Happy Black History Month 2018. I’m using this opportunity of celebration as an opportunity to promote self care by reminding visitors about the importance of seeking professional medical assistance. Here’s my story:

One sunny summer day, I walked into my dentist office to complain about the pain of my shifting teeth and to make sure there wasn’t an underlying problem. I walked out with an autumnal schedule for a root canal and an appointment with a gum specialist who would later require surgery to be done in two phases. The dentist said I was a few months away from having one tooth swell with excruciating pain. It may sound like horrific news, but if I reframe my experience, I’m relieved to have caught these problems early, and lucky to have pretty good dental insurance to help pay for the work (I’m still broke).

Having these surgeries would have people believe my dental habits are reckless. Actually, the gum specialists noticed I take care of my teeth, but genetics and perimenopause (which can cause bone loss and hormonal changes) would have contributed to the problem. But, the doctor also mentioned, most people have extensive work starting in their 30s.

It’s not often I discuss my personal health on my food blog, but I wanted to use the experience to talk about the importance of visiting doctors. The internet is full of unprofessional advice about health. And, for some people, a visit to a doctor results in decreased income and an added expense, which is why I suspect home remedies are popular (and, they do work!). It seems when I tell friends to visit a doctor after someone tells me they’ve had a problem for more than seven to ten days, their response is usually about doctors only caring about money, or how they searched online for a natural cure for their ailment (I do it, too). Bad experiences with doctors are quite common, but one bad doctor doesn’t represent the entire medical field. If you dislike your doctor, search for another one. As much as I love natural cures, I’ve learned they work better when a medical professional diagnoses the problem and recommends the proper medical treatment. Such as the time I had a stomach ailment, and ginger and lemon exacerbated it — the better treatment was homemade chicken stock.

Someone very close to me is being treated for cancer. It’s humbling for me to type this statement. But, if they hadn’t gone to the doctor for their yearly physical, they would be in one of those difficult stages of treatment. The doctor caught the cancer cells before they entered their blood (or bone?), and that’s a pre-stage one, which doesn’t call for chemotherapy. The treatments are experimental. Most respected medical articles advise people to get their yearly physical, because the earlier a problem is caught, the more chances of a successful treatment.

There’s nothing like a visit to a dentist office to remind us of how crucial teeth are to health. I admit, I wish more medical practices had a certified nutritionist on staff offering professional and personalize advice. Since being perimenopause, I’ve noticed my diet needs a complete review, starting with learning how to include food rich with calcium and vitamin D to prevent bone loss (which could be associated with my dental problems). Also, the richest sources of calcium and vitamin D come from animal-based ingredients such as milk, yogurt, cheese and fish. For vegans or vegetarians, vitamin-fortified soy products, cereals and juices are also great sources. I’m also learning the importance of adding more protein to my diet for effective workouts. According to Lentils.org, 100 grams of lentils has 26 grams of protein versus 108 grams of steak (a healthy, normal potion) has 27 grams of protein.

My gum surgery required two weeks of eating only liquid to mushy foods, and it’s done in two phases. When one half of the mouth heals, the doctor treats the other side. It’s a tough meal, because I don’t like “liquid diets.” Vegetables were roasted and puréed into soups with tofu. I spoonfed myself mushy steamed vegetables. Slurped down green smoothies. The issue with this special diet, is the amount of sugar being slurped, and there’s less less carbs and protein. Sure, plenty of these vegetarian-based recipes are naturally made, but sugar is still sugar. And, too much sugar makes my body and mental focus jittery.

“…The nutrients of concern in the diet of vegetarians include vitamin B(12), vitamin D, ω-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc. Although a vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients, the use of supplements and fortified foods provides a useful shield against deficiency.”
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139125

Out of all these slurpy meals, Red Lentil Soup with Roast Okra is the only recipe I continue to make after my mouth healed. Not only did it stabilize the sugar from the liquid diet, it’s a ‘stick to your bones’ type of soup because of the protein and fiber. Before this diet, lentil soup was my least favorite soup. Maybe the homemade chicken stock is the ingredient that makes a difference (store-bought broth works with this recipe, too) or maybe it’s the carrots? A side of roast okra is the game-changer (in my world). And, no bowl of Red Lentil Soup is complete without a juicy squeeze from a lemon wedge. Sometimes a generous spoonful of yogurt is swirled into a warm bowl.

Perfect doctors exist on television. Each of our health issues are a challenge for doctors, but they’re not demigods, so excuse them if they take their time finding solutions. But, their quality of treatment and advice exceeds most internet articles written from a stranger lacking a certified medical degree (and some articles don’t list their medical sources). These days, well-meaning friends’ health advice about treating every ailment with turmeric, ginger, drink plenty of water, homemade broth, and so on are met with a sarcastic wit about their medical degree from a search engine.

I believe the doctors, do you?

Sources and Additional Information:

• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52
• Visit Lentils.org to learn more.

Black History Month Potluck 2018

My Life Runs On Food is one of 28 Black food bloggers from around the globe sharing a few of their favorite recipes for a virtual potluck celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth. Read the list below to read their stories and try their recipes.
Please Note: Recipes publish before or on February 1, 2018.

Beautiful Eats & Things | Turkey Sausage Stuffed Collard Green Wraps

Better With Biscuits | Corn Pudding

Beyond The Bayou Food Blog | Redfish Courtbouillon

Brandi’s Diary | Better than Jiffy Cornbread from Scratch

Butter Be Ready | Southern Style Mac and Cheese

Chef Kenneth | Fried Sweet Potato Hand Pie

Chocolate For Basil | Pilau and Kachumbari (Spiced Rice with Pico)

Cooks with Soul | Braised Short Rib Meatloaf

D.M.R. Fine Foods | Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding

Dash of Jazz | Nigerian Jollof Rice

Domestic Dee | Fried Fruit Pie

Eat.Drink.Frolic. | Olive Oil Collard Greens

Food Fidelity | Mofongo Relleno

Food is Love Made Edible | Buttermilk Biscuits with Fried Chicken and Tabasco Honey

High Heels and Good Meals | Crawfish Etouffee

HomeMadeZagat | Shrimp with Spicy Curry Cream Sauce

Houston Food Fetish | Sweet Almond Tea Cakes

In the Kitchen w/Kmarie | Pineapple Lemonade

Marisa Moore Nutrition | Date Night Bourbon Peach Glazed Salmon

Meiko and The Dish | Candied Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Orchids + Sweet Tea | Carrot and Zucchini Noodles Stir Fry with Shrimp

Raised on Ramen | Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Savory Spicerack | Creamy Fish Stew

Simply LaKita | Blackberry Cobbler

The Hungry Hutch | Orange Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze

The Kitchenista Diaries | Smothered Turkey Wings

The Seasoning Bottle | Honey Turmeric Skillet Chicken