Nutrition

The Many Benefits of Ginger

January 24, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 6 Comments

Ginger has been used medicinally for centuries and in the U.S. is perhaps most known for its ability to soothe nausea and stomach upset.

It is without a doubt the best remedy I know of for nausea. You don’t need much just a piece the size of your fingernail minced very finely and swallowed. It is phenomenally effective.

But now new research suggests this natural root may provide help for much more, including for arthritis pain, heart health, and people with asthma, in whom ginger may enhance the effects of the bronchodilating medications conventionally used to treat their condition. It may even be useful for weight control!

Ginger is Anti-Inflammatory and May Provide Pain Relief

Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties have made it a valuable tool in pain relief for centuries. In 2001, research showed that ginger extract helped reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis. (1)

And earlier this year a study found that women athletes taking three grams of ginger or cinnamon daily (that’s less than one teaspoon) had a significant decrease in muscle soreness.(2) Ginger has even been found to be as effective as ibuprofen in relieving pain from menstrual cramps in women. (3)

Furthermore, the pain-relieving potential of ginger appears to be far-reaching. Along with help for muscle and joint pain, for instance, ginger has been found to reduce the severity of migraine headaches as well as the migraine medication Sumatriptan – with fewer side effects. (4)

Ginger Helps Treat Asthma Symptoms

Another recent study, which was presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, found that adding ginger compounds to isoproterenol, a type of asthma medication called a beta-agonist, enhanced its bronchodilating effects.

Conventional asthma treatment typically consists of a non-steroidal bronchodilator, an anti-inflammatory agent that you inhale, which causes the smooth muscle cells in your lungs to relax.

This helps to open up your airways. If that doesn’t t work, the next step is typically an inhaled steroid, which is a very potent anti-inflammatory agent.

Part of the explanation for ginger’s benefits for asthma are its potent antioxidant activity, which is attributed to constituents such as gingerols, shogaols and zingerones. It is believed that these compounds have particular anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Because ginger enhances bronchodilation, it may provide a much safer alternative, or at least adjunct, to current medications on the market, which is badly needed. While asthma is a serious condition that can be fatal if left untreated, asthma medications themselves carry serious, even lethal side effects.

For example, the common asthma drug Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol, which can actually increase the severity of an asthma attack as well as the risk of death from asthma problems.

The drug used in the above-mentioned study, isoproterenol, was also linked to an epidemic of asthma deaths that occurred in the 1960s, whereas conventional asthma treatments have also been found to increase your risk of heart disease, cataracts and osteoporosis, just to name a few of the additional risks.

If you have asthma, I suggest looking into The Buteyko Method, which teaches you how to bring your breathing volume back toward normal or, in other words, to reverse what’s called chronic hyperventilation or chronic overbreathing. When your breathing is normal, you have better oxygenation of tissues and organs.

Ginger for Nausea and Motion Sickness

Ginger is wonderful for your gastrointestinal tract, as it is both carminative (preventing flatulence) and an intestinal spasmolytic (meaning it prevents spasms by soothing your intestinal tract). If you struggle with motion sickness or nausea (from pregnancy or chemotherapy, for example), ginger should be a staple in your diet. Research shows:

Taking one gram of ginger daily may help reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, and ginger has been shown to work better than a placebo in relieving morning sickness (5)
Daily ginger supplementation reduces the severity of chemotherapy-induced nausea (6)
Ginger may help reduce vomiting and other symptoms of motion sickness (7)

Ginger May be Useful for Diabetics

If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, listen up. Ginger appears to be useful both preventively and therapeutically for this condition, via effects on insulin release and action, and improved carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. According to one comprehensive review, one study found that after consuming three grams of dry ginger powder for 30 days, diabetic participants had a significant reduction in blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.(8 )It’s thought that ginger has a positive effect on diabetes because it:

Inhibits enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism
Increases insulin release and sensitivity
Improves lipid profiles

Ginger also has a protective effect on diabetes complications, including offering protection to the diabetic’s liver, kidneys, central nervous system and eyes.

Ginger Promotes Feelings of Satiety and Helps Control Hunger

Adding yet another benefit to this wonderfully warming spice, ginger has been shown to enhance thermogenesis and reduce feelings of hunger, offering a potential role in weight management.(9 ) Like cayenne pepper and turmeric, ginger may temporarily increase thermogenesis in your body, where your body burns fuel such as fat to create heat, with obviously beneficial impacts on metabolism and fat storage. Research suggests that consuming thermogenic ingredients may boost your overall metabolism by up to 5 percent, and increase fat burning by up to 16 percent.(10) It may even help counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that often occurs during weight loss.

Even More Reasons to Eat Ginger …

Ginger has broad-spectrum antibacterial, anti-viral, antioxidant and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 pharmacological actions. (11) According to research compiled by GreenMedInfo,(12) ginger may alsobe useful for:

Improving cognitive function in middle-aged women (13)
Protecting against respiratory viruses (14)
Reducing vertigo (15)
Enhancing fat digestion and absorption (16)
Protecting against toxic effects of environmental chemicals, such as parabens17

Over the past decade, researchers have also discovered that ginger may offer potent cardiovascular benefits by:

Preventing atherosclerosis
Lowering cholesterol levels
Preventing oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL)

Finally, research published in the British Journal of Nutrition(18) has demonstrated the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of ginger, suggesting it may be effective in the management of prostate cancer.

How to Use Ginger

If you’ve never used fresh ginger before you may find the gnarly brown root somewhat intimidating – but it’s incredibly easy to use. One of the simplest ways is to chop off a couple of inches of ginger root and let it steep in hot water for fresh ginger tea. You can also peel the root using a paring knife and then slice it thinly (or mince it) to add to tea or cooked dishes.

When left unpeeled, fresh ginger can be stored in your refrigerator for at least three weeks or in your freezer for six months or longer, making it incredibly easy to keep on hand. Try experimenting by adding fresh ginger and other warming spices, like cinnamon, to a cup of tea in the morning, evening or after a meal … and see if you notice any of the health benefits I’ve just described.

CLICK HERE to Pin this article!

Eating This Can “Tear Holes” in Your Gut

January 22, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

Leaky gut is a condition that occurs due to the development of gaps between the cells (enterocytes) that make up the membrane lining your intestinal wall.

These tiny gaps allow substances such as undigested food, bacteria and metabolic wastes, that should be confined to your digestive tract, to escape into your bloodstream — hence the term leaky gut syndrome.

Once the integrity of your intestinal lining is compromised, and there is a flow of toxic substances “leaking out” into your bloodstream, your body experiences significant increases in inflammation.

Also, your immune system may become confused and begin to attack your own body as if it were an enemy (autoimmunity).

Most often, leaky gut syndrome is associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, or celiac disease, but even healthy people can have varying degrees of intestinal permeability leading to a wide variety of health symptoms — and this can be influenced heavily by the foods you choose to eat.

Grains Contain Anti-Nutrients

In the United States, we’re told that grains (especially whole grains) are an important part of a balanced diet, necessary for obtaining our daily requirement of healthy nutrients and fiber.

However, according to a growing number of experts, including Dr. Loren Cordain, a professor at Colorado State University and an expert on Paleolithic lifestyles, humans are NOT designed to eat grains, and doing so may actually be damaging to your gut.

Dr. Cordain explains:

“There’s no human requirement for grains. That’s the problem with the USDA recommendations. They think we’re hardwired as a species to eat grains. You can get by just fine and meet every single nutrient requirement that humans have without eating grains. And grains are absolutely poor sources of vitamins and minerals compared to fruits and vegetables and meat and fish.”

Ironically, since we’re often told that whole grains are the best for our health, the high-fiber bran portion of grain – a key part that makes it a whole grain — actually contains many of the anti-nutrients. But the problem isn’t only that there are superior sources of nutrients; grains actually contain anti-nutrients that may damage your health. Dr. Cordain states:

“Grains are the seeds of a plant. They’re its reproductive material, and plants don’t make their reproductive material to give away for free to other animals. If they did they’d become extinct, and so the evolutionary strategy that many plants, particularly cereal grains have taken to prevent predation is to evolve toxic compounds so that the predator of the seeds can’t eat them, so that they can put their seeds in the soil where they’re meant to be to grow a new plant and not in the gut of an animal to feed it.”

Grains — Especially Whole Grains — Increase Intestinal Permeability

There is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that grains, as well as legumes, contain anti-nutrients and other problem substances that may increase intestinal permeability. This includes:

Gliadin

Gliadin is the primary immunotoxic protein found in wheat gluten and is among the most damaging to your health. Gliadin gives wheat bread its doughy texture and is capable of increasing the production of the intestinal protein zonulin, which in turn opens up gaps in the normally tight junctures between intestinal cells (enterocytes).

In celiac disease the body will make antibodies to gliadin after it is digested by the intestinal enzyme tissue transglutaminase, resulting in severe autoimmune damage to the delicate, absorptive surfaces of the intestines. It does not, however, require full blown celiac disease to suffer from the adverse effects of this protein. In fact, it is likely that our intolerance to gliadin and related wheat proteins is a species-specific intolerance, applicable to all humans, with the difference being a matter of the degree to which it causes harm.

This helps to explain why new research clearly shows gliadin increases intestinal permeability in both those with, and those without, celiac disease.

Lectins

Lectins are a key mechanism through which plants protect themselves against being eaten, and are found in highest concentrations in their seed form — which makes sense, considering that seeds are the plants’ “babies” and whose survival ensures the continuation of their species.

When animals consume foods containing lectins, they may experience digestive irritation, along with a wide range of other health complaints. The degree to which the adverse effects are expressed depends largely on how long that species has had to co-evolve with that particular form of plant food it is eating. Since humans have only been consuming unsprouted grains and beans in large amounts for approximately 500 generations, we still suffer far more than certain rodents and birds, who have had thousands of generations longer to adapt to this way of eating.

We are mostly exposed to lectins from grains, beans, dairy products and nightshade plants, such as potato, tomato, and chili peppers. However, bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) has a prominent role to play in lectin-induced adverse effects, due to the fact that it is a relatively new form of wheat, and contains wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) – a particularly resilient and problematic lectin, considering it is not eliminated through sprouting and is actually found in higher concentrations in whole wheat.

Studies indicate that it has the potential to contribute to a wide range of adverse health effects, including gut inflammation and damage to your gastrointestinal tract:

Pro-inflammatory–WGA stimulates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory chemical messengers (cytokines) in intestinal and immune cells, and has been shown to play a causative role in chronic thin gut inflammation.	Immunotoxicity–WGA induces thymus atrophy in rats, and anti-WGA antibodies in human blood have been shown to cross-react with other proteins, indicating that they may contribute to autoimmunity . In fact, WGA appears to play a role in celiac disease (CD) that is entirely distinct from that of gluten, due to significantly higher levels of IgG and IgAantibodies against WGA found in patients with CD, when compared with patients with other intestinal disorders.
Neurotoxicity—WGA can cross your blood-brain barrierthrough a process called “adsorptive endocytosis,” pulling other substances with it. WGA may attach to your myelin sheath and is capable of inhibiting nerve growth factor, which is important for the growth, maintenance, and survival of certain target neurons.	Excitotoxicity–Wheat, dairy, and soy contain exceptionally high levels of glutamic and aspartic acid, which makes them all potentially excitotoxic. Excitotoxicity is a pathological process where glutamic and aspartic acid cause an over-activation of your nerve cell receptors, which can lead to calcium-induced nerve and brain injury. These two amino acids may contribute to neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s disease, and other nervous system disorders such as epilepsy, ADD/ADHD and migraines.
Cytotoxicity—WGA has been demonstrated to be cytotoxicto both normal and cancerous cell lines, capable of inducing either cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death (apoptosis).	Disrupts Endocrine Function—WGA may contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and leptin resistance by blocking the leptin receptor in your hypothalamus. It alsobinds to both benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and interferes with the production of secretin from your pancreas, which can lead to digestive problems and pancreatic hypertrophy.
Cardiotoxicity—WGA has a potent, disruptive effect on platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, which plays a key role in tissue regeneration and safely removing neutrophils from your blood vessels.	Adversely Affects Gastrointestinal Function by causing increased shedding of the intestinal brush border membrane, reducing the surface area, and accelerating cell loss and shortening of villi. It also causes cytoskeleton degradation in intestinal cells, contributing to cell death and increased turnover, and decreases levels of heat shock proteins in gut epithelial cells, leaving them more vulnerable to damage.

As we noted earlier, the highest amounts of WGA is found in whole wheat, including its sprouted form, which is touted as being the most healthful form of all … The traditional ways of addressing many of these anti-nutrients is, in fact, by sprouting, fermenting and cooking. However, lectins are designed to withstand degradation through a wide range of pH and temperatures. WGA lectin is particularly tough because it’s actually formed by the same disulfide bonds that give strength and resilience to vulcanized rubber and human hair.

New Report Warns of the Sugar in Cereals Marketed to Kids

One of the most common ways we consume grains is in the form of cereal, many of which are marketed to kids and adults alike as “health foods.” But cereal is anything but healthy, not only because of the grain it contains but also because many (particularly those for kids) contain excessive amounts of sugar.

A new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that many popular children’s cereal brands contain more sugar than snack cakes and cookies. For instance, one cup of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, which is nearly 56 percent sugar by weight, has more sugar than a Twinkie, while a one-cup serving of 44 other children’s cereals analyzed contain more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies.

If you need a recap of why sugar is a health disaster, you can find one here. However, as it pertains to leaky gut, you should know that sugar, like grains, can upset the balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, encouraging damage to your intestinal lining that can lead to leaky gut. So, sugary children’s cereals are a double-edged sword, assaulting your fragile gastrointestinal tract with both damaging sugar and grains. Please do your kids a great favor and offer them a healthier breakfast instead.

Are Grains Causing Your Leaky Gut Symptoms? This Food is the “Antidote”

As you might suspect, leaky gut can cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas and abdominal cramps, but it can also cause or contribute to many others you may not, such as fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain, allergies, psychological symptoms,autism and more.

It’s a vicious cycle because once your digestive tract has been damaged, it allows various gut contents to flood into your bloodstream where they wreak havoc on your health. The key to preventing this lies in altering your diet to eliminate the offending foods — including sugars and grains — as well as introduce healthier ones that will support a proper balance of bacteria in your gut. To restore gut health, and prevent leaky gut from occurring, eating traditionally fermented foods is essential.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explains:

“Fermented foods are essential to introduce, as they provide probiotic microbes in the best possible form … fermented foods will carry probiotic microbes all away down to the end of the digestive system. Fermentation predigests the food, making it easy for our digestive systems to handle, that is why fermented foods are easily digested by people with damaged gut. Fermentation releases nutrients from the food, making them more bio-available for the body: for example sauerkraut contains 20 times more bio-available vitamin C than fresh cabbage.”

On Dr. Campbell-McBride’s web site you can find recipes for many traditionally fermented foods, including sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kvass and more.

If you regularly eat fermented foods such as these that have not been pasteurized (pasteurization kills the naturally occurring probiotics), your healthy gut bacteria will thrive. If these foods do not make a regular appearance in your diet, or you’ve recently taken antibiotics, a high-quality probiotic supplement will help give your gut bacteria the healthy boost it needs. Once your gut flora is optimized, your leaky gut should improve naturally. As Dr. Cordain explains:

” … when we have a healthy flora of bacteria in our gut, it tends to prevent leaky gut.”

Is a Return to the Paleo Diet Right for You?

During the Paleolithic period, many thousands of years ago, people ate primarily vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots and meat—and a wide variety of it. Today, these staples have been largely replaced with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cereal, bread, potatoes and pasteurized milk products… and a much narrower selection of fruits, vegetables, roots and nuts.

This is precisely the recipe for a leaky gut, and all of its associated health problems, which is why simply returning to a Paelo diet by eating foods that are concordant with your genetic ancestry may help you become healthier. This includes focusing on whole, unprocessed foods including vegetables (except corn and potatoes) and free-range organic meats, while avoiding sugars and grains.

As Dr. Cordain states:

“The nutritional qualities of modern processed foods and foods introduced during the Neolithic period are discordant with our ancient and conservative genome. This genetic discordance ultimately manifests itself as various chronic illnesses, which have been dubbed “diseases of civilization.” By severely reducing or eliminating these foods and replacing them with a more healthful cuisine, possessing nutrient qualities more in line with the foods our ancestors consumed, it is possible to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.”

CLICK HERE to Pin this Article

World’s Fastest Growing Functional Food? Infant Formula

January 17, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 14 Comments

The market for functional and fortified foods grew significantly from 2012 to 2013, with infant formula topping the list.

In 2013, infant formula added nearly $5 billion in global sales, dwarfing gains seen for energy drinks ($3.5 billion), pre- and probiotic yogurts ($2.4 billion) and waters ($2 billion).1

Middle-Class Consumers are Being Targeted by Infant Formula Marketers

The infant formula market isn’t done growing yet. Experts believe that the product will maintain an 11 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) until 2018, with middle-class markets (especially those in Asia) largely fueling the rapid expansion. Analyst Diana Cowland told FoodNavigator-USA:2

“It is the rapidly expanding base of middle-class consumers in emerging economies, with high aspirations for their children and a willingness to make sacrifices, which is the prime target audience for products containing ingredients which benefit developing brains.”

In order to make up for the European and American infant-formula markets, which are described as ‘more sluggish,’ the marketers are now targeting Asia and potentially Africa and the Middle East with earnest.

What’s the Real Cost of Formula Feeding Your Baby?

Depending on which type of formula you choose, it can cost upwards of $1,500 to $3,000 a year to purchase enough formula to feed an infant. But that’s only the beginning.

Breastfeeding offers a long list of life-long health benefits, not just for the child, but for the mother as well. Studies have shown that breastfed babies gain added protection against:

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)	Eczema	Respiratory- and other types of infections
Heart disease	Obesity	Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease	Asthma and allergies	Necrotizing enterocolitis among premature babies

Breastfeeding can also help promote cognitive development in your child. It also benefits the mother in several ways, including:

Enhancing maternal behavior through increased oxytocin release	“Natural birth control,” as it suppresses ovulation, making pregnancy less likely	Diabetic mothers typically require less insulin
Easier weight loss	Reducing your risk of endometrial-, ovarian- and breast cancers	Reducing your risk of metabolic syndrome

Not Breastfeeding Costs Billions of Dollars a Year, May Contribute to Tens of Thousands of Illnesses

However, you don’t have to fall prey to the marketing plans of these companies, as there are far better foods for your baby.

By not breastfeeding, you and your baby miss out on these important benefits noted above, which translates into increased risk of diseases and corresponding medical costs.

One study estimated the increased medical costs of diseases caused by a lack of breastfeeding infants in their first six months of life to be $13 billion each year in the US alone. The researchers concluded:3

“If 90% of US families could comply with medical recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, the United States would save $13 billion per year and prevent an excess 911 deaths, nearly all of which would be in infants ($10.5 billion and 741 deaths at 80% compliance).”

Women, too, miss out when they formula feed in lieu of breastfeeding. Separate research found that current US breastfeeding rates, in which only 23 percent of women breastfeed for at least one year after birth, translate to:4

4,981 excess cases of breast cancer
53,847 cases of hypertension
13,946 cases of myocardial infarction

This was compared with a cohort of 1.88 million US women who optimally breastfed, and assumes that observed associations between breastfeeding duration and maternal health are causal. The study concluded:

“ … suboptimal breastfeeding incurs a total of $17.4 billion in cost to society resulting from premature death, … $733.7 million in direct costs, … and $126.1 million indirect morbidity costs … “

Even When You Factor in More Maternity Leave for Women, Breastfeeding Still Saves Money

Increasing numbers of women are co- or primary breadwinners in their households and may return to work just weeks after giving birth. This, coupled with the fact that research shows breastfeeding duration tends to be longer when maternity leave is lengthened,5 represents one barrier to women wishing to breastfeed for longer periods.

The above referenced study that found not breastfeeding costs the US economy at least $13 billion a year was sharply criticized for this very reason, with critics saying it did not take into account the monetary losses women in the workforce would incur by taking the time to breastfeed. So, the researchers conducted another study that factored in such additional costs, including pediatric health costs, formula costs, cost of extra food for breastfeeding women, paid leave, and additional factors. The results spoke for themselves:6

“If 90% of mothers could comply with current medical recommendations around breastfeeding, our economy could save $3.7 billion in direct and indirect pediatric health costs, with $10.1 billion in premature death from pediatric disease. We would spend $3.9 billion less per year on infant formula. Additional food for nursing mothers would cost up to $1.6-2.1 billion, and more Baby-Friendly® … births [designed to promote breastfeeding] would cost $0.145 billion.

Paid leave would cost $6.2 billion for 12 weeks at 55% pay … Even including paid leave, the net cost to our economy of our suboptimal breastfeeding rates would still be at least $8.7 billion. Paid leave would be expected to improve breastfeeding duration and reduce disparities.”

As a revealing aside, the study also uncovered that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) budget is dependent on rebates from formula companies, which obviously represents a major conflict with promoting the healthier option of breastfeeding:

“Note that current formula company rebates of $2 billion to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are equal to 32% of net WIC expenditures … The WIC budget is dependent on formula company rebates, a conflicting situation.”

This is About Empowerment, Not an Attack on Formula-Feeding Moms

As the benefits of breastfeeding are beginning to be more widely recognized, at least in the US, there has been a growing stigma against moms who formula-feed their babies. If you’re a formula-feeding mom, please don’t feel attacked or judged!

The information I’ve compiled here is meant to empower women with the information they need to make healthy choices. Many women do not have access to the truth about breastfeeding and have been mislead by infant-formula marketing to believe they must spend thousands of dollars a year to provide the best nutrition for their babies. In reality (and barring any extreme exceptions such as certain transmittable diseases or drug use), breast milk is the best food for babies, period.

Ideally, you’ll want to strive to breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first 6 months, at which point you can begin to supplement with solid foods and continue to breastfeed for a year or longer. But remember, even breastfeeding for as little as one month can impart great health benefits for both you and your baby.

Most Women Can Successfully Breastfeed Their Babies

There are certain medical conditions that can prevent a woman from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to produce adequate supplies of milk and breastfeed successfully. Often, those who believe they cannot may be misinformed, and believe they don’t have enough milk; this is a common misperception. However, in the vast majority of circumstances, all women have enough milk to breastfeed. The more the baby nurses, the more milk you will produce! Mom needs to drink plenty of water and seek optimal nutrition while nursing. The beginning weeks and months are critical in the process. As the La Leche League states:7

“Some mothers need to know that they will be able to breastfeed their babies in less than ideal or special circumstances. For example, many mothers have been able to provide their own milk for their premature or ill babies. Many mothers also continue to breastfeed after returning to work and, in most cases, provide sufficient milk.

In other cases, because of lack of knowledge or a poor start, a mother may be in a situation where her body is not producing enough milk. Increasing frequency of nursing, making sure the baby is latched on correctly, and offering both breasts at each feeding are some of the proven techniques that help most nursing mothers increase their supply.”

What are the Next Best Options to Breastfeeding?

If you are a woman who is unable to breastfeed, you may want to consider using donated breast milk. Unfortunately, there is a major downside to using breast milk from human milk banks that are now available in the US. The milk has been pasteurized, which means many of the essential immune-building elements will be decimated in the pasteurization process and your infant will fail to receive this crucial support when they need it the most.

So while human milk banks are a fantastic idea, the sad reality is that milk obtained from them — assuming it is pasteurized, as is standard process at most milk banks — is far inferior to breast milk that is unpasteurized. An alternative option to obtain unpasteurized breast milk straight from a donor may be to work with a physician or pediatrician who will work with you to find a safe milk donor, and will be involved in a screening process to ensure the milk is safe.

If for whatever reason you’re unable to breastfeed or find a safe source of breast milk, please steer clear of commercial infant formulas as much as possible and definitely avoid all soy infant formula, as it is loaded with toxic elements like high doses of manganese and aluminum.

It is among the worst commercial food you could give your baby. It is likely that at some point in the future when all the health complications are fully appreciated, it will be removed from the market and banned. However, even milk-based infant formulas have been found to be contaminated with chemical additives (including some that are ‘organic’!). The next best alternative to breast milk is to make a healthy homemade infant formula. There may be others, but here is one recipe for homemade formula created by the Weston Price Foundation, which I believe is sound.

Photo Credit: Flickr

CLICK HERE to Pin This Article!

What’s Causing the Rise in ADHD?

January 15, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 11 Comments

According to a 2010 US government survey,1 1 in 10 American children now has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—a 22 percent increase from 2003.

ADHD makes it hard for children to pay attention and control impulsive behavior, and an increasing number of older children, including high school students, are now being labeled as having ADHD. Adult ADHD is also becoming more prevalent.

As reported by the Las Vegas Guardian Express,2 nearly 11 percent of American kids are labeled with the disorder. More than twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls—one in five, compared to one in 11. The featured article speculates about the cause behind these rising numbers.

Some experts feel the increase could be due to increased awareness and better diagnosis, but I think you’ll find it interesting that this trend also coincides with increased prevalence of the pervasive weed killer, glyphosate, in the American food supply.

There’s also plenty of room for overdiagnosis. In fact, an ADHD diagnosis is often made on the subjective observations of teachers or guardians, based on signs that nearly every child will display at some point. Aggravating factors, such as diet or home environment, are oftentimes overlooked entirely.

The featured article actually points out some interesting correlations between ADHD diagnoses and changes to the American educational system that might help explain how, if not why, so many children are misdiagnosed or flat out falsely diagnosed.

What Is ADHD?

But before we get into potential causes for the uptick in prevalence, let’s review how ADHD is qualified in the first place. The disorder involves a cluster of symptoms that includes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors.

Often, children with ADHD struggle in school and have difficulty managing interpersonal relationships. They also tend to suffer from low self-esteem. The similar term attention deficit disorder (ADD) has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention, and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.

Diagnosing ADHD really comes down to a matter of opinion, as there is no physical test, like a brain scan, that can pinpoint the condition. This could change, however. According to a recent study, a newer MRI method called magnetic field correlation imaging that can detect low iron levels in the brains of children with ADHD could potentially help parents and patients make better informed decisions about treatment. As reported by Medicine.net:3

“Psychostimulant drugs used to treat ADHD affect levels of the brain chemical dopamine. Because iron is required to process dopamine, using MRI to assess iron levels in the brain may provide a noninvasive, indirect measure of the chemical, explained study author Vitria Adisetiyo… If these findings are confirmed in larger studies, this technique might help improve ADHD diagnosis and treatment…

The [magnetic field correlation imaging] scans revealed that the 12 ADHD patients who’d never been treated with psychostimulant drugs such as Ritalin had lower brain iron levels than those who’d received the drugs and those in the control group. The lower iron levels in the ADHD patients who’d never taken stimulant drugs appeared to normalize after they took the medicines.”

At present, diagnosis is dependent on subjective evaluation, and, for better or worse, teachers can play a significant role in this evaluation. Most children with ADHD will display a combination of inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior, along with the following symptoms:4

Frequent fidgeting or squirming	Difficulty playing quietly	Always seems on the go
Restlessness	Excessive talking and interrupting others	Difficulty waiting his or her turn
Frequent daydreaming	Frequently has problems organizing tasks or activities	Difficulty following through on instructions and apparently not listening

Many of these “symptoms” could describe virtually any child, or most children, on any given day. Hence, those who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Ditto for children who display symptoms at home but not at school.

Only children who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are deemed to have ADHD—or at least they should be. According to a 2010 study,5 an estimated 20 percent of children are misdiagnosed with ADHD.

According to some, the disorder may not even be a “real” disorder at all. Psychiatrist Leon Eisenberg, hailed as the “scientific father of ADHD,” actually went on record saying that ADHD is “a prime example of a fictitious disease.”He made this stunning confession in a 2012 interview with the German paperDer Spiegel, just seven months prior to his death6 at the age of 87.

How the American School System May Be Promoting ADHD Diagnoses

At least part of the rise in prevalence could be attributed to inappropriate diagnosis. As reported in the featured article, there’s an interesting correlation between the rise in ADHD diagnoses and the implementation of the US Elementary and Secondary Education Act known as “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB). The program was implemented nationwide in 2002.

The NCLB standardized teaching methods across the US which, contrary to what the name implies, does leave a lot of kids “behind,” in the sense that brighter children frequently end up bored and discouraged from lack of academic challenge. And bored, discouraged children will oftentimes “act out.”

“Now with the implementation of CORE standards, who some describe as NCLB on steroids, there is a chance the ADHD numbers may climb even more,” the article predicts.7

But there’s more to this story…

“Another study, published by the Child Mind Institute, states there might be another incentive behind the rise, and that is the financial benefit to schools. Many schools, especially those where the tax base is much poorer… rely heavily on federal funding to operate.
Long before NCLB was enacted, many of these districts had already enacted ‘consequential accountability statutes,’” which penalized a school when children failed; however, often scores for children diagnosed with ADHD are not counted… thereby helping to ensure the passing test scores of the class as a whole.

Geographically speaking, children in the South are diagnosed far more often with ADHD than children living in Western states by a rate of nearly 63 percent. North Carolina, one of the first states to implement consequential accountability statutes, stands at a ADHD diagnosis rate of over 16 percent; California, one of the last states to implement these policies, ranks at only 6.2 percent. The difference is staggering.”

Raising a Generation of Drug Users

About two-thirds of the children diagnosed with ADHD are on some form of prescription medication, and oftentimes the side effects are far worse than the condition itself. These drugs actually rival illegal street drugs in terms of their dangerous risks to health, which include:

Permanent brain damage	Cardio toxicity and liver damage	Cancer
Changes in personality, depression, and/orhallucinations	Heart attack and stroke	Sudden death and suicide

Sadly, tens of thousands of American kids are now prescribed dangerous antipsychotic drugs before the age of five—some even before reaching 12 months of age, hard as that is to imagine. Children in the Medicaid system are at greatest risk for overdiagnosis. Data shows they’re prescribed antipsychotic medications four times more often compared to those with private insurance.8

The price we pay as a society for drugging our children out of objectionable behavior patterns is steep. In children, the long-term effects of drugs are typically largely unknown, while in the short term, we’ve seen shocking increases in violent and aggressive acts committed by teens taking one or more psychotropic drugs.

These children are also likely to experience health problems as they mature into adulthood. Just look at what happens to street junkies through time, and then consider that Ritalin has a more potent effect on your brain than cocaine… Being raised firmly within the drug paradigm from an early age may also make them more likely to opt for drug treatment for other ailments rather than exploring other options.

What Causes Behavioral Difficulties?

Behavioral problems clearly do exist, and do appear to be more prevalent than in decades past, with or without the ADHD label. The question on everyone’s mind is what’s causing it? The cause of ADHD remains elusive, although there are many contending culprits, including poor nutrition and environmental toxins ranging from food- and vaccine additives to agricultural chemicals.

For example, a 2006 study9 found that a mother’s use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. The study also suggested that exposure to lead and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause ADHD symptoms. Pesticide exposure has also been linked with ADHD.

Unfortunately, few are focusing on basic nutrition, which I believe is a key factor. We know that the food choices of most children and adults today are incredibly poor, and how can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, and processed foods loaded with chemicals and largely devoid of natural nutrients?

Five Dietary Factors to Address if Your Child Has ADHD

Five dietary factors of particular concern are the following. If your child struggles with behavioral difficulties, whether he or she has been diagnosed with ADHD or not, I strongly recommend addressing all of these factors:

Too much sugar. High sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which can lead to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, in turn, causes your brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Besides that, sugar promotes chronic inflammation in your body, and many studies have demonstrated the connection between a high-sugar diet and worsened mental health.

Gluten sensitivity. The evidence10, 11 suggesting that gluten sensitivity may be at the root of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, is quite compelling. According to a 2011 study,12 celiac disease is “markedly overrepresented among patients presenting with ADHD,” and a gluten-free diet has been shown to significantly improve behavior in kids. The study went so far as to suggest celiac disease should be added to the ADHD symptom checklist.
Too few beneficial bacteria. As explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology, toxicity in your gut can flow throughout your body and into your brain, where it can cause symptoms of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. Reducing gut inflammation is imperative when addressing mental health issues,13 so optimizing your child’s gut flora is a critical step. To learn more, please see my previous article, “Are Probiotics the New Prozac?”
Animal-sourced omega-3 deficiency. Research has shown that kids low in omega-3 fats are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, struggle with learning disorders, and display behavioral problems. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been tied to dyslexia, violence, and depression. A clinical study published in 2007 examined the effects of krill oil on adults diagnosed with ADHD.14 In that study, patients improved their ability to concentrate by an average of over 60 percent after taking a daily 500mg dose of krill oil for six months. They also reported a 50 percent improvement in planning skills, and close to 49 percent improvement in social skills.
Food additives and GMO ingredients. A number of food additives are thought to worsen ADHD, and many have subsequently been banned in Europe. Potential culprits to avoid include Blue #1 and #2 food coloring; Green #3; Orange B; Red #3 and #40; Yellow #5 and #6; and sodium benzoate, a preservative.

Recent research also shows that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, used in large quantities on genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops, limits your body’s ability to detoxify foreign chemical compounds. As a result, the damaging effects of those chemicals and environmental toxins are magnified, and may result in a wide variety of diseases, including brain disorders that can affect behavior.

The Hidden Health Hazards of Glyphosate and GMOs

Glyphosate-contaminated food has recently been implicated in the dramatic rise of both ADHD and autism, the latter of which is clearly more extreme in terms of behavioral difficulties. Still, both problems appear to be rooted to some degree in abnormal gut flora, and this is where glyphosate begins its path of destruction. How severe the effect might be in any given person will likely depend on a wide variety of individual factors, including the mother’s gut health during and at the time of giving birth.

Former US Navy staff scientist Dr. Nancy Swanson has meticulously collected statistics on glyphosate usage and various diseases and conditions, including autism. A more perfect match-up between the rise in glyphosate usage and incidence of autism, shown below, is hard to imagine. To access her published articles and reports, please visit Sustainable Pulse,15 a European Website dedicated to exposing the hazards of genetically engineered foods.

According to Dr. Swanson:16

“Prevalence and incidence data show correlations between diseases of the organs and the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the food supply, along with the increase in glyphosate-based herbicide applications. More and more studies have revealed carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting effects of Roundup at lower doses than those authorized for residues found in Genetically Modified Organisms… The endocrine disrupting properties also lead to neurological disorders (learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Those most susceptible are children and the elderly.”

How to Optimize Your Child’s Gut Flora

The two key problems caused by glyphosate in the diet are nutritional deficiencies and systemic toxicity, and your gut bacteria are a key component of glyphosate’s mechanism of harm. Effectively addressing this problem requires a two-pronged approach. First you need to avoid the primary sources of glyphosate, which more or less makes it imperative to avoid processed foods. Secondly, you need to address the damage already done. To reseed your child’s gut with the healthy bacteria (probiotics) necessary for optimal physical, mental, and emotional health, I recommend the following strategies:

Avoid processed, refined foods as they promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria, yeast and fungus in the gut. Most processed foods are also high in sugar and fructose, grains (gluten), artificial additives, and genetically engineered ingredients (which tend to be more heavily contaminated with glyphosate)—all the top items that tend to aggravate ADHD symptoms. Also replace sweetened beverages (whether diet and regular), including fruit juices and pasteurized milk, with pure non-fluoridated water.
Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods: Fermented foods are one of the best routes to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods are also excellent chelators of heavy metals and pesticides, which will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. Fermented vegetables are perhaps among the most palatable fermented foods. Many kids will also get used to fermented dairy products like kefir.
Use a high-quality probiotic supplement. If you cannot get your child to eat fermented foods on a regular basis, a high-quality probiotic supplement may be highly beneficial in correcting abnormal gut flora that contribute to brain dysfunction.

Additional Strategies to Relieve ADHD Symptoms

Besides addressing your child’s nutrition, as described in the two sections above, I also recommend implementing the following strategies:

Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals.
Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products free of added perfumes, softeners, etc.
Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.
Investigate sensory therapy and emotional wellness tools. Instead of looking for a quick fix, encourage ADHD sufferers to talk, and find out what emotions are causing issues. You may also want to consider energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to improve emotional coping and healing.

Protecting Your Health While FDA Food Inspections are SHUT DOWN

October 14, 2013 by Jackie Ritz Leave a Comment

The government has been shut down for nearly 2 weeks now. However, with all the hype and news of this current shutdown, I see one major issue not being talked about much. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has furloughed HALF of their employees…which means half the work is being done on inspecting our food. Let’s be honest, even when the FDA is operating in full capacity, there are still many, many food problems that still happen. This is scary. And until Congress get their act together – the FDA has suspended food safety inspections.

What is and isn’t being inspected right now?

“There are 626 total FDA investigators excepted and reporting to work, and 976 who are furloughed,” Steven Immergut, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for public affairs, said in an email on Tuesday. “These investigators work across the agency portfolio, not just on food products.”
“During the lapse in appropriations, FDA will not be conducting routine domestic or international inspections of food facilities,” Immergut said in the email. This means that those inspectors who normally will do in-plant inspections, both domestically and abroad have stopped.
There are 700 employees who are regulating 300 ports of entry in the United States – those inspections are still going on.
Meat, poultry, and egg inspections will continue, but according to a Department of Health and Human Services memo, the majority of FDA food inspectors have been deemed nonessential.

UMMM, are you worried yet?

Which foods are the biggest concern?

The biggest concern right now is IMPORTS. Since there are currently no foreign food inspections going on, this poses a HUGE health risk for foodborne illnesses. However, you can still protect yourself. The Center for Science has a great article on the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA. Now would be a GREAT time to learn which ones those are and avoid them.

10 Riskiest Foods and Their History of Outbreaks:

Leafy Greens – 363 outbreaks, 13,568 reported illnesses
Eggs – 352 outbreaks, 11,163 reported illnesses
Tuna – 268 outbreaks, 2,341 reported illnesses
Oysters – 132 outbreaks, 3,409 reported illnesses
Potatoes – 108 outbreaks, 3,659 reported illnesses
Cheese – 83 outbreaks, 2,761 reported illnesses
Ice Cream – 74 outbreaks, 2,594 reported illnesses
Tomatoes – 31 outbreaks, 3,292 reported illnesses
Sprouts – 31 outbreaks, 2,022 reported illnesses
Berries – 25 outbreaks, 3,397 reported illnesses

What should I eat right now?

Local Food from Local Farms – search for local meat from local farmers. Search for free-range eggs and poultry. Don’t eat any fruits or vegetables that are from another country. I wouldn’t trust much else right now…even organic labeled foods aren’t being inspected properly. Go to Farmer’s Markets near you. Look up sources for local food on Local Harvest or Eat Wild. Look on Craigslist for local farmers…research!

Wild Caught Seafood – The percentage of imported seafood is…brace yourselves…91%! Hello…91% of all our seafood is imported! That is un-friggin-believable. DO NOT EAT ANY SEAFOOD that is imported right now! NONE. Look in your grocer for WILD-CAUGHT seafood and check your canned tuna/salmon for it’s origin…as well as frozen seafood.

NOTHING from the 10 Riskiest Foods list unless you have grown it yourself or purchased it from a trustworthy source. Oh, and FYI – these were the 10 riskiest foods BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN! Can you imagine how terrible they could get right now?

NOTHING imported PERIOD.

Even though meat, poultry, and eggs are being inspected, they are still threats to our health. Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken had a Salmonella outbreak 2 days ago! Foster Farms had a Salmonella outbreak last week! The workload of inspections on the functioning FDA workers that aren’t furloughed is enormous. They cannot keep up. I would not even buy storebought chicken, meat, or eggs right now.

Conclusion:

It’s a hard road ahead of us, but I do believe, that this may be good for Americans. We need to be more aware of what we are eating and I think this is a wake-up call. Most Americans don’t care where our food comes from…as long as it’s at the store when we need it. Our health is at risk, friends, and it’s time for us to wake up.

Grow some food. Raise some livestock.

Buy local.

Look at the source.

And then hug your local farmer who is giving you peace of mind during this government shutdown.

Sources:

https://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20873175-routine-fda-inspections-of-food-facilities-suspended-due-to-government-shutdown?lite
https://www.dailyfinance.com/on/10-riskiest-foods-avoid-while-fda-inspections-shut-down/#!slide=1263992
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/11/fda-shutdown_n_4086299.html
https://www.fishwatch.gov/farmed_seafood/outside_the_us.htm

shared on Holistic Squid

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Smoothie

March 27, 2012 by Jackie Ritz 2 Comments

Had a craving for chocolate tonight and all I could find in my pantry was cacao powder (which by the way is just frickin delicious). Accepting this challenge I began to throw things in my blender and, I have to say, I have come up with an amazing, chocolate-craving busting smoothie that is so healthy!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of coconut milk (or almond milk).
6-7 frozen strawberries (can use fresh, just add in ice cubes)
1/2 frozen banana
1.5 TB cocoa powder

Add a couple drops of liquid stevia. I used my chocolate raspberry stevia and it enhanced the chocolatiness!!

Optional add ins: free-range egg yolks, coconut oil, and ice cubes if you use fresh strawberries

Throw everything in a blender, except ice cubes, and blend till smooth. Take a peak and add in ice cubes to get it to the thickness you desire.

Enjoy!!!

Other recipes you might like:

Spirulina Smoothie

Bulletproof Coffee

2 Minute Mug Brownie

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup Smoothie

« Previous Page