegar instead of soy sauce at the end. I'll try to make it when I have some free time. Considering all the ingredients that Jualsy have mentioned, it sounds easy enough. Good job Jim!

 

[Arrowwind09]

High guys, been away for a while.

I experimented with pickling garlic last year and had a time of it. It just didn't come out like the stuff I bought at a little tourist spot in southern Utah made by some local farm lady. So I finally decided that maybe she was parboiling it first...so I may try that next.

Garlic can and often does turn green or blue when you pickle it.. it has to do with its copper content. It is not an issue and can be eaten anyway. No way can mold grow in a bottle of pickled garlic!

For my cheating process I by those bottles of olives stuffed with garlic. When they are all gone I load the jar up with fresh garlic cloves and let them soak in the fridge for about 3 months before eating....they are still quite hot...and not as good as the original garlic in the olives....makes me think they are par boiling those too...but they are good enough and we eat several cloves a day.

Recently been working pediatrics with a family into alternative health. This mom has all her kids drinking "Garlic Juice" starting when they are very little. She takes several fresh cloves and blends them up in a cup of water, strains then they drink it.. I was amazed seeing these little three and six year olds drinking this stuff without argument.

Whats wrong with soy sauce? I purchase organic brands from the healthfood store. I use it quite frequently in many dishes.

 

[jfh]

For my cheating process I by those bottles of olives stuffed with garlic. When they are all gone I load the jar up with fresh garlic cloves and let them soak in the fridge for about 3 months before eating....they are still quite hot...and not as good as the original garlic in the olives....makes me think they are par boiling those too...but they are good enough and we eat several cloves a day.

That's an excellent idea. I love those stuffed olives. I would actually rather have "harder" cloves anyway. Thanks arrow.

 

[TML]

Nothing is wrong with soy sauce or soy products if it's fermented. I recently read an article on NaturalNews.com about soy and its negative effects if it's not fermented. I'm not sure if soy sauce is fermented, but I do like many soy products, even soy beans by itself. Now, I guess I have to try to avoid it if it's not fermented.

I would provide you the link to the article but not sure how to go around it.

 

[Arrowwind09]

Soy sauce is fermented. I use only organic due to a chemical found in the inorganic that was recently found...don't remember the whole story now.

 

[TML]

Do you know if I can use fermented soy products since I have a thyroid issue? The "wellness" doctors told me to avoid all soy products, even soy lecithin in chewing gum. Is this controversial?

 

[DietGirl]

If I had to deal with that, I'd freak out, seriously. I would opt for the removal just because of the association of breast lumps with breast cancer. But, I guess it wouldn't hurt since it's benign.