genetically engineered foods

If you are wanting to know what genetically engineered foods are and how they can affect our health, a great website is www.truefoodnow.org. There's a tab labeled GE Food and they even have a shopper's guide.

Personally, I don't know how one could NOT consume at least some GE foods in their diet. This practice was introduced in 1997 and the US does not require labeling of these foods. After reading The Unhealthy Truth, I realize that many of our food allergies could be coming from this practice, but I also realize genetics may play a part. At this point, my daughter already has a dangerous food allergy, so all I can do now is learn to deal with it and help her learn as well.

Does the fact that if some scientist crosses a tomato plant with peanut protein to "make it healthier and/or more resistant to pesticides," and then my daughter unknowingly eats one of those tomatoes scare me? Yes it does. Can't we at least have labels, FDA??

Milk ~ it does a body...good?

If you are a milk drinker, and you are not drinking organic milk, then here's what you are consuming: measurable quantities of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins, antibiotics (at least 50 different kinds), blood, pus, feces, bacteria, and viruses. Seriously. Inspectors are just told to keep these things under certain limits. Yuck.



We have stopped drinking cow's milk altogether, and here's where people think I've lost my mind. "But what about those ads where Martha Stewart or Brooke Shields or whomever sport milk mustaches and tell us all we must drink milk for good health?" I've been asked. Know who it is that pays for those ads? The dairy industry, that's who, a multi-billion dollar government subsidized industry. I'm not buying into those ads.



The truth is, by the time we are 3 years old, we lose the required enzymes to digest dairy products, especially milk. Surprisingly, the majority of the human population does not drink or use cow's milk. Mostly just us Americans.



Milk is no longer a pure, natural food either. Fifty years ago, dairy cows produced 2,000 pounds of milk per year. Today, thanks to bovine growth hormone (BGH) top producing cows supply 50,000 pounds per year. So, yeah, when you drink non-organic milk, you're drinking some nice bovine growth hormone, too. And also the antibiotics the cows are given when they get mastitis (inflammation of the udders) from the BGH they are forced to take - you're drinking that, too.



I've also been asked, "Aren't you worried you won't get enough calcium?" Well, actually, the processing that milk and other dairy products go through drastically degrades its calcium content. Yet, even if it didn't, calcium in cow's milk is much coarser than in human milk, as well as being tied up with casein (a milk protein) which prevents it from being absorbable by humans. Eating lots of leafy greens, soy, raw nuts, and fruits will give you all the calcium you need. But if you're worried, eat sesame seeds. They contain more calcium than any other food on earth.



Really, the only reason to drink milk is because you enjoy the taste, and even then I would urge you to buy the organic, rbst and bgh free variety. But if you are suffering from allergies or asthma or weight you can't rid yourself of no matter what you try, if you are full of mucus often or get every cold germ that floats your way, consider taking dairy out of your diet for one month. See how you feel and go from there. It worked for my youngest daughter. She is now dairy free, as well as snot free and mucus free, and we are not going back.

analyze your diet

Score 1 point for each Yes answer:

1. Do you add sugar to food or drink almost every day?
2. Do you eat foods with added sugars almost every day?
3. Do you use salt in your food?
4. Do you drink more than one cup of coffee most days?
5. Do you drink more than three cups of tea most days?
6. Do you smoke more than five cigarettes a day?
7. Do you take recreational drugs such as cannabis? (Huh?)
8. Do you drink more than 10 oz. of alcohol a day?
9. Do you eat fried foods more than twice a week?
10. Do you eat processed fast food more than twice a week?
11. Do you eat red meat more than twice a week?
12. Do you often eat foods containing additives and preservatives?
13. Do you eat chocolate or sweets more than twice a week?
14. Does less than 1/3 of your diet consist of raw fruits & vegetables?
15. Do you drink less than 1/2 pint of plain water each day?
16. Do you normally eat white rice, flour, or bread rather than whole grain?
17. Do you drink more than three pints of milk a week?
18. Do you eat more than 3 slices of bread a day, on average?
19. Are there some foods you feel "addicted" to?
20. Do you eat oily fish less than twice a week and/or seeds less than daily?

Scoring:
0-4 pts ~ You are obviously a health conscious person and your little indiscretions are unlikely to affect your health. Supplement with the right vitamins and minerals, and you can look forward to a long and healthy life.

5-9 pts ~ You are on the right track, but must be a little stricter with yourself. Set up an easy experiment by going without two or three of the foods you know are not good for you for one month. See how you feel. Some you may decide to have on occasion, while others you may find you go off completely. Aim to have your score under 5 within 3 months.

10-14 pts ~ Your diet is not good and you will need to make some changes if your goal is optimum health. But take it a step at a time. Aim to have your score under 5 within 6 months. Remember sugar, coffee, salt, and chocolate are all addictive foods. Your cravings for them will dramatically decrease or even disappear altogether after a month's time.

15-20 pts ~ There is no way you can continue to eat like this and remain in good health. You are consuming far too great a quantity of fat, refined foods, and artificial stimulants. But gradually, you can turn your diet around. Be patient with yourself, and seek help if necessary.

Nutrition Diva website

One of my favorite websites/podcasts is The Nutrition Diva. You can find her at www.nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com. Here's what she has to say about keeping yourself healthy during the upcoming flu season:


1. Lay off the sugar. A single dose of sugar can suppress your immune system for up to 12 hours. That’s more than enough time for a virus to take up residence in your respiratory tract and send out change of address cards to everyone in his address book. A single 20-ounce bottle of Coke can cut your immune response in half! Is it really worth it?

2. Eat well. I know it sounds simplistic, but eating well really does make your body more resistant to infection. Foods that feed your immune system include:
citrus fruits and berries, which are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids
nuts, seeds, and whole grains, which supply vitamin E
carrots, winter squash, spinach and other leafy greens, which are a great source of carotenoids
fish and shellfish, which are high in selenium, zinc, and omega-3 fats
garlic and onions, which bolster immune response

3. Serenity NOW! Stress suppresses your immune system and leaves the door open for viruses to waltz in. Realistically, most of us can’t avoid the things that make our lives stressful. But you can keep that stress from piling up inside your body and making you sick. Go for a walk, stretch, take some deep breaths, tell somebody a joke, take a 5-minute mental vacation.

4. Don’t skimp on sleep. Your body experiences sleep deprivation as stress. (See #3.) Try to arrange your schedule so that you can get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Take naps before late nights and do what you can to avoid getting run down.

5. Get some exercise. Regular exercise boosts your immune system. It also helps relieve stress (see #3) and helps you sleep better (see #4).

6. Don’t take echinacea or goldenseal every day. I see a lot of people taking these “immune-boosting” herbs prophylactically through the winter. But these herbs become less effective with long-term use. The best time to use these herbs is when you feel the first faint hint of symptoms, or you’ve been in close contact with someone who is sick. Take them for no longer than two weeks at a time.


In addition to her advice, many integrative health doctors are recommending probiotics and vitamin D (1000-2000 I.U.'s) this flu season as preventative measures. And of course, wash your hands well with soap and water several times throughout your day.

Top Tip #2: Eat blueberries

Always topping the list of the most nutritional foods around, blueberries are an antioxidant powerhouse! High in polyphenol antioxidants that reduce inflammation, blueberries are also important for brain health. In addition, they contain many phytonutrients that boost your immune system and like all berries, help protect your body from many diseases, including cancer. A few ideas to help get a healthy portion of blueberries each day:

1. Make a smoothie of blueberries, yogurt, and whey protein powder. You can also freeze small portions of a smoothie to put in kids' lunch totes. They'll help keep lunches cool and soften in time to provide a healthy sweet treat.

2. Top your morning cereal with a handful of blueberries and a handful of chopped almonds.

3. Make whole grain waffles with fresh or frozen blueberries thrown in the batter just prior to cooking.

4. Google healthier versions of blueberry muffin recipes, using some whole grain flour or substituting applesauce for the oil in the recipe.

back to school

It's back to school time around here, which means new shoes, new backpacks, and more than likely, a new type of flu bug. Though I know I will have critics galore, we're skipping the flu shot this year. Lia, my oldest, has never had one....and has never had the flu. In fact, she missed only one day last year due to sickness, which ended up being a case of food poisoning. And then there's Brynn...my asthmatic, food allergic child. In the years past, she has received her flu shot, doctor's orders. And she got sick anyway. Alot.

This year, we're trying probiotics instead. The girls are already chewing one a day, grape flavored, tastes like a sweet-tart. They typically ask if they can have two. Probiotics put healthy bacteria into your system. Having the right bacteria helps keep your immune system strong and therefore, enables your body to fight infections easier. Other proven benefits include: improving your digestion, producing vitamins, lowering cholesterol levels, and regulating hormones, so yeah, I take them, too!

Again, it is vital to have a healthy diet and to get as many nutrients from your food sources as possible. Food sources of probiotics include yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, tofu, wine, and sourdough bread. However, alot of these foods don't contain certain strains of probiotics that are beneficial, which is why people take a supplement. Just make sure it's a reputable one, not a cheapy one.

So I'm using my children as lab rats this year, testing out the probiotic theory. I have high hopes we'll fair better than past, flu shot years. I'll let you know the results!

our latest juice

Found this great juice at Trader Joe's to put our liquid vitamins in! When I first poured a glass for Brynn, she jumped back in disgust! Fortunately, my girls are willing to try any of my "weird stuff" at least once and I knew once Brynn tried this juice, she'd be hooked. I was right. She took a sip, and asked for more, "alot more, please."

(Green Plant: green food beverage, contains apple & pineapple juice concentrates, peach, banana, and mango puree, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass powder, broccoli powder, and spinach powder.)

What is eating clean?

Here's a nice description I found on eatingcleanworks.com.

"There is no fitness goal which you can achieve without first cleaning up your diet. Changing your diet is one of the biggest challenges when faced with improving ones health. A majority of people are used to eating highly processed foods on a regular basis and breaking away from that can be difficult. The good news is, it isn’t impossible and once you make it a habit to eat clean, it becomes a part of your life.

In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “if man made it, don’t eat it.”

A person that eats clean generally practices the following:
Eliminates refined sugar
Cooks healthy meals
Packs healthy meals
Makes healthy choices when dining out
Drinks a lot of water
Eats 5-6 small meals per day
Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
Always eats breakfast

Eating clean can be a major transition for a majority of people due to addictions to sugar, white bread, and fast food. It takes discipline in order to make eating clean a habit but it is possible and has so many long-term health benefits."

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Ubiquinone....

....or Coenzyme Q10, as it is more commonly known by, is a vital antioxidant our bodies make, helping protect our cells from free-radical damage and the wear & tear of everyday living. However, after the age of 40, our bodies production of CoQ10 falls. And certain medications - basically statins for lowering cholesterol and beta blockers for controlling blood pressure - interfere with our bodies ability to produce CoQ10. So most doctors who prescribe these meds to their patients also suggest supplemental CoQ10.

CoQ10's magic lies in its ability to improve the cells use of oxygen, which in turn makes us feel more energetic. It appears to help in many areas of health, including: hypertension, exercise performance, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, migraines, weakened immune systems, and parkinson's disease.

Food sources of CoQ10 include meat, fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, broccoli, and spinach. But most doctors recommend supplementing with 50-200 mg. per day. It is also known to be one of the safest supplements on the planet. But always get approval from your doctor before adding any supplements to your regime, especially if you are on medication.

Because CoQ10 is fat soluble, take it with food, preferably with healthy fats like avocade, nuts, or olive oil. Also, take it in the morning to avoid insomnia. And get a reputable brand with no synthetic fillers, as you should do with all your vitamins.

I recently picked up some CoQ10 for Brad & me to try out, especially Brad who has been feeling a decrease in his energy level lately while working out and just in general. Hoping it works!!!

Top Tip #1: Eat Seeds

For optimum health, we should eat 1 tablespoon of seeds per day. Seeds are incredibly rich in essential fats, minerals, vitamin E, and protein. Here's a magic formula:

1. Fill a glass jar with an airtight lid half with flaxseeds (rich in omega 3's) and half with a combination of sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds (rich in omega 6's).

2. Keep the jar sealed, and place in the refrigerator to minimize damage from light, heat, and oxygen.

3. Put a handful in a coffee or seed grinder, grind up, and put on cereals, in soup, or sprinkle on a salad.

*The omega's are my favorite supplement! I plan on blogging more about them soon. Our diets should be balanced with 3's and 6's. Unfortunately, the typical American diet contains way too much 6 and hardly any 3's since our animals no longer are allowed to grass feed, the way nature intended. Unless the package says "100 % grass fed" or the like, then the animal probably ate only genetically modified corn. Yum. More about this to come...