In the 1980s supermarkets were even more concerned with proper shape and size of produce than they are today. Consumers expected carrots to be a particular size, shape, and color. Anything that didn’t fit the image was sold for juice or processing or animal feed, or often simply thrown away.
There are “true baby carrots” and then there are the processed “baby carrots” we normally see in stores. True baby carrots are just young carrots harvested before the root reaches its mature size. Some say they are sweeter this way. Some even think they’re healthier. These carrots aren’t nearly as common in grocery stores, but when you see them they often still have their stalks. What we typically see labeled as “baby carrots” in those small plastic bags are full grown carrots that would once have been rejected and wasted.
Broken and misshaped carrots that are not pretty enough for consumers were discarded, leaving farmers with as little as 30 percent of their crop to sell. Mike Yurosek was tired of this waste. He took his ugly reject carrots and used a potato peeler to reshape them into small pieces. Yurosek then scaled up with an industrial green bean cutter to quickly whittle the carrots into the well-known sizes we still see today. 1
How Are Baby Carrots Made Today?
The industry calls them “baby cuts.” They are no longer simply rejected carrots. These baby cuts you see in supermarkets come from carrots have been specifically bred to be smaller in diameter, and to be a bright orange without color variation, and they are also raised to have considerably sweeter than regular carrots. 2
These baby carrots are planted closer together than traditional carrots and they are harvested in about 120 days. But before packaging, the carrots are cut and peeled and scrubbed, then they get the infamous chlorine bath. But the amount of chlorine in the water is not really anything to be alarmed about. It’s likely that every time you eat out at a restaurant you will consume more chlorine than when eating baby carrots.
Grimmway Farms uses a chlorine solution on all its carrots — organic and non-organic — to prevent food poisoning, before a final wash in water. Grimmway says the chlorine rinse is well within limits set by the EPA and is comparable to levels found in tap water.” – Fox
The minute amount of chlorine in our water for washing carrots is nearly 90% less than the chlorine level in normal tap (drinking) water.” – The Truth About Baby Carrots
What’s the Concern?
Baby carrots are no longer a byproduct of the carrot industry, so buying baby carrots no longer helps to reduce food waste.
The chlorine is problematic but if you eat out at restaurants, even healthy ones, you’re getting plenty of chlorine in your food. If you shower without water filtration, you’re breathing it in.
The problem is that the food is processed. People think they are getting fresh carrots, but they’re not. The life force energy of the food is gone (the chlorine bath allows the food to last longer, and some may have additional preservatives). The enzymes are done. And the peel, which contains the highest concentration of nutrients, is gone.
Eating baby carrots is eating processed food, but it’s not the worst choice one could make. As poor food choices go, this is probably the best of them. I have been I situations where I was very hungry and the only food choice I saw that would not make me sick were baby carrots, and I have eaten plenty.
But the best carrots for you are unprocessed, unpeeled, un-messed-with carrots. Vitamin C and niacin are most concentrated in the peel. A little more than half of the phytonutrients are found in the peel. 3
Five Random Carrot Facts
Carrots come in orange, white, yellow, red, and purple
Cultivated carrots are usually about 88% water, 7% sugar, 1% protein, 1% fibre, 1% ash, and 0.2% fat
The world’s largest carrot producer is China, accounting for over 45% of the global output
The voice of cartoon character Bugs Bunny reportedly did not like carrots
Coffee, Glyphosate Levels, and Shorter Pregnancies
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most commonly used herbicide in the world. Nearly 300 million pounds of Roundup is sprayed on U.S. farms every year. A small Indiana study found that more than 90 percent of pregnant women had glyphosate in their urine. They also found that higher concentrations of glyphosate correlate to earlier deliveries.
Researchers recruited 71 pregnant women in central Indiana. The women provided two urine samples and two drinking water samples from their homes and answered questions about what food and beverages they consume and the kind of stress they deal with, as well as where they lived. Researchers tested the water and urine samples for glyphosate. Then researchers divided women into four groups based on how much glyphosate was in their urine. Researchers later used medical records after birth to determine their pregnancy length.
The study found that 93 percent of the women had detectable glyphosate in their urine and those who lived in rural areas more glyphosate in their urine than the suburban residents did.
The study also found that women who drank more than 24 ounces of caffeinated beverages daily had shown greater levels of glyphosate. The good news is that none of the drinking water samples had detectable glyphosate levels in them, but this looks like bad news for coffee addicts.
Only two of the women in the study gave birth prematurely, but researchers found that women with more glyphosate in their urine delivered earlier than women with less, on average. Glyphosate was not found to lead to correlate with low birth weight or head circumference.
It was mind-boggling that glyphosate was so prevalent in urine samples . . . but it was a pleasant surprise that none of the drinking water came out positive,” – Lead author Shahid Parvez
The link between caffeine intake and high glyphosate levels in urine surprised the researchers.
It makes sense to us since there are many different food products imported from Southeast Asia and South America but we don’t know what they contain. It indicates a need to think about these food products, such as coffee beans and other drinks that we import.” – Parvez
Most of the women were white. The sample was small. The study is limited by its small size and lack of geographic and racial diversity.
More research needs to be done, but the precautions are common sense. Be vigilant and careful, especially those living in areas where corn and soybeans are grown.”
How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors
The soles of your shoes, the fabric of your clothing, your contact lenses, your chewing gum, your phone, food containers, mattresses – all are made with plastic. It’s everywhere. It’s in our salt and it’s in our water. Plastic may be the most insidious and enduring product we’ve ever produced.
While plastic improves our daily life in countless ways, it is also suffocating our planet and causing catastrophic pollution, much of it hidden and microscopic. Just how bad is it?
Bottled water samples were collected and analyzed by scientists over a ten-month investigation. The study analyzed 259 bottles from 19 locations in nine countries across 11 different brands and found an average of 325 plastic particles for every liter of water being sold.
In one bottle of Nestlé Pure Life, concentrations were as high as 10,000 plastic pieces per litre of water. Of the 259 bottles tested, only 17 were free of plastics, according to the study.” – Drinking Bottled Water Means Drinking Microplastics
This study comes just after a damning study of plastic found in sea salt brands was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports. Theyanalyzed seventeen commercial salt brands from eight different countries on four continents for plastic particles. They found plastics in all but one brand.
BPA is the starting material for producing polycarbonate plastics. We found out it leaches into the ground and water and causes all kinds of problems. Of course, the manufacturers denied and lied until the mounting evidence was incontrovertible. Then BPS was developed, and was a favored replacement; they thought BPS was more resistant to leaching. But BPS is leaching. Nearly 81 percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPS in their urine. Once it enters the body it can affect cells in ways that parallel BPA.
Microplastics, Endocrine Disrupters, and the Environment
Microplastics are most likely, to varying degrees, already in all of our drinking water and in all of our bodies. Microplastics absorb toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases and release those chemicals into animals that consume it, like fish and humans who eat those fish. Experts say since these fibers have been found in most of our water supply, they have to be in our food as well. From fish to organic vegetables, microplastics are everywhere. At this time, there is no known way to completely filter or contain them.
Plastic waste doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into smaller pieces of itself, down to the nanometer scale (one billionth of a meter). Science knows that particles of this size migrate through intestinal walls and travel to lymph nodes, glands, and bodily organs.
Plastic is toxic. It has been proven to cause cancer. Plastic toxicity weakens the immune system, metabolism, and affects people’s skin, weight, behavior, and much more. Plastic particles will leach into food and drink and is also absorbed through skin and lungs. Plastics leach endocrine disruptors, meaning plastic screws up our hormonal system.
Most plastic products, from dishes to plastic bags to food wraps, have been proven to release estrogenic chemicals. These chemicals are endocrine disrupters that act like the sex hormone estrogen, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives. Excessive estrogen, estrogenic chemicals, and other endocrine disruptors have been linked to cancer, fertility problems, male impotence, heart disease, and many other conditions.
Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are chemicals that mimic our own hormones. They bind hormone receptors and disrupt the body’s normal hormonal actions. Endocrine disruptors may cause a more powerful response than the natural hormone would have or a diminished response. In some cases, they cause a completely different response than its natural counterpart would have created. EDs are typically measured in parts per trillion, which is indicative of the fact that very small amounts can have a disrupting effect on us. EDs are very stable. They don’t break down quickly. This is, in large part, why they are in so many products. They also get stored in our fat cells. They tend to stick around for a long time.
The dangers of plastics have not been studied adequately, and the plastic industry has no desire or intention of doing so. A study looking into the effects of BPA on rat testicles found that lipoic acid exerted antioxidant effects that can protect against BPA damage. In the study, BPA was shown to reduce testosterone, testicular weight, protein content, antioxidant activity, and beneficial enzyme activity, while damaging the mitochondria. Fetal exposure to BPA has been associated with obesity, altered reproductive function, and cancers later on in life. BPA was accidentally discovered to be carcinogenic when medical researchers came to find that rats were getting cancer during a study for something else. They found out that it was caused the BPA in the water bottles. And now we are supposed to trust BPA free plastics?
How to Avoid Plastic Toxicity
Many manufacturers have stopped using BPA to harden plastics, replacing it with “BPA-free” alternatives like the most common replacement, BPS (Bisphenol S).
Our research showed that low levels of BPS had a similar impact on the embryo as BPA. In the presence of either BPA or BPS, embryonic development was accelerated. Additionally, BPA caused premature birth.” –Nancy Wayne
You probably can’t avoid plastics. Even if you go to another planet plastic is going to take you there and contaminate that ecosystem. But you can limit plastic consumption and keep your body in a homeostasis state that detoxifies itself at all times. And the good news is that with the right diet and a healthy body, BPA and BPS can be flushed out of your system quickly, some say within 24 hours. A properly working body can process and dispel a lot of toxins. An unhealthy body rids itself of toxins at a slower rate than the toxins are consumed and produced.
Ways to Limit Plastic Contamination & Plastic Use
Keep your home clean, and vacuum regularly
Filter tap water
Always avoid artificial fragrances
Stay away from warm or hot plastics, don’t even breathe near them
Avoid canned foods
Avoid conventional personal care products like shampoos, soaps, moisturizers, makeup
Avoid conventional and big-ag produce (pesticides and herbicides have plastic residues)
Cook your own foods using whole-food ingredients
Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants
Purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container
Use paper or your own reusable shopping bags, bulk goods bags, and bring your own mesh produce bags (FYI: I suspect that many paper bags contain BPA and BPS)
No more chewing gum, it’s made of plastic
Buy boxes and glass instead of plastic bottles whenever possible
Use a reusable bottle or mug for your beverages or coffee and soda refills (but you don’t drink that crap, do you?)
Boycott any restaurant that still uses styrofoam – Why is that still a thing?
Use matches or invest in a refillable metal lighter – avoid the plastic disposable ones
Eat real, whole foods – fresh foods equates to less packaging and less previous plastic contact
Don’t use plasticware ever, bring your own if need be
Use cloth diapers – disposable diapers are extremely toxic to the environment and your baby
Did you know that some receipts contain 250 to 1,000 times the amount of BPA typically found in a can of food? If that isn’t scary enough, BPA transfers readily from the receipt to skin and cannot be washed off. Different types of receipts contain varying levels of BPA. If you aren’t sure whether or not a merchant uses BPA in their receipts, either ask directly or let them know early in the transaction that you will not need your receipt. Gas station receipts are particularly notorious for containing huge amounts of BPA.” – Home Maker Chic
How to Detoxify Plastic Byproducts
To eliminate BPS, BPA, and other plastic residues from the body, one must first and foremost, make sure your gut is not leaking! A healthy gut microbiome will breakdown toxins into inert substances. See How To Heal Your Gut for more on that.
The second most important thing you can do is consume lots of salads like these. Incidentally, salads are part of building a healthy gut microbiome. A large salad with 15 different vegetables and herbs will chelate toxic chemicals from the body while providing nutrition and feeding a healthy, diverse microbiome.
Also, eliminate heavy metals and other toxins as well. Toxins tend to disrupt the endocrine system. The endocrine system is your hormonal system (click to learn more), which includes glands like the thyroid, adrenals, and the pancreas. Heavy metal toxicity and other toxins will also inhibit the body’s ability to detoxify other chemicals including plastic residue.
Most people living on a modern, refined diet suffer from candida overgrowth, and consequently, a leaky gut. Ingesting pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics, alcohol, and other toxic foods kill our natural, beneficial gut microbiome. The refined sugars and flours we ingest feed the microbes that survive our toxic lifestyles. These microbes thrive in our toxic bodies because they feed off of simple sugars and weak cells. They also feed off of plastics, heavy metals, and all kinds of toxins. And they are not the microbes that optimize our health. THe best gut bacteria just happen to like the healthiest foods. Nature wouldn’t work if it were any other way.
The diet I recommend may sound extreme. It’s the same diet I advocate for those suffering from cancer, diabetes, depression, any other autoimune disease or infection, or for those who just want to detoxify. If you are sick, no amount of supplements will fix that. But with the right diet, supplements will radically speed up the process of getting well. If you want to live life disease free, save the following articles:
Even if you’re not feeling ill in any way, detoxifying plastic or anything else is done best with raw, fresh vegetables. The right salad will chelate heavy metals, BPAs, BPS, and more, all while replenishing the minerals we need. Garlic, parsley, cilantro, and many other foods show promising chelation properties, but their effects alone are weak. Thr trick is to combine many healthy foods with their many health benefits for a holistic approach. Taking a few cloves of garlic a day will not significantly reduce levels of toxins any more than taking a supplement. In other words, don’t underestimate the importance of the right diet. It must contain a wide variety of fresh, whole foods.
Supplements for BPA and BPS, Heavy Metal Detox, and Other Endocrine Disrupters
Without a proper diet, the right supplements will work, but only to a certain extent, and only for a little while. On the other hand, supplements taken with a healthy diet can radically speed up healing time.
1.) Get thee some probiotics – pronto. I’m not talking celebrity endorsed yogurt here. Chose fermented foods like kimchi, natural sauerkraut, and kefir. A refrigerated, concentrated probiotic supplement helps. Drink kombucha. Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus casei were found to extract BPA from the blood of mammals and were excreted out through the bowels. That is very good news!
Beneficial bacteria strengthen the gut and help break down chemicals like BPA so they can be cleared out. As a bonus, they break down pesticides, another major endocrine-disruptor, and other toxins as well. Probiotics are becoming well known for breaking down endocrine-disruptors and other toxins in the body.
My recommendations (pick one depending on the budget):
Syntol AMD (powerful probiotic with prebiotics and enzymes)
Chelators are small molecules that bind very tightly to metal ions. Activated charcoal is proven to attach to heavy metals including beneficial macrominerals, so mineral supplementation is recommended when consuming activated charcoal, though this can be mitigated with a healthy diet like as mentioned above.
Activated charcoal is highly negatively charged. It seems to bind with positively charged particles. Pathogens typically have a high positive charge associated with them, and so do plastics. Activated charcoal filters have shown to remove BPA from water, but I don’t see any research on its ability to filter BPA from the body, but I think it works.
Like activated charcoal, bentonite clay is negatively charged. Unlike charcoal, bentonite clay provides minerals and other nutrients to the body while it sucks out toxins, as it helps repair the intestinal tract.
Another chelator, and much more. Any self-respecting eco-friendly health-nut has a bag of food-grade DE somewhere. Take it with water to kill pathogens in your gut, and use it outside or indoors for pest control.
Food grade DE is approximately 80-85% silica. Life cannot exist without silica. Most people are silica-deficient.
Chlorella has a well-documented history of helping remove heavy metals and other toxins like dioxin from the body expeditiously. Its high concentration of chlorophyll and fiber seems to be a big part of its exceptional detox benefits. It’s almost certain, considering the mechanism, that Chlorella (and spirulina) help pull out BPAs and other plastic residue.
Chlorella is a good source of protein, GLA, and phytochemicals, B12, B2, B3, iron, magnesium, Beta Carotene, and a bunch of powerful phytochemicals. Chlorella stimulates the growth of friendly bacteria. Furthermore, chlorella’s cell walls act to absorb toxic compounds within the intestines, restoring proper gastrointestinal pH and helping to promote normal peristalsis. And it is another chelator, as it is also very negatively charged, attracting positively charged molecules.
Phytochemicals found within Chlorella pyrenoidosa support the complex network of enzymatic reactions that drive the human detoxification system. This detoxification network involves the Phase I and Phase II enzymatic reactions that take place in nearly all cells in the body, though they are concentrated in the liver cells. Phase I detoxification reactions change non-polar chemicals that are not water-soluble into relatively polar, water-soluble compounds. The Phase I process can result in the formation of reactive chemicals that are typically more toxic than the original compounds. Phase II detoxification is necessary therefore to add chemical groups to the toxic intermediates to make them water-soluble so that they may easily be excreted via urine and/or feces. Phase I and Phase II detoxification pathways must remain functional for the removal of toxins from the body. This research focuses specifically on the Chlorella pyrenoidosa species of green algae recognized for its detoxification properties. – King Hardt Academy
Chlorella is green algae, but spirulina is more of a blue-green in color. These two algae have a lot in common. Chlorella’s green hue demonstrates that it’s richer in chlorophyll than spirulina, and chlorella is said to have stronger detoxification properties. But spirulina is an even better source of protein, and it offers iron, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, calcium, potassium, zinc, and a host of microminerals.
Digestive enzymes break down food. Metabolic enzymes, also known as systemic enzymes, break down foreign proteins, fibrin, and other toxins, and they clean the blood of impurities. Consider the ramifications of this. Probiotics and enzymes together help breakdown nearly everything in the gut that doesn’t belong. Read more about systemic enzymes here.
Diindolylmethane (DIM) is naturally present in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. It helps metabolize estrogens and hormone-disrupting estrogen mimics. Indolplex is a dietary supplement that contains a patented, bioavailable form of diindolylmethane.
Glucuronidation is a major metabolic reaction, and mainly takes place in the liver, for disposal of a variety of endogenous (such as TH) and exogenous substrates (such as PCBs).
Calcium glucarate is naturally found in fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables. Calcium glucarate helps rid the body of toxins and excess hormones while it protects our cells from carcinogens.
My family and I do avoid it as often as we can. Years ago, I spent considerable time trying to completely eliminate plastic from my life. I found that my overall environmental footprint went up a little. Plastics make things so easy and convenient that sometimes it just doesn’t make any sense to do without it. I’m careful, but plastics don’t scare me. The body can handle a remarkable toxic load when the diet is right. I trust my diet to eliminate the BPA, BPS, and whatever else gets in there that shouldn’t be.
That said, I cannot wait for the day when our plastics come from hemp or some other sustainable alternative. There are much better options available to us if we can just get out from under this petroleum-based economy.
Non-browning Arctic Apple Set For “Aggressive Expansion” After Positive U.S. Test Run
The Arctic Apple was developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) and has been marketed in several of Midwest locations as part of a promotion test. The apples have been sliced and marketed in 10-ounce grab-and-go bags which were a hit with customers. Observing the “amazing” results of the test run in U.S. markets, the non-browning Arctic Apple is slated for “aggressive expansion.” It will be some time before the item is available in Canada.
We saw robust, positive results. The data was amazing. When people had a chance to see the apple and experience it and realize how fantastic it is, I think that that’s a real game changer. That’s what’s allowed us to move forward very aggressively with a lot of confidence.” Neal Carter, founder, told CBC Daybreak South host Chris Walker
Growers and GMO opponents have repeatedly raised concerns regarding genetically engineered plants like the apple and the complex technology supporting it, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health Canada have both approved the Arctic Apple for sale.
Carter said customer polls performed in six store locations led to 92 percent of consumers stating they’d be quite likely or extremely likely to purchase the non-browning apples later on.
In addition, he said they saw practically no complaint concerning the genetic alteration of the food, which he found promising in light of the company’s expansion plans. “Our business model has us planting trees very aggressively,” Carter stated.
We understand that there’s a segment out there that chooses not to buy biotech and that’s fine, that’s their choice,” said Carter. “But it looks to us that there’s an awful lot of people that think this product is exciting and they’re really keen to try it and really keen to buy it.”
Carter has been working to create the Arctic apple since 1996. In 2015, his company was bought by Intrexon Corporation — a U.S. biotech company — that is now funding the planting of new trees. By 2022, he anticipates the firm will have more than 1,200 hectares planted in Washington state and will probably be developing more non-browning apples compared to all the apples grown in the Okanagan Valley.
How to Make Your Period be a Reason for Celebration
In certain parts of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, it is common to find women on their periods gathered in a party like atmosphere while relaxing under beautiful umbrellas, receiving gifts and praises.
When you zoom in on America, however, women on their periods are going hysterical, driving to the pharmacy to stock up on tampons, Tylenol, and ice cream as preparation for the menstrual hurricane ahead.
Thankfully I’m here to give you great news!
It’s time to drop the box of tissues because you are officially about to learn how to end your menstrual torment and make your period an enjoyable experience.
What are Cramps?
Cramps are strong contractions of the uterus as they are triggered by a chemical called prostaglandin, commonly associated with inflammation and pain. Cramps usually start when a woman begins to ovulate regularly. It comes a day or two before the menstrual flow, though it can continue through the first 2 days of the period. The good news is that, generally, this pain gets better as a woman gets older, or after she has her first child.
Menstrual pain in some women, however, can be associated with other conditions such as:
Inflammation of the uterine lining (endometriosis)
Passage of tissue and blood through a narrow cervix
Uterine fibroid
Ovarian cysts
Uterine infections
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Use of intrauterine devices
But here you will find out how you can naturally treat the pain without having to take harmful medications and sacrifice your overall health in the long run.
Looks like this method will never get old. Since the heat has the ability to dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow, pain dissipation comes as a consequence. A 2012 scientific study found the application of a heat patch at 104°F (40 C°) to be as effective as ibuprofen. If you don’t have a heat patch you can simply take a warm bath, or use a hot towel.
Essential Oil Massage
A study shows that 20 minutes of applying pressure on the right spots on your abdomen is enough to relieve menstrual pain in women with endometriosis (instantly as well as afterward). Here is a helpful how-to video below.
So Whoopi Goldberg got together with cannabis industry leader Maya and created a line of products (balm, bath soaks, chocolate and tinctures) that targets menstrual pain relief in women. The reviews are nothing less than incredible. Not only are these products relieving menstrual pain, mood swings, and PCOS, but they are also relieving other types of pain such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, back pain, insomnia and other chronic conditions. The downside here is that you can only purchase these products with a medical card or in states where recreational marijuana is legal.
Acupuncture
This is a practice that is recommended by the National Institute of Health. An acupuncturist assesses the deficiencies or excessive energies in the patient’s meridians (the path through which life-energy “qi” travels throughout the body), then starts the needling in the respective spots. A study done on 43 women with dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain) showed that the acupuncture treatment was effective at reducing the pain as well as the need for pain medications.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Some women find relief by attending chiropractor sessions. In a pilot study, it was found that pain perception and menstrual distress was reduced by two-fold.
Here are some effective herbs that you can try for your period cramps and see which best works for your body. They are usually available as pills, capsules, tablets, teas, tinctures, or liquid extracts (Mix the liquid extracts with your favorite drink).
Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)
Take in form of tea. If you take diuretics or lithium consult with your doctor first.
Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera biennis)
Found to relieve PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) according to studies. Contraindicated for people who have a history of seizures.
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
Can relieve menstrual cramps and menopausal symptoms.
Can be used for inflammation. People with gallstones or gallbladder problems should ask their doctor before using it.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Can be used for nausea and weakness. Studies suggest that fennel can reduce the severity of symptoms.
Side note: If you have a history of hormone-related cancer or are taking hormone replacement therapy, have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood-thinning medication, you should consult with your doctor before taking these.
Homeopaths like to prescribe these herbs and natural substances according to the patient’s constitutional type, emotional, physical makeup as well as other criteria:
Belladonna/Deadly nightshade
Used in cases of sharp pain and throbbing pressure in the pelvic region along with heavy bleeding, as well as pain that extends towards lower back.
Chamomilla/Chamomile
For menstrual pain with mood swings and irritability.
Citrullus Colocynthis / Bitter apple
Used for sharp pains with anger outbursts and irritability.
Magnesia Phosphorica
Used for cramps and sharp shooting pains that are relieved by bending forward or by warmth.
Nux Vomica /Poison Nut
Can be used for cramping pains that extend to the lower back along with chills, irritability, nausea, sensitivity to light, noise, and odors.
Pulsatilla /Pasqueflower
For menstrual pain with irritability, moodiness, dizziness, nausea, headache, back pain, fainting. Pain may be more intense without a menstrual flow.
Treating PMS and Mood Swings
PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome and for some women, it comes with a giant ball of symptoms such as:
Mood swings
Cramps
Headaches
Dizziness
Bloating
Weight gain
Nausea
Breast tenderness
Vomiting
No wonder some girls want to do at this time is crawl up into bed and ride out this storm in their own cozy space. But fear not, below you will find a quick period go-to guide. It will let you know what to do, as well as what not to do during this time. Keep in mind that if you are very health conscious, which I hope you are, you should follow the “Not To Do/Have List” always, and not solely on your period to achieve a high level of health/well-being.
What Not To Do/Have During Your Period
Vegetable Oils
These contain fats that are capable of causing acute inflammation and mutations in your body – it’s moderate or high consumption can cause problems in the reproductive system such as endometriosis, PCOS, and cancer. That’s a no-no for sure.
Dairy
Dairy has been found to congest the body and some doctors believe women who quit ingesting it completely can reduce their menstrual pain. I know you probably love ice cream, but there’s no need to worry. If you must have some, pick a vegan/dairy free ice cream instead and your body will thank you.
Red Meat or Egg Yolk
These both contain arachidonic acid which in many people can cause an increase in cellular inflammation, and let’s face it…you don’t need any more inflammation.
Dangerous Everyday Household Toxins
Teflon (non-stick pans)
Birth-control
Plastics
Bug sprays/pesticides
Conventional cleaning products
These substances are a lot more a lot more harmful than you think, as they disrupt your entire hormonal system. Try to at least stay away from them during your period so that you give your body a chance to heal and reorganize itself.
Side note: We must understand that if these foods and substances are harmful during your period, to the point where they are contributing to your physical pain every month, they aren’t good for any point and time.
What to Do During Your Period
Get Enough Sleep/Rest
When you don´t get enough sleep on a normal day, how do you feel?
Fatigued, moody, easily irritated and simply off, right?
Can you now begin to imagine the importance of sleep time during our periods? A deficiency in proper rest can contribute to the pain and discomfort during this time. Help your body help you by allowing it to have some much-needed rest and rejuvenation.
Move Your Body
Who here has heard of endorphins? Endorphins are neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure and well-being. Doing light aerobic exercise can release endorphins into your nervous system, which will help relieve pain.
Some great low-intensity exercises that you can do while you are on your period are:
Yoga
Walking
Having good sex (The orgasm leads to increased blood flow and contraction of the uterine muscles, giving you a double dose of endorphins.)
Eat the Fats Your Body Actually Likes
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Butter (unless you’re vegan)
These should be your new best friends. Coconut oil actually helps your body by boosting the production of healthy hormones, reducing inflammation, aiding in weight loss and it even fights fungi and harmful bacteria! This BFF won’t let you down as long as you remember to not overconsume it.
Eat More Brassica Veggies
Broccoli
Kale
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
These contain carbon-3-inositol, helping to regulate estrogen activity as well as it eases bloating and discomfort during your menstruation.
Eat Fresh Fruits and Veggies
Fruits – sweet and exactly the kind of carbs you need to thrive. While processed sweets destroy your health, fruits and veggies are responsible for regaining it. Stick to having fruits (and no processed sugar) for dessert while you are on your period and see how you feel.
These can help to decrease inflammation. A couple of studies have found that women who took fish oil had less menstrual pain than those who took a placebo.
This is the easiest form of calcium for the body to absorb. It is essential for healthy bones and can reduce menstrual pain as it helps to maintain proper muscle function and prevent cramps.
One study suggests that vitamin E is effective against period pain. In the study, 100 women were given a Vitamin E supplement or a placebo for 5 days. Those who took vitamin E reported less pain than those who took the placebo.
Preliminary studies show that magnesium may help reduce menstrual pain. It is important to note, however, that an excessive amount of magnesium can cause diarrhea as well as lower blood pressure. If you take prescribed or OTC medications (especially blood-thinners) or suffer from any disease, it’s important to check with a physician before supplementation.
The Importance of a Positive Outlook Towards your Period
In contrast to Native Americans, we tend to associate our periods with an illness or inconvenience. This is a side effect of the push for equality in our society, and especially in the workplace. We promised we are just as good as any man, and in return, they demanded our utmost and unfailing efficiency. So in other words, ” If you’re in pain or feeling moody, we don’t want any of it, you’re meant to be as efficient as a machine, stuff it down.” But there is a problem with that. By not listening to our bodies needs, it responds with pain, in hope that you will finally “listen”.
The truth is we are not men, and we are not simply women. We are bearers of life, and we must be recognized as such in any place we find ourselves in, first and foremost by ourselves. So as crazy as this sounds, if we need more sleep, we should have it. If we don’t feel up to going to work, the best thing would be not to go. This will decrease much of the stress and agitation common to us women during our periods. Owning up to it will lead us to another outstanding victory.
A victory of self-love, power and of a painless period.
From now on, I hope you choose to fully accept the gift of life and renewal that your period brings every month to see your period transition from a burden to an enriching experience.
Cancer and Processed Food – A New Study Officially Finds a Link
A new study of over 100,000 people’s eating habits in France found that a 10 percent increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods resulted in a 12 percent increase some cancers, confirming yet again that diet is a key component in disease prevention. Ultra-processed foods include soda, mass-produced bread, sweets, processed meats, and prepackaged meals, and this is the first scientific study to strongly link them to cancer. The study also established a massive database of the additives in specific foods, including commercial names and brands. The NutriNet-Santé cohort study concludes, “Further studies are also needed to better understand the relative effect of nutritional composition, food additives, contact materials, and neoformed contaminants in this relation. Rapidly increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods may drive an increasing burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases.”
Let’s look at breast cancer. Common reasons given for the rise in breast cancer diagnoses include age, stress, obesity, lack of exercise, and having children later in life. Lifestyle choices are usually mentioned, but specific aspects of diet and lifestyle aren’t discussed. With this study, researchers noticed an increase of greater than 10 percent in the rates of breast cancer in response to ultra-processed food. This link mirrors trends happening throughout the world. Rapidly industrializing regions all over the world are all seeing a rapid rise in the incidences of breast cancer in conjunction with the increased presence of pre-packaged foods.
China
Since 2000, cases of breast cancer in China have increased by an average of 3.5 percent per year. Due to the country’s intense industrialization, rates of diagnosis are higher in cities than in rural areas. The move to urban areas has also increased the consumption of quick and easy to prepare pre-packaged meals and junk food offerings from Western companies like Kraft, Nestlé, and PepsiCo. Fast food sales are also a cause for concern, rising an average of 13 percent annually.
The majority of the Western hemisphere is a large region, but the circumstances are remarkably similar. There were over 140,000 new cases of breast cancer reported in 2012, and estimates predict that number will increase 70 percent by the year 2030. The growth in cancer rates comes at a time when these countries are being inundated by gigantic multinational corporations that specialize in ultra-processed food like Nestlé and Coca-Cola. Fast food chains are also expanding aggressively in the region.
Why Is That?
Ultra-processed foods contain large amounts of fat, sugar, and additives, and have been tied to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It’s difficult to know whether the fat, sugar or additives are responsible for ultra-processed food’s link to cancer, as many additives, colorings, and sweeteners in those foods are linked to asthma, skin conditions, vomiting, intestinal distress, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, depression, fatigue, diabetes, periodontal disease, and hyperactivity, among other things. Taken individually, the ingredients in these foods constitute serious health concerns.
Who knows what happens when a product contains more than one of these additives together? We don’t. Until now, no one has been doing that science.
Although the sales of processed and packaged foods are declining in the United States, these items still account for over half of all calories consumed in the country. They’re beginning to account for a much larger percentage of the world’s diet than ever before.
Even as deaths from breast cancer decrease, the number of diagnoses continues to rise. Improved standards of care account for fewer deaths, but incidences of cancer continue to increase because those standards don’t address the reason this is happening – our diet. This study is the first to make that connection and the first study that saw a definite increase in breast cancer in correlation with increased processed food consumption.
If we want to manage our health care system, we must manage our food system. They are the same thing.
Seven Easy Things You Need To Do For Your Health Right Now
Eat Salads
Medicine is entering the age of the microbe. We are just beginning to find out how incredibly important our tiny symbiotic friends are to the health of mammals. Your well-being is regulated in large part by the food you eat because your microbial chemical reactions define your health. There is no better way to foster a diverse and beneficial gut-ecosystem than to eat a salad every day consisting of many different vegetables and herbs. Think of your body as your family, and your gut microbes as your children. The health of those kids will completely dictate the health and success of the home. These aren’t just any salads though. We’re not talking a bag of bleached lettuce and some carrot shreds. These salads promote a diverse and beneficial ecosystem because the salads are made that way: here’s a recipe.
Water is wonderful, and chances are, you should be drinking more of it. Let’s take it one step further, though. Cranberries reduce inflammation and keep our kidneys running at peak performance. Lemon juice is said to help clean the liver, and lemons are known to help with digestion and PH balance. Try making cranberry lemonade with stevia, and drink a half gallon or more a day. This counts as your daily water intake too, so you don’t need to drink this and water. It’s super easy, all done to taste, and here’s a recipe. There is probably nothing else easier to do that can beneficially impact your health as much.
Eliminate Toxins
The toxins you breathe in are not inconsequential. Cleaning products may do as much damage as a pack-a-day habit. Perfumes, air fresheners, that new car smell, and fragrances in body care have been proven to be highly toxic to the body. Open your windows whenever possible, don’t trap yourself in areas that do not have fresh air circulating, and use non-toxic cleaners like this.
Squat
In many parts of the world, squatting is common while cooking, eating, birthing, and relieving oneself. We used to squat all the time. We are designed to squat. We would squat constantly in the wild. In nature, to navigate life and stay alive, we foraged all day. We would squat down, pick a leafy green, and eat it, likely while still in the squat position, staying low and looking around for trouble or more food. We would squat to track our prey, squat to defecate, and we would squat to relax because we didn’t have chairs. Our bodies have been squatting for a long time, and we are still evolved to squat. Squats even help detoxify the body and regulate our hormones! Click here for more on squats. If squats aren’t possible right now, try “get-ups.” What are “get-ups”? Anything you want them to be, just get up, get back down, and get up again! You may need to start in a chair, or maybe your starting position can be laying on the floor. Just get moving up and down and build up to squats.
Us humans were meant to walk and jog and sprint on a daily basis. We should be walking, squatting, and running sporadically all day. Jogging can be particularly hard on a body with a heavy toxic load, but it has tremendous benefits too. If you suffer from knee pain, read this. If running or jogging isn’t something you can do yet, walk. If you can run, walk some anyways. Walking is a kind of meditation even when one is not trying to mediate. Take the stairs and park farther away. Walk and jog and sprint every chance you get.
Go Outside in Nature
Have you read the studies about this yet? Nature is really important to our health. We need it and we do not get enough of it! If you are near the woods, take a daily walk. Breathe in the nature around you. Do some grounding by walking barefoot or sit on a rock and meditate. Whatever you do, just get out there and get some negative ions.
Breathe
Speaking of breathing, this is not a small thing. One can radically improve their health and their mental well being immediately by eliminating shallow breathing and learning to naturally take deep, full breaths. If you lie down on the floor and breathe in, does your stomach rise or fall? If it’s sinking in as you take a breath than your breathing is all wrong! Here’s how to breathe properly.
