
Reading through a post on Marion Nestle’s “Food Politics” blog this morning got me thinking about my breakfast habits. As usual, Nestle makes some great points about corporate marketing and the content of sugary cereals advertised to kids. As a kid myself once upon a time, I grew up in a household of five, including dad, mom, a brother and sister. We all loved to eat cereal. Limited to healthier selections some of the time, we did, like most households get to have some of those delicious, sugary cereals too. My favorites included FrankenBerry (the original strawberry flavored oat formula before they changed it and made it taste like plastic), Lucky Charms, Peanut Butter, Cap’n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles.
After graduating from college and assuming some sort of responsibility with my own health, I decided not to eat any of these sugar-filled meals for breakfast anymore. I’ve not had any of the previously mentioned cereals now for quite a few years and do feel much healthier for it. However, that doesn’t mean I gave up cereal for breakfast. Aside from the occasional eggs with whole wheat toast, cereal has always been my backup.
As I near the 6 month mark of my elimination/rotation diet, I look back and realize I’ve only eaten processed cereal a few times… so few that I can count the number of times on both hands. Granted, the only cereal I’ve consumed has been Kashi’s “Cinnamon Harvest” which follows my strict ingredient disciplines, but it is still processed. The rest of the time, I’ve gone with oatmeal, homemade baked goods, eggs, juice and/or fruit.
While I can’t say I feel a difference in reducing my inflammation, I feel much healthier and happier that I’ve broken a long-time habit.. a habit of convenience.. a lack of time and effort preparing meals each morning. It is good to know that while sometimes trying a new way of eating may not solve one problem, it’s side effects may help with another.





Since I’ve had more than a few visits to the doctor this past year to multiple physicians at multiple clinics for multiple problems, I began to lose track of my medical history. Each time I see a new doctor, I have to remember what treatments I’ve had and when any serious medical events have occurred. After asking around, I realized it’s not that difficult to get copies of your personal medical records. I looked it up online and found that under a 1996 federal law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, patients have the right to see their complete medical records. This is great for a couple of reasons.
