Comment I received....

A few weeks ago, I received a comment about my article on the dangers of un-fermented soy products. The comment reads,

I came here after reading your article on soy on the Natural News website. I found your article interesting as I - like many others I expect - had read much about the health benefits of soy. So I decided to read more and follow the source links at the bottom of the article.

That led me to the 'Soy Online Service' which you have extensively used for references in this Blogger post and in your Natural News article. What I saw there worried me. 'Soy Online Service' describes itself as: "a small group of private citizens with a mission to inform the public of the truth about soy". Looking around their website, there is no information on who this group of "private citizens" are or what their qualifications are. They denigrate soy with references to "independent research" but don't provide any source references and don't publish any research reports on their site.

Their "testimonials" attacking soy seem to be too well written to be true (they look like they are professionally written), and there seems to be an underlying theme through many of them about how bad soy tastes (that seems strange because to me soy has a fairly bland taste).

I am therefore wondering, just wondering, given that website is based in New Zealand, whether we are all being hoodwinked not by a group of "private citizens" but by a group of "dairy farmers".

I am not challenging your observations on soy, because I haven't researched the issue enough myself, but I am concerned that you are basing your articles on what appears to be quite unsubstantiated sources.

There is so much 'information' and 'counter-information' about natural health (you know, one day there's an article about how bad coffee is for you, the next day there's another one that says quite the opposite) that I have learned to be skeptical from both sides, but there does seem to be far more independent research published supporting the health benefits of soy against research that says the opposite (and I am excluding research financed by the soy industry).

One thing that I do know is that everyone's bodies react to different foods and substances in different ways. Even some healthy foods can't be tolerated by some people, so it does not surprise me that you may have had problems with soy. But I am wondering whether what you read on the 'Soy Online Service' was simply what you wanted to hear. It's easy to be convinced in that frame of mind.

Me . . . I'm much more of a skeptic about anything I read on the Internet - especially a website where people are not prepared to identify themselves or their experience.

I would just like to say that I think that you are right to be skeptical and worried about where this information is coming from--it is a sign that you are an invested reader and do not blindly take information at face value. I find it interesting that you find limited sourcing for their articles. This is going to be a matter I will have to look in to in the future.

I thank you for your honest criticism, and I would just like to assure you that my conclusions about soy were not solely reached from this one website: I have been gathering information, both personal and scientific, from varying sources over the years. I used soy online service just as kind of a reference to which a lot of the things I had read about were found.

Thank you again!

Fermenting and Super Bowl

I am so excited! I just started making my first bactch of beet kvass! I hope it turns out well because I had one little concern: I used the kind of whey that Sally Fallon used in the book, but I think there might be too many milk solids! I hope that is not the case.

Also, I used a different brand of sea salt than was mentioned in the book. I hope that is not going to affect the final product because I have read some stories on how the batch can be too salty. I am also scared of it becoming alcoholic! Oh so many fears! It is my firts time lacto-fermenting anything other than milk (which is pretty easy) so I am a little nervouse! All I can do is wait and pray that every thing turns out alright.

I also am making a huge batch of kefir. I need to drink more, but I think I might have made a mistake on that as well. Typically, I only fill the container half-way up so I can easily mix the kefir, but this time I filled it almost to the top. I fear that kefir grains are sitting in the cream and not in the milk! I will stir it as soon as I get home. Oh well, you live and learn.

I ordered some new books, (I think I am addicted to Amazon shopping!). I am going to get a book about keeping, milking, and caring for a cow and I also purchased the milk book by Dr. William Douglass! I read some of quotes from his book in Nourishing Traditions and I thought to myself, "I absolutely have to get this book!" I am also excited that I am getting the latest edition of The Untold Story of Milk! I cannot wait!

This may seem frivilous to some, but in a world where our food supply is heavily tainted, unjust wars going on in the Middle East, chaos in our economy, one must take pleasure and seek relief amongst some of their favorite hobbies, and one of mine is football!

I love my Steelers and I am ecstatic they won the superbowl on sunday! I am a little saddend that I could not attend the victory parade; however, when they win their seventh title, I will go and celebrate with my townsfolk! Go Steelers!

Vicks vapor rub danger

A story posted on MSNBC details how Vicks vapor rub probably makes kids sicker not better.

What is with all of these childhood cold & flu remedies that end up doing more harm than good? Why is it these cold-medication manufacturers are delivering not only faulty products, but potentially harmful ones? Is the medical industry so corrupt that now our cold medicines are no longer safe? It is such a shame, I would rather bargain with massive amounts of vitamin C.

What I found most disturbing about this was the responses of the mothers: One said, and I quote, ";I’m a rebel mom,' said Rosenberg, the mother of Lucie, 17 months, and Clara, 3." This mother was referring to the fact that even though the study found that Vicks Vapor rub could be potentially dangerous, she will continue to use it on her children. I am all for parental rights and freedom, but you would think that if something was found to make kids sick, you might at least consider using more natural approaches. I may be being too harsh, but I know if I had a child and I read this (I wouldn't use traditional methods) I would especially stay away from these over-the-counter 'remedies'.

In my personal research, I have read that chicken soup made from homemade chicken stock and good vegetables is the best remedy for colds, congestion, stuffiness, etc. I know growing up my mom would make this drink consisting of garlic, honey, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice, and it works extrodinarily well. Oranges, grapefruit, other fruits, some vegetables, these are all potential cures of colds. Garlic is a powerful remedy, when chewed and masticated. Cayenne pepper by it self can also allieviate some symptoms. Also, herbs like echinecea, work well. These, along with lots of rest and sleep can really get rid of a nasty cold.

Book list

This year I am wholly dedicated to learning more and more about good nutrition and healthy ways of living. So, I have begun reading several books which I think will be important, and have compiled a list of books that I will read that are pretty relevant to health. Already, I have read a great deal of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Sugar Blues by William Dufty, and I am excited to continue reading these kinds of books. I just got Darwin Day in America by John G. West, and I cannot wait to read that, I am getting the new edition of The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmidt.

This is going to be an exceptionally enlightening year this year.

I suggest reading some of these books because they have important truths that need to be dispelled, health myths that need to be exposed, and really good information. I encourage all to read these books!

New Year, New Resolutions. . .

With a new year upon us, we have new trials to face, new resolutions that were made/altered/broken, a year that will be big and important. This year, I have really committed myself to expanding my knowledge of natural health. I am going to read some really good health books, and I have already read most of the nutrition classic, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, so I plan to be bringing more in interesting posts and articles concerning health.

After reading a large portion of Nourishing Traditions, I have decided to start lacto-fermenting a lot more foods. I am going to start making beet kvass, apple cider, continue to make Kefir, and make various other things. I cannot wait to get Wild Fermentation by Sandor Elix Katz.

I have high hopes for 2009, and hope you do as well.

More Soy Truth

Hello Everyone! Sorry that I have been a bit absent from this blog the last few days, but I do have something really important to share this post.

I was perusing the articles on Dr. Mercola's website, and I came a cross an article that really drives home the point that soy is NOT a health food.

The article, entitled The Evidence Against Soy, shows just unhealthy this product really is.

It contributes to early puberty in girls, all kinds of hormonal problems in boys, a host of cancers: it is just not good for consumption.

Now Fermented soy is not as bad, because the fermentation process eliminates a lot of the problems associated with unfermented soy. Still, fermented or not, soy should not be consumed in large quantities.

I thought the article was really good, and I also enjoyed the comments to the article. Very nice exchange of information.

This one comment by a user, Bert Grosman, was pretty good:

Saturated fat and cholesterol have nothing to do with cardiovascular disease. The correlation between them is the biggest lie ever perpetrated on the people of the world. Following are a number of little known facts regarding cholesterol which are in direct conflict with commonly accepted assumptions. Cholesterol is a requirement of every living cell and we cannot live without it. It is the building block of sex hormones. Fifteen percent of the dry weight of the human brain is cholesterol. The body synthesizes 2,000 mg. daily of this essential substance. In comparison, even a high cholesterol diet provides only about 800 mg. Furthermore, when large quantities of cholesterol are ingested the body simply synthesizes less such that an excess is avoided. Animal studies which induced atheroma with dietary cholesterol used the human equivalent of 15,000 mg. of cholesterol a day. Animals fed a diet consisting of 81% animal fat, but with concurrent high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals showed no pathological changes in the aorta or the heart. Studies of primitive African cultures have shown no correlation between dietary intake and atherosclerosis even among 400 men of the Masai tribe who ate meat and milk exclusively. A strong correlation did exist, however, between atherosclerosis and consumption of refined sugar flour and vegetable oils. In 1914 only 15% of all heart disease was athero sclerotic in nature; today that has risen to over 90%. Over 50% of adult Americans now die of cardiovascular disease. Yet the only significant change in dietary patterns in Western countries over the last 100 years has not been in fat consumption but in refined sugar and flour intake. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on research.

What to do and FWW

With the U.S. economy currently circling the drain, it would be a wise move to begin taking care of ourselves by starting our own gardens, and producing our own food.

The best way to accomplish this is by raising chickens (pigeons or turkeys, which ever you have the most space for), and goats, and vegetables in a natural and sustainable way.

Forest gardening or other permaculture systems will work to provide a near-year-round supply of vegetation. Chickens do supply a year-round supply of eggs (even without a rooster) and goats can supply a good amount of milk as well. Another bonus to raising chickens and goats is that their manure is chock-full of nutrients that will be vital for the survival of your permaculture/forest garden.

This brings me to the Featured Website of the Week: Organic Gardening and Homesteading.

This website can provide vital tools for creating your own homestead, and having your own food supply will be vital in keeping you and your family healthy and well during a difficult period--homesteading helped those during the 1929 crisis.

Blue Ribbon Baby Diet

The title of this post may seem a bit absurd, but this is by far the best diet for pregnancy I have come across. When I say diet, do not rush to think I am talking about diets that are in the realm of Atkins, South Beach, or other such popular poppycock! This diet is not about restriction, it is about eating what your baby needs to grow health and strong, and what the mother needs to maintain a healthy pregnancy. The below table can be used as a guideline to the mother's needs. More info about the blue ribbon baby diet can be found here.

BREWER PREGNANCY DIET: BASIC PLAN

	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
1. MILK/DAIRY (8 OZ. EACH)
2. EXTRA CALCIUM (IF USING UNFORTIFIED SOY MILK)
3. EGGS
4. PROTEIN (7 GRAMS/SERVING)
5. DARK GREEN VEGETABLES
6. WHOLE GRAINS, STARCHES, CARBS
7. VITAMIN C
8. FATS/OILS
9. VITAMIN A
10. LIVER (ONCE A WEEK, OR EXTRA 4 OZ. PROTEIN)
11. SALT TO TASTE
12. WATER/ BEVERAGE
13. SNACKS
14. SUPPLEMENTS

Taken from: http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/brewer-diet-checklists/brewer-diet-basic-plan-checklist/

This diet is about nurturing the mother and baby with good nutrition so that pregnancy complication such as toxemia, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and other problems can be prevented.

Although I think there needs to be some replacements to the diet, such as raw milk for the pasteurized, poisonous milk sold in supermarkets. Soy needs to be removed from the recommendations, sprouted grains, free-range, pastured chicken eggs needs to be replaced for regular eggs, and organic, locally grown produce needs to be added. One more thing, sea salt or himalayan salt needs to be substituted for the toxic table salt. Other than those suggestions, I think that the diet is a wonderful way to add greater health to mom and baby.

As an aside, some of you maybe scratching your head wondering why I have suggested raw milk during pregnancy. I just have to say that clean milk from healthy grass fed cows/sheep/goats does not have the same pathogenic risk. Also women have been drinking raw milk for literally centuries during pregnancy. When it comes from health cows, it is healthy for you.

Furthermore, earlier this year, 3 elderly men died, onne woman miscarried, another was infected but delivered a healthy baby after receiving Listeriosis from pasteurized milk, not raw milk. The story can be found here. That is because pasteurized milk is more of a gamble than raw milk because the heat kills most of the bacteria but not all of the bacteria, leaving the stronger pathogens to grow and mature. Pasteurized/homogenized milk is also associated with heart disease, diabetes, prostate problems, allergies and many other problems. Raw milk from pasture raised and fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free animals is best.

Soy Dangers

Today, I was reading the truth about soy products on the website Soy Online Service. Truly, this website is performing a great service by informing the public about the lies that have been perpetuated by the soy industry.

Soy has played a large part in my life because it affected me so negatively. I experienced extreme premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that made -- and sometimes still makes -- life exceptionally hard. I bought into the hype of all of the women's journals and the nutritionists and the magazines all proclaiming soy to be an invaluable source of nutrition. Frankly, it caused me hell, and I can only thank God that He allowed me to learn the truth before I suffered some of its more severe effects.

One fact that I think was very poignant was the fact that Asiatic communities do not consume as much soy as the soy industry would claim. Soy in Asia is used as a condiment, not as a substitute for meat foods.

I also found that the truth of how soy affects infant's mental, physical and sexual development to be quite revealing.

All in all, this website is a must for the health conscious so that the lies behind it can be dispelled.
Too many people are being tricked into thinking that they are doing something good by consuming this industrial waste product, only to find that they have only endangered themselves. Every one should read the articles on this web page.

Food prices

I was watching a commercial advertising a Big Mac for about 59 cents, and frankly, I was disgusted. Not the burger drizzled in trans fats, or the unhealthy bun, or the unholy amount of calories in the meal. What disturbed me the most was the idea that such un-nutritious can be so cheap.

Fast food and processed food of this kind are so inexpensive and available to the public at large that I think it is unfair. It makes the food in local co-ops or at Whole Foods seem like it isn’t worth the money! It also makes making wise food choices next to impossible – with such low prices, why buy organic alternatives? It sets the poor and uneducated up with poor health, keeping the cycle of obesity and health problems at their current and distressing position.

I am against senseless litigation, unfair law, and all that, and I feel this society is entirely too litigious, but I think it should be illegal to make these kinds of foods (and I use that term loosely). It’s unfair that you can get two burgers at some seedy fast-food joint for less than a dollar, yet healthful foods such as raw milk, organic fresh vegetables and fruit, organic whole grains, etc. are comparatively very expensive.

It just doesn’t seem right.

The Growing Importance of Vitamin D

The " sun-shine" vitamin (my favorite name for it) or vitamin D is having new functions attached to it. For the longest time, it was thought that vitamin D only played a role in bone health, as nothing more than a "help-meet" if you will for calcium and phosphorus. Now-a-days, its role in various biological functions is becoming more apparent.

As a side note, you would think that we would regard this vitamin higher since our body has very many vitamin D receptors. But, we often find ourselves making the important things smaller than they really are.

Anyway, two articles on sciencedaily.com pointed two the importance of vitamin D. One article relays how vitamin D can help prevent type I diabetes.

This next article, however, really speaks to an important issue: how seemingly healthy children can really be vitamin D deficient. It is some common today for people to think if you look healthy, well, then you are healthy. That is not always the case.

All in all, we need to get over this fear of the environment. "The sun will Kill you! The sun will KILL YOU!" that is the mantra of modern medicine. They say you need sun block to protect you from the sun and skin cancer, but those sunscreens probably cause cancer. Just get appropriate amounts of sun exposure (about fifteen minutes per day for lighter toned people; people of darker complexions need more time) and take plenty of raw milk and vitamin D!

Featured Website of the Week

discountjuicers.com

This website has made the Featured Websites of the Week list simply because it offers great deals on juicers, sprouters, dehydrators and water purifiers that will make going natural and raw an easier step.

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog on going raw and its importance. Well, if you are looking to start consuming raw foods more, this is a great place to get discount prices.

Of there wide selection of juicers, I think the champion juicer looks pretty good, and it is only about $199 (a steal if you are looking for a good juicer!).

Summer is almost here, so if you looking to lose a few, get rid of that un-sightly cellulite, clear up your acne, or just get healthier overall, this site is definitely a great place to start!

This site will be added to the links.

Raw Foods How-To

Raw foods are very important to maintaing good health because they contain substances(antioxidants and phytonutriets) that are essential to preventing certain diseases. For example, broccoli and tomatoes both have phytonutritients in them that assist in preventing cancer. These vital nutrients are often lost in the cooking process, and the food is, if it is over cooked, lackluster because it really does not have any nutritional value.

Raw foods in addition to phytonutritents contain vitamins and minerals that are destroyed in the process of cooking. Important vitamins such as vitamin A, E, C, K are all sensitive to the high heats they are often exposed to. But once you take heat out of the picture, you are left with vitamin-filled foods that will aid you in many of your health problems.You may even find that once you begin to juice and consume more raw foods, issuess such as sleep disruption and pain, to smaller issues like acne and skin rejuvanation, and most certainly weight loss can be assited by these necessary vitamins.

So, it is important to consume as many raw, nutrient-dense foods as often as possible. Though going totally raw is something that would probably be most beneficial, most of us don't want to do that--me included. To remedy that, going totally raw is not a necessity; however, eating more fresh salads and juiced vegetables/fruits, would be a great way to start! I plan on starting my own raw food diet sometime this summer, so I'll keep you posted on that. If you have decided to go raw, you will need to know a few things.

If you want to do all your food preparation with raw foods, there are somethings that are not necessarily a must, but it would be helpful to have them. Purchasing a dehydrator and a good quality food processor/juicer. Without these tools you can certainly be a raw foodie, but these things make the food a lot more similar to the kinds of foods you used to eat, except they have the nutrtional value that would have been lost during the cooking process.

What makes a good quality food processor/juicer. Well, for one thing, it has to have low RPM (meaning it has to be slower machine) because the higher speed juicers frequently get too hot and destroy enzymes necessary for digestion of the food. This is particularly true for juicing carrots and apples. Food processors/juicers tend to be on the expensive side; so, it isn't for those who can't afford it (quality juicers run anywhere from $235-$2,000).

Finally, the best foods for going raw would be beans, alfalfa, milk (raw milk is a must!), nuts, broccoli, leafy vegetables, carrots, apples, watermelons, just about any fruit or vegetable!
Note: if it isn't apparent, you shouldn't try to juice bananas (duh! right?). Seems like a stupid precaution, but it is surprising how often such mistakes can be made.

Those are the basics. There is a wealth of information on this topic on google as well as here.

Carbohydrate Controversy

With the advent of the Atkins diet, South Beach Diet, and other carbohydrate restrictive regiments, whether or not one should consume carbohydrates has been in debate for many years. The real debate should be, however, whether or not we should be consuming non-fibrous carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are simply fibrous and non-fibrous, and as a general rule of thumb, non-fibrous(rice, potatoes, wheat (especially refined), breads, cakes, etc.) carbohydrates should be consumed very minimally, if at all. The reason being is that non-fibrous carbohydrates cause a roller coaster effect of highs and lows on the blood sugar, resulting in a release of insulin. Well, like an annoying sibling that just bugs you all day, insulin bugs the liver and muscles to take glucose and remove it from the blood. After a long time of this, liver and muscles cells begin to ignore insulin, and then insulin goes to fat cells, who are more than willing to store the glucose. And when insulin is not being "heard", glucose is not being utilized and absorbed. It just floats idly by in the blood, causing mischief (did you know that fungi, cancer, yeast, and bacteria THRIVE off of sugar). This becomes problematic because high insulin/glucose levels are unhealthy, and contribute to a wide spectrum of disease and disorders including: diabetes, dementia (possibly), all of the symptoms associated with aging, hormonal imbalances, the list just goes on and on. The condition I have described above is one that afflicts many on different levels, it is insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is the main cause of type II diabetes, although it has been indicated in different disease and disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and artheriosclerosis. You cannot be a type II diabetic without being insulin resistant. Furthermore, insulin resistance is a disorder where there are no apparent symptoms present; meaning the syndrome is asymptomatic, with the exception of the most severe cases. Furthermore, aside from the type II diabetes problem, high insulin levels promote aging, and none of us want that!

Just a tip for all those who want to know if they are insulin resistant or not, you can look for this tell-tale sign right in the comfort of your home: the size of your belly. The more your midsection protrudes, the more insulin resistant you are--I guess six-pack abs serve more than an aesthetic purpose!

So, with all that said, I have decided that over summer I am going to drastically cut back on my glucose/insulin levels by increasing my fibrous carbohydrate intake (vegetables) and cut back on the non-fibrous ones. It will be kind of interesting to see how well I can do, I love my non-fibrous carbs!

For more info on insulin, click here.