Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
GMO foods are very common in American and Canadian diets. Not because people choose to eat GMOs, but because they are unaware of how pervasive GMO ingredients have become in processed foods. Biotech companies have been very successful in lobbying to prevent labeling. There are no requirements to label GMO foods, despite concerted efforts by consumer groups.
Unnatural Isn’t Always Bad
As a general rule, the more natural and unadulterated a food, the better it is for you. Selective breeding is an exception to this rule. Selective breeding, or artificial selection, is the process of interbreeding plants to enhance positive qualities and eliminate or diminish negative qualities. Some cultivars are much better for our health than the original. For example, wild almonds contain amygdalin, a substance that is converted to cyanide in the body. Sweet almonds are the domesticated cultivar. Though they are less “natural,” they are better for you than their wild counterparts. Selective breeding is the good kind of unnatural.
But It Usually Is
The bad kind of unnatural is almost everything else that is being done to our food, including the majority of practices adopted by modern agriculture. Chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, concentrated animal feed operations, grain fed meats (vs grass fed), pasteurized foods, irradiated foods…the list goes on and on. Genetically modifying our foods is the latest insult to our food supply, and it is as unnatural as it gets.
One of the most common types of genetic modifications is to modify a crop so that it can withstand unlimited Roundup applications. This enables farmers to spray their whole fields with Roundup, killing the weeds while sparing their crops. Of course by this process, we end up with foods that have been soaked in herbicide. But this is not the only way that your food could be doused with Roundup.
Round Up Sprayed Just Prior to Harvest
Wheat, sugar cane, and other crops are often routinely treated with Roundup just prior to harvest. Of course some of this pesticide is making its way into our food. The Non-GMO project allows this practice. Non-GMO only means a food is not genetically modified. It could still be treated with all kinds of pesticides.
Recently, the World Health Organization released a report stating that the world’s most widely used herbicide, Monsanto’s Roundup, probably causes cancer.
What is a Genetically Engineered Food?
GMOs are made from combing genes from two or more unrelated species into one organism. The two most common types of genetic modifications are modifying crops to produce pesticides or modifying them to be immune to herbicides (making them Roundup ready). Sugar beets have been modified to be Roundup ready. Both kinds of genetic modifications have been done to corn and soy in the same seed.
What’s so bad about them?
GMOs have not undergone long-term studies. When biotech claims GMOs have been tested thousands of times, they’re referring to 90-day studies or studies done for less than two years that have been funded by the industry.
There have been several studies linking GMOs to numerous health problems. The most common problems associated with long-term GMO consumption are kidney and liver damage, faulty insulin regulation, accelerated aging, cancer, and infertility. To look at the results of these studies, please see the link below.
How to avoid GM Food
When asked, more than half of all consumers say they avoid eating GMOs. Sadly this isn’t the case at all. Consumers probably would if they were labeled. Over 90% of Americans and Canadians eat GMOs on a regular basis. If more of us knew what was genetically modified, we wouldn’t eat these foods, and Monsanto and other businesses would be forced to find another way to make money.
Buying organic is the easiest way to avoid GMOs, and when you buy organic you also avoid pesticides and other chemical additives. Non-GMO project verified is a safe bet that the food is free of GMOs, but other toxins from conventional methods of agriculture are a given if the food is not organic.
The eight most common GMO crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, and squash. Unfortunately, hundreds of other genetically modified foods are in development. It is only a matter of time before GMOs become much harder to avoid.
GMOs are almost always in processed foods. Soy, high fructose corn syrup (now also called fructose) or sugar from sugar beets are found in almost every processed food. Over 90% of soy, corn and sugar beets grown in the U.S. have been genetically modified. If you see these ingredients in your food, you can bet it has been genetically modified.
You have to Avoid GMOs to Detox from GMOs
Of course you can’t keep eating GMOs if you wish to fully detox from them. This means no restaurants (unless you eat at organic restaurants, which are very hard to find), and no processed foods, unless they are organic, or Non-GMO project verified.
Why Detox Genetically Modified Organisms?
Detoxification is defined as the removal of toxic substances from the body. This is often an emphasis of alternative medicine. The benefits of removing toxins from the body are numerous, too many to list in their entirety. Some of the better-known benefits are increased energy, improved sleep, weight loss, and lowered risk of diseases, such as colds, flu, and cancer.
How to Detoxify GMOs
In order to detox from GMOs, you’ll need to eat a diet rich in produce with lots of raw foods and sulfuric vegetables. A high fiber diet is essential. Drinking lots of clean water, and getting lots of exercise aids our bodies in detoxification. Salads and smoothies are staples of a detox diet. Detoxifying genetically modified organisms takes time, a clean diet, lots of clean water, and a healthy digestive tract with a strong and healthy ecosystem of beneficial flora. Speed up the process by eating large salads (recipe), killing candida and healing the gut, drinking lots of cranberry lemonade (recipe), and using a clean and pure nutrition formula with spirulina and chlorella (recipe).
Recommended Supplements:
Formula SF722 (Kill fungi that inhabits unhealthy gut)
Systemic Enzymes – (For eliminating damage which is fibrin buildup, and they eliminate foreign proteins and many chemicals – this can aid the body in eliminating toxins).
Symptoms of Dehydration & Benefits of Proper Hydration – Are you Getting Enough Water?
The human body is about is 70% water. Newborns are roughly 80% water, and elderly are as little as 50% water. Our muscles are about 75% water. Even our bones, which seem completely solid, are 25% water. Without food, we would eventually die, but without water, we would die a lot sooner. Depending on the amount of fat and muscle in our bodies, most of us can live several weeks without food, 5-7 weeks on average. The average person can only survive 5 days without water. Undoubtedly, water is life.
A Constant State of Dehydration is the Norm, not the Exception
Most people do not drink enough water. So of course, dehydration is very common. People normally drink water only when they are thirsty, or when their mouth is dry. Thirst and a dry mouth are signs of dehydration. If we drink water only when thirsty, we are perpetually dehydrated.
Too often, when people increase the amount of water they drink, they find they spend way too much time running to the bathroom. Naturally, they believe frequent bathroom trips are a symptom of too much water. Even though this may sound counterintuitive, this is usually not the case.
When we are not getting adequate water, our bodies go into a kind of survival mode and release aldosterone, a hormone that encourages water retention. Water is retained for vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.
Toxins and waste build up in this retained water – toxins and waste that our bodies ideally eliminate on a daily basis. When we increase our water intake, the body begins flushing out the water that has been retained in our organs and tissues, replacing it with clean water. With adequate hydration, this process will continue for a few days to a week before the frequency of urination decreases.
Signs of Dehydration
There are many other signs of dehydration including:
Back pain
Cramps
Constipation
Decreased urine output
Dizziness
Dry skin
Dry, sticky mouth
Fatigue
Forgetfulness
Feeling lightheaded
Headache
Heartburn
Irritability
Indigestion
Yellow urine
Less common, but other possible signs of dehydration include:
Allergies
Asthma
Depression
High blood pressure
Migraines
Signs of severe dehydration include:
Confusion
Extreme thirst
Extremely dry mouth
Delirium
Fever
Little to no urine, or very dark colored urine
Listlessness
Low blood pressure
Rapid breathing
Rapid heartbeat
Sunken eyes
Skin so dry and shriveled that it loses elasticity
Unconsciousness
Doctors are Unlikely to Diagnose Mild to Moderate Dehydration
When you go to the doctor with complaints of back pain, constipation, muscle cramps, persistent headaches, or other symptoms of dehydration, doctors are more likely to prescribe medication than suggest you drink more water. There are many reasons for this. Doctors make more money when they write prescriptions, and their patients might think their money wasted if the medical advice they paid top dollar for was simply, “Drink more water.” Also, sadly, many doctors may not recognize the symptoms as dehydration.
“At medical schools more than 600 hundred teaching hours are allocated to the use of pharmaceutical products. Only a few hours are allocated to instructions on diet and food.” F. Batmanghelidj M.D.
Staying hydrated is good advice that is rarely taken seriously. Nearly all of the body’s functions run on water. Water is needed as the delivery system for oxygen, and nutrients. It is a crucial component of our nervous system and the medium by which the nervous system sends its signals. Water is also needed for our bodies to efficiently remove toxins.
When dehydrated, even when mildly dehydrated, our joints are robbed of fluids, since the body considers these areas of the body to be less vital. Cartilage is around five times slicker than ice; it is the ultimate lubrication for our joints. Nothing man-made functions as well as cartilage does. One of the best ways to keep cartilage in good condition is to stay hydrated; cartilage is 80% water. Dehydration wears down cartilage. Sadly, joint replacement surgery is a poor replacement for healthy joints. Replaced joints only last 10-15 years, and they don’t work as well as the real thing.
Back Pain is A Common Symptom of Dehydration
Do you ever suffer from back pain? If so, does your back hurt more in the morning? Many of us lose water throughout the night with nighttime bathroom runs and night sweats. If we don’t think to replace those fluids, dehydration results which inflames the kidneys, and this can cause to back pain. Whenever your back hurts, try drinking several glasses of water. The pain usually subsides. This makes sense because the fluid inside the body’s spinal discs supports 75% of the body’s weight.
“When the disks in your spine lack water, they begin to degenerate and herniate more quickly. It’s similar to driving a car on underinflated tires. The tires will either wear out faster or eventually blow out.” Don Colbert M.D.
Water is What Does All the Work
Water is the workhorse of our digestive system. Water is the primary part of all of our digestive fluids. Saliva, bile, stomach acid, pancreatic juices, and the mucus that lines our gastrointestinal tract are mostly water. Without adequate water intake, the digestive system doesn’t work as it should. The mucous layer in our stomach is actually 98% water, and this is the best protection against heartburn. The mucous layer contains bicarbonate, which effectively neutralizes stomach acid. When our bodies have adequate water this mucous layer is thick, but when we do not it is very thin. Contrary to popular belief heartburn is not caused by an antacid deficiency, but rather it is usually caused by a water deficiency. Water is the most effective heartburn medication there is, and the cheapest, too. Water doesn’t just help to prevent heartburn, water helps in all stages of digestion. We recommend that you avoid drinking lots of water with your food, because this can water down your digestive fluids. Drinking a lot of water before or an hour after eating is ideal.
A Natural Cure All
People who suffer from asthma and/or allergies typically have high histamine levels. Histamine forces the muscles in the bronchial tubes to constrict, which inhibits airflow through the lungs. Studies have shown that histamine levels drop as water intake increases. If you suffer from asthma or allergies “…water may improve your symptoms more than the latest round of inhalers or pills from pharmaceutical companies.” Don Colbert M.D.
Water is good for vascular health as well. Blood is more than 80% water. Adequate water intake can help to lower blood pressure, and it can play a part in preventing strokes and heart attacks. When we are dehydrated our blood is thicker and more prone to clotting.
Our brains, which are very sensitive to dehydration, are about 85% water. One of the easiest ways to improve brain function, especially your memory, is to increase water intake.
Water also enhances immune system function. Common medical advice is to drink lots of water when we are sick, but if we drink adequate amounts of water all the time, we are less likely to get sick in the first place. Daily intake is dependent upon weight, climate, and activity level – roughly half a gallon to a gallon a day for a person weighing 150 lbs. Drink enough water that you don’t feel thirsty.
Tap water is full of chemicals including pharmaceuticals, fluoride, chlorine, and chemical contaminants. Tap water is not the best water to drink. Bottled water can be better, but some bottled water is literally just tap water in a bottle. There are very few regulations controlling bottled water, and it’s hard to find water from a good source. Ideally, water should be from a natural source, high in minerals, very low in contaminants, and sold in a glass bottle. But the ideal is hard to find, especially at an affordable price. When ideal water isn’t available and affordable, we recommend buying distilled water. Distilled water is bereft of minerals but eating a variety of raw produce easily replaces those minerals. Spending a little more on higher quality water is an investment in your health and is certainly worthwhile.
Many people drink other fluids instead of water. Although it is true that these drinks are mostly water, the caffeine, sugar or artificial flavors and colors put a strain on your body in various ways, and this can cost your body more water than what was consumed in the drink. For those who want to drink more water, but need flavors and sweetness, here’s a recipe for cranberry lemonade that helps detoxify the body as well. If you love juicing, skip the sugar and try doing the truly healthy fresh juices like with this Golden Milk Tea Recipe.
Conclusion
If you’re not consuming enough water, you’re increasing the strain on your body, and accelerating the aging process. It is harder than most people think to drink too much water, and drinks that contain caffeine or sugar are very poor substitutes that rob the body of water (and minerals) with high acidity. There is no other substance that is as important to our health as water is. For more on detoxifying, lowering blood pressure, and getting the most from water, check out the previous cranberry lemonade link, and Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy. For the best water to detoxify with, see the first source below.
Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life by F. Batmanghelidj M.D.
Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert M.D.
How to Detox Your Easter Candy Candida
If you’ve eaten sweets over the holidays and you are ready to detox, your goal will be to kill Candida and re-balance your gut flora. First and foremost, it’s time for salads. Unless you want to spend considerable money on probiotics for the rest of your life, if you want to be free of Candida, you need to feed the right ecosystem. That means sticking to a diet consisting of lots of raw fresh organic vegetables, void of processed, refined foods. Your intestinal flora affects your life in many different ways. The more raw vegetables you ingest, the more beneficial your gut microbes are to your body. Avoid gluten as well.
If you went way overboard with junk food (and/or had conventional junk food as opposed to organic, healthier varieties), you’re looking at artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and GMO’s. The good news is, the best way to detox these ingredients is to fix the gut.
Probiotics
The probiotics we take as supplements are not the same probiotics that we keep in our gut, but they are friendly bacteria. Before they decide to check out, they will fight on the side of our beneficial microbes, kill the bad guys, eat the bad stuff, and help digest everything so that the long-term bacteria that prefer to live in our gut will thrive.
The bacteria count is not what’s important when looking for probiotics. You want to make sure the bacteria are designed to pass through the stomach acid. Most are not. Stomach acid is designed to kill bacteria, so it takes a strong beneficial bacteria to make it through.
Other herbal medicines that kill Candida internally include (but are not limited to) wormwood extract, oil of oregano, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and undecenoic acid. But don’t take probiotics with antibacterial herbs. Oil of oregano, for example, can weaken probiotics when they are taken together.
I like fermented vegetables, but I don’t eat them for probiotic properties. I believe the beneficial bacteria from fermented foods is killed in stomach acid. Fermented foods have tons of benefits, and they’re great to take with more powerful probiotics. When the foods hit the gut, the healthy bacteria that made it through has lots of healthy food on which to feed.
Yogurts bought in grocery stores make poor probiotics and typically feed Candida rather than kill it. On the other hand, high quality probiotics can be added to yogurts. Choose yogurt that is organic and free of sugar. Sweetened with fruit if desired.
Eat Salads
Salads are the best way to feed the body a variety of the healthiest foods for balancing the intestinal flora. We’re not talking about iceberg lettuce, some carrot shreds, and ranch dressing. We’re talking about real salads made with kale, collards, cabbage, spinach, chard, and lots of other leafy vegetables to make up the foundation of your daily salad. Add herbs and garlic to them as well.
Conclusion
Those who eat reasonably well on non-holidays and were not suffering from Candida symptoms previously should be able to fix the gut after an Easter candy binge in just a few days by sticking to salads, lots of water, and a high quality probiotic. Be sure to check out Kill Candida and Balance the Body, and see Cheap and Easy Detox for more on detoxifying. For detox recipes including my salad recipe and cranberry lemonade, check out the first few sources below.
Algae-Growing Nuns In Central African Grow Spirulina For Malnourished Children
Many people believe the word “superfood” is a term used for click bait and nothing more, but superfoods not only exist, they are the superheroes of the food world. Spirulina is one such food.
In the Central African Republic, Catholic nuns are using the blue-green algae to fight malnutrition at the St. Joseph Health Center. Bangui, where the nuns are located, has been dealing with the effects of a conflict that has made resources scarce. The lack of food has had an especially pronounced effect on children in the region.
After a meeting with a French pharmacist who advised them on how to grow spirulina, the nuns at St Joseph Health Center were able to successfully harvest the algae to combat malnutrition.
Spirulina is a remarkable source of nutrients, containing the highest natural source of complete proteins, omega fatty acids, iron, and antioxidants. The health applications of a superfood like spirulina can translate across countless circumstances, from saving lives in the Central African Republic to providing everyday nutrients to anyone around the world.
Nuns at the St. Joseph Health Centre in Bangui, Central African Republic, grow their own algae as a supplement for malnourished children who have suffered the ravages of war since 2013. Photo by Sebastian Rich
Working Smarter – and Making a Difference
The number of children who suffer from severe malnutrition in the Central African Republic is on the rise. Compared to last year, reported cases of acute malnutrition have tripled as conflicts in the region leave families unable to plant crops, to earn a living, or to access sanitation, clean water, and health care. Provisions from aid organizations are an inconsistent food source, as security issues often keep the protein supplements from reaching their intended targets. These are the struggles facing the nuns at St Joseph as they care for vulnerable children and mothers.
Spirulina has given them an inexpensive, effective, and reliable way to feed the people who come to the health center. Once a solution to the malnutrition problem presented itself, the nuns obtained the materials to build the algae tanks from the community through begging and borrowing. People are paying attention to St Joseph Health Center because of how effective the spirulina has been and the inspiring initiative shown by the nuns who work there.
The sisters at St. Joseph are proud of how many children they are able to help. After such great results, others in the Central African Republic and areas beyond who suffer from malnutrition see the sisters as both an inspiration and a source of practical knowledge.
Why Spirulina is Awesome
Most people are familiar with algae. It’s the murky, clingy, dingy green stuff in ponds and dirty aquariums. Unappetizing as it sounds, spirulina is among the most nutritious foods on the planet with 18 vitamins and minerals, 8 amino acids, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. The stuff is loaded. In addition to that goodness, its soft cell walls make it easy to digest. It also absorbs heavy metals and toxins. Eating algae plain might not be for the squeamish, but a quality green nutrition powder can give you the benefits of spirulina without the slime.
Spirulina is incredibly eco-friendly; it yields 25% more nutrition per square foot than any other plant. If you find yourself inspired by the nuns at St Joseph and want to try some DIY spirulina at home, the Internet is here to help. Great DIY tutorials like the one here can get you started on a window aquarium filled with spirulina. It may take more than one try to get it to work, but, in time, you’ll be able to guarantee a quality supply of homegrown spirulina, perfect for survival and prepping, too! The use of spirulina in the Central African Republic has shown the great impact it can have on health. This Total Nutrition Formula is the perfect recipe for your spirulina, and it’s the best multi-vitamin/mineral/protein supplement I know of. Even if building an algae farm isn’t a viable option, finding a quality source of it can give you access to even better health.
In the late 1970s, a senate committee pushed its “Dietary Goals for the United States” urging Americans to eat less fat. It was thought that red meat, eggs, and dairy were killing Americans.
By the 1980s, nearly a million Americans were dying of heart disease each year.
Again, Americans were told to eat less fat and eat more carbohydrates. These recommendations were built into a monument and lauded to the public as the salvation for American health: The Food Pyramid.
The Food Pyramid recommended carbohydrates as the staple of a healthy diet. Fat was a killer, or so we were led to believe, therefore recommendations for fat intake were drastically reduced. A $150 million dollar study, which pushed the same message, came fast on the heels of these recommendations. The study said to eat less fat and avoid foods high in cholesterol in order to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Americans followed this advice and carbohydrate consumption rose. Not produce consumption, we increased consumption of grains and sugar. Americans are now sicker than before. Deaths from heart disease have dropped a bit, but obesity and diabetes is on the rise.
Whole milk has been banned from most of our public schools, but strawberry milk, chocolate milk, and soda machines are usually available. Whole plain yogurt is usually difficult to find in a grocery store, but low fat, sugar filled, artificially flavored, artificially colored options are everywhere. The prevailing belief is that these low fat options are healthier, even when loaded with sweeteners, than whole milk.
Deaths from heart disease have indeed slightly declined, but its close cousin, cardiovascular disease, remains the nation’s number # 1 killer and the leading cause of death for individuals with diabetes. According to Time Magazine, diabetes has increased 166% from 1980 to 2012. The low-fat trend was directed toward lowering cholesterol. Today the high fructose corn syrup found in nearly every processed food is the reason cholesterol remains high.
American Health is on a Downward Trend
In every measurable way, Americans are in worse health than ever before. It is widely predicted that our lifespan is shortening; the generations that came before us will outlive us, and we are likely to outlive the generations who succeed us.
Despite the variety of diets, popular and obscure, safe and dangerous, on average, Americans are fatter than ever before. Most Americans eat slightly less red meat and eat more lean meat, but they eat more sugar and more highly processed and refined foods. The CDC predicts that by 2030 up to 42% of the U.S. population will be obese, and 11% will be severely obese.
Over time, some foods have gone up in demand, while others have fallen in popularity. Sugar consumption from sugar cane has dropped 35% while corn-based sweeteners (mostly high fructose corn syrup) consumption has risen by 8,853%. It’s not that Americans choose to eat corn syrup, they choose to eat processed foods, and high fructose corn syrup is added to nearly every processed food.
The current government guidelines are only a little different than the original food pyramid. The current recommendations are still high in grains, but the recommendation for fruits and vegetables is higher.
Conclusion
A truly healthy diet is a diverse, whole food, plant based diet. A full 80% of your diet should consist of raw, fresh, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits. Meats should be organic. Nuts and seeds should be soaked or sprouted. Grains should be limited and gluten should be avoided if any illness is present. Dairy should be organic and raw or limited. Omega 3 fatty acids from flax seed oil, fish oil, or a blended oil and oily fish should be added to your diet.
You should avoid all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives; MSG; high fructose corn syrup; and GMOs. Seriously limit or eliminate all processed sugar.
For more information about a truly healthy diet, read the 80% Raw Food Diet. Boost your nutrition with increased vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder.
In every measurable way, Americans are in worse health than ever before. It is widely predicted that our lifespan is shortening; the generations that came before us will outlive us, and we are likely to outlive the generations that succeed us.
Most Americans simply want to lose weight, but some aspire to be healthier as well. For either goal or both goals, many Americans have lost confidence in government guidelines and have begun to look for other diets to follow. In the absence of sound advice from the government, many have turned elsewhere for ways to lose weight or to improve their health.
This has led to waves of diet fads, diets that rise and fall in popularity. These are some of the more popular diets:
The Pritikin diet
The Atkins diet
The Gluten Free diet
The South Beach diet
The Mediterranean diet
Weight Watchers
The Zone Diet
Volumetrics
Raw Food Diet
NutriSystem
Macrobiotic Diet
The Paleo Diet
Many of the diets have been designed and championed by doctors.
The Pritikin diet basically echoes government recommendations, with less meat. The South Beach diet is very similar, with fewer carbs and more lean meats like fish and poultry. The Atkins diet is a protein-based weight loss plan that is low in nutrition and very unhealthy. It has been called a nutritionist’s nightmare. The gluten free diet works best if there is a reason for one to avoid gluten. Otherwise, unless one cuts back on carbs, it is unlikely to be beneficial to anyone trying to lose weight. Weight Watchers stresses eat what you want but in moderation and constantly count calories.
The Mediterranean diet is a seafood, wine, veggie, and whole grain weight loss plan similar to South Beach. The Zone diet suggests a rigid focus on macronutrients in regards to protein, carbs, and fat. Nutrisystem is the ultimate have someone else do it for you plan with all meals pre made and pre measured. Volumetrics promotes a focus on fruits and vegetables. Because of their fiber content, they make you feel more full. The raw food diet allows for unlimited raw vegan food.
These were among the most popular diets. Many diet fads were highly restrictive, absurd, dangerous, and downright scary like the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, the vinegar diet, and the liquid diet. Other approaches included the T.V. frozen dinner diet and even a Twinkie diet. The most dangerous and harmful diets were the diets that weren’t even based on food like the cigarette diet (whenever you’re hungry, just smoke), the eat sweets before a meal diet, or, even more crazy, the tapeworm diet, the baby food diet (substitute some of your meals with baby food), and worst of all the cotton ball diet, which recommended that you actually eat cotton balls dipped in juice. This is a choking hazard and can cause intestinal blockages, both of which can kill you. It was crazy, but these were all diets were practiced by some Americans.
Despite the variety of diets, popular and obscure, safe and dangerous, on average, Americans are fatter than ever before. Most Americans eat slightly less red meat and eat more lean meat, but they eat more sugar and more highly processed and refined foods. The CDC predicts that by 2030 up to 42% of the U.S. population will be obese, and 11% will be severely obese.
Experts do not agree on the health effect of grains and sweets. In Georgia, the only cereals WIC will pay for are cereals that contain some kind of sugar – corn sugar, sugar cane, or sugar from beets. Fruit juice sweetened and unsweetened cereals are considered health food and are not eligible for purchase under the program.
Over time, some foods have gone up in demand, while others have fallen in popularity. Sugar consumption from sugar cane has dropped 35% while corn based sweeteners (mostly high fructose corn syrup) consumption has risen by 8,853%. It’s not that Americans choose to eat corn syrup, they choose to eat processed foods, and high fructose corn syrup is added to nearly every processed food.
The current government guidelines are only a little different than the original food pyramid. The current recommendations are still high in grains, but the recommendation for fruits and vegetables is higher.
Conclusion
A full 80% of your diet should consist of raw, fresh, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits. Meats should be organic. Nuts and seeds should be soaked or sprouted. Grains should be limited and gluten should be avoided if any illness is present. Dairy should be organic and raw or limited. Omega 3 fatty acids from flax seed oil, fish oil, or a blended oil and oily fish should be added to your diet. Clean water is also essential.
You should avoid all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives; MSG; high fructose corn syrup; trans fats; and GMOs. Seriously limit or eliminate all processed sugar.
For more information about a truly healthy diet, read the 80% Raw Food Diet. Boost your nutrition with increased vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder.
Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts
Cinnamon comes from the bark of evergreen trees of the genus cinnamomum. When cinnamon is harvested, the bark is stripped and sun dried. As it dries, cinnamon curls into a well-known shape, called quills. If not ground, it is then sold as whole cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.
Cinnamon was once one of the most highly sought after commodities on the planet. This spice has been in use for thousands of years as a medicine, as an embalming agent, as a means of preserving food, and as a flavoring enhancing spice. The earliest reports of cinnamon date back to ancient Egypt in 2000 B.C. The Egyptians used both cinnamon and the related spice, cassia, as embalming agents. Cinnamon was also used in the Old Testament as an ingredient in anointing oil.
Tales of Cinnamon’s Origin
Europeans were aware that cinnamon was shipped from the Red Sea through the trading ports of Egypt, but where exactly it came from was a mystery. In an effort to maintain their trade monopoly, Arab traders wove elaborate stories about the origins of cinnamon. These stories further helped to justify cinnamon’s scarcity and exorbitant prices.
Sier de Joinville believed the fanciful stories he was given of cinnamon’s origin. Joinville told his king in 1248 that cinnamon was pulled up in nets at the source of the Nile, all the way out at the edge of the world.
An Arab, Herodotus, came to believe that the mythical cinnamologus birds gathered cinnamon sticks from a distant unknown land. The cinnamologus birds made their nests so high in the mountains that no one could climb them. According to this myth, the method of collection was to leave large chunks of ox meat below these nests and wait for the birds to collect them. When the birds gathered the meat into the nest, the increased weight would cause them to collapse, enabling people to gather the cinnamon sticks at the base of the mountain.
Another wild cinnamon origin story claimed that cinnamon was harvested within deep canyons, relentlessly guarded by monstrous snakes.
The 1st century Roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder, reasoned that cinnamon hails from Ethiopia. Cinnamon, he reasoned, was carried on rafts bereft of oars or sails and propelled by “man alone and his courage.”
Wars and Exploration for Cinnamon
Exploration of the new world was primarily motivated by a desire to expand the spice trade. At the time of Columbus’ expedition, cinnamon was at the height of its demand. Expanding the spice trade was one of the primary reasons for Columbus’ expedition. Columbus sent back what he thought was cinnamon from the New World. It was not cinnamon, however. Cinnamon country had yet to be found.
European efforts to find the source of cinnamon fell short until 1518 when the Portuguese located cinnamon at Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). With ruthless precision, the Portuguese conquered the island kingdom of Kotto and enslaved the population in order to monopolize the cinnamon trade.
The Portuguese maintained control of the region for a century, until the occupied people allied with the Dutch in 1638 to wrestle control of the region away from the Portuguese. Their combined efforts were successful, and they eliminated Portuguese control of the region. The Dutch made the island kingdom beholden to them for their military aide. The island people traded one European oppressor for another. The Dutch held the cinnamon monopoly for the next 150 years.
The British later conquered Ceylon in 1784. However cinnamon had begun to be cultivated in other parts of the world, and by the year 1800 it was no longer the rare precious commodity it once was.
Cinnamon Varieties
There are hundreds of types of Cinnamon, but there are only four varieties used for commercial purposes. The cinnamon known as “true cinnamon” is Ceylon cinnamon. This is the only variety that many other countries refer to as cinnamon. Other varieties are known as cassia.
Other cinnamon varieties, which are much more common in North America, are easier to produce and less expensive than Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia (Chinese) cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, and Korintje are typically all lumped in together and referred to as cassia cinnamon, though they are each distinctively different. Each of these three closely related spices are much stronger and more pungent than Ceylon cinnamon.
In North America, when cinnamon is used as an ingredient or sold on the shelves as simply “cinnamon”, it is typically Korintje or cassia (Tung Hing).
Sri Lanka (90%), India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean
China
Indonesia
Vietnam
Taste
Mild, sweet
Spicy, bitter
Spicy, pungent
Spicy, slightly sweet
Color
Light to medium reddish brown
Dark reddish brown
Dark reddish brown
Dark reddish brown
Aroma
sweet, complex
Intense, pungent
Intense, spicy, pungent
Spicy
Price
Expensive
Cheap
Cheap
Medium
Coumarin
0.017 g/kg
0.31 g/kg
2.15 g/kg
6.97 g/kg
Ceylon Cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon is grown in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil, India, and the Caribbean. This variety is more popular in much of Europe, Latin America, Mexico, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Indian curries and desert recipes of the lighter variety that call for cinnamon are typically referring to Ceylon cinnamon. Ceylon is the sweetest and mildest tasting and the lightest in color. It’s also three to four times more expensive than the other varieties.
Ceylon has less coumarin than the other varieties, and is often recommended above others by the alternative health community and many conventional doctors as well, since coumarin can cause liver damage in high dosages (more on that below).
Cassia Cinnamon (Chinese Cinnamon)
It can get a little confusing here since all three non-Ceylon varieties are often referred to as cassia cinnamon, while the Chinese Cinnamon is often referred to as cassia cinnamon. In other words, Cassia cinnamon may refer to Chinese cinnamon or it may refer to one of the other non-Ceylon cinnamons: Saigon cinnamon or Korintjr cinnamon.
Today, Tung Hing, the Chinese cinnamon is mostly grown in China, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. This variety is spicy, bitter and very intense.
Saigon Cinnamon
Known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia, Saigon cinnamon’s scientific name is Cinnamomum Loureiroi. It comes from an evergreen tree indigenous to Southeast Asia. Saigon cinnamon is closely related to Chinese cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon has around 1-5% essential oil content and 25% cinnamaldehyde in the essential oil, which is the highest of all the cinnamon species.
Saigon cinnamon’s bark is similar to that of Tung Hing, but with a more pronounced and complex aroma. In Vietnamese cuisine, Saigon cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in many dishes including pho, the well-known noodle soup.
Saigon cinnamon has a volatile oil content of around 7%, which gives it a very bold and robust flavor that is ideal for cooking and for use in sauces.
Korintje Cinnamon
Fragrant Korintje cinnamon is as intense and spicy as Chinese cinnamon, but it is also a bit smoother. Korintje cinnamon from Indonesia accounts for most of the cinnamon imported into the U.S. Although lacking the depth of Chinese cinnamon, the flavor is smoother. Korintje cinnamon is a common choice for commercial bakeries in North America because of its good flavor and lower cost.
Coumarin in Cinnamon and Liver Damage
Ceylon cinnamon benefits are marketed as superior to the less expensive Cassia spices primarily due to Ceylon cinnamon’s ultra low levels of a chemical called coumarin, a blood thinner that is toxic to the liver and prevalent in much higher levels in the three cassia spices. It’s not anything most people need to worry about; the risk for any damage with normal or even much higher than normal consumption of cassia cinnamon is negligible.
For flavoring food, go with any and all varieties and discover what works best for each food. As a medicinal supplement though, if you want to take regular, relatively large doses, it may make sense to stick with Ceylon cinnamon for this purpose.
It should also be known that any cinnamon in very large doses will make one sick. Check out the cinnamon challenge; the objective is to film oneself swallowing a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything:
We don’t recommend trying it. The cinnamon challenge is a little risky. If you are taking cinnamon as a supplement in capsule form, it’s typically a good idea to take it with food, and don’t overdo it.
Health Benefits of Cinnamon
While there are definitely color, taste, and texture variations between Ceylon, Cassia, Korintje, and Saigon cinnamon, the differences in respect to health benefits are minor.
Nutrients – One teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder has up to 16% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance for Manganese, 5% for fiber 3% for iron, and 3% for calcium.
Cinnamon, Blood, and Inflammation Reduction
Cinnamon helps reduce unwanted blood platelet clotting, which can result in inadequate blood flow, and is a common symptom of various diseases and overall poor health. Cinnamon inhibits the release of arachidonic acid (an inflammatory fatty acid) and reduces its formation. Cinnamon also removes blood impurities and helps to improve blood circulation due to the presence of a blood-thinning compound.
Cinnamon Is a Powerful Antimicrobial Spice
Cinnamon is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic.
Cinnamon can be used as a food preservative. Just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to approximately 3 ounces of carrot broth inhibited the growth of the food-borne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days in the refrigerator. When the broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the bacteria flourished.
Multiple studies have shown cinnamon’s effectiveness with a multitude of viruses including but not limited to HIV, herpes, and the adenovirus. Cinnamon even shows promise with cancer.
Cancer Preventer
Studies have shown that cinnamon and cinnamon oil shows promise with treating tumors, gastric cancers, melanomas, leukemia, colon cancer, and lymphoma cancer.
Antioxidant
Cinnamon a powerful antioxidant. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. In another study, cinnamon, anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg, vanilla, and artificial preservatives were looked at to see which compounds prevented oxidation most effectively. Mint came in first; cinnamon came in second.
Blood Sugar, Diabetes, and Cinnamon
Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar levels, which can help with weight loss, and can also prevent, and even help reverse, diabetes and hypoglycemia. Cinnamon actually slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Cinnamon also stimulates insulin receptors and inhibits an enzyme that inactivates insulin receptors while it enhances muscle cells’ insulin-signaling pathways, which increases the body’s ability to properly utilize glucose.
One study found Cassia cinnamon was almost twice as effective as the same amount of Ceylon cinnamon for controlling blood sugar. On the other hand, if you are concerned about coumarin consumption, you could double your Ceylon cinnamon dosage and not even come close to the high Coumarin levels found in Cassia Cinnamon. The general consensus is that approximately 1/2 of a teaspoon a day of cinnamon is effective for normalizing blood sugar.
Lowering LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Studies have found that regular consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and an increase in HDL cholesterol (known as the good cholesterol).
A controlled study was done with 60 people with type 2 diabetes. One group received cinnamon daily while the other group was giving a placebo. Forty days later, all of the cinnamon group showed reduced blood sugar levels down by 18-29%; reduced triglycerides, down by 23-30%; reduced LDL cholesterol, down by 7-27%; and reduced total cholesterol, down by 12-26%. The placebo group saw no significant changes.
Cinnamon and the Brain
Folklore says the smell of cinnamon can cure the winter blues. No studies support this except for an interesting study that found the scent of cinnamon reduced driver irritability.
Cinnamon boosts the activity of the brain and removes nervous tension and memory loss. Researchers have proven that cinnamon improves cognitive abilities such as attention span, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response. Just the aroma or just the taste of cinnamon, can stimulate cognitive function.
Cinnamon consumption may delay the effects of, slow the effects of, and even reverse some of the effects of Alzheimer’s. In addition, some parents are using cinnamon to treat their children with ADHD.
Ways to Use Cinnamon
There are various essential oils extracted from various parts of the tree (not just the bark), and various species (as mentioned above) to choose from.
Cinnamon Stick Tea
5 cups water in a metal pot or glass kettle
Add one cinnamon stick (3 inch length)
Cinnamon sticks should be boiled slowly. Set the heat setting to as low as possible to sustain a low, slow boil and cook 15 to 25 minutes.
Let it steep/rest for 15 minutes.
You may reheat before serving. It yields just over a cup.
Enhanced Golden Milk Tea Recipe
This is a new twist on an ancient way of experiencing the benefits of turmeric. Ideally, use all fresh, unadulterated herbs whenever available.
1 cup of warm Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric with skin
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger with skin
1 pinch of black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Mix it all up and drink. I you prefer to drink it warm, only heat the coconut milk; be careful not to cook the other ingredients. Add the other ingredients when the coconut milk is cool enough to drink to preserve enzymes and other fragile micronutrients.
Household Disinfectant and Odor Neutralizer
Cinnamon has been proven to be good at killing bacteria including, e-coli and salmonella. Cinnamon oil kills bacteria that create odors as well.
Mix 10 drops of cinnamon essential oil in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and use to disinfect counter tops, sinks, cabinets, doorknobs, toys etc.
Place three drops of cinnamon essential oil mixed with water on a diffuser to neutralize odors in a large room within minutes.
Tooth and Gum Health
Antibacterial properties of cinnamon remove harmful bacteria without damaging teeth or gums. Try using cinnamon with homemade mouthwash and toothpaste recipes. Also, try oil pulling with coconut oil and a few drops of cinnamon oil. See Homemade DIY Oral Health.
Insect Repellant
Cinnamon essential oil can be used for head lice treatment and to repel (or kill) ants, bed bugs, dust mites, roaches, and mosquitoes.
Skin Infections Like Athlete’s Foot
Try cinnamon oil on any topical skin infection, including athlete’s foot. It’s antimicrobial properties make quick work out of fungus.
Digestion
Cinnamon is very effective for treating indigestion, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea and flatulence. Cinnamon eliminates excess gas from the stomach and intestines, removes acidity, kills pathogens and acts as a diuretic to stop diarrhea. It relieves irritable bowel syndrome, reduces morning sickness, and is often referred to as a digestive tonic.
Menstruation
Cinnamon has been shown to provide relief from menstrual discomfort and cramping.
Breastfeeding
Regular consumption of cinnamon after childbirth delays menstruation, especially when combined with breastfeeding. Many believe that cinnamon promotes healthier breast milk as well.
Massage
Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory substance that combined with carrier oil for massage, and when consumed, can help soothe and remove stiffness in muscles and joints.
Wound Healing
Cinnamon oil acts as a coagulant to stop excess bleeding and kills infectious pathogens, facilitating the healing process.
Conclusion
The cinnamon in your pantry is most likely many years old, stale, and of little potency. Stale cinnamon has reduced flavor and health benefits. It may be time to go cinnamon shopping. Be sure to check out garlic, turmeric, ginger, and more below.
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