Prop 37: My Humble Opinions

On November 6, 2012, California voters will decide whether to require labeling of food products containing ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (Prop 37). It is all I have been hearing about lately, and while I am completely against genetically modified foods, I am also completely against the government forcing companies to do anything about it. 

Here's why...

1. When the government gets involved in business it imposes tremendous costs on industry X, Y, or Z. This is often "in the best interest of the public", but it actually hurts everyone because it takes the responsibility and necessity of being informed away from the people. It tells people "don't worry the government will take care of you." 

2. The more regulations, the higher the cost. I'm sure that Prop 37 doesn't just effect companies that are producing foods including GMO's. There will for sure be collateral damage. Food will inadvertently become more expensive and the food available will not be any more valuable for the extra cost. 

3. The food industry is in bed with the government. I'm afraid that this monster is too big to tame overnight. There are a handful of corporations that own and control majority of the major food brands. They lobby in Washington, donate to politicians who will help them, have huge budgets. This is not to say that I don't believe that a few people can create a huge change (revolution if you must)... given the right circumstances a one person can change everything. But getting the government involved is not going to get GMO's out of our food. 

So what do you do? 

In light of the fact that most of the items at any given grocery store (including Whole Foods) contain genetically modified ingredients, you stop buying them. Companies are run off of profits. If the company loses profits it changes it's product(s) or it goes out of business. As much as it is important for everyone to not be eating genetically modified foods, it is more important for YOU to stop eating. And YOU don't need the government to tell you what is or is not genetically modified.

I'll tell you in a nutshell:

• any product containing corn that is NOT organic
• any product containing soy that is NOT organic
• any product containing canola oil that is NOT organic
• any product w/ high fructose corn syrup in it
• any product w/ hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in it
• any meat that was not humanely raised
• any dairy that comes from animals not humanely raised
• any fish that was not wild caught

Why the animals? Because they are fed corn and soy, and whatever they eat, we eat. 

The more fresh fruits and vegetables you buy, the less processed junk you will buy. It's that simple. But just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. 

It took me being completely grossed out by certain foods to cut them out of my diet- cold cuts, conventional meat, conventional dairy, factory farmed meat, most processed/packaged "foods" that are sold in the grocery store. It's hard to get over  what you are used to, but it gets easier the more you know about the reality of our food industry.

What will it take you to start changing the things you put in your mouth?

Some more good news about GMO crops

(Source)

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

By Dr. Mercola (Original Source)

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.

Find the rest of the article here.

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.

No more GMO's!

5 WAYS: Salad Dressing

(Source)

So salad dressing is one of those things that I think many people don't really think about making because it is so easy to buy. But I promise you that once you start making your own salad dressings you will never want to go back. It is so easy, probably cheaper, and definitely healthier for you.

Most salad dressings are made with soybean oil. I go into why I don't eat soy in This "Health" Food's SOYld Reputation and Just SOY No.

One important thing to remember is to use "first cold pressed" olive oil. This comes from the first pressing of the olives and it is the best kind. Also, I use a blender/mini food processor to make my salad dressings (especially the creamy ones). I find that it just blends everything up better.

Creamy Peppercorn

• olive oil
• cashews, raw 
• apple cider vinegar, raw 
• lemon juice
• cracked peppercorns

Honey Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw 
• honey, raw
• sea salt & pepper

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• honey, raw
• cashews, raw

Honey Mustard

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw
• honey, raw
• mustard seeds
• cashews, raw

Herb Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw
• sea salt & pepper
• fresh or dried herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic

You can basically add raw cashews to any salad dressing and make it creamy. I usually do some different variation of the ones above depending on what I feel like but it is so simple!! 

Purging the Junk

For the past two years I have done a major overhaul to the foods that I eat. Before Nani was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer I gave little thought to what I ate other than what I thought would make me fat- meanwhile I found it impossible to lose weight. Slowly and surely, as I learned the facts about how the food we eat affects to our health, my pantry morphed from a stock pile of cheap and heavily processed foods to a few shelves stocked with whole foods and real foods.

Two years ago I would buy the cheapest food I could find, and it was common for me to buy a bunch of produce just to end up tossing it in the garbage after I found myself not eating it in time for it to rot. I was heavily addicted to salty carbs and hardly a day passed that I didn't eat potato chips. I suffered from fatigue quite often and was stuck in the "I can't lose weight" cycle. My periods were AWFUL, and have been since I first got it in my early teens. I was dealing with acne which was extremely frustrating because I didn't have that problem even when I was a teenager.

The worst part about everything was the lack of energy I felt. It was hard to get through the day, especially after lunch. It was common to hit that 2pm lull and struggle to keep my eyes open. Waking up each morning was a nightmare because I felt heavy as lead- from my eye lids to my feet. It was very common for me to feel foggy headed all day. Like the way you do when you wake up after a night of drinking- only I wasn't drinking every night.

Through a lot of (expensive) trial and error I started weeding out the heavily processed foods and replacing them with whole foods. Each time I learned about a new ingredient I went into my pantry and checked labels inevitably throwing out a bunch of food that I previously thought was "good for me". I've spent the equivalent of days in grocery stores going up and down each aisle reading labels.

After about a year I was feeling much better and still learning so much about the benefits of changing the food you put in your mouth. When I got the junk out of my kitchen, I noticed I was making better food choices more consistently and I had a clearer focus. No more mental hangover! Also probably the most rewarding feeling from all of this is that I have lost about 15 lbs in the past 2 years without crazy consistent working out and have been able to keep it off (and am actually still losing it slowly).

YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?

Here it is plain and simple: diets don't work. Lifestyles work. Changes made over a period of time work. Taking baby steps works. Being overweight is a lifestyle. Being sick and tired comes from living a certain lifestyle. Most of us just accept the fact that we are sick and fat and tired. I know I did. I constantly questioned why was I exhausted all the time and couldn't lose weight? It was because I was eating the wrong foods, and I didn't even know it.

This was me:

• I don't have any clue what I am doing
• I know I am eating the wrong foods, but I don't know where to start
• I know what to eat I just don't have time 
• I believe what I hear about nutrition from what I hear on TV
• I know that my highly processed vegan substitutes are healthier than the real version (but are they really??) 

Sound familiar?


LET ME HELP YOU! If you have the foresight to know that you need to change something then you ahead of the curve- way ahead! If you still aren't sure then take a hard look at your day to day life and ask yourself: HOW GOOD DO I FEEL? 

I want you to read and take in what I am about to say: I PROMISE YOU YOU CAN FEEL BETTER. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL AMAZING. Say it- I DESERVE TO FEEL AMAZING!

Now do something about it.

Step #1- Your Goals   First things first. We need to have a conversation about what you want to get out of working with moi. Are you trying to loose weight? Are you completely rundown and need more energy? Are you suffering with an illness that you would like to get over? Are you looking to feed your kids healthier food? This is your chance to talk about YOU and what you want for yourself.


Step #2- In Your Pantry    We start with a 1 hour lesson in your kitchen to "purge" your pantry of the junk that is making you feel like S-H-I-T, making you sick, and making you fat. This is one-on-one session in your kitchen where we go through everything you buy and I show you the real way to tell if it is a good food or not. We go over everything you will need to know so you aren't influenced by empty promises plastered on packaging and can start recognizing real food from food like substances.

Step #3- In Your Grocery Store    We continue at your grocery store with 3- 45 minute shopping trips that focus on teaching you how to shop for real food. I take you through the entire store to show you where the real food is placed and how to find it when it's hidden among the junk. Since this is a process, I spread it out over 3 shopping trips. It is inevitable that you will have questions when making a change like this.  

Materials- Weekly Shopping List     I give you a shopping list with all of the good foods every pantry should be stocked with so you have a reference every time you go grocery shopping until it becomes second nature to you. We wouldn't want you forgetting all of the healthy foods you are going to want to buy! 

Bonus! Once you sign up for the Purge the Pantry Program you have access to me M-F via email where I will answer any of your questions. Changes like these are a work in progress and I want you to know that I am available to you so you don't feel overwhelmed and confused.

What is making you feel stuck? like garbage? fat?

Just SOY No

I wrote recently on why I do not eat soy, and why I would never recommend that people eat it regularly. This video from Dr. Mercola sums up the dangers of eating soy very concisely.


         The Dark Side of Soy by Dr. Mercola

The vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. The exception is fermented soy, which I’ll explain more about later and even worse GMO soy that is contaminated with large pesticide residues as the reason it is GMO is so they can spray the potent toxic herbicide Roundup on them to improve crop production by killing the weeds.

Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole non-GMO soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities—protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.

Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.

Here is just a sampling of the health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

• Breast cancer
• Brain damage
• Infant abnormalities
• Thyroid disorders
• Kidney stones
• Immune system impairment
• Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
• Impaired fertility
• Danger during pregnancy and nursing

As I have mentioned before...SOY IS IN EVERYTHING!!! Read labels, figure out if you are okay with the supposed pros & cons. I know I'm not, and my view on food is that it's virtue shouldn't be questionable. There is no controversy with eating kale or carrots.

What are your opinions about soy? Beneficial or detrimental?

Breastfeeding: that's what boobies are there for

Sorry guys, no pictures of boobs :( Although I am no where near being pregnant or thinking about having to breastfeed, I came across a section in the book The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Danie, PhD, CCN that was related to soy in infant formulas as well as using soymilk instead of formulas. So I thought I would elaborate in case some of you out there are pregnant or have a newborn. All of the information in this post comes from the book mentioned above and The Womanly Art of Breast Feeding by the La Leche League International (plus my own humble thoughts).

First I will start with the benefits of breastfeeding your baby:

• There is no formula that comes close to the milk your body creates. Your milk has every vitamin, mineral, and other nutritional element that your baby's body needs (including many that have not even been discovered or named yet. 
• Your breast milk changes throughout the meal, day, and year to match the subtle changes in your babies requirements. 
• Living cells that are unique to your milk inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses in his or her still maturing system.
• Colostrum, the milk you produce in small amounts in the first couple of days after your baby is born (and which you start producing while you are pregnant) has concentrated immunological properties that are your baby's first protection against all the germs he or she is suddenly exposed to. This "first milk" contains an anti-infective agent that coats his or her intestines to protect against the passage of germs and foreign proteins that could create allergic sensitivities. 
• Breastfeeding deepens your attachment to each other
• Without it's mother's breast milk, the baby is at a higher risk of:
• ear infections
• intestinal upsets 
• respiratory problems
• allergies
• dental problems
• Without it's mother's breast milk, the baby's vision, nerves, and intestines don't develop fully. His or her kidneys and liver work harder to process the waste products from the formula. He or she will need more of any medication to get the same effect, his or her immune system's response to vaccinations is less effective, and the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) are higher. (Source: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by the La Leche League International)

Now on to what I read about soy milk and infant formulas...

News headlines about babies being severely damaged by soy milk used as a substitute for infant formula sent ripples through the health food industry in 1990. The first story came from Arkansas where a severely malnourished 5 month old baby was admitted to a hospital for heart failure, rickets, vasculitis and neurological damage. This baby had been fed nothing but SoyMoo since she was 3 days old. An analysis of the soy milk revealed deficiencies in calcium, niacin, and vitamins D, E and C. On June 3rd, 1990, after several other cases had been publicized, the FDA issued a warning about using soy milk instead of infant formula saying they were "grossly lacing in the nutrients needed for infants" and asked all manufacturers, importers and private label distributors to put warning labels on soy milks so they would not be used as formula substitutes. 

Soy infant formula was never used traditionally in Asia. Babies who could not be breastfed by their birth mothers received homemade dairy formulas made with mare, water buffalo, cow, or goat's milk, were breastfed by a wet nurse...or died. Inventors of the first soy formulas were westerners with very good intentions- to save babies that would not otherwise have survived. (Did I ever tell you the saying "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions"? NO? Well it's true. Good intentions do not promise good outcomes.) 

Here were some of the problems with the original soy formulas from the 1940's-1960's:

• vitamin A deficiencies
• vitamin K deficiencies
• vitamin B12 deficiencies
• calcium deficiencies
• zinc deficiencies
• iron deficiencies
• gastrointestinal side effects
• thyroid damage
• too much manganese associated with brain damage, learning disabilities, ADD, violence- AWESOME!

Soy infant formula manufacturers have also failed to match the fatty acid profile of breast milk. Soy formulas also lack cholesterol, a vital substance needed by the growing babies brain and nervous system. Human breast milk is something like 50% cholesterol (I read that somewhere recently- not from this book), AND breast milk contains a special enzyme to ensure that the baby absorbs all the cholesterol available. 

Soy formulas also adversely effect the immune system leading to more infections than breast or cow's milk formulas. 

And the best part about all of this is! Soy formulas are made with soy protein isolate (SPI) which is the product of a high-tech industrial processing involving high temperatures, high pressures, solvent extraction and alkaline baths. These processes compromise protein, vitamin and mineral quality and create toxins. Soy formulas also contain levels of aluminum 10 times greater than milk-based formula and 100 times greater than breast milk- which can negatively affect bone and nervous system development. 

The ingredient lists of most brands of soy formula reveal many additives of questionable safety such as carrageenan, guar gum, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium citrate monohydrate (must be so healthy!), tricalcium phosphate, dibasic magnesium, phosphate trihydrate, BHA, and BHT. Wow, I don't know about you but I don't know what any of that S-H-I-T is?!? 

WHAT THE F- ARE YOU ABOUT TO FEED YOUR PERFECT NEWBORN BABY?????? 

AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT NOT FEEDING YOURSELF CHEMICALS...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO MORE RESEARCH IF YOU STILL NEED TO BE CONVINCED OF NOT FEEDING YOUR PERFECT BABY THIS GARBAGE!

"Some mothers say they don't want to breastfeed because they don't want to be tied down, but most breastfeeding mothers will tell you that breastfeeding actually frees them up! No measuring, spilling, or heating. No planning, leftovers, or spoilage. Most likely a lot fewer trips to the doctor. Your milk is always available, always the right temperature, and never spoiled, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. The money that you don't spend on formula in a year could pay for a high-end appliance. And- this is a big one- in an emergency of any kind, from a minor problem to a natural disaster that means shortages of formula and clean water to prepare it, breastfeeding your baby is one way to ensure you'll always have a way to feed him or her," writes the La Leche League in their book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

Here are some other links to more information:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.llli.org/nb.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breastfeeding
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/

This "Health" Food's SOYld Reputation

By the way...if you haven't noticed I'm becoming obsessed
with Natalie Dee's comics

Yesterday I wrote about why I eat canned salmon instead of canned tuna- it is because I have not found a brand that doesn't have soy in it. I know that I have mentioned before that I read a book about the dangers of soy and immediately after embarked on a personal mission to cut all soy out of my diet. Let me explain to you why I was compelled to cut out this so-called health food.

Everyone is in a soy-frenzy and it has become the new "healthy" choice. It seems like a great option for vegetarians and vegans. How would they get their protein anyway? That's what I used to think.

Well the book I read was The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN. It is a thick book, almost 400 pages with another 40 pages of end notes. This is not a light read. I was getting the "Why the hell are you reading that?" looks from EVERYONE! So here it goes...I am going to try to condense 400 pages into a few paragraphs...

• A brief history of soy in the east...The soybean is one of the five sacred grains along with rice, millet, barley, and wheat. However, the soybean is a legume not a grain, and it was originally not used for food like the other sacred grains. Farmers originally grew soybeans as "green manure"- as a cover crop plowed under to enrich the soil between plantings of food crops. Soybeans are very good at capturing nitrogen from the air and delivering it to the plants roots in the soil. Soy went from fertilizer to fermented food about 2500 years ago. Until then the Chinese considered soybeans inedible- they were only found edible after the discovery of of processing methods that could largely deactivate an anti-nutrient found in soybeans known as the trypsin inhibitor. Trypsin inhibitors are chemicals that reduce the availability of trypsin, an enzyme essential to nutrition of many animals, including humans.

• The process of fermentation uses bacteria, fungi, and other beneficial microorganisms to help breakdown complex proteins, starches, and fats into highly digestible amino acids, simple sugars, and fatty acids. The ancient Chinese originally used this process to preserve fish, shellfish, game, and meat. Then came chiang (the original form of miso), soy sauce, natto, tempeh, but not until after the 4th century AD. As some of you may know, there are records of the Chinese culture that go back 5000+ years. The ancient Chinese did not eat soy. The fermented products we know now like miso and tofu did not come about until a few hundred years ago. 

• Since the 1950's the market for processed foods has seen explosive growth- most of them containing soybean oil. The industry found itself saddled with leftover sludge (yum) from soybean oil manufacture which it could either dump or promote. Which do you think it did? "The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy-industry spokesperson back in 1975, "...is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society." Enter: imitation meat, milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, candy bars (I think she means protein bars), smoothies, breads, infant formulas, chocolate, and meat extenders to name a few. 

• For years, the soy protein left over from oil extraction went exclusively to animals, poultry, and, more recently, fish farms. Today the industry aggressively markets soy protein as a people feed as well. Soy is now an ingredient in nearly every food sold at supermarkets and health food stores. The industry also makes a profit off of other waste products, most notably soy lecithin (an emulsifier that replaced eggs), protease inhibitors (digestive distressers sold as cancer preventatives), and isoflavones (plant estrogens promoted as "safe" hormone therapy, cholesterol reducers, and cancer cures). 

• Soy is now genetically modified which is monopolized by Monsanto. If you haven't ever read anything on GMOs please read my post.

• This is so typical of the US FDA..."While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a heart healthy claim for soy protein, the agency also lists soy in its "Poisonous Plant Database." A search of the word "soy" in the database reveals 256 references, including studies that warn about goiter, growth problems, amino acid deficiencies, mineral malabsorption, endocrine disruption and carcinogenesis.

• All soybeans contain anti-nutritional factors (which is the opposite of what you want to eat) and toxins. Mother nature put them there to block seeds from sprouting prematurely and to harm insects and other predators (humans) that would otherwise eat too many of them. Unfortunately, they can harm us as well unless the soy beans are properly processed to neutralize them- i.e. fermentation. 

• Soy's other "healthy" effects on the human body:
• can lower testosterone levels in men
• can cause allergic reactions...soy is one of the top 8 allergens
• goitoestrogens damage the thyroid
• lectins cause red blood cells to clump together and may cause immune system reactions
• oligosaccharides are the pesky sugars that cause bloating and flatulence (farts)
• oxalates prevent proper absorption of calcium and have been linked to kidney stones and painful disease known as vulvodynia 

• phytates impare absorbson of minerals such as zinc, iron, and calcium
• isoflavones are phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that act like hormones and affect the reproductive and nervous systems
• protease inhibitors, most notably trypsin inhibitors interfere with the digestive enzymes protease and trypsin. This can lead to gastric distress, poor protein digestion and an overworked pancreas
• saponins bind with bile. They may lower cholesterol and may damage the intestinal lining

Fermented soybean products enjoy high honor throughout Asia as digestive aids, potent medicines, powerful energizers, stamina builders and longevity elixers. Treasured as more valuable than gold, the molds and cultures used to make miso, shoyu, natto, tempeh and other fermented soybean products are often heavily ensured and safeguarded in vaults. Those, along with soy sauce, are the only acceptable ways to eat soy. Soy protein is notoriously hard to digest unless enzymes and microorganisms go to work on it first. These tiny workers not only predigest the soybeans, but deactivate the powerful protease inhibitors that inhibit our digestive enzymes and overwork the pancreas. 

A WARNING ABOUT SOY SAUCE: The soy sauce-like products most commonly sold in American supermarkets and used in Chinese restaurants are commonly made in 2 days or less. This process is not the traditional fermentation and uses hydrocholoric acid to break down the soybeans, followed by sodium carbonate to neutralize the brown liquid. Sugars, caramel coloring and other flavorings are added before further refinement, pasteurization and bottling. A true soy sauce should say "naturally brewed, fermented for over a year", and should also only have a few ingredients- soy, water, salt and possibly wheat.

Long soy story short, all of the soy products that appear in our foods are not natural. They are heavily, heavily processed. The soy products show up in most processed food as: soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, soy flour, soy oil, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated soy oil, textured vegetable protein,  textured soy protein, soy lecithin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (PS..that's MSG).

Here's a fun fact about soy protein isolate. Before 1958 it was only used as an industrial product to bind and seal paper product. Think about that next time you open up a fresh ream of computer paper. That glue that is holding the packaging on there is quite likely the same stuff that is in your protein shake. 

I know this was a long one with a lot of information, but hopefully you are taking something away with you (that you are never going to buy anything with soy in it ever again!). I would not have spent weeks reading this book, hours and hours scouring my grocery store for products without soy in them, and probably hundreds of dollars of donated food (from my pantry) if I did not believe 100% that the soy that we are being told is healthy for us is actually poisonous to our bodies. 

There....I've said my piece.

Collards

Collard greens to me were always a vegetable that southern black people and Paula Dean simmered down with lard and served with cornbread and pulled pork. Low and behold they can be very healthy for you. Who-da-thunk-it? They are actually part of the dark green 4-some that I rotate into my smoothies (the other 3 are spinach, kale, and Swiss chard). 


So I bought a bunch the other day to make wraps with (learned it from Lisa). The first try was a messy failure so I put part of the bunch back in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer for my smoothies. This morning when I woke up, still reliving memories of the White Castle episode the other night, I decided to try the wraps again. 

I tried to make my hand look graceful, but it just wasn't happening
from this angle. 

Much better. I made a salmon salad and wrapped it in cucumbers and the collard leaves. In the salmon salad was:

• Bumble Bee canned salmon (skinless boneless- you could pretend it is tuna and no one would know the difference)
• Spectrum canola mayonnaise 
• spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 green apple
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 stalk celery
• turmeric
• black pepper

Let me explain a little about the ingredients in this salmon salad. First of all, I use canned salmon instead of canned tuna because they put soy in the tuna. I am not sure if it is in the watery broth or if they use it as a filler so they don't need to put as much fish in each can. My guess would be the latter. (P.S. you know the frozen hamburger patties you buy? They have soy as a filler too...it's common practice these days.) That would also explain why a can of tuna is so much cheaper than salmon.  

Secondly, you might be asking why I put turmeric and onions and black pepper in this salad. It is because this trio has been shown to magnify the healing effects of the others. Turmeric is a powerful spice that has been used for centuries. It has anti-inflammatory effects on the body, as well as: 

• natural antibiotic
• anti-oxidant
• helps aid in digestion
• maintains & improves intestinal flora
• purifies the blood
• reduces gas and bloating

This is just a snippit of the long list of turmeric's healing properties. It is well known that  humans however, cannot fully absorb turmeric unless it is in the presence of black pepper. I also just recently found out that if turmeric (and pepper) are paired with raw yellow onions, its healing effects are multiplied. So next time you make chili, add some turmeric and pepper and top with raw yellow onions. 

In the meantime, try out collards as wraps. In this meal alone I ate 1 fruit and 4 different vegetables. That was after my morning smoothie. I'm already up to 10 fruits and vegetables and it isn't even dinner yet. If you are looking for another way to substitute refined carbs with vegetables try RAW: Zucchini. 

Wine & Chocolate: Part Deux

Sunday fun-day was spent at a semi-local winery (Hopewell Valley Vineyards) in the Princeton area with my mom. I love wine tastings and tours (although this is the first tour I had ever been on). It is so great to speak with producers that are experts at what they do and excited to share their knowledge and business with their customers.

The wines were good, although I found that I liked the whites much more than the reds (very unusual). I am a red-wine-kinda-girl 99% of the time.

While I was there I asked the owner about sulfites. I have read that sulfites are what give you headaches (but I would venture a guess that it is drinking too much instead), and that they are unhealthy for you, etc, etc. What the owner of the vineyard had to say in a nutshell was that sulfites are naturally occurring in the skins of the grapes and a wine without sulfites is a problem.

So, that leads me to ask, what do the wine makers that boast "no sulfites detected" do to their wine to get rid of the sulfites? Or is it just that the level of sulfites is naturally so low that it is not detectable by the end of production? And when wine makers add in sulfites, are they natural? or man-made? (I would guess man-made)

These are all great questions, that I plan on delving into, however, if any of you know the answers I would love to hear from you. :)

This is me if you were wondering :) 

After spending a few hours at the vineyard, we decided to go into Princeton for a little afternoon shopping. While it was the most perfect sunny October day and beautiful strolling weather, the shopping sucked. Preppy clothing companies send their most boring and un-stylish clothes to Princeton to die. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy tweed, fur-lined sweaters, pearls, faux-fur vests (see above), riding boots and all other things preppy in the fall. They go with apple picking, horseback riding, and the changing of the leaves. I am not sure if it is that the people who LIVE in Princeton that actually have to buy clothes IN Princeton are too smart to care what they look like, but I am sure as hell glad that I wasn't smart enough to go to school there. BORING!!!! I fit in much better in Savannah with all of my creative art school friends.

Right about the time I was giving up on finding anything preppy to rock this fall, my mother and I found a chocolate store!

AND THEY WERE GIVING AWAY FREE SAMPLES!!!

AND...I even found a bar that doesn't have any soy in it! I checked all of the bars for my blacklisted ingredients. The 85% was the only bar that didn't have soy lecithin in it. (I love how sometimes companies use "soya lecithin" instead of "soy lecithin" as if that makes it more exotic or something. It's still soy.)

All in all a great Sunday fun-day with my mom! And I learned a little too...not too shabby. I would highly suggest visiting Hopewell Valley, and strongly discourage trying to find anything cute to wear in Princeton.

BREAD & CHILI: My two favorite foods

As I sit in my kitchen on this wonderfully rainy Friday night, I am inhaling beautiful smells of freshly baked bread. I wasn't planning on cooking all night, but sometimes I just get this urge to make tons of food. I also realized that it has been about 2 months since I started this blog and I have not made anything with thyme in it.

I started out with chili (see this post for the recipe). Then decided it has been too long since I have made bread. In the middle somewhere I made pesto to use on some pasta at some point this weekend. Back to my favorite food: bread.

I started making it myself a few months ago and have not really eaten much store-bought bread since (there is that much of a difference). I bought a book, Beard on Bread (you can find a link in the right sidebar --->), read the beginning and was amazed at how easy it is. First of all there are three ingredients- flour, yeast, water. Voila! You have bread. You can knead it by hand for a few minutes, put ingredients in a Kitchenaid mixer (link on right sidebar --->), or put ingredients in a bread maker. This is the no nonsense way for every skill and involvement level.

I made 2 different loaves because I wanted to test out the difference between using all bread flour and half bread flour with half whole wheat flour.

HALF BREAD FLOUR/HALF WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

• 1 1/2 c. organic bread flour
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 c. water
• 1 pkg. yeast
• sprinkle salt
• sprinkle sugar
• (for this one I added in thyme and olive oil for a little flavoring...most fresh herbs will work)

-----------------------------------------------

ALL BREAD FLOUR

• 3 c. organic bread flour
• 2 c. water
• 1 pkg. yeast
• sprinkle salt
• sprinkle sugar

I am eating both as we speak and here is what I have found:

• The all bread flour recipe is basically white bread, crunchy outside, chewy inside. It literally is the perfect tasting bread. Load it up with butter and it is unspeakable.
• The half whole wheat recipe is really good. It's crust is not as crispy and center not as chewy, but it still has a great consistency. I added in fresh thyme sprigs (do not use the hard stems) to give it a little flavor and olive oil to moisten it up. It worked! This bread has amazing flavor and is perfect with butter or dipped in seasoned olive oil.
• I did not make all whole wheat flour bread because I have made it before and it came out extremely dry, dense, and crumbly. The flavor was not that great either.

It's like the three little pigs of bread...the first one is too soft, the third one is too hard, but the one in the middle is just right!

Here are the directions to making bread. They are the same whether you mix by hand or in a mixer. I am not familiar with bread makers so that one is up to you to figure out if you have one.

1. Get out 1 lg. bowl, measuring cup, and ingredients
2. In lg. bowl, add 1 c. water, tsp. sugar, and pkg yeast. 
3. Let sit for a few minutes to test the yeast (if it is good it will start to foam)
4. Add in 3 c. flour according to the recipe you are following from above
5. Add in tsp. salt
6. Mix. If using a Kitchen-aid mixer use the dough hook to mix from the start. It will make a ball automatically. If doing it by hand, start with a fork until ball forms and then knead with hands for several minutes.
7. Coat ball of dough with butter or olive oil
8. Let rise 45 minutes. Sit ball in a lg bowl in microwave so it is protected from drafts
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
10. Punch down
11. Form into bread pan or on baking sheet in shape of choice
12. Bake 35 minutes
13. Let cool
14. Try not to devour it all in one sitting

It's that easy! I just ate close to half a loaf myself just sitting here writing. A couple more things to keep in mind. My suggestion would be to always use at least part whole wheat flour when making bread- this is because the fiber in the whole wheat flour slows down the digestion of the sugar and it is also food for the bacteria in your large intestine (aka poop shoot). The reason I would recommend using 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 bread flour is because eating straight white flour wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels, which effects your insulin levels, which effects your hormones...it's just really not a good thing. You might as well be eating a cup of straight sugar. On the other hand I will never eat on a regular basis or recommend something that tastes like shit (i.e. all whole wheat flour recipe). I feel that there must be a compromise between food that is healthy for you and food that tastes great. You shouldn't eat something that you don't enjoy.

I urge you to try this for yourself one of these days, and maybe do a mini taste test to see what you like, you can also try all whole wheat flour if you want to see the full spectrum. I also suggest that you look at the ingredient list on the loaf of bread that you usually buy, or just take a few minutes and look at a few of them while you are in the supermarket. And then say to yourself, "I know what it takes to make bread...why the hell are there 20 ingredients that I am not familiar with in this loaf? Why is there high fructose corn syrup in this bread? Why am I eating this bread?"

I could have easily skipped the chili tonight and just scarfed down the bread (with organic butter of course!). On to watch the last few episodes The Tudors Season 4...perfect Friday night!

My next post will probably about what I am going to do with all of this bread...don't worry there are a few great 2nd uses for too much bread or bread that is slightly stale. :)

The Dreaded Salad Isn't So Bad

Well I am back on the wagon! Since I have put myself on this eating challenge almost 2 weeks ago I have been looking for different ways to get a variety of raw foods into my diet so that I don't have to drink my vegetables as much. It is getting kind of old.

I have learned a few things:

• Anything I put in there tastes amazing when it is loaded with salad dressing
• With that in mind, I put my salad in a large Tupperware container, drizzle dressing, and shake until the entire thing is coated (you can also toss it in a large bowl). This allows you to use less dressing and fully coat everything!
• You can really put so many things in salads
• I am actually starting to enjoy eating them
• It is very easy to eat out because every restaurant has salads

First things first- the dressing. I would venture a guess that most (99%) of salad dressings sold in supermarkets are made with soybean oil (I have spent a ridiculous amount of time reading labels). Now after reading The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, I cut ALL soy out of my diet because I realized that unless soy is fermented properly it is actually an anti-nutrient (means your body sucks nutrients out of your body to be able to process it properly). Most soy that is in our foods today is not fermented, but created in a laboratory or and highly processed.

Then there is the other 1% of salad dressings that are "organic" and made with canola oil. For whatever reason they taste like capital S-H-I-T and are super expensive. So....I make my own dressings! I don't know why people don't do this because it is so cheap and easy and tastes so much better than store bought dressing. Here are two:

CREAMY

• extra virgin olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• handful cashews
• juice 1/2 lemon
• squeeze of Dijon mustard

Put all of these in a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) until smooth. You may be saying "What a minute! That seems like alot of fat!?! Well it is but it is good fats. Your body needs fat to function properly and it needs the right type of fats. Also, the fat in the dressing will make you feel more satiated. As long as you are cutting out other bad fats in your diet you will be fine. 

BALSAMIC

• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• squeeze spicy brown mustard
• squeeze of honey
• juice 1/2 lemon

Put these in a shaker or a Tupperware to shake until blended. If you have to use more dressing than you think is necessary to eat your salad, then do it! The benefits from eating all of these veggies is well worth it.

Here are some great salad combinations:

MY FAVORITE

• romaine lettuce
• tomatoes
• red onions
• balsamic dressing

JAM PACKED

• spring mix greens
• baby spinach
• arugula
• kale
• broccoli
• carrots
• tomatoes
• cucumber (yes they are more than just water)
• onions
• creamy dressing

SWEET TOOTH

• spring mix greens
• baby spinach
• raw almonds
• raisins
• dried cranberries
• carrots
• diced apples
• cooked quinoa 
• balsamic dressing

GREEK

• arugula 
• baby spinach
• kale
• artichoke hearts
• feta cheese
• black or green olives
• tomatoes
• red onions
• balsamic dressing

FRUIT SALAD

• pineapple
• berries
• melon
• cherries (not maraschino) 
• kiwi
• grapes

If this sounds like too much, most grocery stores have salad bars (I personally think Whole Foods has the best). It may be more expensive than buying the ingredients and making it at home, but in my case I cannot eat all of the ingredients fast enough so I would end up throwing away alot of produce. If you are cooking/eating for one it is much more economical to take a scoop of this and a scoop of that rather than buying entire bunches, bags, or containers. 

But where do I get my protein you ask? I ask you, Where do cows get their protein? Believe it or not, there is protein in plants, and that is exactly where cows get their protein that you eat- from grass! Quinoa is also an excellent source of protein that is actually a whole grain. If you feel you need more protein, you can always add raw nuts, eggs (make sure they are organic farm raised or free range), chicken, or steak (please do yourself a favor and try to find grass fed or humanely raised meat...and if you need some motivation watch Food Inc. It is not crazy graphic but it will open your eyes to the meat industry- see right sidebar for link...or it is also on Netflix.)

Stay away from croutons- fried in bad oil, high fructose corn syrup and soybean flour! I will be posting soon about homemade breads and what you can do with them (bread pudding, croutons, bread crumbs. Super easy and tastes AMAZING!

Enjoy!

Am I ORTHOREXIC?

I have heard this term a few times lately, and just read this article about how healthy eating that becomes an obsession is called Orthorexia. Well, read the article below, and wanted to share. While you are reading it keep in mind that 70% of Americans are overweight, and I believe if I have my statistics correct 30% are considered obese. Our country spends billions of dollars on sick people.

Orthorexia: Too Much Of A Healthy Thing?

“Eat healthy!” is a trope we’re all used to hearing -- and with good reason. Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States, we are consistently inundated with ads for overly-processed junk foods and busy schedules push people towards stopping off at McDonalds instead of cooking a meal at home. But what about the other side of the spectrum? Can you have too much of a good (eating) thing?

In some cases, the answer seems to be yes. Orthorexia -- or an obsession with healthy eating -- is a term that was coined by Steven Bratman, M.D. (a specialist in alternative medicine) in 1997 and has received an increasing amount of media (and scientific) attention over the last few years. Most recently, the TODAY show's Savannah Guthrie sat down with resident nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom and psychotherapist Robi Ludwig to discuss the issue.

Orthorexia is not a clinical term, and it has not been officially defined as a mental disorder or been given a place in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV. This, coupled with the lack of clinical studies that have been conducted on the subject (we could only find two) make orthorexia a difficult subject to address with any sort of certainty. A couple of the nutritionists that we reached out to had never encountered this type of disordered behavior and remarked that most of their clients had the opposite issue. However, a growing number of nutritionists, dietitians and psychologists are acknowledging that a focus on healthy food does have the potential to cross the line into obsessive -- and unhealthy -- behavior. “We have no specific criteria [for orthorexia], but we know it when we see it,” registered dietitian and co-founder of AppforHealth.com, Julie Upton, told The Huffington Post.

Dr. Bratman, who published a book on the subject in 2004, entitled “Health Food Junkies,” explained the definition to WebMD as such: “The whole issue is obsession. This is about the obsession with eating to improve your health.” It is this obsession that marks the distinction between making well-informed, careful, healthy decisions and engaging in potentially harmful behavior.

Upton, who works predominantly with an athletic population, says that she sees individuals on a consistent basis who cross the line into health-food obsession. In her experience, athletes tend to be natural candidates for orthorexia as they are involved in industries that are inherently body and food-conscious. Some typical “red flags” that Upton encounters include: spending all day planning out meals, never eating food served at parties and other social events, and targeting very specific ingredients in foods -- regardless of the portion size of the ingredient and whether said ingredient has a real effect on the overall diet. Orthorexia is often characterized by a rigid restriction of some sort, although the type of restriction varies widely person-to-person.

And while education about nutrition is unquestionably a positive, it may be this very environment that encourages the development of disordered behavior in individuals predisposed to these type of conditions. “Within our environment today, we have the opportunity to know so much about the food that we get,” says Roberta Larson Duyff, registered dietitian and author of the “American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.” “There’s enough editorial copy out there that the environment can feed on that kind of obsession for those who … do not have a more rounded, realistic view of food.”

While most cases of obsessive behavior regarding healthy food lead to more psychological stress than physical -- namely social isolation and a loss of the joy traditionally associated with eating -- individuals who take orthorexic behaviors to an extreme may end up harming their bodies as well as their minds. “Once you start eliminating food groups and large categories of food, you run the risk of losing out on essential vitamins and minerals,” says Katherine Brooking, registered dietitian and co-founder of AppForHealth.com. She also spoke to the seeming contradiction between a culture of obesity and a culture of health food obsession. “There’s a whole contingent of the population who is paying very little attention to the quality of their food … [but] you also see [people] starving themselves,” she told The Huffington Post. “Our society is very prone to those kind of extremes.”

Ultimately, orthorexia is an issue that seems to merit further research and discussion. However, in the process, Duyff cautions that we shouldn’t be too quick to label or demonize people. “We need to be careful to look at where there is compulsive behavior, and when there is a genuine interest in food and trying to make … strides toward healthy eating.”

Brooking says that for her the bottom line is that making healthy choices should be simple -- not anxiety-producing: “If people feel that they are experiencing anxiety, obsession or stress [over healthy eating], that is something that should be addressed with a health care professional.” Original Source: Aol Healthy Living

WebMD provides a comprehensive list of 10 questions that individuals should ask themselves when trying to identify orthorexic behavior. So what constitutes Orthorexia?

• Are you spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food? (YES, I'M GETTING CERTIFIED AS A HEALTH COACH)
• Are you planning tomorrow's menu today? (SOMETIMES, I LOVE TO COOK)
• Is the virtue you feel about what you eat more important than the pleasure you receive from eating it? (NOPE)
• Has the quality of your life decreased as the quality of your diet increased? (NO WAY!)
• Have you become stricter with yourself? (YES IN A SENSE)
• Does your self-esteem get a boost from eating healthy? (YES) Do you look down on others who don't eat this way? (NO)
• Do you skip foods you once enjoyed in order to eat the "right" foods? (YES, I USED TO ENJOY OREOS & EASY MAC...TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE INGREDIENTS AND TELL ME IF THEY SHOULD EVEN BE CALLED FOODS)
• Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat anywhere but at home, distancing you from friends and family. (SOMETIMES)
• Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your diet? (NOPE)
• When you eat the way you're supposed to, do you feel in total control? (I NEVER FEEL IN TOTAL CONTROL)

So according to WebMD and my answers....I AM ORTHOREXIC!!


Can I tell you how I really feel about this topic? Good.

First of all, I wouldn't normally diagnose myself from WebMD. I think a lot of people freak themselves out looking up their symptoms. Second, of all of the so-called eating disorders (I believe for sure that people suffer from them) the one that I wouldn't be upset if I had is Orthorexia. I do not think being "obsessed" with eating healthy is a problem if you are getting positive results. I understand where they are coming from, because obsessions are not a good thing, but seriously? I hardly thing this country should be worrying about people who are too healthy!

They should be applauding people who make it a priority to be healthy. How much money does a chronically sick person cost the healthcare system? I don't have that number, but I can tell you from my experience with Nani's chemotherapy that it was $6000+ a month. And that is just one aspect of one cancer patient! There were the doctor's visits, tests, additional medicines, hospital stays, hospice.

Just think of all of the millions with heart disease that go under the knife. Or all of the obese people on insulin because they gave themselves diabetes. Which brings me to another thing that astonishes me. Since I have started researching this topic, and thus made significant changes in my diet, I have heard from numerous people "Just don't go to extremes!" I find it ironic that people think eating less meat, cutting out high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and soy products, and eating mostly fruits and vegetables is considered "going to extremes". When in this country alone, millions of people have their chest's cut open to have bypass surgery where they take an artery from your leg and bypass one of your clogged arteries in your heart. THINK ABOUT IT! Which seems more extreme to you?

THIS?

OR THIS?

Orthorexia is ridiculous!


Until this country starts shrinking back to healthier proportions, stops needing surgeries, and gets off of insulin, I would suggest the doctors focus on more important things. Many of our problems can be solved with diet. I am in a situation right now where many people my age do not think that they will ever need a bypass or will ever gain weight as they get older. I was one of them until a year ago! But we have time on our sides which is one of my biggest motivations. I can do this now so that (hopefully) I will never have to have my chest cut open. But you know what? Even if I do, or if I get cancer or some auto-immune disease...AT LEAST I CAN SAY I TRIED!


I'm done ranting. Just had to get it out of my system.