If you've been reading me for a while, you might have read my rants on how aweful GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) are. Well this video documents what's wrong with our food (the fact that GMO's are in everything!!) very well. I won't write much because the video is pretty detailed about the negative effects and what you can do about getting them out of your diet.
If you like the video, please help them out by voting them as the "Top Transformational Video of 2012". Vote here by Feb 3rd (Sunday)!
I read a lot of information every day and most of it isn't newsworthy. But when I read something that makes my blood boil, I feel the need to pass it on to all of you so we can all make better food choices. Dr. Mercola puts out a lot of information about a range of topics related to diet and disease prevention. Some of you who have been reading my blog may be familiar with him. I received his latest article via email this morning. I'll just let the article speak for itself.
Decade-Long Feeding Study Reveals Significant Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods
Scientists in Norway have released results from experimental feeding studies carried out over a 10-year period, and the verdict is in: If you want to avoid obesity, then avoid eating genetically engineered (GE) corn, corn-based products, and animals that are fed a diet of GE grain.
As reported by Cornucopia.org1, the project also looked at the effects on organ changes, and researchers found significant changes that affected weight gain, eating behaviors, and immune function.
How Genetically Engineered Corn and Soy Can Wreak Havoc on Your Health
According to the featured article2:
“The results show a positive link between GE corn and obesity. Animals fed a GE corn diet got fatter quicker and retained the weight compared to animals fed a non-GE grain diet. The studies were performed on rats, mice, pigs and salmon, achieving the same results.
... Researchers found distinct changes to the intestines of animals fed GMOs compared to those fed non-GMOs. This confirms other studies done by US researchers. Significant changes occurred in the digestive systems of the test animals’ major organs including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, genitals and more.”
Their findings (which were published July 11, 2012 in Norway by Forskning.no, an online news source devoted to Norwegian and international research3) showed that animals fed genetically engineered Bt corn ate more, got fatter, and were less able to digest proteins due to alterations in the micro-structure of their intestines.
They also suffered immune system alterations. The impaired ability to digest proteins may be of particular concern as this can have far-reaching implications for your health. If your body cannot digest proteins, your body will be less able to produce amino acids, which are necessary building blocks for proper cell growth and function.
As noted by Cornucopia.org:
“This not only may relate to a rise in obesity, but to increases in many modern diseases. These diseases include diabetes, digestive disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (ADD), autoimmune diseases, sexual dysfunction, sterility, asthma, COPD and many more.
...[Lead author] Professor Krogdahl explains: “It has often been claimed that the new genes in genetically modified foods can’t do any damage because all genes are broken down beyond recognition in the gut. Our results show the contrary; that genes can be taken up across the intestinal wall, is transferred to the blood and is left in the blood, muscle and liver in large chunks so that they can be easily recognized... The biological impact of this gene transfer is unknown.”
Bt Toxin Found in Blood of Women and Fetuses
This is not the first time scientists have revealed significant biological impacts and related health problems as a result of eating a diet of genetically engineered foods. More often than not, unless the research is tainted by industry ties, studies into the effects of genetically engineered foods demonstrate that it is anything but safe. This isn’t so surprising when you consider that simple logic will tell you it’s probably not wise to consume a plant designed to produce its own pesticide, for example.
So-called “Bt corn” is equipped with a gene from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces Bt-toxin—a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them. This pesticide-producing corn entered the food supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the horror stories have started piling up.
Monsanto and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swore that the toxin would only affect insects munching on the crop. The Bt-toxin, they claimed, would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have any impact on animals and humans. The biotech companies have doggedly insisted that Bt-toxin doesn't bind or interact with the intestinal walls of mammals, and therefore humans.
The featured research proves all such claims false.
Prior findings have already shown that Bt corn is anything but innocuous to the human system. Just last year, doctors at Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec found Bt-toxin in the blood4 of:
93 percent of pregnant women tested
80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies, and
67 percent of non-pregnant women
Bt-toxin breaks open the stomach of insects. Could it similarly be damaging the integrity of your digestive tract? If Bt-toxins can damage the intestinal walls of newborns and young children, the passage of undigested foods and toxins into the blood from the digestive tract could be devastating to their future health. Scientists speculate that it may lead to autoimmune diseases and food allergies. Furthermore, since the blood-brain barrier is not developed in newborns, toxins may enter the brain causing serious cognitive problems. Some healthcare practitioners and scientists are convinced that this one mechanism for autism.
If Bt genes are colonizing the bacteria living in the digestive tract of North Americans, we might expect to see an increase in gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and childhood learning disorders since the advent of Bt crops in 1996, and that’s exactly what’s being reported. For example, between 1997 and 2002 the number of hospitalizations related to allergic reactions to food increased by a whopping 265 percent. One out of 17 children now has some form of food allergy and allergy rates are rising.
Genetically Engineered Foods Trigger Adverse Immune System Responses
There’s plenty of evidence showing that the Bt-toxin produced in genetically modified Bt crops like corn and cotton plants is toxic to humans and mammals andtriggers immune system responses. For example, in government-sponsored research in Italy5, mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn showed a wide range of immune responses, such as:
Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which are typically associated with allergies and infections
An increase in cytokines, which are associated with allergic and inflammatory responses. The specific cytokines (interleukins) that were found to be elevated are also higher in humans who suffer from a wide range of disorders, from arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, to MS and cancer
Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.
Rats fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties called MON 863, also experienced an activation of their immune systems, showing higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white blood cells6. These can indicate possible allergies, infections, toxins, and various disease states including cancer. There were also signs of liver and kidney toxicity.
When are scientists/Monsanto/governments going to stop playing with people's health? If there is one thing you do for yourself today, get rid of all the products in your pantry that have corn ingredients and soy ingredients in them. The only way these two are not GMO are if they are labeled organic. This is seriously dangerous stuff (in my humble opinion) that needs to be avoided at all costs. It will be an adjustment for sure since most processed foods have corn and soy ingredients in them. Actually, it's mind boggling when you start to really look at labels to see what is really in the food you are eating. But if you have allergies, food allergies, are on the autistic spectrum, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant it is imperative that you eliminate this toxic science experiment from your diet. For everyone else it's still a good idea.
As promised, I am writing to you to discuss the development of our green juice company. First task...naming our brand. I am the worst at this. Give me a name and the feeling you are going for and I can whip up some graphics and branding in a flash. But ask me to come up with a name and my mind goes blank, then I start thinking of everything that rhymes with green, and the best I can come up with is mean green juice.
This is not the image we are going for.
We are providing fresh, raw, dark green leafy vegetable juice mailed to your door. We juice it, package it, ship it, and all you have to do is drink it. We take the mess out of juicing. We are developing the highest quality product conveniently delivered to your door.
cleanses and deodorizes bowel tissues (no one likes a stinky bowel if you know what I mean)
helps purify the liver
aids in hepatitis improvement
regulates menstruation
aids hemophilia condition
improves milk production (for all you mommies out there)
helps sores heal faster
eliminates body odor
resists bacteria in wounds
cleans tooth and gum structure
eliminates bad breath
relieves sore throat
benefits inflamed tonsils
soothes ulcer tissues
soothes painful hemorrhoids and piles
revitalizes vascular system
improves varicose veins
reduces pain caused by inflammation
improves vision
boosts immune system
weight loss aid
highly concentrated and easily digestible source of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, & phytonutrients
improves energy levels
So I ask you, loyal blog readers....please help a girl out! If you have any suggestions or creative ideas drop a comment below or email me (jessicageier@gmail.com).
WAIT! There is a prize... if we pick your name for our brand or use your creative idea in our marketing you will get an order of one of our first batches for free.
I could have told you 10 years ago that Paula Deen was going to eventually get diabetes. You CANNOT eat the way she cooks and expect to stay healthy. Now I have no idea if she eats everything she makes on her show (and for her cookbooks) but I suspect she dabbles (a lot!).
My first exposure to Paula Deen was when I moved to Savannah, GA to go to college. Her restaurant, Lady & Sons, was the talk for a while. I never actually ate there mainly because I ate at another "Southern" home cooked barf fest of a restaurant and I couldn't stomach putting myself through that misery again. Especially considering Savannah's weather. You walk out of the restaurant- after eating macaroni & cheese, grits, potatoes au gratin, 4 types of meat, banana pudding, collard greens fried in lard (I think this is thrown in there just so they can make themselves feel better because it started out as a vegetable), and 2 gallons of sweet tea- and the humidity smacks you in the face like an abusive husband. All you want to do is lay down and sleep your over-stuffed guilt away.
A few things:
these are my humble opinions about this issue
she said that it took her 3 years to publicly admit she has diabetes because she didn't have all the information...it doesn't take a genius (or 3 years) to Google "causes of diabetes" and put two and two together to come up with the conclusion that the way she eats is effecting her health
she doesn't seem to be concerned that the empire she built on sugar, white flour, and deep frying is making her sick
she is now partnering with a company that makes diabetes meds...talk about taking the easy way out!
she could have tried to partner with Dole, Chiquita Banana, or Sunkist...at least she would've been eating more fruit & vegetables
Now, if instead of acting like a naive Southern lady, Paula Deen came out and announced publicly that she had diabetes and the reason was because she wasn't eating properly I would definitely have her back. It shows strong character to admit when you've been schooled by mother nature. She is big-time enough where she could have flipped it into a boost for herself and her brand.
Maybe she needs to find another Marketing/PR team or maybe she needs to pull her head out of the pharmaceutical company's ass.
oh Jesus
Type 2 diabetes is 100% reversible with a whole foods, plant-based diet. 100% It really boggles my mind that more people don't know this. Do yourself (and everyone you care about) a favor... if you are overweight or obese or have Type 2 diabetes...put down your giant Italian hoagie, your high fructose corn syrup-laden cereal, your Paula Deen cookies and go read up on eating whole foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains like rice and quinoa, nuts and seeds) and the positive impact it will have on not only your diabetes, but cholesterol, high blood pressure, allergies, fatigue, depression, etc, etc. It won't take you that long to figure out.
It is one thing to eat like this on special occasions, but it is entirely another to eat like this on a day to day basis. One last tidbit of info about Type 2 Diabetes...when you get diagnosed it takes 10-15 years off your life expectancy.
Shocking, I know, and so simple to avoid.
UPDATE: So obviously after posting this a few minutes ago I found Paula's new website Diabetes In A New Light. Take a look a the video on the homepage. Let me know if you think this lady is ever going to beat it...this is 100% pro-pharmaceutical propaganda. Sorry Paula, you sold out.
I don't know if you remember the story about the last time I took Tylenol to relieve my EPISODE cramps. Well, I took too much, destroyed my stomach, and haven't taken it since.
TYLENOL CONSUMPTION: 6 pills x 3/day x 1-2 days = recipe for serious disaster
ADVIL CONSUMPTION: 2 pills x 2/day x 1-2 days = I can deal with this
Ever since I "became a woman" at the age of 13 I have had debilitating cramps. They used to be so bad that I would be bed ridden for 2 whole days (either at home or in the nurses office at school). I think people thought I was exaggerating, but I assure you I was not. I remember my mom being like, "How are you going to go to work when you get older?" Trust me, that is not something you want to hear when you are 13 and have just been involuntarily thrown into bloody torture that will repeat itself EVERY MONTH FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS!!!!!!
Anywho...I just came across this article from Dr. Mercola on natural pain killers and thought I would share it with you. I am going to start using some of this stuff and see if it works. These suggestions are more along the lines of prevention than band-aid (which is what Tylenol & Advil are).
Start taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work, they positively influence prostaglandins.) The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA contained in krill oil have also been found in many animal and clinical studies to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Eliminate or radically reduce most grains and sugars (including fructose) from your diet. Avoiding grains and sugars will lower your insulin and leptin levels. Elevated insulin and leptin levels are one of the most profound stimulators of inflammatory prostaglandin production. That is why eliminating sugar and grains is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.
Optimize your production of vitamin D by getting regular, appropriate sun exposure, which will work through a variety of different mechanisms to reduce your pain.
In the meantime, you don't need to suffer unnecessarily. The following options provide excellent pain relief without any of the health hazards that acetaminophen and other pain relievers carry:
Astaxanthin: One of the most effective oil-soluble antioxidants known. It has very potent anti-inflammatory properties and in many cases works far more effectively than many NSAIDs. Higher doses are typically required and one may need 8 mg or more per day to achieve this benefit.
Ginger: This herb is anti-inflammatory and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice.
Curcumin: Curcumin is the primary therapeutic compound identified in the spice turmeric. In a study of osteoarthritis patients, those who added 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan had reduced pain and increased mobility. In fact, curcumin has been shown in over 50 clinical studies to have potent anti-inflammatory activity, as well as demonstrating the ability in four studies to reduce Tylenol-associated adverse health effects.
Boswellia: Also known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties which have been prized for thousands of years. This is one of my personal favorites as I have seen it work well with many rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Bromelain: This protein-digesting enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form, but eating fresh pineapple may also be helpful.
Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO): This oil, found in fish and dairy butter, acts as a "joint lubricant" and an anti-inflammatory. I have used this for myself to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that pops up when I type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards. I used a topical preparation for this.
Evening Primrose, Black Currant and Borage Oils: These contain the fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is useful for treating arthritic pain.
Cayenne Cream: Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain.
Therapeutic modalities such as yoga, acupuncture, meditation, hot and cold packs, and even holding hands can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs. (Not sure if holding hands is really going to help my raging cramps)
I have incorporated some of these into my diet, but not consistently. I am going to work on being more consistent which includes getting back to hot yoga. I started doing hot yoga 2 years ago and love it! I can't do it more than once a week though without getting burnt out, but it is great cardio and stretching.
It is safe to say that the majority of processed foods have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as one of their ingredients. And I know I have talked about this food like substance before- here's a link. I hate to run the risk of being redundant, but I find it that important to spread the word about how dangerous HFCS really is. Below is an excerpt from an article on how HFCS is actually made.
Manufacturing high fructose corn syrup isn’t simple, it is not natural, and the results certainly aren’t healthy. The first clue that this ubiquitous sweetener might not be natural hits you when you find out what type of corn is used to make it. Instead of using tasty, tender kernels of organically grown heirloom sweet corn, manufacturers use tough, starchy kernels of genetically modified dent corn—the starchier the better. If you’ve ever driven through Iowa, you’ve probably seen acres and acres of this corn being grown, and you might have been tempted to stop the car and snatch an ear or two of farm grown goodness. If so, you’d be in for a rude surprise. This corn tastes terrible. It turns into a nasty paste in your mouth.
The sad truth is that American farmers grow billions of bushels of corn that no human being, including their families, can eat. A whole lot of this corn goes to feed livestock, some is used to make ethanol, and another significant batch is used to make corn syrup. Since 1995, the American taxpayers have shelled out about $77 billion in corn subsidies. With this financial incentive, Americans grow way too much corn, and a lot of it sits around for many months before being used. Traveling through the Midwest, you’ll find mountains of corn kernels sitting next to stuffed siloes. These dried-out, tough, starchy kernels of corn are the basis of high fructose corn syrup.
The first step in making this “natural” sweetener is turning these leathery nuggets into corn starch. Most manufacturers use a wet milling process that involves warm water and a small amount of a caustic substance like sulfur dioxide. Once you’ve got your corn starch, you treat it with an enzyme called alpha-amylase to produce shorter chains of sugars called polysaccharides. Alpha-amylase is usually manufactured using the Bacillus species of bacteria. You may or may not gain a measure of comfort knowing that the industrial plants that produce alpha-amylase purify it before shipping it off to the plants that manufacture high fructose corn syrup.
Once we’ve put our cornstarch through the alpha-amylase step, we need to introduce an enzyme called glucoamylase. This will break the sugar chains down even further and yield the simple sugar glucose. In case you’re wondering, manufacturing glucoamylase requires no bacteria. They use a fungus called Aspergillus. If you could examine the fermentation tanks where this process takes place, you’d see cute little balls of Aspergillus floating on the top of the vat. Kind of whets your appetite, though, don’t it?
Let’s see, we’ve subjected our tough kernels of dent corn to a bit of sulfur dioxide, alpha-amylase, and glucoamylase so far, so what’s our next step to make this simple corn sugar? Oh yes, we now need to get our hands on a rather expensive enzyme called glucose-isomerase. Don’t worry too much about the cost. Unlike the caustic substance and the other two enzymes, glucose-isomerase is reusable because it is packed in columns and the sugar mixture is passed over it.
So, do we have high fructose corn syrup yet? Nope!
We still need to go through a liquid chromatography step which will bring the mixture up to 90 percent fructose, and then we’ll need to add our high fructose substance back into the original mixture until we achieve the 55 percent fructose point that commercial food producers prefer for ideal sweetness.
There is even a documentary about making high fructose corn syrup. Below is a snip-it from King Corn.
Want to see what pure propaganda looks like?This is what the Corn Refiners Association has to say about high fructose corn syrup, and these are their websites....SweetSurprise.com and CornSugar.com. Notice how the people who are against it in the beginning act dumb as S-H-I-T when they are asked "what's wrong with high fructose corn syrup?".
NOTE: This is what the Corn Refiners Association things of YOU (as well as the government since they subsidize all this corn production). What would you say if I portrayed you as being this stupid and manipulable. You'd be like, "I'm not reading that chick's F-ING blog anymore!!"
I know you aren't dumb. Don't eat it. Making this one change to your diet will make a HUGE impact. Read the labels!
The "War on Cancer" was started in 1971 with President Nixon's National Cancer act. The goal was to throw billions of dollars towards finding a cure for cancer by increased research to improve the understanding of cancer biology and the development of more effective cancer treatments, such as targeted drug therapies (i.e. chemo and radiation).
Are we any better today?
What if they were not looking in the right places? Many of the doctors, PhD's and scientists who I have been studying and have come to admire are saying that the way we eat has a major effect on how our body protects itself against cancer, among other chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. This makes complete sense to me because everything you put into your mouth has to be broken down to its molecular level to be absorbed or eliminated by your body. We have powerful bio-computers inside of us that are experts in protecting us from sickness and disease...if we let them.
I have written before on sugars and its effects on cancer prevention. Here is an article I came across from Dr. Mercola on how fructose specifically is the cause for cancer's proliferation.
Is this Simple Sugar a Major Factor in the Failure of the War on Cancer?
By Dr. Mercola (Link to Original)There's compelling evidence and agreement by many experts that excessive fructose is toxic to your body. Unlike fructose, nearly every cell in your body can directly use glucose. However fructose is primarily metabolized in your liver and can serve as a substrate for increasing cancer cell growth.
Fructose Helps Cancer Cells Thrive
ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent, as I'll explain later. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the most harmful sugars. A new article in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targetsreviewed the relationship between increased dietary refined sugar and cancer risk, with specific emphasis on the monosaccharide fructose. The researchers noted:
"Recent observations indicate that cancer cells readily utilize fructose to support proliferation and preferentially use fructose for nucleic acid synthesis."
They named several ways in which dietary fructose can promote cancer growth, including:
Research published in the journalCancer Researchalso showed that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding cancer and making it proliferate. According to the authors:
Click image to enlarge
" Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different ... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."In this case, the cancer cells used werepancreatic cancer, which is typically regarded as the most deadly and universally rapid-killing form of cancer. The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructosefor cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
Why is This a MAJOR Threat to Public Health?
Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts andlisten to industry propagandathat fructose is safe and no different from other common sweeteners at your own risk. The truth of the matter is that fructose may very well be the most pernicious influence in the Standard American Diet, and is virtually guaranteed to cause chronic disease if consumed in excess.
The major problem is, the vast majority of Americans are consuming fructose at levels 3-600% of the upper limit!Further, most people are seriously confused about fructose and still believe it is a "healthy" type of sugar because it is found naturally in fruits and touted as having a low glycemic index. But this is not a matter of eating an apple or a handful of raisins as a snack. Fructose, in one form or another, can be found infive of the 10 top sources of calories in America, and in some cases (particularly when processed or from a restaurant) may actually be in ALL of them:
Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars) 139 calories a day
Yeast breads, 129 calories a day
Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes, 121 calories a day
Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks, 114 calories a day
Pizza, 98 calories a day
Alcoholic beverages
Pasta and pasta dishes
Mexican mixed dishes
Beef and beef-mixed dishes
Dairy desserts
If you're interested in preventing cancer, my recommendation is to keep yourtotalfructose intake below 25 grams of fructose per day, if you're in good health. Most people will also benefit from limiting your fructose from fruit to 15 grams a day, and, if you need to lose weight, you likely will need to limit your total fructose consumption to 15 grams a day total, including that from fruit.
If you have cancer, however, you'll want to reduce your total fructose consumption to below 10 grams per day from all sources, including fruit.
What Makes Sugar so Appealing to Cancer Cells?
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver.This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tired and undernourished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer. Meanwhile, fructose appears to be preferred by cancer cells for cell division, which contributes to its growth and spreading throughout your body.
Even though the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars and fructose if you have cancer.AsPatrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS wrote more than a decade ago:
"During the last 10 years I have worked with more than 500 cancer patients as director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It puzzles me why the simple concept "sugar feeds cancer" can be so dramatically overlooked as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan. Of the million[s of] cancer patients being treated in America today, hardly any are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat good foods." Most patients I work with arrive with a complete lack of nutritional advice."
Artificial Sweeteners are NOT a Safe Sugar Alternative
You may be tempted to swap sugar for artificial sweeteners, but these can damage your health even more quickly than fructose. In fact, there are already hundreds of published studies linking artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which is widely used in diet soda and many other diet foods, to serious health complications.Cori Brackett's documentary film Sweet Miseryis an excellent summary of the problems with aspartame.
You can also view myinterview with Victoria Innes-Brown, who over a 2.5-year period performed a set of meticulous and detailed experiments, documenting the effects of using aspartame liquid comparable to diet soda on mice. This included not only large tumors but also neurological effects, paralysis, skin disorders and symptoms of cerebral palsy. Recent research has also linked diet soda consumption to higher rates ofstrokes, heart attacks and other lethal vascular eventsas well asmetabolic syndrome.
There is literally enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book -- which is exactly why I wroteSweet Deception. If you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat sugar free foods, this book will explain how you've been deceived about the truth behind artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose.
For times when you want to add a bit of sweetness to your food or beverages,try using the herb stevia instead. It's a safe, natural plant that's has been around for over 1,500 years and is ideal if you're watching your weight, or if you're maintaining your health by avoiding sugar. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and has virtually no calories.
Alternatively, you could use Lo Han orpure glucose (dextrose)as a sweetener. It costs about $1 a pound and does not cause many of the adverse biochemical disasters that fructose does.
It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose though, so you'll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose—but still well worth it for your health as it has ZERO grams of fructose. Glucose can be used directly by every cell in your body and as such is far safer than the metabolic poison fructose.
Solid Nutrition is Paramount if You Want to Beat Cancer
You're probably well aware of the link between the foods you eat and your risk of cancer. But if you're not then please understand that virtually everything you put into (or onto) your body can either help or hinder your natural healing mechanisms, and thereby influence your risk of cancer and your ability to heal from it.This is not an "alternative" view at all. Rather, even the conservative American Cancer Society states that one-third of cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight.However, cancer rates are escalating because modern medicine is in no way, shape or form addressing these underlying causes of most cancers. If ever there was an area in which an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure it is cancer. I strongly believe that if you are able to work your way up tothe advanced health plan, you will virtually eliminate the risk of most cancers. What is often overlooked, though, is that if you already have cancer it is also crucial that you use nutritious foods to help boost your immune system and heal, and this includes avoiding fructose and other sugars.
The Gerson Research Organization maintains a collection ofreports documenting the researchbehind one nutritional approach, the Gerson Therapy, as well as the role of diet on cancer, and you can hear anecdotes from patients who haveimproved using this nutritional therapy here.
Many of the success stories include people whose conventional doctors gave no hope for recovery, who were able to overcome their disease against all odds using not toxic cancer drugs but natural fruits and vegetables. The system is not a miracle cure for everyone, and even the Gerson Institute states that "No treatment works for everyone, every time" … but most conventional physicians offer only ONE route for cancer treatment -- drugs, radiation and surgery -- while ignoring or discounting alternative options such as the power of dietary modifications using healthy foods.
What Else Can You do to Prevent and Fight Cancer?
Along with limiting your intake of sugar and fructose, there are several other things you can do for yourself, right now, not only to prevent cancer, but to make sure you have the best chance of recovery if you do get it. Becausecancer is almost wholly a man-made disease, it's especially important to recognize that you do have power over many factors that could cause you to get cancer. Taking control of your health will put you in a position to make the best health decisions possible if you do get cancer.
Here's a list to get you started on a cancer prevention plan:
Radically reduce your sugar consumption. Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer, and in order to do so, cutting sugars and grains out of your diet is a must. Eliminating fructose is one of the most important sugars to initially concentrate on. Again, if you have cancer, you'll want to reduce that to below 10 grams per day from all sources.
Optimize your vitamin D levels. There'soverwhelming evidencepointing to the fact thatvitamin D deficiency plays a crucial role in cancer development. Researchers within this field have estimated that about30 percent of cancer deathsmight be prevented each year simply by optimizing the vitamin D levels in the general population. On a personal level, you candecrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALFsimply by getting optimal sun exposure year-round.
Alternatively, you could use asafe tanning bed, or, as a last resort, an oral vitamin D3 supplement. Remember the BEST way to raise your vitamin D level is by sun exposure. If you are being treated for cancer it is likely that higherblood levels—probably around 80-90 ng/ml—would be beneficial.
Exercise regularly. There's compelling evidence indicating that exercise canslash your risk of cancer, primarily by reducing elevated insulin levels and normalizing estrogen. For example, women who exercise regularly canreduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent compared to those who are inactive. I prefer to view exerciselike a drugthat needs to be carefully prescribed andperformed at a high enough intensityto achieve its maximum benefit.
Get appropriate amounts of high-quality animal-based omega-3 fats.
Eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh andorganic. Cruciferous vegetables in particular have beenidentified as having potent anti-cancer properties. Seriously considervegetable, not fruit, juicing.
Use a variety of relaxing tools such as meditation, yoga and social support to manage and relieve emotional stress in your life. Even the CDC states that85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed.
Maintain an ideal body weight
Get enoughhigh-quality sleep
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners, air pollution, andplastic toxins like BPA.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
Avoid artificial sweeteners, which are actually worse for your health than sugar, and have beenlinked to brain tumors.
Alternatively, you could use asafe tanning bed, or, as a last resort, an oral vitamin D3 supplement. Remember the BEST way to raise your vitamin D level is by sun exposure. If you are being treated for cancer it is likely that higherblood levels—probably around 80-90 ng/ml—would be beneficial.
What's my take? Well, it all makes sense to me except the part about not eating alot of fruit. It seems illogical that something that abundant in nature is what is feeding cancer. Fruit is more than just the fructose. There are many many varieties of antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and such that we can obtain from eating fruit that researchers recognize as cancer-fighting. So the choice is yours.
It sounds more reasonable to me that our bodies process naturally occurring fructose in a different way than man made fructose. The real test would be to spend a period of time eating fruit and then spend the same period of time eating something with man made fructose in it, do some blood tests, see if you can feel a difference, and maybe keep track of your body alkalinity.
Well, I have been eating quite a bit of fruit lately (and vegetables) and I have never felt better. It would be interesting to see someone battling cancer do the test themselves. You may say that is ridiculous because they are fighting for their life, but I would say, is eating a lot of fruit worse for your body than going through chemo and or radiation?
If it were me, I would try anything holistic I could wrap my mind around.
The more I read about what to eat and what not to eat, one thing becomes clearer to me. Humans are supposed to eat food- that is whole foods that come from the earth. If you are confused as to what a whole food is here is a sampling:
raw broccoli (not frozen covered in cheese sauce)
cheese (made from animal's milk not in powder or squeeze form)
tofu (made by fermenting soybeans, not soy protein isolate made in a factory)
corn on the cob (not high fructose corn syrup)
strawberries
carrots
beans
oatmeal (the kind where the only ingredient is oats, not like Quaker's Instant Apple Oatmeal with
WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, DEHYDRATED APPLES (TREATED WITH SODIUM SULFITE TO PROMOTE COLOR RETENTION), SALT, OAT FLOUR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*(WTF IS THAT?), RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID*.)
Avoid the following food like substances and ingredients at all costs:
High Fructose Corn Syrup
There are more studies than I could count or include in this post (it would bore you) that study the effects of high fructose corn syrup on how the body functions. Some deal with testing on animals, some form their conclusions based on the sheer numbers of overweight (65%) and obese (30%) people in this country vs. a few decades ago before the use of HFCS. Dr. George Bray is a professor of medicine at Louisiana State University, and has looked at whether HFCS in beverages has played a role in the increase in obesity in the U.S. He says that two-thirds of the high-fructose corn syrup Americans consume is in soft drinks. If you add a single soft drink to an otherwise balanced energy level [meaning you are burning as many calories and you are taking in] everyday for one year you will accumulate an additional 15 pounds, says Bray. (source) If that isn't motivation to cut this food like substance out of your diet I don't know what is (other than the possibility of giving yourself Type 2 Diabetes or cancer).
Just about everything processed has HFCS in it. My rule of thumb is to ask myself...Can I make it myself in my kitchen from other whole ingredients? Would I find this in nature? NO? Then don't eat it.
Hydrogenated/Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Another heavy hitter to our poor health. Hydrogenated oils do not occur naturally. They need to be pumped with hydrogen in order to exist. This process increases the shelf life and stability of the fats which would otherwise go rancid faster than it takes to manufacture, transport, sell, and eat. The modern marvel of our 1st rate food manufacturing/distribution system had to overcome the time delay from farm to plate, or from bakery to plate. Enter hydrogenation. A quick list of what hydrogenated oils (trans fats) contribute to:
Alzheimer's
Diabetes
Cancer- increases inflammation
Heart Disease
Increases LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol
Clogs arteries
You may be young right now (as I am) but one day you will be old (and statistically speaking chronically sick). Make the changes now while you still have the time. Processed foods pumped with these food like substances are making everyone sick and fat.
Tip: You can also add up the amount of fat in a product (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), provided the amounts are listed, and compare the total with the total fat on the label. If they don't match up, the difference is likely trans fat, especially if partially hydrogenated oil is listed as one of the first ingredients.
Aspartame
If you are trying to cut down on the sugar that you eat in your diet there are much better ways to do it than substitute with artificial sweeteners. Here is a list of reasons why not to use artificial sweeteners:
cancer
diabetes
obesity
headaches
seizures
Alzheimer's
Parkinson's
Multiple Sclerosis
ADHD
There are actual negative neurological effects to our brains when aspartame is introduced into the body. If you want to cut down on the amount of sugar in your diet, cut out all of the processed foods. Do not substitute sugar for an artificial sweetener.
Soy Protein Isolate
"Soy protein isolate is mixed with nearly every food product sold in today's stores- energy bars, muscle-man powders, breakfast shakes, burgers, and hot dogs. SPI is also the major ingredient in most of today's soy infant formulas. Consisting of 90-92% protein, SPI is a highly refined product processed to remove "off flavors," "beany" tastes and flatulence producers, and to improve digestibility. Vitamin, mineral, and protein quality, however, are sacrificed."
"The manufacture of SPI has always been a complicated, high-tech procedure. There's nothing natural about it- it takes place in chemical factories, not kitchens."
There you have it from Kaayla T. Daniel, Phd and author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's favorite health food (a link to her book is on the right side of this blog). Now this is only a tidbit of the vast amount of science she writes about in her book. I read it cover to cover, and you know what I did after that? I cut everything out of my diet that contains soy products. It was challenging at first because soy is in EVERYTHING! But now when I read labels I skim for "soy" (as well as HFCS and hydrogenated oils).
Soy is only healthy for humans after it has been fermented for a long period of time using traditional Asian methods to produce foods like tofu, miso, tempeh, natto. But watch out for even these foods may contain soy protein isolate her in America. Also watch out for soy flour, soy protein concentrate, textured soy protein.
Anything You Cannot Pronounce
Do I really have to explain this one?
I challenge you to go to the grocery store and read labels of the foods that you buy. Go up and down each aisle and only put in your cart items with the following criteria:
less than five or six ingredients (all of which you know what they are)
no soy ingredients, no HFCS, no partially/hydrogenated fats
ingredients that you can pronounce
I did this one day not too long ago, and I was shocked. I already know that what would end up mostly filling your carts are fruits and vegetables, meat, some dairy, nuts, and MAYBE some breads if you are at a really good high quality grocery store. Although even Whole Foods junks up their breads with soy and about 10 other ingredients that do not need to be in bread.
All in all, I feel better at the end of the day knowing that I did not put anything into my body that was made in a chemical laboratory. And if cancer prevention is at the top of your list as it is mine, I would suggest doing some more research on these food like substances if you are not yet fully convinced.
