DIGESTION OR BUST:

Digestion is where your good health begins… and where it can end.  I am of the opinion that if you get your digestive department in order, then you can attain optimum health.

These kids in the photo are not the children of Sumo Wrestlers, but rather a random shot of everyday kids… our next generation.   Okay… so Houston, it appears as if we do have a problem.  You’ll notice that the boys are looking a tad like girls… minus bras, and so obesity isn’t the only problem blatantly displayed in this photo.  My reason for the photo is not to demean anybody; rather it is to expose an evil.  Our food chain has been sabotaged/weaponized to create sick people.  Who is responsible and why they would do such an evil thing is an entire story all on its own; suffice it to say that it’s not our fault; however it is our problem.  My hope is to encourage/empower you to take back control of your health.

When i was a kid some 55 years ago, obesity was evident; however, it was rare.  The same can be said about, so called; ADHD/Autism, gender confusion and mega other behaviour related conditions; rare.  The cause/problem is obvious; however, the solution is manifold; let’s investigate.

Change requires recognition, response and restoration; 3 ‘R’s’.  We must first recognize the problem, secondly; be responsible to change and most importantly; restore commonsense to rectify the situation.  Already then; let’s get to work; practically and naturally!

I think we’d all have to agree that our world is changing radically in a ‘not-so-good-way’ and it’s happening so very fast.  Our kids are seldom playing/running around inside and out, indulging in mega activity anymore.  We adults are no better; little BTU’s of physical energy are required to survive today, no thanks to technology; we’ve devolved from serious physical labourers to lazy button pushers.  Furthermore; we used to grow and prepare our own food but now we fetch it from from food depots… food depots that are now sourced internationally.  Consequently; profit driven mass production has become the motor behind it all… that spells; compromise.

Ok, so let’s first tally up the bad news and see where we stand and what we’re up against; our food sucks, our environment is littered with toxic chemicals… our airways are inundated with malevolent EMF energy (Electro/magnetic/ frequencies) and we’re getting little to no exercise.  Ugh… it doesn’t look very good; however, don’t panic, we’ll be evaluating the situation and empowering you to make some seriously positive changes as we go along.  I’ll even take you shopping and hang out in your kitchen with suggestions on what to buy, what to eat and what not to eat, how to cope with the toxic environment, along with some natural health remedies to hopefully offset the aforementioned detriments to our health.

But first, allow me to introduce you to your world inside; your digestive/gastro-intestinal tract (GI Tract); this is where the rubber really meets the road.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD:

The GI Tract is in essence a tube; a hollow tube that begins at your mouth and ends at a part of the body that most people would rather not talk about, namely; the anus.  Well, that’s the medical term for it, anyway; the lay person will call it; an asshole.  You don’t wanna be called one of these, but you should have one.   If you’d ever experienced Hemorrhoids, inflamed veins in the rectum/anus than you’ll be well aware of this part of the human anatomy.  Nonetheless, the latter section of this tube is equally as important as the beginning of it.

There’s one particular revelation that i’d like to bring your attention to about your GI Tract; the fact that it’s hollow.  Furthermore; the entire world that you live in will be passing through this hollow tube on a regular basis.  This includes food, a variety of environmental elements, some of which are toxic to your body… and billions upon billions of microbes; some good, some bad… and other’s downright ugly.  What happens when the aforementioned mish mash enters that domain is what will determine your over all health.

Some of these things, we can avert from ever entering this tube; however, others, we have absolutely no control over.  Let’s discuss those things that we do have control of.  It begins with what we choose to put into our mouth.  Much of what we will be discussing in this section will revolve around that.  While our body can be amazingly tolerant, it requires living and relatively chemically free food in order to serve us well throughout our life.  Tossing down a schwack of soda pop and sugar loaded, chemically infused, fluffy snacks are not going to contribute to sound health, i’m sure you would agree.  If you insist on choosing to put such junk in your mouth, then you will be suffering the consequences of your bad choice; it’s just going to be a matter of time.

Your GI Tract will more often than not be the first to raise flag when something does go array.   It may manifest as a minor discomfort, such as heartburn, stomach ache, nausea, a gaseous/bloating feeling below the stomach and/or it could be a downright debilitating issue such as; IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Crohns or Colon cancer… the BIGGG-‘C (cancer)‘.   These conditions each have a name; however, they’re simply manifestations of your wonderful body attempting to resist, repair, rebuild and re-balance.   We can either assist our body in doing this… or we can resist it.   I’d like to think that you’re wanting to assist it, hence why you’re reading this journal.

THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD WITHIN:

This section is a worth while read in that it’ll give you insight into into the beginnings of sound health and the degeneration of one’s health.  If you’d rather not be bothered with the following tour down into your innards then feel free to scroll onto the end; hmm… to the anus.

All others; read on; it’ll empower you in leaps and bounds to acquire sound health.  Allow me to introduce you to what is known as, the Microbiome.  Microbiome refers to the eco-system of the GI Tract.  Your entire GI Tract is much like a garden in that it is home to literally trillions of microbes… approximately 4.5 ish pounds of them… all quietly moving around there 24/7 in all of that sausage lookin stuff inside your… hopefully… not too big of a belly.  According to one reference; 1 gram of %#&^ contains more bacteria than there are people on this earth.  Hmm… that otta put an end to your loneliness.

Nonetheless, your overall health is reflective on the arrangement (hierarchy) of microbial activity.  The microbiome is essentially responsible for converting much of what you ate into identifiable nutrients that are useful to your body… but its service doesn’t end there.  Your microbiome is like your signature; it will authorize/govern, not only how your body functions but will also affect your emotions… even… affect how you think.  In essence; the arrangement of the microbial world down under in your gut defines who you are… or better said; ‘who you think you are,’ physically speaking, anyway.

Allow me to explain.  Experiments were conducted with mice… poor mice, they always get the short end of the stick; nonetheless, when thin mice received a fecal transplant (microbiome transplant) from obese mice, guess what happened?  The skinny guys became obese and vice versa.  The moral of that story is; if you’re a mouse; run… runnnn fast and hard from every white smock you see.  Seriously though; the microbiome… the particular microbes… and the arrangement of such is what defines/determines the mouse’s metabolism… the fashion of how food was processed in the mouse’s body… what was utilized, what was eliminated… what was stored… how fast, etc.

The following may gross you out but it is worth mentioning for education purposes.  Experiments were conducted in a mental asylum many years back, this time with people and not mice.  I dunno; perhaps they ran outa mice; they were too hard to catch and/or mentally challenged people were plentiful at the time and therefore; an easier grab.  Hmm… there’s actually a ray of truth in that.  Nonetheless; seriously though, the mentally disturbed patients received fecal transplants (entire microbiome transplants) from so called; normal people… hmm… ya have to wonder who/what they defined as; normal… especially in today’s crazy world.  However; the results were that the mentally and emotionally disturbed people’s personality changed dramatically for the better… go figure.  Similarly, fecal transplants changed the prognosis with patients plagued with chronic debilitating bowel issues; they too improved.  The downside is that it wasn’t a permanent fix; it all depended on what the recipient consumed and how they conducted their lives, thereafter.

And so what does a healthy microbiome look like?  Don’t worry, you won’t have to remember all of this, there won’t be a test at the end, but you might wanna make a few notes; it’ll come in handy when/if shopping for a Probiotic supplement.  To make a long story short; the largest population of microbes… the most dominant colonies down under would normally consist of; Lactobacillus and Bifidum bacteria; these are apparently the Adam and Eve of microbes from which all other strains evolved from.  A new born baby has zero for microbes until it journeys down the birth canal, where its soft, pink skin will absorb predominantly Lactobacillus microbes.  Breast milk offers yet more Lactobacillus, along with Bifidum and eventually mega other strains of microbes will be evident.  Babies born via caesarean and/or whom are not breast fed will not be getting this initial vital infusion; however, this doesn’t mean that you were doomed; just off to a slow start; it will eventually happen.

To keep it simple, Lactobacillus tends to set up house predominantly within the small intestine and Bifidum colonies tend to dominate the large bowel.  Other living entities that are commonly found within the GI Tract are fungi, various  types of yeasts, such as; Candida and an assortment of other bacteria, such as; E. coli and… yes… even Cancer will be among these inhabitants.

***the types and arrangement of all these intestinal entities will be unique to each one of us similar to our blood type.

On a controversial note; we’ve been taught… in our dysfunctional schools, i might add; that microbes are our enemies; however; the opposite is true; they are our allies.  They provide an essential service to the body.   We’ll see this in nature; a smaller fish will hang dangerously close to a normal predator without fear of becoming its din dins… or you’ll see a bird confidently riding on a normal predator’s back… and will even go so far as to enter its mouth without fear of being devoured by their host.  The reason for this is because they’re providing a valuable service for the larger animal, that of ridding them of pesky parasites.  The larger animal is well aware of it and provides sanctuary for the service.  It’s known as; a ‘symbiotic relationship; ‘a classic example of; you scratch my back and i’ll ensure that you have a safe place to hang out.

Meanwhile; deeper down the rabbit hole of deception, we see today’s entire health care system revolving around a questionable theory; that microbes (viruses) cause disease; however, that is just a theory and should remain that until proven.  I am not advocating that microbes, specifically; bacteria and parasites can never induce ill health; however, it is very rarely the lone cause of such; there will be other morbidities ensuing.  To add to the proverbial rabbit hole of deception, viruses are not even living entities; they are merely evidence of cellular debris; the dictionary defines it accurately as; noxious substance, poison.

I challenge you to prove that wrong; you’ll not find a single sample of a live virus anywhere in the world of so called; science; they exist only as computer generated imagery.  I’d best not go any deeper down that rabbit trail in this section.  You can refer to section entitled; ‘Immune Function‘ or ‘Covid Circus‘ for detailed info on that fraudulent gem.

Meanwhile; let’s apply some good ol fashioned, common sense to the issue.  If you had a goldfish and noticed it swimming sideways, what would you do?  Some would just flush it down the toilet and go and buy another one; however, other than that option; what would you do?  Would you medicate/inject it with chemicals in an attempt to kill a suspected malevolent microbe… or would you simply; change its water… alter its environment, first and foremost, anyway?

It’s a classic case of ‘causation vs association;‘  microbes are deemed guilty by association just because they were present at the crime scene.  I mean; an open sore will attract and accommodate an entire host of microbes; parasites by definition; however, they are not necessarily the cause of the infection.  It can be likened to a lingering garbage strike, where the garbage piles up bigggtime.  Of course, it’s bound to attract mega rats along with an entire host of various microbial entities; however; they were not the cause of the garbage strike; they were there because of the fact.  In essence they were providing a valuable service; helping to clean up the mess.  I’m sure you’re familiar with the application of maggots to a seriously compromised open sore; the reason being; they consume the dead tissue; it’s their food; however, they pose no threat to the healthy flesh.  In other words; much like our rats, they are simply providing a benevolent service to the cause… hmm… a rather thankless job, or so i’d say.

Howbeit; today’s pharmaceutical, health system is stubbornly maintains a steadfast course; the holy grail ‘prescribed standard of care‘ revolving around; killer bugs.  You’ll present with symptoms… they’ll find a bug… study the bug… kill the bug… and then attempt to train the body to kill the bug (vaccines).

It’s the evolution of an age-old controversy dating back over a century.  The shootout revolved around the cause of disease, specifically involving food crops and domestic herds of animals.  The question was/is; what caused the majority of a crop and/or animals to be diseased; was/is it the result of an outward, microbial invasion/assault… or the result of a toxic and/or deficient (compromised) environment… be that on the inside of the host; one’s body… or on the outside of the host; compromised air, food and/or water, to mention but a few?   Howbeit; the standoff was coined; ‘contagion germ theory‘ versus ‘compromised terrain theory.‘

The contagion germ theory won the draw; and so it is today that we see an array of patented, synthetic agents strategically designed to address specific microbes; antibiotics, vaccines etc.

Nonetheless; regardless of which theory stands true, the goal should be the same; change Goldie’s water; alter the compromised environment, first and foremost.

****Refer to section entitled; ‘Probiotics, Enzymes, Fiber, Greens and Herbs‘ for more detailed info on how to maintain a healthy environment (body).

WHAT ARE YOU EATING:

How about we start with; what are you eating?  In lieu of the disturbing photo at the beginning of this chapter; let’s look at a typical kid’s breakfast today in the average North American family.  Again; the following is not intended to conjure up guilt, shame or blame for neglect; it’s merely to map out where we’re at and where we need to go.  It begins with the family structure.  The role of parenting has changed significantly from that of yester-year; today’s Moms are no longer chained to the kitchen.  Now, don’t go and read into that to suggest that a Mom’s place and role in life is the kitchen; however, the food prep department is obviously going to be somewhat compromised, hence the ‘fast food’ service industry boon.  I’d best leave that on the back burner for a spell; meanwhile, back to what our kids are eating.

Generally speaking an average kid will be horking down a heaping bowl or two of a boxed (refined) cereal of sorts and/or a few slices of toast with peanut butter and jam.  Am i right; am i popular?  Never mind; don’t answer that; however; let’s face it; its plain ol simple and convenient fast food; a welcoming option in today’s busy and complicated world.  Weekends may be different; the kid’s might have waffles or pancakes garnished with whipped cream and sweetened with syrup… corn syrup; we’ll be dragging that item into court in just a bit when we go shopping.  Perhaps it’ll be bacon and eggs or an omelet; and then some kids might still have to put up with a boring ol bowl of porridge, although few from what i’ve seen.

What’s for lunch?  It might consist of a meat and/or cheese sandwich, perhaps, pasta and cheese or maybe a bowl of canned soup; hopefully it won’t be that instant noodle %#$&; that’s an obvious bust right from the start, unless you consider plastic a food; it’ll sit in your tummy forever waiting for a miracle to break it down.  Sometimes you’ll duke into a fast food outlet for a burger and fries if you’re out and about… after all… that’s also fast and convenient, right?

And for supper you might have a dish of pasta, buried in a zesty sauce, with mega cheese again, or perhaps, it’d be chicken with rice and a cooked vegetable.  Most families don’t bother with salads cause the kids won’t eat it anyway, and it just ends up in the garbage… ugh!  Dessert after supper is a must… it might be cake, cookies and/or ice cream… something sweet, anyway.  Of course, we can’t forget all of those in-between-meal snacks; it’d be a variety of tidbits, most often sweet and/or salty, along with soda pop or fruit juice to wash it down.  I dunno, did i miss something?  Howbeit, i think that might cover the majority of menus.

Let’s discuss the aforementioned menus for the good, the bad… and the ugly, for education purposes, of course; we’ll be dissecting the ‘no-no’s and woes’ of much of them in detail a little later on… and of course offering some healthy and practical alternatives.  I mean, it’s one thing to criticize and yet another to offer solutions, right?  In summary, we’ve already discussed the ‘negative nutritive’ aspect of our food today; the over processing of food with mega chemical additives and so let’s dig a little deeper to hopefully address it proactively.

First of all; most all of what we are eating has either been cooked and/or micro waved, accurately called; nuked.  We’ll be discussing that silent killer in a bit as well.  Suffice it to say this; our body requires enzymes and other sensitive co-agents to convert food into energy… and well… excess heat and micro wave ovens destroy enzymes along with many of these sensitive nutrients.  Something to note is that a normal functioning body… in a relatively natural environment will have a substantial reserve of enzymes and other nutrients on hand to cover most all of what it has to deal with on a daily basis and then some… certainly with digestion; however, the normal and relatively natural has significantly declined, as mentioned.  Consequently; we’ve been withdrawing more of these essentials than we’re depositing… and as any economist should know; this will result in a deficit, which is evident in the original photo of today’s playground.  It’s no wonder our bellies are getting bigger and bigger with each generation; our cells are literally screaming for these vital nutrients… and consequently; is prodding us to eat… more.

WHAT SHOULD WE BE EATING?

You may be feeling a tad overwhelmed with all of that; however, sometimes we need to be shocked in order for change to ever happen.  Furthermore; i should inform you; i’ve raised 3 of my own kids along with many other’s kids in the past and so i am very aware and empathetic regarding the challenges involved in change, especially when it comes to diet.  While you are prioritizing nutrition, your kids are prioritizing taste.  My brats… er… i mean… kids used to trade their carefully prepared, wholesome whole grain, sandwiches for some undesirable substances that many of the other kids at school may have had in their lunch box.  Hmm… it makes ya wonder why the kids with the junkier lunches would have wanted to trade their baddies for another’s goodies.  I dunno… it’s as the ol saying goes; ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.’  Nonetheless; you can’t possibly police your kid’s every choice like 24/7,  and so you’re just going to have to be creative… and graceful about the whole ordeal; otherwise; you’ll end up in Psychiatric care… hmm… then… you’ll have to read the section entitled, ‘Brain Malfunction.’

Nonetheless; we are the adults and therefore obligated to persevere; to do whatever it takes to ensure that our kids get what is best for them.  It may look like we’re miserably failing sometimes, but don’t ever underestimate what your kids are reading in it all.  The general rule is to be; attentive, persistent and consistent… and you will have done the best you could… good on you!

Enough pep rally; let’s look at some practical ways to flip the odds in your favour, shall we?  The long and short of it is; we have to ‘get back to the basics,’ especially in the food production/preparation department.  I know; that’s easier said than done, especially when we’ve been so conditioned to grabbing quick-dash meals and all, but it doesn’t have to be a radical change to make a difference in your family’s health.  And; it can be even more challenging for those of us living in the north quadrant of the globe; the southern quadrant of the globe has access to fresh produce like 365 days per year… ugh… so unfair.

I’ll gear this info for those of us who are stuck living in the Northern Hemisphere where it seems to always be winter and never Christmas.  Let’s take inventory; some people manage to beat the odds and sort out the junk from genuine nutrition with their family; however, others will draw a perpetual blank.  I’m guessing the reason for not staying on top of one’s game regarding balanced nutrition might revolve around finances.  Let’s face it, quality food is seriously pricey these days; consequently, many… especially those with young families fall between the cracks, attempting to access the best with the least amount of money; that just sucks.  Others may be uninformed and/or misinformed regarding health; victimized by the aforementioned; profit driven food producers and corrupt politicians.  Regardless; let’s try and make this work; there’s always a way… always options.

We first need to take inventory of what’s available and what we can afford… and then we have to get off our fannies, shake off naivety and/or denial and research for ourselves, using commonsense, of course; you do have some of that i hope.  It begins by scrutinizing what we are presently eating; is it wholesome or is it harmful.  Is it relatively natural, as in; grown or raised on the ground… or is it from a laboratory.  The truth is that so much of our food today originates from a laboratory; read the labels; it’ll tell you plenty.

The difference lies in the signature of the food.  Natural food contains a signature that our cells have been programmed to read and respond to… anything else is rendered toxic to our body… a threat to our health.  That my dear readers is the ‘soup bone’ to sound health.

Hmm… speaking of soup bones… that’s a good place to start… and it’s affordable as well.  Locate some home-grown beef and stock up on some soup bones.  Boil a few bones up and add some vegetables and a grain such as barley; there, you have a hardy meal that will last up to several days.  You can even freeze some for an easy meal.

The overall goal/focus is to seek out complete and/or unrefined foods as much as possible and practical… emphasis on, ‘as much as possible and practical.’  Not everybody can do this but a garden plot in your backyard is a great idea, even if it means tearing up your lawn.  What the heck is it with these lawns anyway, the demise of suburbia?  You not only have to fertilize it to keep it bright green but you have to cut it every week as well… and then you go and put a poison on the little yellow flowers that pop up every spring, namely dandelions because… well… they’re weeds right… unsightly… or so you’ve been conditioned to believe.  The irony of it all is that many of these same people come into the Natural health Store to buy… guess what… Dandelion, as a natural health aid… go figure!  It’s not that i have something against lawns in particular; they’re an asset… if you happen to be a golf fanatic; however, we all need to eat… and to eat real, chemical free food and so i say; till the damn thing up and grow some food instead.

You’ll not only get some much needed exercise but you’ll also get the satisfaction of being in control of your own food supply.  Your husband can always go to a golf course to play if he still has some energy after the tilling up the lawn.  City mice might have to work smarter and not harder to meet this challenge; however, there are more and more community garden plots happening.  This is an antidote for people, who are stuck living in boxes on a hillside; where they can get out and plant some real food, while socializing with other… real people… instead of meeting and communicating in cyber space… there is a difference… a biggg difference.

FOOD PRODUCTION & STORAGE:

The following information really boils down to the lesser of the evils, for it’s nigh impossible to totally escape our chemical world today.  You’ll find out why i say that as we go.  Nonetheless; you might wanna scrutinize your storage/cooking utensils… a tad, anyway… as much as is in your power to control.

First of all; Grampa never had a micro-wave oven; perhaps we should start here.  I’d suggest that you conduct your own research on this subject rather than take my word for it; however, according to my research, these contraptions are seriously baaaddd news.  I know; they’re in most every kitchen today and have been for over 50ish years now; however; that doesn’t spell; safe.

The problem is that micro-wave ovens have conveniently eluded exposure to their potential danger by the aforementioned profit driven commercial enterprises.  Several documents were declassified  back in 2013… or thereabouts… revealing overwhelming evidence of the truth about them; their detriments.  Why  this research was concealed and not made readily available before these things became such a popular item is where the serpent lies in the industry.  Nonetheless; these appliances not only challenge our electrically sensitive, Endocrine system, but they also negatively affect the food that has been exposed to them, as well.

As mentioned; our cells have been designed to read and recognize a signature on what enters the body; micro-waves alter that signature.  They literally shake the *&%*#** out of the food, rearranging it at a molecular level.  One can only wonder how the body reads and deals with such an entity after wards.  The medical profession recognized this when exposing mother’s milk and blood to micro-wave ovens.  “I only use my micro-wave to heat up water and/or to thaw frozen items,” I often hear it said.  That does not minimize the damage they cause.  Try an experiment; water two identical plants; one with tap water and the other with the tap water after being nuked; tell me what you find.

My advice; turf the dang thing.  There are other ways to thaw food.  I use a ceramic plaque to thaw frozen items; it is designed to reflect heat in such a manner so as to facilitate the thawing of frozen items in half the normal time.  It all boils down to taking the time to prioritize food preparation, a rare concept in today’s fast and instant world.

Another detriment to our health worth mentioning is the use of plastic.  Although it’s a biggy when it comes to health, it’s not an easy one to avert.  Most everything used to come in glass containers in Grampa’s day; plastic was seldom seen.  Foods that suck; meaning… foods with a tendency to draw will inadvertently leach unwanted chemicals out of those plastic containers.  Some examples of foods that suck are; honey, syrups, dairy, tomatoes and nut butters, to mention but a few.

The following might offer you some foot room regarding this issue; not all plastics are created equal; there are codes stamped on the bottom of all plastic containers to indicate its density in particular.  You’ll notice a triangle with a number ranging from; 1 to 7… the smaller the number, the softer the plastic, which means the more porous/leachable it’ll be… and therefore, not the best choice.  You can snoop out this information in detail on your own.  The overall point to be grasped is that the chemicals in these plastics are carcinogenic, meaning they are poison to the body… and so the least you absorb, the better off you’ll be.  Ugh… am i popular yet?

***Refer to section entitled, ‘Endocrine System’ ‘Horrible-moans‘ for more detailed information on this.

I won’t go into too much detail on the following as there are bigger fish to deal with than this; however, it is worth the mention.  There are all types of cooking utensils, made from quite a variety of materials, such as; aluminum, enamel, cast iron, glass and stainless steel.  Some are lined, touting their non-sticking ability, such as; Teflon.  Teflon is one of many products developed from Perfluoro chemicals (PFO).  As it was… and still is with such innovations, the safety factor gets covered up until much later… lonnng  after the damage has been done.  The question is; what… and how much toxic crap is being transferred into the food prepared from such cookware?  Aluminum cookware is another one to avoid; there’s plenty of information available regarding this metal.  Again, it boils down to the lesser of the evils here.  The best in the west is surgical stainless steel pottery; it’s clean, efficient in heat transfer and, although expensive to buy; will last an entire lifetime.  Bear in mind that you can pass it on to your hopefully, healthy… and health conscious kids when you leave this challenging world.

I’d best leave that subject alone for now or you’ll be out roasting your food on a stick over a campfire for fear of being poisoned… sheesh!  You don’t have to go that far but i’d suggest getting back to the basics… as inconvenient as it is presented to be.

LET’S GO SHOPPING:

Let’s face it; we can’t provide all of our food from a garden like many used to do back in the old days… especially when living in the northern quadrant of the world, so far from the warm equator, and so we will undoubtingly have to improvise.

Before we get started, there are a few guidelines to consider; rule #1; try not to get too anal when you’re shopping, otherwise you’ll end up with a bad case of hemorrhoids and an empty grocery cart.  In other words; just do the best you can; look for the best forget the rest..  It’s all about choosing the ‘lesser of the evils;’ we’re not living in a perfect world.  The overall goal on your trip to narrow it down is to ascertain whether the food is reasonably natural… as in; grown/raised from the ground… or is it synthetic/artificial as in; cultured from a laboratory?

Rule#2 pray; seek divine intervention regarding what to be buying and eating.  If you do not… or cannot believe in the power of prayer and/or in a Higher power, available for guidance, then i’m rather doubtful that buying and eating all the right food is really going to help your cause of a healthy life; perhaps you should be shopping for your Spirit needs first and foremost.  Nevertheless; you’re certainly welcome to come along, anyway.

Rule #3; access as much local food as possible; that way you will at least have some control over its origin.  There are mega social media adds offering meat, produce, cosmetics etc; it’s just a matter of plugging in and connecting with these services.  You’ll be glad that you made the effort, especially when the international economic structure collapses… and that i perceive it will do some day.

Meanwhile, the sad but true reality is the fat that local supermarkets are the only source of sustenance for far too many people; therefore, we may as well learn how to navigate that realm… let’s go shopping.

You might need a pair of eyeglasses and/or magnifying glass… and… hmm… now; a magnet on your shopping trip.  More on that later; meanwhile; it begins with READING the LABELS.  A dictionary won’t be necessary; a good rule of thumb is; if ya can’t pronounce a dang ingredient on the list then it is most likely a chemical and therefore, toxic to your body.  It’s best to avoid these foods… or at least; minimize them.

There are some obvious, ‘do’s and ‘do-nots’ when it comes to shopping to be healthy.  Hmm… donuts… right… that’s a good place to start; refrain from putting the likes of such in your cart.  Secondly; avoid shopping on an empty stomach, you’d be surprised at the difference that can make.   As mentioned, there is an entity, or better said… entities, (microbes) dwelling down in your GI Tract; be aware of its potential to push the appropriate buttons to influence your food choices when you shop.

Contrary to what learned; there is more than just one brain running the circus we call life; there are actually several brains involved in the decisions we make, one of which happens to be within the GI tract.  We just aren’t aware of the fact.  I’m sure you’ve said things like; “I had a gut feeling about something… or… I felt that it was just not the right thing to be doing… in my heart.”  The logical evaluation process of affairs may occur in the brain that’s located between your ears; we’re all familiar with that brain; however, there’s is also a moral conscience evaluation of affairs emanating from our heart, physically speaking… and yet a third and fourth brain, an intuitive, compulsive evaluation of affairs, occurring within our gut and liver, as well.  There maybe more brains located throughout our wonderful body that the science guys have yet to discover.  And so it is that the head, the heart, the gut and the liver are running the health/survival circus; sometimes in balance and harmony and other times in disease mode.  Hmm… ‘the head, the heart… the gut-n-liver‘…. that’d make for a great movie… or the name of a rockin-roll band.

On a serious note; much of what you’re reaching for on those grocery store shelves may very well be predominantly reflective of the microbial communication going on deep within your gut… or perhaps from that of your kid’s guts.  They’ll be screaming… the microbes that is… to your brain… the one between your ears… to buy such and such; most often, sugar and other nice tasting crap.  It’s like pushing around a grocery cart full of screaming, sugar craving brats, only it’ll be a schwack of voracious little microbes down in your gut that’d be demanding their favorite tidbit… hmm… and all this time you thought you were at the top rung of the food chain.  The good news is that those microbes… and therefore; those cravings will change if/when you choose… to get your health back on track.  Once you’ve rearranged the microbial order of affairs down under according to your healthy food choices, you’ll then be in your right mind(s) to shop wisely, so to speak.

DECEPTION/DETECTION:

Meanwhile; back to the brain between your ears; let’s apply some common sense/logic on our shopping spree.  First of all; be aware of subliminal advertising.  Beware of the unseen and unheard suggestions that are littered on food packages and that are coming across the intercom as well, manipulating you beyond your reasoning and common sense.  “I thought subliminal advertising was illegal,” i hear you protest.  Don’t be naive to believe that it’s not going on; the sad truth is that there’s more subliminal advertising happening today than at any other time in history… no thanks to technology.

The foods on the shelves are not always as they appear to be, hence why we need to seriously scrutinize.  Colour additives are an old trick in the food producer’s book; if it looks good then they know you’ll want it.  Well; looks can be… and they certainly are… seriously deceiving.  This is especially true with meats and produce.  I mean; what would you rather buy; a dull coloured and/or slightly wilted fruit/vegetable or a bright coloured, smooth-n-shiny one?  I’m sure you’re aware that apples, in particular are waxed to preserve their freshness; well, there’s now a new kid on the block to seal in freshness, or so they claim, anyway; it’s called; Apeel… more on that later.

And; the there’s the colour show; you’ll notice the hamburger appears attractively red in the store, thanks to instore lighting, insinuating freshness; however, it’ll present more that of a brownish colour at home on your countertop.  Sea food is a wide open market for unregulated activity.  It’s now often farmed rather than wild as in ocean or fresh water caught.  How would one know the difference?  If both; fresh water and farmed salmon are side by side, you should notice a difference in the colour; however, do bear in mind the aforementioned; store lighting gimmick.  Aside from that; wild salmon will be brighter reddish in colour.  The texture of the fish too will be a tell-tale sign; fresh salmon has a tighter grained texture than that of farmed salmon… and upon close examination, even parasites (worms) will be visible with the naked eye… ugh… sushi, anybody?

Furthermore; much of the fish we see in the stores comes from countries that are off radar regarding ‘consumer safety regulations;’ hmm… not that our local governments have our backs covered; nonetheless, i’d say we’re in a better boat than many countries.  It’s now evident that fish from some countries are farmed under some pretty horrendous conditions… anything to make them fat and marketable, right?

Again; the labeling is deceptive; it might say product of… or from???? on the package; however, oftentimes, that is just where it was packaged or processed.  And so how would you know where it comes from then?  That’s a tough question; other than to buy it from an actual fisherman or catch it yourself.  Ask the produce store manager; perhaps they can verify its origin… especially if there are enough persistent requests.

SHEEP IN WOLVES CLOTHING:

ORGANIC OR BUST: We’re now dealing with more lab created food than ever before in history thanks to so called; science.  GMO means genetically modified… or… more accurately; biologically altered.  Organic means natural grown without chemical additives… or at least it implies such.  Sad to report that the ‘powers that be’ keep changing the goal posts on food labeling faster than we can research it seems.  I’ve always an advocate of buying predominantly organic; i mean; if i wanted chemicals then i’d be a drug addict and at least die prematurely with a buzz.  You will not see a label with both; non-GMO and organic; it’ll be one or the other.  I’m not sure why that is but it is the case.  Furthermore; they’re steering away from the term; GMO altogether; too much negative attention, i’m guessing.  You’ll have to do your homework and keep up on those cunning terminology adjustments;  as mentioned; they’re changing the goalposts faster than we can research.

PRESERVATIVES OR BUST; Regarding organic; pay attention to the term; ‘natural.’  The marketers realllly play with this word bigggtime; i mean; most everybody would prefer something natural rather than chemical laden and so they’ll bend the rules enough to allude that it’s natural.  It’d be more accurate to label it; naturally derived from such and such; there, now they’d be up front and honest about it all.  Bear in mind the fact that this industry thrives on $$$; if they can’t make a significant profit selling their wares then they won’t do it all… or they’ll cut as many corners as they can to legally evade public detection in due process… a sad but true reality.  Most often their ploys will revolve around preservatives as it extends the shelf life of the original natural food product and therefore; ensures a maximum profit.

A product may start out as natural until a curtain veil is drawn to reveal an unexpected chemical actor or two to enter the natural play and hijack the organic show.  Such as is the case with the aforementioned; Apeel; the new kid on the block; just another clever invention of the the Billy-Boy Gates of Hell association.  You start out buying an organic apple and you end up with a toxic,  chemical tagalong.  This %$&* is marketed as a benign organic coating on many fruits/vegetables; however, it’s not anywhere near safe to consume.  I’ll leave that for you to research and decide.

While you’re in research mode; the most common preservatives to keep food fresh for as lonnng as possible are; ascorbic acid and citric acid.  These are not natural by any stretch of the imagination.  Ascorbic acid, erroneously called; Vit-C is the result of chemical process, involving corn starch, (from GMO corn), sulphuric acid and acetone.  Citric Acid does not come from citric fruit as alluded; it too is a lab creation, grown on fungus (aspergillus).  BHA or its cousin; BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are also quite popular preservatives.  The problem is; BHA can be detected in your urine 15ish minutes after eating a can of soup… what-do-ya-think; is it safe to consume?  They claim that it is; howbeit; in small doses.  I hate that excuse.  I mean; would you be ok with just a tiny wee bit of arsenic or cyanide like… every other day?  This $#&% is accumulative, and when you consider that it is present in just about every dry cereal and in the lining of aluminum canned foods, you’ll be getting much more than just a; tiny wee bit.

Speaking of cereals and preservatives; along with BHT you’ll most often note another preservative; TSP (Trisodium Phosphate).  Again; they deem it to be safe in small dosages; however, it is a chemical… a paint stripping agent, no matter how you try to minimize it… and has no business hiding in your kid’s breakfast menu.  Other terms to scrutinize are; ‘Fortified’ or ‘Enriched,’ as in ‘Vitamin Fortified or Enriched.’  You’ll often see this displayed on just about every dry cereal, on milk products and fruit juices etc.  It’s really just a schwack of synthetic chemicals that they add to make the consumer feel better about feeding it to your suspected, malnourished children… ugh!  If the original food was hardy/alive to begin with, then it shouldn’t require any subsidy/fortification, now should it.

To compound the problem, the food producers continuously change the names of many agents and so the cautious label reader can’t keep up.  They did this with MSG back in the mid century and so it’s not a new trick by any means.  Whenever the masses catch wind of a potentially, detrimental additive in a food source, they’ll shuffle the proverbial furniture around and just call it by a different name… anything to avert negative public awareness… a sad but true reality?  However; do continue to read the labels and settle with gracefully choosing your poison.  In other words; it’s like just choosing the lesser of the evils.  Ya hafta be ok with that for peace of mind sake; afterall, you’re made up of body… mind and Spirit.

Lastly; “Why ever would i need a magnet on a shopping trip?” you might ask.  For some unknown reason there is metal in some meat products; so much so that a damn magnet will stick to it… go figure.  This is common with chicken and beef cuts in particular.  How would you know?  If your magnet sticks to a pkg of chicken thighs or a roast then you’d best shop on… you obviously won’t do well consuming it.  Do mention to the produce manager that you are not a ‘heavy metal’ fan… at the dinner table, anyway.

I know; you’re probably feeling seriously overwhelmed before you even get into the store… ugh!  However; we do hold the better cards in our hands; we’re just not playing them… yet, anyways.  We’re just going to have to scoot around the legs of these corporate giants and corrupt government watch dogs to get the real meal deal.   Make your voice heard if/when you do detect ‘a rat in the plastic cheese factory’ so to speak.  The rule of, ‘supply and demand’ still stands; if we demand clean and true food and refuse to purchase their *^%#, then the food providers will adjust their program to meet your needs.  One can only hope that their adjustment will be legitimately humanitarian and not just another deceitful tactic, as already mentioned.   One way or another; i reiterate; be aware of where your food is coming from… and be vocal about it… for your kids… and that of your grandkid’s sake!

One last tip; while you have your magnifying glass out; note the order that the ingredients are listed on the food package.  The first item listed will be the most prominent ingredient in that package, while the last one listed will be the least prominent, and so if sugar, fructose, multidextrin… or any other sweetener should be too close to the top of the list, you might wanna pass on that choice.

SUGAR… SWEET DEATH: 

We may as well start with one of the biggest; sugar… sweet death.  Our new world is pretty sweet today; in a ‘not so sweeet’ way.  The amount of sugar consumed by your Grampa was approximately 5-ish pounds per year; today it is whopping 135 to 150ish pounds per year.  It’s difficult to escape the stuff because it’s hidden in so many pre-packaged foods.

Bear in mind that not all sweeteners are created equal.  It wouldn’t be so bad if it was pure/raw sugar from sugar cane as many assume, but rather it’s most often derived from beets or corn… genetically modified (GMO) beets and/or corn at that.  Howbeit; there is a plumbline for measuring a sweetener’s readily absorption versus storage into fat; it’s called the ‘glycemic index.’  For example white sugar registers 65 on the glycemic scale; a carbohydrate that functions in the sweet department called multidextrin registers 136; twice as detrimental on that scale and so it’s definitely a ‘watch for.’  It often hides under the skirts of ‘modified food starch or modified corn starch… fructose… more on fructose later?  Suffice it to say that our sweeteners today are not the sweeteners of yesteryear.

Speaking of weight gain; another villain is an oldie, but still alive and well in the food production arena; MSG… it’s what they use to fatten up lab rats… more on that later, as well.

Nonetheless; by far, the most obvious/prominent offenders of sugar ‘over do’ is soda pop.  One can of pop is equivalent to ingesting approximately one third cup of sugar depending on the drink.  And don’t be to quick to switch to the diet pop; many of these artificial sweeteners can kill ya faster than sugar… one trillion dead insects can’t be wrong.  Many of these artificial sweeteners evolved from toxic, neural toxins chemicals that were designed to paralyze/destroy the nervous system of insects… poor lil bugs… and… poor sick lil people!

Some other artificial and ‘chemically altered/structured’ sweeteners to avoid are; Aspartame, (recently renamed; Nutri Sweet), Sucralose (Splenda), Acesulfame (Neotame), Saacaharin (Twin, Sweet-N-Low).  These type sweeteners may seem like a better choice than sugar but each has been proven to be harmful to the body, regardless of what the government health watch dog authorities will advertise.

FRANKEN…SWEET:

Allow me to expound on fructose.  Fructose is not extracted from fruit as its name implies; rather, as mentioned; it’s more often than not extracted from beets or corn… most of which  has been genetically modified/altered (GMO).  The reason they choose beets or corn is because it is such a cheap source of sweetener… and as mentioned; mass market and corporate greed knows no bounds when it comes to profit.  Howbeit; the problem with fructose is that the body does not recognize nor utilize it as it does regular sugar.  Consequently, it ends up harboured in the liver… wonder why ‘fatty liver’ and diabetes are such prominent health issues today?  Suffice it to say this; fructose is as toxic to the body as alcohol or cocaine… hmm… it’s no wonder our kids in particular, are climbing the walls after dinner.

Sorry to have to add yet more bad news for your shopping but there’s a new kid on the block that just showed up.  Have you ever wondered why snack food is so addicting?  I mean; you just have to grab one more handful of the crumpies until the entire bag is empty.  How far would they go to entice us?  Research ‘Senomyx’ (Sweetmyx 5617) and the company responsible for marketing it is; Pepsico.  This stuff works much like MSG in that it’s geared to enhance the taste buds; more so to; addict you to a product.  It’s protocol is what makes it such a bad boy; it revolves around some unethical activity to put it mildly; aborted fetuses.  I’ll leave you to research that all on your own; it’s much to lengthy to cover here.  I will however list some of the companies/brand names indulging in this diabolical practice, to put it mildly; however, i’d suspect there to be many others doing it also; Tropicana, Life, Harvest Crunch, Miss Vickies, Lays Dole, Kraft, Mountain Dew, Ocean Spray, Spitz, Doritos, Quaker, Sun Chips, Tostidos, Nestle, Oreo, Nutella, Campbell Soup… and last but not least; Aquifina.  That’s right; bottled water… now, you’d have to ask yourself why such an ingredient would be required for something as pure and simple as… water…. and so the plot thickens.

SUGAR FIX:

It’s not fair to put a stop sign up regarding sugar without offering a green light; an escape lane; let’s face it; life is sweeter with sugar.  I’ll mention a few safer choices when it comes to sweet; however, seldom will you find them in mass produced foods; too costly or so they claim.  Good ol fashioned raw (unrefined/unpasteurized) honey is a no brainer; i trillion bees can’t be wrong.  Honey will not spike your glycemic index anywhere near refined sugars; it’s a pretty complete package with enzymes still intact.  Raw cane sugar and Black Strap molasses are yet other better choice, although in moderation; they will challenge the index to varying degrees.  I had mentioned the woes of fructose, specifically the fact that it does not come from fruit as alluded; however, basically any sugar extracted from a fruit or vegetable will be better choices.  Bear in mind that whenever the sugar is separated from the pulp (fiber) it becomes a sugar spike candidate.  Furthermore; the refining processes of such should be factored in; anything to save a buck in processing is a buck made for the producer.

Some better choices are; Maple syrup, Agave, Monk fruit, Coconut sugar, Brown Rice syrup and Barley Malt to mention some of the more common ones.

Several sugar substitutes to consider are; Allulose, a natural sweetener found in figs, raisons, dates, Xylitol and Stevia will not spike your glycemic index; however, there are some cautions to consider with too much of these; Xylitol and Stevia, in particular.  Xylitol can raise hell in the intestines if too much or too often ingested, while stevia has some science associating it with reproduction interference… and so govern yourself accordingly.  The aforementioned are incomplete sugars.  In other words; they are a few bricks short of a full load; neutered sugars, i’ll call them.  For example; while Xylitol can be an irritant down under, it has some serious therapeutic benefits, such as; arresting/preventing tooth decay and clearing up sinus congestion.  Again; i’d suggest that you do your own homework on these.

Moral of the story; have a sweet day!

THE FAT-N-OIL HEIST:

Most shoppers are more concerned about the calories mentioned on the labels some of the aforementioned; however, this too is a demonstration of the power of marketing.  Fat was not considered an evil many years back in Grampa’s day.  Pork fat (lard) was actually a staple for survival back then.  Furthermore; cardio issues and diabetes to mention but a few epidemic diseases of today were relatively unheard of, as well.  And so what happened?  Well the long and short of it is; marketeering again; media advertising hit hard and heavy steering the market away from natural fats, deeming them to be cholesterol demons.  The truth of the matter is; it was all one big lie.

You’ll be a smart cookie to scrutinize what the large food producers promote as good and healthy fats… and a sick cookie if you don’t.  It all happened some 60ish years ago; the Food producers pulled a fast marketeering ploy.  Through heavy advertising they discouraged the use of animal and dairy fats, suggesting such to be harmful to your health, specifically that of cardio-vascular health.  At the same time, they introduced a schwack of vegetable fats, each of which had been chemically processed (Hydrogenated).  These were touted to be good for you.  The long and short of it all was; it was just the opposite; this fatty exchange strategy marked the birth of cardio-vascular degeneration, along with mega other degenerative diseases.

Facts; fats are essential for cell growth and repair, hormone production, cardio vascular and brain function, to mention but a few functions.  The best advice i can offer at this point of my research is to not buy into the animal fat cardio-fear- programming and to simply scrutinize seed and vegetable oils (fats).    A general rule of thumb is that; animal fats (butter), Coconut Oil and Fish Oils in particular are the better choice for heating/cooking applications as they remain stable whereas seed oils are ok raw and unrefined’; however, they become carcinogenic when heated.  Regardless; best to avoid ‘hydrogenated’ oils.

SCARY DAIRY:

I can still hear the sound of the ol milk-man’s truck starting and stopping in symphony with clanging milk bottles as the milk man made his routine, door to door deliveries in the early hours of the morn back when i was a little brat.  Our moms would put some coins in the empty bottles and the deal was done… well… sort of, anyway.  The problem was that kids and money don’t really mix too well.  On some mornings i would visit Helen Lingard’s back porch and shake the change from out of one of the milk bottles that she routinely placed out for the daily milk swap.  It was just too easy.  What i really can’t figure out is; why i never did get caught… i mean, didn’t her milk bill just keep adding up?  I should really consider paying her back… but it was so long ago… and i can’t even begin to imagine how much money was involved in the heist.

I’ll have you know that i did return, although… some 40 ish years later to do just that… to pay Helen back; howbeit, only a fragment of the debt, i might add… i mean’; who could know how much i actually managed to heist before i grew out of the baaaddd habit, right?  Nonetheless; it was the thought that mattered and we both had a valuable laugh in the end.

However; where was i; oh yeah… scary dairy; nonetheless, milk was real back in Grampa’s day; that is not the case today.  Cows nowadays seldom even get to see the sun let alone eat green grass as they were intended to do; they’re being fed predominantly soy and cornmeal, each of which is more than likely; GMO (Genetically modified).  They do this because it’s cheap and it guarantees a heavy weigh in at the auction.  And to add insult to injury the poor livestock are also inundated with both antibiotics and hormones; yet another tactic to fatten up the animal for more $$$.  The problem is that these antibiotics and hormones don’t stop at the the cow’s stomach; they end up in the milk and meat… and ultimately in you if you indulge in the stuff.  Bear in mind that both; antibiotics and hormones accumulate in the fat of the animal, for the most part; this spells; cream (ice cream), butter and cheese, just what your kids love, right?  And you need not wonder why your girls are maturing so young nowadays and/or why young boys… and their Dads are candidates for bras; hormones, hormones and more… hormones… horriblemoans, or so they should be called.

Most people claim they are allergic to lactose, a sugar component found in dairy products and others; that they’re allergic to the casein and/or whey, proteins common to milk.  What’s really going on here?  From what i can gather, the reason for lactose (sugar) intolerance is because we no longer have the enzyme available to convert the lactose; it disappears in the early years of our lives.  People are the only mammal that continues to drink milk after the infancy stage of life… it’s the power of marketing all over again.    Cultured/fermented dairy is not such an issue for that will have been already partially digested for you; you can thank the probiotics… the good microbes, for that transformation.  While yer at it; you can blame Louis Pasteur for pasteurization; he was a serious imposter and Big Pharma stooge according to my research.  Sorry for the harsh words but i have no tolerance for deception/manipulation… and the puppets who volunteer their lives to such malevolence.

The following is not essential info for the average shopper but may be of relevance to the deeper researcher.  Regarding the casein and/or whey, protein aspect of dairy, i found it interesting that not all dairy is created equal.  It’s a tad complicated; however, it might shine some light on those with perceived; dairy allergies.  There is a specific signature on casein, which will vary from each breed of cow.  Holstein cows, the black and white ones most commonly host something known as; the A-1 signature, while the Guernsey, Brown Swiss and Belgium Blues, will host the; A-2.  The A-2 is less toxic to the body while the A-1 tends to raise hell in the body, so much so that it has been identified in connection to Type-1 Diabetes, an immune disorder whereby the immune system is continuously attacking the pancreatic insulin producing cells (Beta-B Cells).  Now don’t bother your grocer asking for A-2 signature dairy products; you’ll draw a serious blank.

***Refer to section entitled; ‘Journey For Life‘ for detailed information on Type 1 Diabetes and raw milk; a true to life story of my own experience.

This is not to suggest that everybody who drinks raw, unpasteurized A-1 milk is going to get Type 1 Diabetes; that’s not how it works; however, my son fell victim to this horrid immune malfunction.  Type-1 Diabetes and raw cow’s milk just happened to be one of the suspects in the lineup in his particular case, although there were several other suspects still under investigation… and the plot thickens.

FRANKEN…WHEAT:

This is a seriously controversial one, as there are several aspects to sort out… not only with  wheat, but with all grains.  Wheat apparently acts like an opiate in the brain.  I can believe that when i observe the addiction that some people seem to have for it; the question is; was it always that way?  Let’s explore.

Dr. Frankenstein didn’t stop at sweeteners and chemical additives, he went on to create many other monsters, some of which are sitting quietly in your cupboard shelves, awaiting consumption.  His next invention was; Frankenwheat.  What is Frankenwheat?  Much like the dairy scenario, the grains that we’re consuming today are not like the grains of yesterday.  What is the difference?

It’s no secret that wheat, along with many other grains is being genetically altered (modified), a process known as; GMO.  A few other common staples being tampered with are; Corn, Soy, Flax and Canola, to name but just a few.  Their purpose for doing this, or so they say; is to establish a hardier strain of plant that is able to resist insects and therefore would yield more product for the market.  The truth of the matter is that it is not increasing food production at all; furthermore, it is seriously impairing both; our environment and our health… trillions of dead bees throughout the world can’t be wrong.

The two traits common to GMO are; one, to make plants resistant to herbicides, the results of which will render the plant to survive and the weeds to die.  Secondly, plants are genetically altered thereafter to produce pesticides for the sole purpose of discouraging insects from consuming them; actually it kills the little buggers dead.  The problem is; if it will kill little buggers dead then what is it doing to you… to the ecosystem within your GI Tract.

There’s one pesticide in particular associated with these grains that continues to raise its ugly head, namely; Glyphosate.  This agent is found in Roundup, a patented weed control created by a company called; Monsanto, which has just been sold to Bayer incidentally, a  Pharmaceutical Corporation with a long and questionable history.  Anyway, glyphosate has recently been classified as a cancer causing carcinogen and yet is still being used.  Traces of this &%#^ are not only found in vaccines but also in many grains and cereals, such as; hardy ol Cheerios.  The problem is that you won’t see this chemical listed on the ingredients of any cereal, unlike TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), two other ugly chemicals added to just about all cereals, your beloved kids favorite breakfast.

***TSP, by the way is what they use to strip paint off walls; you can buy it at a hardware store and if you read the package, it’ll state; ‘poison… keep out of reach of children… if ingested call poison control!’  Hmm… sounds like something you might wanna avoid.  Don’t be too quick to breathe a sigh of relief just because these agents are in small dosages; the facts are that they are accumulative, and when you add up all of the trace amounts ingested daily, it eventually becomes much more than the body is able to deal with.

Anyway; back to glyphosate; aside from the antibiotic aspect of GMO grains, some research suggests that this new marvel of science (glyphosate) obstructs the production of specific enzymes required for a balanced ecosystem within the GI Tract; furthermore, that it interferes with blood sugar balance.  It has been shown to generate a fast and furious blood sugar spike, ushering in an immediate insulin response… it’s no secret that sugar plays a big role in fat storage (glycemic index)… baaaad news for those of you who are weight challenged.

Yet another prominent pesticide to avoid found in some grains, although probably not advertised is called; Atrazine.  Atrazine has been shown to interfere with hormones, more specifically; it converts testosterone to estrogen.  It’s been banned in Europe  but ok for use in North America… go figure.

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE:

But then what if one was consuming non-GMO grains and is experiencing digestive problems, what else might be going on with this once staple food?  Many people who shy away from bread will claim that they are gluten intolerant.  Gluten is a protein common to very many grains, more or less.  However, there is yet another GI Tract %$&^ disturber in grains that has been sneaking around and apparently escaping scrutiny… a protein known as; ‘wheat germ agglutinin’ (WGA).  This somewhat smaller protein is found in the fiber of grains.  According to one researcher, it can apparently raise hell in the GI Tract as much, if not more than gluten… hmm… and I always thought fiber to be a good thing.  The same researcher advocates whole grains to be harmful for your health… go figure.  In other words, he’s saying that fluffy white bread is better than whole wheat bread… ugh!  Howbeit, regardless of that opinion, i still perceive fiber to do more good than harm by a long stretch.  Sometimes you have to take these researchers present with a grain of salt… we’ll be getting to that ingredient in a bit.

Howbeit, apparently smallish protein, WGA can easily pass through the small intestine wall and raise hell throughout the body.  Furthermore; it behaves like an insulin pump in that it can usher sugar into the cells, which can apparently result in weight gain and/or insulin resistance… hmm weight gain and diabetes you say… and so the plot thickens.

Whether you agree with GMO or not, wheat in particular has been isolated as one of the main suspects for GI Tract issues.  It has been associated with many health issues ranging from, minor bowel discomfort, bloating and weight gain… to more serious issues such as; chronic bowel inflammatory diseases and emotional/behavior challenges.   More and more people are deleting this grain from their menu and are feeling so much better.  There’s gotta be a reason for that.

If all of this be true, then how is it that GMO anything is allowed to be on the market, you might ask?  Ugh… now you’re entering into a political zone; suffice it to say this; the goal of any and all corporations is to make money, and so we really can’t expect them to do anything but that.  However, it’s also reasonable to expect that some sort of third party scrutiny would/should be in place to ensure that what these corporations are producing is indeed safe for public consumption; otherwise, it’s like trusting the fox to guard the hen house.

THE GLUTEN GRAIN FIX:

You might wanna consider experimenting with grains; wheat in particular.  I’d definitely suggest steering clear of the ‘GMO’ anything and the aforementioned, chemical additives, such as; TSP and BHT, along with many other biiiggg words that might be appear on the ingredient list.  This will probably include most, if not all of your mainline, big company, boxed cereals.   ‘Organic‘ grains/products would be a wise call; it fits our goal of, ‘getting back to the basics.’  Sour-dough cultured breads would also be a good choice, as  would Sprouted bread.  The bacterial activity in sour-dough will render the aforementioned; proteins more conducive for digestion, as would the sprouted grain.

In some cases, abstain from grain, wheat in particular entirely for a spell and see how you feel.  However; bear in mind that many of the substitute agents for wheat are equally as disturbing to the GI Tract as wheat, if not more so.  One way or another; read/scrutinizing the ingredients listed.  Some of these products will present as a sugar to the body… plain ol sugar… ugh… damned if you do… damned if you don’t.  Again, do the best you can… be cautious and patient, you’ll eventually figure it out; learn to read your body.

MSG:

I already mentioned MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and the weight-gain connection; it is an older horse on the ingredient lists, with a lonnng list of negative health issues aside from rapid weight gain etc. and so we do need to discuss it.  This additive shares the same tactic as so many other additives; diverting/averting public scrutiny to its presence.  MSG has little to no taste in itself; however, it has the ability to enhance the taste of anything that it is added to; similar to the aforementioned; sweetener; ‘Senomyx’ (Sweetmyx 5617).  Furthermore; it also acts as an addictive agent as an added bonus for the food producers… go figure.  As previously mentioned, this stuff is used to fatten up experimental lab rats.  They inject into the rats when they are young; it triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates causing obesity.  Hmm… might this have something to do with our picture of today’s youth?  The bad news is that this stuff is unavoidable; it’s found in just about every processed food on the market.  Furthermore; the food manufacturers have cleverly skirted around the consumer’s scrutiny on this agent by calling it different names.  Some of the more common names for MSG are: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Protein, Protein Extract, Yeast Extract, Whey Protein Extract, Natural meat tenderizer, Accent, Aginomoto, all Yeast and Natural Flavouring, to name but a few… the list keeps going and so you’ll have to keep on your toes in chasing down this one down.

MSG was first detected back in the 1950’s when food was relatively real.  Apparently an independent lab picked it up in a product known as; Gerber’s Baby Food… go figure… food for babies.  Many of you younger readers will not be able to connect on this one but i was raised on the stuff, as were many baby boomers.  They used to advertise these jars of fruits and vegetables with a picture of healthy looking, rosy cheeked little baby on the label….so sweeet and yet so sinister.  Howbeit, when a flag was raised that their product contained MSG… no problem; they simply relabeled the MSG by another name… and then; by another name as became the ploy with all of the food producers, rendering it nigh impossible to detect it.  Howbeit; your your body still recognizes it and will be reacting to it…. and so… good luck with that one.

Most all junk food and condiments contain MSG.  Sorry to depress you ketchup lovers but Heinz Ketchup is loaded with the stuff, along with mega sugar and other chemicals, all preservatives, hence why it’ll never rot in your cupboard.  Most all franchised, fast food outlets use this MSG to some degree as well and so if you eat out often then you will eventually become like our fattened lab rats.

BUGS:

Ugh… not bugs in my food!  Excess sugar and MSG are small; we have much bigger fish to net on our scrutiny ship.  Had i published this work in book form, i would have missed the progression of deceptive food woes that have just invaded our food chain over the past few months.  As if Sugar, MSG Scary Dairy, Frankenwheat wasn’t enough to rock yer shopping cart; we now have bugs on the menu… and again; it’s not clearly listed on the ingredient label… ugh!  Watch for them; Red food dye #4 and #20 in particular; it is extracted from something known as; Cochineal… the shells of certain insects.  This dye is especially prevalent in cured sausage… and… again; probably won’t be listed on any label.  And so do watch for… and avoid unnaturally red colored meat.  Aside from the dye, they are now adding this ground up cricket meal to many foods, especially snacks.  Some of it will be labeled; however, not all, especially when it is an added ingredient in protein powders and flour mixes, such as pizza dough.  Label readers alert; the names/ingredients relating to bug meal are not in English but, rather; in Latin… hmm clever maneuver, or what.  Nonetheless; a few bugger ingredients to watch for at this stage of the game, anyway are; Acheta protein and Grillodes Signillatus both; ground and/or dried crickets, Locusta Migratoria (grasshoppers), Tenebrio Molitar (ground meal worms) to mention but a few.  Bear in mind that; as is the case with MSG, a simple name change can easily avert attention to their presence.  Oftentimes; through a slip of political bribery, such an item can even escape the ingredient list altogether.  This is baaad news for those allergic to chitin, the exoskeletons of insects.  Sorry folks, you’re just gonna have to stay on top of this one… or you’ll find yourself choking from anaphylactic shock syndrome or perhaps; chirping like a cricket after your pizza party.  Ugh; am i popular yet?

CANNABOLISM:

I had mentioned the sweet additive; Senomyx; however, it just got worst.  It may not be visible in your small town; however, there are actually gourmets food restaurants now serving human flesh.  How far has humanity disintegrated.  You or i may never consider eating in one of these places; however, it’s getting closer to our tables than we’d like to admit.  Many big food corporations are now actually adding human flesh to their menus without mentioning the fact… go figure!  In essence you/we are now eating one another unawares.  Some fast food outlets have actually been busted for having human flesh hanging in their meat coolers.  I’m not going to mention any names but it is factual and can be verified with some research.  I’ll leave that for you to do on your own as well.

The fix; avoid all commercial, mainline fast food outlets… all of them.  I know that’s bad news, especially if your kids are accustomed to stopping for a Big Mac; however; consider yourself warned.  You need to be aware and protect your kids from this diabolical ploy… period!

IN CONCLUSION:

And so it is, that yesterday’s simple foods are becoming more and more difficult to find.  Again; get back to the basics in food prep and/or grow your own food, or at least be aware of where it originated.  This is especially important when acquiring meat, find a local source, a farmer who is in control of what is fed to his animals if you want to avoid the hormones, antibiotics and crap that is commonly fed to commercial livestock.  Heck, commercial chickens are even fed arsenic, simply because it makes their skin pink… go figure.  As mentioned; you and i are the market and the rules of supply and demand apply and therefore, still carry some clout.  If we demand unprocessed and authentic, non-GMO food etc, then eventually the suppliers will buckle and provide it… eventually… and so; don’t stop demanding whatever you do.

K… relax and rest now; you’re at the summit; the very top of a long and tiring uphill and overwhelming grocery list of woes.  You are now about to effortlessly descend the precipice and will do well.  Again; the goal when shopping is to; pick the best… and forget the rest.  That used to be the slogan on our home town bakery back 65ish years ago… still there to this day… and still applies.  The bottom line is; purchase foods in their most basic format.  For example; you can choose to buy fruits or vegetables in their raw format or you can buy them processed, canned, packaged or frozen… you can choose to buy grains in their raw format and take the time… and creativity to prepare them, or you can buy them processed such as the case with; boxed cereals… one of the biggest health risks in our cupboards today.

To summarize; the rule of thumb is; raw and natural foods are life to your body; cooked/micro-waved and/or refined (processed) food is deader than a door nail and therefore; useless… even, toxic to your body.

I’m hoping you’re not standing outside some grocery store, hands shaking… tightly grasping an empty grocery cart… no thanks to me for warning you about the labels and all.  Allow me to commmmfort you with some warmmmm solutions.

SUBSIDY FOR NORTHERN FOLK:

As mentioned, we northern folk are handicapped; we have less access to live and nutritious food, especially in the cold winter months.  The following is some ideas on how to subsidize for this.

Seed/bean sprouting.  Consider sprouting seeds if you don’t have ready access to greens year around.  You can purchase a sprouting apparatus or even make your own, if you’re at all handy; like Red/Green used to say; “If the girls don’t find you handsome then at least they should find you handy.”   It can be as simple as tossing a handful of a variety of seeds into a jar and letting them soak in water over night.  Drain the water in the morning, rinse the seeds and let the jar sit with a towel covering the top for yet another night.  Rinse and drain them each day until you see little sprouties protruding from the seeds.  Once the stem presents a bit of a leaf structure, place the jar in the sun for several hours to allow nature’s magic; photosynthesis to take place.  The sprouts will reveal then turn a colour, depending on what seeds you choose; they’re now ready to eat.  I like to have several batches going at different stages to ensure that i have some mature greens all throughout the week.  You can add these sprouts to salads and sandwiches or to soup.

***Caution… it’s better to avoid too much heat, you don’t want to destroy those sensitive and precious enzymes/nutrients.  My young guy once requested that we refrain from adding weeds to his sandwich… hmm… that would be sprouts… ugh!  Nonetheless; he probably traded his sandwich for something else at lunchtime while at school, anyway… little brat.

Other methods of ensuring live food in the dark winter months is; freezing, dehydrating and/or… fermenting foods.   Fruits, berries and vegetables can be frozen, dried and/or fermented to preserve their nutrients.  There are mega recipes readily available on how to make sauerkraut from cabbage and/or beets, how to prepare pickles and sour dough bread, etc.  Read up and learn these trade secrets… your health is so worth it.

UN-PORRIDGE:

Porridge is cooked oatmeal; however, try soaking various grain flakes along with various dried fruits, nut and seeds overnight in the fridge.  I am particularly frond of spelt and barley flakes; however, there are many to choose from.  You can add a splash of hemp oil and eat it raw… it’s quite tasty and naturally sweet.   There is no cooking or nuking involved although one can lightly heat it up without messing it up to much, i’d say.  As it is with anything, all sorts of ingredients can be added for taste and nutrition.  This breakfast will fill you up and energize you biggg time.

POWER SMOOTHIE:

Here’s another effective practical and affordable way to ensure that your family is getting the nutrients that your body requires for sound health. Begin by pre-soaking several types of nuts and seeds in one bowl and several choices of dried fruit in another… let sit over night.  Good morning; now, you can rinse and strain your nut/seed mixture and add it to your dried fruit goodies.  The reason for pre-soaking the nuts and seeds by the way is to unlock their full potential.  All seeds, nuts, grains and beans contain a built-in padlock of sorts, designed to preserve them until sufficient moisture is present for them to germinate.  Straining and rinsing simply removes the excess phytic acid residue in the water.  This acid is not necessarily toxic, it’s just better to minimize it.

You’ll probably want to add a liquid of sorts; otherwise, the smoothie will have a consistency like that of a pudding.  Some choices of liquid to consider are; water, fruit or vegetable juice, milk or milk alternatives, such as; hemp, coconut or soy… preferably fermented soy.

Probiotics are really #1 on your smoothie menu. I say this because they are not only essential for optimum digestion but also Immunity and B-Vitamin synthesis, much of which is supposed to happen in the GI Tract (Gastro-Intestinal Tract).  Probiotics are available in either capsule format or ‘alive and ready-to go to work’ liquid. If you choose capsules; open the capsules and dump in the powder.  Now comes another very important agent; Fiber/Drawing agents.  Fiber not only serves as food for the probiotics, but also draws and facilitates the elimination of no longer required, hormones, excess sugar, cholesterol and toxins from the body. Some choices to consider are; Grain Brans such as; Rice Bran… and/or Seeds such as; Flax, Hemp and/or Psyllium Husks.  

Now comes the creative part.  The following is a variety of options, depending on your personal preference, taste being one of them… i mean, it’s gotta taste okay, right, especially when kids are involved; they can be fussy.  I like to add a scoop or two of a quality Protein powder… flavoured or unflavoured, depending on the other ingredients on the menu.  I personally prefer a flavoured Protein, especially if you are going to be adding some of the following super greens; they tend to hijack the taste show in a not so good way, so to speak.  Some highly concentrated greens to consider are; Alfalfa powder, Wheat or Barley Grass powder, Spiralina, Blue-green Algae, Chlorella or Moringa, to name but a few of the more common ones.  You’d have to consume mega salads daily to match the punch that just a few tablespoons of any of the aforementioned, super greens can offer.   Next, i’d be looking for one or several types of Berries… one million bears can’t be wrong… there’s a pretty good reason why they stock up on these little power houses in the fall.   Berries are not only chock full of vitamins and minerals, but also Antioxidants, Flavonoids and (natural) cellular available, Vit-C… emphasis on the natural, cellular available.  Most of the so called, Vit-C on the store shelves is not even remotely close to the complex structured, Vit-C as nature provides.  This is not to allude that the Vit-C on the shelves offers no health benefits; only that it is not the same component of Vit-C as is found in fruit and berries, in particular.  I’d best leave that subject alone; the Vit-C (ascorbic acid) market is pretty big; i wouldn’t want to piss anybody off.  However; your berries can be added fresh, frozen or in powder form, again; in whatever amount and variety you should prefer.  Some choices to consider are; Rosehips, Camu, Amla, Acerola, Goji, Blueberries, Cranberries, to name but a few.

Last but not least; you might wanna consider adding fat.  As previously mentioned; healthy fats do not make you fat… unhealthy fats do!   Some of the aforementioned sources of fiber (especially the seeds), will already be supplying a portion of our much needed, healthy fats, known as; EFA (Essential Fatty Acids). Some choices to consider are; Hemp, Flax, Fish Oil, Evening Primrose, Olive, Coconut, Borage… again… aim for organic as much as possible.

Other power foods to consider are; Apple Cider Vinegar or an equivalent fermented item such as; Molkosan and/or Biotta Vegetable juices.  Nutritional Yeast, Blackstrap Molasses, and/or Barley Malt are excellent sources of protein and B vitamins; just a tablespoon of any can yield big benefits.  One of my personal favorites is a product called; Biostrath.  Biostrath is  a uniquely processed concoction of approximately 29 different herbs, which have been rendered down in a unique process, rendering it readily available to the cells.  It’s also a great source of natural B vitamins… a real bonus.  It is available in several formats; tablet, tincture and syrup; just a few doses each day can offer some pretty impressive results.

Try tossing in a few tablespoons of Bee pollen… 1 trillion bees can’t be wrong. ***Caution with bee pollen if you have allergies… you may want to try a little on your tongue first.  And last but not least; one or several herbs can also be added to your shake as well.  Some examples to consider are; Maca, Licorice, Milk Thistle, Turmeric and/or Ginger.

I’d suggest that you experiment by adding one or two of each group of listed items to your shake at a time, bearing in mind that; taste is a motivator and so make it appetizing, especially when it comes to kids.  It certainly beats feeding your kids mainline, refined cereals and toxic milk with sugar for breakfast, in my opinion.  Drink up… I’m sure you will feel the difference.

FAD DIETS AND CONTROVERSIAL FOODS:

I’ve been involved in the Natural Health retail industry for over 18 years now and i can tell you this; there is no shortage of opinions… special diets; they come and then they go; it’s a revolving trend.  It’s not my place to criticize any of these diets, for there are pros-n-cons and common sense to each of them, it seems; it’s up to you to apply your own commonsense and experience to those opinions/diets in the end… let’s investigate.

I’ve researched… and in some cases personally experimented with the following diet programs; vegetarian and/or vegan diet, low carb, high protein diets (Atkins), high fat diet (Ketogenic), hunter/gatherer diet (Paleo), dairy and/or gluten free diets, and then of course; diets to match your blood type.  Most all of these programs advertise; ‘lose mega extra pounds and/or feel great,’ a real marketing hook, in my opinion.  What so often happens though is that people give it the ol college try for several months… and many even get favorable results; howbeit, they eventually slip back into their old diet and life style all over again… and then beat themselves up with this nagging feeling that they failed; and now have to succumb to a life sentence of dreaded obesity.

The good side of it was that no one died… that i was aware of, anyway.  I can still recall the Atkins Diet back 15 ish years ago; this was a bigggy, where the focus was to avoid carbohydrates, grains in particular, and to consume more protein and some healthy fats.  This program graced the store shelves for a year or so, followed by many other programs; all sorts of interesting formulations; however; each and every one of them eventually faded to that of a bad memory and we were back to… reading books like mine to learn the ins and outs of health.  Now, it’s the Ketone Diet.  This program is similar to the Atkins Diet, but focuses seriously on the the consumption of fats.  The idea is to coerce the body into burning/utilizing fat for energy/sustenance rather than its normal function of utilizing glucose for energy; fat instead of sugar… got it?

Gare’s opinion; according my research and experience, it all boils down to one thing; balance.  Balance is one of the rules that govern our body.  It’s been my experience that a variety of food is the best way to go; the body doesn’t require a lot of anything; rather it needs a little of everything.  Consequently, most all of these diets violate that rule; they tend to leave out a food category or two and at the same time stack up on a specific category of food.  You have to ask yourself what hoops your body might have to jump through to facilitate this change.  Oh… it will manage alright; we were truly wonderfully made; however, is it going to be a good show or will it be a circus in the end… ugh… bring on the clowns.  Bear in mind our little chats about the microbiome in the GI Tract; that it is the arrangement of microbial furniture that determines how you feel, think and act.  You’re inadvertently going to be rearranging that.  Sometimes it’s a good move but other times not so good.  One piece of advice i will confidently offer is to do it slowly and steadily rather than fast and furiously.  That way you can monitor how it is going; learn to read your body.

Most of these diets revolve around the abstinence of carbohydrates, for example.  According to my research and experience, carbs are made out to be a demon when in fact they are not; it’s the type of carbs that people are consuming that are causing the problems, specifically; that are causing the glycemic index to fly off the charts.  There’s a difference between carbs in their natural format and refined carbs such as that found in boxed cereals, carb snacks etc.  Nature’s package of grains contains ingredients such as, protein, fat, sugar and fiber, along with mega co factors.  It comes in this neat little package for a reason.  It is designed to facilitate digestion… to make the substance identifiable, absorbable and usable by the body.  If you recall our little chat about signature; how our body cells have been designed to look for it and work accordingly; the problem comes when you separate that package; scramble its signature as often happens within the commercial arena with food.

For example, simply removing the fiber from a plant will render the sugar an uncontrolled threat to the body; the sugar will then be released into the bloodstream far too abruptly, which will initiate an insulin response.  Again; it’s one of the laws governing our body; maintaining balance (homeostasis).  Fiber is present in plants for the purpose of slowing down a release of the sugars contained in them, thereby allowing the body an opportunity to utilize it… or to dispose of it appropriately.

I was a vegetarian many years back; my breakfast consisted of a bowl of raw, whole grain cereal.  I’d soak raw oats or barley flakes, apricots, raisins, nuts and seed overnight in raw cow’s milk.  I was a rough and tuff logger at the time in the cold of winter and this simple breakfast provided more than enough energy to endure the intense workload that goes with the trade.

Similarly, removing the enzymes from food is going to create a problem, as well.  It’ll render the food a chore to process.  Refining any food, whether it be by heating, micro-waving and/or altering (GMO), more often than not will destroy the enzymes.  Most all commercially produced food is enzyme deplete, hence why it can remain on the store shelf for ions without perishing… a sure tell-tale sign of a bad choice of food.

Please pay attention to two agents; fiber and enzymes; i perceive their absence to be a biggg part of the reason for our degenerating health… why there is so much obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardio issues, to mention but a few.  For example; hogs that are fed raw potatoes with the enzymes present, will maintain a normal weight and some will even lose weight; however, when fed cooked potatoes, they will gain weight.  Of course you can guess what kind of potatoes commercial hog farms are not going to be feeding their pigs.  Actually, they won’t be feeding them potatoes at all, rather they feed them corn and/or soy, the same as all livestock are fed… why these foods?  They’re cheap and are big time weight gainers… instant fat storage agents, and therefore; they’ll render a big $$$ at an auction… a sad but true fact.

As mentioned, the Ketone diet is the new kid on the block, although it’s not really the first time around; 1 million Eskimos can’t be wrong… ‘kill the fatted seal and whale‘ was the so called; bread and butter of the Eskimos for years.   The Keto diet used to be the fix for neuro related diseases such as Epilepsy and Parkinsons, many years back.  The general idea behind this particular diet was to force the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose.  Needless to say; this is the connection that attracted so many.  The Ketone diet somewhat resembles the Atkins diet; high protein and no carbs; howbeit, there is a strong emphasis on the consumption of fats with the Ketone formulation.  The question is; does it work… and is it safe?  Well it depends on who you ask.  Some credible researchers will hi-five it while others will thumb it down, hence why you’ll have to research for yourself and apply some common sense to get to the truth of the matter.

The main controversy… and my personal concern revolves around the liver and pancreas… how these organs might deal with a high fat intake.  Our liver is quite a multi-tasker; it’ll perform all sorts of maneuvers to keep things running smooth.  One researcher claims that a high fat diet seriously taxes the liver, that it’ll cause mega bile production and then some, in order to avert the blood from being saturated with too much fat, a recipe for cellular oxygen deprivation… apparently.  Consequently, the liver will draw from its pancreatic enzyme reserves for extra lipase (enzyme) to dissolve the excess fat.  Furthermore; it will draw from its mineral reserves, specifically sodium and calcium in an effort to buffer the extreme acidity resulting from high fat intake… hmm… maybe that is where all of our calcium is going.  I dunno, but what i do know is that too much of anything… and/or too fast, regardless of whether it be a good thing or a bad thing is going to challenge our body’s balancing program, and so whatever you’re doing, do it slow and steady… and monitor how you’re feeling.  Your body will surely let you know if something is wrong sooner than later.

Here’s a little bit of technology (fat) for you to chew on… some of you… others, i’m sure would rather just spit it out.  More specifically, the controversy appears to revolve around insulin, the hormone, responsible for unlocking and transporting glucose.  Here’s the conundrum; insulin apparently blocks the production of lipase, an enzyme required to dissolve and convert fat into ketones; furthermore, one researcher claims that this insulin production must be completely turned off if this diet is going to even work at all.  The same researcher goes on to say; just abstaining from sugar and carbs is not enough to completely turn off that insulin factor; as long as the body is finding ways to utilize glucose, and insulin is being generated, then the diet is going to be compromised.  Yet another researcher claims that both fats and proteins will trigger insulin production… the main ingredients in the Keto diet just happen to be… fats… sugar… protein.  Ugh… it’s all so complicated… let me out already!

Perhaps we should ask the Eskimo; they used to consume raw seal, whale and caribou with very little of anything else… emphasis on; ‘used to,’ for now they’re lining up at those dang Fast Food outlets that are poisoning us all.  I still perceive the key to much of it being the ‘raw‘ factor; at least this would provide the enzymes to deal with the high fats and proteins.

Ok, so you’re condemned… er… i mean… committed to this Keto diet and so how can we make it work.  First of all; what types and formats of fat are you consuming?  Not all fats are created equal; there are good fats and bad fats.  The bad fats are seriously woven into our food chain along with mega sugar and MSG etc, and so one has to shop smart in order to beat the odds.  Secondly, how’s your enzyme reserves?  Remember; heating and/or micro wave cooking destroys enzymes.  Tossing a schwack of processed fat and protein down the gullet, void of enzymes is going to seriously tax your enzyme reserves.   Furthermore, according to the one researcher, your liver is going to be producing bile biggg time, to which i’d have to agree with.  The suggestion that the liver would also be drawing from its mineral reserves (calcium) to buffer the extreme acidity created by the high fat intake also makes sense and so you won’t wanna be running out of raw materials required to produce the bile etc, right?

Another thing to consider is that too much fat deprives the blood, and eventually the cells of vital oxygen and so the body will be finding ways to change/alter this program.  One of the ways it does this is by shoveling the excess fat into the lymphatic system, which may create immune issues.  Lastly; if you were consuming these foods in their raw format then you’d be getting the required enzymes with it, but as soon as you heat and/or process these foods, then your body has to conjure up these enzymes, hence why I seriously promote supplementing with them.  Better still; add probiotics and fiber to that supplement list… as none of these are in our food chain anymore.  Albeit, i’ve heard many testify to losing mega weight with this diet and so it is worth investigating, for sure.

Special diet programs are one thing, the controversies regarding specific foods is another; suffice it say that it can be downright confusing and/or discouraging.  The problem is that much of this controversy comes from credible sources… with some credible points and arguments… ugh… i so hate that.  Nonetheless, we all want to know the truth and so we may as well get down to sorting out the facts from the myths, i suppose.

I’ve always been an advocate of, ‘go natural,’ and that all would be well.  Conversely, messing with nature’s perfect little package whether that be; genetically altering or inundating such with chemicals, is a recipe for trouble in my opinion.  Nature’s menu includes vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds and grains… and even animal products, provided such was relatively chemical free and properly fed.  Some researchers go so far as to target specific types of these natural foods to be… well… not a good food choice at all… go figure!  Let’s investigate.  One researcher in particular seriously scrutinizes nature’s garden in a book called, ‘Plant Paradox.’  I would normally not recommend this book to the novice in the natural health arena unless you were struggling with a serious health issue to no avail.  It’s not that the book contains false information, but more so that it can too easily induce some serious confusion/discouragement when it comes to food choices.  In other words, it can create more disease in your life than offer any resolution.  Conversely; if you have been exposed to mega natural health information already, then you will at least be in a better position to sort out the facts from the myths so as to be empowered by it.

Hmm… somehow that caution resembled that of placing a bowl of jelly beans smack in the middle of a day care center and warning the kids to stay away from it… cause it might cause a tummy ache… ugh!  Like that works.  Nonetheless, i do feel it to be quite important to share knowledge with somebody who is receptive and able to receive such, otherwise it might serve to overwhelm and confuse them… the very opposite of what natural health is supposed to be all about.

Enough apologies already; i’ll quote a sample from the book; The Plant Paradox.  Bear in mind; i am not saying that i agree with this researcher, i’m merely sharing the information with you so you can test the waters of; Lake Natural Health.  He says; all plants have a built in defense mechanism; they contain a poison called, lectins that is designed to discourage predators from eating them… hmm… that would be you and me.  These lectins are not man made chemicals but more so; natural occurring poisons, emphasis on the word, ‘natural.  In other words, everything that you’re eating, be it from the garden or growing natural out in the field is laced with a poison to varying degrees.

There; now how does that make you feel when eating your fresh green garden salad?  I tried to warn you… but hey… don’t lose sight of your status in the food chain; you never evolved to the dominate species out there by accident.  Howbeit; the author, who happens to be a cardio surgeon and a very knowledgeable dietician, declares that the reason so many are plagued with disease today has much to do with this fact.

His claim wasn’t all bad news; he goes on to say that our body has been designed to tolerate these poisons/lectins… again, to varying degrees.  This is why some people can eat peanuts and have no adverse reaction while for others it can be a 911 scenario.  The same goes with gluten, a protein (lectin) found in grains; there are those who experience no woes to speak of while others will experience mild to serious digestive discomfort whenever they eat certain grains, hence today’s popular, ‘gluten free’ diet.

The same author also targets corn and soy in particular, which just happen to be two of the main foods fed to most all livestock in North America, anyway.  I’m not surprised to read his opinion as very many health researchers agree with this as being a woe to our food chain.   Much of it has to do with the GMO (genetically modified) factor.  Both corn and soy more often than not, have been genetically altered.  The problem is; even if you avoid eating these substances, you’ll be getting them indirectly when you consume animal products… a plus for vegetarians.  Why are these foods such a preference for livestock?  They’re cheap and they’re fattening.  Soy has yet another woe factor, it is a long time suspected hormone disrupter, as well.  ***Refer to section entitled, ‘Endocrine System (hormones)‘ for more detailed information on Soy.

Those were some of the more popular controversial foods mentioned in his books, the following list of foods will surprise, if not shock you… it did me.  Again, i’m not necessarily agreeing with the opinions associated with much of the following controversies, i’m just laying it out for you to decide; i’ll try to be gentle about it so you’re not overwhelmed with too much baaaddd news.  The Plant Paradox author goes on to suggest that consuming fruits and berries is like eating candy.  Apparently, the body will revert to fat storage mode when mega fruit is consumed.  He bases much of his theory on how bears stock up on berries etc every autumn just prior to hibernation in order to build up their fat reserves.  What-do-ya-think… are bears fat when crawling off into a cave for winter… or not?

Personally speaking, i could almost accept his theory… almost; i mean, the fact that fruit and berries ripen in the late summer to early fall… in the northern hemisphere anyway, where we have four distinguished seasons and all, suggests that it might be a seasonal food designed by nature to prep us for the long cold winter months and all; however, what about the southern hemisphere, where there is just one season and where fruit is so plentiful and a staple in the diet like… all year around?  Are these people over weight?  I don’t believe so and so you see; you have to apply common sense and critical thinking to whatever… they tell us.  Hmm… i suppose that could apply to my opinions as well.

It is undeniable that there is sugar in fruit; however, nature always provides food in neat little packages.  For example fruit will have a schwack of vitamins, minerals, sugar and fiber.  The fiber is a key part of this package, for sure.  The problems begin again… when we take nature’s package apart, such as what often happens with juicing fruit.  In this case, the fiber is often separated in the process and no longer available.  As mentioned, the reason fiber is in nature’s package is to discourage a rapid intro of sugar into the blood stream; this would create an insulin response.  As the saying goes; for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.  The fiber carries the sugar along for a ways, releasing it slowwwwly as it goes on down the line.  I personally experienced this effect; i used to grow and juice my own wheatgrass, which is loaded with chlorophyll and all sorts of valuable nutrients; however, it is also very, very sweet; high in sugar.  Consequently, i experienced a hyperglycemic episode whenever i indulged in a shooter of the rich green stuff.  It all ended when i added a half teaspoon of psyllium husks to the juice.

The moral of the story is; if you’re going to separate nature’s package then be prepared to pay the price.  Albeit, you’ll have to make your own mind up regarding fruit… as for me; i do adhere to the concept of eating fruits/berries that are in season and common to one’s environment, but i wouldn’t be too quick to write up a health warning on abstaining from fruit altogether.  You’re allowed to your opinion too, but you’ll have to write your own book to share it.  Furthermore; bears are fat in the late fall because of everything they’ve been eating lots of; not just berries.

Another controversy from the same book revolves around the nightshade family of vegetables.  Apparently these types of veggies contain stronger lectins and therefore should be avoided, especially if one is experiencing GI discomfort or organ malfunction.  Some examples of the nightshade family are; Potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes.  Incidentally, many of these so called, vegetables are really fruit and so now you have two reasons to avoid them… ugh… if you’re not careful, you’ll be climbing down the food chain and hiding from of a dumb ol squash for fear of being… i dunno… squashed?

Gare’s opinion; regarding the night shade family of vegetables; if you are presently experiencing digestive issues and bodily malfunctions, then it may be a wise protocol to temporarily abstain from them for a while and carefully monitor the results.  I have been challenged with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and have personally noticed that certain foods do tend to stir things up, resulting in inflammation; however, i indulge in them regardless of the fact. Why would i do that?  My special diet is… well… out of this world… literally.  Allow me to explain.

My philosophy and focus in life revolves around faith… not fear.  I believe that my food… all my food… is blessed.  The bible states that i shall consume poisons and it will not harm me.  Don’t go and read into that a license to abuse my body with poisons and expect it all to be okay; there are spiritual rules as there are physical one’s running this world.  Secondly, i respect the rule of balance; too much of anything will have the potential of rocking… and some times tipping a boat.  Thirdly; i will eat whatever is put before me… in moderation of course.  If somebody made an effort to prepare food for me, the least i can do is to eat it and be thankful.  However; as with most of us, there are some foods that will seriously challenge one’s gag reflex and so i’t be best to apologetically opt out on indulging i suppose.  It’s better that than throwing up all over the dinner table, right?  Pureed liver was one of those dishes that i was challenged with years ago.  I won’t go there; it upsets my wife to this day.

Another dietary choice is Food combining.  I’ve bin-there-dun-that as well.  There are degrees of food combining; it can be mildly adhered to or seriously radical, as was the case with me.  I was once so obsessed with eating simple… like… as in one type of food at a time that eating became nothing short of boring, almost to the point of; ‘why bother’… ugh!  Mixing various types of food may pose some digestive challenges to some and offer some benefits to others.  You’ll have to draw your own lines with that one; however, make sure that that line doesn’t run… ruin… your life, okay?

Overall, i’d suggest that you experiment for yourself; again… learn to read your body, and adjust your food choices accordingly.   Personally speaking, i have found that consuming fruit/berries… especially melons with heavier foods like meat and pasta, creates noticeable digestion discomfort to varying degrees.   Bear in mind that many vegetables are actually fruits and/or melons according to their characteristics; such is the case with tomatoes and cucumbers.  Nonetheless, if i was to indulge in something like cantaloupe along with a heavy carb and/or protein meal then i’d be burping up cantaloupe for the rest of the evening, not to mention feeling some serious bloating as a result.  There’s a logical explanation for this; melons in particular tend to digest extremely fast; consequently; if such was to remain in the stomach for too long a period of time such as would be the case when shoveling down pounds of meat and potatoes or the likes along with it, then it just stands to reason that the melons would… well… ferment.  Of course, fermentation generates carbon dioxide gas, hence why you’d bloat.  However; in some cases, fruits/melons can actually compliment a heavy meat and potato type of meal.  Bromelain (Pineapple) and/or Papaya, for example offer exceptional digestive aid  for… heavy protein in particular; therefore the moral of the story is; mixing fruit with carbs and/or protein is not a hard pressed rule, just a guideline.  Again; ‘learn to read your body and govern yourself accordingly.

Another ‘no mix’ food combining duo is; carbs and proteins; it’s like i said, there are degrees to food combining.  Some researchers will criticize the combining of carbs and proteins… ugh… baadddd news for hamburger lovers… or spaghetti and meatball advocates… heck, it’d be bad news for most any popular meal enjoyed here in North America.   Take your average fast-food grab-n-dash meal of a hamburger with fries; i know it tastes good and it may not bother some people, however, here’s an inside view of how the body deals with it.  Carbs… be it a bun or fries, tend to push the glycemic index (raise blood sugar), which inspires an insulin response.  You may not think it to be a big sugar fix but apparently it is equivalent to ingesting four-ish tbspns of sugar… or so it’s been said, anyway.  Meanwhile, the meat portion of your dash-n-grab, be it a hamburger or chicken, takes a lot longer to digest and so the remains of it will enter the bloodstream at a much later interval.  Here’s the problem; apparently, your cells have already received a biggg gulp of sugar from the carb portion of your din-dins, which signals your body that it already has sufficient calories and so it conveniently converts the protein into sugar; howbeit; guess where that goes… it gets stored as fat.  I dunno… if that is indeed fact, then perhaps that might have something to do with today’s weight gain epidemic… might have.

And then there is the converse approach to food combining.  You’re probably suspecting me to be a serious rabble rouser, just searching for controversies to piss you off by now.  Well… that’s really far from my intentions; if nothing else, it’ll hopefully get you to figurin things out for yourself.  Anyway, some foods will compliment one another; some combos enhance digestion, such as was the case with meat and papaya and pineapple, and other times, a combination will offer a more complete protein package as is the case with beans and rice.  It sounds good, especially if you happened to be a vegetarian; however, my take on it is that our body is equipped to handle more than we give it credit for.  I don’t believe that it is reliant on what immediately comes down the pike at one time for balance and/or sustenance, rather… it has its resources, one of them being that it stores many co factors and so is seldom stuck to make a complete anything, generally speaking; there may be exceptions to this rule as well, i suppose.  Nonetheless; hopefully that will relieve some pressure from your ‘do… don’t mix’ list.

What about; ‘eating right for your blood type; is this a legit dietary routine to pursue?  Much of this concept seems to have originated from a laboratory.  It’s my opinion is that your body is quite flexible and adaptive, again… far more than we give it credit for.  If you were to rely solely on an outside guideline regarding what is best for your body, then you might miss the inward signals, something your body might be trying to tell you.  It’s better known as instinct/intuition; you might intuitively desire a specific food because your body is in serious need of what it has to offer.  As mentioned, your gut has a brain; the foods that you’re craving has a lot to do with the type and arrangement of the microbiome in your GI tract.

FASTING:

Fasting can involve the abstinence from specific substances or it can be the abstinence from all food for a variety of time periods.  Some will choose to fast for spiritual reasons and others for physical health reasons, but regardless; it is an age ol therapy that yields huge benefits.  However, there are a few common sensible rules to be aware of if one wants to fast safely and effectively.   The long and short of it is that your body is going to take advantage of the digestive rest period and perform some serious maintenance.  The condition of one’s health prior to a fast is important, as the body’s idea of restoring balance is not always comfortable… sometimes it can be downright life threatening.  Those who are on heavy or multiple medications or who might be experiencing life threatening health issues should not consider fasting without guidance.  Some of the basic rules to follow when fasting are; ensure that you have adequate water, preferably energized water.  If nothing else, consider adding some organic lemon juice to the water and/or a pinch of Himalayan salt or equivalent.  Your body can use these bigtime as conductors of electricity; we are electrical in nature.  Secondly; I would personally opt to add a few natural health agents to a fast just to help the body along especially if it was for health reasons. Three agents that come to mind are; probiotics, fiber/drawing agents and digestive enzymes.  Why these agents?  These gems in particular are essential tools; it’s much like a broom dustpan and wheel barrel would be to a yard cleaning protocol.  The probiotic and enzymes serve to dissolve/dismantle toxins and debris and the fiber/drawing agents serve to draw and transport the resulting &%^# from the body.  Third; sauna’s can be extremely helpful as would moderate activity for the same reason… to facilitate the elimination of toxins via the lymphatic system.  lastly; do not feast immediately after a fast… it’s better to fire up the digestive team slow and steady.

COMMON HEALTH QUERIES RELATED TO DIGESTION:

Refer to section entitled, ‘MISCELLANEOUS AILMENTS/AIDS‘ for detailed information on common health queries… listed alphabetically.

ACID-REFLUX, CONSTIPATION, COLITIS, DIABETES, IBS, DIVERTICULITIS, GALL BLADDER, LIVER CLEANSE, METABOLISM and then some…