You may ask yourself why I put an emphasis on whole foods or organics. It may well be because these foods promote life, and through that they quite possibly may be responsible for saving life. As far fetched as that may seem to you the truth is in the pudding... or lack there of.
Eating well doesn't mean zero calorie, zero fat, no sugars... It is the exact opposite. Full whole fats, content over calories, raw sugars over artificial sweeteners. It's not just a good idea it IS the start to eating for life. Some other ways that you can promote life is by eating as close to raw fruits and vegetables as possible.
Grass fed free range meat, dairy and eggs are also vital to promoting life in the body. These foods are far better for you when they are in their most natural state. Giving you more nutrients that are easier for the body to use unlike foods that are stripped then re-enhanced with often synthetic vitamins.
Supplements are important because you can never have enough of certain nutrients. Such as but not limited to: probiotics, fish oil and low temp, low pressure super green capsules or powder. These aren't just a good idea, on most occasions they will restore nearly everything your body is lacking.
There is a down side to this style of eating, it's not a quick fix.... You must rebuild your internal organs as well as your digestive tract. It didn't get there over night and it will likely take years to run a full strength. Is it worth working for? Only if you treasure life and count it all as a gift from God.
Analyze these things in your life and please do your research, life is worth more then doing whatever feels good.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Are exercise and cancer linked?
How Exercise Helps You Fight Cancer
Cancer thrives on sugar.
Regular exercise reduces your insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most powerful steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk.
Physically active adults experience about half the incidence of colon cancer as their sedentary counterparts. Exercise has a beneficial influence on insulin, prostaglandins and bile acids, all of which are thought to encourage the growth and spread of cancer cells in your colon. Exercise also improves bowel transit time, which means your body’s waste is spending less time in contact with the mucosal lining of your colon.
As the Wall Street Journal article points out, women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent over their inactive counterparts. This is likely due to a lowering of estrogen levels.
The article cites a study in which women being treated for breast cancer were 50 percent less likely to die of the disease if they walked at an average pace for three to five hours a week.
Think about it. If just three to five hours of walking per week can so drastically improve your chances of surviving a hormone-responsive breast cancer tumor, imagine what a few more hours a week of exercise could do for you.
If you’re male, be aware that athletes have lower levels of circulating testosterone than non-athletes, and similar to the association between estrogen levels and breast cancer in women, testosterone is known to influence the development of prostate cancer in men.
Physical activity can reduce your risk.
A Cure for Aging?
Have you heard the news about telomeres?
Telomeres are strands of DNA at the ends of your chromosomes which protect them from damage. Gradual erosion of telomeres leads to aging on a cellular level –think of them as a kind of biological clock.
As telomeres shorten more, cell death occurs. These cell deaths are associated with serious disease and premature aging
There is no question that the leading edge of anti aging research is on how to prevent telomere shortening and actually develop therapies to lengthen telomeres. Many experts believe that lengthening telomeres could actually turn the biological clock backwards.
Since exercise has been associated with preventing telomere shortening, it is clearly a very powerful anti aging strategy.
Research indicates physically active people have significantly less erosion of telomeres than even healthy, non-smoking, but sedentary folks. Exercise activates the enzyme telomerase which stabilizes telomeres, producing an anti-aging effect at the cellular level.
Other equally important factors in slowing the aging process include:
A healthy diet based on your individual nutritional type
Reducing or eliminating grains and sugar from your diet
Sufficient, high quality sleep
A method to address your emotional challenges and daily stressors
Exercise Boosts Your Immune System
Exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body.
The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body.
Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold or the flu right up through devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer. It’s not possible to be optimally healthy if your immune system is weak or compromised.
Prescribing Exercise
I wasn’t surprised to read in the WSJ article that only four out of 10 medical doctors ever mention the importance of exercise to their patients, despite its proven health benefits.
According to Dr. Robert Sallis, co-director of sports medicine at Fontana Medical Center in California:
"Exercise can be used like a vaccine to prevent disease and a medication to treat disease. If there were a drug with the same benefits as exercise, it would instantly be the standard of care."
Typical of conventional medical thinking, somehow a vaccine or other drug with the same benefits as exercise would be preferable to exercise itself.
No, it would not.
But it’s at least encouraging to see recognition of this type for exercise as both prevention and cure.
If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter and my website, you know I’ve long touted the importance of viewing exercise as a drug.
Actually writing out a prescription for exercise is an excellent way to take a proactive approach to your health. A great tool for creating your own exercise prescription is my Daily Exercise Table.
The Time is Now
No matter your age, exercise can provide enormous benefits for your health.
If you happen to be over 40 it’s especially important to either start or step up your exercise program. This is the time of life when your physical strength, stamina, balance and flexibility start to decline.
I can’t stress enough the importance of using precision to develop your individual workout program. You need to make sure you’re getting enough exercise to achieve all the benefits, but not so much that you injure yourself, and you need variety to condition and build your entire body and prevent boredom.
Your program should include aerobic exercise, anaerobic (interval) training, weight strength training, and core exercises to build, strengthen and improve the flexibility of all the muscles of your body, like yoga, Pilates or active isolated stretching
If you’ve been sedentary for any length of time or you’re out of shape for some other reason, it is vitally important to get started with an exercise program – but start small. One of the main reasons people don’t stick with a workout program is because they go too hard, too fast and wind up with an injury, illness or simple exhaustion.
Write your own exercise prescription based on factors including:
your current physical condition
your fitness goals
your health concerns
activities you enjoy
best time of day for you to workout
Your ultimate goal if you are overweight or have other health concerns should be an hour to 90 minutes of exercise every day.
Once you reach a normal weight, you can drop back to 45 minutes at least four times a week and still reap the incredible health benefits of regular exercise.
Taken from Mercola.com
Cancer thrives on sugar.
Regular exercise reduces your insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most powerful steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk.
Physically active adults experience about half the incidence of colon cancer as their sedentary counterparts. Exercise has a beneficial influence on insulin, prostaglandins and bile acids, all of which are thought to encourage the growth and spread of cancer cells in your colon. Exercise also improves bowel transit time, which means your body’s waste is spending less time in contact with the mucosal lining of your colon.
As the Wall Street Journal article points out, women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent over their inactive counterparts. This is likely due to a lowering of estrogen levels.
The article cites a study in which women being treated for breast cancer were 50 percent less likely to die of the disease if they walked at an average pace for three to five hours a week.
Think about it. If just three to five hours of walking per week can so drastically improve your chances of surviving a hormone-responsive breast cancer tumor, imagine what a few more hours a week of exercise could do for you.
If you’re male, be aware that athletes have lower levels of circulating testosterone than non-athletes, and similar to the association between estrogen levels and breast cancer in women, testosterone is known to influence the development of prostate cancer in men.
Physical activity can reduce your risk.
A Cure for Aging?
Have you heard the news about telomeres?
Telomeres are strands of DNA at the ends of your chromosomes which protect them from damage. Gradual erosion of telomeres leads to aging on a cellular level –think of them as a kind of biological clock.
As telomeres shorten more, cell death occurs. These cell deaths are associated with serious disease and premature aging
There is no question that the leading edge of anti aging research is on how to prevent telomere shortening and actually develop therapies to lengthen telomeres. Many experts believe that lengthening telomeres could actually turn the biological clock backwards.
Since exercise has been associated with preventing telomere shortening, it is clearly a very powerful anti aging strategy.
Research indicates physically active people have significantly less erosion of telomeres than even healthy, non-smoking, but sedentary folks. Exercise activates the enzyme telomerase which stabilizes telomeres, producing an anti-aging effect at the cellular level.
Other equally important factors in slowing the aging process include:
A healthy diet based on your individual nutritional type
Reducing or eliminating grains and sugar from your diet
Sufficient, high quality sleep
A method to address your emotional challenges and daily stressors
Exercise Boosts Your Immune System
Exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body.
The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body.
Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold or the flu right up through devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer. It’s not possible to be optimally healthy if your immune system is weak or compromised.
Prescribing Exercise
I wasn’t surprised to read in the WSJ article that only four out of 10 medical doctors ever mention the importance of exercise to their patients, despite its proven health benefits.
According to Dr. Robert Sallis, co-director of sports medicine at Fontana Medical Center in California:
"Exercise can be used like a vaccine to prevent disease and a medication to treat disease. If there were a drug with the same benefits as exercise, it would instantly be the standard of care."
Typical of conventional medical thinking, somehow a vaccine or other drug with the same benefits as exercise would be preferable to exercise itself.
No, it would not.
But it’s at least encouraging to see recognition of this type for exercise as both prevention and cure.
If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter and my website, you know I’ve long touted the importance of viewing exercise as a drug.
Actually writing out a prescription for exercise is an excellent way to take a proactive approach to your health. A great tool for creating your own exercise prescription is my Daily Exercise Table.
The Time is Now
No matter your age, exercise can provide enormous benefits for your health.
If you happen to be over 40 it’s especially important to either start or step up your exercise program. This is the time of life when your physical strength, stamina, balance and flexibility start to decline.
I can’t stress enough the importance of using precision to develop your individual workout program. You need to make sure you’re getting enough exercise to achieve all the benefits, but not so much that you injure yourself, and you need variety to condition and build your entire body and prevent boredom.
Your program should include aerobic exercise, anaerobic (interval) training, weight strength training, and core exercises to build, strengthen and improve the flexibility of all the muscles of your body, like yoga, Pilates or active isolated stretching
If you’ve been sedentary for any length of time or you’re out of shape for some other reason, it is vitally important to get started with an exercise program – but start small. One of the main reasons people don’t stick with a workout program is because they go too hard, too fast and wind up with an injury, illness or simple exhaustion.
Write your own exercise prescription based on factors including:
your current physical condition
your fitness goals
your health concerns
activities you enjoy
best time of day for you to workout
Your ultimate goal if you are overweight or have other health concerns should be an hour to 90 minutes of exercise every day.
Once you reach a normal weight, you can drop back to 45 minutes at least four times a week and still reap the incredible health benefits of regular exercise.
Taken from Mercola.com
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Heartwarming Breakfast
Here are a few recipes we enjoy and wanted to share with you:
Easy Oatmeal
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup of rolled oats
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
honey to taste
Directions:
Soak the oats overnight in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of yogurt added. In the morning, add remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Soaked oatmeal cooks very fast. Add the oil or butter and honey.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Garden Herb Omelet
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
4 fresh organically raised eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon thyme or other garden herb
pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Crack eggs into a bowl. Add water and sea salt, and blend with a wire whisk. (Do not over-whisk or the omelet will be tough). Add egg mixture and scatter 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped, and 1 tablespoon thyme or other garden herb, finely chopped, over omelet as it begins to cook. Tip pan to allow egg to cover the entire pan. Cook several minutes over medium heat until underside is lightly browned. Lift up one side with a spatula and fold omelet in half. Add pinch of sea salt.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Ginger Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
1¼ cups freshly ground or soaked spelt, kamut or whole wheat flour
¾ cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon of yogurt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine Celtic sea salt
½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
Mix flour with water and yogurt and let stand overnight. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into well-buttered muffin tin about 3/4 full. Place 5-7 blueberries on each muffin. Berries will fall partway into the muffins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Note: 1 cup buckwheat flour or cornmeal may be used in place of 1 cup spelt, kamut or wheat flour.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Easy Oatmeal
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup of rolled oats
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
honey to taste
Directions:
Soak the oats overnight in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of yogurt added. In the morning, add remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Soaked oatmeal cooks very fast. Add the oil or butter and honey.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Garden Herb Omelet
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
4 fresh organically raised eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon thyme or other garden herb
pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Crack eggs into a bowl. Add water and sea salt, and blend with a wire whisk. (Do not over-whisk or the omelet will be tough). Add egg mixture and scatter 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped, and 1 tablespoon thyme or other garden herb, finely chopped, over omelet as it begins to cook. Tip pan to allow egg to cover the entire pan. Cook several minutes over medium heat until underside is lightly browned. Lift up one side with a spatula and fold omelet in half. Add pinch of sea salt.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Ginger Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
1¼ cups freshly ground or soaked spelt, kamut or whole wheat flour
¾ cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon of yogurt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine Celtic sea salt
½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
Mix flour with water and yogurt and let stand overnight. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into well-buttered muffin tin about 3/4 full. Place 5-7 blueberries on each muffin. Berries will fall partway into the muffins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Note: 1 cup buckwheat flour or cornmeal may be used in place of 1 cup spelt, kamut or wheat flour.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Monday, January 18, 2010
Change.org Shares My Disapproval For Fast Food
I was turned onto this blog by a friend and I like what I see so far. www.change.org/sustainablefoods
Although good, I would love to see more depth to the research. Check this article below and tell me what you think!
If you guessed wilty iceberg lettuce, you're sweet but naive. I'll admit, it is hard to know what you're getting when a hamburger -- a Big Mac, to be specific -- has 67 ingredients. So thank TLC Cooking for the enlightenment you're about to receive:
Citric acid may sound scary, but it's not really. It's a processed form of citrus juice.
Niacin, an added vitamin, is a little weird but not scary.
High-fructose corn syrup is plenty scary, though. But you've heard all about that.
Caramel color -- it's not just for sodas anymore. It's for cheese.
MSG isn't just for Chinese food, either.
Salt -- a lot of salt -- is in your quickie meal. A McDonald's double cheeseburger contains 1,500 mg. Nutritionists say that's as much as we should get in an entire day.
Soybean oil is the most common fat, which isn't surprising since soy is corn's partner in taking over U.S. farmland.
Mono- and diglycerides don't even occur in nature. They are emulsifiers.
Xantham gum is also the product of a laboratory and somehow or other makes things taste "smoother" -- whatever that means.
Wait, you're saying, isn't there any meat in fast food? Yup, but it's chicken that makes the top 10. Sales of chicken at fast food chains are on the rise as people try to, you know, eat healthy. As for how it's raised, I suggest you watch Food Inc.
Although good, I would love to see more depth to the research. Check this article below and tell me what you think!
If you guessed wilty iceberg lettuce, you're sweet but naive. I'll admit, it is hard to know what you're getting when a hamburger -- a Big Mac, to be specific -- has 67 ingredients. So thank TLC Cooking for the enlightenment you're about to receive:
Citric acid may sound scary, but it's not really. It's a processed form of citrus juice.
Niacin, an added vitamin, is a little weird but not scary.
High-fructose corn syrup is plenty scary, though. But you've heard all about that.
Caramel color -- it's not just for sodas anymore. It's for cheese.
MSG isn't just for Chinese food, either.
Salt -- a lot of salt -- is in your quickie meal. A McDonald's double cheeseburger contains 1,500 mg. Nutritionists say that's as much as we should get in an entire day.
Soybean oil is the most common fat, which isn't surprising since soy is corn's partner in taking over U.S. farmland.
Mono- and diglycerides don't even occur in nature. They are emulsifiers.
Xantham gum is also the product of a laboratory and somehow or other makes things taste "smoother" -- whatever that means.
Wait, you're saying, isn't there any meat in fast food? Yup, but it's chicken that makes the top 10. Sales of chicken at fast food chains are on the rise as people try to, you know, eat healthy. As for how it's raised, I suggest you watch Food Inc.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Genetically Modified foods
One of the overarching threats to humanity is the willful modification of our food sources, and I believe one of the reasons why people allowed it to occur in the first place is because we’ve become so far removed from the sources of our food.
Many children today do not even realize exactly where the various meats come from, for example. They’ve never set foot on a farm.
No thought is given to how milk and other products consumed every day are produced. Many assume that the food in the frozen food isle is actually real food, not realizing they’re chockfull of unnatural additives; preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings.
The distance between our food source and us is, I believe, an alarming problem! And it has allowed giant corporations to essentially hijack your health for profit.
Returning to natural eating habits is a must if you want to thrive in today’s modern world, and banishing genetically modified (GM) food products is an essential step of this process. Man was created to thrive on certain combinations of nutrients, readily available in our natural food sources.
But the rise of modern food manufacturing completely changed man’s relationship to food. Without being told so specifically, you’ve been led to believe you can live on synthetic chemicals. But you can’t! Not to any great degree of success.
Make This Year the Year When You Say NO to GMO
This Weston A Price lecture by GMO expert Jeffrey M. Smith is a must-see for everyone. As always, Smith delivers a compelling picture of the GM problem, and offers practical solutions, many of which I will list below.
As Smith states, we, as individual consumers, have enormous power to change this world for the better by making healthier choices. The market simply cannot afford not to pay attention once the tipping point of consumer demand has been reached. So by switching brands, slowly but surely the rejected brands must follow suit once they realize that using a certain ingredient has become a liability.
Consumers move the market – not the manufacturers. That means YOU!
Smith believes that the tipping point for beginning the shift away from GMO ingredients in the US food supply is about 15 million people.
The problem we face here in the US is the fact that GM products are not labeled. But according to one poll, if GM products WERE labeled, 53 percent of Americans say they would not eat them!
After some 14 years of fighting for GM labeling in the US, it’s time to realize that we can’t wait for government to listen. Instead, we must educate each other, which is exactly what Smith’s organization www.ResponsibleTechnology.org is all about.
Their slogan, “Healthy Eating Starts with NO GMO,” is worthy of being pasted on your refrigerator as a constant reminder.
The Health Hazards of GMO Foods
For an in-depth education on the many dangers of GM foods, I highly recommend reading Jeffrey Smith’s books, Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette.
Smith documents at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds, including:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy show a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy have damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice have altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers have reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products
• Animals fed GM foods have developed bleeding stomachs, potentially precancerous cell growth, damaged organs and immune systems, kidney inflammation, problems with blood and liver cells, and unexplained deaths
• Soy allergies have skyrocketed after the introduction of GM soy
• Genes from GM crops transfer to human gut bacteria, which might transform your intestinal flora into a “living pesticide factory”
No one knows the full extent of what happens to the end product when you splice in new genes, and then eat that product for several generations. The only thing that is guaranteed is that it will create surprise side effects.
However, according to Smith’s research, what we do know is that between 1994 and 2001 -- the same time that GMO’s flooded the market – food related illnesses DOUBLED.
GMO foods can be:
• Allergenic • Toxic • Carcinogenic • Anti-nutritional
It may also create brand new diseases that we’ve never seen before, in addition to spurring on the disease rate of some we already have, such as cancer.
Moratorium Called on GM Foods!
On May 19th, 2009, the The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) sent out a press advisory calling for Immediate Moratorium On Genetically Modified Foods”? and for physicians to “educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible, and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.”
They also advised that physicians should “consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.”
In their position paper, the AAEM states that several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM foods, including:
• Infertility
• Immune problems
• Accelerated aging
• Insulin regulation
• Changes in major organs
• Gastrointestinal changes and problems
The AAEM concludes,
“There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation, as defined by recognized scientific criteria. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.”
I’ve recommended this before, but it bears repeating – Educate your doctor!
Many physicians are still completely unaware of this problem, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handing them a printout of the moratorium, or suggesting they take a look at the research.
The Institute for Responsible Technology also offers two full audio lectures on the dangers of GMO’s, available for download here. They’re free, and you’re even allowed to burn them onto CD’s to give away.
Why not give a copy to the members of your family, friends, and yes, even your doctor?
Playing with Technology We Don’t Fully Comprehend
Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) explains the heart of why GM foods are so dangerous:
“The genome is remarkably dynamic and ‘fluid’, and constantly in conversation with the environment. This determines which genes are turned on, when, where, by how much and for how long. Moreover, the genetic material itself could also be marked or changed according to experience, and the influence passed on to the next generation.”
But when genetically modified “rogue genes” are inserted into a genome, it cannot possibly mimic the complex processes -- the “dance of life” -- that’s necessary for survival in nature.
“The rogue genes inserted into a genome to make a GMO could land anywhere; typically in a rearranged or defective form, scrambling and mutating the host genome, and have the tendency to move or rearrange further once inserted, basically because they do not know the dance of life. That’s ultimately why genetic modification doesn’t work and is also dangerous.”
Four Ways to Avoid GM Foods
As stated by Smith, there are four main ways to avoid GM foods:
1. Buy organic
2. Only buy products that carry a Non-GMO label
3. Only buy products listed in the non-GMO shopping guide
4. Avoid products that contain these at-risk ingredients:
1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cotton
4. Canola
The offspring of these products include items such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup.
As for fresh produce, you’ll want to avoid some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, and papayas from Hawaii, as these are mainly GM.
Other common GM-containing foods to avoid include:
• Milk containing rbGH
• Rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses
• Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Avoiding GM products in your diet means avoiding all of the foods and ingredients mentioned above, or choosing organic versions of them.
If your diet consists largely of processed foods, you can be sure you’re eating about 70 percent GM foods, as the ingredients listed above (particularly corn and soy) are in a vast majority of all processed food products!
I highly recommend downloading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, issued by the Institute for Responsible Technology. They also offer some helpful basic advice for how to avoid GMO’s when eating in restaurants!
Help Others Help Themselves
Last but not least, I also recommend watching The Future of Food to learn more about the food you eat. It is perhaps one of the most important videos on this subject, and one that everyone in America should watch and pass on to others, along with the free audio lectures by Jeffrey Smith.
In conclusion, remember to appreciate the power of your pocketbook! If more of us begin to refuse GM foods, food manufacturers will have no choice but to listen.
Article from Mercola.com
Many children today do not even realize exactly where the various meats come from, for example. They’ve never set foot on a farm.
No thought is given to how milk and other products consumed every day are produced. Many assume that the food in the frozen food isle is actually real food, not realizing they’re chockfull of unnatural additives; preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings.
The distance between our food source and us is, I believe, an alarming problem! And it has allowed giant corporations to essentially hijack your health for profit.
Returning to natural eating habits is a must if you want to thrive in today’s modern world, and banishing genetically modified (GM) food products is an essential step of this process. Man was created to thrive on certain combinations of nutrients, readily available in our natural food sources.
But the rise of modern food manufacturing completely changed man’s relationship to food. Without being told so specifically, you’ve been led to believe you can live on synthetic chemicals. But you can’t! Not to any great degree of success.
Make This Year the Year When You Say NO to GMO
This Weston A Price lecture by GMO expert Jeffrey M. Smith is a must-see for everyone. As always, Smith delivers a compelling picture of the GM problem, and offers practical solutions, many of which I will list below.
As Smith states, we, as individual consumers, have enormous power to change this world for the better by making healthier choices. The market simply cannot afford not to pay attention once the tipping point of consumer demand has been reached. So by switching brands, slowly but surely the rejected brands must follow suit once they realize that using a certain ingredient has become a liability.
Consumers move the market – not the manufacturers. That means YOU!
Smith believes that the tipping point for beginning the shift away from GMO ingredients in the US food supply is about 15 million people.
The problem we face here in the US is the fact that GM products are not labeled. But according to one poll, if GM products WERE labeled, 53 percent of Americans say they would not eat them!
After some 14 years of fighting for GM labeling in the US, it’s time to realize that we can’t wait for government to listen. Instead, we must educate each other, which is exactly what Smith’s organization www.ResponsibleTechnology.org is all about.
Their slogan, “Healthy Eating Starts with NO GMO,” is worthy of being pasted on your refrigerator as a constant reminder.
The Health Hazards of GMO Foods
For an in-depth education on the many dangers of GM foods, I highly recommend reading Jeffrey Smith’s books, Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette.
Smith documents at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds, including:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy show a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy have damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice have altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers have reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products
• Animals fed GM foods have developed bleeding stomachs, potentially precancerous cell growth, damaged organs and immune systems, kidney inflammation, problems with blood and liver cells, and unexplained deaths
• Soy allergies have skyrocketed after the introduction of GM soy
• Genes from GM crops transfer to human gut bacteria, which might transform your intestinal flora into a “living pesticide factory”
No one knows the full extent of what happens to the end product when you splice in new genes, and then eat that product for several generations. The only thing that is guaranteed is that it will create surprise side effects.
However, according to Smith’s research, what we do know is that between 1994 and 2001 -- the same time that GMO’s flooded the market – food related illnesses DOUBLED.
GMO foods can be:
• Allergenic • Toxic • Carcinogenic • Anti-nutritional
It may also create brand new diseases that we’ve never seen before, in addition to spurring on the disease rate of some we already have, such as cancer.
Moratorium Called on GM Foods!
On May 19th, 2009, the The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) sent out a press advisory calling for Immediate Moratorium On Genetically Modified Foods”? and for physicians to “educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible, and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.”
They also advised that physicians should “consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.”
In their position paper, the AAEM states that several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM foods, including:
• Infertility
• Immune problems
• Accelerated aging
• Insulin regulation
• Changes in major organs
• Gastrointestinal changes and problems
The AAEM concludes,
“There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation, as defined by recognized scientific criteria. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.”
I’ve recommended this before, but it bears repeating – Educate your doctor!
Many physicians are still completely unaware of this problem, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handing them a printout of the moratorium, or suggesting they take a look at the research.
The Institute for Responsible Technology also offers two full audio lectures on the dangers of GMO’s, available for download here. They’re free, and you’re even allowed to burn them onto CD’s to give away.
Why not give a copy to the members of your family, friends, and yes, even your doctor?
Playing with Technology We Don’t Fully Comprehend
Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) explains the heart of why GM foods are so dangerous:
“The genome is remarkably dynamic and ‘fluid’, and constantly in conversation with the environment. This determines which genes are turned on, when, where, by how much and for how long. Moreover, the genetic material itself could also be marked or changed according to experience, and the influence passed on to the next generation.”
But when genetically modified “rogue genes” are inserted into a genome, it cannot possibly mimic the complex processes -- the “dance of life” -- that’s necessary for survival in nature.
“The rogue genes inserted into a genome to make a GMO could land anywhere; typically in a rearranged or defective form, scrambling and mutating the host genome, and have the tendency to move or rearrange further once inserted, basically because they do not know the dance of life. That’s ultimately why genetic modification doesn’t work and is also dangerous.”
Four Ways to Avoid GM Foods
As stated by Smith, there are four main ways to avoid GM foods:
1. Buy organic
2. Only buy products that carry a Non-GMO label
3. Only buy products listed in the non-GMO shopping guide
4. Avoid products that contain these at-risk ingredients:
1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cotton
4. Canola
The offspring of these products include items such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup.
As for fresh produce, you’ll want to avoid some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, and papayas from Hawaii, as these are mainly GM.
Other common GM-containing foods to avoid include:
• Milk containing rbGH
• Rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses
• Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Avoiding GM products in your diet means avoiding all of the foods and ingredients mentioned above, or choosing organic versions of them.
If your diet consists largely of processed foods, you can be sure you’re eating about 70 percent GM foods, as the ingredients listed above (particularly corn and soy) are in a vast majority of all processed food products!
I highly recommend downloading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, issued by the Institute for Responsible Technology. They also offer some helpful basic advice for how to avoid GMO’s when eating in restaurants!
Help Others Help Themselves
Last but not least, I also recommend watching The Future of Food to learn more about the food you eat. It is perhaps one of the most important videos on this subject, and one that everyone in America should watch and pass on to others, along with the free audio lectures by Jeffrey Smith.
In conclusion, remember to appreciate the power of your pocketbook! If more of us begin to refuse GM foods, food manufacturers will have no choice but to listen.
Article from Mercola.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
BPA'S, Babies, Bum Outs and ...Tomato Sauce
My good friend and fellow health nut has written an article for you to go read.Eat Today To Live Tomorrow
This article is so true and goes farther than cans and plastic containers and all the way to plastic bottles and even some metal containers. Read Tim's article and then put on your research cap and explore it for yourself.
This article is so true and goes farther than cans and plastic containers and all the way to plastic bottles and even some metal containers. Read Tim's article and then put on your research cap and explore it for yourself.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Bad Breath ?
Bad breath is often a symptom of dry mouth -- a condition known as “xerostomia.” Other symptoms of this problem include saliva that seems thick, sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth, and difficulty speaking and swallowing,.
Most xerostomia is related to medication. There are around 400-600 drugs that can affect the salivary glands. These include drugs for urinary incontinence, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, diarrhea and Parkinson's disease. Also, some over-the-counter medications often cause dry mouth.
Tobacco, alcohol, drinks with caffeine, snoring and breathing with your mouth open can aggravate dry mouth.
There are ways to improve saliva flow. You can also sip water regularly, try over-the-counter saliva substitutes, avoid breathing through your mouth, and use a humidifier in your bedroom.
If you have dry mouth, you have to pay greater attention to your teeth. Brush your teeth with an extra-soft toothbrush adn all natural organic toothpaste, after every meal and at bedtime. If brushing hurts, soften the bristles in warm water. Floss your teeth gently every day.
Xerostomia is not to be confused with halitosis, or bad breath, which is typically caused by systemic diseases, gastrointestinal and/or upper respiratory tract disorders, and microbial metabolism from your tongue, saliva or dental plaque.
Inspired by an article from Dr. Mercola
Most xerostomia is related to medication. There are around 400-600 drugs that can affect the salivary glands. These include drugs for urinary incontinence, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, diarrhea and Parkinson's disease. Also, some over-the-counter medications often cause dry mouth.
Tobacco, alcohol, drinks with caffeine, snoring and breathing with your mouth open can aggravate dry mouth.
There are ways to improve saliva flow. You can also sip water regularly, try over-the-counter saliva substitutes, avoid breathing through your mouth, and use a humidifier in your bedroom.
If you have dry mouth, you have to pay greater attention to your teeth. Brush your teeth with an extra-soft toothbrush adn all natural organic toothpaste, after every meal and at bedtime. If brushing hurts, soften the bristles in warm water. Floss your teeth gently every day.
Xerostomia is not to be confused with halitosis, or bad breath, which is typically caused by systemic diseases, gastrointestinal and/or upper respiratory tract disorders, and microbial metabolism from your tongue, saliva or dental plaque.
Inspired by an article from Dr. Mercola
Monday, January 11, 2010
Highly suggested
I would like to go over what I think are my most highly suggested supplements. They are a base for nutrition and a great boost for your everyday life. We like to use the purest ingredients and Garden of Life is what we have found to be the best:
**Oceans 3 Cod liver oil
(http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/OCEANS3/tabid/1677/Default.aspx
**Perfect Food (http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/PerfectFood/tabid/654/Default.aspx)
**Primal defense (http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/DigestiveHealth/PrimalDefense/tabid/638/Default.aspx
Please check them out and let me know if you have any questions.
www.nashvillepersonaltrainer.net
lifefitnessacademy@gmail.com
**Oceans 3 Cod liver oil
(http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/OCEANS3/tabid/1677/Default.aspx
**Perfect Food (http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/PerfectFood/tabid/654/Default.aspx)
**Primal defense (http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/DigestiveHealth/PrimalDefense/tabid/638/Default.aspx
Please check them out and let me know if you have any questions.
www.nashvillepersonaltrainer.net
lifefitnessacademy@gmail.com
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Foundations Of Nutrition!
As I deal with more clients and different life styles I find myself constantly telling people some of what I believe are the foundations of nutrition.
These basics are not Ideal for major weight loss, well at least not by themselves. You must continue in a pattern of Strict dietary guidelines provided for your specific needs coupled with proper exercise and rest. These must be practiced for at least 30-60 days so that they become a habit. Make no mistake about it, habits are what got you to where you are and good habits will get you out and back into shape.
That being said some of the first baby steps of any whole health program I suggest and strongly recommend, you must remember these simples rules.
-Remove refined white flour from your diet as an ingredient of foods you make and as an ingredient that you consume in any other way.
-Remove refined white sugar from your diet.
-Remove dairy. This is one that you can phase back in after you have reached your goals. But always be ready to take it back out and never be dependent on it as a source of calcium or protein.
-Stop eating anything that is artificial, not real, born in a lab, zero calorie and fat free.
These basics will take you far and a dietary plan designed for your body to detox as well as intake maximum nutrients will do even more. If you are out there and you think you eat the best you can or have a "pretty good" work out routine I want you to know that you can always do better, and you will never eat 100% healthy.
These basics are not Ideal for major weight loss, well at least not by themselves. You must continue in a pattern of Strict dietary guidelines provided for your specific needs coupled with proper exercise and rest. These must be practiced for at least 30-60 days so that they become a habit. Make no mistake about it, habits are what got you to where you are and good habits will get you out and back into shape.
That being said some of the first baby steps of any whole health program I suggest and strongly recommend, you must remember these simples rules.
-Remove refined white flour from your diet as an ingredient of foods you make and as an ingredient that you consume in any other way.
-Remove refined white sugar from your diet.
-Remove dairy. This is one that you can phase back in after you have reached your goals. But always be ready to take it back out and never be dependent on it as a source of calcium or protein.
-Stop eating anything that is artificial, not real, born in a lab, zero calorie and fat free.
These basics will take you far and a dietary plan designed for your body to detox as well as intake maximum nutrients will do even more. If you are out there and you think you eat the best you can or have a "pretty good" work out routine I want you to know that you can always do better, and you will never eat 100% healthy.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
232 Toxins Found In Babies (mercola.com)
Laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group have detected bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic component and synthetic estrogen, in umbilical cord blood of American infants.
Nine of 10 randomly selected samples of cord blood tested positive for BPA, an industrial petrochemical.
BPA has been implicated in a lengthening list of serious chronic disorders, including cancer, cognitive and behavioral impairments, endocrine system disruption, reproductive and cardiovascular system abnormalities, diabetes, asthma and obesity.
In all, the tests found as many as 232 chemicals in the 10 newborns, all of minority descent. The cord blood study has produced hard new evidence that American children are being exposed, beginning in the womb, to complex mixtures of dangerous substances that may have lifelong consequences.
And in a separate study, researchers found that complications of pregnancy, such as preterm labor, preterm birth, and infection were lowest in women with the highest vitamin D levels.
Blood levels of activated vitamin D usually rise during very early pregnancy, and some of it crosses the placenta to bathe the fetus, especially the developing fetal brain, in activated vitamin D. But many -- in fact most -- pregnant women do not make as much vitamin D as they need.
4,000 IU of vitamin D per day during pregnancy was found to be safe (not a single adverse event). However, this amount only resulted in a mean vitamin D blood level of 27 ng/ml in the newborn infants, indicating that even 4,000 IU per day during pregnancy is not enough.
Sources:
Mothering December 9, 2009
Environmental Working Group
New Research Findings Two December 3, 2009
National Institutes of Health
Babies are born at considerable risk nowadays due to the toxic load of their mothers. If a baby is exposed to numerous toxic compounds in utero, changes may occur that either directly cause cancer, or lengthen the period of sensitivity to carcinogens, therefore making the child more susceptible to cancer, and other diseases, later in life.
This EWG study is the first to detect BPA in umbilical cord blood, which is a very concerning finding considering this chemical has been linked to endocrine system disruption, reproductive and cardiovascular system abnormalities, diabetes and more at very low levels.
However, it is not the first to show just how extensive a chemical cocktail newborn babies are being exposed to.
Exposure to Nearly 300 Toxic Chemicals … Before Birth
A prior study by EWG found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals.
Of the 287 chemicals EWG detected in umbilical cord blood, it’s known that:
180 cause cancer in humans or animals
217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system
208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests
Children, meanwhile, experience greater exposure to chemicals pound-for-pound than adults, and have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain.
Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, according to EWG, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed. These factors, coupled with the fact that a child will be around for 80 years or more, allowing more than enough time for chemicals to do their damage, signals a major challenge for kids born today.
Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in U.S. children are a result of these early chemical exposures.
BPA: A Toxic Plastic Chemical to Watch Out For
Plastics chemicals are among the most pervasive and potentially damaging toxins for a fetus, so if you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, now is the time to start limiting your exposure.
This includes BPA, which EWG detected in newborn umbilical cord blood. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it mimics your body‘s natural hormones and can trigger major changes in your body. Of 115 published animal studies, 81 percent found significant effects from even low-level exposure to BPA.
This toxic chemical first caught researchers’ attention after normal mice began to display uncommon genetic abnormalities. The defects were linked to plastic cages and water bottles that had been cleaned with a harsh detergent, causing BPA to leach out of the plastic. After determining how much BPA the mice had been exposed to, the researchers realized even an extremely small dose of 20 parts per billion daily, for just five to seven days, was enough to produce effects.
Some of the greatest concern surrounds early-life exposure to BPA.
This can lead to chromosomal errors in the developing fetus, which can cause spontaneous miscarriages and genetic damage. And being exposed to just 0.23 parts per billion of BPA is enough to disrupt the effect of estrogen in a baby's developing brain.
Again, for this reason women of childbearing age and those who are pregnant should be especially diligent at avoiding BPA, but practically no one is immune. A study last year found the chemical can lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems in adults, and previous research has linked BPA to:
Structural damage to your brain
Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
Altered immune function
Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
Diabetes
Heart disease
Liver damage
As it stands, BPA is one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and is widely used in the production of:
• Plastic water bottles
• Plastic gallon milk bottles
• Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
• Tooth sealants
• Canned foods and soda cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
• Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups
Avoiding these items is an important step to limit your BPA exposure, and you can find even more tips in this past article.
Phthlates: Another Plasticizer Chemical to Avoid
Phthalates, or “plasticizers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They’re also one of the most pervasive of the endocrine disrupters.
These chemicals have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults.
Phthalates are found in, among other things:
Processed food packaging
Hoses
Raincoats
Shower curtains
Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
Lubricant and adhesives
Detergents
Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances
Toys
11 Tips to Minimize Your Chemical Exposure
There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by U.S. industries. Rather than compile an endless list of what you should avoid, it’s far easier to focus on what you should do to lead a healthy lifestyle with as minimal a chemical exposure as possible:
As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.
Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives of all kinds, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG.
Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great safety guide to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances.
Replace your Teflon pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
When redoing your home, look for “green,” toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric.
Vital Information Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know
Just as important as avoiding potentially harmful substances is making sure you’re getting enough of the good ones – and one of the most important is vitamin D.
I am convinced that in the not too distant future it will be mandatory for women to receive regular vitamin D blood test levels.
Why?
There is powerful new evidence emerging that sufficient vitamin D levels can reduce your risk of having a premature delivery. It can also help protect your newborn baby from other health problems.
In what is considered the first scientific trial that meets the most stringent criteria for “evidence-based inquiry,” U.S. researchers Drs. Hollis and Wagner divulged their findings at a recent international vitamin D research conference in Brugge, Belgium.
Their findings included:
Mothers who took 4,000 IU’s (ten times the RDA of 400 IU) of vitamin D during pregnancy had their risk of premature birth reduced by half
Premature babies born to women taking high doses of vitamin D were reduced by half at both 32 and 37 weeks
There were also fewer babies who were born “small for dates”
Women taking high doses of vitamin D had a 25 percent reduction in infections, particularly respiratory infections such as colds and flu as well as fewer infections of the vagina and the gums
The “comorbidities of pregnancy” were reduced by 30 percent in the women who took the high-dose vitamin D. (Including diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia -- a potentially deadly increase in blood pressure and fluid)
Babies getting the highest amounts of vitamin D after birth had fewer colds and less eczema
Another 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns' and mothers' vitamin D levels.
That study found that over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state. As a result, the researchers recommended that all mothers optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their babies' health.
In addition, numerous other studies have found that vitamin D may protect against a number of birth defects and autism.
But many -- in fact most -- pregnant women do not make as much vitamin D as they need.
It is absolutely imperative that pregnant women maintain a blood level of between 50 and 70 ng/ml of 25 hydroxy D. So please watch my free one-hour vitamin D lecture to find out how to get your levels optimized.
Nine of 10 randomly selected samples of cord blood tested positive for BPA, an industrial petrochemical.
BPA has been implicated in a lengthening list of serious chronic disorders, including cancer, cognitive and behavioral impairments, endocrine system disruption, reproductive and cardiovascular system abnormalities, diabetes, asthma and obesity.
In all, the tests found as many as 232 chemicals in the 10 newborns, all of minority descent. The cord blood study has produced hard new evidence that American children are being exposed, beginning in the womb, to complex mixtures of dangerous substances that may have lifelong consequences.
And in a separate study, researchers found that complications of pregnancy, such as preterm labor, preterm birth, and infection were lowest in women with the highest vitamin D levels.
Blood levels of activated vitamin D usually rise during very early pregnancy, and some of it crosses the placenta to bathe the fetus, especially the developing fetal brain, in activated vitamin D. But many -- in fact most -- pregnant women do not make as much vitamin D as they need.
4,000 IU of vitamin D per day during pregnancy was found to be safe (not a single adverse event). However, this amount only resulted in a mean vitamin D blood level of 27 ng/ml in the newborn infants, indicating that even 4,000 IU per day during pregnancy is not enough.
Sources:
Mothering December 9, 2009
Environmental Working Group
New Research Findings Two December 3, 2009
National Institutes of Health
Babies are born at considerable risk nowadays due to the toxic load of their mothers. If a baby is exposed to numerous toxic compounds in utero, changes may occur that either directly cause cancer, or lengthen the period of sensitivity to carcinogens, therefore making the child more susceptible to cancer, and other diseases, later in life.
This EWG study is the first to detect BPA in umbilical cord blood, which is a very concerning finding considering this chemical has been linked to endocrine system disruption, reproductive and cardiovascular system abnormalities, diabetes and more at very low levels.
However, it is not the first to show just how extensive a chemical cocktail newborn babies are being exposed to.
Exposure to Nearly 300 Toxic Chemicals … Before Birth
A prior study by EWG found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals.
Of the 287 chemicals EWG detected in umbilical cord blood, it’s known that:
180 cause cancer in humans or animals
217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system
208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests
Children, meanwhile, experience greater exposure to chemicals pound-for-pound than adults, and have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain.
Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, according to EWG, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed. These factors, coupled with the fact that a child will be around for 80 years or more, allowing more than enough time for chemicals to do their damage, signals a major challenge for kids born today.
Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in U.S. children are a result of these early chemical exposures.
BPA: A Toxic Plastic Chemical to Watch Out For
Plastics chemicals are among the most pervasive and potentially damaging toxins for a fetus, so if you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, now is the time to start limiting your exposure.
This includes BPA, which EWG detected in newborn umbilical cord blood. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it mimics your body‘s natural hormones and can trigger major changes in your body. Of 115 published animal studies, 81 percent found significant effects from even low-level exposure to BPA.
This toxic chemical first caught researchers’ attention after normal mice began to display uncommon genetic abnormalities. The defects were linked to plastic cages and water bottles that had been cleaned with a harsh detergent, causing BPA to leach out of the plastic. After determining how much BPA the mice had been exposed to, the researchers realized even an extremely small dose of 20 parts per billion daily, for just five to seven days, was enough to produce effects.
Some of the greatest concern surrounds early-life exposure to BPA.
This can lead to chromosomal errors in the developing fetus, which can cause spontaneous miscarriages and genetic damage. And being exposed to just 0.23 parts per billion of BPA is enough to disrupt the effect of estrogen in a baby's developing brain.
Again, for this reason women of childbearing age and those who are pregnant should be especially diligent at avoiding BPA, but practically no one is immune. A study last year found the chemical can lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems in adults, and previous research has linked BPA to:
Structural damage to your brain
Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
Altered immune function
Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
Diabetes
Heart disease
Liver damage
As it stands, BPA is one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and is widely used in the production of:
• Plastic water bottles
• Plastic gallon milk bottles
• Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
• Tooth sealants
• Canned foods and soda cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
• Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups
Avoiding these items is an important step to limit your BPA exposure, and you can find even more tips in this past article.
Phthlates: Another Plasticizer Chemical to Avoid
Phthalates, or “plasticizers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They’re also one of the most pervasive of the endocrine disrupters.
These chemicals have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults.
Phthalates are found in, among other things:
Processed food packaging
Hoses
Raincoats
Shower curtains
Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
Lubricant and adhesives
Detergents
Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances
Toys
11 Tips to Minimize Your Chemical Exposure
There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by U.S. industries. Rather than compile an endless list of what you should avoid, it’s far easier to focus on what you should do to lead a healthy lifestyle with as minimal a chemical exposure as possible:
As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.
Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives of all kinds, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG.
Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great safety guide to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances.
Replace your Teflon pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
When redoing your home, look for “green,” toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric.
Vital Information Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know
Just as important as avoiding potentially harmful substances is making sure you’re getting enough of the good ones – and one of the most important is vitamin D.
I am convinced that in the not too distant future it will be mandatory for women to receive regular vitamin D blood test levels.
Why?
There is powerful new evidence emerging that sufficient vitamin D levels can reduce your risk of having a premature delivery. It can also help protect your newborn baby from other health problems.
In what is considered the first scientific trial that meets the most stringent criteria for “evidence-based inquiry,” U.S. researchers Drs. Hollis and Wagner divulged their findings at a recent international vitamin D research conference in Brugge, Belgium.
Their findings included:
Mothers who took 4,000 IU’s (ten times the RDA of 400 IU) of vitamin D during pregnancy had their risk of premature birth reduced by half
Premature babies born to women taking high doses of vitamin D were reduced by half at both 32 and 37 weeks
There were also fewer babies who were born “small for dates”
Women taking high doses of vitamin D had a 25 percent reduction in infections, particularly respiratory infections such as colds and flu as well as fewer infections of the vagina and the gums
The “comorbidities of pregnancy” were reduced by 30 percent in the women who took the high-dose vitamin D. (Including diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia -- a potentially deadly increase in blood pressure and fluid)
Babies getting the highest amounts of vitamin D after birth had fewer colds and less eczema
Another 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns' and mothers' vitamin D levels.
That study found that over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state. As a result, the researchers recommended that all mothers optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their babies' health.
In addition, numerous other studies have found that vitamin D may protect against a number of birth defects and autism.
But many -- in fact most -- pregnant women do not make as much vitamin D as they need.
It is absolutely imperative that pregnant women maintain a blood level of between 50 and 70 ng/ml of 25 hydroxy D. So please watch my free one-hour vitamin D lecture to find out how to get your levels optimized.
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