Ultra Pasteurized Milk

If you look at a lot of cream containers, as well as many organic milk cartons (i.e. Horizon) you will notice the term "ultra-pasteurized." What does that mean?

Ultra pasteurized milk products are heated to such a high temperature that they are sterilized. That means 280 degrees or above for at least 2 seconds. These dairy products can be shipped unrefrigerated, which saves dairy producers loads of money. They can also sit on a shelf for months without spoiling. Have you noticed the Horizon snack sized boxes of milk? Now, I am not trying to speak ill of the Horizon company. It's just that they are a very prominent company when it comes to organic milk. Many normal looking gallons of milk are also ultra-pasteurized. Look for a small U in a circle on the label. UPM also tastes different.

Milk is not a local product anymore, so it must be shipped many miles from its original source. UPM affects the immune system. Linda Forristal states, "Since UPM...will not adequately support microbial life, it is unlikely that is will adequately support human life." UPM is completely STERILE. There is no bacteria in it at all, not even the good kind. You can't make cheese or yogurt with UPM.

Pasteurization itself is not all that beneficial to milk. I am not completely sold on raw milk yet, but I am still researching. There is a farm close to our house that pasteurizes milk only to 120 degrees. It kills only the bad bacteria. The FDA is very strict on the sale of milk that is not pasteurized. It is even illegal in many states to purchase raw milk for human consumption. However, there are usually ways around that.

Pasteurization affects the nutrient content of milk. Sixty-six percent of vitamins A,D, and E are lost, as well as 50 percent of vitamin C. Vitmains B6 and B12 are completely destroyed. Pasteurization also kills all beneficial enzymes, antibodies, and hormones in milk. Calcium is more difficult to absorb. All phosphates are removed. These are essential for absorbing calcium. Natural enzymes are also prohibited from being digested.

What do you do? Well, until I have come to a conclusion on this issue, I do my best to buy organic milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. You do have to read the labels carefully. I also highly recommend nursing your infant as long as possible. Human milk is best for humans, obviously. Read and research yourself. Come to your own conclusion.

Check out W.C. Douglass's The Milk Book. I've only been able to see portions, but do look forward to reading it in the future. Also, Nourshing Traditions provides a lot of insight on this topic as well.

www.westonaprice.org

Eating Organic

I'm going to do this entry a little different. It's not going to be very long, but I wanted to make a few points about eating organic foods. I wish I could afford to make everything we eat organic. I do what we can afford. I am going to offer some reasons why organic foods are best, as well as which foods are most important to buy/eat organically.

*No synthetic fertilizers are used on organic foods. Heavy use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers allow nitrates to accumulate in crops. We've already discussed the use of nitrates and their side effects. Synthetic fertilizers only feed the plants, not the soil. By using them there is a decrease in organic matter in the soil. By organic matter, I mean living organisms. Many synthetic fertilizers contain toxic metals such as, arsenic, lead, dioxin, chromium, and cadmium.

*Organic foods are not genetically modified. Genetically modified foods are modified in a lab. Sometimes these crops cause unintended harm to useful organisms. They can create more allergens. The effects on human health are still unknown. You can Google this topic for more information. It's kind of scary!

*Organic foods are not irradiated. See previous post on irradiation.

*Organic foods are richer in nutrient content and free from toxic residues.

*Organic foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals.

What types of foods should you buy organic? Glad you asked.

1. Baby foods. Even though they say they're safe, pesticides are still present in those little jars.
2. Strawberries
3. Rice
4. Bell peppers
5. Milk-raw is best, but sometimes there is no other alternative.
6. Corn
7. Bananas
8. Green beans
9. Peaches
10. Apples
11. Cherries
12. Celery
13. Apricots
14. Grapes
15. Potatoes
16. Raisins
17. Cucumbers
18. Meat

For more information check out Nourishing Traditions. Also this is a really neat website with a ton of information in an easy to read format. I do my best to prepare as much organic food at home as possible. We do not eat a lot of snacks, and I try to make as many of them from scratch as possible. As a Christian, I am commanded to be a good steward, not only of the money God has given to us, but also of our bodies. There has to be a balance, and that balance is different for everyone. You find yours.

Lunchmeat/Nitrates/Nitrites

This entry is going to discuss lunch meats, and the health concerns surrounding their consumption. Personally, I love a good roast beef or turkey sandwich. However, after researching this topic, I have decreased the amount of lunch meat my husband and I consume. I also am very careful about where I purchase my meat, as well as what kind of meat we eat.

Lunch meats and processed meats such as hot dogs and spam, are cooked at very high temperatures. Because of this, they contain an elevated level of carcinogens. Most lunch meats contain nitrates and nitrites (preservatives), both of which are also potent carcinogens. Read the labels! They preserve the colors of the meats. That is why, often times, roast beef looks rare when it is actually cooked. Nitrates/nitrites do inhibit botulism to some degree. However, these preservatives are linked to cancers of the esophagus, stomach, large intestines, bladder, pancreas, and lungs. They are also used in smoked and barbecued meats. If you like these types of foods, then eat them sparingly.

A study in the JAMA (2005 Jan 12; 293 (2); 1720173) noted that people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) that ate 14 servings of processed meats per month scored lower on tests of lung function. Colorectal cancers were 50% more likely as well. The babies of mothers who ate a lot of cured meats during pregnancy were more likely to develop brain tumors.

Well, what can you do if you just can't pass up that cold cut trio? Look for nitrate/nitrite free meats. If I get lunch meat, I usually purchase it from the deli at the health food store. Be careful, though, the shelf life of that meat is usually about 4 days. It needs to be eaten soon. Also, Oscar Meyer has a natural turkey lunchmeat. I prefer the deli meats, though.

For more information check out Nourishing Traditions.
--There is an abundant amount of nutritional information here. I don't agree with all of it, but it is a place to start.

Article on Artificial Sweeteners

This is an article I found in the Earth Fare newsletter. It is not original to me.

Booted: Artificial Sweeteners

Sure it tastes like sugar...but what is sucralose, anyway? Sucralose (SplendaTM) is an artificial sweetener discovered by accident in a lab in 1976. It was first approved for use in food by the FDA in 1998. It's 600 times sweeter than table sugar and in bake-goods, it bakes up better than other artificial sweeteners. Splenda is manufactured when you take three of the hydrogen-oxygen molecules that make up normal sugar and replace them with chlorine molecules creating a chlorinated carbon molecule or chlorocarbon. Most chlorocarbons are sold in the modern marketplace today as pesticides.

Google "Splenda allergy" and you'll find a rash of sites (pun intended) where everyday folks have posted their initial reactions to sucralose consumption hives, itching, constricted throat, and diarrhea. Since sucralose has only been in widespread commercial use for less than a decade, who knows what symptoms we have yet to discover?

At Earth Fare, we do not sell foods with sucralose or any other artificial sweeteners. We advocate exercise, portion size, and eating in moderation as teh best solutions for controlling calories and weight gain. Sugar, honey, maple syrup and other natural sweeteners can be used to satisfy your sweet tooth craving, along with naturally sweet herbs like cinnamon, nutmeg, and stevia.

**I obviously don't use sugar, but other than that, the rest are fine.

More on Soda

First off, this article is not original with me, but I found the contents very interesting. I am working on my next entry, but thought I would share this in the mean time.

Health hazards of too much soda

Dear Friend,

Americans guzzle soft drinks at an alarming rate. No one seems to care that the only thing these overpriced sugar concoctions do is make you fat, diabetic, and toothless. But now a new study says that these downsides could be the least of your problems.

According to research done by Dr. Moses Elisaf of the University of Ioannina in Greece, drinking too much soda can lead to weakness, muscle paralysis, and even a drop in your levels of blood potassium.

For most people, the only pain or discomfort caused by cola drinking is the tightness around the waist as their expanding tummies strain against their pants. But this research indicates that there's plenty more going on behind the scenes that could take years before it finally rears its head.

Elisaf's researchers concentrated on patients who consumed between two and nine liters of cola EVERY DAY. That might seem like more than any normal person would ever drink, but trust me... it adds up quicker than you might think.

"We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before and a number of health issues have already been identified," Elisaf said. "Including tooth problems, bone demineralisation and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes."

As you might expect, when the people cut back on their cola consumption, the symptoms of muscle weakness, fatigue, and even derailed potassium levels returned to normal.

The ingredients in cola that can lead to all of these maladies are glucose, fructose, and caffeine. As you know, I've been an outspoken defender of caffeine for years. But when there are such high quantities of all of these items in just one serving of cola, you realize that the gluttonous intake of nearly ANYTHING just can't be good for you.

In his commentary on Elisaf's study, Dr. Clifford Packer of the Louis Stokes Cleveland Medical Center said that "the soft drink industry needs to promote safe and moderate use of its products for all age groups," even suggesting that the companies reduce the recommended serving size.

Oh, please. As always, the companies are blamed before the lunatics who are drinking two gallons of soda every day. Clearly, the people at risk from the symptoms that Elisaf covers in his study are beyond the reach of mere serving size recommendations.

As I said before, I'm not a fan of soda, but I am a fan of common sense. And it's clear that the people who were the subjects of Elisaf's study don't have any.

Irradiation

I had never heard of this word before a friend of mine gave me an idea for a blog entry. When I began to read and research this topic, I was blown away by the amount of information out there. What surprised me even more was that there was more information against irradiation than for it. Each side has extreme opinions. I'll admit, I am biased on this issue. However, it's my blog and I can be.

What is irradiation? Wikipedia defines it as, "the process by which an item is exposed to radiation. The exposure can be intentional, sometimes to serve a specific purpose, or it can be accidental." Boy does it ever serve a specific purpose.

Irradiation is supposed to eliminate disease-causing microorganisms. It may do that, but it also has some other drastic side-effects to our food supply. Irradiation damages the quality of food. It creates free radicals. Ok, what's a free radical? A free radical is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. It is highly reactive. Ok, what does that mean for all us non-chemistry people? Free radicals cause cellular damage. They trigger things such as heart disease and cancer. That is why you should never stir-fry or saute with olive oil. When olive oil is heated to high temperatures, it releases free radicals. That topic, however, is for another time.

Irradiated foods lose between 5% and 80% of many vitamins. Digestive enzymes in raw foods are also damaged, making it more difficult to digest food. Irradiated fat becomes rancid. Irradiation does not, sterilize food or provide clean food. On the other hand, it does encourage food producers to cut corners on sanitation, because they erroneously think that irradiation will clean up any sanitary issues, nor does it change the way food is grown or produced. Irradiated foods smell, taste, and feel different. The decay process is also sped up.

The FDA has approved beef, pork, lamb, poultry, wheat, wheat flour, vegetables, fruit, shell eggs, seeds for sprouting, spices, and herbal teas for irradiation. Scary???? The FDA also requires labels to inform people that the foods they are purchasing have been irradiated, but the current labeling requirements are not sufficient. Companies are only required to label foods that are sold whole. Restaurant foods, prepared foods, school foods, pre-packaged foods, etc. are not required to show the irradiation label. Also, the source of the irradiation is not listed on the label. Some forms are more dangerous than others.

No long term studies have been done to prove the safety of this process in humans. The longest human study was 15 weeks. Animal studies were done longer. The animals exposed to irradiated foods showed an increase in tumors, reproductive failure, and kidney damage, as well as a host of other medical problems. Four hundred forty-one studies were reviewed by the FDA, and only 5 were able to stand alone in the support of the safety of this practice. In 2002, the European Parliament put a moratorium on irradiation of almost all foods. In 2000, Omaha Steaks used electron beam irradiation for ground beef products. Irradiated meat costs about thirty-five cents more per pound. Seventy-five percent of ground beef in the United States, as well as fifty percent of poultry is currently irradiated. I personally, had no idea.

John Gofman M.D, Ph.D., an expert in the field of radiation and human health stated, "Our ignorance about these foreign compounds (radiolytic products) makes it simply a fraud to tell the public that 'we know' irradiated foods would be safe to eat."

I am by no means an expert, but exposing anything, especially food, to radiation just doesn't make sense. It can't come unscathed through something that harsh. While it is next to impossible to avoid irradiated foods completely, I try my best. Organic foods are not irradiated. I buy organic when I can. After researching this topic, I make more of an effort. I will fore go some luxuries to put what is healthy on my family's dinner table. It's that important to me.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Irrad/irradfact.cfm

(don't know why the font is so big. Blogger is being obnoxious and won't let me change it. Nothing special about that website.)

http://www.truehealth.org/nukedfood.html
http://uw-food-irradiation.engr.wisc.edu/Facts.html
http://www.mindfully.org/Food/Food-Last-Forever-TOC.htm
http://www.purefood.org/irradlink.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9d04eede1e3ff936a25753c1a9659c8b63

Soy--Health Food??

I realize that this post may offend some people. Let me assure you that it is not my intent to do so. Many people today consume large amounts of soy in various forms, whether soy milk, soy butter, soy cheese, soy protein, etc....This has been touted as the next great health food discovery. Upon further reading, I have discovered some very serious health concerns related to consumption of soy.

I am just going to hit some of the highlights here. There is so much information available for further reading. If you want to investigate further check out Weston A Price. On that website there is a brochure available called "Soy Alert" that gives the myths and truths about soy. It gives a fantastic, easy to understand summary.For example, soy foods do not provide a complete protein.

There is a great concern about the safety of soy infant formulas. I have several close friends that have used soy formula for their babies, for various reasons, one of which is reflux. The Weston A. Price Foundations says in their article "Soy Alert," "Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day." Also, "Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE." Those statements alone are enough for me to seriously question the use of soy.

Sally Falon as put out a wonderful cookbook called Nourishing Traditions. The thing that I appreciate most about it is the way that she takes the time to thoroughly explain why certain foods are dangerous or unhealthy. She has quite a bit to say about soy. For example, she points out that protein powders made from soy are often labeled as a health food. Walk into any health food store and you will most certainly find protein powder. This type of protein is obtained by such a high temperature making the protein useless. It is also high in mineral-blocking phytates, thyroid depressing phytoestrogens, enzyme inhibitors, and it is known to depress growth, and cause cancer. I must admit that I did have to look up a few definitions to fully understand what that meant.

What are phytates? Phytates are substances that are found inside the husk of whole grains that binds certain minerals making them unavailable. Yes, all whole grains have them, but soy has quite a bit more than the others. Often soy-based foods contain MSG (see previous entry for MSG dangers). Soy milk has such a high phytate content that consumption of this product can lead to mineral deficiencies. One example is a depressed thyroid. If you have a thyroid problem, check your soy consumption.

Soy rations in animal feed affects their life span as well as quality of life. Often these animals suffer from liver problems, mastitis, and sterility.

What about soy sauce? Many people enjoy the occasional Asian cuisine. Look for "naturally brewed" soy sauce. It does not contain MSG. Soy foods block zinc unless they go through a long period of fermentation.

On page 502 of her book, Sally Falon states, "No other food has so many public relation firms and lobbyists working for it." Scary??

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm See this website for more information regarding the dangers of soy.

Should you give up soy? That's a personal decision. Many people think it's great because Asian peoples have used soy for thousands of years. However, if you research, you will discover that they use it more as a condiment than a main dish or staple. In my opinion, you should not use soy to replace something in your diet. I am not by any means a vegetarian. I believe God put meat on this earth for us to eat, responsibly. I do not believe it is the healthiest way to eat. Some may disagree, and that is perfectly fine. Our bodies need certain proteins and fats only found in meat. That I will cover another time. For now, I just wanted to give you something to think about, as well as other resources to peruse.