MSG

I must admit, this was a difficult topic on which to find information. I found plenty of articles describing what MSG is, but not much with regards to side effects or health related issues. My usual sources didn't have much to say about it. That's part of the reason it has taken me so long to post.

MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a food additive marketed as a flavor enhancer. It was isolated in 1907 by a Japanese researcher and introduced in the United States in 1947. It was once associated with Chinese food. I remember as a child going into a Chinese restaurant and seeing "no MSG." I had no idea what that meant. I originally thought it was some sort of dye because their pork was always so pink. MSG is now used by fast food chains, processed foods, bouillon cubes, sauces, salad dressings, canned/frozen/dried/prepared foods, snack foods, potato chips, and seasonings just to name a few. I challenge you to read your labels at home to see how many things contain MSG. It is usually listed as monosodium glutamate.

MSG is produced by bacterial fermentation. Now that just sounds gross. It ALWAYS contains contaminants. On the other hand natural occurring glutamic acid has no contaminants. You will find that in things such as unadulterated, unfermented plant and animal proteins.

Before I get into some of the health risks of MSG, I want to share an excellent example I once heard of how MSG affects your body. Think about a time when you've walked into a room or situation where there was very loud music being played. It could be a car, concert, dorm room, etc... After you left that situation, did it not take your ears a while to adjust back to normal? That's what MSG does to your tongue. It turns your taste buds up really loudly. Foods that used to taste fine are now bland. You need more seasoning. Eliminate foods with MSG and it will take some time for your taste buds to return to normal. Your taste buds are replaced about every 11 days.

The biggest health issue related to MSG is MSG sensitivity. Side effects include migraines (most common), aggravated asthma, heart irregularities, panic attacks, drastic mood swings, seizures, weight gain, and obesity. Let me give a disclaimer here. I am not saying that MSG causes these things, but that it can exacerbate the problems. Young people are at an even greater risk. MSG and its compounds can cross the placenta during pregnancy. It can also cross the blood brain barrier in an unregulated manner. To make matters worse, it is in infant formula.

One website that can go into even greater detail is www.truthinlabeling.org. From that website, I was able to read several studies done with regards to MSG and found them to be most disturbing. One study said, "In this country, at this time, potential poisons are not administered to humans in order to determine if they are toxic or safe. Therefore, what we know about the toxic effects of MSG comes from animal studies." That is scary!! MSG is toxic, yet it is being put into our food supply on purpose!

The food industry benefits greatly from the use of MSG. The government hasn't been much help in that area either. Big surprise!

My advice....read labels, read labels, read labels. It may not be possible to completely eliminate MSG from your diet, but I strongly urge you to try. I no longer buy bullion, but make my own stocks to freeze at home. OR I just don't use that particular ingredient in a recipe. It hasn't hurt us any. Homemade stock is so much better anyway. I make and use only homemade salad dressings. My husband still prefers store bought, but I am careful to limit the amount of MSG. Yes, it is more expensive to buy those types of foods, but look at it this way. You are either going to pay the grocery store for it now, or your doctor later. You decide.

For more information on MSG check out Weston A Price.

It's Been a While

It seems like forever since I have been able to post. We have had many visitors since January, and I felt compelled to be a good hostess. My blogging got put on the back burner. Since, we are now company free for a while, I can return to my research and blogging.

Today, I want to discuss the topic of beans. I have some excellent resources and recipes to share, as well. Beans are more digestible if soaked for a long period of time before cooking. Soaking them breaks down two starches--farrinose and stachyose, which are complex sugars. Beans are often called the "poor man's meat." Combine with whole grains or a little meat, beans supply the diet with needed protein. They are also rich in B vitamins and minerals such as, folate, potassium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc. They also contain the needed omega3 and omega 6 fatty acids. For those in need of lowering cholesterol, try some beans! If you need some soluble fiber, try some beans!

One nice thing about beans, is that they freeze beautifully! You can cook up a large batch, use what you need, and freeze the rest. That way you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing beans. What about canned beans? In her book Nourishing Traditions, Sally Falon recommends that you use them sparingly. The best way to eat beans is to prepare them yourself. Nourishing Traditions has some great recipes for preparing beans.

One complaint with beans is gas. Good news! The more you eat them, your body adjusts. So start out slow and gradually increase consumption. Beans are a wonderful way to help reduce the amount of money spent on groceries. They are inexpensive---about 20 cents per 1/2 cup.

Check out www.thefamilyhomestead.com for some great bean ideas. Crystal Miller does have a cookbook you can download for $8. I was able to try some of the recipes before they were for sale. The sloppy joes are delicious!! On her website, Crystal says that she often does not soak her beans. However, from all the nutritional information I have read, soaking is the healthiest way to prepare your beans.

If you are looking for nutritional information for beans see http://www2.id.us/bean/nutrition/value.html

If you want monthly recipes see http://americanbean.org, as well as www.beanbible.com

Check out this article for other bean information.

I try to serve beans several times a week. My husband isn't thrilled, but eats them. I make our own personal modifications to the recipes I have collected. If you are making a casserole with ground beef, use 1/2 the amount of beef and replace the other half with beans. Another example is tacos. Use 1/2 the amount of meat and replace the other half with beans. After you have finished cooking the meat, add the beans and mash with a potato masher. Season as you normally do.

I have to share a personal story with you. When Brandt was 9 months old, he had his hemoglobin checked. The doctor said he was slightly anemic. I thought that that might be the case because I made my own baby cereal and did not buy the "iron fortified" commercial baby cereals. She prescribed iron drops for him. After picking them up from the pharmacy, I felt hesitant about giving them to him. The side effects can be extremely unpleasant. I did call my mom, a nurse, to question this. His levels were within normal ranges, but on the low side of normal. I have always run on the low side of normal, so maybe this was hereditary. I did give him a full dose that day and a half dose the following 2 days. After that, I decided that I was going to stop and try to increase his iron naturally. The first thing I did was add mashed beans to his cereal, cottage cheese, and vegetables. He ate them and loved them. I had purchased some organic field peas at the farmer's market. He devoured them as well. I also increased his consumption of iron rich vegetables. In addition to those things, I increased my iron intake because I was still nursing. He needed all he could get. The biggest change though, was adding the beans. When I went back 4 weeks later for a recheck, I decided I wasn't going to say anything to the doctor about not giving him the iron. Well, she asked, so I had to be honest. I must say, she did not look thrilled. I was very respectful in how I explained why I didn't give it to him, as well as what I did to increase his iron. Even if you are anemic and on supplements, you're only going to raise iron levels one point per month anyway. The doctor seemed doubtful that his iron levels would be higher. After they ran the CBC, she came back all smiles. His iron had risen a point and a tenth. Don't get me wrong. I do think there is a need for doctors and medicines, but I also think that medication is over prescribed. I wanted to treat Brandt's "anemia" naturally. That way, he would not suffer the possible side effects from the iron supplement (ie. constipation, stained teeth, etc.) I would prefer a natural treatment to a synthetic one any day.

I would encourage you to try to add some beans to your weekly meal plan. It's a great and cost effective addition to any meal.