Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Organic - so what!
This is an extension to the previous discussion about the need to detoxify our bodies at least annually due to our accumulation of pesticides, herbicides, and preservatives through he foods we ingest. The Environmental Working Group has published a list of the most commonly consumed fruits and vegetables and determined their toxic load via pesticide residue. The recommendation is to purchase organic as much as possible but at least for foods with high pesticide levels.
The following link will take you to the list of foods that were tested and the corresponding results. http://www.foodnews.org/fulldataset.php
How safe is your water bottle?
Do you, like thousands of other Americans enjoy bottled water? Or what about using cling wrap to preserve your left overs, or when popping something into the microwave? And new moms and dads, do you like the convenience of feeding the little one from a plastic bottle?
However, are you aware that some or all of these packaging products may contain the chemical Bispherol A.
The manufacturers of these products will argue that, "the products manufactured from bispherol A (BPA) pose no know risks to human health when used for intended purposes." Recent research indicates that we cannot deny the possibility that BPA may cause serious health consequences even under "normal:" conditions.
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) voiced its concern about the leaching of BPA into our food supply under "typical conditions". Stating that one cannot dismiss the possibility of altered human development by the inclusion of BPA in such items as canned foods, baby bottles and plastic beverage bottles. The NTP also concurs that " there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects on fetuses, infants and children at current exposures". BPA has also been show to have negative effects on the prostate and mammary glands and for resulting in precocious puberty in females.
A study reported in the Journal of Reproductive Toxicology has found BPA to work as a endocrine disruptor in the body effecting the mammary gland development, and causing lesions in both the prostate and mammary glands. Rodent studies point to the potential for cancer and to affect brain structure, function and ultimately behavior.
A BPA task force has recently been established by the FDA commissioner to determine the impact and safety of BPA.
As of this posting there is no requirement by food packaging manufacturers to disclose the use of chemicals in their products. However, most polycarbonates or epoxy resins - hard plastics (those lovely colored drinking cups sold at high end stores) generally contain BPA. Nalgene has started to produce water bottles free of BPA. Most canned foods contain BPA as a can liner. (Just another reason to avoid these foods - that are already over processed, filled with preservatives, etc.).
A report by Environment California in 2007, and a 2008 one by Work Group for Safe Markets showed BPA leaching in five popular brands of baby bottles at levels that caused harm to animal subjects. More BPA was leached out when the bottles were either heated or older.
How can you minimize your exposure to BPA? Here are a few suggestions:
- Eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, not canned. Store any left overs in glass containers rather than plastic. Reuse pasta sauce jars.
- Avoid microwaving where plastic wrap is used to contain spills. Rather utilize microwave safe glass. Although avoiding microwaving as much as possible is recommended.
- Purchase foods in glass or cardboard containers - e.g tetrapak.
- Place drinking ware, juice, tea, milk, etc. in a glass or a stainless steel jar. Neoprene sleeves can be purchased to protect glass from breaking.
- Avoid plastics marked with #7 or PC. Instead look for #1, #2, and #4 which are BPA free.
- Medela and Born Free baby bottles and products are labeled BPA free.
- The Environment Working Group has a web site with further tips to avoid expose to BPA. (www.ewg.org/chemindex/chemicals/23297).
Friday, May 30, 2008
Detoxification - the Why, When and How:
If you have had a chance to watch the trailer from a soon to be launched web exclusive movie titled “FoodMatters TV”, you will most probably be struck and shocked by what one wellness expert had to say. I know I was. Basically, he said that all the terrorists needed to do was to open up more and more fast food restaurants and then sit back and watch America eat itself to death. A rather flippant if not snide remark I thought, but as I pondered this I came to realize that what he was saying was based on the principle of, you are or you become, what you eat.
Daily we ingest toxins in the form of pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified and refined food, synthetic food additives, and pollutants as well as produce body waste products as a result of normal metabolic function. Purification becomes necessary when our toxic load reaches maximum levels and our body becomes overburdened and can no longer function optimally. The side effects of toxic overload are mental fog, constant fatigue, digestive problems including gas and bloating, food cravings and weight gain, and reduced libido.
Affirmative answers to questions like; do you eat or have you eaten processed foods, do you use artificial sweeteners, do you eat fast foods, or eat out regularly, do you drink soda, etc., can glean insight into your toxic load stemming from your diet. Further, external toxins in the form of household cleaners, .and pollutants, may add to your load.
Purification is the key to ridding yourself of these toxins and should be based on stimulating the organs of detoxification; the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. Further it should be a program that helps to both nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight.
Specifically a program should include dietary modification and the use of adjunctive nutritional supplements that act as building blocks to help fulfill this task. These supplements should include those that deliver powerful antioxidant support, provide amino acids, essential fatty acids minerals and vitamins to encourage healthy organ function. They should provide dietary fiber to increase and enhance regular bowel habits and elimination, and promote a healthy gut. And they should also help combat free radical damage
Dietary modification emphasizes eating of whole “live” foods, particularly raw fruits and vegetables and eliminating high calorie refined foods and saturated fats. Unlimited quantities of green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard can be eaten. Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, and celery, are ideas of further vegetable alternatives. Fresh or frozen fruit in the form of apples, blueberries, kiwis, pears, strawberries, and rhubarb are ideas. However, it is important that twice as many vegetables as fruit are consumed. Your body also needs to be hydrated and so the consumption of adequate water is essential. Protein sources are typically introduced mid way through the program and can include cold water wild fish, and lean meats, typically chicken, that is simply prepared.
Although challenging, a purification program that produces any significant results typically lasts for 21 days. However, one should only see this as the beginning of the process of lifelong transformation.
Before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.
Daily we ingest toxins in the form of pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified and refined food, synthetic food additives, and pollutants as well as produce body waste products as a result of normal metabolic function. Purification becomes necessary when our toxic load reaches maximum levels and our body becomes overburdened and can no longer function optimally. The side effects of toxic overload are mental fog, constant fatigue, digestive problems including gas and bloating, food cravings and weight gain, and reduced libido.
Affirmative answers to questions like; do you eat or have you eaten processed foods, do you use artificial sweeteners, do you eat fast foods, or eat out regularly, do you drink soda, etc., can glean insight into your toxic load stemming from your diet. Further, external toxins in the form of household cleaners, .and pollutants, may add to your load.
Purification is the key to ridding yourself of these toxins and should be based on stimulating the organs of detoxification; the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. Further it should be a program that helps to both nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight.
Specifically a program should include dietary modification and the use of adjunctive nutritional supplements that act as building blocks to help fulfill this task. These supplements should include those that deliver powerful antioxidant support, provide amino acids, essential fatty acids minerals and vitamins to encourage healthy organ function. They should provide dietary fiber to increase and enhance regular bowel habits and elimination, and promote a healthy gut. And they should also help combat free radical damage
Dietary modification emphasizes eating of whole “live” foods, particularly raw fruits and vegetables and eliminating high calorie refined foods and saturated fats. Unlimited quantities of green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard can be eaten. Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, and celery, are ideas of further vegetable alternatives. Fresh or frozen fruit in the form of apples, blueberries, kiwis, pears, strawberries, and rhubarb are ideas. However, it is important that twice as many vegetables as fruit are consumed. Your body also needs to be hydrated and so the consumption of adequate water is essential. Protein sources are typically introduced mid way through the program and can include cold water wild fish, and lean meats, typically chicken, that is simply prepared.
Although challenging, a purification program that produces any significant results typically lasts for 21 days. However, one should only see this as the beginning of the process of lifelong transformation.
Before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Purify your Body, Transform your Life. The Power of Detoxification.
With Spring finally here I decided that it was time to brace myself and clean out the cupboards in my garage. It was amazing all the junk I found: a set of old keys, numerous empty paint cans, a couple of burnt out light bulbs, old newspapers, and a rusted padlock. After sorting through all this junk and throwing it away it was so freeing to have dealt with it, I was almost euphoric.
Our bodies also have a junk drawer. We accumulate this “junk” from the foods we eat, the liquids we drink, and the air we breathe. Pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, chemicals, food additives, preservatives and pollution all add to this junk. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average American consumes four pounds of pesticides annually and more than 3000 chemical additives are found in the foods that we eat. We are chronically exposed to harmful substances and it is no longer a case of if we are toxic, but rather how toxic we are
Daily our bodies produce ammonia, carbon dioxide and free radicals as the wastes of cellular metabolism. It’s the job of your liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, lungs, intestines, blood and skin to filter out these toxins. However, when overloaded, your body becomes inefficient and clogged, and instead collects and harbors these toxins.
The result of this is compromise of your well-being. Typical symptoms of toxic overload are: weight gain, fatigue, poor digestion with bloating, irritable sleep, food cravings, mental fog, and moodiness to name just a few.
Purification of your system is the key to unlocking the internal cleansing and detoxification of your body. It’s like an internal “spring” cleaning. Unlike fad diets which typically ignore the way our body works, and where the tendency is to pack on the pounds afterwards, a purification program is geared to purify, nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight. It focuses on stimulating specific organs of detoxification – the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. When these organs are no longer under toxic overload your body is able to focus its energy on proper function. Weight loss is an added advantage of liver detoxification as fat metabolism and toxic filtration is increased. Toxins are stored in the fat and as we eliminate these, fat is mobilized and shunted out of the body.
Purification and detoxification challenges you to make healthier food choices for yourself. It teaches you to eliminate fast foods, processed convenience foods, sugar laden drinks and snacks from your diet and instead replace these with whole, unprocessed preservative free foods, and whole food supplements. There is no caloric limit to the amount of food that you can eat; just that it has to be nutrient dense and support detoxification .Ultimately it creates a different mindset and lifestyle in the participant where you will start to enjoy “live” foods, instead of “dead” nutrient poor processed foods.
If you are looking to free yourself from your junk drawer and want to enjoy increased energy, kick start your weight loss program, get rid of all those nagging aches and pains, or generally have a goal to feel better, then a purification and detoxification program is for you.
As always before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.
Our bodies also have a junk drawer. We accumulate this “junk” from the foods we eat, the liquids we drink, and the air we breathe. Pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, chemicals, food additives, preservatives and pollution all add to this junk. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average American consumes four pounds of pesticides annually and more than 3000 chemical additives are found in the foods that we eat. We are chronically exposed to harmful substances and it is no longer a case of if we are toxic, but rather how toxic we are
Daily our bodies produce ammonia, carbon dioxide and free radicals as the wastes of cellular metabolism. It’s the job of your liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, lungs, intestines, blood and skin to filter out these toxins. However, when overloaded, your body becomes inefficient and clogged, and instead collects and harbors these toxins.
The result of this is compromise of your well-being. Typical symptoms of toxic overload are: weight gain, fatigue, poor digestion with bloating, irritable sleep, food cravings, mental fog, and moodiness to name just a few.
Purification of your system is the key to unlocking the internal cleansing and detoxification of your body. It’s like an internal “spring” cleaning. Unlike fad diets which typically ignore the way our body works, and where the tendency is to pack on the pounds afterwards, a purification program is geared to purify, nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight. It focuses on stimulating specific organs of detoxification – the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. When these organs are no longer under toxic overload your body is able to focus its energy on proper function. Weight loss is an added advantage of liver detoxification as fat metabolism and toxic filtration is increased. Toxins are stored in the fat and as we eliminate these, fat is mobilized and shunted out of the body.
Purification and detoxification challenges you to make healthier food choices for yourself. It teaches you to eliminate fast foods, processed convenience foods, sugar laden drinks and snacks from your diet and instead replace these with whole, unprocessed preservative free foods, and whole food supplements. There is no caloric limit to the amount of food that you can eat; just that it has to be nutrient dense and support detoxification .Ultimately it creates a different mindset and lifestyle in the participant where you will start to enjoy “live” foods, instead of “dead” nutrient poor processed foods.
If you are looking to free yourself from your junk drawer and want to enjoy increased energy, kick start your weight loss program, get rid of all those nagging aches and pains, or generally have a goal to feel better, then a purification and detoxification program is for you.
As always before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
You are what you Eat.
How many times have we heard this phrase, and have simply filed it away for consideration at another date, and then tucked into our Big Mac and fires, or slice of pepperoni pizza. It all tastes so good but is loaded with trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives, etc. but what is it doing to our health?
In a soon to be released film, nutritionist and leaders in natural healing investigate our current food and related health crisis and demonstrate that what what we eat really is affecting us. As one person mentions - "all that the terrorists have to do is open more fast food chain restaurants in the US and just wait for all of us to die".
We constantly consume genetically modified and "enriched" foods, foods that are treated with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides and grown in toxic soils. We are told that for every ailment there is a drug that will sustain our "health", but "approximately 106 000 Americans die from pharmaceutical drugs a year, and these are people who took the medications as directed". (quote from, Foodmatters TV).
Good health makes a lot of sense, but NOT a lot of dollars!
You can view a trailer of this film at:http://www.foodmatters.tv/trailer.php
In a soon to be released film, nutritionist and leaders in natural healing investigate our current food and related health crisis and demonstrate that what what we eat really is affecting us. As one person mentions - "all that the terrorists have to do is open more fast food chain restaurants in the US and just wait for all of us to die".
We constantly consume genetically modified and "enriched" foods, foods that are treated with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides and grown in toxic soils. We are told that for every ailment there is a drug that will sustain our "health", but "approximately 106 000 Americans die from pharmaceutical drugs a year, and these are people who took the medications as directed". (quote from, Foodmatters TV).
Good health makes a lot of sense, but NOT a lot of dollars!
You can view a trailer of this film at:http://www.foodmatters.tv/trailer.php
Thursday, February 28, 2008
What's behind Big Pharma - do no harm or big Bucks??
What is really the motivation behind the pharamceutical industry? Is it to research and manufacture the best products to afford the best results and outcomes for the recipients of the drug , or is it simply to line the pockets of their chief executives?
The following investigational report conducted by 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley raises the issue with regard to Trasylol, made by Bayer, given to control bleeding in the OR. It was a huge money maker, given to one third of all cardiac bypass patients in the US. However a 2006 study showed that its use resulted in kidney failure and death.
Why then did it take the Food and Drug administration and Bayer another two years after the results of this study to take it off the market? Two years in which an estimated one thousand people died per month.
Click on the following link to watch this report:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3841770n
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