Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Does red meat shorten your life?
There is a new study out that shows eating even moderate amounts of red meat regularly can shorten your life as much as 30%. So what does this really mean? What I would challenge is for the people who do these studies to do one that shows the effects of GRASS FED BEEF. That is what we SHOULD be eating, and yet many stores don't even carry grass fed beef. Some butchers I have asked have not even known the difference. Grain fed (i.e. corn) beef is not good for us OR the cow. Cows cannot digest corn so by that very fact they are given antibiotics so that the corn does not produce e.coli and they bleed internally. But corn fattens the cow and is a cheap GMO crop so they feed it to them anyways. Grass on the other hand is what cows normally eat and when they do, their bodies know how to digest it and in response, their meat has more of the right ratio of Omega's, the good fats our bodies need. So, if you are using meat from a standard grocery store, the news story may be true. However, if you find grass fed beef and use that as your red meat source, I venture a guess it will not have that detrimental effect on your health. The study also looked at hot dogs and such and the rise in cancer. Most standard hot dogs are filled with nitrites and nitrates which do in fact increase your risk of cancer. We use Applegate Farms hot dogs which are pure grass fed, organic beef with no nitrates or nitrites. If you wanted to make hot dogs back in the days of doing it yourself, that's what you get in Applegate Farms. I love them! Many hot dogs also have dairy or wheat in them as well, hidden in there so if you or your child are on a GFCF diet, those are additional concerns. The grass fed beef is certainly more expensive but if you don't spend money on feeding your body and preserving your health, you are not doing yourself any good. I have said it before, if you are trying to be healthier and want the biggest bang for your buck in terms of organic, going organic for your meat, dairy and eggs would be the first step. The other stuff can come later. The meats and dairy have higher concentrations of pesticides and antibiotics so you are really making an impact by going organic with these things. At this rate, our girls will be hitting puberty by 7. The effects of hormones are real and they are in most meats and dairy. Remember, we are what we eat and that applies to the animals that feed us! Now eating a whopper a day surely isn't going to do yourself any good, but in moderation organic grass fed beef can offer you benefits in the way of good, healthy omegas!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Correction to shampoo/baby wash post
As I reread ingredients on Nature's Baby shampoo/body wash last night, I noticed something very disheartening. Their product contains both citric acid and sodium benzoate. I pointed out in an earlier post that the combo of these two ingredients creates benzene which is a highly toxic chemical that is often in soft drinks. It is only excreted very slowly from the body, which means it is given plenty of time to do damage to our bodies since our bodies can't get rid of it quickly. It can be absorbed through the skin also. I have written to the company for an explanation. But for the time being, it is out of here. I will go back to my earlier post and delete that brand.
Monday, March 9, 2009
GFCF bread recipe
I have been thinking about making M some bread with my "special" blend of flours I came up with. I still was wondering about the yeast though. So, I got onto Autism Action Plan yesterday and posted a question to Dr. Woeller about the yeast and whether it would be an issue, especially since he did show a mild allergy to it on the IgG test. Dr. Woeller replied within a few hours stating that the yeasts are different and bread yeast won't become pathogenic like candida can but to introduce and give in moderation, hurray!! I will say it again, I LOVE that I can get online (on a weekend no less) and post a question and have my doctor answer me in the matter of hours, all for $37 per month, well worth it! Click the banner at the top of my blog if you want more info. Anyways, once we got that go ahead, we started making bread. I use the following recipe for any baked goods for M:
2 cups rice flour (you can mix 1/2 white rice and 1/2 brown rice if you'd like)
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
I mix up a big batch, put the lid on and shake until well mixed. Then I use as a general "flour" sub and make sure I add about double the oil and about 50% more liquid since the coconut flour will suck up the liquid.
We used the standard white bread recipe and used our breadmaker. We doubled the oil AND water and the rest of the recipe was the same. When it came to the kneading function, my husband did open the lid and "help" it along with a spatula. It will not stick and form a ball like regular wheat since it does not have the "glue" of the gluten. And I don't like the gums like xantham which is why I experimented with flours and combos to come up with the one above. Here is the finished product and M loving it this morning as "toast" with some coconut oil on top as "butter".
2 cups rice flour (you can mix 1/2 white rice and 1/2 brown rice if you'd like)
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
I mix up a big batch, put the lid on and shake until well mixed. Then I use as a general "flour" sub and make sure I add about double the oil and about 50% more liquid since the coconut flour will suck up the liquid.
We used the standard white bread recipe and used our breadmaker. We doubled the oil AND water and the rest of the recipe was the same. When it came to the kneading function, my husband did open the lid and "help" it along with a spatula. It will not stick and form a ball like regular wheat since it does not have the "glue" of the gluten. And I don't like the gums like xantham which is why I experimented with flours and combos to come up with the one above. Here is the finished product and M loving it this morning as "toast" with some coconut oil on top as "butter".
Vinegar as a safe weed killer
So here is yet one more thing to love about vinegar. And I already do, love vinegar that it. I have come to believe that and baking soda can accomplish just about anything and cure many ills. So I put some vinegar (5%) acid in a 98 cent spray bottle from Wal-Mart and started spraying to see what would happen. Well, here's what happened:
It worked best when the weeds got more sun. Here are a few links about vinegar as a weed killer, one even gives more "recipes" and I think I will try the one using dishwashing soap as well. But, if you are looking for a safe alternative to the toxic weed killers and don't want your kids rolling in poison and then tracking that all through your house for the rest of your family to encounter, then maybe give this a try. Boy, that was peppy for a Monday morning, wasn't it? But seriously, everytime I see the landscapers spraying that awful teal liquid all over the weeds it kills me to think of that stuff on my kids and being tracked through my house for us all to absorb. Does this mean I can give up my screwdriver and bucket and the tedious task of pulling weeds? Probably not but it can certainly help with a good portion of them, in a safe way! And by the way, the reports that I read said that yes, this will slighly acidify the soil but that it changes back very quckly so don't worry about changing the PH of your soil. Here are some links:
It worked best when the weeds got more sun. Here are a few links about vinegar as a weed killer, one even gives more "recipes" and I think I will try the one using dishwashing soap as well. But, if you are looking for a safe alternative to the toxic weed killers and don't want your kids rolling in poison and then tracking that all through your house for the rest of your family to encounter, then maybe give this a try. Boy, that was peppy for a Monday morning, wasn't it? But seriously, everytime I see the landscapers spraying that awful teal liquid all over the weeds it kills me to think of that stuff on my kids and being tracked through my house for us all to absorb. Does this mean I can give up my screwdriver and bucket and the tedious task of pulling weeds? Probably not but it can certainly help with a good portion of them, in a safe way! And by the way, the reports that I read said that yes, this will slighly acidify the soil but that it changes back very quckly so don't worry about changing the PH of your soil. Here are some links:
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Vaccine Contamination "Accident"
OK at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theory movie gone bad, a big pharma company has "accidentally" contaminated flu vaccines with the live avian flu virus in 18 countries. Isn't that just lovely? Click here for the full story. By the way, while you are there enjoying that uplifting story, take the time to click the link and sign the petition that would protect you from forced vaccinations when/if this avian flu "pandemic" hits. If they keep injecting it into unsuspecting people maybe that will be sooner rather than later. Reminds me of the pox infected blankets to the indians and the Tuskegee syphilis experiment on the African Americans. Boy, we know how to take care of our people, don't we?
Save our FRESH, HEALTHY food!
Friends,
Help stop a former Monsanto executive from working in the White House!
Currently America is in the middle of a record food safety crisis and it could get a whole lot worse.
There's a possibility that former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor and irradiation proponent Dr. Michael Osterholm will be named to top food safety spots in the new Administration.
We need your help to defend America's food supply. Write Secretary Vilsack ( AgSec@usda.gov ) and tell him to stand strong on food safety.
Ask Secretary Vilsack to say no to Taylor and Osterholm.
1. Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive, whose career literally fits the definition of the revolving door between government, lobbying and corporate interests. Before serving on the Obama ag transition team, Taylor made a name for himself rotating in and out of law firms, Monsanto, the USDA and FDA. While at the FDA he helped write the rules to allow rBGH into the American food system and our children’s milk.
Now we’ve learned that Taylor may be in line to run an office in the White House on food safety!
2. On Monday, Secretary Vilsack is set to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael Osterholm, a food safety expert, to lead the Food Safety agency at the USDA. According to Food & Water Watch, Osterholm has been “a zealot in promoting th[e] controversial technology (of irradiation) as the panacea to contaminated food.”
Irradiation allows food processors to nuke disease from contaminated food at the end of the production line, while ignoring the root problems that create unsafe food.
For Osterholm, the recent peanut butter fiasco apparently was just another example of how irradiation could save the day. "Clearly it's a problem where the raw peanut butter or paste is consumed and not cooked," Osterholm said.About the magnitude of America’s most recent food safety crisis, Osterholm said, "The recall has reached a level that is far beyond what's necessary."Try telling that to the relatives of the nine people who died and to the over 600 sick individuals across the country."This was like peeling an onion," Osterholm continued. "It demonstrates the magnitude of processed food in this country."Well, at least he got that much right…
The problem, Osterholm doesn't take constructive criticism of his favorite technology lightly. In 1999 he wrote an editorial calling food safety advocates who questioned the safety of irradiation terrorists.
This doesn't sound like the type of leader that the USDA needs right now. If you think this is bad news, let the Administration know about it!
Join Food Democracy Now! in calling for true reformers to be placed in positions at the USDA, FDA and beyond. We need a food safety system with some teeth - one that is independent of corporate interests.
Write Secretary Vilsack and ask him to reconsider these decisions. If you’d like to see Food Democracy Now! grassroots work continue, please consider donating as little as $10 or $25. We need all your support to be able to create the change that is needed at the USDA.Thanks again for helping make this a success, it's time to join together to create Sustainable Change.
Best,
Dave
Please cut and paste the below email and send it to Secretary Vilsack at the following address.AgSec@usda.govDear Secretary Vilsack,I ask that you take the lead in helping America protect the safety of its food supply by appointing a real reformer at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) position and advising President Obama not to name Michael Taylor to any position in the administration.Please appoint someone other than Michael Osterholm, who has proven to be too biased in favor of a single technology that has been ineffective in stopping food safety outbreaks and is something that most American consumers don’t want.I took the President at his word when he said he would close the revolving door in this new administration and I know that you want to lead a new era at the USDA.
Please appoint true reformers to positions within the USDA to help you transform America’s food and farm system for the 21st century.Thanks for your consideration.Sincerely,
Help stop a former Monsanto executive from working in the White House!
Currently America is in the middle of a record food safety crisis and it could get a whole lot worse.
There's a possibility that former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor and irradiation proponent Dr. Michael Osterholm will be named to top food safety spots in the new Administration.
We need your help to defend America's food supply. Write Secretary Vilsack ( AgSec@usda.gov ) and tell him to stand strong on food safety.
Ask Secretary Vilsack to say no to Taylor and Osterholm.
1. Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive, whose career literally fits the definition of the revolving door between government, lobbying and corporate interests. Before serving on the Obama ag transition team, Taylor made a name for himself rotating in and out of law firms, Monsanto, the USDA and FDA. While at the FDA he helped write the rules to allow rBGH into the American food system and our children’s milk.
Now we’ve learned that Taylor may be in line to run an office in the White House on food safety!
2. On Monday, Secretary Vilsack is set to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael Osterholm, a food safety expert, to lead the Food Safety agency at the USDA. According to Food & Water Watch, Osterholm has been “a zealot in promoting th[e] controversial technology (of irradiation) as the panacea to contaminated food.”
Irradiation allows food processors to nuke disease from contaminated food at the end of the production line, while ignoring the root problems that create unsafe food.
For Osterholm, the recent peanut butter fiasco apparently was just another example of how irradiation could save the day. "Clearly it's a problem where the raw peanut butter or paste is consumed and not cooked," Osterholm said.About the magnitude of America’s most recent food safety crisis, Osterholm said, "The recall has reached a level that is far beyond what's necessary."Try telling that to the relatives of the nine people who died and to the over 600 sick individuals across the country."This was like peeling an onion," Osterholm continued. "It demonstrates the magnitude of processed food in this country."Well, at least he got that much right…
The problem, Osterholm doesn't take constructive criticism of his favorite technology lightly. In 1999 he wrote an editorial calling food safety advocates who questioned the safety of irradiation terrorists.
This doesn't sound like the type of leader that the USDA needs right now. If you think this is bad news, let the Administration know about it!
Join Food Democracy Now! in calling for true reformers to be placed in positions at the USDA, FDA and beyond. We need a food safety system with some teeth - one that is independent of corporate interests.
Write Secretary Vilsack and ask him to reconsider these decisions. If you’d like to see Food Democracy Now! grassroots work continue, please consider donating as little as $10 or $25. We need all your support to be able to create the change that is needed at the USDA.Thanks again for helping make this a success, it's time to join together to create Sustainable Change.
Best,
Dave
Please cut and paste the below email and send it to Secretary Vilsack at the following address.AgSec@usda.govDear Secretary Vilsack,I ask that you take the lead in helping America protect the safety of its food supply by appointing a real reformer at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) position and advising President Obama not to name Michael Taylor to any position in the administration.Please appoint someone other than Michael Osterholm, who has proven to be too biased in favor of a single technology that has been ineffective in stopping food safety outbreaks and is something that most American consumers don’t want.I took the President at his word when he said he would close the revolving door in this new administration and I know that you want to lead a new era at the USDA.
Please appoint true reformers to positions within the USDA to help you transform America’s food and farm system for the 21st century.Thanks for your consideration.Sincerely,
Ibuprofen for use in gut inflammation and.or yeast treatment
Last week there was lots of discussion on the Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Yahoo group about high dose Ibuprofen for treatment of gut inflammation. One parent posted their treatment protocol from their Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) doctor. It called for 20 mg/kg of Ibuprofen dosed for 10 days and then off for 20 days. This parent reported lots of success, in addition to use of LDN for immune modulation and reduction of inflammation.
Then yesterday I get another email from another parent giving a link to an abstract with research showing Ibuprofen is actually effective both with and without Diflucan. Evidently it interferes with the integrity of the cell membrane and that alone can lead to the death of the yeast and/or with Diflucan can kill it as well.
I logged on to Autism Action Plan and posted a question to Dr. Woeller about this. He responded this morning and thought this was interesting research and followed up with his own blog, which can be read here. He links to the original study that I sent him so I will not link to that too, you can find it on his blog. This is just his blog, not even what he has on Autism Action Plan. I will say it again, if you are trying to battle Autism and need some additional help from an AWESOME doctor, click the banner at the top of my blog and join Autism Action Plan. The cost is very small in comparison to what you get. I get to ask questions 24/7 and he responds very quickly. I can share research like this on Ibuprofen and then he can take that to the next level by following up in a way I cannot. He has access to other DAN! doctors and lots of other sources. He has so much info on Autism Action Plan and then you add in the twice weekly live chats, that is a lot of information at your fingertips. I brag about how well my son is doing and it is largely due to the guidance we get from Dr. Woeller.
Then yesterday I get another email from another parent giving a link to an abstract with research showing Ibuprofen is actually effective both with and without Diflucan. Evidently it interferes with the integrity of the cell membrane and that alone can lead to the death of the yeast and/or with Diflucan can kill it as well.
I logged on to Autism Action Plan and posted a question to Dr. Woeller about this. He responded this morning and thought this was interesting research and followed up with his own blog, which can be read here. He links to the original study that I sent him so I will not link to that too, you can find it on his blog. This is just his blog, not even what he has on Autism Action Plan. I will say it again, if you are trying to battle Autism and need some additional help from an AWESOME doctor, click the banner at the top of my blog and join Autism Action Plan. The cost is very small in comparison to what you get. I get to ask questions 24/7 and he responds very quickly. I can share research like this on Ibuprofen and then he can take that to the next level by following up in a way I cannot. He has access to other DAN! doctors and lots of other sources. He has so much info on Autism Action Plan and then you add in the twice weekly live chats, that is a lot of information at your fingertips. I brag about how well my son is doing and it is largely due to the guidance we get from Dr. Woeller.
BPA in blenders/food processors
I got an email from a friend and former co-worker, Beth, that was very disturbing. It is a story all about BPA (the bad stuff in many plastics) that are found in our blenders and food processors. Here is the link.
So what are you to do if you can't just run out and buy all new stuff? Here are my recommendations:
* Keep the plastics out of the dishwasher, the heating in high temps begins the release of the toxins.
* Only blend/process cold stuff.
* Blend and process and remove food immediately to avoid prolonged exposure, store in glass or ceramic.
* Never reheat in your food processor chamber.
Sometimes it seems inescapable. You try and try and still find these toxins in the things that are closest to our foods. My mother in law bought me a kitchen aid food processor 2 years ago for Christmas. I love it and was so bummed to see it on the "bad" list. But, like many, I can't afford to run out and buy all new stuff right now. So, I will use the one I have but I will no longer be throwing hot food into my processor.
So what are you to do if you can't just run out and buy all new stuff? Here are my recommendations:
* Keep the plastics out of the dishwasher, the heating in high temps begins the release of the toxins.
* Only blend/process cold stuff.
* Blend and process and remove food immediately to avoid prolonged exposure, store in glass or ceramic.
* Never reheat in your food processor chamber.
Sometimes it seems inescapable. You try and try and still find these toxins in the things that are closest to our foods. My mother in law bought me a kitchen aid food processor 2 years ago for Christmas. I love it and was so bummed to see it on the "bad" list. But, like many, I can't afford to run out and buy all new stuff right now. So, I will use the one I have but I will no longer be throwing hot food into my processor.
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