I think I figured out what made me so sick. And that’s SICK, as in can’t stand up, feverish, vomiting, freezing cold while sweating under 3 blankets, mumbling incoherently, sleeping for several days, and scaring my husband I was so sick.
I was just about to fix myself a little snack, and I realized that it may have been my peanut butter. It looked a little funny last time, but I ate it anyway. You know how “natural” peanut butter isn’t perfectly smooth in consistency? That’s kind of what mine was like, except it was the fully processed “creamy” kind. Yeah, I ate it anyway (I know).
I was about to have some more tonight, but this time it smelled bad. And that would be the one food that only I ate. Awesome.
I did a little googling, and I didn’t see anything other than the recent Peter Pan recall (not my brand). I think that if it was in fact my peanut butter, I just got a bad jar. Maybe I’m wrong though – I don’t know. At least I’m better now.
jenny
April 17, 2008 at 1:13 amGlad you are better now. It’s a horrible, whole-body experience, isn’t it? eech.
I just had what I think was FP, after eating a lentil burger with satay sauce and salad. I had.. well, I won’t go into the symptoms except to say the weirdest was aching and burning joints. The health inspector went to the kitchen and said they have good food handling practices and he’s satisfied… doesn’t think I had FP. Sigh. Makes me wonder if it was the peanuts in the satay sauce, now that you mention this.
Take care – love the blog
Jenny
Janelle
April 17, 2008 at 8:00 amMy sister got food poisoning during Christmas (she bought food from a mexican bus) and I thought she was going to die. My boyfriend also got food poisoning right before he was my boyfriend and he was sick for days! He went to hospital via bus (cause he had no car) and it turned out he had some bacterial infection from the food poisoning!!!
Ana
April 17, 2008 at 8:52 amGlad you’re feeling better, FP is the WORST. My husband an I had it within a eek of each other from completely different foods.
There are points where you really think that you’ll die.
sizzle
April 17, 2008 at 9:16 amI was going to have some peanut butter this morning but I think I will pass.
Glad you are feeling better!
Jules
April 17, 2008 at 9:43 amYou know, I actually don’t buy peanut butter anymore. I guess since it’s a legume it has a tendency to mold quickly. This fungus produces a carcinogenic toxin called aflatoxin (I think–my brain is a bit fuzzy). Anyway, I can’t remember the specifics of what I read, but the gist was that it spoils quickly and the peanuts that are too spoiled to roast become peanut butter. Some countries w/ more lax restrictions than the US (think 3rd world) have peanut butter with alarming levels of aflatoxin.
Um, long story short? :blush: Stick to raw Almond Butter. And make that fudge I wrote about–I know you’re going to like it.
And you are joining me on my smoothie challenge, right? ;)
Lili
April 17, 2008 at 10:49 amI didnt realize you were so sick! Glad you are feeling better.
And, after Jules’ post, I dont think I will ever eat peanut butter again.
Jules
April 17, 2008 at 11:51 amI’m sorry, Lili! But after I read that study, I haven’t bought peanut butter, either. I do love me some Dairy Queen Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, though. ;)
Lili
April 17, 2008 at 12:39 pmThe sad thing is, there are probably hundreds of things we use every day that would freak us out if we really knew what is in them or how they are created.
I love peanut butter cookies. Maybe baking cooks out the mold?
Jules
April 17, 2008 at 12:44 pmSounds good to me! :)
lisa
April 17, 2008 at 1:52 pmSo glad you’re feeling better! It sounds terrible. My DH and son had FP and both ended up in the hospital for 2 days… It was from milk that we purchased at a convenience store. I’m careful in my home now and throw out anything if it’s 3 days old… So we try to eat refrigerated foods before I toss it!
Emily
April 17, 2008 at 2:58 pmOh honey, food poisoning it the WORST! I once got it from a baby carrot … who’d a thunk! So glad you’re feeling better now!
amy purple
April 17, 2008 at 3:54 pmI’m glad you’re feeling better, Nicole!
pve design
April 17, 2008 at 3:57 pmawww, nuts. sick over nuts. glad you are feeling better.
molly
April 17, 2008 at 4:56 pmso glad you’re feeling better, and that you figured out what it was that caused it!
I love(d) peanut butter, but I think I’ll stick with Lili’s plan and bake it into some cookies to kill the bad stuff in it. Just what I needed, an excuse to have cookies.
Lili
April 17, 2008 at 6:13 pmMe too Molly! I have a whole bunch of peanut butter to use before it goes bad…. ;)
Jenny
April 18, 2008 at 6:42 ami heard that peanuts aren’t actually a nut (umm is that what you’re saying Jules – it’s a legume?). Someone told me peanuts are carcinogenic. Not sure if that’s true. I don’t have any atm, but if I do get any, I get them freshly ground at the health food store.
Cashew nut butter is seriously good. ALmond sounds good – healthy, good source of calcium.
My doc doesn’t think I had FP either (see my earlier post). No idea what it was.
I think getting FP from food is a massive breach of trust by restaurants, food manufacturers… it’s just wrong.
Hope you are getting better and better.
Jenny
Jules
April 18, 2008 at 9:29 amJenny–Yup. They’re a legume, like peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc. I don’t know why that would make them more subject to spoiling, though. Some of the studies I’m referring to regarding aflatoxin were in the book, “The China Study.”
katiedid
April 18, 2008 at 4:51 pmA little off topic to the FP (BTW, glad you are better! FP can really throw you for awhile!) but re: the PB. I have been reading “The Clear Skin Diet” for my daughter, and peanuts are not so hot for your skin either. If you notice any breakouts after a few days of PB eating, it’s the PB. Re: carcinogenic, not so sure about that, but roasting nuts can change the chemistry of the oils and turn them to transfats. Raw is the way to go.
Jenny, interesting info on the aflatoxin!
Diane
April 20, 2008 at 12:20 amThere was a recall on peanut butter about a month ago or so and I think it was the peter pan brand. I remember seeing it on the news.Wow…I live in Seattle.Love your Blog!
Jenny
April 20, 2008 at 9:56 amIsn’t it great how a design blog can stimulate a discussion about foodstuffs? Jules, I really appreciate that info about aflatoxins – that must be what my pal meant. I think my brain was a bit fuzzy too when I read your post, as it’s taken me a while to ‘get’ it. Sigh. Less peanut butter and more fish oils for me, I think… Which leads me to…
That’s really interesting Katiedid, about roasting changing the fats to transfats. I think there is more and more to be learned about fats – well, speaking for m’self.
Someone (yeah, I know some wiseapples!) told me cooking with some oils eg. olive oil, changes the nature of the fats, so better off cooking with saturated fats, as these aren’t as bad for us as transfats – the real nasties. I’m hoping to find an oil that can withstand heating without changing to transfats, but that isn’t a sat fat. Think I need to do some reading on healthy oils.
Back to the blogwriter – I do hope you are feeling MUCH better now.
:0)
Making it Lovely
April 20, 2008 at 1:35 pmThis is perhaps the best thing that could have happened from the whole experience: no more peanut butter for me! That should be good for my expanding waistline. ;)
I still want to eat it, but at the same time I’m actually a bit repulsed. Um, almond butter sounds pretty good though. I may need to just stay away… I don’t really NEED a replacement!
Jules
April 20, 2008 at 8:12 pmJenny–you’re welcome! I’m glad people weren’t put off (too much) by my obscure health facts and peanut butter doom and gloom.
As far as the best oil to cook with, my research keeps pointing to coconut oil. It got a bad rap in the 80s, but it is actually has a lot of health benefits. Some of the touted benefits include: weight loss, improved thyroid function, improved immune system function, improved skin appearance. I haven’ switched over, yet, because it’s hard to find reliable information on the web. Coconut oil is trendy now, and a lot of people are selling it, so it’s hard to find reliable data. I’m still researching, so for now I stick with olive oil–which isn’t good at high heat.