What I have been learning about health and nutrition is there's a lot more to it than simply what we eat and drink. Our health is affected by numerous factors. In the raw food world and health circuit there's huge talk about EMFs. So what I'd like to do with this post is try to define what they are, and discuss how it all affects us.
When Yahweh created us he made us electrical beings. I can remember learning in school about electrons, protons, and neutrons. The Almighty most definitely created electricity, but did He intend for us to be forever surrounded by all of the things we are now in this age? I say that He most definitely knew what was going to be made by man, but it doesn't mean it was His intention, just like a lot of things. At any rate we are all fearfully and wonderfully made, hallelujah!
EMF stands for electro magnetic field. All electrical inventions, wireless and not, create EMFs. Due to the fact that we are electrical beings we are affected by these EMFs. Our bodies are amazing, and there is a type of communication system I guess you could say that goes on with our bodies daily. Organs, cells, and other parts all need to be clearly communicating in order for everything to work correctly.
The more EMFs that we are exposed to the more our bodies can fail to communicate well in our systems. It is creating a neurological breakdown. So during a normal day our bodies should be able to take in toxins, filter them, and be fine. Low levels of EMFs are able to filtered fine. When things are complicated by the amount of EMFs that we're surrounded by is when the toxins are not released as they should be. Dr. Joe Mercola, natural health expert, gives the example that what is happening in our bodies is comparable to what happen when you expose a radio antenna to a significant amount of noise, there is static and confusion.
All sorts of research is being done on how we are truly affected by EMFs. I, personally, am concerned by the EMFs. I do think there is much validity to the concerns being presented. Studies are showing strong links to cancer and other diseases like fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as other common issues that might be dismissed in the mainstream medical world as simply common and unavoidable. The largest culprits are wireless devices like cell phones, laptops, as well as microwave ovens, radio towers, and radiation from x-rays (CAT scans, MRIs, mammograms, dental x-rays).
The closer we are to these devices the more closely they affect us. Research is showing a correlation tumors growing right where people keep their cell phones. This is a huge discovery right now. Sleep can be severely disrupted by too much electrical activity going on around you.Certain frequencies are higher than others and affect us accordingly. Sometimes things that are left plugged in, even when not in use, can create high fields. There are devices called meters that can measure the EMFs in your home, and local area. If you are so inclined to check them out, here is the website:http://emfsafetystore.com/.
Now with a concern like this what can we as everyday people do realistically? It doesn't do our health any good to be wriggled with worry, not does that honor the Lord. I do think that there are some precautions that we can take just to be safe in our own homes. I'll share them with you, and you can take what you want and discard the rest ;)
*Remove the microwave from your kitchen (I don't use one anymore, haven't for 2 years)
*Don't wear your cell phone on you, like in a holster or something (I try to keep mine in a purse inside a pocket, guys I guess you can either use a man purse, stick it in a coat pocket while your walking, or keep it on a desk/table anywhere but touching you)
*Try not to sleep with too many electrical devices around you (take the computer out of the bedroom, and don't sleep with the cell phone in the room, especially if you charge it at night)
*Unplug anything that you are not using if possible (especially if it clearly shows that is in use like a radio with a red light on like coffee pots, boom boxes, televisions)
*If you don't have to do something wirelessly, like access the Internet or making phone calls, then don't, use a wired option (wireless devices seems to have higher EMFs)
*Use the old fashioned cored phones when at home (I applaud you if you can do this, I think it would make a huge difference personally if more people went back to it, and no, I am not there yet)
*Take TVs out of the bedroom (If there's not one there to watch then you might actually spend your time sleeping in the bedroom-novel concept)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Blessing to Share!
A while back I had entered with contest with the Toothsoap company. The contest entry was simply to blog about what your dreams are and the dream of mine that I wrote about was to help others be good stewards of their health. Glory be to God, I won!
If you're interested here is the video link at the bottom of this post with all of the dreams of the contestants. What I had written is on there toward the end with the name RiRi.
I highly recommend their products for dental care. I do use them everyday, and so do my children. I have a banner for the Toothsoap store on this blog. To learn more about Toothsoap products go to their website at www.toothsoap.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RFN33c-hn8
If you're interested here is the video link at the bottom of this post with all of the dreams of the contestants. What I had written is on there toward the end with the name RiRi.
I highly recommend their products for dental care. I do use them everyday, and so do my children. I have a banner for the Toothsoap store on this blog. To learn more about Toothsoap products go to their website at www.toothsoap.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RFN33c-hn8
Monday, November 22, 2010
Where Do I Shop?
I'm regretful for not being on the blog more this month. So much has been going on, but I have so many things that I want to talk about. A question that I get quite often is how can you afford to eat this way? Another one is where do you shop? So I figured I answer those two very valid questions.
My answer to the first question is really a personal determination of how much your health is worth to you. I value my health because it is a gift from the Lord. We are to be good stewards of all things that He gives to us, so that includes my health. Without good health it is difficult to accomplish much. I'd also much prefer to care for health through eating properly, taking whole food supplements, and exercise rather than paying for it at the doctor's office. I am not good to my family ill.
As for the next question I shop at a variety of places. I'll cover place by place, and describe what I purchase at each place. Different places are good for different things. I also plan my trips accordingly so not to waste gas. This all about planning.
Whole Foods
What I purchase at Whole Foods is currently more than I'd like right now, since it is expensive, but there's a lot to be said for Whole Foods. Their produce is almost always lovely. They work very hard to sell local produce from the farms in the area. Local foods are always better for cost effectiveness, nutritional properties, and it's better for the physical environment.
Truth be told though when you are buying organic, more often than not what I have found is for quality and quantity Whole Foods is cheaper :) Their employees are almost always knowledgeable in the department that they work unlike other stores.
I purchase all of the following organic veggie and fruits there: kale, carrots, potatoes (red and russet), apples, celery, cilantro, parsley, cabbage, and red leaf lettuce. I also regularly purchase the 365 brand organic coconut oil, Manitoba Harvest or Nutiva hemp seeds, raw goat cheese, cage free eggs (the 18 pack), certain vitamin supplements, Annie Chun's Brown Rice Mai Fun Noodles (great sub for angel hair pasta dishes for gluten free options), Arrowhead Mills all natural creamy peanut butter, 365 brand Grade B organic Maple Syrup, coconut aminos (soy free sub for soy sauce), bulk herbs/spices, bulk section non GMO brown rice (short grain and long grain), organic chick peas, organic popcorn, and raw nuts. I also buy grass fed local red meat and poultry there.
Trader Joes
I really like Trader Joes because it is a super kid friendly store. I really like to get my bananas there. I find it is the cheapest place to get them. I don't buy too much produce there other wise unless absolutely necessary due to time. I don't think their produce is the best. I will purchase raw ginger root there though. I'll buy raw nuts there often, goat's milk yogurt, crumbly goat cheese, organic cage free eggs, frozen organic strawberries, pesticide free blueberries, and frozen bell peppers.
I will buy organic peanut butter there sometimes, but I prefer the Arrowhead Mills at Whole Foods because it is in a glass jar. I often purchase raw creamy and chunky almond butter. For snacks we like the organic blue tortilla chips. If you buy tortilla chips, these are the best. We sometimes buy the organic corn chip dippers also; these are like organic fritos-no this is NOT healthy, just yummy. I also get Italian extra virgin olive oil, and raw creamed honey there.
The State Farmers Market
I love our farmers market. It makes me feel good to support local agriculture. Around this time of year I'm buying up the pie pumpkins like crazy to make pumpkin puree for breads, muffins, pies, and cookies. I buy raw local honey there about every 2 weeks. I like to get local tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. I also pick up bell peppers, kale if is pesticide free (a lot of times it is), and eggplant. As a treat for the kids we'll go grab some goat's milk ice cream. If you live in the Triangle go to try it, it's really good.
Sam's Club
Wholesale clubs are fantastic for those of us eating whole foods. I find Sam's is the cheapest out of all of them. I buy the big bins of baby spinach there, the big bags of broccoli, raw garlic, purple onions, lemons, limes, and avocados (when they are from CA or Mexico).
These are my regular grocery stops. I use coupons when applicable, I look for sales, discounted products, and try to stick to my grocery list. I have a meal planner/calendar that I'll also post below. I find it help to use a meal calendar, even as a guideline. If I change my mind, run out of something, or something comes up, that's fine, but it gives me a base to start from for meals each week.
My answer to the first question is really a personal determination of how much your health is worth to you. I value my health because it is a gift from the Lord. We are to be good stewards of all things that He gives to us, so that includes my health. Without good health it is difficult to accomplish much. I'd also much prefer to care for health through eating properly, taking whole food supplements, and exercise rather than paying for it at the doctor's office. I am not good to my family ill.
As for the next question I shop at a variety of places. I'll cover place by place, and describe what I purchase at each place. Different places are good for different things. I also plan my trips accordingly so not to waste gas. This all about planning.
Whole Foods
What I purchase at Whole Foods is currently more than I'd like right now, since it is expensive, but there's a lot to be said for Whole Foods. Their produce is almost always lovely. They work very hard to sell local produce from the farms in the area. Local foods are always better for cost effectiveness, nutritional properties, and it's better for the physical environment.
Truth be told though when you are buying organic, more often than not what I have found is for quality and quantity Whole Foods is cheaper :) Their employees are almost always knowledgeable in the department that they work unlike other stores.
I purchase all of the following organic veggie and fruits there: kale, carrots, potatoes (red and russet), apples, celery, cilantro, parsley, cabbage, and red leaf lettuce. I also regularly purchase the 365 brand organic coconut oil, Manitoba Harvest or Nutiva hemp seeds, raw goat cheese, cage free eggs (the 18 pack), certain vitamin supplements, Annie Chun's Brown Rice Mai Fun Noodles (great sub for angel hair pasta dishes for gluten free options), Arrowhead Mills all natural creamy peanut butter, 365 brand Grade B organic Maple Syrup, coconut aminos (soy free sub for soy sauce), bulk herbs/spices, bulk section non GMO brown rice (short grain and long grain), organic chick peas, organic popcorn, and raw nuts. I also buy grass fed local red meat and poultry there.
Trader Joes
I really like Trader Joes because it is a super kid friendly store. I really like to get my bananas there. I find it is the cheapest place to get them. I don't buy too much produce there other wise unless absolutely necessary due to time. I don't think their produce is the best. I will purchase raw ginger root there though. I'll buy raw nuts there often, goat's milk yogurt, crumbly goat cheese, organic cage free eggs, frozen organic strawberries, pesticide free blueberries, and frozen bell peppers.
I will buy organic peanut butter there sometimes, but I prefer the Arrowhead Mills at Whole Foods because it is in a glass jar. I often purchase raw creamy and chunky almond butter. For snacks we like the organic blue tortilla chips. If you buy tortilla chips, these are the best. We sometimes buy the organic corn chip dippers also; these are like organic fritos-no this is NOT healthy, just yummy. I also get Italian extra virgin olive oil, and raw creamed honey there.
The State Farmers Market
I love our farmers market. It makes me feel good to support local agriculture. Around this time of year I'm buying up the pie pumpkins like crazy to make pumpkin puree for breads, muffins, pies, and cookies. I buy raw local honey there about every 2 weeks. I like to get local tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. I also pick up bell peppers, kale if is pesticide free (a lot of times it is), and eggplant. As a treat for the kids we'll go grab some goat's milk ice cream. If you live in the Triangle go to try it, it's really good.
Sam's Club
Wholesale clubs are fantastic for those of us eating whole foods. I find Sam's is the cheapest out of all of them. I buy the big bins of baby spinach there, the big bags of broccoli, raw garlic, purple onions, lemons, limes, and avocados (when they are from CA or Mexico).
These are my regular grocery stops. I use coupons when applicable, I look for sales, discounted products, and try to stick to my grocery list. I have a meal planner/calendar that I'll also post below. I find it help to use a meal calendar, even as a guideline. If I change my mind, run out of something, or something comes up, that's fine, but it gives me a base to start from for meals each week.
Monthly Dinner Menu
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Left Overs | Beef Patties/ Veggie Patties w/ Salad | Left Overs | Baked Mac and Nut Cheese & Salad | Chicken Legs & Veggies | Pizza & Salad | Loaded Baked Potatoes & Salad |
| Left Overs | Turkey/ Veggie Tacos & Veggies | Left Overs | Pasta with Red sauce & Salad | Chicken Thighs & Veggies | Pizza & Salad | Veggie Enchiladas & Veggies |
| Left Overs | Mini Turkey Meat Loaves & Veggies | Left Overs | Pasta with Pesto & Salad | Chicken Breasts & Veggies | Pizza & Salad | Rice/Bean Burritos & Veggies |
| Left Overs | Steak & Veggies | Left Overs | Asian Pasta Stir-fry & Salad | Chicken Legs & Veggies | Pizza & Salad | Ratatouille/Other Veggie Casserole & Salad |
Other Meal Options for substitutions:
· Vegetable Soup
· Tomato Soup
· Minestrone Soup
· Vegan Gnocchi
· Quiche
· Breakfast for Dinner
· Broiled/Baked Flounder
· Veggie Chili (food.com)
· Veggie Fried Rice (food.com)
· Vegan Lasagna (food.com)
· Lentil Pie (recipe binder)
· Vegetarian Meatloaf (recipe binder/food.com)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Making Almond Yogurt
This week for my health and nutrition class we will be having almond yogurt. I've been spending the last couple of days preparing it so it will be ready. I'll post some pictures here. It is a 2-3 day process. I soaked the raw almonds over night, blanched them for a few seconds, then blended them with filtered water to make almond milk.
After you make the almond milk, you place the almond milk into the jars that you will be placing in the yogurt maker. I'm using the Tribest Yogurt Maker. It works really well, and is easy to use. Yogurt makers are fairly cost effective compared to other appliances. You can purchase cheaper ones, but I like this one because of the glass jars, and larger lid option.
It comes with two lids, one is large and one is small, and 7 small glass jars with lids. If you want to make more you can use the large lid, and use any glass jars like ball canning jars that are quart size. That is what I did this time. It's awesome making your own yogurt at home because you control what goes in it.
You need to mix the almond milk, or any milk you use for that matter with a culture starter. I am using the Body Ecology brand by Donna Gates. I tried using a store bought yogurt for a starter before, but it didn't work very well. To make yogurt you need a starter, which is basically some bacteria to start off the culturing of the milk.
After you mix the milk with the starter you then place it into the yogurt maker for 8 hours or so. Next you remove the jars from the yogurt maker, and place them into the fridge for 5 hours. After the five hours is over you must strain the yogurt and liquid through some cheesecloth. What you are left with is yummy, creamy yogurt.
I personally like the taste of the yogurt plain, I think the almond yogurt has sweetness to it already. I am going to allow my student to add things like fruit or honey if they like. I really hope that they like it.
Fermented and cultured foods are so good for your microflora. The microflora are the colonies of bacteria or plantlife inside your intestines. We have billions upon billions of bacteria inside of us. The key is keeping the right kinds of bacteria. A healthy diet of raw fruits and veggies, gluten free grains, and cultured foods help to ensure that balance.
We need healthy guts to maintain overall health. Questions, comments?
After you make the almond milk, you place the almond milk into the jars that you will be placing in the yogurt maker. I'm using the Tribest Yogurt Maker. It works really well, and is easy to use. Yogurt makers are fairly cost effective compared to other appliances. You can purchase cheaper ones, but I like this one because of the glass jars, and larger lid option.
It comes with two lids, one is large and one is small, and 7 small glass jars with lids. If you want to make more you can use the large lid, and use any glass jars like ball canning jars that are quart size. That is what I did this time. It's awesome making your own yogurt at home because you control what goes in it.
You need to mix the almond milk, or any milk you use for that matter with a culture starter. I am using the Body Ecology brand by Donna Gates. I tried using a store bought yogurt for a starter before, but it didn't work very well. To make yogurt you need a starter, which is basically some bacteria to start off the culturing of the milk.
After you mix the milk with the starter you then place it into the yogurt maker for 8 hours or so. Next you remove the jars from the yogurt maker, and place them into the fridge for 5 hours. After the five hours is over you must strain the yogurt and liquid through some cheesecloth. What you are left with is yummy, creamy yogurt.
I personally like the taste of the yogurt plain, I think the almond yogurt has sweetness to it already. I am going to allow my student to add things like fruit or honey if they like. I really hope that they like it.
Fermented and cultured foods are so good for your microflora. The microflora are the colonies of bacteria or plantlife inside your intestines. We have billions upon billions of bacteria inside of us. The key is keeping the right kinds of bacteria. A healthy diet of raw fruits and veggies, gluten free grains, and cultured foods help to ensure that balance.
We need healthy guts to maintain overall health. Questions, comments?
Monday, November 1, 2010
New Proof that This Common Medical Treatment is Unnecessary and Ineffective Posted By Dr. Mercola
November 01 2010
The 2010-2011 flu season is here. With it comes a mixture of good news and bad, but if you and I together spread facts instead of fear, we can once again tip the balance toward health in the US—and worldwide.
Last year, the swine flu "pandemic"—warned to be catastrophic—was actually much milder than health officials warned.
Last year's flu mortality estimates turned out to be only one-third that of an average year, in spite of the emergence of the new human-bird-pig influenza virus you have come to know as swine flu.
Imagine that. The sky didn't fall after all.
Last year the United States contracted for the manufacture of more than 170 million doses of swine flu vaccine. Probably the most significant accomplishment of this website was that we were able to contribute to the fact that only 90 million doses were used in the United States.
Armed with the facts, less than one-third of the US population fell for fear mongering. And together, we can do it again.
But we have some high hurdles ahead.
Flu Shots for All (Science Optional)
For the past several years, physicians in America have been insisting that every child age 6 months to 18 years must get an annual flu shot. Making matters worse, health officials have now ramped up those recommendations, telling EVERY person over the age of 6 months get a flu shot, healthy or not, low risk or high.
Everyone. Three hundred million of you, every year from the year you are born until the year you die.
What will receiving lifelong flu shots every year do to your immune system?
With all of those vaccinations, will you be more susceptible to influenza-related complications and death?
We really don't know.
Health officials have leapt ahead with recommendations of "flu shots for all" without safety studies—so by getting a flu shot, you are effectively offering yourself up as a laboratory rat. In other words, YOU are the safety study!
No Mystery -- These Flu Vaccine Side Effects WILL Occur in the US
It isn't just an ordinary flu vaccine they are promoting this year—it's the new trivalent vaccine, which may be even more reactive than the monovalent. This vaccine is a three-in-one, containing influenza A, influenza B, and 2009 pandemic swine flu (H1N1) strains.
Administering this highly suspect formulation to 300 million people has potentially disastrous implications. Red flags were already popping up last year, and this flu season has raised many more.
Australia's flu season precedes ours, so we can look to them for a preview of vaccine issues. By June of 2010, more than 1,000 adverse reactions in children under the age of 5 resulted in the Australian government's banning of flu vaccines for that age group. High fevers, vomiting and convulsions were the most widely reported reactions, which are also associated with long-term adverse health outcomes.
CSL's Fluvax appears to be the main troublemaker. However, CSL has objected to being singled out, claiming any of the other three vaccines on the Australian market could be to blame.
Just like last year where the experience in Australia with the swine flu was replicated precisely in the US, you will see the same happen this fall, winter and spring in the US. This is entirely predictable as is the lack of media coverage that this will receive.
Interestingly, the Sydney Morning Herald recently reported that Australian "public health experts have called for an independent body to monitor drug safety after it emerged that young children were more likely to end up in hospitals because of side effects from a flu vaccine than they were from the disease itself. The analysis contradicts government safety advice that the harm did not outweigh the risk and raises concerns about the Therapeutic Goods Administration's assessment of the vaccine."
Mark my words, the US will have the identical experience, and nine months from now you will see in the newspapers that children given the flu vaccine were more likely to wind up hospitalized than from those that actually got the disease.
These drug manufacturers have a horribly unethical track record with disturbing manufacturing errors. Many of the drugs remain indemnified from damage.
H1N1 Vaccine Continues To Provoke Reports of Serious Side Effects
In the meantime, the 2009 pandemic H1N1 "swine flu" vaccine that has been put into this year's trivalent seasonal flu vaccine continues to be associated with lots of reports of devastating reactions:
•In Finland, France and Sweden, narcolepsy was reported in teenage children in response to Pandemrix monovalent swine flu vaccine, leading the Finnish government to suspend its use.
•In Korea, nearly 2,600 swine flu vaccine side effects were reported as of August 2010, ranging from allergic reactions to fevers to headaches—and including 10 deaths.
Children are not the only ones who seem to react more violently to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 component.
According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent vaccine for signs it may be associated with more adverse reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.
Fisher outlined these three primary health concerns in a recent NVIC video update:
1.Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease which has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976, when the swine flu vaccine was first used. In fact, British government health experts acknowledged the link between the H1N1 vaccine and an increased risk of GBS earlier this month. Prior to this public admittance, the government had always denied such a link
2.Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disorder, is a blood clotting disorder characterized by insufficient platelets
3.Bell's palsy, a reaction causing temporary facial paralysis
Why are people having these worrisome reactions?
Vaccines Wreak Havoc With Your Immune System
All vaccines are immune suppressive—that is, they suppress your immune system, which may not return to normal for weeks to months. Here are just some of the ways vaccines impair and alter your immune response:
•Some components in vaccines are neurotoxic and may depress your immune and brain function, particularly heavy metals such as mercury preservatives and aluminum adjuvants
•The lab altered vaccine viruses themselves may further impair your immune response
•Foreign DNA/RNA from animal tissues can wreak havoc in your body and trigger autoimmunity in some people
•Vaccines may alter your t-cell function and lead you to become chronically ill
•Vaccines can trigger allergies by introducing large foreign protein molecules into your body that have not been properly broken down by your digestive tract (since they are injected). Your body can respond to these foreign particles in the form of an allergic reaction
The flu vaccine may also pose an immediate risk to your cardiovascular system. One 2007 study published in the Annals of Medicine concluded that:
"Abnormalities in arterial function and LDL oxidation may persist for at least 2 weeks after a slight inflammatory reaction induced by influenza vaccination.
These could explain in part the earlier reported increase in cardiovascular risk during the first weeks after an acute inflammatory disorder."
Add to all those factors the immune-compromising effects of excess sugar in the average American diet, plus inadequate exercise and other lifestyle factors, and you've created the perfect setup for health problems far worse than influenza..
So the tradeoff you are making is TOTAL immune system depression (your defense against millions of pathogens) for temporary immunity against ONE infectious disease—in this case a few of the many viral strains of influenza—and that immunity is questionable.
Do you really want to trade in temporary immunity to a few strains of influenza for autoimmune disease or even cancer?
A Special Warning to Seniors!
For seniors, this season's flu vaccine may be one of the most dangerous you've ever experienced, because seniors will likely get a vaccine that is FOUR TIMES as potent as that given to the rest of the population, as recently reported by the Chicago Tribune.
In the ACIP Provisional Recommendations for the Use of Influenza Vaccines, dated February 24, it states:
"A higher dose formulation of an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (Fluzone High-Dose, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, licensed by FDA on December 23, 2009) for use in people age 65 years and older will be available in the 2010-11 influenza season.
"Fluzone High-Dose contains four times the amount of influenza antigen compared to other inactivated seasonal influenza vaccines. …
Studies are underway to assess the relative effectiveness of Fluzone High-Dose compared to standard dose inactivated influenza vaccine, but results from those studies will not be available before the 2010-11 influenza season." [Emphasis mine.]
So, if you're age 65 or older, the CDC wants you to take a flu vaccine this fall that not only contains an antigen they previously said you probably already have antibodies to (H1N1), but that is also four times as potent, with no safety evaluation whatsoever until AFTER the season is underway!
This is madness. Seniors are already a group that can withstand the harmful effects of this vaccine the least...
Again, the CDC is asking you to be a part of a large public health experiment, which is why we're warning you.
Is the Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women? Nobody Knows!
If you are a pregnant woman, you and your unborn child may be the most defenseless of all potential vaccine casualties in the national infuenza vaccine experiment.
Barbara Loe Fisher states she is very concerned about the issue of pregnant women getting flu shots because of the lack of scientific data about the effects of this vaccine—particularly the H1N1 component—on pregnant women and their unborn babies.
She states:
"Last summer the NIH announced they were doing studies in children, adults and pregnant women with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. About 120 pregnant women were supposed to be enrolled in a study in early September… We have yet to see any announcement of the results of those studies."
And without any scientific evidence about safety, are you supposed to blindly accept that flu vaccines are safe for you and your unborn child?
Here's another startling fact making this year's vaccination policy even more unconscionable.
Flu vaccine has now been officially listed as a Category C drug.
What does this mean exactly?
Category C is for drugs that do not have enough human or animal studies to establish safety, OR adverse fetal effects have been seen in animal studies but there is little human data.
According to FDA:
"Category C drugs are drugs that are more likely to cause problems for the mother or fetus. Also includes drugs for which safety studies have not been finished. The majority of these drugs do not have safety studies in progress. These drugs often come with a warning that they should be used only if the benefits of taking them outweigh the risks.
If you are a pregnant woman, your doctor may be pressuring you to get a drug that is not approved for you! This is just idiotic.
Thimerasol-containing vaccines are considered hazardous waste and can't be thrown into a garbage can, poured down a sink or flushed down a toilet because of the mercury—they're considered environmentally toxic. Yet, they want to inject them into your baby?
Why would anyone, pregnant or otherwise, want to be injected with a substance that is too toxic to dispose of down a drain?
Evidence-Based Medicine Flushed Down the Drain: FLU SHOTS DON'T WORK
Not only do flu shots weaken your immune system, expose you to toxins, and cause allergies and other adverse reactions, they don't work.
Yes, you read that correctly. Besides being fraught with complications, flu vaccines simply don't work to decrease flu incidence or flu mortality. Flu vaccinations keep coming up short in study after study—way short—when it comes to having any measurable impact on what matters most, which is reducing illness and mortality from the flu.
After the largest flu-vaccination campaign in Canadian history, a Canadian-led study (through the Cochrane Collaboration, a highly respected international network of researchers who analyze the scientific evidence, including the methodology, used in clinical trials) concluded that vaccinating nursing home workers had no effect on confirmed influenza cases among the homes' elderly residents.
Lead researcher Dr. Roger Thomas explained:
"What troubled us is that [shots] had no effect on laboratory-confirmed influenza. What we were looking for is proof that influenza ... is decreased.
Didn't find it.
We looked for proof that pneumonia is reduced. Didn't find it. We looked for proof deaths from pneumonia are reduced.
Didn't find it."
In fact, in April of 2010, Michael Osterholm, director of the national Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), publicly admitted that flu shots don't work in the elderly.
One factor that may explain this is the "healthy user" effect.
Lisa Jackson's "Healthy User" Effect
Lisa Jackson, a physician and senior investigator with the Group Health Research Center in Seattle, found that healthy people tend to choose flu vaccination, while the "frail elderly" didn't or couldn't. Her research suggested that flu vaccine itself does not reduce mortality at all.
Healthy (and health-conscious) people tend to get the vaccine AND come down with flu less often, not because of the vaccine itself but because they are healthier to start with.
Jackson concluded:
"The reductions in risk before influenza season indicate preferential receipt of vaccine by relatively healthy seniors... the magnitude of the bias demonstrated by the associations before the influenza season was sufficient to account entirely for the associations observed during influenza season."
Unfortunately, Jackson's papers were turned down for publication in the leadiing medical journals.
If You Think You Have the Flu, the Odds are Five to One You Don't
You may not be aware that only about 20 percent of flu-like illnesses are actually caused by influenza type A or B, according to CDC. The other 80 percent are caused by more than 200 other bugs that can make you feel just as sick - respiratory syncytial virus, bocavirus, coronavirus, and rhinovirus, to name a few.
Every day you're around viruses and bacteria, and when you're healthy, you usually don't get sick. But even if you do get sick, most healthy adults and children will not have a problem with influenza.
If you do come down with influenza and have a good immune response, you will likely quickly recover without serious complications, as well as obtain natural immunity to that strain of influenza and to similar ones.
Respiratory infections statistically increase with age as the average person's immune system generally weakens. When a person over age 65 dies of respiratory failure after a flu-like illness, their cause of death is nearly always labeled as influenza even if it is actually due to bacterial pneumonia.
The vaccine industry loves to attribute many deaths in the elderly to influenza because it pumps up the influenza mortality statistics and helps make a case for use of influenza vaccine.
But you have to die of something, and dying of respiratory viruses is quite common. Just remember this when reading flu mortality statistics: very few deaths from respiratory illnesses are actually caused by type A or type B influenza. viruses
You Could Already Be Immune to the Flu!
Vaccine-acquired immunity is temporary, whereas the immunity you get by recovering from influenza is longer lasting. Look at Baby Boomers, for example. Evidence shows, if you are an aging baby boomer born prior to 1957, you are more protected and have a lower risk for pandemic H1N1 influenza that circulated in 2009 and other related influenza strains.
Why?
Because you have long-lasting antibodies that help you resist influenza, antibodies that you acquired by recovering from similar strains of influenza in past decades. Unfortunately, if public health officials and drug companies marketing vaccines have their way, your children and grandchildren won't be allowed the opportunity to develop this important natural immunity to type A and type B influenza strains.
So the question is this: why do we continue doing something that has been proven ineffective many times over? As the saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results."
The real way to prevent the flu is through optimal lifestyle and nutrition, and getting plenty of vitamin D, lowering stress and getting the right amount of sleep and Western medical science has glossed right over that.
Tom Jefferson is a physician based in Rome and the head of the Vaccines Field at the Cochrane Collaboration. Jefferson leads an international team of researchers who have combed through hundreds of flu-vaccine studies and have concluded the majority of these studies are "deeply flawed."
Jefferson states:
"Rubbish is not a scientific term, but I think it's the term that applies... We have built huge, population-based policies on the flimsiest of scientific evidence. The most unethical thing to do is to carry on business as usual."
I couldn't agree more.
How You CAN Make a Difference!
Don't sit this one out! We've got them "on the run."
Tell everyone. Tell your friends, your family. With a little bit of effort, you can make significant strides toward preserving your freedom to make voluntary health decisions affecting you and your children's future.
One of the top goals for NVIC is preserving your freedom of choice about if and when to use vaccines. As part of that mission, this non-profit charity has been fighting for your right to make informed VOLUNTARY vaccine choices since 1982.
During this Vaccine Awareness Week, NVIC is launching the online NVIC Advocacy Portal that will give you the tools you need to take action to protect legal medical, religious and conscientious belief exemptions to vaccination in YOUR state.
Right now, you need to register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal today! And while you are at it, please make a donation to NVIC so they can continue fighting on behalf of all Americans to make sure we don't lose our informed consent rights when it comes to vaccination.
Your donations to the NVIC help fund efforts that raise vaccine awareness, including the following excellent vaccine resources:
•State Vaccine Requirements
•Influenza Mini Guide Ebook
•Special Report: Influenza Vaccine Mandates Ineffective & Unwise
•Are You Over Vaccinating Your Child?
•Vaccine Ingredients Calculator
•How to Legally Avoid Immunizations
If you order products from Mercola.com this week, you will also receive a free Mini Guide to Flu Vaccine with your order. Plus, Mercola.com will make a donation to NVIC with every order!
If you order products from Mercola.com this week, we will make a donation to NVIC with every order!
Remember, we DID make a difference last year—the flu vaccine was not mandated! But there are new threats to our freedom this year as health care workers are being threatened with being fired if they don't get a flu shot. We need to push back now or, like NVIC's President said recently, we all could be next to be targeted for punishments if we don't get a flu shot every year.
By educating people, by giving them the information they weren't getting, we made the difference last year. And this year, we can do it again. Join with me and NVIC and get involved.
Stay tuned to this newsletter for more updates, or follow the National Vaccine Information Center on Facebook. Together we CAN make a difference!
The 2010-2011 flu season is here. With it comes a mixture of good news and bad, but if you and I together spread facts instead of fear, we can once again tip the balance toward health in the US—and worldwide.
Last year, the swine flu "pandemic"—warned to be catastrophic—was actually much milder than health officials warned.
Last year's flu mortality estimates turned out to be only one-third that of an average year, in spite of the emergence of the new human-bird-pig influenza virus you have come to know as swine flu.
Imagine that. The sky didn't fall after all.
Last year the United States contracted for the manufacture of more than 170 million doses of swine flu vaccine. Probably the most significant accomplishment of this website was that we were able to contribute to the fact that only 90 million doses were used in the United States.
Armed with the facts, less than one-third of the US population fell for fear mongering. And together, we can do it again.
But we have some high hurdles ahead.
Flu Shots for All (Science Optional)
For the past several years, physicians in America have been insisting that every child age 6 months to 18 years must get an annual flu shot. Making matters worse, health officials have now ramped up those recommendations, telling EVERY person over the age of 6 months get a flu shot, healthy or not, low risk or high.
Everyone. Three hundred million of you, every year from the year you are born until the year you die.
What will receiving lifelong flu shots every year do to your immune system?
With all of those vaccinations, will you be more susceptible to influenza-related complications and death?
We really don't know.
Health officials have leapt ahead with recommendations of "flu shots for all" without safety studies—so by getting a flu shot, you are effectively offering yourself up as a laboratory rat. In other words, YOU are the safety study!
No Mystery -- These Flu Vaccine Side Effects WILL Occur in the US
It isn't just an ordinary flu vaccine they are promoting this year—it's the new trivalent vaccine, which may be even more reactive than the monovalent. This vaccine is a three-in-one, containing influenza A, influenza B, and 2009 pandemic swine flu (H1N1) strains.
Administering this highly suspect formulation to 300 million people has potentially disastrous implications. Red flags were already popping up last year, and this flu season has raised many more.
Australia's flu season precedes ours, so we can look to them for a preview of vaccine issues. By June of 2010, more than 1,000 adverse reactions in children under the age of 5 resulted in the Australian government's banning of flu vaccines for that age group. High fevers, vomiting and convulsions were the most widely reported reactions, which are also associated with long-term adverse health outcomes.
CSL's Fluvax appears to be the main troublemaker. However, CSL has objected to being singled out, claiming any of the other three vaccines on the Australian market could be to blame.
Just like last year where the experience in Australia with the swine flu was replicated precisely in the US, you will see the same happen this fall, winter and spring in the US. This is entirely predictable as is the lack of media coverage that this will receive.
Interestingly, the Sydney Morning Herald recently reported that Australian "public health experts have called for an independent body to monitor drug safety after it emerged that young children were more likely to end up in hospitals because of side effects from a flu vaccine than they were from the disease itself. The analysis contradicts government safety advice that the harm did not outweigh the risk and raises concerns about the Therapeutic Goods Administration's assessment of the vaccine."
Mark my words, the US will have the identical experience, and nine months from now you will see in the newspapers that children given the flu vaccine were more likely to wind up hospitalized than from those that actually got the disease.
These drug manufacturers have a horribly unethical track record with disturbing manufacturing errors. Many of the drugs remain indemnified from damage.
H1N1 Vaccine Continues To Provoke Reports of Serious Side Effects
In the meantime, the 2009 pandemic H1N1 "swine flu" vaccine that has been put into this year's trivalent seasonal flu vaccine continues to be associated with lots of reports of devastating reactions:
•In Finland, France and Sweden, narcolepsy was reported in teenage children in response to Pandemrix monovalent swine flu vaccine, leading the Finnish government to suspend its use.
•In Korea, nearly 2,600 swine flu vaccine side effects were reported as of August 2010, ranging from allergic reactions to fevers to headaches—and including 10 deaths.
Children are not the only ones who seem to react more violently to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 component.
According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent vaccine for signs it may be associated with more adverse reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.
Fisher outlined these three primary health concerns in a recent NVIC video update:
1.Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease which has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976, when the swine flu vaccine was first used. In fact, British government health experts acknowledged the link between the H1N1 vaccine and an increased risk of GBS earlier this month. Prior to this public admittance, the government had always denied such a link
2.Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disorder, is a blood clotting disorder characterized by insufficient platelets
3.Bell's palsy, a reaction causing temporary facial paralysis
Why are people having these worrisome reactions?
Vaccines Wreak Havoc With Your Immune System
All vaccines are immune suppressive—that is, they suppress your immune system, which may not return to normal for weeks to months. Here are just some of the ways vaccines impair and alter your immune response:
•Some components in vaccines are neurotoxic and may depress your immune and brain function, particularly heavy metals such as mercury preservatives and aluminum adjuvants
•The lab altered vaccine viruses themselves may further impair your immune response
•Foreign DNA/RNA from animal tissues can wreak havoc in your body and trigger autoimmunity in some people
•Vaccines may alter your t-cell function and lead you to become chronically ill
•Vaccines can trigger allergies by introducing large foreign protein molecules into your body that have not been properly broken down by your digestive tract (since they are injected). Your body can respond to these foreign particles in the form of an allergic reaction
The flu vaccine may also pose an immediate risk to your cardiovascular system. One 2007 study published in the Annals of Medicine concluded that:
"Abnormalities in arterial function and LDL oxidation may persist for at least 2 weeks after a slight inflammatory reaction induced by influenza vaccination.
These could explain in part the earlier reported increase in cardiovascular risk during the first weeks after an acute inflammatory disorder."
Add to all those factors the immune-compromising effects of excess sugar in the average American diet, plus inadequate exercise and other lifestyle factors, and you've created the perfect setup for health problems far worse than influenza..
So the tradeoff you are making is TOTAL immune system depression (your defense against millions of pathogens) for temporary immunity against ONE infectious disease—in this case a few of the many viral strains of influenza—and that immunity is questionable.
Do you really want to trade in temporary immunity to a few strains of influenza for autoimmune disease or even cancer?
A Special Warning to Seniors!
For seniors, this season's flu vaccine may be one of the most dangerous you've ever experienced, because seniors will likely get a vaccine that is FOUR TIMES as potent as that given to the rest of the population, as recently reported by the Chicago Tribune.
In the ACIP Provisional Recommendations for the Use of Influenza Vaccines, dated February 24, it states:
"A higher dose formulation of an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (Fluzone High-Dose, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, licensed by FDA on December 23, 2009) for use in people age 65 years and older will be available in the 2010-11 influenza season.
"Fluzone High-Dose contains four times the amount of influenza antigen compared to other inactivated seasonal influenza vaccines. …
Studies are underway to assess the relative effectiveness of Fluzone High-Dose compared to standard dose inactivated influenza vaccine, but results from those studies will not be available before the 2010-11 influenza season." [Emphasis mine.]
So, if you're age 65 or older, the CDC wants you to take a flu vaccine this fall that not only contains an antigen they previously said you probably already have antibodies to (H1N1), but that is also four times as potent, with no safety evaluation whatsoever until AFTER the season is underway!
This is madness. Seniors are already a group that can withstand the harmful effects of this vaccine the least...
Again, the CDC is asking you to be a part of a large public health experiment, which is why we're warning you.
Is the Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women? Nobody Knows!
If you are a pregnant woman, you and your unborn child may be the most defenseless of all potential vaccine casualties in the national infuenza vaccine experiment.
Barbara Loe Fisher states she is very concerned about the issue of pregnant women getting flu shots because of the lack of scientific data about the effects of this vaccine—particularly the H1N1 component—on pregnant women and their unborn babies.
She states:
"Last summer the NIH announced they were doing studies in children, adults and pregnant women with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. About 120 pregnant women were supposed to be enrolled in a study in early September… We have yet to see any announcement of the results of those studies."
And without any scientific evidence about safety, are you supposed to blindly accept that flu vaccines are safe for you and your unborn child?
Here's another startling fact making this year's vaccination policy even more unconscionable.
Flu vaccine has now been officially listed as a Category C drug.
What does this mean exactly?
Category C is for drugs that do not have enough human or animal studies to establish safety, OR adverse fetal effects have been seen in animal studies but there is little human data.
According to FDA:
"Category C drugs are drugs that are more likely to cause problems for the mother or fetus. Also includes drugs for which safety studies have not been finished. The majority of these drugs do not have safety studies in progress. These drugs often come with a warning that they should be used only if the benefits of taking them outweigh the risks.
If you are a pregnant woman, your doctor may be pressuring you to get a drug that is not approved for you! This is just idiotic.
Thimerasol-containing vaccines are considered hazardous waste and can't be thrown into a garbage can, poured down a sink or flushed down a toilet because of the mercury—they're considered environmentally toxic. Yet, they want to inject them into your baby?
Why would anyone, pregnant or otherwise, want to be injected with a substance that is too toxic to dispose of down a drain?
Evidence-Based Medicine Flushed Down the Drain: FLU SHOTS DON'T WORK
Not only do flu shots weaken your immune system, expose you to toxins, and cause allergies and other adverse reactions, they don't work.
Yes, you read that correctly. Besides being fraught with complications, flu vaccines simply don't work to decrease flu incidence or flu mortality. Flu vaccinations keep coming up short in study after study—way short—when it comes to having any measurable impact on what matters most, which is reducing illness and mortality from the flu.
After the largest flu-vaccination campaign in Canadian history, a Canadian-led study (through the Cochrane Collaboration, a highly respected international network of researchers who analyze the scientific evidence, including the methodology, used in clinical trials) concluded that vaccinating nursing home workers had no effect on confirmed influenza cases among the homes' elderly residents.
Lead researcher Dr. Roger Thomas explained:
"What troubled us is that [shots] had no effect on laboratory-confirmed influenza. What we were looking for is proof that influenza ... is decreased.
Didn't find it.
We looked for proof that pneumonia is reduced. Didn't find it. We looked for proof deaths from pneumonia are reduced.
Didn't find it."
In fact, in April of 2010, Michael Osterholm, director of the national Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), publicly admitted that flu shots don't work in the elderly.
One factor that may explain this is the "healthy user" effect.
Lisa Jackson's "Healthy User" Effect
Lisa Jackson, a physician and senior investigator with the Group Health Research Center in Seattle, found that healthy people tend to choose flu vaccination, while the "frail elderly" didn't or couldn't. Her research suggested that flu vaccine itself does not reduce mortality at all.
Healthy (and health-conscious) people tend to get the vaccine AND come down with flu less often, not because of the vaccine itself but because they are healthier to start with.
Jackson concluded:
"The reductions in risk before influenza season indicate preferential receipt of vaccine by relatively healthy seniors... the magnitude of the bias demonstrated by the associations before the influenza season was sufficient to account entirely for the associations observed during influenza season."
Unfortunately, Jackson's papers were turned down for publication in the leadiing medical journals.
If You Think You Have the Flu, the Odds are Five to One You Don't
You may not be aware that only about 20 percent of flu-like illnesses are actually caused by influenza type A or B, according to CDC. The other 80 percent are caused by more than 200 other bugs that can make you feel just as sick - respiratory syncytial virus, bocavirus, coronavirus, and rhinovirus, to name a few.
Every day you're around viruses and bacteria, and when you're healthy, you usually don't get sick. But even if you do get sick, most healthy adults and children will not have a problem with influenza.
If you do come down with influenza and have a good immune response, you will likely quickly recover without serious complications, as well as obtain natural immunity to that strain of influenza and to similar ones.
Respiratory infections statistically increase with age as the average person's immune system generally weakens. When a person over age 65 dies of respiratory failure after a flu-like illness, their cause of death is nearly always labeled as influenza even if it is actually due to bacterial pneumonia.
The vaccine industry loves to attribute many deaths in the elderly to influenza because it pumps up the influenza mortality statistics and helps make a case for use of influenza vaccine.
But you have to die of something, and dying of respiratory viruses is quite common. Just remember this when reading flu mortality statistics: very few deaths from respiratory illnesses are actually caused by type A or type B influenza. viruses
You Could Already Be Immune to the Flu!
Vaccine-acquired immunity is temporary, whereas the immunity you get by recovering from influenza is longer lasting. Look at Baby Boomers, for example. Evidence shows, if you are an aging baby boomer born prior to 1957, you are more protected and have a lower risk for pandemic H1N1 influenza that circulated in 2009 and other related influenza strains.
Why?
Because you have long-lasting antibodies that help you resist influenza, antibodies that you acquired by recovering from similar strains of influenza in past decades. Unfortunately, if public health officials and drug companies marketing vaccines have their way, your children and grandchildren won't be allowed the opportunity to develop this important natural immunity to type A and type B influenza strains.
So the question is this: why do we continue doing something that has been proven ineffective many times over? As the saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results."
The real way to prevent the flu is through optimal lifestyle and nutrition, and getting plenty of vitamin D, lowering stress and getting the right amount of sleep and Western medical science has glossed right over that.
Tom Jefferson is a physician based in Rome and the head of the Vaccines Field at the Cochrane Collaboration. Jefferson leads an international team of researchers who have combed through hundreds of flu-vaccine studies and have concluded the majority of these studies are "deeply flawed."
Jefferson states:
"Rubbish is not a scientific term, but I think it's the term that applies... We have built huge, population-based policies on the flimsiest of scientific evidence. The most unethical thing to do is to carry on business as usual."
I couldn't agree more.
How You CAN Make a Difference!
Don't sit this one out! We've got them "on the run."
Tell everyone. Tell your friends, your family. With a little bit of effort, you can make significant strides toward preserving your freedom to make voluntary health decisions affecting you and your children's future.
One of the top goals for NVIC is preserving your freedom of choice about if and when to use vaccines. As part of that mission, this non-profit charity has been fighting for your right to make informed VOLUNTARY vaccine choices since 1982.
During this Vaccine Awareness Week, NVIC is launching the online NVIC Advocacy Portal that will give you the tools you need to take action to protect legal medical, religious and conscientious belief exemptions to vaccination in YOUR state.
Right now, you need to register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal today! And while you are at it, please make a donation to NVIC so they can continue fighting on behalf of all Americans to make sure we don't lose our informed consent rights when it comes to vaccination.
Your donations to the NVIC help fund efforts that raise vaccine awareness, including the following excellent vaccine resources:
•State Vaccine Requirements
•Influenza Mini Guide Ebook
•Special Report: Influenza Vaccine Mandates Ineffective & Unwise
•Are You Over Vaccinating Your Child?
•Vaccine Ingredients Calculator
•How to Legally Avoid Immunizations
If you order products from Mercola.com this week, you will also receive a free Mini Guide to Flu Vaccine with your order. Plus, Mercola.com will make a donation to NVIC with every order!
If you order products from Mercola.com this week, we will make a donation to NVIC with every order!
Remember, we DID make a difference last year—the flu vaccine was not mandated! But there are new threats to our freedom this year as health care workers are being threatened with being fired if they don't get a flu shot. We need to push back now or, like NVIC's President said recently, we all could be next to be targeted for punishments if we don't get a flu shot every year.
By educating people, by giving them the information they weren't getting, we made the difference last year. And this year, we can do it again. Join with me and NVIC and get involved.
Stay tuned to this newsletter for more updates, or follow the National Vaccine Information Center on Facebook. Together we CAN make a difference!
Glory to the Most High
I just wanted to post how awesome our God is, and that I pray that any information on this blog will glorify Him, the Lord Yeshua, the one we call Jesus. It is for His body, the body of Christ, and for all creation. It occurred to me this morning how much the Lord has given me, and continues to give.
While I won't get into it with details recently the Lord had taken something away from me, well, it seems as so anyway. Did you know that when He takes away He gives so much more? I was privileged enough last night to attend my home church's fall festival.
I was surrounded by so much love, friendship, and true family members. The love of Christ Jesus is alive, and thriving. I don't know how anyone can choose to walk this Earth alone. The Lord wants so much to bless us, and love us without limits. If you don't know Him won't you please ask Him to be your Lord and Savior today?
This life is too difficult to go through alone. There is too much heartache and disappointment to not know that there is a happily ever after. There is life after death. There is eternity to be spent with the one who made you. That is true health and wellness.
While I won't get into it with details recently the Lord had taken something away from me, well, it seems as so anyway. Did you know that when He takes away He gives so much more? I was privileged enough last night to attend my home church's fall festival.
I was surrounded by so much love, friendship, and true family members. The love of Christ Jesus is alive, and thriving. I don't know how anyone can choose to walk this Earth alone. The Lord wants so much to bless us, and love us without limits. If you don't know Him won't you please ask Him to be your Lord and Savior today?
This life is too difficult to go through alone. There is too much heartache and disappointment to not know that there is a happily ever after. There is life after death. There is eternity to be spent with the one who made you. That is true health and wellness.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Packaged Foods-The Low Down....
Truth is folks if it's in a box or a bag, and not fresh from a tree, plant, or bush, then its not that great for us. We need to eat less of these types of foods, and less often. My rule is most definitely if God didn't make it, then don't consume it at all. I know, it can be exceedingly difficult, especially if that is what your family has been used to eating a majority of the time. Even if it's organic, and you bought it at Whole Paycheck, oops, Whole Foods, it's still not stellar. I do applaud the organic efforts though.
I am a realist though so what I'd like to do in this entry is to direct you to some better boxed and bagged choices. I'll be looking at health first, then cost, and next health for the environment. I think all of these things are important. I'll also be discussing some easier "whole food" choices for families on the go.
My first piece of advice to you is to get a small rolling cooler, you know the ones that look like small suitcases. The thing has saved my life in matter of speaking. I bought mine a few years ago on clearance with a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. it goes with me almost everywhere. Sometimes it just stays in the car, but for those times when it needs to come out, it's much better than lugging a shoulder strap cooler, or individual lunch bags.
For the packaged foods I'd prefer you to cut out anything with the following: high fructose corn syrup (just plain bad for you), corn syrup (unless its organic you can be sure it's GMO), sugar (this means its plain old white beached processed sugar), food colorings of any kind unless from fruits/spices, soy, soy lecithin, natural flavorings (unless organic), corn oil (unless organic, and don't eat too much of the stuff, its not great), white flour, whole grain flour(who knows what grains they are),white rice, non-organic corn chips/popcorn, non-organic potato chips, agave (its a sugar alcohol that toxifies your liver amongst other things, even the "raw" one, don't eat it), fruit concentrates, brown sugar (no its not good either, it's just white sugar with molasses added), and homogenized dairy products. If I think of anything else I'll get back to you.
Once you get those things out of the way, and the more you know what to look for the easier it is to get certain products out of the way. If you can find products in cardboard boxes or paper bags that is much healtheir for us and the environment. The less plastic the better. Try to avoid food in aluminum coated bags. Sometimes that's really difficult. You can't get certain foods any other way.
Here are some packed foods that we buy in our house: Trader Joes Organic Blue Corn Chips(these are the best ones in a bag around for taste and price $2.99), Snap Pea Crisps(Trader Joes and Whole Foods sell these for $1.49 a bag), Trader Joes Salt and Pepper Rice Crisps (I think these are around $1.79 per bag), and as a treat every once in a whileWhole Foods 365 Brand Organic Potato Chips( $2.99 per bag). I do let the kids eat those little boxes of raisins, and fruit leather strips. The 365 brand is ok, so are the ones from Trader Joes and Wegmans. I think the Wegmans brand taste the best.
We don't do any drinks other than water anymore unless it's herbal tea at home that I sweeten for the kids with raw honey. In colder weather we'll do hot carob milk with rice milk or almond milk. I'll heat some dairy free milk in a pan, use a table spoon of carob powder (you can get this at Whole Foods), and then sweeten with a little raw honey. My younger son likes cold carob milk as a treat also. Carob is a tree that is very popular in the Middle East. It is in the pea family. The beans/peas in the pods are edible, and very good for you..
We don't do chocolate anymore. I realize that is inconceivable to many. I too love the taste of chocolate. Ok, close your eyes if want to, but chocolate is very, very bad for you. Yes, there are antioxidants in dark chocolate..blah, blah, blah. Eat some blueberries if you want antioxidants. However, if you want more stimulants than in a cup of coffee, and to ingest numerous other chemicals, eat chocolate. I discovered that chocolate is a food that makes me very ill. I never realized it until I removed it from my diet, then had a little bit, and became very sick. If your family still eats chocolate, eat it in small amounts.
We still eat pasta, but have switched to brown rice pasta at Trader Joes. It's very economical there. Since my older son cannot eat wheat this option works well for us. I don't buy jarred pasta sauce anymore. If you do, I recommend Whole Foods 365 Brand fat free organic marinara sauce. There is not any soybean oil in it. You can always add garlic, herbs, and sea salt to it if you want to flavor it up more. As a cheat I do sometimes buy plain organic strained tomato sauce in a jar by Bionature. It's steap at $3.39 a jar, but you can add anything you want to it, and control what goes in there. They sell tomato paste in a small jar of the same brand.
Beware of little snack cookies and cakes, even if they come from health food stores. A lot of time these products contain soy, lots of sodium, and way too much sugar. Homemade cookies are a MUCH better choice. In the cracker isle at Whole Foods there is a brown rice cracker, without soy, and it's about $2.99 a pack. I cannot think of the brand, but if your child loves crackers, and you are trying to avoid gluten, those are great! They taste pretty good.
As I think of more ideas I will add them here. Any questions?
I am a realist though so what I'd like to do in this entry is to direct you to some better boxed and bagged choices. I'll be looking at health first, then cost, and next health for the environment. I think all of these things are important. I'll also be discussing some easier "whole food" choices for families on the go.
My first piece of advice to you is to get a small rolling cooler, you know the ones that look like small suitcases. The thing has saved my life in matter of speaking. I bought mine a few years ago on clearance with a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. it goes with me almost everywhere. Sometimes it just stays in the car, but for those times when it needs to come out, it's much better than lugging a shoulder strap cooler, or individual lunch bags.
For the packaged foods I'd prefer you to cut out anything with the following: high fructose corn syrup (just plain bad for you), corn syrup (unless its organic you can be sure it's GMO), sugar (this means its plain old white beached processed sugar), food colorings of any kind unless from fruits/spices, soy, soy lecithin, natural flavorings (unless organic), corn oil (unless organic, and don't eat too much of the stuff, its not great), white flour, whole grain flour(who knows what grains they are),white rice, non-organic corn chips/popcorn, non-organic potato chips, agave (its a sugar alcohol that toxifies your liver amongst other things, even the "raw" one, don't eat it), fruit concentrates, brown sugar (no its not good either, it's just white sugar with molasses added), and homogenized dairy products. If I think of anything else I'll get back to you.
Once you get those things out of the way, and the more you know what to look for the easier it is to get certain products out of the way. If you can find products in cardboard boxes or paper bags that is much healtheir for us and the environment. The less plastic the better. Try to avoid food in aluminum coated bags. Sometimes that's really difficult. You can't get certain foods any other way.
Here are some packed foods that we buy in our house: Trader Joes Organic Blue Corn Chips(these are the best ones in a bag around for taste and price $2.99), Snap Pea Crisps(Trader Joes and Whole Foods sell these for $1.49 a bag), Trader Joes Salt and Pepper Rice Crisps (I think these are around $1.79 per bag), and as a treat every once in a whileWhole Foods 365 Brand Organic Potato Chips( $2.99 per bag). I do let the kids eat those little boxes of raisins, and fruit leather strips. The 365 brand is ok, so are the ones from Trader Joes and Wegmans. I think the Wegmans brand taste the best.
We don't do any drinks other than water anymore unless it's herbal tea at home that I sweeten for the kids with raw honey. In colder weather we'll do hot carob milk with rice milk or almond milk. I'll heat some dairy free milk in a pan, use a table spoon of carob powder (you can get this at Whole Foods), and then sweeten with a little raw honey. My younger son likes cold carob milk as a treat also. Carob is a tree that is very popular in the Middle East. It is in the pea family. The beans/peas in the pods are edible, and very good for you..
We don't do chocolate anymore. I realize that is inconceivable to many. I too love the taste of chocolate. Ok, close your eyes if want to, but chocolate is very, very bad for you. Yes, there are antioxidants in dark chocolate..blah, blah, blah. Eat some blueberries if you want antioxidants. However, if you want more stimulants than in a cup of coffee, and to ingest numerous other chemicals, eat chocolate. I discovered that chocolate is a food that makes me very ill. I never realized it until I removed it from my diet, then had a little bit, and became very sick. If your family still eats chocolate, eat it in small amounts.
We still eat pasta, but have switched to brown rice pasta at Trader Joes. It's very economical there. Since my older son cannot eat wheat this option works well for us. I don't buy jarred pasta sauce anymore. If you do, I recommend Whole Foods 365 Brand fat free organic marinara sauce. There is not any soybean oil in it. You can always add garlic, herbs, and sea salt to it if you want to flavor it up more. As a cheat I do sometimes buy plain organic strained tomato sauce in a jar by Bionature. It's steap at $3.39 a jar, but you can add anything you want to it, and control what goes in there. They sell tomato paste in a small jar of the same brand.
Beware of little snack cookies and cakes, even if they come from health food stores. A lot of time these products contain soy, lots of sodium, and way too much sugar. Homemade cookies are a MUCH better choice. In the cracker isle at Whole Foods there is a brown rice cracker, without soy, and it's about $2.99 a pack. I cannot think of the brand, but if your child loves crackers, and you are trying to avoid gluten, those are great! They taste pretty good.
As I think of more ideas I will add them here. Any questions?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Cooking Methods
Being a busy mommy, like most of my friends, convenience screams yes, yes, yes. The more back to the basics that I seem to become the more I see the need for good things to take time. We live in such a fast paced, give it to me now society that it is almost impossible to slow down. It can be difficult to remember in the hurried fashion of traffic, soccer games, and dance lessons that in the book of Genesis even the Lord shares how He rested.While rest is extremely important, short cuts in the kitchen to get that rest are not always the best way. One short cut that our country has adopted is using the microwave. Chances are that you have one in your kitchen, and that you use it just about everyday. Almost two years ago I took mine out of the kitchen. It changed my life.
I decided to do this of course because of the health issues. Using the microwave destroys the nutrients in our food, changes the chemical composition of the food making it not safe for consumption, and it creates an extremely strong electro-magnetic field that is damaging to our over all health. I'll talk more about EMFs at another time.
When I removed the microwave I learned how to cook again, how to really cook. I started making more things from scratch. My patience level increased dramatically. I firmly believe that the microwaving of food as a means of reheating or cooking adds emphatically to the impatience of our culture.
Strange as this may sound when I am somewhere where there is a microwave being used I can smell that the food was cooked in it. It absolutely turns my stomach upside down. The same food cooked in an oven versus a microwave smells completely different to me. I'll put links at the bottom to learn more about the dangers of microwave cooking.
My closest friend in the kitchen is the food processor. If you don't have one, invest in one. They make so many jobs so much easier. I also love my blender, especially since I got the Vitamix. I highly favor my toaster oven for reheating. Pampered Chef sells a small stoneware pan that fits right inside.
I just finally got rid of my non-stick pans. The teflon non-stick coating is highly toxic. Once the pans reaches the heat index of 446 degrees Fahrenheit toxins are released. Within five minutes most pans reach 721 degrees Fahrenheit. Those toxins in small amounts can kill birds. Think of how many we inhale over the course of our lives.
I replaced my non-stick pans with cast iron. Dr. Mercola has a line of ceramic cookware, but I can't afford those right now. I'd like to acquire some more stainless steel pans as well. While I know some metal leaching can occur with those two choices, I feel confident that they are much safer then teflon coated pans.
Another thing in my kitchen that I replaced were my cutting boards. I switched from plastic to bamboo. Plastic materials have something called phthalates. These phthalates are chemicals that can cause and have caused :
Bamboo is of course a natural material. It's very hard, and sturdy. It has all natural antibacterial properties as well. Bamboo cutting boards are easy to clean, and come in all sizes. I purchased mine from Walmart. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but for now mine are working just fine.
Along with taking out the plastic cutting boards I have removed most (not all) plastic ware, cups, plates, bowls, and containers. I have placed most things, not everything, but most things in glass jars that I've collected though groceries. I simply recycle the glass jars that I buy food in from the store. Many of these jars have turned into drinking glasses as well.
I hope that this has proved helpful to you.
Microwave Articles:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/05/microwave-food.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/05/microwave-food.aspx
Teflon Articles:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/08/01/nonstick-cookware-part-one.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/04/19/nonstick-cookware-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/03/06/non-stick-cookware-continues-to-prove-its-toxicity.aspx
Plastic Articles
http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2007/05/23/The-Plastic-Poisons-That-Surround-You.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/31/chemicals.aspx
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
How to Eat Organic and Not Wind Up Living on the Street :) (Part 2)
I've really been enjoying the eggplant from our local farmers market lately. I've been making ratatouille, eggplant pizzas, and I am going to make a type of eggplant lasagna with potatoes. I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat locally if possible.
So you might be wondering about other organic products besides produce. A popular one I suppose would be dairy products. First let me start out by saying that diary products are very nutritious, if they eaten/drank the way that God has given them to us. Unfortunately, dairy is not what it once was in the beginning.
I remember going to school and learning about Louis Pasteur. Homogenization and pasteurization were treated like deliverance from Egypt. Sadly, it was more like deliverance from the Promised Land. These extreme high temperatures kill all of the beneficial and much needed healthy micro organisms, ie bacteria, that our bodies need from milk.
Along with killing the beneficial bacteria that our intestines so desperately need, those high temperatures turn the liquid formally known as real raw milk into infectious puss, which in turn gets bottled, and then sold at your friendly neighborhood supermarket. Did you know more people have died from "cooked" milk than raw?
As infuriating as it is on top of everything else, I don't even have a say so in what type of milk I drink. Forgive me if I go on a bit over this topic, but truly, it is insane. In the state of NC there are rows and rows of tobacco fields. Consumers can buy cigarettes all day long, but it is illegal for me to purchase raw milk. Please someone tell me how this makes any sense.
Raw milk has received such a raw deal. It is so nutritious, and it is looked at with scornful eyes by the uneducated. Allow me to educate you :) Anytime an animal gets sick there will be infectious bacteria, seems pretty common sense stuff right. The reason that most animals do become ill is due to improper feeding practices. Cows are supposed to only eat grass, and nothing but grass.
Commercial dairies, however, practice feeding their cows grains, usually genetically modified ones, which sometimes get mixed with animal feces, and flesh. Remember that cows are only supposed to eat grass. When the cows eat these grains it does terrible things to their digestive tract, and causes the poor animals to become very sick. The sell-out solution to treating these poorly treated, sick creatures is to pump them full of antibiotics.
Have you heard that pediatricians are now saying that most antibiotics are not working? ...Here's a huge part of the reason, our children have become immune to the antibiotics because they already have so many roaming around in their sweet little systems.
Another reason that cows become ill is due to the large amount of growth hormones that each one of them is pumped with on the farm. Commercial dairies do this so that the cows will become larger, and in turn produce more milk loaded with antibiotics, which is then homogenized and pasteurized to be turned into the puss that we buy at Super Walmart, or wherever else we buy our milk. Do you know what happens when we drink hormones in our milk? Our daughters grow breasts at age 7 & 8, and our sons grow facial hair at 8 & 9.
Now with all of that said I'm sure some of you are wondering, well, hey lady if dairy from the store is so bad for myself and my family, then how in the world am I going to give everyone the calcium and he and she needs?
What a great question-so glad you asked! It just so happens that a much superior source for calcium is dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, and collard greens. You can also take a raw calcium supplement from a company called Garden of Life, Vitamin Code Raw Calcium. This available at numerous stores, as well as the Raw Life store on my blog. Please do not take Tums for calcium. In fact, don't take Tums. It contains calcium carbonate, a very difficult form of calcium to digest and absorb.
Another question lurking in your mind might be what do I do for a milk substitute? Maybe you like milk in your oatmeal, or you bake things with milk. If you've ever talked to me for even 5 minutes about health and nutrition, or you've read my other blog posts, then you know what I am going to say, do not switch to soy milk. I already discussed the dangers of soy consumption, read previous posts.
I'll tell you what I do. Let me be straight with you, anything processed, packed, and sitting on a shelf is not the best thing out there for you. There are better choices than others though, so if you will permit, then I will direct you that way. My preference is to make my own raw almond milk for drinking, cooing, baking, and for over oatmeal. Yes, I make my own, and no, it is not difficult. It just takes a little planning.
I go to Trader Joes and purchase a one pound bag of raw almonds for $4.49. If you order raw almonds in bulk, then they are probably cheaper. There are reputable places from which to order. If interested I can give you that contact information. I haven't done that yet, although I should to save some dollars.
At any rate take one cup of the almonds, place them in a glass bowl, jar, large drinking glass and fill just over the top with filtered water. Soak them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, in a stainless steel colander (preferably), drain them, and rinse them off with filtered water. Questions possibly in your mind...Why do I have to soak them? Why do I have to rinse them if they've already been soaked and wet?
Raw nuts have something in them called tannins. Tannins are compounds that can shrink proteins, amino acids, and alkaloids. Tannins can also inhibit the absorption of necessary nutrients from the foods. Certain people can become sensitive to the tannins, which in turn can cause things like bowel irritation to things severe as cancer. Soaking nuts, seeds, and legumes can limit the amount of tannins released, and help necessary enzymes needed for digestion to be released from the food. You want to rinse them in filtered water just for an extra measure of removing tannins that have surfaced.
Now that you've learned more about nuts than you probably want to know take your soaked almonds and place them into your blender. Add 3 cups of filtered water. Some times I add 1-2 teaspoons of raw, local honey. Blend until there aren't many or any chunks left. Now for your next step you can use various methods. I'll tell you what I do. I have a Pampered chef micro mesh stainless steel strainer. I place it over a glass bowl to catch the almond pulp, and drain the milk. I then place the pulp into a glass jar for further use in cookies, muffins, or pancakes. Using a funnel, I pour the milk into a another glass jar. It is then ready to drink, be poured on cereal, bake with, or whatever :)
If you'd rather not make your own almond milk, which is far superior to anything in the store, and you choose to purchase store bought almond milk two brands that I recommend are Pacific Naturals and Whole Foods 365 brand. Do purchase the unsweetened kind. For baking or drinking sometimes its nice to purchase the unsweetened kind with vanilla. Both brands do not contain soy, and are cost effective. Another alternative is rice milk. Make sure that brown rice is used. Trader Joes rice milk is pretty tasty.
Understand that these types of milks will not be a good source calcium. Enriched and fortified products usually contain synthetic versions of the vitamins, which our bodies either do not absorb at all, or they are poorly absorbed. Many synthetic vitamins and minerals can cause harm to the body. If you go this route, concentrate on getting calcium as previously mentioned through raw, leafy greens.
If you have any questions please ask :)
So you might be wondering about other organic products besides produce. A popular one I suppose would be dairy products. First let me start out by saying that diary products are very nutritious, if they eaten/drank the way that God has given them to us. Unfortunately, dairy is not what it once was in the beginning.
I remember going to school and learning about Louis Pasteur. Homogenization and pasteurization were treated like deliverance from Egypt. Sadly, it was more like deliverance from the Promised Land. These extreme high temperatures kill all of the beneficial and much needed healthy micro organisms, ie bacteria, that our bodies need from milk.
Along with killing the beneficial bacteria that our intestines so desperately need, those high temperatures turn the liquid formally known as real raw milk into infectious puss, which in turn gets bottled, and then sold at your friendly neighborhood supermarket. Did you know more people have died from "cooked" milk than raw?
As infuriating as it is on top of everything else, I don't even have a say so in what type of milk I drink. Forgive me if I go on a bit over this topic, but truly, it is insane. In the state of NC there are rows and rows of tobacco fields. Consumers can buy cigarettes all day long, but it is illegal for me to purchase raw milk. Please someone tell me how this makes any sense.
Raw milk has received such a raw deal. It is so nutritious, and it is looked at with scornful eyes by the uneducated. Allow me to educate you :) Anytime an animal gets sick there will be infectious bacteria, seems pretty common sense stuff right. The reason that most animals do become ill is due to improper feeding practices. Cows are supposed to only eat grass, and nothing but grass.
Commercial dairies, however, practice feeding their cows grains, usually genetically modified ones, which sometimes get mixed with animal feces, and flesh. Remember that cows are only supposed to eat grass. When the cows eat these grains it does terrible things to their digestive tract, and causes the poor animals to become very sick. The sell-out solution to treating these poorly treated, sick creatures is to pump them full of antibiotics.
Have you heard that pediatricians are now saying that most antibiotics are not working? ...Here's a huge part of the reason, our children have become immune to the antibiotics because they already have so many roaming around in their sweet little systems.
Another reason that cows become ill is due to the large amount of growth hormones that each one of them is pumped with on the farm. Commercial dairies do this so that the cows will become larger, and in turn produce more milk loaded with antibiotics, which is then homogenized and pasteurized to be turned into the puss that we buy at Super Walmart, or wherever else we buy our milk. Do you know what happens when we drink hormones in our milk? Our daughters grow breasts at age 7 & 8, and our sons grow facial hair at 8 & 9.
Now with all of that said I'm sure some of you are wondering, well, hey lady if dairy from the store is so bad for myself and my family, then how in the world am I going to give everyone the calcium and he and she needs?
What a great question-so glad you asked! It just so happens that a much superior source for calcium is dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, and collard greens. You can also take a raw calcium supplement from a company called Garden of Life, Vitamin Code Raw Calcium. This available at numerous stores, as well as the Raw Life store on my blog. Please do not take Tums for calcium. In fact, don't take Tums. It contains calcium carbonate, a very difficult form of calcium to digest and absorb.
Another question lurking in your mind might be what do I do for a milk substitute? Maybe you like milk in your oatmeal, or you bake things with milk. If you've ever talked to me for even 5 minutes about health and nutrition, or you've read my other blog posts, then you know what I am going to say, do not switch to soy milk. I already discussed the dangers of soy consumption, read previous posts.
I'll tell you what I do. Let me be straight with you, anything processed, packed, and sitting on a shelf is not the best thing out there for you. There are better choices than others though, so if you will permit, then I will direct you that way. My preference is to make my own raw almond milk for drinking, cooing, baking, and for over oatmeal. Yes, I make my own, and no, it is not difficult. It just takes a little planning.
I go to Trader Joes and purchase a one pound bag of raw almonds for $4.49. If you order raw almonds in bulk, then they are probably cheaper. There are reputable places from which to order. If interested I can give you that contact information. I haven't done that yet, although I should to save some dollars.
At any rate take one cup of the almonds, place them in a glass bowl, jar, large drinking glass and fill just over the top with filtered water. Soak them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, in a stainless steel colander (preferably), drain them, and rinse them off with filtered water. Questions possibly in your mind...Why do I have to soak them? Why do I have to rinse them if they've already been soaked and wet?
Raw nuts have something in them called tannins. Tannins are compounds that can shrink proteins, amino acids, and alkaloids. Tannins can also inhibit the absorption of necessary nutrients from the foods. Certain people can become sensitive to the tannins, which in turn can cause things like bowel irritation to things severe as cancer. Soaking nuts, seeds, and legumes can limit the amount of tannins released, and help necessary enzymes needed for digestion to be released from the food. You want to rinse them in filtered water just for an extra measure of removing tannins that have surfaced.
Now that you've learned more about nuts than you probably want to know take your soaked almonds and place them into your blender. Add 3 cups of filtered water. Some times I add 1-2 teaspoons of raw, local honey. Blend until there aren't many or any chunks left. Now for your next step you can use various methods. I'll tell you what I do. I have a Pampered chef micro mesh stainless steel strainer. I place it over a glass bowl to catch the almond pulp, and drain the milk. I then place the pulp into a glass jar for further use in cookies, muffins, or pancakes. Using a funnel, I pour the milk into a another glass jar. It is then ready to drink, be poured on cereal, bake with, or whatever :)
If you'd rather not make your own almond milk, which is far superior to anything in the store, and you choose to purchase store bought almond milk two brands that I recommend are Pacific Naturals and Whole Foods 365 brand. Do purchase the unsweetened kind. For baking or drinking sometimes its nice to purchase the unsweetened kind with vanilla. Both brands do not contain soy, and are cost effective. Another alternative is rice milk. Make sure that brown rice is used. Trader Joes rice milk is pretty tasty.
Understand that these types of milks will not be a good source calcium. Enriched and fortified products usually contain synthetic versions of the vitamins, which our bodies either do not absorb at all, or they are poorly absorbed. Many synthetic vitamins and minerals can cause harm to the body. If you go this route, concentrate on getting calcium as previously mentioned through raw, leafy greens.
If you have any questions please ask :)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
How to Eat Organic and Not Wind Up Living on the Street :)
I am always thrilled to talk to family members and friends that are taking steps to a healthier way of living. Realistically there are sooo many dangers out there in this fallen world of ours that we cannot avoid all of it all of the time. I always advise those close to me to do what they can do within their means that the Lord Jesus has given them.
I don't believe it honors the Lord at all to trash our bodies with junk, use toxic materials, and drink chemically laden water. If you are a believer, this is a temple for the Holy Spirit, so if you don't trash your house, then don't trash His. If you are not a believer, well this is the only body your gonna get so take care of it!
I also do not believe it honors the Lord to worry about every last detail, or to spend His money that He gave you on expensive imported goji berries from wherever they are from that cost $3 million dollars (okay I'm exaggerating) when blueberries in season here in the states are fantastic!
I am a home educator of 2, so I am all about functionality. Every family can do better than what they are doing in the health department, believe me. It takes baby steps. There are lots of ways to begin. What I'd like to do here is just offer some personal advice. You can see where it takes you.
One of the first things you want to do is learn what does the most damage. I read a very helpful book called, To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke. Cindy is an writer about food, organic farming, and nutrition for several publications. She is also a chef and food consultant.
I found this book exceptionally helpful. Cindy discusses the awful practices that like to be kept under wraps about how our food is treated. She is also very honest about what foods shouldn't even be touched unless they are organic, as well as conventional foods that are just fine. Any family on a budget will find the guide in the back of the book invaluable. Go and buy it. Amazon has it I believe.
She talks about something called, The Dirty Dozen, that has been become widely known, but not by nearly enough regular consumers. Basically what The Dirty Dozen is are the 12 foods you really want to buy organic if possible, especially with children. Children can become severely ill from these chemicals and pesticides, and no they just don't wash off.
These dirty foods are: strawberries (the MOST chemically intensive crop in CA), red & green bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, apples, pears, grapes (especially ones from Chili), raspberries, and potatoes. Side note-don't buy anything from Chili.
Next she also shares the Clean Fifteen, as you might of guessed these are some of the safer conventionally grown foods. I personally keep to this list for my budget's sake. I do follow the dirty dozen as well.
These clean foods are: asparagus, avocados, bananas, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, kiwi, mango, onions, papaya, pineapple, shelling peas, sweet corn (if it is not GMO), watermelon (domestically grown).
Something else that I really, really try to do is to eat locally. Supporting local area farmers is so very important. First of all your supporting your community, which is great for so many reasons. You are keeping the money close to home, and that allows local farmers to take care of their farms well. This could also encourage farmers to use more sustainable methods of pest control if they are able to afford them.
Eating locally is also healthier, and sometimes much cheaper for you. When we eat food that was just picked, and has traveled a very short distance, say from a farmers market, or a local farmer on the side of the road with a cart, you get more nutrients from your food. The nutrient ratio is higher because the less time between picking and to your plate means more vitamins and minerals left in the food. Local foods can be cheaper due to the same concept in a ratio of time. Less gas money, and less arduous ways of storing food having been used due to short distances.
If you ever have the opportunity to actually go to the farm that is even better. It is wise to know your farmer, see the practices being used, and possibly the farmer after a while may even cut you a break after he/she sees that you are a loyal customer. I can tell you that when I was purchasing organic raw goat milk "for my cat", that I was able to go to the small family farm, meet the farmers, see how they did things, and I felt much more confident in the clean product that I was purchasing. It also made me feel good to support that family.
I find that I will buy certain foods at certain places as well due to cost and quality. I don't mind so much, if I am able, to spend money at Whole Foods if I feel the item is worth while. I will purchase organic kale there every week at $2.99 a bunch. I of course go crazy when it is on sale like it is right now for 2 bunches for $4.
That is the only store that I can find kale organic, in good quality, and clean. One farmer sells it at the farmers market, but I wasn't impressed when we brought it home, and kale is something you really want organic. The farmer said he doesn't spray, but I'm not so sure.
On the other hand I refuse to buy conventional bananas at Whole Foods for $.68 per pound. I'll go down the street to Trader Joes and spend $.49 per pound. Oh there's another tip, tropical fruits are usually ok to purchase conventionally. Now I didn't say everything imported, but tropical fruits are usually low or nonexistent on the pesticide residue scale. You might notice that on the clean 15 list.
I shop at Sam's Club for raw organic baby spinach at $3.98 per container ( I go through 3-4 of these per week between salads and smoothies), pineapples for $2.98 each, a container of kiwi for $4.98, a bag of 5 avocados from either California or Mexico for $4.98, a very large bag of red onions for $5.98 (I think), a big bag of lemons for $5.98, and a huge bag of garlic for $3.97. FYI citrus fruit if washed well is ok conventionally grown, but if you're using them for cooking/baking with the zest then only buy organic.
Friends of mine have joined CSAs, and this is something that I am going to do as well. A CSA is an awesome program where you make an agreement with a certain farmer to purchase his/her/their food for a certain amount and you pick it up each week. The farmer does the work, you help him out by paying in a lump sum, and he loads you up with delicious, usually organic goodies. A similar program, which I find ever so appealing, is getting produce delivered to your door. Two programs I know of are www.papaspud.com and www.theproducebox.com. Neither of these deliver in my area-bummer!
Last year something we started doing was gardening. My wonderful father came to visit several times to help me build a box garden. He just got some pieces of wood, and made a rectangular box in the ground. We have grown tomatoes successfully, squash successfully, as well as zucchini successfully. Without even trying, by composting we actually wound up growing some cantaloupes. I guess some seeds wound up in the soil. They were wonderful. It was a treat!
We tried growing cucumbers, but we were not successful :( We have been blessed with some wonderful basil plants, and quite a few blueberries on our bushes though. A couple of strawberries came up, but not too many. So far I've only discussed organic fruits and veggies. I will talk more about other foods, and items in the home in my next post. God bless you.
I don't believe it honors the Lord at all to trash our bodies with junk, use toxic materials, and drink chemically laden water. If you are a believer, this is a temple for the Holy Spirit, so if you don't trash your house, then don't trash His. If you are not a believer, well this is the only body your gonna get so take care of it!
I also do not believe it honors the Lord to worry about every last detail, or to spend His money that He gave you on expensive imported goji berries from wherever they are from that cost $3 million dollars (okay I'm exaggerating) when blueberries in season here in the states are fantastic!
I am a home educator of 2, so I am all about functionality. Every family can do better than what they are doing in the health department, believe me. It takes baby steps. There are lots of ways to begin. What I'd like to do here is just offer some personal advice. You can see where it takes you.
One of the first things you want to do is learn what does the most damage. I read a very helpful book called, To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke. Cindy is an writer about food, organic farming, and nutrition for several publications. She is also a chef and food consultant.
I found this book exceptionally helpful. Cindy discusses the awful practices that like to be kept under wraps about how our food is treated. She is also very honest about what foods shouldn't even be touched unless they are organic, as well as conventional foods that are just fine. Any family on a budget will find the guide in the back of the book invaluable. Go and buy it. Amazon has it I believe.
She talks about something called, The Dirty Dozen, that has been become widely known, but not by nearly enough regular consumers. Basically what The Dirty Dozen is are the 12 foods you really want to buy organic if possible, especially with children. Children can become severely ill from these chemicals and pesticides, and no they just don't wash off.
These dirty foods are: strawberries (the MOST chemically intensive crop in CA), red & green bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, apples, pears, grapes (especially ones from Chili), raspberries, and potatoes. Side note-don't buy anything from Chili.
Next she also shares the Clean Fifteen, as you might of guessed these are some of the safer conventionally grown foods. I personally keep to this list for my budget's sake. I do follow the dirty dozen as well.
These clean foods are: asparagus, avocados, bananas, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, kiwi, mango, onions, papaya, pineapple, shelling peas, sweet corn (if it is not GMO), watermelon (domestically grown).
Something else that I really, really try to do is to eat locally. Supporting local area farmers is so very important. First of all your supporting your community, which is great for so many reasons. You are keeping the money close to home, and that allows local farmers to take care of their farms well. This could also encourage farmers to use more sustainable methods of pest control if they are able to afford them.
Eating locally is also healthier, and sometimes much cheaper for you. When we eat food that was just picked, and has traveled a very short distance, say from a farmers market, or a local farmer on the side of the road with a cart, you get more nutrients from your food. The nutrient ratio is higher because the less time between picking and to your plate means more vitamins and minerals left in the food. Local foods can be cheaper due to the same concept in a ratio of time. Less gas money, and less arduous ways of storing food having been used due to short distances.
If you ever have the opportunity to actually go to the farm that is even better. It is wise to know your farmer, see the practices being used, and possibly the farmer after a while may even cut you a break after he/she sees that you are a loyal customer. I can tell you that when I was purchasing organic raw goat milk "for my cat", that I was able to go to the small family farm, meet the farmers, see how they did things, and I felt much more confident in the clean product that I was purchasing. It also made me feel good to support that family.
I find that I will buy certain foods at certain places as well due to cost and quality. I don't mind so much, if I am able, to spend money at Whole Foods if I feel the item is worth while. I will purchase organic kale there every week at $2.99 a bunch. I of course go crazy when it is on sale like it is right now for 2 bunches for $4.
That is the only store that I can find kale organic, in good quality, and clean. One farmer sells it at the farmers market, but I wasn't impressed when we brought it home, and kale is something you really want organic. The farmer said he doesn't spray, but I'm not so sure.
On the other hand I refuse to buy conventional bananas at Whole Foods for $.68 per pound. I'll go down the street to Trader Joes and spend $.49 per pound. Oh there's another tip, tropical fruits are usually ok to purchase conventionally. Now I didn't say everything imported, but tropical fruits are usually low or nonexistent on the pesticide residue scale. You might notice that on the clean 15 list.
I shop at Sam's Club for raw organic baby spinach at $3.98 per container ( I go through 3-4 of these per week between salads and smoothies), pineapples for $2.98 each, a container of kiwi for $4.98, a bag of 5 avocados from either California or Mexico for $4.98, a very large bag of red onions for $5.98 (I think), a big bag of lemons for $5.98, and a huge bag of garlic for $3.97. FYI citrus fruit if washed well is ok conventionally grown, but if you're using them for cooking/baking with the zest then only buy organic.
Friends of mine have joined CSAs, and this is something that I am going to do as well. A CSA is an awesome program where you make an agreement with a certain farmer to purchase his/her/their food for a certain amount and you pick it up each week. The farmer does the work, you help him out by paying in a lump sum, and he loads you up with delicious, usually organic goodies. A similar program, which I find ever so appealing, is getting produce delivered to your door. Two programs I know of are www.papaspud.com and www.theproducebox.com. Neither of these deliver in my area-bummer!
Last year something we started doing was gardening. My wonderful father came to visit several times to help me build a box garden. He just got some pieces of wood, and made a rectangular box in the ground. We have grown tomatoes successfully, squash successfully, as well as zucchini successfully. Without even trying, by composting we actually wound up growing some cantaloupes. I guess some seeds wound up in the soil. They were wonderful. It was a treat!
We tried growing cucumbers, but we were not successful :( We have been blessed with some wonderful basil plants, and quite a few blueberries on our bushes though. A couple of strawberries came up, but not too many. So far I've only discussed organic fruits and veggies. I will talk more about other foods, and items in the home in my next post. God bless you.
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