Below you will find a way to build your own USDA Diet Pyramid based on age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity. The emphasis from the USDA is now grains, vegetables and fruit. The meat and bean group for my personal criteria ended up being only 5 to 5.5 ounces depending on my exercise level. That includes nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and all legumes, as well as meat, fish and poultry. This is quite different from the old food pyramid we grew up with. If we're not careful to watch our intake we can use up our entire day's worth of food from this category in one sitting.
This is really fun to do for the kids. A few months ago, I printed a bunch of different ones for the pre-schoolers in our homeschool group and was able to personalize them for each child with their names on them.
I don't necessarily endorse all of the recommendations on the pyramid, but it is a big improvement from the old one and will result in improved health. Have fun!
http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx
All for God's Glory,
Miriam Moss
About Me
- Miriam
- I have a health ministry for friends, family, and health lovers world-wide. I choose natural options whenever possible and avoid chemicals, food additives, etc. even in my cosmetics. I eat mostly organic whole foods. You’ll find lots of healthy recipes and great health research on this site.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The little strip of paper that can save your life for less than $10 - Test your Ph!
Conversations between an oncologist and a woman with an inoperable cancer tumor:
The woman asked him these questions after he pumped her full of chemo and radiation and then gave her a death sentence anyway. However, the tumor disappeared within about two months of her making diet changes, and he still thought she would die. That was eight years ago and she remains cancer-free (full story on: http://www.hacres.com/testimonies/testimonies.asp?TestId=1421):
My first question: Is it true that if I have an alkaline pH level, cancer cannot survive in my body?
My oncologist said: That’s true.
My second question: Is it true that if I have a lot of oxygen in my body, cancer cannot survive?
My oncologist said: Yes, that’s true.
My third question: Is it true that cancer feeds on sugar?
My oncologist said: Yes, that’s true.
Here is an easy way to test your Ph levels at home:
Body Rescue pH Testing Tape -- 1 Roll
$7.69
http://www.vitacost.com/body-rescue-ph-testing-tape
Use this code to get $10 OFF your FIRST ORDER from Vitacost:
http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralCode=90197996
Water should have a healthy Ph level but most waters are too acidic. Here's a cheap solution for alkalizing your water and helping to keep your body alkaline:
Body Rescue pH Protector Drops
http://www.vitacost.com/body-rescue-ph-protector-drops/?atf=1
By the way, potassium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) help make your body more alkaline. The ideal way to make your body alkaline is through diet, but this remedy can help save your life while you are transitioning to an alkaline diet. Of the two, potassium bicarbonate is better because you avoid excess sodium. Some people are using 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per day in a glass of water for maintenance. Others are using higher quantities temporarily for quick healing as recommended by their alternative doctors. I use it on occasion when my Ph gets acidic after indulging in animal products. My Dad told me that my grandmother in Cuba used baking soda daily in her water and is now in her 90s without any major illness.
You can get aluminum-free baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) cheap here:
http://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-aluminum-free-baking-soda
You can get potassium bicarbonate cheap here:
http://www.homebrewers.com/product/6359B/Potassium_Bicarbonate.html?gclid=CJGCiO_3v5kCFQVuswoduALktg
Also here's an amazing product that works quickly to balance Ph with the correct ratios of the various bicarbonates, etc.
http://www.vitaminscripts.com/nema-base-120-tablets-by-marco-pharma.aspx
So what should your Ph test strips be showing? Well, there are many different opinions on this. The only thing everyone agrees on is that blood ph needs to be between 7.35-7.40. However, when it comes to urine ph and saliva ph you will find so much opposing info. Many so-called health experts say that both uring and saliva need to be at 7.4 just like the blood, and then they try to sell you equipment to make your urine more alkaline, like water ionizers. So far the most logical explanation I've seen is in the article below, which says that "In people with vibrant health, normal urine pH is about 5.8; normal saliva pH is about 7." The doctor who wrote this article says that the urine is the mechanism by which the kidneys remove acid from the blood to protect it. And that saliva reflects our alkaline reserve. Therefore, they need to be different. For the past several years since I jumped on the health bandwagon this is where I've been testing, but I thought that something was wrong with me because my urine ph was too low based on the 7.4 claim. Now I can relax. It really does make so much sense!
http://www.vsan.org/rok-az/ndf/Revised_pH_Management.pdf
The woman asked him these questions after he pumped her full of chemo and radiation and then gave her a death sentence anyway. However, the tumor disappeared within about two months of her making diet changes, and he still thought she would die. That was eight years ago and she remains cancer-free (full story on: http://www.hacres.com/testimonies/testimonies.asp?TestId=1421):
My first question: Is it true that if I have an alkaline pH level, cancer cannot survive in my body?
My oncologist said: That’s true.
My second question: Is it true that if I have a lot of oxygen in my body, cancer cannot survive?
My oncologist said: Yes, that’s true.
My third question: Is it true that cancer feeds on sugar?
My oncologist said: Yes, that’s true.
Here is an easy way to test your Ph levels at home:
Body Rescue pH Testing Tape -- 1 Roll
$7.69
http://www.vitacost.com/body-rescue-ph-testing-tape
Use this code to get $10 OFF your FIRST ORDER from Vitacost:
http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralCode=90197996
Water should have a healthy Ph level but most waters are too acidic. Here's a cheap solution for alkalizing your water and helping to keep your body alkaline:
Body Rescue pH Protector Drops
http://www.vitacost.com/body-rescue-ph-protector-drops/?atf=1
By the way, potassium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) help make your body more alkaline. The ideal way to make your body alkaline is through diet, but this remedy can help save your life while you are transitioning to an alkaline diet. Of the two, potassium bicarbonate is better because you avoid excess sodium. Some people are using 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per day in a glass of water for maintenance. Others are using higher quantities temporarily for quick healing as recommended by their alternative doctors. I use it on occasion when my Ph gets acidic after indulging in animal products. My Dad told me that my grandmother in Cuba used baking soda daily in her water and is now in her 90s without any major illness.
You can get aluminum-free baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) cheap here:
http://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-aluminum-free-baking-soda
You can get potassium bicarbonate cheap here:
http://www.homebrewers.com/product/6359B/Potassium_Bicarbonate.html?gclid=CJGCiO_3v5kCFQVuswoduALktg
Also here's an amazing product that works quickly to balance Ph with the correct ratios of the various bicarbonates, etc.
http://www.vitaminscripts.com/nema-base-120-tablets-by-marco-pharma.aspx
So what should your Ph test strips be showing? Well, there are many different opinions on this. The only thing everyone agrees on is that blood ph needs to be between 7.35-7.40. However, when it comes to urine ph and saliva ph you will find so much opposing info. Many so-called health experts say that both uring and saliva need to be at 7.4 just like the blood, and then they try to sell you equipment to make your urine more alkaline, like water ionizers. So far the most logical explanation I've seen is in the article below, which says that "In people with vibrant health, normal urine pH is about 5.8; normal saliva pH is about 7." The doctor who wrote this article says that the urine is the mechanism by which the kidneys remove acid from the blood to protect it. And that saliva reflects our alkaline reserve. Therefore, they need to be different. For the past several years since I jumped on the health bandwagon this is where I've been testing, but I thought that something was wrong with me because my urine ph was too low based on the 7.4 claim. Now I can relax. It really does make so much sense!
http://www.vsan.org/rok-az/ndf/Revised_pH_Management.pdf
Organic pasta from Amazon.com with free shipping (great prices) and some are gluten-free
I just bought these recently and am very happy with them. They are much cheaper than at Publix and health food stores. Also, the variety of these grains are not even available at Publix. These are great supergrains without fillers like corn flour, etc. I will probably try other grains in the future, but in the meantime these are the best ones so far. Quinoa is gluten-free. Kamut is not gluten-free but contains a different kind of gluten than whole wheat that is much more digestible and can be tolerated by many people who cannot tolerate regular gluten.
1 "Eden Organic Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair, 100% Whole Grain, 12-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)"
Grocery; $15.69 ($2.61 per box)
1 "Eden Organic Pasta Spirals, Kamut Vegetable, 12-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)"
Grocery; $16.77 ($2.79 per box)
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
All for God's Glory,
Miriam Moss
1 "Eden Organic Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair, 100% Whole Grain, 12-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)"
Grocery; $15.69 ($2.61 per box)
1 "Eden Organic Pasta Spirals, Kamut Vegetable, 12-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)"
Grocery; $16.77 ($2.79 per box)
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
All for God's Glory,
Miriam Moss
DENTAL RELATIONSHIP TO Hormone Imblalances and other Illnesses (serious stuff)
http://www.awakeninghealth.com/index.asp?id=16
DENTAL RELATIONSHIP TO HORMONE IMBALANCES
In Germany, England and many other countries, the teeth can be a focal disturbance and the cause of any disease including fibroids, cysts, tumors and endocrine problems. The teeth are energetically connected to organs and glands through an acupuncture meridian correspondence. Hormones can be severely affected by root canals, abscesses, dissimilar metals, mercury toxicity and a bio incompatibility of dental materials. Therefore, it is important to address all dental stress on patients.
http://tuberose.com/meridians.html
Teeth
Every organ and every part of your body is directly linked to a specific tooth or area of the mouth via these meridians, or energy highways. This connection is so strong that a biological dentist can often accurately "guess" your dental history simply by reviewing your physical symptoms. Root canals create disturbing energetic roadblocks in the body which short-circuit essential pathways leading to the breakdown of proper organ function. If a person has a weak organ, a root canal performed on the associated meridian tooth will make it more problematic. Balancing and strengthening the organ can allow a person to handle it temporarily.
http://www.greggmckenzie.com/pages/DoctorRay.html
The Mouth
The mouth is a source of ill health in three distinct aspects. Firstly and quite obviously, Mercury Silver Amalgam fillings, secondly, root canal operations and more generally tooth removal.
Amalgam fillings are a no-no and the white resin ones should be used instead. If molars need refilling you might have to go the whole hog and pay for porcelain inserts to be made and cemented in with white resin. Mercury is the most toxic metal known to man, yet the word is that when combined with silver, it bonds so tightly that nothing can escape. Well that's shite! Mercury has a 'half life' of forty years - that means as much as half may have decayed and been released as vapour in this time. Sure, it's combined with silver before going into the mouth but much of it will still decay over the years. Dr. Ray's research shows that the safe level of mercury exposure permitted in industry in a 40 hour week can be achieved in 10 seconds of chewing! If you have more than eight fillings, you must be checked to see if your immune system has responded to mercury toxicity. Again, you can't trust your Doctor or Dentist on this one as they have been lead to believe that mercury can be tolerated and in the case of Dentists, most have spent their entire career putting the stuff in, believing it to be safe! Dentists themselves are exposed to Mercury vapour as they mix it there in front of you in a small mortar and pestle. Dentists have the highest level of alcoholism, suicide and broken marriages in the medical profession!
I grew up in New Zealand where every primary and intermediate school has a Dental clinic right there on the school grounds. But it turns out that most of the dental nurses were qualified with only a diploma and were 'practising' putting fillings in children who were genuinely considered 'not be able to perceive pain'. I've seen this in writing! I was certainly able to perceive pain! The nickname for the dental clinic in N.Z. Schools is 'the murder house' and I have memories of endless drilling and pain! Remember, this is the days before high speed drills and Novocain. From the age of nine until fifteen I had no fewer than twenty three amalgam fillings put in my mouth by these Morons. After Orthodontic braces at twelve and a half I'd also had the front four Molars removed leaving me with 28 teeth and 23 fillings! At age 15 my physical problems began and my behaviour had also flipped out and I was expelled from school. I could have been a genius but I was relegated to sweeping out school busses, counting sheets of paper, marking out the running lanes on the sports field etc. etc. all during school time. At 13 I was tossed out of the school orchestra for two weeks while they did a tour of the north island, only to be asked back in on their return. I remember when I was 14 that a bunch of us tough, difficult kids were sent off for three days to a camp in the forest solely to clean up and paint the place. Now that's what I call edumacation!
The second cause of ill health through the mouth is root canal operations. These are where the dentist considers the nerve feeding the live tooth to be dead and so carves out a cavity, inserts a post and then remounts the original tooth in place. Big mistake! Teeth are alive and when you place them back in the mouth without the nerve feeding them, they turn grey, then black with bacteria and die. The minute passageways through the tooth, of which there are ten of thousands, change from being oxygen enriched or aerobic, to being anaerobic. That's why the teeth turn grey and this, in turn, is a continual source of bacteria which is breathed in. My brother's dentist was real clever. He drilled through the back of three of his front lower teeth and scooped out the nerves, putting in tidy little mercury/amalgam fillings. Well Stewart now has three grey (and getting blacker) front teeth which are a source of ill health for him and not too pretty either! A root canal operation should entail remodelling a porcelain replacement tooth and the original should never be put back in place.
The third source of ill health through the mouth is subtle but real. When we eat, the nerves are stimulated by chewing and each tooth (in it's matching quadrant) connects with eight meridians in the body. It may be okay to have the odd tooth removed but when you remove four of the same teeth e.g. the four front molars, you entirely remove the stimulation gained from chewing on that particular tooth's nerve and its corresponding meridian. Orthodontic braces, as I had when I reached puberty, normally requires removal of these front molars to make room for the front teeth to be pulled back. That means the stomach/bladder meridian gets zero stimulus. I've had stomach problems over the years but most crucially, at the age of 13 I started biting my fingernails but so seriously that they bled and caused pain. But quite inexplicably (until illuminated by Dr.Ray) I've gone for the fourth digit real bad! I have now for 27 years chewed this nail on both hands right back to the quick (sp?)! I have fingerprints formed 4 or 5 millimetres over the end of each finger but even further on the fourth digit. And I wish I could stop! The way your teeth meet when you close your mouth has a large bearing on your posture and physical gait. Most of my pain over the last twenty five years has been skeletal and muscular and I can't help but think that if these idiots weren't allowed to tinker with my mouth, much of it could have been avoided. I also feel that my teeth have gone back to their original position after the braces anyway! The treatment virtually bankrupted my (solo) mother and gave me two years of hassle at school. So consider it very carefully before believing the dental nurse and forcing it on your own young ones!
DENTAL RELATIONSHIP TO HORMONE IMBALANCES
In Germany, England and many other countries, the teeth can be a focal disturbance and the cause of any disease including fibroids, cysts, tumors and endocrine problems. The teeth are energetically connected to organs and glands through an acupuncture meridian correspondence. Hormones can be severely affected by root canals, abscesses, dissimilar metals, mercury toxicity and a bio incompatibility of dental materials. Therefore, it is important to address all dental stress on patients.
http://tuberose.com/meridians.html
Teeth
Every organ and every part of your body is directly linked to a specific tooth or area of the mouth via these meridians, or energy highways. This connection is so strong that a biological dentist can often accurately "guess" your dental history simply by reviewing your physical symptoms. Root canals create disturbing energetic roadblocks in the body which short-circuit essential pathways leading to the breakdown of proper organ function. If a person has a weak organ, a root canal performed on the associated meridian tooth will make it more problematic. Balancing and strengthening the organ can allow a person to handle it temporarily.
http://www.greggmckenzie.com/pages/DoctorRay.html
The Mouth
The mouth is a source of ill health in three distinct aspects. Firstly and quite obviously, Mercury Silver Amalgam fillings, secondly, root canal operations and more generally tooth removal.
Amalgam fillings are a no-no and the white resin ones should be used instead. If molars need refilling you might have to go the whole hog and pay for porcelain inserts to be made and cemented in with white resin. Mercury is the most toxic metal known to man, yet the word is that when combined with silver, it bonds so tightly that nothing can escape. Well that's shite! Mercury has a 'half life' of forty years - that means as much as half may have decayed and been released as vapour in this time. Sure, it's combined with silver before going into the mouth but much of it will still decay over the years. Dr. Ray's research shows that the safe level of mercury exposure permitted in industry in a 40 hour week can be achieved in 10 seconds of chewing! If you have more than eight fillings, you must be checked to see if your immune system has responded to mercury toxicity. Again, you can't trust your Doctor or Dentist on this one as they have been lead to believe that mercury can be tolerated and in the case of Dentists, most have spent their entire career putting the stuff in, believing it to be safe! Dentists themselves are exposed to Mercury vapour as they mix it there in front of you in a small mortar and pestle. Dentists have the highest level of alcoholism, suicide and broken marriages in the medical profession!
I grew up in New Zealand where every primary and intermediate school has a Dental clinic right there on the school grounds. But it turns out that most of the dental nurses were qualified with only a diploma and were 'practising' putting fillings in children who were genuinely considered 'not be able to perceive pain'. I've seen this in writing! I was certainly able to perceive pain! The nickname for the dental clinic in N.Z. Schools is 'the murder house' and I have memories of endless drilling and pain! Remember, this is the days before high speed drills and Novocain. From the age of nine until fifteen I had no fewer than twenty three amalgam fillings put in my mouth by these Morons. After Orthodontic braces at twelve and a half I'd also had the front four Molars removed leaving me with 28 teeth and 23 fillings! At age 15 my physical problems began and my behaviour had also flipped out and I was expelled from school. I could have been a genius but I was relegated to sweeping out school busses, counting sheets of paper, marking out the running lanes on the sports field etc. etc. all during school time. At 13 I was tossed out of the school orchestra for two weeks while they did a tour of the north island, only to be asked back in on their return. I remember when I was 14 that a bunch of us tough, difficult kids were sent off for three days to a camp in the forest solely to clean up and paint the place. Now that's what I call edumacation!
The second cause of ill health through the mouth is root canal operations. These are where the dentist considers the nerve feeding the live tooth to be dead and so carves out a cavity, inserts a post and then remounts the original tooth in place. Big mistake! Teeth are alive and when you place them back in the mouth without the nerve feeding them, they turn grey, then black with bacteria and die. The minute passageways through the tooth, of which there are ten of thousands, change from being oxygen enriched or aerobic, to being anaerobic. That's why the teeth turn grey and this, in turn, is a continual source of bacteria which is breathed in. My brother's dentist was real clever. He drilled through the back of three of his front lower teeth and scooped out the nerves, putting in tidy little mercury/amalgam fillings. Well Stewart now has three grey (and getting blacker) front teeth which are a source of ill health for him and not too pretty either! A root canal operation should entail remodelling a porcelain replacement tooth and the original should never be put back in place.
The third source of ill health through the mouth is subtle but real. When we eat, the nerves are stimulated by chewing and each tooth (in it's matching quadrant) connects with eight meridians in the body. It may be okay to have the odd tooth removed but when you remove four of the same teeth e.g. the four front molars, you entirely remove the stimulation gained from chewing on that particular tooth's nerve and its corresponding meridian. Orthodontic braces, as I had when I reached puberty, normally requires removal of these front molars to make room for the front teeth to be pulled back. That means the stomach/bladder meridian gets zero stimulus. I've had stomach problems over the years but most crucially, at the age of 13 I started biting my fingernails but so seriously that they bled and caused pain. But quite inexplicably (until illuminated by Dr.Ray) I've gone for the fourth digit real bad! I have now for 27 years chewed this nail on both hands right back to the quick (sp?)! I have fingerprints formed 4 or 5 millimetres over the end of each finger but even further on the fourth digit. And I wish I could stop! The way your teeth meet when you close your mouth has a large bearing on your posture and physical gait. Most of my pain over the last twenty five years has been skeletal and muscular and I can't help but think that if these idiots weren't allowed to tinker with my mouth, much of it could have been avoided. I also feel that my teeth have gone back to their original position after the braces anyway! The treatment virtually bankrupted my (solo) mother and gave me two years of hassle at school. So consider it very carefully before believing the dental nurse and forcing it on your own young ones!
Organic gluten-free candy anyone?!!!! Great alternative to the candy battle with our kids (great prices too)
Below are both candy drops and lollipops in mixed flavor packs. They also make individual flavor packs and many, many varieties, including pomegranate, orange, cherry, etc. (real fruit).
Candy drops:
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/69524 (don't forget to watch the cool video showing how it's made)
Lollipops:
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/69672
Healthy bacteria-fighting gum with Xylitol (good for prevention of ear infections):
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/52314
Candy drops:
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/69524 (don't forget to watch the cool video showing how it's made)
Lollipops:
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/69672
Healthy bacteria-fighting gum with Xylitol (good for prevention of ear infections):
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/52314
Common Medications Cause Elderly to Lose Thinking Skills - (it includes Zantac, Detrol, and certain high blood pressure meds)
Common Medications Cause Elderly to Lose Thinking Skills
From Natural News.com
A commonly prescribed class of drugs may cause elderly patients to slow down both mentally and physically, researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine have found.
Drugs in the anticholingeric family prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from binding to nerve cells. This slows down communication between the cells in the brain. The drugs are used to treat a variety of conditions, including acid reflux, high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence.
In one study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the researchers found that residents of nursing homes who were taking both dementia medication and an anticholingeric incontinence drug lost mental function 50 percent faster than patients taking only the dementia drugs.
"Over a year's time, the decline we observed would represent a resident going from requiring only limited assistance in an activity to being completely dependent," researcher Kaycee M. Sink said.
All study participants had taken dementia drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors, which increase levels of acetylcholine in the brain. Yet 10 percent were also taking a urinary incontinence drug in the anticholingeric family.
"The two drugs are pharmacological opposites," Sink noted.
In a second study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Washington, D.C., the researchers examined the physical effects of anticholinergics on elderly patients. They found that seniors who took anticholinergics were more likely to have more trouble walking and to walk more slowly than seniors not on the drugs.
"The results were true even in older adults who have normal memory and thinking abilities," Sink said. "For older adults taking a moderately anticholingeric medication, or two or more mildly anticholingeric medications, their function was similar to that of someone three or four years older."
The anticholinergics being taken included nifedipine (a blood pressure drug marketed as Adalat or Procardia), ranitidine (an acid reflux drug marketed as Zantac) and tolterodine (an incontinence drug marketed as Detrol).
Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.
From Natural News.com
A commonly prescribed class of drugs may cause elderly patients to slow down both mentally and physically, researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine have found.
Drugs in the anticholingeric family prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from binding to nerve cells. This slows down communication between the cells in the brain. The drugs are used to treat a variety of conditions, including acid reflux, high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence.
In one study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the researchers found that residents of nursing homes who were taking both dementia medication and an anticholingeric incontinence drug lost mental function 50 percent faster than patients taking only the dementia drugs.
"Over a year's time, the decline we observed would represent a resident going from requiring only limited assistance in an activity to being completely dependent," researcher Kaycee M. Sink said.
All study participants had taken dementia drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors, which increase levels of acetylcholine in the brain. Yet 10 percent were also taking a urinary incontinence drug in the anticholingeric family.
"The two drugs are pharmacological opposites," Sink noted.
In a second study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Washington, D.C., the researchers examined the physical effects of anticholinergics on elderly patients. They found that seniors who took anticholinergics were more likely to have more trouble walking and to walk more slowly than seniors not on the drugs.
"The results were true even in older adults who have normal memory and thinking abilities," Sink said. "For older adults taking a moderately anticholingeric medication, or two or more mildly anticholingeric medications, their function was similar to that of someone three or four years older."
The anticholinergics being taken included nifedipine (a blood pressure drug marketed as Adalat or Procardia), ranitidine (an acid reflux drug marketed as Zantac) and tolterodine (an incontinence drug marketed as Detrol).
Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.
Dangerous ingredient in store-bought almond milk (almost all of them) and most soy milk (including Silk and Greenwise) and many other processed products like ice cream, hot dogs, frostings, dressings, sour cream, chocolate milk, candy, toothpaste, etc.
Unfortunately, convenience always ends up costing us in the long run. We need to form a support group for those of us finding the desperate need to go back to the old-fashioned way (God's way) of doing things.
Carrageenan, a common food additive, is one of the ingredients in store-bought Almond milk (all brands, except Silk) and soy milk and some coconut milks, including Silk. It is known to cause inflammation and gastrointestinal issues and may promote growth of cancer tumors, and my kids and I all get stomach cramps from it. The FDA considers it safe! We need to start ditching the store-bought ones and go back to making it ourselves. Just make sure that the raw almonds (which are now all pasteurized actually) are from a good source and have not been pasteurized with chemicals.
3 Great Almond Milk recipes - Yum!:
http://www.simplespoonful.com/2009/01/13/easier-than-you-thought-almond-milk/
By the way, I would consider using Carob instead of cocoa for the chocolate almond milk recipe. It may not be as yummy, but it is a healthier alternative.
Miriam
What's wrong with Carrageenan:
Here's what Dr. Blaylock says about carrageenan (Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life; pg. 196):
Quote
Carrageenan is a rather new additive. It is a complex polysaccharide extract made from seaweed, and is used as a binding agent. Experimentally, carrageenan is used as an agent to induce intense inflammation in experimental animals. A recent study found that when carrageenan was injected in animals along with a cancer-causing chemical, tumors appeared more rapidly and in significantly higher numbers than in control animals injected with carcinogen alone. The same was seen when human breast cancers were implanted in animals along with carrageenan: the combination made the tumores grow faster and spread more widely than in control animals. As a result, carrageenan is classified as a tumor promotor.
A web search turned up the following information:
Review of Harmful Gastrointestinal Effects of Carrageenan in Animal Experiments
Joanne K. Tobacman
College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Abstract
In this article I review the association between exposure to carrageenan and the occurrence of colonic ulcerations and gastrointestinal neoplasms in animal models. Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1982 identified sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of degraded carrageenan in animals to regard it as posing a carcinogenic risk to humans, carrageenan is still used widely as a thickener, stabilizer, and texturizer in a variety of processed foods prevalent in the Western diet. I reviewed experimental data pertaining to carrageenan's effects with particular attention to the occurrence of ulcerations and neoplasms in association with exposure to carrageenan. In addition, I reviewed from established sources mechanisms for production of degraded carrageenan from undegraded or native carrageenan and data with regard to carrageenan intake. Review of these data demonstrated that exposure to undegraded as well as to degraded carrageenan was associated with the occurrence of intestinal ulcerations and neoplasms. This association may be attributed to contamination of undegraded carrageenan by components of low molecular weight, spontaneous metabolism of undegraded carrageenan by acid hydrolysis under conditions of normal digestion, or the interactions with intestinal bacteria. Although in 1972, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considered restricting dietary carrageenan to an average molecular weight > 100,000, this resolution did not prevail, and no subsequent regulation has restricted use. Because of the acknowledged carcinogenic properties of degraded carrageenan in animal models and the cancer-promoting effects of undegraded carrageenan in experimental models, the widespread use of carrageenan in the Western diet should be reconsidered. Key words: carcinogenesis, carrageenan, carrageenase, diet, furcelleran (furcellaran) , hydrolysis, inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition, poligeenan, promoter, sulfated polysaccharide. Environ Health Perspect 109:983-994 (2001) . [Online 24 September 2001]
A bit on degraded and undegraded carrageenan from:
http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=82
Quote
There are two types of carrageenan, undegraded (food-grade) and degraded (hydrolyzed with acid). Undegraded carrageenan has been used on a huge scale in food production worldwide since the 1930s, and its safety has been assured by the FDA Gras status.
---------------------------
I also recommend avoiding brands of soy milk that contain the thickening agent carrageenan, a seaweed derivative, which I believe may be harmful, especially to the intestinal tract. If you are watching your weight, look for low-fat products.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
-----------------------------
Interestingly, over the last five years, scientists have begun to explore the possible anti-inflammatory actions of St. John's wort. In a recent study, researchers decided to test St. John's wort on an animal model of acute inflammation. They injected carrageenan, an inflammatory substance, into the lung cavity of mice. This caused an acute inflammatory response characterized by fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity and a build up of various markers of inflammation. All these markers of inflammation were attenuated by St. John's wort. In addition, the carrageenan triggered increased production of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), an inflammatory substance, in the lung. St. John's wort significantly inhibited NF-kappaB. The researchers concluded that St. John's wort extract potently reduces the development of acute inflammation.15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A R T I C L E
Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency.
Carrageenan enters even the intact, uninflamed gut, and damages both chemical defenses and immunological defenses. When it has produced inflammatory bowel damage, the amount absorbed will be greater, as will the absorption of bacterial endotoxin. Carra-geenan and endotoxin synergize in many ways, including their effects on nitric oxide, prostaglandins, toxic free radicals, and the defensive enzyme systems.
Years ago, I noticed that Oregon was one of the few states that still had real whipping cream and cottage cheese without additives, so I have been trustingly using cream in my coffee every day. Last week, I noticed that my cream listed carrageenan in its ingredients. Over the years, I have avoided carrageenan-containing foods such as apple cider, hot dogs, most ice creams and prepared sauces and jellies, because they caused me to have serious allergic symptoms. Carrageenan has been found to cause colitis and anaphylaxis in humans, but it is often present in baby “formulas” and a wide range of milk products, with the result that many people have come to believe that it was the milk-product that was responsible for their allergic symptoms. Because the regulators claim that it is a safe natural substance, it is very likely that it sometimes appears in foods that don’t list it on the label, for example when it is part of another ingredient.
In the 1940s, carrageenan, a polysaccharide made from a type of seaweed, was recognized as a dangerous allergen. Since then it has become a standard laboratory material to use to produce in-flammatory tumors (granulomas), immunodeficiency, arthritis, and other in-flammations. It has also become an increasingly common material in the food industry.
http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/carrageenan.shtml full article
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mulberry extract supplements ameliorate the inflammation-related hematological parameters in carrageenan-induced arthritic rats.
Author: Kim,-A-J; Park,-S
Citation: J-Med-Food. 2006 Fall; 9(3): 431-5
Abstract:
Mulberry fruit (Morus Lhou Koidz.), a rich source of the major anthocyanin, cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G), has traditionally been used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions including rheumatic arthritis. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of orally administrated methanolic mulberry fruit extract (ME) in carrageenan-induced arthritic rats, based on previously observed in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. A significant attenuation of hind paw inflammation characterized by fluid accumulation, uric acid production, and rheumatoid factors induced by carrageenan was observed following the intake of both ME (50 mg/kg of body weight) and C3G (10 mg/kg of body weight). Moreover, alterations in hematological parameters such as serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and atherogenic index following carrageenan administration were partially reversed by the administration of ME. It is concluded that dietary mulberry fruit extracts elicited protection against carrageenan-induced inflammation.
http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=799401
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Live With A Carrageenan Sensitivity
By tracydo, eHow Member
That yummy frosting might contain carrageenan.
For the past few years I thought I was lactose intolerant, however even switching to soy milk didn’t seem to alleviate my problems. I was fine with Lactaid milk, unless I dumped in a bunch of Nestle’s Quick chocolate and then it was painful cramps and diarrhea time. Sometimes I would have ice cream and be fine, other times I would eat it and be chained to the bathroom afterwards. I began to suspect I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and did some research on Dr. Weil’s excellent website www.drweil.com. He recommended that IBS sufferers avoid foods or products that contain the additive carrageenan. Sure enough, I checked my soy milk, the ice cream I had eaten, Nestle’s Quick, and they all contain this thickener. If you suspect you might be sensitive or allergic to carrageenan, here are some tips:
Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions
Step 1
Tell Your Doctor – You might be allergic to carrageenan or you might be experiencing symptoms of other diseases like Celiac’s or Crohn’s. Your doctor should be able to test for the carrageenan allergy as well as rule out any other related dangers.
Step 2
Read Lables – If you aren’t already doing this, now is the time. Carrageenan is a popular thickener made from boiled down Irish moss (sometimes labeled as Irish Moss or Rock Moss) and can be found in a whole slew of products including toothpaste, frozen dinners (e.g. Weight Watchers Smart Ones), sour cream, frosting, dressings, ice cream (e.g. Ben & Jerry’s), chocolate milk, soy milk (e.g. Silk), lunch meats, soups, and candy. Keep a close watch on what you add to your shopping cart!
Step 3
Eat at Home More Often – The only way to really have control over what you have for dinner is to make it yourself. There are plenty of carrageenan free foods out there to choose from and you should be able to make all of your favorite dishes with little worry about contamination (as long as you check the labels!).
Step 4
Surf The Web – Many restaurants (especially chain ones like Panera) are aware that their customers have food allergies and are willing to list the ingredients for their meals. Scout out the ingredients on some of your favorite restaurant dishes and be prepared when you order. You can try asking the waiter/waitress if an item contains carrageenan but most of the time this is met with a blank stare (“cara-whatsa?”). You might try carrying around a card with the word carrageenan printed on it so the waitperson can take it back to the kitchen to check ingredients lists.
Step 5
Relax – Unlike giving up gluten, nuts, or soy… carrageenan is relatively easy to forgo. Try to focus on the positive. Sure, I miss ordering sour cream in restaurants or eating Ben & Jerry’s from the pint, but there are plenty of other choices (thank you Haagen-Daz!).
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277013_live-carrageenan-sensitivity.html
Carrageenan, a common food additive, is one of the ingredients in store-bought Almond milk (all brands, except Silk) and soy milk and some coconut milks, including Silk. It is known to cause inflammation and gastrointestinal issues and may promote growth of cancer tumors, and my kids and I all get stomach cramps from it. The FDA considers it safe! We need to start ditching the store-bought ones and go back to making it ourselves. Just make sure that the raw almonds (which are now all pasteurized actually) are from a good source and have not been pasteurized with chemicals.
3 Great Almond Milk recipes - Yum!:
http://www.simplespoonful.com/2009/01/13/easier-than-you-thought-almond-milk/
By the way, I would consider using Carob instead of cocoa for the chocolate almond milk recipe. It may not be as yummy, but it is a healthier alternative.
Miriam
What's wrong with Carrageenan:
Here's what Dr. Blaylock says about carrageenan (Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life; pg. 196):
Quote
Carrageenan is a rather new additive. It is a complex polysaccharide extract made from seaweed, and is used as a binding agent. Experimentally, carrageenan is used as an agent to induce intense inflammation in experimental animals. A recent study found that when carrageenan was injected in animals along with a cancer-causing chemical, tumors appeared more rapidly and in significantly higher numbers than in control animals injected with carcinogen alone. The same was seen when human breast cancers were implanted in animals along with carrageenan: the combination made the tumores grow faster and spread more widely than in control animals. As a result, carrageenan is classified as a tumor promotor.
A web search turned up the following information:
Review of Harmful Gastrointestinal Effects of Carrageenan in Animal Experiments
Joanne K. Tobacman
College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Abstract
In this article I review the association between exposure to carrageenan and the occurrence of colonic ulcerations and gastrointestinal neoplasms in animal models. Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1982 identified sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of degraded carrageenan in animals to regard it as posing a carcinogenic risk to humans, carrageenan is still used widely as a thickener, stabilizer, and texturizer in a variety of processed foods prevalent in the Western diet. I reviewed experimental data pertaining to carrageenan's effects with particular attention to the occurrence of ulcerations and neoplasms in association with exposure to carrageenan. In addition, I reviewed from established sources mechanisms for production of degraded carrageenan from undegraded or native carrageenan and data with regard to carrageenan intake. Review of these data demonstrated that exposure to undegraded as well as to degraded carrageenan was associated with the occurrence of intestinal ulcerations and neoplasms. This association may be attributed to contamination of undegraded carrageenan by components of low molecular weight, spontaneous metabolism of undegraded carrageenan by acid hydrolysis under conditions of normal digestion, or the interactions with intestinal bacteria. Although in 1972, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considered restricting dietary carrageenan to an average molecular weight > 100,000, this resolution did not prevail, and no subsequent regulation has restricted use. Because of the acknowledged carcinogenic properties of degraded carrageenan in animal models and the cancer-promoting effects of undegraded carrageenan in experimental models, the widespread use of carrageenan in the Western diet should be reconsidered. Key words: carcinogenesis, carrageenan, carrageenase, diet, furcelleran (furcellaran) , hydrolysis, inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition, poligeenan, promoter, sulfated polysaccharide. Environ Health Perspect 109:983-994 (2001) . [Online 24 September 2001]
A bit on degraded and undegraded carrageenan from:
http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=82
Quote
There are two types of carrageenan, undegraded (food-grade) and degraded (hydrolyzed with acid). Undegraded carrageenan has been used on a huge scale in food production worldwide since the 1930s, and its safety has been assured by the FDA Gras status.
---------------------------
I also recommend avoiding brands of soy milk that contain the thickening agent carrageenan, a seaweed derivative, which I believe may be harmful, especially to the intestinal tract. If you are watching your weight, look for low-fat products.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
-----------------------------
Interestingly, over the last five years, scientists have begun to explore the possible anti-inflammatory actions of St. John's wort. In a recent study, researchers decided to test St. John's wort on an animal model of acute inflammation. They injected carrageenan, an inflammatory substance, into the lung cavity of mice. This caused an acute inflammatory response characterized by fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity and a build up of various markers of inflammation. All these markers of inflammation were attenuated by St. John's wort. In addition, the carrageenan triggered increased production of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), an inflammatory substance, in the lung. St. John's wort significantly inhibited NF-kappaB. The researchers concluded that St. John's wort extract potently reduces the development of acute inflammation.15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A R T I C L E
Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency.
Carrageenan enters even the intact, uninflamed gut, and damages both chemical defenses and immunological defenses. When it has produced inflammatory bowel damage, the amount absorbed will be greater, as will the absorption of bacterial endotoxin. Carra-geenan and endotoxin synergize in many ways, including their effects on nitric oxide, prostaglandins, toxic free radicals, and the defensive enzyme systems.
Years ago, I noticed that Oregon was one of the few states that still had real whipping cream and cottage cheese without additives, so I have been trustingly using cream in my coffee every day. Last week, I noticed that my cream listed carrageenan in its ingredients. Over the years, I have avoided carrageenan-containing foods such as apple cider, hot dogs, most ice creams and prepared sauces and jellies, because they caused me to have serious allergic symptoms. Carrageenan has been found to cause colitis and anaphylaxis in humans, but it is often present in baby “formulas” and a wide range of milk products, with the result that many people have come to believe that it was the milk-product that was responsible for their allergic symptoms. Because the regulators claim that it is a safe natural substance, it is very likely that it sometimes appears in foods that don’t list it on the label, for example when it is part of another ingredient.
In the 1940s, carrageenan, a polysaccharide made from a type of seaweed, was recognized as a dangerous allergen. Since then it has become a standard laboratory material to use to produce in-flammatory tumors (granulomas), immunodeficiency, arthritis, and other in-flammations. It has also become an increasingly common material in the food industry.
http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/carrageenan.shtml full article
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mulberry extract supplements ameliorate the inflammation-related hematological parameters in carrageenan-induced arthritic rats.
Author: Kim,-A-J; Park,-S
Citation: J-Med-Food. 2006 Fall; 9(3): 431-5
Abstract:
Mulberry fruit (Morus Lhou Koidz.), a rich source of the major anthocyanin, cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G), has traditionally been used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions including rheumatic arthritis. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of orally administrated methanolic mulberry fruit extract (ME) in carrageenan-induced arthritic rats, based on previously observed in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. A significant attenuation of hind paw inflammation characterized by fluid accumulation, uric acid production, and rheumatoid factors induced by carrageenan was observed following the intake of both ME (50 mg/kg of body weight) and C3G (10 mg/kg of body weight). Moreover, alterations in hematological parameters such as serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and atherogenic index following carrageenan administration were partially reversed by the administration of ME. It is concluded that dietary mulberry fruit extracts elicited protection against carrageenan-induced inflammation.
http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=799401
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Live With A Carrageenan Sensitivity
By tracydo, eHow Member
That yummy frosting might contain carrageenan.
For the past few years I thought I was lactose intolerant, however even switching to soy milk didn’t seem to alleviate my problems. I was fine with Lactaid milk, unless I dumped in a bunch of Nestle’s Quick chocolate and then it was painful cramps and diarrhea time. Sometimes I would have ice cream and be fine, other times I would eat it and be chained to the bathroom afterwards. I began to suspect I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and did some research on Dr. Weil’s excellent website www.drweil.com. He recommended that IBS sufferers avoid foods or products that contain the additive carrageenan. Sure enough, I checked my soy milk, the ice cream I had eaten, Nestle’s Quick, and they all contain this thickener. If you suspect you might be sensitive or allergic to carrageenan, here are some tips:
Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions
Step 1
Tell Your Doctor – You might be allergic to carrageenan or you might be experiencing symptoms of other diseases like Celiac’s or Crohn’s. Your doctor should be able to test for the carrageenan allergy as well as rule out any other related dangers.
Step 2
Read Lables – If you aren’t already doing this, now is the time. Carrageenan is a popular thickener made from boiled down Irish moss (sometimes labeled as Irish Moss or Rock Moss) and can be found in a whole slew of products including toothpaste, frozen dinners (e.g. Weight Watchers Smart Ones), sour cream, frosting, dressings, ice cream (e.g. Ben & Jerry’s), chocolate milk, soy milk (e.g. Silk), lunch meats, soups, and candy. Keep a close watch on what you add to your shopping cart!
Step 3
Eat at Home More Often – The only way to really have control over what you have for dinner is to make it yourself. There are plenty of carrageenan free foods out there to choose from and you should be able to make all of your favorite dishes with little worry about contamination (as long as you check the labels!).
Step 4
Surf The Web – Many restaurants (especially chain ones like Panera) are aware that their customers have food allergies and are willing to list the ingredients for their meals. Scout out the ingredients on some of your favorite restaurant dishes and be prepared when you order. You can try asking the waiter/waitress if an item contains carrageenan but most of the time this is met with a blank stare (“cara-whatsa?”). You might try carrying around a card with the word carrageenan printed on it so the waitperson can take it back to the kitchen to check ingredients lists.
Step 5
Relax – Unlike giving up gluten, nuts, or soy… carrageenan is relatively easy to forgo. Try to focus on the positive. Sure, I miss ordering sour cream in restaurants or eating Ben & Jerry’s from the pint, but there are plenty of other choices (thank you Haagen-Daz!).
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277013_live-carrageenan-sensitivity.html
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