Natural Communities Magazine A magazine devoted to the local natural wellness culture.

There’s no doubt about it. Processed food like that from McDonald’s is just not part of a healthful diet – in fact, much of it cannot even pass for real food.

I am very grateful I can say I have never had a Chicken McNugget from McDonald’s. If you can’t say the same at least you can commit to never having another one again.

This sentiment was echoed by Federal Judge Robert Sweet in a lawsuit against the restaurant chain back in 2003 when he said:

“Chicken McNuggets, rather than being merely chicken fried in a pan, are a McFrankenstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.”

At the time, Time Magazine reported that Judge Sweet “questioned whether customers understood the risks of eating McDonald’s chicken over regular chicken.”

That was seven years ago, and I still wonder whether or not McDonald’s customers truly understand the risks they take when consuming fast food on a regular basis.

If you missed Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Super-Size Me, I highly recommend you watch it with your entire family. It’s a real-life illustration of just how dangerous – life threatening, in fact – an excessive fast food diet can really be. And “excessive” consumption is likely far less than you imagine: Eating fast food just twice a week DOUBLES your risk of developing insulin resistance, compared to eating it just once a week, for example. Insulin resistance, as I’ve discussed on many occasions, is one of THE primary driving factors behind most of the diseases we currently struggle with, from diabetes to cancer and heart disease…

The truth is, McDonald’s fare contain non-food ingredients that can seriously harm your health.

This shouldn’t come as any great surprise. After all, how healthful can something be that shows no signs of decomposing after being left on a counter for more than a decade?

Clearly there’s more chemicals in there than actual, real foodstuff.

Chicken McNuggets: “Made With White Meat”… and What Else?

According to McDonald’s, their chicken nuggets are “made with white meat, wrapped up in a crisp tempura batter.” But as the article above shows, these chicken nuggets are a far cry from what you might expect, based on that description.

About half of it is actual chicken. The rest is a mix of corn-derived fillers and additives (most likely genetically modified), along with a slew of synthetic chemicals, including:

• Dimethyl polysiloxane, a type of silicone with anti-foaming properties used in cosmetics and a variety of other goods like Silly Putty
• Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a petroleum-based product with antioxidant properties

The latter, TBHQ, is typically listed as an “antioxidant,” but it’s important to realize it is a SYNTHETIC chemical with antioxidant properties – NOT a natural antioxidant.

The chemical prevents oxidation of fats and oils, thereby extending shelf life of processed foods. It’s a commonly used ingredient in processed foods of all kinds, but you can also find it in varnishes, lacquers, pesticide products, as well as cosmetics and perfumes to reduce the evaporation rate and improve stability.

At its 19th and 21st meetings, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives determined that tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) was safe for human consumption at levels of 0-0.5 mg/kg of body weight. However, more recently, the Codex commission set the maximum allowable limits up to between 100 to as much as 400 mg/kg, depending on the food it’s added to. (Chewing gum is permitted to contain the highest levels of TBHQ.)

That’s quite a discrepancy in supposedly “safe” limits!

So, is the safe level zero, or 400 mg/kg? Who knows?!

According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, one gram of TBHQ can cause:

•  Nausea
•  Vomiting
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
•  Delirium
• Sense of suffocation
•  Collapse

Based on animal studies, health hazards associated with TBHQ include:

• liver effects at very low doses
• positive mutation results from in vitro tests on mammalian cells
• biochemical changes at very low doses
• reproductive effects at high doses

The good news is that it is not suspected to be a persistent toxin, meaning your body is probably able to eliminate it so that it does not bioaccumulate.

REAL Food “Lives” and “Dies”

I recently commented on the curious ability of McDonald’s food to remain impervious to degradation. It’s as if the food has been embalmed to stay “fresh” forever! After sitting on a shelf for 14 years, the hamburger bun has yet to develop a single trace of mold. It’s barely even begun to shrivel…

Folks, these buns bear absolutely no resemblance to real bread, and when you read the list of ingredients, this mysterious mummification feature becomes less of a mystery.

Here are just a few of the ingredients in a McDonald’s hamburger bun:

• calcium sulfate (aka Plaster of Paris)
• calcium carbonate (Antacid medication)
• ammonium sulfate (According to MSDS,“harmful if swallowed”)
• ammonium chloride (Causes irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea)
• calcium propionate (Preservative)
• sodium propionate (Mold inhibitor)

Always remember that wholesome, health-promoting food is “live” food, and the hallmark of live food is the fact that it will decompose.

The fact that these burgers, buns, and fries do not decompose, even after a decade or two, is a clear sign that it’s just not real food, and should not be part of your diet.

You Are What You Eat…

The bottom line is that if you want to stay healthy, and keep your children healthy, you have to avoid fast food and other processed foods, and invest some time in your kitchen, cooking from scratch. Reclaiming your kitchen is part and parcel of healthful living, so you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.

Ideally, you’ll want to consume as much whole, raw, organic and/or locally grown foods as possible. That’s one of the major reasons why vegetable juicing works so well – you’re consuming living raw food!

Most vegetables also have very low carbohydrate levels that minimally disturb insulin metabolism – another important trait of a healthful diet — but there is something very special about vegetable juicing and eating live raw foods in general.

In addition, I believe optimal health is also largely dependent on eating the right foods for your nutritional type. I think this is such an important part of an optimal diet that I am now offering the entire Nutritional Typing program to you for free.

If you’re “hooked” on fast food and other processed foods, please review my recent article How to Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps. If you’re currently sustaining yourself on fast food and processed foods, this is probably the most positive life change you could ever make.

And if you have children, remember that feeding your children home cooked meals can have far reaching benefits, extending even to your future grandchildren. Yes, that’s right! It is now well known that dietary changes can prompt epigenetic DNA changes that can be passed on to future generations. For instance, pregnant rats fed a fatty diet had daughters and granddaughters with a greater risk of breast cancer.

Making wise food decisions can literally “override” genetic predispositions for disease.

Source: Dr. Mercola, www.mercola.com

With childhood obesity levels climbing at an alarming rate, it’s no wonder parents are more concerned than ever about what their children are eating. Adults are constantly bombarded with the latest diet foods and weight loss pills, and in a world that’s so weight-conscious, it’s difficult not to translate these ideas into the way we deal with our children’s health. Although we want our children to be healthy, diet fads are not the answer. This includes the standard low-fat diet, which is suspiciously ineffective for adults in the long-term, and downright dangerous for our children.

In 2007, a study from the University of Delaware was published in the Nutrition Journal which showed children and adults burn about the same amount of fat each day, even though children burn much less overall energy. Children need a diet higher in fat compared to adults. They need around 5-10% more calories from fat than adults do. This is because, even though children are smaller in size, their bodies use an enormous amount of energy in support of growth and development. This includes the development of the nervous system, immune system, bone structure and muscle tissue.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum states, “I think this research is absolutely right. If the word ‘diet’ is written on a packet or can, it really shouldn’t be given to children who have totally different energy needs for their growth, and who burn off a lot of energy just by growing. Fad diets are not appropriate for children.”

This information is not widely displayed in the media, where low-fat diet foods are frequently praised in both regular programming and commercial advertisements. There are even many medical professionals who give the vague recommendation of eating as little fat as possible. With parents constantly hearing that dietary fat is bad and should be avoided, it’s easy to think that this must be healthy for their children, too.

This misinformation is no less than destructive to our children’s health. Children’s bodies require fat to develop and function properly. Without a certain amount of fat present, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K can’t be stored or utilized. These vitamins are absolutely crucial for developmental growth in our children; any long-term deficiency can have lifelong effects. A committee from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reported that low-fat diets can cause growth retardation and thwart the natural process of puberty. Children simply can’t gain enough weight or linear height on these diets.

In a society where so many adults are obsessed with the numbers on a scale, it can be difficult to view weight gain as a good thing. But in children, a certain amount of weight must be gained to develop properly. In addition, there are certain periods of growth, such as adolescence, when it is normal for a child to store extra fat. This is when many parents and teens become frightened of obesity and start the low-fat diet bandwagon that, for some, may become a lifetime battle. By distorting a child’s image of food early in life, we may be paving the way for future eating disorders like anorexia.

Part of rearing healthy children is helping them form a positive relationship with food. Natural, unprocessed fats are not a food to be shunned but something that can be highly beneficial if used in moderation. The same applies to carbohydrates and proteins. We don’t want to severely limit or overindulge in these types of food, either. The goal is to strive for moderation while making healthy, natural choices. Children need to learn that quality foods are to be enjoyed not only for their taste but also because these foods are necessary for life.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025921.html

Great River Organic’s stone mill a beacon to the past

Glenn Robeck doesn’t mind working nose to the grindstone.

While most flour mills today are high-tech commercial giants with lightning-fast steel rollers that churn out flour for the masses, Robeck earns his living at rustic Great River Organic Milling. Here, centuries-old, slow-turning granite millstones grind organic grains into flours for a niche market of artisan bread bakers and health-conscious consumers.

“At the end of the day, it’s more than just a paycheck,” said Robeck, the mill’s long-time production manager. “You have to earn your livelihood, but it’s nice to feel you’re also doing something that leaves the world a little better place.”

The small mill, tucked in a quiet valley 6 miles east of the Mississippi River, is one of just a handful of granite stone millers left in America. It’s a beacon to the past, before Wisconsin was America’s Dairyland and when wheat was the state’s big crop.

Great River Organic Milling has a growing following among those looking for healthful alternatives to processed foods - in this case, flour milled with the whole grain left intact, which commands roughly three times the price of refined flour.

When the process for refining flour was invented in the 1870s, it was considered a major breakthrough, giving the baking staple a longer shelf life, and grains more diversified uses. But refining also snatched valuable nutrients. Whole-grain flour, by contrast, is everything nature intended.

“This is 100 percent whole grain,” Great River Organic Milling owner Rick Halverson shouted above the steady hum of machinery that moves raw grain through the mill in a loop. “All the natural, nutritional components of the grain go in the bag.”

The downside is a shorter shelf life, as the germ of the grain is left intact. The germ contributes much of the grain’s protein, folic acid and other B vitamins, carotenes and other antioxidants, plus omega-3 fatty acids.

But the omega-3 fatty acids also cause rancidity.

So Great River only makes its flours to order, unlike industrial millers that ship product cross-country to vast networks of supermarkets and commercial bakeries.

Sweet smell of success

A pleasant, nutty aroma wafts through the mill that was cobbled together in a red pole farm shed in the 1970s. Robeck said he finds satisfaction in watching demand for organics grow, including organic grains and flours. “Every acre farmed organically is 1 less acre farmed with chemicals,” he said.

The refined flour industry took a hit several years ago when the low-carb Atkins diet sent bread sales plummeting. But the diet caused barely a ripple at this mill, as its customers consistently follow natural, whole-food diets, which include whole grains, Halverson said.

“Now, with the slow food and locally grown foods movements, we’re getting more and more calls from people asking, ‘Where do you get your grain?’ ” Halverson said. The company knows all its suppliers, he added. Each bag of raw grain is labeled with the farmer’s initials.

Quality is crucial to customers such as bread baker Cameron Ramsey, owner of Madison Sourdough. He has been buying flour from the mill for 15 years.

“(Great River) is very unique, and when they go, who’s left?” Ramsey said. “They’re a vanishing breed, man.”

Great River began processing organic grain from nearby farms in the mid-1970s, long before organic was cool. The stone mill tradition harkens back to an era in Wisconsin from roughly 1850 to 1880, when the state grew one-sixth of the nation’s wheat.

Back then, flour mills were small-town fixtures, noted Margaret Bogue, a retired University of Wisconsin-Madison history professor.

“Wheat was a crop that moved west with the population from the East,” she said. Milwaukee was the largest flour milling city west of the Appalachian Mountains until it was displaced by St. Louis in 1871.

Wheat growing in Wisconsin tapered off markedly in the 1880s, Bogue said. The constant replanting of wheat fields had depleted the soil of nitrogen, and blight set in, forcing a wholesale shift.

By the turn of the 20th century, most Wisconsin farmers raised dairy cows. Cheese factories began replacing flour mills, Bogue said.

Along with flours, Great River Organic Milling makes three hot cereals: Multi-Grain with seven grains; a Breakfast Cereal blend of wheat and rice; and Highland Medley, a three-grain blend similar to Irish oatmeal. Great River also makes four types of pancake mix.

The original mill here, Little Bear Trading Co., went bankrupt in 1992. Office manager Nadine Bayer, Robeck and another mill employee bought the building and equipment from the bank to revive the mill under a new name, Great River Organic Milling.

They sold to Halverson four years ago because they recognized the company needed to grow, Bayer said.

Halverson, who had extensive sales experience with food ingredients, bought the mill on one condition: that Bayer and Robeck stay on to help run it. Since then, sales have grown from $274,000 to just over $600,000, Halverson said.

Great River Organic Milling’s main business is bulk flour for artisan bakers, including bakers in Chicago, Madison and the Twin Cities. The mill also handles high-protein, gluten-free grain called brown teff, which is grown in Ethiopia.

Retail is the fastest-growing segment. Great River began with about 40 regional food co-op customers. Now the mill has 400 to 500 retail customers, including Outpost Natural Food Stores and Sendik’s in the Milwaukee area, and some Sentry stores. Sales also extend to Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky.

But the mill’s most famous customer traveled a much greater distance.

Will Steger took the mill’s wheat and rice breakfast cereal to the North Pole in 1986 during his famous dogsled expedition.

By KAREN HERZOG
 kherzog@journalsentinel.com

www.jsonline.com/

You have read Paul Chek’s articles in Natural Communities magazine. Now check out the C.H.E.K Institute website. It’s packed with different programs to help you on your path to wellness.

---

This long-awaited book reveals techniques and secrets previously available only to Paul Chek’s clients and students. In How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! Chek shares his approach to achieving a healthy, balanced lifestyle while dropping pounds and reshaping your body.This book will help you identify your individual needs and explain how to address issues that may be preventing you from looking and feeling your best. Paul reveals fascinating research and airs controversial topics while providing practical suggestions for achieving peak vitality.
“How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!” contains a proven four-step program that has helped thousands of people achieve their health and fitness goals.

Step 1 Complete the questionnaires to determine YOUR metabolic needs.
Step 2 Develop an eating plan that’s right for YOU.
Step 3 Build a personalized exercise program that fits YOUR needs.
Step 4 Fine-tune a healthier lifestyle that fits YOUR routine.

This book need not be read from cover to cover! Just as each of us is unique, each reader will use this book in different ways. The Questionnaires in Section 1 will guide you through the rest of the book so you can select and read the chapters that are most applicable and interesting to you. This will result in a customized plan of action, and show you how to eat and move to attain and maintain your optimal level of health and performance.
Order Eat, Move and Be Healthy now.

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can’t even state all the consequences. Here’s what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke:

Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.

Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain, a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.

After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a sugar crash.

Sources: Nutrition Research Center October 24, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

How many sodas have you had today? How about your kids? As of 2005, white bread was dethroned as the number one source of calories in the American diet, being replaced by soft drinks.

The average American drinks more than 60 gallons of soft drinks each year, but before you grab that next can of soda, consider this: one can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites. Not to mention the fact that it’s also your largest source of dangerous high-fructose modified corn syrup.

Let’s take a look at some of the other major components of a can of soda:

• Phosphoric Acid: Which can interfere with the body’s ability to use calcium, leading to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. It also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
• Sugar: It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar. Sugar is so bad for your health in so many ways, I even created an entire list outlining 100-Plus Ways in Which Sugar Can Damage Your Health
• Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilispsy/seizures.
• Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
• Tap Water: I recommend that everyone avoid drinking tap water because it can carry any number of chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants. Tap water is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks.

Clearly, the over-consumption of sodas and sweet drinks is one of the leading causes fueling the world-wide obesity epidemic.

One independent, peer-reviewed study published in the British medical journal The Lancet demonstrated a strong link between soda consumption and childhood obesity. They found that 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn’t. In fact, for each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity jumped by 60 percent.

Here�s another sobering fact if you�re struggling with weight issues: Just one extra can of soda per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year!

Other statistics on the health dangers of soft drinks include:

• One soda per day increases your risk of diabetes by 85 percent
• Soda drinkers have higher cancer risk. While the federal limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks, and of the 100 brands tested, most had at least some detectable level of benzene present
• Soda has been shown to cause DNA damage � courtesy of sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, which has the ability to switch off vital parts of your DNA. This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s

If you are still drinking soda, stopping the habit is an easy way to improve your health. Pure water is a much better choice, or if you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.

There is absolutely NO REASON your kids should ever drink soda. None, nada, zip, zero. No excuses. The elimination of soft drinks is one of the most crucial factors to deal with many of the health problems you or your children suffer.

www.mercola.com

Class Action Suits Seek Damages from Wal-Mart, Target, others.

In a scandal now ensnaring some of the nations leading retailers, a series of lawsuits have been filed accusing Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats of consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk.

The legal filings in federal courts in Seattle, Denver, and in Minneapolis, against the retailers, come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.

“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s own investigation and formal legal complaint, in 2005, first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” Kastel added.

Law firms based in Seattle, St. Louis, and New York, in addition to other cities, have filed at least eight lawsuits against Aurora, representing plaintiffs in over 30 states. Five lawsuits against the retailers have been filed so far.

Attorneys are seeking damages to reimburse consumers harmed by the company’s actions. Some of the lawsuits request that the U.S. District Courts put an injunction in place to halt the ongoing sale of Aurora’s organic milk in the nation’s grocery stores until it can be demonstrated that the company is complying with federal organic regulations.

Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for many of the nation’s biggest chains. In addition to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, and Wild Oats, Aurora serves as supplier to 15 other national and regional chains.

Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations. One of the most egregious of the findings was that from December 5, 2003, to April 16, 2007, the Aurora Dairy “labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program regulations.”

Cornucopia’s own research, since confirmed by the two-year investigation by federal law enforcement agents, found that Aurora was confining their cows to pens and sheds in feedlots rather than grazing the animals as the federal law requires. Furthermore, Aurora brought conventional animals into their organic milking operation in a manner prohibited by the Organic Food Production Act, a law passed by Congress in 1990 and implemented in 2002 by the USDA.

The stores sell Aurora’s milk under their own in-house brand names, such as Costco’s Kirkland and Target’s Archer Farms, in cartons marked “USDA organic,” typically with pictures of pastures or other bucolic scenes.

“That’s not even close to the reality of where this milk was coming from,” said Steve Berman, a Seattle lawyer whose firm is among those suing. “These cows are all penned in factory-confinement conditions.”

“This is the perfect example of modern-day Agri-business bullies literally stealing the milk money from an unsuspecting public,” said Washington state consumer Rachael Doyle. “We have been willfully deceived by corporations motivated solely by greed.”

Cornucopia points out that Aurora is a “horrible aberration,” and that the vast majority of all organic dairy products are produced with high integrity. In a scorecard published last year, and available on their web site, Cornucopia rates over 90% of organic name-brand dairy products as truly subscribing to the letter and spirit of the law (available at www.cornucopia.org).

“Aurora’s actions have injured the reputation of the more than 1500 legitimate organic dairy farmers who are faithfully following federal organic rules and regulations,” noted Kastel. “We cannot allow these families to be placed at a competitive disadvantage.”

Mark Pepperzak, Aurora CEO, said, “The allegations in this smear campaign against AOD are based on false information and, therefore, completely unfounded.” The company has said that their business has yet to be affected by the high-profile controversy. However, some of Aurora’s largest customers have now switched to alternative suppliers.

“We have learned that Wild Oats and the Publix supermarket chain in Florida are no longer buying milk from Aurora,” stated Kastel. “In addition, the nation’s largest distributor of natural and organic products, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has also secured an alternative source for their Woodstock Farms brand.” Kastel also said that although he was unable to publicly disclose the names of retailers at this point in time, a number of others have contacted Cornucopia for their listing of six other private-label organic milk processors.

Many industry observers feel that the USDA’s enforcement mechanism broke down in the Aurora case. After career USDA staff drafted a Letter of Proposed Revocation, seeking to prevent Aurora from engaging in organic commerce, political appointees at the agency intervened, crafting an agreement allowing the politically connected company to remain in business.

“It is unconscionable that the USDA allowed Aurora to continue, after making millions of dollars, in this ‘ethics-based’ industry, when they had concluded that Aurora willfully violated the law,” Kastel added. “However, there is a higher authority in terms of organic integrity than the USDA—that’s the organic consumer. And they are about to make their voices heard through the courts.”

www.cornucopia.org

It seems energy can be found everywhere these days. Energy in a can, energy in a cup, energy in a bottle…Wherever it is, people are looking for it because, well, we seem to be lacking it. Generally speaking, synthetic energy enhancement can have some long term health consequences, one of which is a dependence on whatever substance it is that’s giving you that extra boost. In fact, new research from Wayne State University says that one of the most popular - and easy to find - energy enhancers can pose health risks to people with heart conditions: energy drinks.

I’m sure you’ve seen these energy drinks. According to researchers, popular energy drinks like Red Bull cause the heart rate to race at rates dangerous for people with heart conditions like heart disease.

Researchers found that within four hours of drinking various energy drinks, the 15 participants’ blood pressure rates and heart rates increased approximately 10 percent for the systolic rate, 8 percent for the diastolic rate and heart rates increased 11 percent. Researchers note that these levels are of little importance for healthy young adults (the average age of participants was 26) but these kinds of levels can be serious for people with heart conditions. One researcher said that these results can be “clinically significant” for those who take medication to treat their heart condition as energy drinks may adversely affect heart medications’ effectiveness. And while these energy drinks are often used when performing activities that require focus, heart rates increased for these participants while sedentary; such as while watching movies.

In short, researchers advise anyone who has a heart condition to avoid energy drinks until further research is done. But you really ought to avoid these energy drinks all together. They’re loaded with caffeine, which has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular problems, extreme mood swings and dependence.

So, how do you boost your energy levels naturally? Perhaps the easiest way is to get more sleep. Granted, we all have busy schedules, but you really need at least eight hours of sleep a night to ensure that you’re ripe, ready, refreshed and raring to go for the week ahead. Another way is by exercising more frequently, which has been shown to fight fatigue and boost energy levels. You can also take Omega-3 and CoQ10 supplements. These supplements enhance the fatty acids and enzymes that are already in your body. In fact, when you feel like your energy levels are especially low, it may be because your co enzyme levels are so low. A CoQ10 supplement is exactly what you need in such a situation.

Another easy way to increase energy levels is to eat breakfast. Not eating breakfast has been directly correlated with those who feel lethargic throughout the day. The best breakfast combines complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grain, 100 percent whole wheat bread) with quality proteins that have essential amino acids (e.g. hard boiled egg).

It’s not rocket science, it’s just a matter of being considerate of your health and what it takes to stay energized - the natural way.

About the author
Frank Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling author who teaches you how to dramatically improve your health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs. He is an independent researcher and has absolutely no financial ties to any pharmaceutical drug company or supplement company. To learn more, visit one of the most comprehensive and reliable sources for natural health information on the web: http://www.naturalhealthontheweb.com

 www.newstarget.com

Extreme is a good way to describe the diet that most people in America subsist on. Many people wouldn’t look at the standard American diet, and call it extreme; many would just call it normal. But if you look at the diet close-up, we can see that it is pretty extreme, and certainly not healthy.

The Standard American Diet usually consists of a myriad of processed carbs (cereals, breads, pasta, cookies, cakes etc.), processed meat products, and a few fruits and veggies. What you eat is the foundation of your health – so what is in this diet?

This diet is high in many things, most of which your body doesn’t really need. It is full of hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, phytic acid, acrylamide, sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lacking in basic essentials such as vitamins, minerals.

Hydrogenated oil causes a host of problems. It contributes to cancer, heart disease and obesity. A recent study showed that monkey fed these oils gained a significant amount of fat around the abdomen, even though they were not fed in such excess as to warrant fat gain. This is bad! Fat gain without consuming extra calories, and around the worst place on the body to gain it too, is one of the worst things for your health. We also know that trans fat boosts women’s infertility by 70%, if you consume it for 2% of your total calories. For someone on a 2000 calories a day diet, that is only about 4 grams of fat. And 4 grams of fat is not a lot! You could get that much in one donut, or a small serving of fries.

High fructose corn syrup raises blood sugar levels quickly. There are links to the consumption of high fructose corn syrup to type II diabetes and heart disease. It provides no nutritional value, and is the ubiquitous sweetener for foods that are known as “empty calories.”

Phytic acid has been proven to be an “anti-nutrient.” It is in all grains, nuts and seeds that have not been soaked and dried first. If you are eating boxes of food that are grain based, not only are you eating something that has no nutrition, you are also eating something that will readily take nutrients from you.

Acrylamide C3H5NO

If you eat anything with carbohydrates heated to a high temperature, you are eating acrylamide. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has stated that possible short-term effects of ingesting acrylamide are damage to the nervous system, weakness and incoordination in the legs. The possible long-term effects are damage to the nervous system, paralysis, and cancer. Acrylamide in fried or baked goods is produced by the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars or reactive carbonyls. Browning during baking, frying or deep-frying or over-cooking of foods will produce acrylamides. Acrylamides can also be created during microwaving.

Sodium Nitrate NaNO2

Consumption of processed meats has been linked to cancer (colon, breast, prostate and pancreas). The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for sodium nitrate states that ingestion in the pure form could cause gastroenteritis and abdominal pains. Other symptoms may include dizziness, bloody diarrhea, convulsions, and collapse; and chronic exposure can cause methemoglobinemia. This happens in some individuals when bacteria in the stomach convert the nitrate to nitrite. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irregular breathing, convulsions, coma, and death can occur should this conversion take place. If you truly don’t want to give up your bacon, salami or whatever there is a way to fight the harm that sodium nitrate can inflict on your body. You have to consume large doses of vitamins C and E before you eat something with sodium nitrate in it. These wonderful vitamins inhibit the conversion of sodium nitrate to the carcinogenic form, nitrosamines.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is in a class of chemicals known as excitotoxins. Excitotoxins, like MSG, introduced to the body in high doses have been shown in animal studies to cause damage to areas of the brain unprotected by the blood-brain barrier. A variety of chronic diseases can arise out of this neurotoxicity. In other animal research, MSG has been shown to indirectly cause obesity. According to laboratory studies, the chemical does this by downregulating hypothalamic appetite suppression which increases the amount of food animals consume. This is another universal ingredient and can be found under names such as hydrolyzed yeast, torula yeast and autolyzed yeast.

Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet is full of packaged foods. Most packaged foods have virtually no nutritional value! They are pretty packages housing calories. If this is all you eat, then you are on the fast track to being overfed, and under nourished. I know that we are told that we should be eating lots of grain products. Eat up. But a diet recommendation like that is ignoring the true science out there telling us that insulin spikes, phytic acid, acrylamide and the negative immune system responses we get from eating cooked food doesn’t mean a thing. We don’t fully understand what happens in the body with all these extras - the synergistic effects are simply not known. Eating a diet rich in refined carbohydrates and processed meat products is a sure fire way to walk the path of disease.

There are real health advocates that teach the right way to eat. Avoiding all those unwanted extras most people get by eating the Standard American Diet takes a little drive but it is worth it. Reduce or eliminate refined carbs and go for whole, sprouted grains instead; and use them sparingly. Or replace those carbohydrates with amaranth, buckwheat, millet or quinoa. Chose raw fats - found in extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil or the fats found in raw avocados. The food you eat should be colourful and vibrant! Most people do not get the recommended number of fruits and vegetables in their diet; don’t be one of those people. Recent studies show that if we eat broccoli and tomatoes together, the health benefits are amplified. You get more results eating these foods together than if you ate them in isolation – so go for a lot of colour on your plate. Leave “SAD” behind, and build a foundation of health and happiness!

About the author
Sarah is a Chemical and Materials Engineer by education. Through years of focused self-study, she has come to see the benefit of whole food nutrition and allowing the body to heal itself. A Field Center Certified Facilitator, Sarah is passionate about being helpful to others, in any venue, in their quest for a better life.

www.newstarget.com

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.

Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.

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Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.

Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

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Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.

Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

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Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.

Truth: Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

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Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.

Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12.

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Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.

Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

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Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.

Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.

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Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.

Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

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Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.

Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol improves one’s risk of having heart disease.

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Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.

Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

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Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.

Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

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Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.

Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

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Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

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Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

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Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

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Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.

www.westonaprice.org

The debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food may be over, according to results from a $25-million study into organic food — the largest of its kind to date.

The four-year, European-Union-funded study found that:

• Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
• Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
• Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The researchers obtained their results after growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites. They say that eating organic foods can even help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency, which has formerly said that there is no difference between organic and conventional foods, is reviewing the research findings.

Sources: Times Online October 28, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Many “health” experts continue to state that there is little difference between organic and conventionally raised produce, but if they review this evidence, they will likely have to change their tune.

Food grown in healthier soil, with natural fertilizers and no chemicals, simply has to be more nutritious. It is common knowledge — though knowledge that is greatly suppressed in the United States.

A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example, found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer.

And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits. Rats that ate organic or minimally fertilized diets had:

• Improved immune system status
• Better sleeping habits
• Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
• Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)

Does this mean that you should ditch all of your conventional produce and meat, and only buy certified organic foods? Well, yes … and no.

Be Very Wary of What Organic Foods You Buy, and Where You Buy Them

Although the organic label has really only become widely popular in the last several years, it has already been greatly compromised.

Whereas organic foods were once truly raised naturally, on small farms with great integrity, big business has now stepped in and tainted many of the principles upon which the organic label was founded.

Wal-Mart, for instance, is now the largest organic retailer in the United States. According to the Organic Consumers Association, the mega-store is:

• Selling Horizon and Aurora Organic milk that comes from intensive confinement factory farm dairies
• Importing cheap organic foods and ingredients from China and Brazil
• Posting signs in its stores that mislead people into believing that non-organic items are actually organic

In other words, organic food now represents a $14-billion business in the United States, and the quality and meaning of the organic label is undergoing a fast decline.

You are, in fact, being ripped off by much of the organic food you are buying.

One of the biggest rip-offs, in my opinion, is organic milk. Milk is not something I recommend that anyone drink unless it is in raw form. Organic milk is NOT raw milk, it is pasteurized milk, and will be associated with all of the health problems of pasteurized milk, regardless of its organic certification.

Another big-time deception is all of those “organic” convenience, junk foods like ice cream, crackers, cookies, pizzas and potato chips. A potato chip is one of the worst foods you can eat, regardless of whether or not the potato is organic.

Yet big business is cashing in on your desire to “have your cake and eat it too,” so to speak, and deceiving you into believing that you can eat cookies, ice cream and potato chips without feeling guilty because they’re “organic.”

Local is Now Better Than Organic

If you want to get the freshest, most nutrient-rich foods available, you simply must seek out real sources close to your home. When I say “real sources” I’m referring to farmers, food coops, farmers’ markets, and community-supported agriculture programs — NOT your local supermarket, or even your local big-name health food store.

These are the people who are growing your food, and only by speaking with them and establishing a rapport will you truly know if your food is being raised with integrity and health in mind.

Know also that many small farmers raise their foods according to organic standards, yet are unable to afford the federal certification progress to legally call them so. Ask your local farmers, and you’ll likely be surprised at how natural their farming methods are.

The bottom line?

Folks, simply stick to eating food that comes from your community, and from nature. Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and more that come from a farmer you trust, according to your Nutritional Type, and you will thrive.

For those few foods you can’t find locally, buying from a supermarket or health food store is, of course, a practical option. Just make sure that these supermarket foods make up only a tiny portion of your family’s overall food.

www.mercola.com