Here is a wonderful article from Dr. Mercola on foods to avoid and why. One note about cans and BPA. We buy ALL of our canned goods from Eden Foods. They have a wide array of canned tomatoes, beans, etc. and they are the only manufacturer that I know of that uses cans without BPA. And we buy Eden Foods (and other organic and healthy foods and products) through Azure Standard www.azurestandard.com. Buying by the case once a month saves money and hey, every little bit counts!
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Food Matters asked seven experts a simple question: “What foods do you avoid?” Here are some of their eye-opening responses:
Canned Tomatoes
An endocrinologist won’t go near canned tomatoes -- the cans are lined with a resin containing BPA, and tomatoes are especially dangerous because their acid breaks the BPA down in dangerous amounts.
Conventional Beef
Conventional cattle are fed grain, corn and soy to make them fat, even though studies show that grass-fed beef is higher in important vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory fats.
Microwave Popcorn
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) lines microwave popcorn bags, and when they are heated the compound, which has been linked to infertility, leaches onto the food.
Conventional Potatoes
Non-organic potatoes are heavily sprayed with herbicides, pesticides and fungicides -- many potato growers don’t eat the potatoes they sell, but instead they grow their own separate plots without all the chemicals.
Farmed Salmon
Farmed salmon are stuffed into pens and fed chicken feathers and pellets. A scientific study on fish contamination showed high levels of carcinogens such as DDT and PCBs.
Conventional Milk
Dairy cows are fed growth hormones to maximize milk production, which results in increased incidence of udder infection and pus in the milk.
Conventional Apples
Apples are heavily and frequently doused with pesticides -- pesticides that have been linked to Parkinson’s.
To find out more about these dangerous foods, click on the link below.
Sources:
Food Matters May 12, 2011
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The seven supermarket foods featured by Food Matters all belong on the list of foods to avoid, for sure—although I wouldn't limit fruits to avoid to conventional apples.
I recommend checking out the Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides, which lists fruits and vegetables that contain the highest and lowest amounts of pesticides, as many are far more contaminated than apples. After all, you can peel an apple, but berries, for example, cannot be rid of pesticides, and many berries are heavily sprayed. I'd also like to add a few more foods to this list, effectively turning it into a Dirty Dozen list of foods to avoid when shopping at your local grocery store.
Genetically Modified Foods
Make no mistake about it; genetically modified (GM) foods may be one of the absolute most dangerous aspects of our food supply today. I strongly recommend avoiding ALL GM foods.
Since over 90 percent of all corn grown in the US is GM corn, and over 95 percent all soy is GM soy, this means that EVERY processed food you encounter at your local supermarket that does not bear the "USDA Organic" label likely contains one or more GM components.
To avoid GM foods, first memorize the following list of well-known and oft-used GM crops:
Corn Canola Alfalfa (New GM crop as of 2011)
Soy Cottonseed Sugar derived from sugar beets
The following fresh produce are also commonly GM:
•Zucchini
•Crookneck squash
•Hawaiian papaya
To effectively avoid GM foods, you need to avoid all products that list corn, soy, canola, and any of their derivatives as an ingredient, unless it's labeled USDA 100% Organic.
I also recommend downloading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, created by the Institute for Responsible Technology, for more information about specific brands and products that do not use GM ingredients. You can also get the guide as a free iPhone application. It's available in the iTunes store—just search for ShopNoGMO in the applications.
It is important to remember to look for products (including organic products) that feature the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal. This seal assures that at-risk ingredients have been tested for GMO content. Many health food stores carry these products.
Please understand that unless you're buying all organic food, or grow your own veggies and raise your own livestock, or at the very least buy all whole foods (even if conventionally grown) and cook everything from scratch, chances are you're consuming GM foods every single day... What ultimate impact these GM foods will have on your health is still unknown, but increased disease, infertility and birth defects appear to be on the top of the list of most likely side effects.
Fructose
Additional exceedingly health-harming ingredients that you're bound to get in excess if you consume processed foods, soda, and other sweetened beverages, is fructose—typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Evidence is mounting that excess sugar, and fructose in particular, is the primary factor causing not just obesity, but also chronic and lethal disease. In fact, I am convinced that fructose is one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
Many conventional health "experts," contend that sugar and fructose in moderation is perfectly okay and part of a normal "healthy" diet.
I couldn't disagree more.
The central issue behind my vigorous objection to this stance is that fructose is now used in virtually all processed foods (whether you'd suspect the food would contain a sweetener or not). Case in point: the number one source of calories in the US is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the form of soda!
Now, if you're able to keep your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day then it's not going to cause any major health issues. Unfortunately, while this is theoretically possible, precious few people are actually doing that. Cutting out a few desserts will not make a big difference if you're still eating a "standard American diet"—in fact, I've previously written about how various foods and beverages contain far more sugar than a glazed doughnut.
Because of the prevalence of HFCS in foods and beverages, the average person now consumes 1/3 of a pound of sugar EVERY DAY, which is five ounces or 150 grams, half of which is fructose. That's 300 percent more than the amount that will trigger biochemical havoc.
Remember that is the AVERAGE; many actually consume more than twice that amount.
For more details about the health dangers of fructose and my recommendations, please see my recent article Eliminate This ONE Ingredient and Watch Your Health Soar.
Artificial Sweeteners
Once you've made the decision to drastically cut down on sugar and fructose, please do NOT make the mistake of replacing it with artificially sweetened foods and beverages. It's important to understand that these are toxic substances that can wreak havoc in your body.
Artificial sweeteners, just like fructose, are also extremely prevalent in processed foods. Aspartame, for example, can be found in more than 6,000 products.
Not only have studies shown that "diet" foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, boosting your risk of weight gain, but they've also been associated with a slew of negative health effects, such as intestinal damage, diabetes, brain damage, pre-term delivery and cancer, just to name a few of the more serious ramifications. Acesulfame potassium (or Acesulfame-K) is yet another artificial sweetener, which has been linked to kidney tumors.
Diet Water
Plain, pure water is by far the most healthful beverage you can conceive of. You need water in order to survive. However, slick marketing campaigns have managed to turn an essential part of your diet into a pure disaster... Leave it to the food and beverage industry to find a way to turn perfectly healthful water into a toxic slurry.
I'm talking about flavored water, "zero calorie" water, and so-called "enhanced" or "functional" water products.
For example, the latest water enhancement product to hit the market is called MiO, which is a mixture of two artificial sweeteners, three dyes, one preservative, and propylene glycol (PG)—a solvent that can potentially result in cell mutations and skin, liver, and kidney damage, if ingested in high enough amounts.
I recently completed a special report on this and related water products, which will be posted shortly.
If you aren't already an avid label reader, it's time you became one, lest you fall prey to these clever marketing ploys. Enhanced waters have become an enormously lucrative business as people have begun to abandon soda for what they believe are better alternatives.
Avoid being fooled!
Because in addition to artificial sweeteners and dyes, these enhanced water products can also contain enormous amounts of sugar and fructose, adding to the numerous health problems caused by excessive fructose consumption.
For example, Glaceau VitaminWater (made by the Coca-Cola Company) has a whopping 33 grams of sugar per 20-ounce bottle, which is only 6 grams less than a can of Coke. Additionally, the fructose found in VitaminWater is the worst possible kind—crystalline fructose—which is even more damaging to your health than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Crystalline fructose is 99 percent fructose, whereas HFCS is only 55 percent fructose!
Clearly, any type of water but PLAIN purified water is NOT going to improve your health, and should be avoided entirely.
Processed Meats
Lastly, processed meats, such as hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, and pepperoni contain dangerous compounds, which put them squarely on the list of foods to avoid or eliminate entirely. These compounds include:
•Heterocyclic amines (HCAs): a potent carcinogen, which is created when meat or fish is cooked at high temperatures.
•Sodium nitrite: a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor to processed and cured meats.
•Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Many processed meats are smoked as part of the curing process, which causes PAHs to form.
•Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures—including when it is pasteurized or sterilized—it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
This recommendation is backed up by a recent report commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). The review, which evaluated the findings of more than 7,000 clinical studies, was funded by money raised from the general public, so the findings were not influenced by vested interests. It's also the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is "safe."
A previous analysis by the WCRF found that eating just one sausage a day raises your risk of developing bowel cancer by 20 percent, and other studies have found that processed meats increase your risk of:
•Colon cancer by 50 percent
•Bladder cancer by 59 percent
•Stomach cancer by 38 percent
•Pancreatic cancer by 67 percent
Processed meats may also increase your risk of diabetes by 50 percent, and lower your lung function and increase your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you absolutely want or need a hot dog or other processed meats once in awhile, you can reduce your risk by:
•Looking for "uncured" varieties that contain NO nitrates
•Choosing varieties that say 100% beef, 100% chicken, etc. This is the only way to know that the meat is from a single species and does not include byproducts (like chicken skin or chicken fat or other parts)
•Avoiding any meat that contains MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavor or artificial color
Ideally, purchase sausages and other processed meats from a small, local farmer who can tell you exactly what's in their products.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
GMO-based bug threatens US food supply
As Scooby Doo would say "Rut Roh!". Read this latest article from the wonderful Alison Rose Levy.
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Connecting the Dots: Novel GMO-Based Bug Threatens U.S. Food Supplies
Posted: 05/16/11 02:20 PM ET A newly discovered pathogen, visible only under an electron microscope, is destroying plants and undermining the health of livestock -- thereby posing a deadly risk to the U.S. food supply, a senior plant pathologist warned USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
In a January 2010 letter to Vilsack, (a former Iowa governor and agribusiness champion, appointed by President Obama) Dr. Don Huber advised caution in introducing additional GMO crops. But just weeks later, the USDA approved expansion of GMO crops to include alfalfa, the most widespread animal feed crop. The unnamed bug already runs rampant in current GMO Roundup Ready baseline food crops (corn and soy), and spreads from there to the animals who feed on them, says Huber, a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University. In addition to his thirty-five years in academic science, Huber is also a retired Colonel, who evaluated natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks for the military.
The GMO Roundup Ready crops are designed to be used with the Monsanto herbicide, Roundup, a glyphosate that leads to severe micronutrient deficiencies in soil that scientists now say are leading to increased crop failure. Scientists have detected a higher prevalence of the opportunistic pathogen in the depleted glyphosate treated soil. It is also found in higher rates in the livestock that feed off of the Roundup crops. Infertility and spontaneous abortion are on the rise within these cattle and dairy populations, with infertility at 20% and a 45% abortion incidence in certain animals. "It's infectious to cattle, pigs, poultry and horses, and will kill a fertilized egg," says Huber in one of a series of video interviews posted on YouTube. "It can readily reproduce, and it's compatible with other organisms." Watch the video here.
In his January 2011 letter, Huber cautioned against expanding GMO into alfalfa, which he characterizes as "the number one forage crop" that nourishes livestock. "Why place it in jeopardy?" Huber asked in the series of videos, predicting that, "In five years you won't have anything but Roundup Ready alfalfa. If we see a new organism which makes it a hazard to animal survival -- what's the urgency?"
Organic farmers have sued Monsanto preemptively to protect themselves from legal action from the GMO producer when the GMO alfalfa contaminates organic seed, which cannot be prevented once GMO alfalfa is planted. Food Democracy Now is circulating a letter asking President Obama and Secretary Vilsack to "halt the sale and planting of Monsanto's recently approved Roundup Ready® GMO alfalfa and sugar beets until independent, peer-reviewed studies can be conducted to determine whether or not these products pose a threat to plant, animal and human health."
Connecting the Dots from personal health to our total health environment. Subscribe for free to make your voice heard for health, food, water, and the environment at: www.healthjournalistblog.com and on Facebook.
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Connecting the Dots: Novel GMO-Based Bug Threatens U.S. Food Supplies
Posted: 05/16/11 02:20 PM ET A newly discovered pathogen, visible only under an electron microscope, is destroying plants and undermining the health of livestock -- thereby posing a deadly risk to the U.S. food supply, a senior plant pathologist warned USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
In a January 2010 letter to Vilsack, (a former Iowa governor and agribusiness champion, appointed by President Obama) Dr. Don Huber advised caution in introducing additional GMO crops. But just weeks later, the USDA approved expansion of GMO crops to include alfalfa, the most widespread animal feed crop. The unnamed bug already runs rampant in current GMO Roundup Ready baseline food crops (corn and soy), and spreads from there to the animals who feed on them, says Huber, a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University. In addition to his thirty-five years in academic science, Huber is also a retired Colonel, who evaluated natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks for the military.
The GMO Roundup Ready crops are designed to be used with the Monsanto herbicide, Roundup, a glyphosate that leads to severe micronutrient deficiencies in soil that scientists now say are leading to increased crop failure. Scientists have detected a higher prevalence of the opportunistic pathogen in the depleted glyphosate treated soil. It is also found in higher rates in the livestock that feed off of the Roundup crops. Infertility and spontaneous abortion are on the rise within these cattle and dairy populations, with infertility at 20% and a 45% abortion incidence in certain animals. "It's infectious to cattle, pigs, poultry and horses, and will kill a fertilized egg," says Huber in one of a series of video interviews posted on YouTube. "It can readily reproduce, and it's compatible with other organisms." Watch the video here.
In his January 2011 letter, Huber cautioned against expanding GMO into alfalfa, which he characterizes as "the number one forage crop" that nourishes livestock. "Why place it in jeopardy?" Huber asked in the series of videos, predicting that, "In five years you won't have anything but Roundup Ready alfalfa. If we see a new organism which makes it a hazard to animal survival -- what's the urgency?"
Organic farmers have sued Monsanto preemptively to protect themselves from legal action from the GMO producer when the GMO alfalfa contaminates organic seed, which cannot be prevented once GMO alfalfa is planted. Food Democracy Now is circulating a letter asking President Obama and Secretary Vilsack to "halt the sale and planting of Monsanto's recently approved Roundup Ready® GMO alfalfa and sugar beets until independent, peer-reviewed studies can be conducted to determine whether or not these products pose a threat to plant, animal and human health."
Connecting the Dots from personal health to our total health environment. Subscribe for free to make your voice heard for health, food, water, and the environment at: www.healthjournalistblog.com and on Facebook.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Are YOU a real foodie??
I couldn't help but laugh as I read through this going "yep, yep, yep that too!". I think many of my friends who read this blog are going to be able to relate too. Happy Tuesday! ;)
From www.healthhomehappy.com
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You Might Be A Real Foodie If…
By Cara, on July 26th, 2010
1214
Share
You might be a real foodie if…
You leave milk out on the counter overnight… on purpose
You know what CLO stands for
You have a giant container of vinegar in your bathroom
Mason jars are your drinking glasses - Anyone who knows me KNOWS this is true! ;)
Your blood pressure raises when you hear public service announcements about anything health related
You’re more likely to recommend an elimination diet than a medication
You get excited talking about mushrooms
You have a ‘milk pool’ rather than a car pool
You’ve taken pictures of your children with the cows that make the milk they drink.
You ferment.
You buy your fats in gallon (or 5 gallon!) buckets
You can smell the ammonia in conventional beef
You shop for clothes at Good Will in order to be able to afford grassfed beef
From others:
You just might be a real foodie if…
You have jars of homemade whey in your refrigerator…and you use them. (Mira)
You know the best place to purchase bulk herbs to make your own pregnancy tea. (April)
You have actual conversations with the people who provide you with eggs, milk, pastured chickens, vegetables, etc. (Laurie)
You lie awake at night brainstorming where you could construct housing for dairy goats. (Julia)
You have more concoctions brewing on the kitchen counter than the average high school science lab. (Julia)
You can’t enjoy a good meal at a restaurant because you’re assessing the pesticide load of the veggies, stressing over how the meat and dairy animals were raised, and bemoaning which ingredients would be soooo much better if only they were lacto-fermented. (Julia)
You think of a shot as having your daily dose of beet kvass (Patricia)
You actually cry over *raw* spilled milk. (Kat)
You can never keep up with all the egg whites accumulating in your fridge. (Kat) I use them for this cake! We make it at least once a week now
Skim milk is what you feed to your pets or garden after you make butter for yourself. (Kat)
You personally know the farmer who raises the meat/fowl and grows the produce you feed your family. (Linda)
People ask why you make everything from scratch and “Why can’t you just buy it??” (Audrey)
Your friends and family wonder why you’re not fat with all the butter, lard, and bacon grease you use. (Audrey)
The farmers market is the highlight of your week during the summer. (Audrey)
You get asked frequently “Why don’t you just take medication for it?” (Audrey)
You’re always trying to find a way to sneak in more butter, cream, cultured dairy, or, really, anything that’s been fermented. (Audrey)
Your friends are afraid to eat the food you prepare because you tell them of the benefits of all the ‘live’ food and how proud you are of all the ‘bugs’ in it! (Nadine)
You’re on the hunt for “vintage” cookbooks where all they HAD to cook with was REAL food! (Cindy)
Your child sees farm animals and instead of saying, “Aw, how cute!” he says, “Yum!” and licks his lips. (Jenny)
Your child makes up little songs about ferments- “komubucha, komucha, COOOOOMMMMMMMEandgititBUCHA!” (Barb)
Your first question when you go to a restaurant is, “Do you have real butter? Are you SURE it’s real?” (Kelly)
You design your house/remodel/look for a house with fermenting in mind! I have decided I must had a culturing / fermentation center either in the kitchen or the walk in pantry. (Pam)
You get excited about raw butter and you leave it to warm on the counter. (Alex)
You comment on how lovely your mother is and you mean your Kombucha scoby! (Alex)
You have a love affair with your cast iron skillet and treat it like a child! (Alex)
You will go to (almost) any lengths to procur raw dairy for your family (Alex)
You own at least one chest freezer. (Ann Marie)
All you want for your birthday is a grain mill. (Ann Marie)
You have a bucket of coconut oil the size of Montana. (Ann Marie)
You consider the fermenting capabilities of just about any cylindrical container you come across. (Barb)
Other people look in your fridge and can’t find anything to eat… because they don’t recognize anything (Meike)
Friends and family ask you if they’re gonna get sick if they eat our food because they see so much sitting out on the counter(Meike)
Your kids know how each veggie came to be and that eggs come from the “CHICKEN BUTT” in the backyard (Diana)
You have chicken feet simmering in a crock pot on your counter, along with necks and bones and other social discards! (Tina)
You are brainstorming how to create a root cellar! (Tina)
You realize you’ve completely flipped your budget, that most goes to the farmer’s market and only a small share to the actual grocery. (Tina)
Your grocery store receipt has zero tax on it. That’s because you didn’t buy anything processed, there’s no tax on real food. (Mira)
you try to convince your friends and family to eat more good fat! (Jen Marie)
you wish you had two crock pots, two blenders, two BOSCH mixers, and a never ending supply of widemouth mason jars. (Jen Marie)
This is all in fun, my friends! Please don’t be offended. And I’d love you to join in in the comments section! How do you know someone might be a real foodie? Which ones can you identify with?
(Part of Real Food Wednesday)
From www.healthhomehappy.com
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You Might Be A Real Foodie If…
By Cara, on July 26th, 2010
1214
Share
You might be a real foodie if…
You leave milk out on the counter overnight… on purpose
You know what CLO stands for
You have a giant container of vinegar in your bathroom
Mason jars are your drinking glasses - Anyone who knows me KNOWS this is true! ;)
Your blood pressure raises when you hear public service announcements about anything health related
You’re more likely to recommend an elimination diet than a medication
You get excited talking about mushrooms
You have a ‘milk pool’ rather than a car pool
You’ve taken pictures of your children with the cows that make the milk they drink.
You ferment.
You buy your fats in gallon (or 5 gallon!) buckets
You can smell the ammonia in conventional beef
You shop for clothes at Good Will in order to be able to afford grassfed beef
From others:
You just might be a real foodie if…
You have jars of homemade whey in your refrigerator…and you use them. (Mira)
You know the best place to purchase bulk herbs to make your own pregnancy tea. (April)
You have actual conversations with the people who provide you with eggs, milk, pastured chickens, vegetables, etc. (Laurie)
You lie awake at night brainstorming where you could construct housing for dairy goats. (Julia)
You have more concoctions brewing on the kitchen counter than the average high school science lab. (Julia)
You can’t enjoy a good meal at a restaurant because you’re assessing the pesticide load of the veggies, stressing over how the meat and dairy animals were raised, and bemoaning which ingredients would be soooo much better if only they were lacto-fermented. (Julia)
You think of a shot as having your daily dose of beet kvass (Patricia)
You actually cry over *raw* spilled milk. (Kat)
You can never keep up with all the egg whites accumulating in your fridge. (Kat) I use them for this cake! We make it at least once a week now
Skim milk is what you feed to your pets or garden after you make butter for yourself. (Kat)
You personally know the farmer who raises the meat/fowl and grows the produce you feed your family. (Linda)
People ask why you make everything from scratch and “Why can’t you just buy it??” (Audrey)
Your friends and family wonder why you’re not fat with all the butter, lard, and bacon grease you use. (Audrey)
The farmers market is the highlight of your week during the summer. (Audrey)
You get asked frequently “Why don’t you just take medication for it?” (Audrey)
You’re always trying to find a way to sneak in more butter, cream, cultured dairy, or, really, anything that’s been fermented. (Audrey)
Your friends are afraid to eat the food you prepare because you tell them of the benefits of all the ‘live’ food and how proud you are of all the ‘bugs’ in it! (Nadine)
You’re on the hunt for “vintage” cookbooks where all they HAD to cook with was REAL food! (Cindy)
Your child sees farm animals and instead of saying, “Aw, how cute!” he says, “Yum!” and licks his lips. (Jenny)
Your child makes up little songs about ferments- “komubucha, komucha, COOOOOMMMMMMMEandgititBUCHA!” (Barb)
Your first question when you go to a restaurant is, “Do you have real butter? Are you SURE it’s real?” (Kelly)
You design your house/remodel/look for a house with fermenting in mind! I have decided I must had a culturing / fermentation center either in the kitchen or the walk in pantry. (Pam)
You get excited about raw butter and you leave it to warm on the counter. (Alex)
You comment on how lovely your mother is and you mean your Kombucha scoby! (Alex)
You have a love affair with your cast iron skillet and treat it like a child! (Alex)
You will go to (almost) any lengths to procur raw dairy for your family (Alex)
You own at least one chest freezer. (Ann Marie)
All you want for your birthday is a grain mill. (Ann Marie)
You have a bucket of coconut oil the size of Montana. (Ann Marie)
You consider the fermenting capabilities of just about any cylindrical container you come across. (Barb)
Other people look in your fridge and can’t find anything to eat… because they don’t recognize anything (Meike)
Friends and family ask you if they’re gonna get sick if they eat our food because they see so much sitting out on the counter(Meike)
Your kids know how each veggie came to be and that eggs come from the “CHICKEN BUTT” in the backyard (Diana)
You have chicken feet simmering in a crock pot on your counter, along with necks and bones and other social discards! (Tina)
You are brainstorming how to create a root cellar! (Tina)
You realize you’ve completely flipped your budget, that most goes to the farmer’s market and only a small share to the actual grocery. (Tina)
Your grocery store receipt has zero tax on it. That’s because you didn’t buy anything processed, there’s no tax on real food. (Mira)
you try to convince your friends and family to eat more good fat! (Jen Marie)
you wish you had two crock pots, two blenders, two BOSCH mixers, and a never ending supply of widemouth mason jars. (Jen Marie)
This is all in fun, my friends! Please don’t be offended. And I’d love you to join in in the comments section! How do you know someone might be a real foodie? Which ones can you identify with?
(Part of Real Food Wednesday)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The effect of diet on health and disease
This will not be news to many of you in the field of biomed or who have healed your children and yourselves of many illness thanks to major changes to your diet. There is such a thing as epigenetics or how our environment impacts our gene expression. In a nutshell, what we are exposed to and what we eat tells our body which genes to turn on and off, including genes that predispose us to cancer. That is why not EVERYONE in the same family gets cancer. And for those of you who seem to think that cancer is random, like getting your number pulled in the lottery, well you may want to read up a little more. What we put into and on our bodies matters. And for those of you who say "Oh I can eat gluten or XYZ food, it doesn't bother me." Really??? Do you have signs of chronic inflammation? Do you have ezcema? Do you have allergies, arthritis, or other auto-immune issues? If you answered yes, you may want to look at your diet. For every person those food intolerances will be different too but I think there is so little thought about what food goes into our body these days.
Never have we had more processed and nutritionally VOID foods as we do now. And MANY people have reactions to foods that they are not associating with foods. You have to do some testing or do an elimination trial to really see what's going on, maybe some muscle testing. To just say "It doesn't bother me" because you do not swell up and turn blue is like sticking your head in the sand. You have to go out of your way to feed your body in a healthy manner. But when we understand what an impact it has on us developing diseases down the road, especially cancer, doesn't it seem like it is worth it? Maybe I am jaded these days. I have had to keep my trap shut because I cannot change everyone's mind and many people don't WANT to change. It is hard when I see children already going down that path to ill health.
Someone who has not been on this journey cannot understand what I have seen just in my child and my family. If I did not consider that diet could impact my son's brain function and health and I took what my standard pediatrician said, good God where would he be today???? Probably STILL nonverbal, probably STILL not sleeping, ezcema, chronic gut issues, he's probably be on a allergy pill and a steroid cream and all the other phamraceutical "bandaids" we throw on something to mask the true breakdown in our body. And we are so thankful that we did look outside of the box, found Dr. Woeller and thus began this journey of understanding more about health in general but healing our son's Autism. What I continue to learn from Dr. Woeller astounds me when I look back at where I started and how much I have changed. We have been blessed to find both him and our pediatrician, Dr. Carrie Rittling, who blend the traditional medical model and alternative medicine so beautifully. So please read the article below, maybe it will be something useful to you or someone you know and care about.
This article is from www.organicauthority.com and written by Jill Ettinger.
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New Study Suggests Food May Play Larger Role in Health than Genetics
April 30th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
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It was Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who made the simple observation more than 2,000 years ago: “Let thy food be thy medicine”. And now, there seems to be a good deal of science to back him up.
An article published in the journal, Biochemical Pharmacology, presents significant findings connecting the dots between food and nutrition choices as it relates to disease prevention, treatment and reduction.
Inflammation is often the source of many common illnesses including heart disease, arthritis, allergies, obesity and even certain types of cancer. While scientists have known for some time that diet plays a role in inflammation, they have also long thought genetics significantly impacted the risks of developing these health issues.
The team of researchers who conducted this recent study now suggest that while certain conditions are in fact genetic, it’s likely not as many as we think. Specifically, chronic health problems are often a result of our environment and lifestyle habits, which affect genetic behavior altering how an individual ‘s genes respond to certain stimuli.
These changes, because they’re not inherent to the genes, means they can be prevented, treated and even reversed through particular changes in diet and lifestyle habits as well as with the help of some drugs.
Inflammation can be reduced through removing certain items from the diet such as alcohol, red meat, excessive sugar and salt, and adding in whole grains, beans and fresh fruits and vegetables, specifically those grown organically, which not only reduces the risk of contact with disease-causing pesticides and fertilizers, and genetically modified ingredients, but organic foods have an average antioxidant capacity that is 25 percent higher than non-organic options.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Never have we had more processed and nutritionally VOID foods as we do now. And MANY people have reactions to foods that they are not associating with foods. You have to do some testing or do an elimination trial to really see what's going on, maybe some muscle testing. To just say "It doesn't bother me" because you do not swell up and turn blue is like sticking your head in the sand. You have to go out of your way to feed your body in a healthy manner. But when we understand what an impact it has on us developing diseases down the road, especially cancer, doesn't it seem like it is worth it? Maybe I am jaded these days. I have had to keep my trap shut because I cannot change everyone's mind and many people don't WANT to change. It is hard when I see children already going down that path to ill health.
Someone who has not been on this journey cannot understand what I have seen just in my child and my family. If I did not consider that diet could impact my son's brain function and health and I took what my standard pediatrician said, good God where would he be today???? Probably STILL nonverbal, probably STILL not sleeping, ezcema, chronic gut issues, he's probably be on a allergy pill and a steroid cream and all the other phamraceutical "bandaids" we throw on something to mask the true breakdown in our body. And we are so thankful that we did look outside of the box, found Dr. Woeller and thus began this journey of understanding more about health in general but healing our son's Autism. What I continue to learn from Dr. Woeller astounds me when I look back at where I started and how much I have changed. We have been blessed to find both him and our pediatrician, Dr. Carrie Rittling, who blend the traditional medical model and alternative medicine so beautifully. So please read the article below, maybe it will be something useful to you or someone you know and care about.
This article is from www.organicauthority.com and written by Jill Ettinger.
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New Study Suggests Food May Play Larger Role in Health than Genetics
April 30th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
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It was Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who made the simple observation more than 2,000 years ago: “Let thy food be thy medicine”. And now, there seems to be a good deal of science to back him up.
An article published in the journal, Biochemical Pharmacology, presents significant findings connecting the dots between food and nutrition choices as it relates to disease prevention, treatment and reduction.
Inflammation is often the source of many common illnesses including heart disease, arthritis, allergies, obesity and even certain types of cancer. While scientists have known for some time that diet plays a role in inflammation, they have also long thought genetics significantly impacted the risks of developing these health issues.
The team of researchers who conducted this recent study now suggest that while certain conditions are in fact genetic, it’s likely not as many as we think. Specifically, chronic health problems are often a result of our environment and lifestyle habits, which affect genetic behavior altering how an individual ‘s genes respond to certain stimuli.
These changes, because they’re not inherent to the genes, means they can be prevented, treated and even reversed through particular changes in diet and lifestyle habits as well as with the help of some drugs.
Inflammation can be reduced through removing certain items from the diet such as alcohol, red meat, excessive sugar and salt, and adding in whole grains, beans and fresh fruits and vegetables, specifically those grown organically, which not only reduces the risk of contact with disease-causing pesticides and fertilizers, and genetically modified ingredients, but organic foods have an average antioxidant capacity that is 25 percent higher than non-organic options.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Gratitude
So I have a little explaining to do for anyone who follows my blog. I have had a few wonderful people who have friend requested me through Facebook and asked in a roundabout way "so what's up, you haven't blogged lately". That is true.
My family and I took off for California to spend my birthday and the kids' spring break at Disneyland for a few days. On the day we were set to return, my Dad collapsed and died suddenly. Luckily we were just an hour and a half away and I could get there quickly to mourn with my family. I have the world's best friend, Jen P., and have been so blessed to have had her by my side since 3rd grade. She dropped everything and was my "husband" for the next week and a half as I muddled through my new "normal", a life without my big strong father whom I adore. My husband was so wonderful, keeping my kids away from their mom falling apart and the parts of death that I do not feel they are ready to see yet. My dear mother in law put our crew up and helped my husband with all of the things that go into our lives, and the fact that we have a child with Autism which adds to the normal chaos that comes with small children. Constant supervision, lots of food prep and shopping were all required as were the on-the-fly arrangements for overnight shipments of supplements that we could not live without for my son.
We had just gotten home and settled when Jen needed a heart catheterization procedure the following Friday to see what has been going on with her heart. You see Jen has had a pacemaker since we were 10, she has Tetralogy of Fallot which is congenital heart disorder. My world was shaken again. She made it through just fine but certainly anytime anything regarding your heart is involved, it is scary. And the findings of the procedure point to the necessity of another open heart surgery in her somewhat near future.
The very next week my husband was out of town and the day he returned, Friday, was the anniversary of HIS Dad's death. We got the stunning news that my mother in law has colon cancer. Eric made the trip back to San Diego to be there with her. I am happy to say it went well and she is recovering now.
The day after her surgery we learned our very good friends who moved to North Carolina last year were hit by a tornado. The blows just seem to keep coming.
This last week Eric was gone again for work. We are finally taking a big breath and just trying to find this new normal and heal as a family. Losing a parent shakes you to the core, and maybe you have no idea what that means until it happens to you. I have been so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support though, some from people I only know through the internet. It is humbling and wonderful. It is times like these that you really understand who will be beside you no matter what. And this experience has really shown me how fleeting life can be and I need to support those who are truly there for me and let the rest of the stuff go. The pain of losing my Dad continues to hit me, a memory that I can never again ask him about, a picture that brings me to a time when I could still hug him, the fact that I will never again get his advice on something, and the most searing pain, the fact that my children will grow up without the blessing of this man in their physical lives makes my heart literally ache.
So, that is why I have not blogged much since early March. I am trying to get back into the swing of things but it is taking time. I thank each of my blog readers so much, I have learned so much just doing this blog because of the great questions and interacting with people I would never have gotten the chance to. So please bear with me while I try and get back into my stride. The blog will continue, and I do have lots of wonderful news to share about my son's recovery from Autism. This week has been especially astounding and I will be sharing that soon, I promise. But in the meantime, please know that I have not given up this blog and very soon I will be back to it!! And again, thanks for reading and your support!
My family and I took off for California to spend my birthday and the kids' spring break at Disneyland for a few days. On the day we were set to return, my Dad collapsed and died suddenly. Luckily we were just an hour and a half away and I could get there quickly to mourn with my family. I have the world's best friend, Jen P., and have been so blessed to have had her by my side since 3rd grade. She dropped everything and was my "husband" for the next week and a half as I muddled through my new "normal", a life without my big strong father whom I adore. My husband was so wonderful, keeping my kids away from their mom falling apart and the parts of death that I do not feel they are ready to see yet. My dear mother in law put our crew up and helped my husband with all of the things that go into our lives, and the fact that we have a child with Autism which adds to the normal chaos that comes with small children. Constant supervision, lots of food prep and shopping were all required as were the on-the-fly arrangements for overnight shipments of supplements that we could not live without for my son.
We had just gotten home and settled when Jen needed a heart catheterization procedure the following Friday to see what has been going on with her heart. You see Jen has had a pacemaker since we were 10, she has Tetralogy of Fallot which is congenital heart disorder. My world was shaken again. She made it through just fine but certainly anytime anything regarding your heart is involved, it is scary. And the findings of the procedure point to the necessity of another open heart surgery in her somewhat near future.
The very next week my husband was out of town and the day he returned, Friday, was the anniversary of HIS Dad's death. We got the stunning news that my mother in law has colon cancer. Eric made the trip back to San Diego to be there with her. I am happy to say it went well and she is recovering now.
The day after her surgery we learned our very good friends who moved to North Carolina last year were hit by a tornado. The blows just seem to keep coming.
This last week Eric was gone again for work. We are finally taking a big breath and just trying to find this new normal and heal as a family. Losing a parent shakes you to the core, and maybe you have no idea what that means until it happens to you. I have been so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support though, some from people I only know through the internet. It is humbling and wonderful. It is times like these that you really understand who will be beside you no matter what. And this experience has really shown me how fleeting life can be and I need to support those who are truly there for me and let the rest of the stuff go. The pain of losing my Dad continues to hit me, a memory that I can never again ask him about, a picture that brings me to a time when I could still hug him, the fact that I will never again get his advice on something, and the most searing pain, the fact that my children will grow up without the blessing of this man in their physical lives makes my heart literally ache.
So, that is why I have not blogged much since early March. I am trying to get back into the swing of things but it is taking time. I thank each of my blog readers so much, I have learned so much just doing this blog because of the great questions and interacting with people I would never have gotten the chance to. So please bear with me while I try and get back into my stride. The blog will continue, and I do have lots of wonderful news to share about my son's recovery from Autism. This week has been especially astounding and I will be sharing that soon, I promise. But in the meantime, please know that I have not given up this blog and very soon I will be back to it!! And again, thanks for reading and your support!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Toxins in our kids' foods
No shocker here, just more information, especially for moms out there feeding our families. This type of stuff should be criminal, using ingredients that are known to cause issues, especially in our little ones. And to add insult to injury, they make a SAFER product to ship overseas? Right, because evidently they have tougher regulations or subscribe to the "dangerous until proven safe" theory. Why don't we subscribe to that as well? Childhood diabetes, on the rise, childhood obesity, on the rise, childhood arthritis, on the rise, Autism, on the rise, ADHD, on the rise, allergies, on the rise. Clearly we are not doing something right. At what point do we wake up and realize what we let little Johnny put into his body is having a detrimental effect? Does it take the call from the teacher suggesting ADHD? Does it take developing diabetes? Does it take them growing up to have a child with Autism? When do we start leaving the crap on the shelves, understanding WHAT those ingredients are and until we KNOW what they do to us, don't feed it to our kids. What happened to fresh fruit, cut up carrots and broccoli? Nowadays the school "snacks" are cheetos and "peanut butter" crackers. Read the ingredients, get involved, know what you are doing to your kids' bodies. WE make the decisions, WE need to take control and make a positive impact on our kids and the next generation. Did you know that the lovely combo of citric acid and sodium benzoate (when heated) create benzene in the body? Benzene is a carcinogen that is only excreted very, very slowly from the body. See how many products have those two (I will give you a hint, quite a few). This was just one tidbit presented at a DAN! conference, the class? Protecting your child from a toxic world by Dr. Freedenfeld. That's right, WE have to protect our kids. Our FDA will not, the food manufacturers will not. If you assume that a product on the shelf is safe then you need to think again. And how many other ingredients react with other ingredients, trying to do that matrix is overwhelming. If you can't pronounce it, it comes in artificial colors/flavors or you don't know what it does, I challenge you to NOT put it in your child for the next week. And just for fun, keep a log of behaviors. We all need to educate ourselves on these ingredients that are commonplace in this country and what detrimental impact they may be having on your child's health. Our kids are counting on us!
From the Enviroblog
Toxins in Our Kids' Foods: Where is the FDA?
April 4, 2011
Guest Post by Laurie David and Robyn O'Brien, EWG Board Member
Yesterday, in the face of a just- released report by the National Cancer Institute that showed a 9.4% increase in childhood cancer between 1992 and 2007(1), the FDA let moms and dads all across America, down. Instead of making the long overdue move to do something serious about getting rid of toxic food dyes so ubiquitous in our food supply, they instead fell back on those two simple words so often used to stall, delay and deny..."more research." In kitchens across this country, eight dyes, currently being used by manufacturers can be found in everything from packaged macaroni and cheese, breakfast cereal to practically every piece of candy your child has ever put in its mouth. Links are being found to hyperactivity in kids (ADHD), cancer and serious food allergies. (2) But here is the truly crazy thing. Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-Mart have already removed these artificial food colors and dyes from the same products that they distribute in other countries. They did it in response to consumer demand and an extraordinary study called the Southampton Study. The Southampton Study (3) was unusual in that it tested children on a combination of two ingredients: tartrazine (yellow #5) and sodium benzoate. The study's designers knew that a child very rarely has occasion to ingest just a synthetic color or just a preservative; rather, a child who is gobbling up multicolored candies is probably taking in several colors and at least one preservative. What's amazing is that in the U.K., the federal food safety agency actually funded the Southampton Study that led to even U.S. corporations eliminating synthetic colors and sodium benzoate from their U.K. products. And in response, a whole host of companies, including the U.K. branches of Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca Cola and the Mars candy company (who make M&Ms), have voluntarily removed artificial colors, the preservative sodium benzoate, and even aspartame from their products. Particularly those marketed to kids. Take a close look at the ingredient list for the product below.
Our American companies had removed these harmful ingredients from their products overseas--but not here! Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-mart are living proof that it is possible for giant corporations to make and sell kid-friendly, family-friendly, and healthy processed food without necessarily exposing them to a chemical cocktail that might also give them allergic reactions, brain tumors, or leukemia, or the symptoms of ADHD, as the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently highlighted in their report "Rainbow of Risks". No need to go through all the numbers for increased health problems here. You've heard them all and it isn't pretty. For goodness sake, no more research necessary. Lets stop poisoning our own kids. Lets start assuming chemicals are dangerous until proven safe, not the other way around. Is it too much to ask the FDA and the processed food companies for the same value to be placed on the lives of the American kids in their cost-benefit analyses that has been placed on the lives of kids in the UK? Moms, we can create that same change here. And with 51 million moms waking up to the dangers that toxins present to the health of our kids, our numbers are equivalent to the entire population of Spain. Time to get down to business, level the playing field for our kids, and send a message to these companies. Vote with your pocketbook today, this weekend, next month as you grocery shop for your family. Because while the American children only represent 30% of our population, they are 100% of our future. So while the FDA may not value their lives accordingly, we can. Notes: 1. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, March 31, 2011 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djr141 2. Rainbow of Risks, http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006291.html 3. Southampton Study http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/additivesbehaviourfinrep.pdf
From the Enviroblog
Toxins in Our Kids' Foods: Where is the FDA?
April 4, 2011
Guest Post by Laurie David and Robyn O'Brien, EWG Board Member
Yesterday, in the face of a just- released report by the National Cancer Institute that showed a 9.4% increase in childhood cancer between 1992 and 2007(1), the FDA let moms and dads all across America, down. Instead of making the long overdue move to do something serious about getting rid of toxic food dyes so ubiquitous in our food supply, they instead fell back on those two simple words so often used to stall, delay and deny..."more research." In kitchens across this country, eight dyes, currently being used by manufacturers can be found in everything from packaged macaroni and cheese, breakfast cereal to practically every piece of candy your child has ever put in its mouth. Links are being found to hyperactivity in kids (ADHD), cancer and serious food allergies. (2) But here is the truly crazy thing. Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-Mart have already removed these artificial food colors and dyes from the same products that they distribute in other countries. They did it in response to consumer demand and an extraordinary study called the Southampton Study. The Southampton Study (3) was unusual in that it tested children on a combination of two ingredients: tartrazine (yellow #5) and sodium benzoate. The study's designers knew that a child very rarely has occasion to ingest just a synthetic color or just a preservative; rather, a child who is gobbling up multicolored candies is probably taking in several colors and at least one preservative. What's amazing is that in the U.K., the federal food safety agency actually funded the Southampton Study that led to even U.S. corporations eliminating synthetic colors and sodium benzoate from their U.K. products. And in response, a whole host of companies, including the U.K. branches of Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca Cola and the Mars candy company (who make M&Ms), have voluntarily removed artificial colors, the preservative sodium benzoate, and even aspartame from their products. Particularly those marketed to kids. Take a close look at the ingredient list for the product below.
Our American companies had removed these harmful ingredients from their products overseas--but not here! Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-mart are living proof that it is possible for giant corporations to make and sell kid-friendly, family-friendly, and healthy processed food without necessarily exposing them to a chemical cocktail that might also give them allergic reactions, brain tumors, or leukemia, or the symptoms of ADHD, as the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently highlighted in their report "Rainbow of Risks". No need to go through all the numbers for increased health problems here. You've heard them all and it isn't pretty. For goodness sake, no more research necessary. Lets stop poisoning our own kids. Lets start assuming chemicals are dangerous until proven safe, not the other way around. Is it too much to ask the FDA and the processed food companies for the same value to be placed on the lives of the American kids in their cost-benefit analyses that has been placed on the lives of kids in the UK? Moms, we can create that same change here. And with 51 million moms waking up to the dangers that toxins present to the health of our kids, our numbers are equivalent to the entire population of Spain. Time to get down to business, level the playing field for our kids, and send a message to these companies. Vote with your pocketbook today, this weekend, next month as you grocery shop for your family. Because while the American children only represent 30% of our population, they are 100% of our future. So while the FDA may not value their lives accordingly, we can. Notes: 1. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, March 31, 2011 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djr141 2. Rainbow of Risks, http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006291.html 3. Southampton Study http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/additivesbehaviourfinrep.pdf
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Low Cholesterol in Autism
We hear a lot about high cholesterol but usually the only thing we hear about low cholesterol is "way to go" from our mainstream doctors. But, too low levels of cholesterol is a bad thing and can inhibit lots of brain functions. Did you know that oxytocin receptors are not activated without adequate levels of cholesterol? Oxytocin and Autism has already been explored and so for ASD kiddos with low cholesterol, this could be even more of an impact from all of the other biomedical issues we know to be at play. We've successfully raised my son's cholesterol into normal ranges using Sonic Cholesterol from New Beginnings because both he and I have low cholesterol AND egg allergies. So, a cholesterol supplement was necessary. Want to know more about this issue? Dr. Woeller, our son's specialist, does free webinars through Great Plains Labs to help parents understand more of the issues surrounding Autism and their next one is on Cholesterol and Autism. Click HERE to go to the link to register. It is April 13th at 6:00 pm Pacific time.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
More benefits of coconut oil
So this is probably pretty redundant at this point but hey, I love coconut oil and want to make sure people understand its various health benefits. Here is info from a site http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/coconut.htm. Some of this info was new to me so I wanted to share. Oh and Tropical Traditions is running a sale, buy 1 get one free on their 16 oz sizes of coconut oil! Click HERE to go to their site. But read the article below, it is pretty long but I think it is informative.
Coconut Oil
(Plus a book review and a product review.)
How many times must we quote that dark character from the movie (and book), All The President’s Men, by the name of "Deep Throat?"
His statement is simple, but charged: "Follow the money."
Fats, fats, fats. We are told so much about fats. Fats kill. Fats cause heart disease. Fats cause cancer.
The purpose of this article is to break through the junk science we’ve all been spoon fed and bring to light some of the truth about fats.
The American Heart Association (and a sundry of organizations supposedly supporting your healthy heart) since the fifties have been telling us to eat margarine and polyunsaturated oils for good heart health. When you follow the money, you discover that the companies making these products are the largest supporters of these supposed heart organizations.
In 1998, the American Heart Association, in the face of overwhelming evidence (and the fact that Americans can actually read) finally came out telling us to limit our intake of trans fats, the main ingredient in margarine.
Trans fats are also called partially hydrogenated oils. They are in all our junk foods, but some food companies are starting to cut back on their use, as sales have fallen off since revelations about trans fats began circulating.
Now, here’s something you might not know: heating oils (almost all oils) actually starts to turn the oil into a partially hydrogenated oil.
One more thing you might not know: the oils in your store, on those shelves, looking golden and clear, are ALREADY RANCID.
Here’s a little something I learned from a tape sent to me by Karl Loren:
Corn oil is first squeezed from the corn and filtered. This is virgin oil. Virgin corn oil is not very stable to begin with and immediately starts to oxidize (break down/turn rancid).
There is still corn mash left over from the process, and because the food industry wants to make even greater profits, they go on to chemically extract the rest of the oil found in this mash. They add benzene to the corn mash.
The benzene pulls the extra oil out of the corn the same way gasoline pulls oil out of a soiled cloth. Since benzene is not allowed in food, the oil must be heated (burned) to burn off the benzene. The burning process denatures the oil (starts to turn it into a trans fat) and also oxidizes it and makes it rancid.
The oils are all mixed together, the virgin squeezing and the chemically extracted oils. They are bottled in clear plastic. Oh, I forgot: there’s a chemical factory just outside of New Jersey that makes an oil flavored perfume that is added to the oil so you don’t smell the rancidity.
In the clear plastic, the oil is assaulted by light which further breaks it down.
So, when you finally open that bottle of corn oil, it still smells clean and pure, but much of it is already rancid, and rancid oils can attack your arteries and have been linked to cancer.
Now lets tell you a little bit about coconut oil.
Coconut oil is one of the most stable oils you can buy. It does not turn rancid easily. It does not attack your arteries. In fact, coconut oil was one of the foods Weston Price studied in his journeys. He discovered that the coconut was considered, by the local populations, a medicine food. He found that those civilizations that consumed coconut regularly had no knowledge of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.
Let’s take a look at the healing properties of coconut oil:
Coconut oil is antiviral, antifungal (kills yeast too) and antibacterial. It attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis. It kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia, and many, many more bacterial infections. It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more.
Coconut oil is called the "low fat" fat. It actually acts like a carbohydrate in that it is quickly broken down in the liver and used as quick energy. It is NOT stored like other fats. It boosts one’s energy and endurance. Many athletes use it blended into their drinks. It also supports thyroid function and increases your metabolism (great if you want to lose weight).
Coconut oil improves digestion and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), and amino acids. It improves the body’s use of blood glucose and improves insulin secretion and absorption (great for type II diabetes). In fact, many diabetics (type I and type II) use it to reduce their symptoms. One’s risk of diabetes decreases with regular use of coconuts and coconut oil. And as we already mentioned, cooking with coconut oil does not create any harmful byproducts.
Coconut oil helps the body heal and repair faster. It aids and supports immune function, protecting us from a variety of cancers.
Coconut oil, contrary to much hubbub, is good for your heart. It keeps our blood platelets from sticking together (and causing dangerous clots). Regular users of coconut oils have a much lower chance of atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and strokes. Coconut oil can lower your blood pressure.
Coconut oil is a natural antioxidant. It protects the body from free radical damage and prevents premature aging and degenerative diseases.
Finally, coconut oil is the best massage oil on the planet. What it does to your skin, you simply have to witness. It forms a barrier against infections, softens and moisturizes your skin, and prevents wrinkling, sagging, and age spots. It promotes healthy hair and complexion, protects from any damaging UV rays. (It is used in Ron Salley’s products.)
So? How come we don’t know about coconut oil? In our research, we discovered that coconut oil was attacked by the oil industry as being an "artery clogger." While doing this research, we were contacted by Bruce Fife, ND, who sent us a copy of his book to review: The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil. (See below for where to get your copy.)
According to Bruce, it was mainly the American Soybean Association (ASA) that began the attack. They were followed by the Corn Products Company (CPC International), and finally got support from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Prior to the eighties, coconut oil was used quite heavily in the US for baking, frying, and even making popcorn at the theaters. Then along came the ASA that contended that saturated fats caused heart disease, and since coconut oil was saturated, it too caused heart disease. Ironically, when they got the backing of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, science went out the window. For something to be truly scientific, it has to be tested. There were lots of assumptions, accusations, and claims, but no tests. During congressional hearings, the truth tried to come out, but as the saying goes, "The truth never stood in the way of a good story," and newspapers hit the stands proclaiming that coconut oil clogged arteries. The poor countries exporting coconuts couldn’t fight the large American food industry, and soon partially hydrogenated soybean oil was in everything.
And that’s when heart disease rates took off. Bruce tells us about India, and how within a year of switching from coconut oil to partially hydrogenated soybean oil the number of death due to heart disease tripled. He goes on to tell us that researchers estimate (this is the low estimation) 30,000 premature deaths each year in this country due to partially hydrogenated oils.
Bruce tells us that 50% of coconut oil is lauric acid. The only other good source of lauric acid is mother’s milk. Dr Mary Enig, one of the leading authorities on fats, tells us
Approximately 50 percent of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid.
Medium chain fatty acid. That doesn’t mean much to most people, however, this gives coconut oil its unique qualities. It is not digested as other fats, but gives you quick energy. In the body it is broken down quickly, but on the shelf, it doesn’t break down as quickly as other fats. It is just plain better than other fats.
In our book, Bypassing Bypass, we point out that the current theory of heart disease points to infections in the blood as being the culprit behind our skyrocketing heart disease rates. Even gum disease can eventually lead to a fatal heart attack, as the germs leave the mouth and travel through our system of blood vessels. Consumption of coconut oil can cut your chances of heart disease better than any drug on the market. We highly recommend you pick up a copy of Bruce’s Book. It is so packed full of information that you’ll read it like a murder mystery, hardly able to put it down. It is well researched and well written.
Coconut oil is NOT a magic bullet. You don’t simply take it when you have been hit by a virus. You have to eat it daily (or get some whole coconut in you) and build up your body’s supply of the nurturing fatty acids in coconut from the coconut.
How much coconut oil to eat? Here’s the figure we get from Bruce: between three and four tablespoons a day. "That’s a lot!" you might say. But we have some ways for you to get it.
In Bruce’s book there are a few recipes. But one simple way we found is this: people love sweets in the morning. With their coffee or just alone, humans love sweets. So, take some coconut oil, add some honey and cinnamon, and spread over toast. You will love it.
Add some coconut oil to your morning or evening smoothie. We even modified our Mock Miracle Whip recipe to include coconut oil.
Instead of that third cup of Safflower Oil, in your heated mixture, stir in a cup of coconut oil. Then blend that in slowly. The taste is fabulous. Everyone who tried it loved the new coconutty flavor. We also tried ¾ cup of coconut oil and ¼ cup wheat germ oil. This too is tasty and very, VERY healthy. Imagine that, really healthy mayo!
Where can you get coconut oil? We had been using a form from Spectrum Naturals. It is supposedly unrefined. Be careful, because most coconut oil is RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized). The spectrum brand was ok, but then we discovered a brand made by Quality First International, and is called De Coco-Crèam. It tastes SUPERB!
Editor's Note: As we are about to publish this page, we just discovered that the lovely Klahn family, who sent us samples of their coconut oil and who had a web site to purchase this brand mentioned above, have decided to quit the business to spend more time being a family rather than a business. They are very wonderful for helping us and we wish them love and joy in their lives.
Yes, it’s expensive, but you do get what you pay for. Every recipe we tested just tasted better using this brand. If you go to their web site, you can bring the price down considerably by ordering it by the gallon. If you like to deep-fry, this is the one oil that won’t shorten your life span if you deep-fry. When you are done deep-frying, and the oil is still liquid, filter the warm oil into a jar and save in your fridge. It can last up to a year. Imagine, healthy deep frying.
Quality First International's De Coco-Crèam is made by a very simple cold process extraction. No chemicals are used. Another brand we discovered (sold by Tropical Traditions) is made this way: the meat of the coconut is compressed to squeeze out the coconut milk. By the way, the water inside the coconut is NOT coconut milk. It is a liquid that is used medicinally for one purpose: constipation. Drinking this liquid can give you a bad case of the Polynesian plots (Tahitian two-step). The milk is in the meat of the coconut. After the milk is squeezed, it is left to sit and the oil rises naturally to the top, where it is skimmed off. That’s it. Totally unprocessed, unrefined, untreated. It is great stuff.
And do not worry about gaining weight! Using coconut oil increases your metabolism. This is the low fat fat that helps you lose weight. The fats in coconut oil, unlike all other fats, do not circulate through the blood looking for places to be stored. They go directly to the liver and are turned into instant energy. Bruce’s book covers this in depth.
To order Quality First International's brand, you have to call Canada: 877-870-1018. I'm planning on ordering it in a five gallon plastic bucket for $195.00 plus about $33.00 shipping. Ordering by the gallon or greater will save you a lot of money. However, there is a hold up for plastic crossing the Canadian border, so expect a delay (who knows why?)
Tropical Traditions has a web site where you can purchase both coconut oil and Bruce Fife's books: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/. We've not tasted their brand yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be just as good as Quality First International's. And the prices are about the same too.
Any recipe calling for shortening can be changed to coconut oil. Any frying you do, including stir frying, add coconut oil. If you bake, add coconut oil. If you make popcorn, pop it in coconut oil. If you make smoothies, add some coconut oil.
If you have an expensive (and natural) body lotion (like the lotion Master's Miracle or Miracle II sell), first massage in some coconut oil. You'll wind up using a lot less of your lotion and you'll find that coconut oil alone will retard wrinkles and make your skin smoother than the proverbial baby's bottom.
I've just heard that a friend, with very long hair, uses coconut oil as her hair conditioner. And once in a while, she puts coconut oil into her hair, wraps it, sleeps in it, and washes it out in the morning. She says there is nothing better for her hair.
UPDATE (3/2/05):
In our original article on coconut oil, we focused on the many benefits of this wonderful and nutritious product. Well, there is more. There is a lot more.
For instance, the Department of Health in the Philippines (luckily for them they are not yet our 51st state) began a clinical study in February of 1999 to study the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of coconut oil in the fight against the HIV virus.
The study began as the accumulation of anecdotal reports grew to the point where they could no longer be ignored.
Mary Enig from the Weston Price Foundation, a genius when it comes to oils of all kinds, had investigated an AIDS organization, Keep Hope Alive, in order to document the cases in which people with AIDS had their viral loads drop to undetectable levels by eating either a half a coconut a day or 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil, which is roughly 20-25 grams of lauric acid.
The initial studies in the Philippines are completed and they did confirm that coconut oil does have an antiviral effect. However, not all people in the study benefited, and as most “initial” studies conclude: “More and longer therapies using monolaurin [the anti-viral part of lauric acid] will have to be designed and done before the definite role of such coco products can be determined.” [http://www.doh.gov.ph/sars/coconut_oil.htm]
I was on the phone to our suppliers, REMOVED BY FDA Naturals, when Annette told me some stories about the performance enhancement qualities of coconut oil. I went online and sure enough, I found nearly everything she’d talked about. We found this by Dr Bruce Fife (whose book we have reviewed in our original article on Coconut Oil):
The fact that MCFA digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism has led athletes to use them as a means to enhance exercise performance. There are several studies showing this to be true. For example, in one study, investigators tested the physical endurance of mice who were given MCFA in their daily diet against those that weren't. The study extended over a six week period. The mice were subjected to a swimming endurance test every other day. They were placed in a pool of water with a constant current flow like that found in a river. The total swimming time until exhaustion was measured. While at first there was little difference between the groups of mice, those fed MCFA quickly began to out-perform the others and continued to improve throughout the testing period. [http://www.coconut-connections.com/hypothyroidism.htm]
A bit later, refining my web search, I found the actual study:
The effect of chronic administration of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) on swimming endurance (swim capacity) was investigated in male Std ddY mice. The mice were fed a diet containing 80 g MCT + 20 g long-chain triglycerides (LCT)/kg diet for 6 wk; mice fed diet containing 100 g LCT/kg diet were used as controls. After being accustomed to swimming, the mice were subjected to forced swimming every 2 d in the current water pool that we had developed, and the total swimming period until exhaustion was measured. The total swimming period was used as the index of swim capacity. The group fed MCT showed significantly greater swim capacity than the control group (89.5 +/- 2.5 vs. 80.2 +/- 2.0 min). In another experiment, after 4 wk of MCT diet consumption, significantly greater swim capacity was found in untrained mice. The major metabolic consequences of the adaptations of muscle to prolonged MCT administration during endurance training were higher activities of 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase (P < 0.01),
citrate synthase (P < 0.1) and malate dehydrogenase (P < 0.1). These findings suggest that increases in the enzyme activities of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and ketone body utilization associated with the chronic administration of an MCT-containing diet enhance swim capacity in mice. [Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K 1995, Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides. Journal of Nutrition 125:531]
The information we could not find is the following. Keep in mind that in investigative journalism, nothing is confirmed till you get three different sources to confirm it. So, this information, for the present, has just one source.
We've learned that more and more horse trainers from the Blue Grass state are feeding their horses coconut oil. I chased down the trainer to last years Kentucky Derby winner, but he’d not heard of coconut oil. Those who are using it, report back to the people at REMOVED BY FDA Naturals that their horses are running better and that they don’t need to worm the horses because coconut oil is anti-parasitic.
So, that’s our update for now. If any of this information is confirmed, we’ll be the first to tell you. If any more information comes in, we’ll gladly update you. And if any of you out there have a story to tell about your use of coconut oil, please, feel free to send it along to Coconut Stories.
References and Further Reading
http://www.ospc.com/coco.htm
www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil_healthy.htm
www.alternative-healthzine.com/html/0108_2.html
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Side effects from consuming canola oil
Side effects result from the consumption of canola products
by Shona Botes
(NaturalNews) Canola oil and canola-based products have been at the centre of controversy for quite a few years. While some say that it helps to lower cholesterol levels, it actually has a few nasty side-effects as well (note: Only animal studies have been done regarding the toxic effects that it has on living organisms). Despite no human studies being done, this product was placed on the GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) list. It is in fact a by-product of a highly toxic insecticide product.
The real name for Canola oil is LEAR, or Low Erucic Acid Rape, as it has been extracted from Rapeseed oil. This oil is in fact an industrial oil product which has no place whatsoever in our bodies. In light industry, it is also referred to as penetrating oil. Rapeseed oil is also the source for Mustard Gas, which was used as a chemical warfare agent, and was banned after Word War 1 for causing severe blistering of the lungs and skin.
Canola is in fact a Genetically Modified food which has been classified as a bio pesticide by the EPA. Like mercury and fluoride, Canola is also not eliminated from the body. It is found in almost all fast foods, convenience foods, chocolate, candies, bread, potato chips, baby foods and formulas, most peanut butters and cookies, frozen French fries, rye breads, chocolate syrups, mayonnaise, granola bars, some vegetarian convenience foods, lunch meats, margarines, movie house snacks, tortillas and most other bakery foods.
Studies done on rats and other lab animals showed that after consuming canola oil, there were fatty deposits that accumulated on their hearts, thyroids, adrenal glands and kidneys. When they stopped consuming this oil, the fatty deposits disappeared, but unfortunately scar tissue remained on the affected organs.
Because it is high in glycosides, canola oil has been shown to inhibit enzyme function. Its effects are known to be accumulative, resulting in side-effects taking years to show up. It is also able to inhibit the metabolism of foods. Being a trans-fatty acid, it is also possible that this man-made oil has a direct link to causing cancer (even from just breathing in the toxic fumes created when frying foods in it).
Rapeseed oil is an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor. This compound is crucial when it comes to transmitting signals from the nerves to the muscles. This is possibly why there has been a dramatic increase in cases of multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy over the past few years. Other side-effects which have been reported include respiratory illnesses, loss of vision, constipation, anemia, heart disease, irritability and low birth weight in infants. It is known to severely deplete Vitamin E levels in the body, as well as cause severe clotting of red blood cells, which can pose a serious health risk.
The best way to avoid consuming this toxic industrial by-product is to prepare meals yourself from scratch, and especially avoid fast foods at all costs.
[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]
Sources:
http://www.ehow.com/list_7427295_ha...
http://www.rense.com/politics5/dare.htm
http://organicyogamama.com/canola-oil/
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5414785...
http://www.cantola.com/Tricky_Foods...
About the author
Shona Botes is a budding blogger, as well as a fabulous frugalist. Her spare time is spent engaged in blogging, cycling, photography, as well as green living and natural healing and remedies.
Her blog may be viewed here
Some of her photography work may be viewed here
Other articles written by her may be viewed here
by Shona Botes
(NaturalNews) Canola oil and canola-based products have been at the centre of controversy for quite a few years. While some say that it helps to lower cholesterol levels, it actually has a few nasty side-effects as well (note: Only animal studies have been done regarding the toxic effects that it has on living organisms). Despite no human studies being done, this product was placed on the GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) list. It is in fact a by-product of a highly toxic insecticide product.
The real name for Canola oil is LEAR, or Low Erucic Acid Rape, as it has been extracted from Rapeseed oil. This oil is in fact an industrial oil product which has no place whatsoever in our bodies. In light industry, it is also referred to as penetrating oil. Rapeseed oil is also the source for Mustard Gas, which was used as a chemical warfare agent, and was banned after Word War 1 for causing severe blistering of the lungs and skin.
Canola is in fact a Genetically Modified food which has been classified as a bio pesticide by the EPA. Like mercury and fluoride, Canola is also not eliminated from the body. It is found in almost all fast foods, convenience foods, chocolate, candies, bread, potato chips, baby foods and formulas, most peanut butters and cookies, frozen French fries, rye breads, chocolate syrups, mayonnaise, granola bars, some vegetarian convenience foods, lunch meats, margarines, movie house snacks, tortillas and most other bakery foods.
Studies done on rats and other lab animals showed that after consuming canola oil, there were fatty deposits that accumulated on their hearts, thyroids, adrenal glands and kidneys. When they stopped consuming this oil, the fatty deposits disappeared, but unfortunately scar tissue remained on the affected organs.
Because it is high in glycosides, canola oil has been shown to inhibit enzyme function. Its effects are known to be accumulative, resulting in side-effects taking years to show up. It is also able to inhibit the metabolism of foods. Being a trans-fatty acid, it is also possible that this man-made oil has a direct link to causing cancer (even from just breathing in the toxic fumes created when frying foods in it).
Rapeseed oil is an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor. This compound is crucial when it comes to transmitting signals from the nerves to the muscles. This is possibly why there has been a dramatic increase in cases of multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy over the past few years. Other side-effects which have been reported include respiratory illnesses, loss of vision, constipation, anemia, heart disease, irritability and low birth weight in infants. It is known to severely deplete Vitamin E levels in the body, as well as cause severe clotting of red blood cells, which can pose a serious health risk.
The best way to avoid consuming this toxic industrial by-product is to prepare meals yourself from scratch, and especially avoid fast foods at all costs.
[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]
Sources:
http://www.ehow.com/list_7427295_ha...
http://www.rense.com/politics5/dare.htm
http://organicyogamama.com/canola-oil/
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5414785...
http://www.cantola.com/Tricky_Foods...
About the author
Shona Botes is a budding blogger, as well as a fabulous frugalist. Her spare time is spent engaged in blogging, cycling, photography, as well as green living and natural healing and remedies.
Her blog may be viewed here
Some of her photography work may be viewed here
Other articles written by her may be viewed here
Friday, March 4, 2011
Mitochondrial support
When trying to understand Autism, and why some children have it and others do not, I think it is important to understand a little bit about our mitochondria. They are the powerhouses of the cell and when they do not function appropriately there can be problems. And I believe that we are seeing an impairment of mitochondria through epigenetics involved with the excessively toxic environment we have created in our world. Children with mitochondrial issues can be more susceptible to vaccine injury, they can have low tone and many people associate things like chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia with mitochondrial issues. Mitochondria come from mom so if mom has impaired mito functioning, then so does your child. Over the years we've added in supplements to help support mitochondrial function. Some of them include Ribose, L-Carnitine (which was a huge failure as by day 3 my son began to smell of rotting fish), CoQ10 or the more active form known as Ubiquinol and we even use a lot of coconut oil and even MCT oil specifically as I understand that medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are easier for the cell to use.
HERE is an interesting article on supplement supports for mitochondrial function. PQQ is one that I have definitely begun to discuss with our specialist, Dr. Kurt Woeller.
HERE is an interesting article on supplement supports for mitochondrial function. PQQ is one that I have definitely begun to discuss with our specialist, Dr. Kurt Woeller.
Glutathione depletion
Glutathione is the main detoxifying hormone in our body. Detoxification is important since we are constantly coming into contact with toxins in our environment whether that be through the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and things that are sprayed, poured, sprinkled over our grasses, rocks, carpets, clothing, etc. For many children with Autism, they have problems with their detox pathways, so increasing levels of glutathione can be critical.
HERE is a very concise acticle on some things that deplete glutathione.
HERE is a very concise acticle on some things that deplete glutathione.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Is the Environment Poisoning Our Children? | Sandra Steingraber | Orion Magazine
Did you read the question above? All I can say is "well DUH!". The environment is poisoning all of us, some faster than others based on their choices, but it is harming our vulnerable children probably most of all.
This is a long read, but so worth it. Especially if you are not in the Autism world and especially, especially if you've never had the pleasure of sitting in on the "Defending your child from a toxic world" session at a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) conference. Dr. Stuart Freedenfeld, affectionately named Dr. Doom and Gloom, goes over many of these points, outlining just how toxic our world has become and how to mitigate some of that. So, here is the article, I would say enjoy but more than likely you will feel sick to your stomach afterwards....
Is the Environment Poisoning Our Children? | Sandra Steingraber | Orion Magazine
This is a long read, but so worth it. Especially if you are not in the Autism world and especially, especially if you've never had the pleasure of sitting in on the "Defending your child from a toxic world" session at a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) conference. Dr. Stuart Freedenfeld, affectionately named Dr. Doom and Gloom, goes over many of these points, outlining just how toxic our world has become and how to mitigate some of that. So, here is the article, I would say enjoy but more than likely you will feel sick to your stomach afterwards....
Is the Environment Poisoning Our Children? | Sandra Steingraber | Orion Magazine
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Taking a break from Respen-A
So, I have a back log of blogging topics, as usual. So, I will attempt to slowly catch up by discussing a supplement break I took with my son's Respen-A a couple of weeks ago. With Respen-A it is required that you give 2,000 mg of calcium and magnesium at a 4 to 1 ratio. The preferred form is calcium carbonate and let me tell you, we have played with various calciums over our year of doing Respen-A. So, when I ran out of calcium carbonate - and because of its form is not widely used - I could not find it locally. So I figured this was a good time to take a break and see if we still needed it. We often become complacent with supplements and I start to think "do we REALLY need this anymore?" and so it is good I think to take a break once in a while after things have stabilized and you are not making any other changes. We don't do that very often. So, we stopped on a Sunday. Ummm yeah.....not so bueno. Meltdowns, screaming, unfocused.....wow deja vue and not in the good way. Monday afternoon I was in the classroom helping out for another mom who couldn't make it. Luckily, I was there at math time and helped him stay on track with his math sheet. He normally comes home with the "In class" sides completed and then we complete the "At home" sides. While we took a break from Respen-A, the only day he came home with completed "In class" math sheet sides was Monday when I sat with him and helped. Emotionally explosive is the only way I can describe his moods. I was back to calling his name several times just to get him to look at me. So Tues/Wed were more of the same. Calcium came Wed afternoon (thank GOD!). We were back to administering the patch Thurs morning. He had a rocky morning but by mid day his teacher reported that it was like a switch was flipped. All of a sudden he was completing his math worksheet, independently, without a word from him. She checked on him and just left him to it, noting the change from the rest of the week.
She and I spent about 45 minutes on the phone after school that day discussing her observations, which fit with mine. It was just so uncanny that she noted the huge change in him the very day the patch went back on. So, this confirmed for us the continued need for Respen-A. Since putting it back on, his moods have leveled back out and his focus is much better. So, Respen-A will be on board for a while longer since there was such a drastic negative change when stopping. Boy, brought us back to what our reality "used to be" and can I say how glad I am to not be there anymore? So I wanted to share our experiences on taking a break from Respen-A. Obviously my hope is at some point most of our supplements will no longer be critical for his functioning. But there is a lot of healing that needs to happen first, and we apparently are just not there yet. That's OK. It took a while for the damage to be done, it will take a while for the healing. But as long as we know the supplement is required and working, we will keep pressing on!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Medical Flex Spending Accounts for 2011
Please note, any supplements that you normally claim via flex spending will now require a prescription!! Anything that is over the counter cannot be claimed through flex spending without a prescription.
So, check with your doctor and make sure you have your ducks in a row. If you contribute to a flex spending account and try and use it for over the counter items, it will be added to your gross income with a 20% penalty!!! Supplements (as recommended by our doctors) comprise a huge portion of our flex spending reimbursements and I bet many other families are in the same boat. So, make sure you are covered and you get your doctor to write up a prescription for ALL of those over the counter supplements, including cough syrups, homeopathic remedies, even pain relievers like Ibuprofen and Tylenol (which ideally you are not using these days much but just in case....). By the way, if your 2010 plan allows you to spend into 2011 (usually March 15th is the deadline), this new requirement applies! So, if you still have 2010 funds to use, you will be required to submit a prescription along with the reimbursement request!
Read the Kiplinger article HERE
"Did you know" by Doris Rapp, MD
Anyone who hasn't heard of Dr. Doris Rapp needs to! One of the first books I read on this journey to heal my son was "Is This Your Child" which addresses the issue of food allergies and intolerances and some of the behaviors associated and how to tell what is causing reactions. It was a very eye opening book on the power food has on behavior and the negative health effects from eating allergenic foods. She just did a "Did you know" list that I am copying for you to enjoy. She is amazing, become her friend on Facebook to keep up with her posts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Did You Knows” From Doris Rapp, M.D.
February 20, 2011
•That 2 tsp of baking soda in a half glass of water can relieve a food allergy in a few minutes.
•That celery is one of the most pesticide treated vegetables?
•That strawberries are one of the most pesticide treated fruits.
•That toxic chemicals are stored in the fat of meat so you should buy only lean or organic meat to prevent chemical exposures.
•That the EPA suggests that more than one meal a month of farmed salmon increases your risk of cancer?
•That butter has more PCBs than any other food?
•That mothers who eat fish from the Great Lakes have a greater chance of having a birth defective baby than other mothers.
•That babies float in 287 toxic chemicals while in the uterus and these chemicals are found in the baby’s blood at birth and can damage the baby in many ways.
•That pesticide exposures during the first 3 months of a woman’s pregnancy can cause an increased chance of having a miscarriage, a stillborn or a defective baby.
•That men should avoid chemicals, such as lawn herbicides, for at least 65 days before they conceive so they have a better chance of having normal sperm.
•That men are becoming more effeminate because of all the feminizing chemicals to which we are all exposed. Their sperm counts and testosterone levels are dropping. Young men are developing breasts and needing Viagra.
•That aspartame or Equal can short circuit your nervous system because it can fray the coatings of your nerves causing serious damage to all your nerves. In addition, many studies indicate this chemical does not help you lose weight.
•That an air purifier can sometimes help you in hours to a few days if dust, molds, pollen or chemicals are making you ill. You can get a refund in 30 days if the help is not satisfactory, less $25 and shipping and handling. Call 800-787-8780.
There is a one week allergy diet that will quickly relieve many food allergies in 5 to 7 days if major allergenic foods are your problem. It costs nothing to carry out the diet. In the second week of the diet when you add the foods back, you will quickly see which food cause which symptoms.
Doris J Rapp, MD.
Visit www drrapp.com for more valuable information.
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