Shaome Health

You Are What You Eat

2008-07-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

You've heard it all your life, right? "You are what you eat!" But do you believe it? Most people don't. Most people stuff themselves with processed foods, all kinds of animal flesh, and sugar, and then they wonder why they get sick and are riddled with chronic disease. Here's the reason: You are what you eat! That little reminder is worth your life.

So, what should you eat, then? A whole food, plant-based diet is best. I always recommend making changes in "baby steps." Most people can't comfortably make a complete shift from one way of eating to another, so make small changes as you feel you can easily incorporate the into your life. There are other considerations for your personal daily diet like your metabolic type, proper food combining, and other things. For help with your personal dietary needs, contact me at cgary@shaome.com or 615.403.1286.

NCH Homeopathy Conference

2008-04-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just returned home from the 3rd Annual NCH Joint Conference on Homeopathy that was in Providence, R.I. this year. Wow! My brain sure is crammed full of new information! I don't even know where to begin...

I attended the special all-day Friday session given by Dr. Andre Saine, an N.D. who practices in Quebec. All I can say is he's amazing! He is the kind of homeopath I aspire to be, although I don't know that I will ever have as much information as he has in his head as a second generation homeopathic N.D. He needs to impart as much of that knowledge to as many homeopaths as possible.

I also had the opportunity to see Jeremy Sherr, whose research is truly amazing. One could spend years just studying his provings and have enough to do. His latest project in Tanzania with AIDS patients is incredible work that is so valuable.

There were other speakers, Dr. Jawahar Shah comes to mind, who were inspiring and educational. I don't even know which direction to turn next...there is so much more to learn.

I picked up a great book on vaccinations called "Comparing Natural Immunity With Vaccination" by Trevor Gunn. It's based on a lecture he presented that "challenges many of the assumptions made about vaccination, and in particular looks at the main question that should be asked, that is, do germs cause disease?" It's a great primer for those just delving into whether or not to vaccinate, and also for those who have already chosen not to vaccinate to hand to nay-sayers questioning their decision. It should be in everyone's personal library, in my opinion.

I have returned with renewed motivation to step up my studies. I feel a sense of great urgency to be as knowledgeable as possible about health matters so that I can help as many people as possible live long, strong, and prosperous lives, and to save as many children from dangerous vaccinations as possible.

Can Beaches Make You Sick?

2007-09-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

09.sep.07
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Joel Hood
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/5119812.html

Fort Lauderdale, FL — A new two-year study of beaches in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Miami was cited as finding that sand tainted with E. coli and other potentially harmful bacteria in levels 100 to 1,000 times greater than what's in the water lapping at the shore.

The story asks, is beach sand making us sick? The best research so far says, possibly.

Scientists know E. coli can harm us. They're finding it and other fecal bacteria in large quantities on some beaches. Logic tells them that we should be falling ill. But scientists have never found a direct link, and the few studies that have been completed have generated more questions than answers.

Even the authors of the new study of South Florida beaches are divided about the risk of beach sand.

Florida Atlantic University scientist Nwadiuto Esiobu, was quoted as saying, "We believe the risk is there, whether or not there have been documented problems."

Not necessarily, says Nova Southeastern University scientist Donald McCorquodale, who suspects beach bacteria are largely harmless and have lost their capability to make someone sick.

That two experts can look at the same data and come to different conclusions illustrates how complicated this area of study is, scientists say, and both sides say more study is needed before anyone really understands what's at stake.

Timothy Wade, an epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, was quoted as saying, "Just because you're finding high levels of bacteria doesn't mean there's a health risk. And it doesn't mean it's safe either. The truth is we simply don't know."

The story says that the South Florida study, published last month in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, is among the first of its kind to look at local beaches but limited its research to Broward and Miami-Dade counties. But it comes on the heels of other studies, on public beaches in Southern California and around the Great Lakes region, that found similarly high levels of E. coli and other types of fecal bacteria, suggesting the problem isn't confined to one area.

But like a lot of scientific explorations, there are no clear answers what this means.

Food Combining

2007-09-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Proper food combining is the foundation for good health. It's not enough to eat healthful, organic foods, but how you combine them can mean the difference between good health, poor health, and even illness.

I will give a few basic rules for proper food combining below, but it doesn't begin to fully explain ALL of the rules and, most importantly to the discerning reader, WHY the rules should be followed. For that you should pick up the inexpensive little booklet called "Food Combining Made Easy" by Herbert M. Shelton. Originally published in 1951, this timeless booklet does an excellent job of explaining every aspect of food combining.

To get you started, the following has been reprinted from Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review.
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There are sound physiological reasons for eating foods in compatible combinations. In other words, some foods, if mixed in the digestive system, will cause distress!

The principles of food combining are dictated by digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested differently...

* Starchy foods require an alkaline digestive medium which is supplied initially in the mouth by the enzyme ptyalin;

* Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion- hydrochloric acid.

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and bases (alkalis) neutralize each other. If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested!

The undigested food mass can cause various kinds of digestive disorders. Undigested food becomes soil for bacteria which ferment and decompose it. Its by products are poisonous, one of which, alcohol, is a narcotic that destroys or inhibits nerve function.

It plays havoc with nerves of the digestive tract, suspending their vital action such that constipation may well be a result! As set forth in Dr. Herbert Shelton's FOOD COMBINING MADE EASY these are the salient rules for proper food combining.

The Nine Basic Rules of Proper Food Combining:

1. Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

2. Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

3. Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

4. Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

5. Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

6. Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

7. Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

8. Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

9. Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

Healthy Foods to Eat

Sweet Fruit
Banana, Carob, Date, Fig, Prune, Raisins, Dried fruit, Persimmon, Mango, Papaya, Sapote

Sub-Acid Fruit
Apple, Apricot, Blackberry, Cherimoya, Cherry, Elderberry, Gooseberry, Grape, Huckleberry, Nectarine, Peach, Pear, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Sapodilla

Acid Fruit
Currant, Grapefruit, Guava, Kumquat, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Loganberry, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Strawberry, Tamarind, Tangerine, Tomato

Melons
Banana melon, Cantaloupe, Casaba, Christmas melon, Persian melon, Crenshaw melon, Watermelon, Honeydew melon, Muskmelon, Nutmeg melon

Proteins
Almonds, Cashew nuts, Hazel nuts, Hickory nuts, Lentils, Peanuts, Gooseberry, Avocados, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachio nuts, Soy beans, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Coconuts

Starches
Artichoke, Bean (lima)*, Beets, Chestnut, Carrots, Corn, Hubbard squash, Jerusalem artichoke, Peanuts*, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Yam

* Peanuts, lentils, beans, and all cereals are considered as protein and starch combinations

Non-Starchy Vegetables
Bamboo shoots, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Romaine, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce: Boston, Bibb, Leaf, Romaine, etc., Okra, Parsnip, Pepper (sweet), Rutabaga, Sorrel, Sprouts: Mung bean, alfalfa, wheat, barley, etc., Squash (ex. starchy), Turnip.
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Other factors included in proper food combining are eating organic foods vs. those grown with pesticides and/or herbicides, and choosing non-genetically modified foods (non-GMOs). For more important information on non-GMO foods, please see my earlier post here.

Genetically Modified Foods -- What to Know Before You Eat Them

2007-08-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

Plus, What Food Producers Hope You Never Find Out ...

This 90 minute video is broken up into 7 parts. For the entire 7-part series Click here.

You may also request this video from NetFlix, or purchase it here: www.thefutureoffood.com

People around the world pro-actively reject Genetically Modified (GM) products and crops. But in the United States, few people are even aware of what GM foods are -- and labeling is not required.

Yet some 70% of the foods in your grocery store contain GM foods.

I'm so concerned about the grave risks in GM foods that I decided to present you with a series of articles originating from the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT). Jeffrey Smith, leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, founded the IRT in 2003 to warn the American public about this menace. Discover the hidden hazards of GM foods for yourself, at Jeffrey's website: ResponsibleTechnology.org.

Additionally, I urge you to donate to his cause -- your cause -- as I have. Please rally around and help us defeat this for-profit poison that the chemical companies are trying to force down our throats. Just surf over to ResponsibleTechnology.org/donate.

Now for the first article in this series ...

Genetically Engineered Foods -- A Source of Rising Food Allergies?

The huge jump in childhood food allergies in the US is in the news often1. But most reports fail to consider a link to a recent radical change in America's diet.

Beginning in 1996, bacteria, virus and other genes have been artificially inserted to the DNA of soy, corn, cottonseed and canola plants.

These unlabeled genetically modified (GM) foods carry a risk of triggering life-threatening allergic reactions.

Evidence collected over the past decade now suggests that they are contributing to higher allergy rates. Scientists have long known that GM crops might cause allergies, but there are no tests to prove in advance that a GM crop is safe.2 That's because people aren't usually allergic to a food until they have eaten it several times.

"The only definitive test for allergies," according to former FDA microbiologist Louis Pribyl, "is human consumption by affected peoples, which can have ethical considerations."3 And it is the ethical considerations of feeding unlabeled, high-risk GM crops to unknowing consumers that have many people up in arms.

UK Experiences Alarming Rise in Soy-Related Food Allergies

The UK is one of the few countries conducting a yearly evaluation of food allergies. In March 1999, researchers at the York Laboratory were alarmed to discover that reactions to soy have skyrocketed by 50% over the previous year.

Genetically modified soy had recently entered the UK from U.S. imports. So the soy used in the study was largely GM. John Graham, spokesman for the York laboratory, said, "We believe this raises serious new questions about the safety of GM foods."4
Critics of GM foods often say that the U.S. population is being used as guinea pigs in an experiment. But experiments have the benefit of controls and measurement. In this case, there is neither.

GM food safety experts point out that even if someone tried to collect data about allergic reactions to GM foods, they would likely be unsuccessful. "The potential allergen is rarely identified. The number of allergy-related medical visits is not tabulated. Even repeated visits due to well-known allergens are not counted as part of any established surveillance system."5

Indeed, the Canadian government announced in 2002 that they would "keep a careful eye on the health of Canadians"6 to see if GM foods had any adverse reactions. They abandoned their plans within a year, saying that such a study was too difficult.

Creating New Proteins in a Lab -- Good For Your Health?

The classical understanding of why a GM crop might create new allergies is that the imported genes produce a brand new protein. The novel protein may trigger reactions.

This was demonstrated in the mid 1990s when soybeans were outfitted with a gene from the Brazil nut. Scientists attempted to produce a healthier soybean, but ended up with a potentially deadly one. Blood tests from people who were allergic to Brazil nuts showed reactions to the beans.7 Fortunately, this soy never went to market.

The GM variety that is planted in 89% of U.S. soy acres gets its foreign gene from bacteria (with parts of virus and petunia DNA as well). We can't know in advance if the protein produced by bacteria, never before part of the human food supply, will provoke a reaction.

As a precaution, scientists compare the new protein with a database of proteins known to cause allergies. The database lists the proteins' amino acid sequences that have been shown to trigger immune responses.

According to criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others, if the new GM protein contains sequences found in the allergen database, the GM crop is not to be commercialized and additional testing should be done.

Sections of the protein produced in GM soy are identical to known allergens, but the soybean was introduced before the WHO criteria were established, and the recommended additional tests were not conducted.

What If Bizarre Genes Start Transferring To Humans ...

If this protein in GM soybeans is causing allergies, then the situation may be made much worse by something called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). That's when genes spontaneously transfer from one species' DNA to another. While this happens often among bacteria, it is rare in plants and mammals.

But the method used to construct and insert foreign genes into GM crops eliminates many of the natural barriers that stop HGT from occurring. The only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted on GM foods showed that parts of the gene inserted into GM soy ended up transferring into the DNA of human gut bacteria.

Furthermore, the gene was stably integrated and it appeared to be producing its potentially allergenic protein. So, years after people stop eating GM soy, they may still be exposed to its risky protein, which is being continuously produced within their own intestines.

Genetic Engineering: An Exact Science... Or A Mutation Disaster Waiting To Happen?

Biotech advocates describe the process of genetic engineering as precise, in which genes-like Legos-cleanly snap into place. This is clearly a false premise.

Creating a GM crop can produce massive changes in the natural functioning of the plant's DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off, or change their levels of protein expression.

CLICK HERE NOW -- Don't be a guinea pig for genetic engineering!

Collateral damage may result in increasing the levels of an existing allergen, or even production of a completely new, unknown allergen within the crop. Both appear to be the case in GM soy.

Levels of one known soy allergen, trypsin inhibitor, were as much as 27% higher in raw GM soy.

Cooking soybeans normally reduces the levels of trypsin inhibitor, but GM varieties appear to be more heat-resistant. Levels in cooked GM soy were nearly as high as those found in raw soy, and up to seven times higher than in cooked non-GM soy.8 This suggests that GM soy allergen may be more likely to provoke reactions than natural varieties.

Another study verified that GM soybeans contain a unique, unexpected protein not found in non-GM soy controls. Scientists tested the protein and found that it reacted with the antibody IgE. IgE in humans plays a key role in a high proportion of allergic reactions, including those involving life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The fact that the unique protein created by GM soy interacts with IgE suggests it might also trigger allergies.

The same researchers measured the immune response of humans to soybeans using a skin-test often used by allergy doctors. Eight people reacted to GM soy. One of these did not react to non-GM soy. The sample size is small. But the implication that some people react only to GM soy is huge, and might account for the increase in soy allergies in the UK.

Eating More Herbicides In The Name Of "Progress"

By 2004, farmers used an estimated 86% more herbicide on GM soy fields compared to non-GM.9 Higher levels of herbicide residue in GM soy might cause health problems. In fact, many symptoms identified in the UK soy allergy study are also related to glyphosate exposure.

The allergy study identified irritable bowel syndrome, digestion problems, chronic fatigue, headaches, lethargy, and skin complaints including acne and eczema, all related to soy consumption.

Symptoms of glyphosate exposure include nausea, headaches, lethargy, skin rashes, and burning or itchy skin. It is also possible that glyphosate's breakdown product AMPA, which accumulates in GM soybeans after each spray, might contribute to allergies.

Help put a stop to irresponsible biotechnology -- CLICK HERE NOW!

GM Soy Resists Essential Protein-Digesting Enzymes

The longer proteins survive in the digestive tract, the more time they have to provoke an allergic reaction. Mice fed GM soy showed dramatically reduced levels of pancreatic enzymes.

When protein-digesting enzymes are less available, food proteins last longer in the gut, allowing more time for an allergic reaction to occur. A reduction in protein digestion due to GM soy consumption could promote allergic reactions to a wide range of proteins, not just to the soy. No human studies of protein digestion related to GM soy have been done.

Soy's Little-Known Link to Peanut Allergies

There is at least one protein in natural soybeans that has cross-reactivity with peanut allergies.10 This means that for those who are allergic to peanuts, eating soybeans could trigger a reaction.

It is certainly possible that the unpredicted side effects from GM soybeans might increase the incidence of this cross-reactivity. But it is unlikely that it has been researched. GM soy was introduced into the U.S. food supply in late 1996.

We are left only to wonder whether this influenced the doubling of U.S. peanut allergies from 1997 to 2002.

Gambling With Our Health -- For Their Profits

Introducing genetically engineered foods into our diet was done quietly and without the mandatory labeling that is required in most other industrialized countries. Without knowing that GM foods might increase the risk of allergies or which foods contain GM ingredients, the biotech industry is gambling with our health for their profit.

This risk is not lost on everyone. In fact, millions of shoppers are now seeking foods that are free from any GM ingredients. Ohio-based allergy specialist John Boyles, MD, says, "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it -- unless it says organic."11

Organic foods are not allowed to contain GM ingredients.

Buying products that are certified organic or that say non-GMO are two ways to limit your family's risk from GM foods.

Another is to avoid products containing any ingredients from the seven food crops that have been genetically engineered: soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, Hawaiian papaya and a little bit of zucchini and crook neck squash. This means avoiding soy lecithin in chocolate, corn syrup in candies, and cottonseed or canola oil in snack foods.

Fortunately, the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America will soon make your shopping easier. This Consumer Non-GMO Education Campaign is orchestrating the cleaning out of GM ingredients from foods and the natural products industry.

The campaign will circulate helpful non-GMO shopping guides to organic and natural food stores nationwide, and provide consumers with regular GM food safety updates explaining the latest discoveries about why "Healthy Eating Means No GMOs".

Safe eating!

This article (part 1 of a series) is limited to the discussion of allergic reactions from GM soybeans. The evidence that GM corn is triggering allergies is far more extensive and will be covered in part 2 of this series.

Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the new publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top-rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world.

He is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America. Go to www.seedsofdeception.com to learn more about how to avoid GM foods.

TAKE ACTION NOW!!!

Visit www.Responsibletechnology.org/donate and support this important cause.

Join me and be a part of the solution!

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See for example, Charles Sheehan, "Scientists see spike in kids' food allergies," Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2006, http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/health/

See for example, Carl B. Johnson, Memo on the "draft statement of policy 12/12/91," January 8, 1992. Johnson wrote: "Are we asking the crop developer to prove that food from his crop is non-allergenic? This seems like an impossible task."

Louis J. Pribyl, "Biotechnology Draft Document, 2/27/92," March 6, 1992, www.biointegrity.org

Traavik and Heinemann, "Genetic Engineering and Omitted Health Research"

"Genetically modified foods, who knows how safe they are?" CBC News and Current Affairs, September 25, 2006.

J. Ordlee, et al, "Identification of a Brazil-Nut Allergen in Transgenic Soybeans," The New England Journal of Medicine, March 14, 1996.

Stephen R. Padgette et al, "The Composition of Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybean Seeds Is Equivalent to That of Conventional Soybeans," The Journal of Nutrition 126, no. 4, (April 1996); including data in the journal archives from the same study.

Charles Benbrook, "Genetically Engineered Crops and Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Nine Years"; BioTech InfoNet, Technical Paper Number 7, October 2004.

See for example, Scott H. Sicherer et al., "Prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergy in the United States determined by means of a random digit dial telephone survey: A 5-year follow-up study," Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, March 2003, vol. 112, n 6, 1203-1207); and Ricki Helm et al., "Hypoallergenic Foods-Soybeans and Peanuts," Information Systems for Biotechnology News Report, October 1, 2002.

John Boyles, MD, personal communication, 2007.

Killing California's Almonds

2007-08-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Cleansing Blog]

CALIFORNIA: The killing of California almonds (and why dead foods lead to dead people)
22.aug.07
Cleansing Blog
http://cleansingblog.com/2007/08/22/the-killing-of-california-almonds-and-why-dead-foods-lead-to-dead-people/

As NewsTarget reported earlier this year, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has decided that all almonds grown in that state must be pasteurized, irradiated or otherwise killed, even when they’re labeled “raw.” This is necessary, the ABC tells us, for “safety reasons.” But who’s safety? Certainly not the safety of the consumer, since dead or cooked nuts are far less nutritious than living, raw nuts. It turns out the focus is on the safety of the industry, and killing all the almonds before allowing them to be sold to consumers is a way to insulate the almond industry from lawsuits stemming from rare salmonella outbreaks that afflict a tiny number of consumers with compromised immune systems.

So rather than take the risk that a few raw almonds might occasionally be contaminated and harm a few individuals, the industry believes that it’s better to harm everyone equally by making sure all almonds are pasteurized or irradiated, rendering them nutritionally deficient. Or, to put it another way, the industry will knowingly put out a nutritionally inferior product to the masses in exchange for a little legal immunity of its own.

Of course, the Almond Board of California knows virtually nothing about nutrition and so does not even acknowledge any difference between raw almonds and dead almonds. It makes me wonder if the board is, itself, occupied by expired persons that the few remaining living members simply haven’t bothered to remove. They seem incapable of distinguishing between living organisms and dead ones, after all. And yet the differences are tremendous: Cooked almonds have most of their natural phytonutrients destroyed by excess heat (or radiation). Protein content is diminished, fats are molecularly altered and sugars are broken down into less healthy forms. All this seems to be of no concern to the ABC, which remains convinced that cooked, dead almonds are virtually identical to raw almonds in taste, texture and nutrition.

Many almond growers, not surprisingly, are hopping mad at the ABC for this “pasteurization tyranny” that will now require almond growers to kill a perfectly good product before they can sell it to consumers. It’s almost like being in the flower business and, after growing beautiful orchids for your customers, some stupid state agency comes along and says you have to cook all the flowers before you can sell them because somebody once stuck their nose in a pot of orchids and sniffed up a creepy crawler. Cooked orchids, alas, are not nearly as beautiful as living orchids.

But the ABC will hear none of it. They’re determined to kill their almonds, even if it means compromising the integrity of the entire industry due to the planned false labeling that would classify dead almonds as “raw.” Starting in September, when consumers pick up a bag of “raw almonds” at a health food store, they have no way of knowing if those almonds are actually raw, or if they’re just pretend raw because the ABC voted to have them pasteurized (cooked) and then labeled as raw. Virtually all almonds sold in North America are grown in California, by the way. This ruling therefore impacts the whole industry.

The ABC does not even seem committed to honest labeling. If the almonds are to be pasteurized, shouldn’t they be labeled, “Pasteurized”? It seems stubbornly dishonest to cook all the almonds while labeling them “raw.” It’s an insult to the consumer, too, but it’s also par for the course when it comes to food safety: The FDA, after all, insists that both irradiated foods and GMO foods should not be labeled as such because the labels might “confuse consumers.” That’s right: Too much information is dangerous to consumers! Knowledge might cause them to make the wrong purchasing decision!

As a consumer, I’ve never felt so insulted in my entire life. Except, perhaps, for the one time a radio show host accidentally called me a doctor.

Singling out almonds
Certainly, there have been a handful of deaths due to salmonella poisoning from raw almonds. To put this in perspective, so what? Over 16,000 people died last year from drunk driving, and I don’t see the feds banning cars. Over 100,000 Americans died from pharmaceuticals, and yet those remain heavily advertised everywhere. Countless millions of children have died over the years from cancers stemming from chemical food additives like sodium nitrite, hydrogenated oils and petrochemical food coloring, yet you don’t see anybody jumping up and down to save those kids. But when five people croak from eating raw almonds, they treat it like it’s a national emergency. Maybe terrorists are now using salmonella as a biological weapon…
But let’s get real here: Eating food comes with some risk. You can die from salmonella poisoning in alfalfa sprouts, too, if you have a really weak immune system, or you could keel over from eating raw sushi at the local Japanese diner. You might croak after drinking a gallon of raw milk that went really, really bad, or you could buy the farm after eating a salad contaminated by salmonella from the knife you used to slice that contaminated chicken (70% of store-bought raw chicken meat is contaminated with salmonella, did you know?). These are inherent risks in life. Food sometimes kills you, and even when it doesn’t, you sometimes get diarrhea so bad that you wish it had.

The defense against food poisoning is to have a healthy immune system and a really healthy population of friendly flora in your gut. These two things can protect you against almost any common food-borne organisms. And yet so many Americans are diseased, immunosuppressed and intestinally imbalanced (due to rampant use of antibiotics) that the authorities have decided the only way to deliver safe food is to sterilize it first. Sure, sterilization sounds like a great idea if applied to certain politicians, but it’s probably not such a smart move for our food supply. (It works for the news, however. Just about every piece of news on the war in Iraq is sterilized before being broadcast to Americans…)

But why single out almonds in the first place? Spinach has been contaminated with e.coli, and so have numerous other fresh foods (onions, parsley, lettuce, etc.). Will our ever-so-vigilant government now come along and kill all those foods, too? Shall we have a dinner of wilted lettuce, dead almond slices and pasteurized salad dressing made with rape seed oil, MSG and high-fructose corn syrup? That’s the food the government will put its stamp of approval on, it seems: Dead, deficient and dirt cheap.

Here’s where all this is going…
The bigger picture: Dead foods lead to dead peopleI have heard a theory that says the governments of the world, concerned with the population carrying capacity of planet Earth, have unleashed a plan to greatly reduce the population by destroying the nutritional value of foods and supplements. Once malnutrition becomes rampant, the theory goes, the population will collapse through disease and infertility, and the remaining few will find themselves in a happy, low-population world where they can actually afford to buy a condo.

I’m not sure I totally believe this plan, but some of what’s happening with CODEX Alimentarius sure seems suspicious (as in, why would they make therapeutic doses of vitamins illegal, anyway?). On the other hand, if world leaders really wanted to kill everyone, they could just force the population to watch endless reruns of televised speeches from President Bush, and that would drive countless voters to kill themselves far more quickly.

But suppose the theories have an element of truth? Mandating the killing of fresh foods would certainly be an effective way to accelerate the diseasification and death of the population. It’s also a great cover story: “We’re killing all your food to HELP you! Because we care!”

I suspect, however, that the real explanation here is nothing more complicated than mass incompetence by the ABC, USDA, FDA and just about every government agency with 3 or 4 letters. Real knowledge about the nutritional value of living foods remains disturbingly rare. Conventional medicine still hasn’t even accepted the idea that the human body has any real nutritional needs whatsoever (except, perhaps, for basic synthetic vitamins to prevent rickets and pellagra). Medical doctors still aren’t taught nutrition in med school, and the whole raw foods movement is only starting to gain mainstream momentum. Sure, in twenty years, most people will understand there’s a huge difference between living foods and dead foods, but right now, most health authorities and consumers are stuck in the world of immutable macronutrients that have no “living” properties whatsoever.

Whether you believe that the plan to destroy the nutritional value of the food supply is due to widespread incompetence or some evil plot to reduce the human population by nutritionally starving the masses, one thing remains inarguably true: Each year, more and more of your food is getting irradiated, pasteurized, homogenized, milled, processed, steam treated, dipped, bleached or otherwise altered. The result is that mainstream food is less nutritious with each passing year, and that doesn’t even consider the mass mineral depletion of the soils that further contributes to the nutritional deficiency of foods.

It all comes back to the same fundamentals: If you want to be a healthy person, you’ll need to source real food grown by real people who live real close by. Buy local. Support Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organizations (www.LocalHarvest.org). Visit local farmer co-ops, and grow what you can in your own garden. Buy organic, and research the companies you’re buying from. Know what you’re putting in your mouth before chewing and swallowing.

After all, there are health authorities who are working hard right now to make sure that every bite you take has been sterilized for your own protection. Living matter may soon no longer allowed to be consumed by the public. Gee, isn’t it nice to know the authorities are looking out for our welfare yet again? I think we should all send kind letters to the Almond Board of California, thanking them for making our food purchasing decisions so simple that even complete idiots can now eat themselves into a state of sustained malnourishment without giving it a second thought.
It is a fascinating sign of the times when the authorities in charge of the food supply seem dead set on making foods as nutritionally worthless as possible.
Online resources for taking action:
Organic Pastures
OrganicPastures.com
160 acres of almonds, they can sell you raw almonds directly (and they’re also into raw milk). Good folks. Highly recommended. May be one of the few remaining sources of truly raw almonds in California.

Living Nuts
LivingNutz.com
They have great information about raw almonds, plus an online petition. Sign their petition! These folks are big into raw foods and also highly recommended.
Counterthink Cartoon: The Killing of California Almonds
You’ll enjoy this cartoon: http://www.newstarget.com/021988.html

The U.S. Health Disaster

2007-07-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

For over 100 years conventional medicine has seized control of the US health care system and as a result we have over 800,000 people who are killed by interacting with this system. It is likely that over 50 million Americans have died prematurely from this abuse.

Unfortuantely, most of the people in the US are simply brainwashed from the reality presented in this video. EVERY year they are exposed to over 50 billion dollars of advertising from the drug and food industry that manipulates reality to paint a scenario where it makes perfect logical sense to choose drugs and surgery for chronic degenerative diseases.

Unfortunately the drug and food companies did not count on the Internet which allows web sites like this one to tell the "other" side of the story.

So please pass this video along to your friends.

FDA Tyranny Becomes Law

2007-07-17T18:08:00.001-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

On July 11, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill HR 2900, which grants additional power to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while at the same time ensuring deeper financial ties between the agency and pharmaceutical companies.

The law does make some efforts to reduce conflict of interest, including mandating the publishing of a clinical trials database and forbidding more than one FDA official with ties to the industry to sit on a drug decision panel.

However, at the same time, the FDA will actually be allowed to work with drug and biotech companies to develop and launch new drugs. In an unprecedented conflict of interest, the new law places the FDA “in charge of drug design, drug patents, drug licenses, and the creation of new marketing entities/companies.”

The law also allows the FDA to evaluate dietary supplements as they do prescription drugs, which means they can remove supplements from the market as they see fit.

The recent US legislation, HR 2900, takes conflict of interest to a new extreme. While there are some face-saving moves to make the bill palatable, such as making sure that an unlimited number of industry shills can no long sit on drug decision panels, HR 2900 for the most part ties the FDA even more tightly to business interests. What’s more, in a blatant move to benefit the drug companies, it also ensures that dietary supplements can be removed from stores at will.

This comes not long after the U.S. Senate passed bill S1082 -- The FDA Revitalization Act, which also threatens dietary supplements and health freedom. Unfortunately, U.S. Rep. and presidential candidate, Ron Paul’s attempts to create legislation that would limit the FDA’s authority over supplements have been blocked.

Now, more than ever, it is up to you to look out for your own health. The FDA will not protect your health, nor will any other government agency.

The FDA views the drug industry as its client. Within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, about 80 percent of the resources are geared toward the approval of drugs and 20 percent is for everything else. Drug safety is a measly 5 percent. This speaks loads about their priorities. It is NOT about protecting you -- it is about approving drugs as quickly as possible so the drug companies can reap their profits.

Congress not only created that structure, but they horribly worsened it 15 years ago with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) by which drug companies actually pay money to the FDA so they will review and approve their drug. This creates an absolutely massive conflict of interest and fox-guarding-the-henhouse phenomenon. And the new laws that have just been passed do not change that relationship even a tiny bit.

The government is interested in promoting drug company profits, not promoting your health. But you can protect your health on your own by adhering to the traditional and simple health principles that will keep you well.

What Turns Walking Into a Good Workout?

2007-07-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

A Japanese study has confirmed that high-intensity interval walking can protect against high blood pressure and decreased muscle strength among older people.

The study examined almost 250 adults over a period of five months. The study participants engaged in either no walking or moderate to high-intensity walking. The group which engaged in high-intensity walking experienced the most significant improvement in their health.

In the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Dr. James Levine used this study as a means of discussing the many benefits of walking. In his editorial, Levine opined that walking is an excellent form of exercise because it “is there for everyone ... Walking doesn't cost you anything, you can do it barefoot and you can do it now, this minute.”

There is no doubt that getting out and taking a walk is much better than sitting on the couch all day. Getting out and moving is a necessary and important part of a healthy lifestyle, whether you're seeking to normalize your blood pressure or diabetes, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease or joint problems, or simply to improve your mental health.

But that still leaves many questions to be answered -- for optimum health, how much should you exercise, for how long, and how strenuous does it really need to be?

Just as I've mentioned in previous articles, the Japanese study mentioned above once again confirms that the higher the intensity of the exercise, the greater the overall health benefits. That is why high-intensity interval walking produced more results than moderate walking. The other major benefit of this approach is that it take MUCH less time to exercise this way. You simply don't have to do one hour of aerobics or running to get fit. That can be a major waste of time and actually counter productive.

If you're looking to lose or maintain weight, remember that the key to weight loss is not just about how many calories you burn, but how many calories you burn over a unit of time (in other words, the difference between your basal metabolic rate and your activity.)

Vigorous exercise burns calories immediately, AND helps reset your internal thermostat to keep burning calories even while you're at rest. Less intense exercise does not have this effect. So what's the right amount of intensity? You should exercise vigorously enough so that it's difficult to have a conversation with someone next to you. If you find yourself huffing and puffing to where you can't talk at all, then it's too strenuous.

Because of this, if you want to lose significant weight, or truly change your risk for heart disease, you are going to need to work out much harder than going for a leisurely stroll.

One of my new favorite types of workouts is this high intensity exercise training. There are many varieties out there but a good example is the one developed by Al Sears, MD who reawakened me to the value of interval training with his P.A.C.E. program.

Supercharge Your Immune System

2007-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

1: Avoid Sugar

Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. It is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something, but keeping sugar out of your diet for the long haul will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect like ketchup and fruit juice.

2: Get Enough Rest

Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight off disease. Regular rest will keep you strong and ensure that your body has the strength to fight off any potential invaders. Be sure to check out my article on Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep.

3: Eat Garlic Regularly

Garlic is a triple-whammy: it’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Garlic is one food that you should be eating every day. It is important to note that the garlic must be fresh to give you optimal health benefits. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used. When you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice. If you swallow the clove intact you will not convert the active ingredient, allicin, to its active form.

4: Don’t Let Stress Become Overwhelming

We all face some stress everyday, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off illnesses. It has been estimated that up to 90 percent of illness and disease is stress-related. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a type of psychological acupressure. EFT is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.

5: Exercise

When you exercise you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it has a chance to spread. In a sense, exercising helps your immune system to be more efficient in weeding out and acting upon viruses and diseases. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips to get started.

6: Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides a bit of extra protection. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. You can read my article on hygiene mistakes for more information.

Organic Farming Increases Crop Yields

2007-07-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

Pesticides that are used on nearly every acre of conventional farmland in the United States are reducing crop yields by one-third.

Pesticides disrupt chemical signaling between plants and impair symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF), an important process for plant growth. At least 30 pesticides are known to disrupt SNF, including the most widely used pesticide in the United States, Roundup.

SNF plays a critical role in supporting crop yields and environmental quality, and well-functioning SNF can greatly reduce farm production costs. In Brazil, soybean SNF reduces production costs by $1.3 billion each year.

This study points out one obvious reason why well-managed organic crops enjoy enhanced crop yields in the long run. The farmers are not jeopardizing their crops’ health by applying toxic pesticides.

It is very difficult to avoid long term problems in many areas when we continue to rely excessively on synthetic approaches. Once we start tinkering around with the natural order of things -- whether it’s adding synthetic fertilizer and pesticides to your food or taking prescription drugs -- any number of unpleasant and unforeseen effects can pop up.

And like prescription drugs, pesticides are also a major challenge for your body and can cause many diseases you would want to avoid. In addition to the problems they cause on farms. Pesticides have been clearly associated with a number of problems such as:

Certain types of cancer
Parkinson’s Disease
Miscarriages

You don't need to have a medical degree to know that anything which kills insects and other living creatures is not likely to be very good for you. Developing babies are particularly at risk, and one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do is avoid these chemicals as if her baby's life depended on it.

One of the best ways to avoid ingesting pesticides is by buying organic foods. And be aware that it’s not just produce that is the problem; don't overlook the pesticides in your meat.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body

2007-07-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

Drinking high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the main ingredient in most soft drinks throughout the world, increases your triglyceride levels and your LDL (bad) cholesterol. These effects only occurred in the study participants who drank fructose -- not glucose.

Consumption of beverages containing fructose rose 135 percent between 1977 and 2001. Food and beverage manufacturers began switching their sweeteners from sucrose (table sugar) to corn syrup in the 1970s when they discovered that HFCS was not only cheaper to make, it was also much sweeter (processed fructose is nearly 20 times sweeter than table sugar), a switch that has drastically altered the American diet.

In 1966, sucrose made up 86 percent of sweeteners. Today, 55 percent of sweeteners used are made from corn.

In case you forgot, or never knew in the first place, the number one source of calories in the US is high fructose corn syrup. Let me say that in different words so you more fully appreciate the impact of this fact. Remember that fat has 250% more calories than sugar, but even with this major disadvantage, the food that most people get MOST of their calories from is sugar from corn, primarily in the form of soft drinks.

Even though I have known this for years, it is still shocking to me every time I reflect on the enormity of this truth. But, like W. Clement Stone, I believe that there is a nugget of good in this horrible fact. The good is that stopping this pernicious habit is one of the easiest things to do. Since this is such a pervasive problem in the US, we could make radically outrageous improvements in our health as a culture if we just simply stopped everyone from drinking soda.

I am HIGHLY confident that the health improvement would be FAR more profound than if everyone stopped smoking because elevated insulin levels are the foundation of nearly every chronic disease known to man, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, aging, arthritis, osteoporosis, you name it, and you will find elevated insulin levels as a primary factor.

This evidence of an increase in triglyceride levels and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels is just the latest among countless findings pointing to the dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

Part of what makes HFCS such an unhealthy product is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar, and, because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified.

HFCS has also been linked to:

Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome

The delusion that fructose is an acceptable form of sugar is quite prevalent in many nutritional circles. In fact, nearly all simple sugars are metabolized quickly and disrupt insulin levels, which contributes to most chronic illness. Eating small amounts of whole fruit will not provide tremendous amounts of fructose and should not be a problem for most people, unless diabetes or obesity is an issue but fruit juices, sodas and other beverages sweetened with fructose should be avoided.

To add insult to injury, the corn that the high fructose corn syrup is metabolized from nearly all comes from genetically modified corn which is fraught with its own well documented side effects and health concerns.

High fructose corn syrup is is not something that should be in your diet at all. But HFCS is the primary caloric sweetener in U.S. soft drinks. Researchers estimate that most Americans eat 132 calories of HFCS per day, while the top 20 percent of sweetener consumers eat over 300. And some, they say, eat as much as 700 calories per day of HFCS.

Sodas, of course, are not the only source of HFCS (though they represent one of the main ones). This dangerous sweetener is also in many processed foods and fruit juices, so to avoid it you need to focus your diet on whole foods and, if you do purchase packaged foods, become an avid label reader.

Fast Food Milkshakes Exposed

2007-06-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

Even though I live in America now, I still like to keep an eye on the British press to see what's going on in Britain. A little while ago, I came across an article in one of Britain's biggest newspapers, The Guardian. I found the article funny, but at the same time, shocking.

The headline of the article went like this: The 59 Ingredients in a Fast Food Strawberry Milkshake. Now, that's not a very good start. Is it? Fifty-nine ingredients. So, I looked a little further, and it turns out that in one fast food restaurant strawberry milkshake from a big fast food chain, there are two ingredients that are notably absent: Milk and Strawberries!! Does that put you off for life already? Well, let's see if I can put you off a bit further.

It turns out that the strawberry flavor they use to flavor their milkshakes is actually made from 40 different chemicals. Let me read you a couple of the names of these chemicals. This is just the strawberry flavor. Forty different chemicals.

Amyl valerate
Anethol
Ethyl lactate
Methylphenylglycidate (Oh, my word! That's a mouthful and a half!)
Ionone
Maltol
Methyl benzoate
That's just to name but a few of those 40 ingredients that go into their strawberry flavoring.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've had strawberry milkshakes from fast food chains before, and some of them are very, very tasty. But after finding out that there's 59 ingredients, and that both milk and strawberries are absent from these milkshakes, I can definitely say I've been put off for life, and I hope you are as well.

So, is there a healthy alternative? Of course! It's easy to make your own raw, very healthy, strawberry milkshake, start to finish, in only one minute. And you can use REAL strawberries and milk! (Actually, it's healthier to use rice milk or anything other than cow's milk.)

Now that you've got this information about fast food restaurants' strawberry milkshakes, (and I'm sure this goes for their other milkshakes as well) I hope you will want to avoid them like the plague. I know I sure will.

Sand More Deadly Than Sharks at Beach

2007-06-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

[Reprinted from Mercola.com]

Over two dozen children and young adults have died in the last ten years when sand holes collapsed on them.

The father-and-son team of Dr. Barry Maron and Dr. Bradley Maron have made it their goal to alert people to the danger, after seeing a lifeguard responding to a collapse that engulfed an 8 year old girl.

According to these doctors, sand hole collapses can occur horrifyingly fast. Victims can became completely submerged in the sand when the walls of the hole unexpectedly collapse, leaving no evidence of either the hole or the location of the victim.

Although people worry more about better-known threats like shark attacks, there have been a third again as many sand-hole deaths since 1990 as there have been shark-related deaths.

To reduce the danger, parents are advised not to let young children play in sand unattended, and no one should get into a sand hole deeper than their knees.

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

While sand hole collapses occur more frequently than shark attacks, it is an issue that has not garnished much attention compared to the more gory summer-time threat. In fact, shark attacks are generally relatively rare when compared to more subtle dangers at the beach.

I will repeat the excellent advice from the article: do not let young children play in sand unattended, and do not get into a hole that is deeper than your knees. You could find yourself, or your children, buried quicker than you would believe possible.

But it is the real deal and just be careful out there at the beach.

This time of year is also a great time to brush up on your CPR skills, or take a class if you haven't done so already. If you find yourself in a situation where CPR is needed but you're not trained in the proper procedure, chest compression alone has also been found to be an effective form of CPR.

A Natural Antibiotic

2007-04-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Looking for a natural antibiotic that works quickly? Try Olive Leaf Extract. You can safely use this with your children and yourself. It works SUPER FAST and it won't give you yeast overgrowth like antibiotics will. I use the Houston Nutraceuticals brand which you can find here: www.houstonni.com. For more information, see this link: http://curezone.com/foods/oliveleaf.html

CLEANING: Unclog Your Drains Without Toxins

2007-03-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Slow shower or sink drain? You don't need to pour toxins down your drains to unclog them. A simple solution that you may already have on hand is 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar (yes you can use your microwave for this!) Wait 5 minutes and then follow with 2 quarts of hot water. This process may be repeated.

It works great!

RECIPE: Forbidden Rice

2007-02-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Forbidden Rice is a black rice from China. It's a small grain with a lot of flavor! Suzanne Somers has a recipe in Slim & Sexy Forever that blends lemon zest, olive oil, mint, and salt with the Forbidden Rice, and it really enhances the flavor of the grain. In short... IT'S FANTASTIC!!!

The Slam-it Protocol for Colds and Flu

2007-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is from my homeopath's office, to be used at the FIRST SIGN OF ILLNESS, such as a scratchy throat, sinus headache, general "not feeling well - may be coming down with something" type of feeling. It can work if taken once the illness has set in, but it takes much longer. So the minute you feel unwell...SLAM-IT.

FIRST HOUR: 1 capsule of Astragalus with Emergen-C drink.

SECOND HOUR: 1 capsule of Grapefruite Seed Extract (NOT grapeseed) and 1 cup of Ginger Tea (made from dried or fresh ginger. You may add honey.

ALTERNATE THIS EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR until you are feeling completely well. This usually takes from 2-6 hours.

NOTE: To avoid the whole family getting sick when one person comes down with something, each member of the family should begin this protocol when someone in the family is sick - whether or not you are currently having symptoms. For children under 12, give only 1/2 of the Emergen-C drink.

Suzanne Somers Taught Me To Cook

2007-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

I know, it sounds crazy, but she did. I hated to cook before I "met" Suzanne (through her books). I was filling my body (and my family) full of crap pre-processed foods that were making me fat, and all of us unhealthy. Enter Suzanne.

This beautiful, vibrant woman showed me how to cook the foods I've always wanted to cook. "Spa food," I call it. You know, great-tasting, great-for-you foods that really make you want to eat! It's very rewarding to cook something that tastes incredible and makes you healthier (and in most cases, THINNER!)

When I started out reading Get Skinny on Fabulous Food, I had no idea that I was going to return to a size 6. I honestly didn't think it was possible! I thought I was "older now," and I had to be satisfied with a bigger body. NO WAY!

After cooking through "Get Skinny" for a couple of weeks, I needed more... so I ventured out to the bookstore to get Eat Great, Lose Weight, and then Slim & Sexy Forever (which has IMPORTANT information for women about bioidentical hormones), the 2nd Recipe Contest book (from www.SuzanneSomers.com), and finally Fast & Easy (for recipes with quicker prep times).

She still has a few more books I'd like to have, and I'm sure I'll be buying them soon. I LOVE her recipes! SOOOO tasty, and I've lost about 20 lbs.! The best part is that I've learned to cook. I can actually create in the kitchen now. The next best part is that I've learned how to combine my foods for weight loss and weight maintenance. There's NO DIET involved, it's just a matter of what you eat with what. It's so simple. I wish I'd known this YEARS ago. I spent too many years with unwanted fat on my bones!