Rather Be Healthy

It’s amazing how coconut oil has recently been acknowledged for the healthy oil that it is after having been vilified for decades as a heart attack oil. Now it’s been discovered to boost even brain health.

Defaming coconut oil saturated fat was part of the 1950s creation of low and no fat foods, margarine, and hydrogenated trans-fatty cooking and salad oils, which have recently been proven as actually detrimental to overall health.

The different types of triglycerides in fats
High triglyceride blood readings are red flags for obesity, diabetes, and heart health issues. Most dietary fats contain long chain triglycerides (LCT), which are not easily metabolized and can be stored as fatty deposits in one’s body.

Long chain triglycerides contain chains with 14 to 18 carbon atoms. But coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) with shorter chains of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, which are easily metabolized by the liver to produce ketone bodies that can replace glucose as metabolic fuel.

As we age, the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose for energy wanes, especially for those who have a metabolic disorder or insulin resistance. But MCT-created ketones can be used as cellular fuel in the brain when glucose is not available.

Study: Coconut oil improves cognitive ability
As far back as 2004, a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging determined that coconut oil MCTs improved cognitive function among older folks with memory problems and even Alzheimer’s disease.

They took 20 subjects and randomly fed them coconut oil or placebos on different days. Some of the Alzheimer’s group demonstrated improved scoring on a special Alzheimer’s cognitive rating scale, and all of them demonstrated better paragraph recall shortly after taking each dose of coconut oil.

This wasn’t a long term study. They got immediate positive cognitive and memory results from single doses of coconut oil compared to placebos.

So why wasn’t this publicized by the mainstream media (MSM) and reported to medical practitioners everywhere? Maybe because Big Pharma was trying to synthesize and patent a ketone body producing pharmaceutical for the increasing Alzheimer’s disease market.

A dramatic true story confirming coconut oil’s efficacy
Around 2009-10, MD Mary Newport’s husband had deteriorated from Alzheimer’s so badly he couldn’t draw a simple illustration of a clock or perform daily functions without being micromanaged.

Since the Alzheimer’s drug developed in 2004 was not effective, Dr. Newport tried to get him into a trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug. But he was so bad off he didn’t qualify.

After discovering that this new drug was a synthetic version of MCTs for creating ketone bodies and improving brain function, she researched and realized that palm and coconut oils also contained MCTs.

After feeding her husband coconut oil, he started making a remarkable comeback from almost total dementia to being able to start and finish tasks and remember people and events.

Dr. Newport observed that only two doses spaced eight hours apart were sufficient, while the pharmaceutical version required doses every three hours (http://www.naturalnews.com/030373_coconut_oil_Alzheimers_disease.html)

If Mary would have enrolled her husband into that 2009-10 Alzheimer’s drug trial, she could have lost him completely.

The drug trial at that time was halted early because of nine deaths among those taking higher doses(http://www.naturalnews.com/028753_Alzheimers_drug_trials.html).

Newport’s success without side effects places coconut oil as the dementia food medicine of choice over expensive and harmful pharmaceuticals. Because they went viral on the internet with their experience, several others experiencing Alzheimer’s or memory problems have benefited from coconut oil.

Here’s a video interview of Dr. Newport (http://tv.greenmedinfo.com).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/030373_coconut_oil_Alzheimers_disease.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/028753_Alzheimers_drug_trials.html

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A unique “trick” to help control junk food or sweets cravings..​ If you are having trouble with over-eating, keeping your portions under control, or with sugar cravings – then please read this entire email. First, here is the simple truth. Most of us KNOW that we need to eat right if we want to stand a chance at losing body fat… But for most of us, eating right is just not that simple. We know what to do, but we don’t always do it… right? This isn’t your fault. Recent research points to fact that self control just isn’t programmed into our genes. We evolved when food was scarce, so our natural instinct is to load up whenever we can. The problem now is that food (and especially junk food) is more than abundant everywhere we look. The final nail in the coffin is that just one act of self control (will power) causes us to lose control in other areas. So if life were all peaches and cream, will power might work. But once other stressors enters your awareness, it makes it doubly hard to stay away from those chocolate chip cookies! However, there is hope. A while back, I recommended a specific medical hypnosis program ( http://www.FatLossHypnotherapy.com ) that has been shown to help you eliminate food cravings, without having to think about it. Since that email I have received a lot of positive feedback about the program – it appears to be a big difference maker. In fact, I found out that Matt Hoover (winner of NBC’s, “The Biggest Loser” season two) also tried the same exact program. He lost a TON of weight while on the show, but… It turns out, that after the show was over he was no longer able to eat like he did on the show (no personal chefs, no trainer, and no cameras to make sure he was track). so he gained a lot of the weight back and was ashamed of himself. In his own words, he simply could not avoid temptation. Well, a couple of months ago, he tried the same CDs I recommended in January and for the first time in his life, he is eating right and exercising without the star treatment. He is doing it on his own, and says it has been easy. By the way, he has also lost over 40 pounds of fat! It has also been working for normal people Like Cynthia Roderick, a photographer from South Deerfield, Massachusetts: ********************************************** “I had an addiction to sugar and my weight problems were so severe I was thinking of bypass surgery. I tried hypnosis programs in the past. Some programs made me tense and uncomfortable, the power of others seemed to fade away. Within the first week I was getting obvious results. Since I started the program I’ve lost 30 pounds and I keep dropping them. My addiction to sugar is pretty much gone and decisions to turn down foods are easy.” ********************************************** Terrisa Harding, from Sapulpa, Oklahoma had this to say: “I was always a thin person until my mid-thirties, then the weight began to creep up until I had gained over 30 lbs. I tried the Enjoying Weight Loss program and since being on it I’ve lost (so far permanent) over 20 lbs. I find I automatically eat much more healthfully, like more fruits and vegetables, I don’t feel deprived and I’m energized. I feel GREAT!” ************************************************ If you�re skeptical, I understand. Many people are when they first hear about this. But I wouldn�t waste your time (or mine) with programs that don�t work. It�s a proven technique endorsed by the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association. What�s more, it works. I�ve seen people use medical hypnosis to get focused on their diet and follow it with almost no effort at all. And if you use my The Truth about Abs program, it�s very easy to do. Instead of fighting and resisting your diet, you�ll feel good about what you�re doing and stick with your program without even thinking about it. I�ve read many of the studies on medical hypnosis for weight loss and the results speak for themselves. In one, researchers split people following a diet into two groups. One used medical hypnosis, the other didn�t. The group who used medical hypnosis lost an average of 17 pounds. The group that didn�t lost an average of only 0.5 pounds. That�s not surprising… Being committed to the program you�re following is THE key that makes all the difference � especially over the long term. A study from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology shows medical hypnosis does just that: Improves your results over the long term. Their study found adding hypnosis increased weight loss by an average of 97% during treatment. More importantly, medical hypnosis increased effectiveness AFTER treatment by over 146%. Clearly, this technique is even more effective over time. And as you know, long-term commitment to a healthy eating lifestyle is the key to lasting fat loss. The best medical hypnosis program was designed by America�s leading expert in the field, Dr. Roberta Temes. In fact, she �wrote the book� on the subject. She�s the editor of the first hypnosis textbook used in medical schools, Medical Hypnosis. (Psychiatrists in training are learning her techniques for medical hypnosis!) Dr. Temes is also on the faculty of the Psychiatry Department in the Medical School of the SUNY Health Science Center. She�s also involved with research on the behavioral factors involved with long-term weight loss. Best of all, her program takes only 20 minutes per day and, simply by listening to relaxing CDs, may help you automatically follow your program and improve your body. This may not work for everyone, but it is something you should consider if your previous attempts haven’t been successful because you’ve resorted back to your previous bad habits. Here are some of the experiences you may find if you go through Dr. Temes seven session CD program: > Cravings can be reduced instantaneously, allowing you to stop binging before you start > New neural pathways will be created that empower you to replace unhealthy eating habits with healthy ones > Experience effortless motivation without relying on willpower > Your desire for sodas or sweet drinks will be eliminated and replaced with a craving for WATER! > Pounds will melt away as you automatically eat the right foods and right portions, while making exercise a part of your every day routine. Keeping an open mind allows you to grow in spirit and successfully overcome challenges that may have been haunting you your whole life. The Hypnosis Network, the publishers of the program (and some people I have now worked with for a while), are very confident that this will work. Because of this, they are discounting the program for my readers, adding some very useful bonuses and are going to allow you to try it for just the cost of shipping. To find out how it can help you drop fat and keep it off, just click the link below… http://www.FatLossHypnotherapy.com I think it is a no brainer. To your good health and a lean body for life, Mike Geary Certified Nutrition Specialist Certified Personal Trainer Founder – TruthAboutAbs.com & http://BusyManFitness.com http://AvalancheSkiTraining.com If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

A River Of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms There’s a good chance you’ve never personally seen a factory farm or CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) — and there’s a reason for this. CAFOs are traditionally hidden from public view. Certain states (like Iowa, where big agriculture rules the roost economically and politically) are even considering making undercover videos taken on such farms — which often show shocking scenes of animal cruelty and filth — illegal. Quite simply, they don’t want you to see what’s really going on, because if you did, you would probably turn away in disgust at the mere thought of eating the foods produced there. Yet, the vast majority of the food produced in the United States comes from these industrial-sized CAFOs. In the documentary film above, A River of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms, you can see first-hand the toll that the modern industrial system of meat and poultry production has on human health and the environment, and realize why a prompt call to action is urgently needed. Waste From CAFOs Compared to ‘Mini Chernobyls’ When you raise tens of thousands of animals (and in the case of chickens, 100,000) under one roof, you’re left with a load of waste. That manure, which traditionally was regarded as a valuable fertilizing byproduct when produced on a much smaller scale, has become one of the most polluting substances in the United States (even though federal legislature forbids animal waste from being defined as “hazardous”). The problem is, when it’s produced in massive quantities, it certainly is hazardous. In a report of the Pew Commission on industrial farm animal production (IFAP),1 it’s explained: “Animal waste in such volumes may exceed the capacity of the land to absorb the nutrients and attenuate pathogens. Thus, what could be a valuable byproduct becomes a waste that must be disposed of in an appropriate manner. The annual production of manure produced by animal confinement facilities exceeds that produced by humans by at least three times. Manure in such large quantities carries excess nutrients, chemicals, and microorganisms that find their way into waterways, lakes, groundwater, soils, and airways. Excess and inappropriate land application of untreated animal waste on cropland contributes to excessive nutrient loading and, ultimately, eutrophication of surface waters. IFAP runoff also carries antibiotics and hormones, pesticides, and heavy metals. Pesticides are used to control insect infestations and fungal growth. Heavy metals, especially zinc and copper, are added as micronutrients to the animal diet. Tylosin, a widely used antibiotic (macrolide) for disease treatment and growth promotion in swine, beef cattle, and poultry production, is an example of a veterinary pharmaceutical that decays rapidly in the environment, but can still be found in surface waters of agricultural watersheds.” The waste, which is typically stored in massive “lagoons,” often leads to rivers of waste that flow from factory farms into the surrounding environment. As the film described, just one environmental consequence of this is the quick spread of Pfiesteria, a microscopic organism that feeds off the phosphorus and nitrogen found in manure. Pfiesteria, Harmful Gasses Linked to Toxic Storage Lagoons Pfiesteria is a lethal toxin harmful to both humans and fish. In states with CAFOs, it’s not unusual for the bacteria to overwhelm waterways, killing fish and causing human health problems ranging from nausea and fatigue to open sores, memory loss and disorientation. The manure also leads to the production of at least 160 different gasses, including ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and hydrogen sulfide. According to the Pew Commission:2 “Possibly the most dangerous gas common to IFAP facilities is hydrogen sulfide. It can be released rapidly when the liquid manure slurry is agitated, an operation commonly performed to suspend solids so that pits can be emptied by pumping. During agitation, hydrogen sulfide levels can soar within seconds from the usual ambient levels of less than 5 ppm to lethal levels of over 500 ppm. Animals and workers have died or become seriously ill in swine IFAP facilities when hydrogen sulfide has risen from agitated manure in pits under the building.” There are also problems with ammonia release, which, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “can be carried more than 300 miles through the air before being dumped back onto the ground or into the water, where it causes algal blooms and fish kills.”3 Corporations primarily use the CAFO system because efficiency and profits are valued above all else, even though this frequently violates natural laws and increase the risk to people eating the food they produce. The environmental assaults that follow are considered a cost of doing business, but as River of Waste poignantly shared, we should perhaps be heeding this Native American Cree prophecy before it is too late … “Only after the last tree is cut down, the last of the water poisoned, the last animal destroyed … only then will you realize you cannot eat money.” CAFOs Contribute to the Spread of Human Disease The film also sheds some concerning light on how easily CAFOs serve as breeding grounds for disease — not only amongst the animals housed there and the farm workers, but also to those of us in the general population. River of Waste mentions H5N1, aka the bird flu, specifically. Although it doesn’t spread easily among humans, its capability to mutate has scientists worrying whether it could mutate enough to cause a human pandemic. CAFOs serve as the ideal place for this to happen, as there are millions, if not billions, of host birds among which the virus can flourish. Aside from various strains of influenza or other viruses, feeding livestock continuous, low-dose antibiotics — a common practice on CAFOs — creates a perfect storm for widespread disease proliferation — and, worse yet, antibiotic-resistant disease. Just one of several now-resistant pathogens, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), is responsible for more than 94,000 infections and 18,000 deaths in the United States each year! CAFO animals do require more drugs, as disease is rampant due to cramped and unsanitary living conditions. It’s a natural consequence of raising tens or hundreds of thousands of animals on one farm. For the sake of efficiency, CAFO animals are crammed into tiny spaces and treated in ways that are truly shocking to most people who are just learning about how CAFO’s are run. Due to these living conditions, a variety of drugs, including antibiotics, are routinely administered to all animals, whether they’re sick or well, in order to keep as many of them as possible alive until it’s time for slaughter. Low-Dose Antibiotics Commonly Used to Boost Animal Growth… and Profits Low-dose antibiotics are also routinely used to boost growth of the animal, and this is purely a financial concern. Larger, fatter animals equate to greater profits. The ultimate price, of course, is that you end up getting a dose of antibiotics and other drugs in each and every steak and chicken wing. An even lesser known issue is the problem with antibiotic-laden manure from CAFOs further contaminating the rest of your food supply. That’s right — even your lettuce may contain antibiotics! These are all powerful reasons for choosing organically raised, drug-free, grass-fed or pastured animal products instead. Agribusiness Industry Wields its Power to Control Government and Public Perceptions Like many other industries, agribusiness uses intensive lobbying, strong-arm tactics and other abuses of power to keep regulations well in their favor. As reported by Occupy for Animals:4 “Federal legislature currently forbids animal waste from being categorized as hazardous. In addition, on the economic level, many corporations are multi-state and can simply move to another state if local laws become too restrictive for their tastes. Other strong-arm tactics include abuse of power at the highest levels, industry lobby money poured into political campaigns in exchange for less restrictive laws, control of academic resources, and delaying tactics. Perhaps the most damning example of political abuse is the ability of certain corporations to claim immunity to the federal Clean Air Act.” Not surprisingly, the U.S. government has a history of supporting these industrial CAFO operations, both by looking the other way when abuse or contamination occurs, and by directly subsidizing cheaply produced beef, and corn and soy used for feed. As it stands, 2 percent of U.S. livestock facilities produce 40 percent of farm animals,5 and these large, corporate-owned CAFOs have been highly promoted as the best way to produce food for the masses. The only reason CAFOs are able to remain so “efficient,” bringing in massive profits while selling their food for bottom-barrel prices, is because they substitute subsidized crops for pasture grazing. Factory farms use massive quantities of corn, soy and grain in their animal feed, all crops that they are often able to purchase at below cost because of government subsidies. Because of these subsidies, U.S. farmers produce massive amounts of soy, corn, wheat, etc. — rather than vegetables — leading to a monoculture of foods that create a fast food diet. FDA Refuses to Impose Stricter Regulations on CAFOs Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continually made it clear that its loyalties lie with industry, not public health. Instead of enforcing stricter regulations, the agency has simply asked food producers to voluntarily limit their use of certain antibiotics. In fact, on December 22, 2011, the agency quietly posted a notice in the Federal Register6 that it was effectively reneging on its plan to reduce the use of antibiotics in agricultural animal feed — a plan it had been touting since 1977! It’s a vicious cycle, and both you and the animals bear the brunt of the consequences. In the film, a report card is given for the U.S. regulations for CAFOs, and wouldn’t you know it, they received failing grades in every category, from ammonia levels and antibiotics use to disease, sewage and waste … There is a Better Way: Buck the System to Get REAL Food That Doesn’t Destroy the Environment, Animal Welfare or Your Health Total Video Length: 48:03 Download Interview Transcript Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms is a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and has mastered the art of raising healthy, happy chickens, pigs and cattle. I recently visited Joel Salatin at his farm in Virginia. He practices the local, sustainable model of food production, which is in stark contrast to the more prevalent model of large-scale mass food production that’s seen today. The “bigger is better” food system has reached a point where its fundamental weaknesses are becoming apparent, and it’s time for each of us to answer a very important question: what kind of food system do YOU want? As Joel discusses in the interview above, there are basically two different models of food production today, and there’s growing conflict between them. The first, and most prevalent, is the CAFO model that takes a very mechanistic view toward life, whereas the other—the local, sustainable farm model—has a biological and holistic view. I encourage you to support the small family farms in your area, particularly organic farms that respect the laws of nature and use the relationships between animals, plants, insects, soil, water and habitat to create synergistic, self-supporting, non-polluting, GMO-free ecosystems. Whether you do so for ethical, environmental or health reasons — or all of the above — the closer you can get to the “backyard barnyard,” the better. You’ll want to get your meat, chickens and eggs from smaller community farms with free-ranging animals, organically fed and locally marketed. This is the way food has been raised and distributed for centuries … before it was corrupted by politics, corporate greed and the blaring arrogance of the food industry. You can do this not only by visiting the farm directly, if you have one nearby, but also by taking part in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture programs. The following organizations can also help you locate farm-fresh foods in your local area, raised in a humane, sustainable manner: 1.Local Harvest — This Web site will help you find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. 2.Farmers’ Markets — A national listing of farmers’ markets. 3.Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals — The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada. 4.Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) — CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms. 5.FoodRoutes — The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA’s, and markets near you. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

USDA caves to food industry pressures, approves three new toxic meat preservatives

After intense lobbying by Kraft Foods Global Inc. and Kemin Food Technologies, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has agreed to reverse existing regulations that prohibit the use of three toxic meat preservatives.

According to Courthouse News Service (CNS), sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, and benzoic acid will now be permissible for use in preserving and treating meat and poultry products, despite having been previously banned. FSIS has long been of the persuasion that major food corporations would attempt to use such additives to “conceal damage or inferiority in meat and poultry,” but the agency’s view has apparently changed.

After Kraft submitted its own company-funded trials claiming that the three preservative chemicals are allegedly safe, and that they supposedly cannot be used to disguise sub par meat and poultry products, the USDA suddenly changed its mind about them. This is all according to its mouthpiece, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which made the announcement recently about the change.

“Kraft submitted data collected from its in-plant trials and from scientific studies that show that these substances do not conceal damage or inferiority, or make products appear better or of greater value than they are under the proposed conditions of use,” says FSIS.

Factory food companies commonly use chemical preservatives, anti-microbials to mask inferior meat
This is a nice story, but according to admissions made by both Kraft and Kemin, use of these additives will indeed be used to disguise inferior meat and poultry products. According to CNS, the two companies admittedly petitioned FSIS to allow use of the chemicals in liquid form to kill pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes, which typically only exist in tainted meat derived from factory farms.

Industrial agriculture is a filthy business, especially when animals are involved. Rather than have access to pasture and the outdoors, cows and chickens from factory farms live most, if not all, of their lives in confinement, where they wallow in their own feces, and sometimes even in the rotting carcasses of other dead animals. As a result, such animals become ill, and their systems infected with harmful pathogens that must be eliminated before human consumption.

The reason companies like Kraft and Kemin exist and thrive is because high-profit factory farms exist and thrive. And the only way these food corporations can “safely” sell their factory-farm food products to the public is to kill it, sanitize it, and smother it in antimicrobial agents like sodium benzoate, sodium propionate and benzoic acid.

So to claim that their goal in seeking approval for the three chemicals is not to conceal second-rate meat products is simply a lie. Low-grade meat products from squalid factory farms have to be disguised, otherwise the public would never purchase them.

Beyond this, the chemical substances in question are not even safe. Sodium propionate has been linked to causing gastrointestinal upset and respiratory problems, while sodium benzoate can cause DNA damage and promote the formation of cancer cells. And benzoic acid, which is often added to processed foods, can promote the development of asthma and hyperactivity, particularly in children.

“The continued ingestion of certain chemicals has been linked to cancer, fatigue, memory-impairment, imbalanced motor-function, diabetes, thyroid problems, confusion and far more,” says Creative Bioscience about food preservatives and additives. “Such food additives can stunt or stall weight loss and even cause more pounds to add on.”

Sources for this article include:

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/12/55664.htm

http://creativebioscience.com

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Feds raid indoor gardeners, find only tomatoes and squash plants

How insanely out-of-control has the war on drugs become? Apparently now, if all you do is buy equipment to grow plants and vegetables indoors is reason enough to suspect you of conducting illegal drug activity.

Case in point: State police and sheriff’s deputies in Kansas raided the home of Adlynn and Robert Harte, two former CIA employees, in a fruitless search for marijuana as part of a two-state drug sweep in conjunction with Missouri police agencies – all because they had bought supplies to grow vegetables inside their home.

As a result of getting improperly swept up in the operation, the couple has filed suit “to get more information about why sheriff’s deputies searched their home in the upscale Kanas City suburb of Leawood last April 20 as part of Operation Constant Gardener – a sweep conducted by agencies in Kansas and Missouri that netted marijuana plants, processed marijuana, guns, growing paraphernalia and cash from several other locations,” The Associated Press reported.

That date has long been used by marijuana users as a way to celebrate the drug, which remains illegal on the federal level though voters in two states – Colorado and Washington – legalized it for recreational use last November.

‘Public has an interest in knowing’

The Harte’s attorney, Cheryl Pilate, says, however, that she believes her clients’ 1,865-square-foot split level home was targeted because they recently purchased hydroponic gear to grow small numbers of tomatoes and squash in their basement.

“With little or no other evidence of any illegal activity, law enforcement officers make the assumption that shoppers at the store are potential marijuana growers, even though the stores are most commonly frequented by backyard gardeners who grow organically or start seedlings indoors,” says the suit.

The suit was filed under the Kansas Open Records Act, but only after authorities in Johnson County and Leawood denied their initial requests to see records justifying the search of their particular home. Leawood officials went so far as to say they had no such relevant records, but the Hartes’ say that answer isn’t good enough. Per AP:

The Hartes say the public has an interest in knowing whether the sheriff’s department’s participation in the raids was “based on a well-founded belief of marijuana use and cultivation at the targeted addresses, or whether the raids primarily served a publicity purpose.”

Said Adlynn Harte: “If this can happen to us and we are educated and have reasonable resources, how does somebody who maybe hasn’t led a perfect life supposed to be free in this country?”

A great point. Unfortunately, few in power have a good answer to it.

‘It was like Zero Dark Thirty’

In the suit, the couple said their two children, a 7-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, were “shocked and frightened” by assault weapon-armed cops wearing bulletproof vests began pounding on the front door of their home around 7:30 a.m. nearly a year ago.

“It was just like on the cops TV shows,” Robert Harte told AP. “It was like ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ ready to storm the compound.”

The court filing says that, during the drug sweep, the Hartes were told cops had been watching them for months, but that the couple knows “of no basis for conducting such surveillance nor do they believe such surveillance would have produced any facts supporting the issuance of a search warrant.”

The couple said they built the hydroponic garden with their son a few years ago, adding that they chose not to use the powerful light bulbs that marijuana growers typically use, meaning the family’s electricity bills did not change dramatically. Authorities sometimes use changes in a residence’s utility bills as an indicator of illicit activity, AP reported.

When cops searched their home, the Hartes’ had only six plants growing in their basement – three tomato, one melon and two butternut squash plants.

Case could set a precedent on the federal level

In addition to being wrong about the Hartes, the lawsuit says deputies “made rude comments” to them and even went so far as to imply that their son was a dope smoker.

Pilate said the search was ridiculous in the first place because her clients don’t use illegal drugs and because no charges were ever filed:

The lawsuit noted Adlynn Harte, who works for a financial planning firm, and Robert Harte, who cares for the couple’s children, each were required to pass rigorous background checks for their previous jobs working for the CIA in Washington, D.C. Pilate said she couldn’t provide any other details about their CIA employment.

“You can’t go into people’s homes and conduct searches without probable cause,” Pilate said, adding that a successful lawsuit could serve as a basis for a future federal civil rights suit.

Sources:

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/Marijuana.html

http://www.kctv5.com

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Is “Whole Wheat” Damaging Your Body? Can eating too much wheat be a factor in causing visceral abdominal fat, acne, joint problems and arthritis, IBS and acid reflux, cravings, addictive behaviors, increased overall calorie consumption, diabetes, heart disease, accelerated aging, and autoimmune diseases? Let’s have a look… by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist Author of the best-sellers: The Truth About Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging One thing you may know about me is that I believe in continuing to educate myself on nutrition and fitness, and passing that information onto you, my reader. I feel that regardless of how much we’ve already studied over the years, there’s always new things you can learn that can help improve your health for a higher quality of life. That’s why I try to always read at least 2 new books every month on nutrition, to keep learning new things all the time. Despite how much we already know, there’s always new things to learn. I’ve found this to be especially true of a new book I’m reading right now called Wheat Belly, by Dr. William Davis… there are lots of gems inside this book that I will be sharing with you over the next couple weeks. There’s a lot to discuss about this topic, so I wanted to start with just a few of the most important points in the book… This is a topic that you should pay close attention to, as wheat is one of the biggest sources of calories in the average person’s diet (along with corn and soy, which are equally bad). The average American eats a whopping 133 pounds of wheat per year, which includes babies in that average, meaning that the average adult eats well over 150 lbs of wheat per year. Most people eat wheat at every meal…bagels, muffins, or cereal at breakfast… a sandwich at lunch… crackers, pretzels, and other wheat-based snacks all day long… bread on the side at dinner… and maybe even some cake or brownies for dessert. Yes, a day in the life of the average consumer makes most of us look like “wheat-a-holics”. First, as you know, I’ve talked a lot in past newsletters about why I believe that grains in general, and also wheat in particular, should not be a large part of your diet as government guidelines recommend. We’ve talked about the negatives of anti-nutrients — compounds in many grains that prevent some nutrients/minerals from being absorbed in your body, leading to possible deficiencies in some nutrients if you eat grains at most meals. We’ve also talked about the possible negative effects of gluten on not just celiacs, but a large % of the population that can experience chronic gut inflammation from too much gluten, too often. And we’ve also talked about the negative aspects of many grains on your blood sugar cycle, the caloric density of grains, and the weight control challenges that grain-based foods can give you if you’re not a super-active athlete. From all of my research, I see grains on a scale like this: * oatmeal and rice — Not the most ideal food, but not so terrible (only if you’re VERY active) * wheat and corn — Not much healthy about these at all (regardless of your activity level) …with many other grains somewhere in the middle. It’s all about the different anti-nutrients that each contains, the gluten factor, and whether they are genetically modified. As a generalization, there are many more negative health aspects to wheat and corn than there are in rice and oats. We’ll discuss all of this in more detail in future newsletters. But let’s start today and focus on wheat… Why in the world does Dr. William Davis conclude in his book that “whole wheat” is terrible for your health? Well, let’s start with a few of the topics Dr. Davis talks about in his book, Wheat Belly: 1. The wheat we eat today is very different biochemically than the wheat even just 50 years ago First and foremost, Dr. Davis goes through the history of wheat in the human diet, which goes back to only about 10,000 years ago. He talks about how the type of wheat that was eaten 1000’s of years ago is biochemically not the same wheat we are eating today. And in fact, even the wheat our grandparents ate just 50 years ago is a far cry biochemically from the wheat that is used today. This is because wheat has been hybridized heavily over the years to increase crop yield and to increase certain baking characteristics or taste. Dr. Davis states: “Small changes in wheat protein structure can spell the difference between a devastating immune response to wheat protein versus no immune response at all.” The take-home message… today’s wheat is quite different than even just 50 years ago, as today’s wheat has different levels of anti-nutrients and gluten with overall biochemical differences. Essentially, big agra has hybridized wheat heavily over the last 5 decades to improve things such as crop yield and baking characteristics, but never once thought about the impacts on human health of changing the biochemical structure of wheat. Although the biochemical differences may seem small, it can have a major impact on how the human digestive system processes the food. Dr. Davis points this out with this passage… “Wheat gluten proteins, in particular, undergo considerable structural change with hybridization. In one hybridization experiment, 14 new gluten proteins were identified in the offspring that were not present in either parent wheat plant.” This means that modern wheat contains new “foreign” gluten proteins that the human digestive system has not adapted to properly digesting. Because of all of this, Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease with complete gluten intolerance, has increased fourfold in the last 50 years. Dr Davis also believes that gluten sensitivity has increased in similar levels in the last 50 years. The message is that even if you haven’t been diagnosed with Celiac or Gluten Sensitivity, it doesn’t mean that constant daily gluten intake isn’t causing chronic gut inflammation and some sort of possible long term digestive system damage, along with other possible autoimmune diseases. And remember that chronic gut inflammation can also possibly lead to cancer later in life. 2. Wheat has addictive properties similar to opiate drugs Dr Davis makes a very convincing argument that wheat is addictive. Wheat contains compounds termed “exorphins” that have an effect in your brain similar to opiate drugs. This explains why people have such a hard time giving up their beloved breads, cereals, pasta, and muffins because these foods are mildly addictive. I know personally from past experience that if I have have a pasta dinner, I’ll go back for seconds and thirds as I just can’t seem to stop eating the stuff. And then hours after dinner, I’ll get cravings for more carb-based foods or sweets. But if I pass on the pasta and just have meat, veggies, and salad, I find myself totally satisfied after dinner with no cravings later at night. 3. Wheat makes you consume more calories Possibly due to the additive nature of wheat products, and the subsequent cravings for more carb based foods, Dr Davis cites studies in his book showing that wheat eaters eat more calories overall than people on a gluten-free diet. One study he cited showed 14% higher caloric intake in wheat eaters than those on a gluten-free food plan. Dr Davis also notes: “It might be due to the lack of exorphins, reduction of the insulin-glucose cycle that triggers hunger, or some other factor, but elimination of wheat reduces daily calorie intake by 350 to 400 calories — with no further restrictions on calories, fats, carbohydrates, or portion sizes. No smaller plates, prolonged chewing, or frequent small meals. Just banishing wheat from your table.” The message… it’s a LOT easier to control your total calorie intake by avoiding wheat based foods like cereals, breads, muffins, and pasta (with the exception of 1 cheat day per week if you can’t fathom giving up wheat altogether). 4. Wheat raises your blood sugar even more than table sugar The type of complex carbohydrate that comprises wheat is called amylopectin A, which is a type of carb that is unique in that it is digested so fast that it highly affects blood sugar more than most other carb sources. Dr Davis cites studies in his book that prove that wheat bread can raise blood sugar HIGHER than table sugar, due to it’s amylopectin A content. Dr. Davis even states: “Aside from some extra fiber, eating two slices of whole wheat bread is really little different, and often worse, than drinking a can of sugar-sweetened soda or eating a sugary candy bar.” Dr. Davis discusses the fact that the amylopectin A which is uniquely found in wheat and not other sources of carbs raises blood sugar to a much higher degree than most other carbohydrates sources, regardless of whether they are simple or “complex” carbs. He continues, “In fact, the degree of processing, from a blood sugar standpoint, makes little difference: Wheat is wheat, with various forms of processing or lack of processing, simple or complex, high fiber or low fiber, all generating similarly high blood sugars.” 5. Excessive wheat consumption leads to visceral fat in the abdomen If you don’t know the difference, you can read my article here about the difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. There are many causes of visceral fat in the abdomen and Dr Davis isn’t trying to fully lay the blame on wheat, but he makes a case that shows that wheat is a heavy contributor to visceral fat. Through a combination of wheat’s trigger on the blood sugar and insulin process in your body, the ability of wheat to automatically increase calorie consumption, as well as the digestive system inflammation characteristics of some of wheat’s contituents, including gluten, this all leads to a greater chance of developing visceral fat in your abdomen. And as you know from my article above, visceral fat is particularly dangerous as once it accumulates in your gut and around your organs, it continuously releases inflammatory molecules into your system. We’ve talked before about how high fructose corn syrup and other junk foods can increase visceral fat, but Dr. Davis makes a strong case for how wheat can also contribute to visceral fat accumulation. The message… Eliminate the wheat (aside from one cheat day per week if you absolutely must), and you’ll lose the belly much faster. 6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Acid Reflux may be linked to wheat consumption Dr. Davis makes a good argument in his book showing links between gluten consumption and IBS and acid reflux. He states, “Eliminate wheat, acid reflux improves, symptoms of IBS improve. Unfortunately, this effect has not been quantified, though investigators have speculated on how large a role gluten plays in non-celiac sufferers of IBS and acid reflux.” Dr. Davis also states that hundreds of his own patients have seen complete or partial relief from IBS and acid reflux with gluten removal from their diet. If you have IBS or acid reflux, you should at least consider removing wheat from your diet for 2-3 weeks and see if the symptoms go away. It certainly can’t hurt anything to eliminate wheat for a couple weeks (after all, there’s nothing “essential” about eating wheat), and if anything, you’ll lose some body fat as well in the process. You can also watch this video showing natural cures for acid reflux. 7. Wheat consumption leads to accelerated aging Eating too many wheat products such as bread, bagels, muffins, cereal, crackers, etc increases compounds in your body called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). I talked in a previous article here about how sugar can make you age faster and how to prevent this. But it’s not just sugar and corn syrup that cause this problem… as we’ve already mentioned in this article, the main starch in wheat products is a very unique and fast digesting starch called Amylopectin A, which raises blood sugar even more significantly than table sugar. Due to the significant blood sugar effect of wheat products (yes, even “whole wheat”), this means it increases those nasty AGEs in your body which contribute to premature aging and wrinkles. If you’re concerned about aging and want to stay looking youthful, make sure to read this article: >> 5 tricks for looking 10 years YOUNGER 8. Too much wheat in the diet can cause ACNE problems According to Dr. Davis, pimples (aka, acne) affects up to 95% of 16-18 year olds in western cultures, and even affects 50% of adults over age 25 with intermittent bouts. But Dr. Davis provides evidence that acne is NOT caused by genetics, but rather almost entirely by diet. He discusses how cultures that rely on a basic hunter-gatherer diet, or some other form of diet that does not include wheat or sugar, have been curiously acne free (until western diet influences came in of course). Dr. Davis talks about how acne is nearly universal in young Americans, but does not occur at all in other cultures. He states, “Some cultures display no acne whatsoever. Cultures as wide ranging as the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea, the Ache hunter-gatherers of Paraguay, natives of the Purus Valley in Brazil, African Bantus and Zulus, Japan’s Okinawans, and Canadian Inuit are curiously spared the nuisance and embarrassment of acne.” Dr. Davis then cites research that shows that once Western influence introduced wheat, sugar, and other processed foods into the diets of the Okinawans, the Inuits, and the Zulus, acne soon followed. 9. Wheat consumption contributes to heart disease risk Another interesting chapter in the book Wheat Belly is where Dr. Davis makes a strong case that frequent wheat consumption increases your heart disease risk. As you may have heard before, the LDL particles in your blood stream can be characterized as large puffy LDL types (which do not contribute to heart disease) or small dense LDL particles (which do contribute to plaque buildup and heart disease). Dr. Davis states, “Foods that increase blood glucose the most therefore translate into both greater quantities of small LDL and increased glycation of small LDL. So heart disease and stroke are not just about high cholesterol. They are caused by oxidation, glycation, inflammation, small LDL particles … yes, the processes triggered by carbohydrates, especially those made of wheat.” Make sure to read my article on this exact topic here: How bread and cereal can CAUSE heart disease 10. Eating wheat adds a large acid burden that your body must deal with Your body is hard wired to keep a very precise pH level in your body of approximately 7.4. What foods you consume either contribute acidifying compounds or alkaline compounds. A natural hunter-gatherer diet is well balanced with the acid compounds of meats being easily counteracted by alkaline producing fruits, nuts, and veggies. But when you add the acid burden of grains to the equation, the acid-alkaline balance shifts towards acid. The more acidifying compounds that you eat or drink (soda, grains, sugar are examples), the more your body needs to pull calcium compounds out of your bone to regulate pH in your body. This can cause weak bones and osteoporosis as you age. According to Dr. Davis, grains such as wheat account for 38% of the average American’s acid load. Dr Davis states, “Around 10,000 years ago, the formerly alkaline human diet pH balance shifted to the acid side with the introduction of grains, especially the most dominant of grains, wheat. The modern human diet of plentiful “healthy whole grains” but lacking in vegetables and fruit is highly acid-charged, inducing a condition called acidosis. Over years, acidosis takes it’s toll on your bones.” Dr. Davis also cites a University of Toronto study that showed increased gluten intake increased urinary calcium loss by 63%, along with increased markers for bone weakening. So even if you’re not Celiac or gluten sensitive officially, this is yet another reason to consider reducing or eliminating gluten and wheat from your diet. 11. A link between wheat consumption and joint degeneration, including arthritis Dr. Davis also includes a chapter about how eating too much wheat over the years is linked to joint problems and pain, including arthritis. Dr. Davis states: “The more wheat products you consume, the higher and more frequently blood glucose increases, the more glycation occurs. Glycation represents an irreversible modification of proteins in the bloodstream and in body tissues, including joints such as the knees, hips, and hands. The cartilage in joints is uniquely susceptible to glycation, since cartilage cells are extremely long-lived and are incapable of reproducing.” Dr. Davis continues… “The damage of glycation is cumulative, making cartilage brittle and unyielding, eventually crumbling. Joint inflammation, pain, and destruction results, the hallmarks of arthritis.” The message… if you want healthy joints for life (I know I still want to be enjoying skiing and mountain biking, two of my favorite things in life, for decades to come) then Dr. Davis makes a strong case that eliminating or greatly reducing wheat in your diet can be an important step to help protect your joints as you get older. And if you already have arthritis, it’s a worthy test to eliminate wheat from your diet for a full 3-4 weeks and see if you notice some relief. After all, what could it hurt… if anything, a side effect of eliminating wheat is that you’ll drop some body fat. Summary and Choices — Do we eliminate or reduce wheat in our diets? As you can see in the 11 major points we’ve discussed above, there are a lot of negative consequences to your health of eating too much wheat. And I’d be hard pressed to find any benefits whatsoever of eating wheat. Fiber content may be the only possible benefit of wheat, however you can easily get more than enough fiber in your daily diet from fruits, nuts, and veggies instead, without the harmful health effects of wheat. So you have a choice at this point… if you’re the type of person who will do anything to improve your health and have a better body, both in looks and internal health, eliminating wheat is your best bet. But if you’re like most people, the thought of never eating wheat cereals, breads, muffins, pasta, and crackers is just too hard to bear. If you’re this type of person, you can still reap the benefits of greatly reducing wheat in your diet, but minimize your consumption to one weekly cheat day. It helps to only have this cheat day which might include your favorite wheat products at restaurants, so you keep all wheat foods out of your house and not be tempted by them during the week. Remember that one very pleasant side effect of eliminating wheat at least 6 days a week is that most people reduce their body fat significantly after making this choice and sticking to it. And as we’ve talked about in this article, reducing or eliminating wheat can also prevent acne, reduce heart disease risk, slow down the aging process, reduce symptoms of IBS or acid reflux, help stabilize your blood sugar (assuming you’re not still eating loads of sugar and wheat-free junk food), reduce diabetes risk, reduce visceral fat in your abdomen, and more! Considering the possible benefits to our appearance and health, I’ll choose to continue to reduce wheat in my diet! For me, I’ve chosen to not completely eliminate wheat, but rather to never have it in my house, and only indulge in wheat products on once-weekly cheat days or while on vacation. Do you want a healthier and better looking body? The choice is yours! Although we still need to consider major health killers such as sugar, HFCS, processed soy foods, processed corn foods, trans fats, and other junk foods, the case has been made that wheat is one of the biggest culprits in our health problems If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

The TRUTH about Gluten by Kelsey Kale – Natural Food Chef & Nutritionist One of the most common objections I get from people when I mention about the benefits of going gluten-free or grain-free is, “Well, yeah, I would cut it out – but I don’t have a problem with gluten.” While this may be true for a small percentage of the population, more studies are showing that even those of us who think we “don’t have a problem with gluten,” are actually experiencing life-depleting side effects from eating it – but we just don’t know it. It’s not that these symptoms are hidden necessarily (though sometimes patients with celiac disease have no visible symptoms right after they eat gluten) – more often we blame our symptoms on something else, and we forget to consider gluten as the source of the problem. The Secret Ways Gluten Is Hurting You Consider these facts: >> Responses to the ingestion of wheat can be divided into three types… Let’s start with some basics. There’s a difference between being “allergic” to gluten, having celiac disease, and just being gluten sensitive. Allergic responses like skin rashes and breathing problems appear to be related to a variety of wheat proteins. Studies done with purified wheat proteins that tracked specific autoimmune antibodies in patients’ blood showed that 60% had antibody responses to α-gliadins and β-gliadins, 55% to γ-gliadins, 48% to ω-gliadins. On the other hand, certain wheat reactions, like WDEIA or “Wheat Dependent Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis” (a tongue twister, I know!) are syndromes that are known to be caused by a specific type of grain protein, ω5-gliadins. It’s important to note that those with gluten sensitivity don’t experience their reaction in the same way that those with celiac disease do (though it may feel like it) – gluten sensitivity is not the same autoimmune response as celiac. People with gluten sensitivity have more of a reaction such as “set up a barrier to fight this one time irritant”, while those with celiac disease start building an internal army and develop specific antibodies to gluten so they’re constantly prepared. >> Celiac Disease is 4 times more common today than it was 50 years ago. Doctors and scientists are seeing that the popularity of gluten free diets isn’t just a fad – the actual number of people with a real autoimmune response to gluten is going up. An autoimmune response is more serious than an intolerance because this response causes your body to begin to attack its own cells. An intolerance or sensitivity to gluten is less severe and is more like your reaction to a cold or parasite, which attacks the “invader” but not your body. This increase in celiac disease is likely due to a combination of the constant experimenting and hybridization of the wheat plant in an attempt to increase growth rate and the amount of grain each plant grows. There’s also the fact that wheat and flour based products now make up a large majority of the average person’s diet (even in countries like China where rice was a staple, wheat-based products are beginning to take over and instances of gluten-related illness are beginning to rise). Also, because there are no testing measures in place to determine if these newly developed “franken-grains” are safe for human consumption (or if the newly created plants present any side effects when eaten by humans), we’re being served something called “wheat” that’s actually a far cry from the original plant that our grandparents knew and loved. >> As many as 29% of us may have a gluten allergy or intolerance and do not know about it. In a study published in 2007, researchers took gut biopsies from celiac patients as well as patients with no gluten-related symptoms. Five out of six of the patients “without symptoms” showed inflammatory autoimmune blood proteins when they were exposed to gliadin (a component of gluten). Similar studies done on populations in the UK and Germany showed that when tested, 3 times more people were sensitive to gluten than they originally thought. These “autoimmune blood proteins” are markers that tell the body to create a system-wide inflammation response (especially in our intestines). This happens for two reasons: One, it helps our body get rid of the offending gluten as quickly as possible; And two, it sends us a painful message telling us not to eat that food again. This full-body inflammation creates stress in our digestive tract and can lead to tiny holes in our intestines (known as “leaky gut syndrome”) that allow small particles of undigested food to pass into our bloodstream. This causes even more inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation also kills the specialized cells in your intestines that are designed to absorb nutrients, which can lead to malnourishment and “nutrient starvation” – even if you’re overweight. It’s even been thought by some researchers that for every 1 person with celiac disease (an estimated 1.8 million Americans) there could be at least six or seven people with “non-celiac gluten sensitivity”. This means that gluten sensitivity may affect upwards of 10-12% of the general population (that’s another 10.8 – 12.6 million people!). Eating Gluten Can Lead To Other Allergies >> Gluten sensitivity can also cause dairy intolerance. This is because the enzyme we need to digest the milk sugar lactose (an enzyme called “lactase”) is created by the cells in our small intestine, and these cells can be killed by inflammation caused by eating too much gluten. >> Lastly, celiac disease is determined by the number of antibody markers found in your stool or blood. The benchmark for beginning to diagnose celiac disease using a blood test is an antibody count of 30+. If you meet this number or higher you are likely to be diagnosed with celiac disease. If you score even 1 point below this number, you technically don’t have celiac – but you will definitely still feel all the painful effects of gluten. NOTE: Having a high inflammatory blood protein count doesn’t always mean you have Celiac, so it’s best to consult your doctor and participate in a panel of tests before diagnosing yourself. The Effects Add Up… Your reaction to gluten may not be strong enough to worry you. A little bit of bloating here, mild swelling in the joints there – no big deal, just a little embarrassing… right? Wrong. Over a period of time (let’s say a few years) low levels of inflammation in the body start to add up. Even if you don’t experience any immediate negative effects from eating gluten (or your reactions are “tolerable”), you could be doing long term damage to your body. For example, remember that this inflammation may be killing off the cells in your small intestine that are designed to absorb nutrients, which can leave you both fat and starving. And chronic inflammation anywhere in the body has full-body effects — chronic inflammation has even been linked to terminal illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Every bite counts. *** Mike’s Note: Beware of many new “gluten-free” packaged and processed foods that are on the market these days… Most times, these gluten-free processed foods just simply contain highly refined flours such as rice flour, tapioca flour, and corn starch which have severe effects on your blood sugar and insulin levels. Many “gluten-free” processed foods also still contain very high sugar levels. Kelsey shows you her exact method of eating gluten-free, but doing so in a way that HELPS you control blood sugar and lose fat in this video she prepared for you: Video: Kelsey’s EXACT plan to remove gluten but still ENJOY delicious food (plus lose fat) If you don’t have time to watch Kelsey’s video, you can also grab her super-awesome new cookbook on how to eat grain-free while enjoying amazingly delicious meals: Kelsey’s cookbook: Enjoy grain-free amazing meals & get a flat stomach faster Can you HEAL gluten-damaged intestines? A couple things on this… 1. There’s a unique ingredient called Actazin in this powerful probiotic supplement that shows strong promise at being able to help HEAL and regenerate gluten-damaged gut-lining cells. You can read about it at that page. 2. It’s also well known that Kefir (kefir is generally more powerful than yogurt in terms of both probiotic quantity and variety of strains) can have a powerful healing effect on the digestive system when used regularly because of the unique probiotics. Kefir is also generally 99% lactose-free since the microbes consume most of the lactose in the fermentation process, making kefir one of the easiest to digest dairy products. 3. If you’re like me and you stay gluten-free most days of the week, but still eat wheat based foods when traveling or at restaurants, there’s a new and very interesting ingredient called GlutenGone in this enzyme product that I use on the 1 or 2 days a week when I might dine out and eat some foods high in gluten. I see it as a sort of “protection” against gluten damage for those occasional days when I do eat grains. PS — if you liked today’s article, please fwd this email on to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it. Mike Geary Certified Nutrition Specialist Certified Personal Trainer If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

By Dr. Mercola I’ve been warning you of the dangers of soda since I started this site over 16 years ago, and the list of reasons to avoid this beverage just keeps getting longer. Americans in particular get most of their daily calories from sugar, primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in soda and other sweetened beverages. Half of the US population over the age of two consumes sugary drinks on a daily basis,1 and this figure does not even include 100% fruit juices, flavored milk or sweetened teas, all of which are sugary too, which means the figure is actually even higher. Many people mistakenly believe that as long as you are drinking fruit juice, it’s healthy even though it’s sweet, but this is a dangerous misconception that is fueling the rising rates of weight gain, obesity, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in the United States and other developed nations. It’s important to realize sugary drinks, soda and even fresh squeezed fruit juice, contain fructose, which has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the meteoric rise of obesity and related health problems—in large part due to its ability to turn on your “fat switch.” So-called “enhanced” water products are another source of hidden fructose, and/or artificial sweeteners, which can be even worse for your health than sugar. I recommend drinking plenty of pure water as your primary beverage of choice instead. Sugary Drinks Linked to 180,000 Deaths Annually Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths. Among the 35 largest countries in the world, Mexico had the highest death rates associated with sugary beverage consumption. There, the average consumption of sugary beverages was 24 ounces per day. Bangladesh had the lowest death rates. The US ranked third, with an estimated 25,000 annual deaths2 from sweetened drinks.3 (Many might have expected the US to come in first place, but remember that American processed foods contain far more sugars than other nations, so Americans also consume a lot of “hidden” sugar in products other than beverages.) Interestingly, and quite disturbingly, the death rates associated with sweetened beverages were highest in those under the age of 45. According to the featured article:4 “[W]hile the connection between excess sugar and chronic disease is well-known, the latest research is the first to quantify deaths correlated with sugared drinks worldwide. …To reach their conclusion, the scientists analyzed data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study and recorded how much sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, dividing up the data by age and sex. Then, they figured out how the various amount corresponded to obesity rates. Lastly, they calculated how much obesity affected diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers and determined the mortality rates from these diseases, ending up with the number of deaths that could be attributed to consuming sugary beverages by age and sex.” Co-author Dr. Gitanjali Singh told Time Magazine: “Our findings should push policy makers world-wide to make effective policies to reduce consumption of sugary beverages, such as taxation, mass-media campaigns, and reducing availability of these drinks… Individuals should drink fewer sugary beverages and encourage their family and friends to do the same.” As you may recall, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently tried to ban the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces in restaurants, food carts and theaters, but the day before the ban was scheduled to go into effect, a Supreme Court judge overturned it.5 Bloomberg has stated he intends to appeal the decision. Personally, I believe the most appropriate strategy is to educate people on the facts about sugar consumption, and encourage personal responsibility. Taxation and eliminating sweet drinks from schools and other venues may have a beneficial effect, but to really put a dent in the problem, you need to be properly informed about the consequences of your choices. Voting with your pocketbook and avoiding purchasing these products will cause them to disappear from the marketplace as companies will not produce items that don’t sell. Scientific Statement from American Heart Association about Sugar Consumption and Heart Disease Risk In 2009, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a scientific statement6 about sugar intake and heart health, pointing out that there is evidence for a relationship between the two. According to the abstract: “High intakes of dietary sugars in the setting of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive consumption of sugars. In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19%, which added 76 calories to Americans’ average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients… [T]he American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars. A prudent upper limit of intake is half of the discretionary calorie allowance, which for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and for most American men is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.” How Much Sugar Do You Eat or Drink Each Day? Let’s start with soda. One hundred calories isn’t much. Just one 12-ounce regular soda contains about 140 calories; the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Similarly, one eight-ounceglass of orange juice has about eight full teaspoons of sugar, and at least 50 percent of that sugar is fructose. Drinking just one eight-ounce glass of orange juice will wallop your system with about 25 grams of fructose, which is more than you should have the entire day… Fructose has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the meteoric rise of obesity and related health problems, and while the majority of the problem is caused by the large quantities of high fructose corn syrup added to so many processed foods and sweetened beverages, naturally-occurring fructose in large amounts of fruit juice is also a problem. Fructose is also a likely culprit behind the millions of U.S. children struggling with non-alcoholic liver disease, which is caused by a build-up of fat within liver cells. Fructose is very hard on your liver, in much the same way as drinking alcohol. Around 100 years ago the average American consumed a mere 15 grams of fructose a day, primarily in the form of whole fruit. One hundred years later, one-fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams per day (that’s over a quarter of a pound!), largely in the form of soda and other sweetened beverages. Fructose at 15 grams a day is unlikely to do much harm (unless you suffer from high uric acid levels). However, at nearly 10 times that amount it becomes a MAJOR cause of obesity and nearly all chronic degenerative diseases. As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed that you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food you might eat. Did You Know? Embed this infographic on your website:

Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic “Fructose Overload.” Use the embed code to share it on your website.

Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic "Fructose Overload."

Click on the code area and press CTRL + C (for Windows) / CMD + C (for Macintosh) to copy the code. Don’t Fall for the Latest ‘Designer Water’ Fad… As a general rule, I advise using water as your primary form of beverage. Many simply do not drink enough water these days. But don’t be fooled by slick marketing. There are a number of “designer water” products available, and none of them can really beat plain, pure water. For example, on April 1, Coca-Cola released its latest enhanced water product called “Fruitwater,” described as “a great tasting, naturally flavored zero calorie sparking water beverage.”7 Despite its name, the product does NOT contain any juice. Rather it’s sweetened with sucralose and “natural fruit flavors.” Sucralose (Splenda) is an artificial sweetener that, like aspartame, is associated with a host of side effects, including: •Gastrointestinal problems •Seizures, dizziness and migraines •Blurred vision •Allergic reactions •Blood sugar increases and weight gain Artificially Sweetened Water is a Recipe for Poor Health Different artificial sweeteners have been found to wreak havoc in a number of different ways. Aspartame, for example, has a long list of studies indicating its harmful effects, ranging from brain damage to pre-term delivery. Sucralose has been found to be particularly damaging to your intestines. A study8 published in 2008 found that sucralose: •Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent •Increases the pH level in your intestines, and •Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications like chemotherapy, or treatments for AIDS and certain heart conditions In response to this study, James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health issued the following statement:9 “The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study … confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label.” That was nearly five years ago, yet many are still in the dark about these health risks. Having healthy gut flora is absolutely vital for your optimal health, so clearly, any product that can destroy up to half of your healthy intestinal bacteria can pose a critical risk to your health! Many are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to consuming too many highly processed foods. This is why I recommend eating fermented vegetables every day, or at the very least taking a high quality probiotic. Believe me, if you continuously destroy up to 50 percent of your gut flora by regularly consuming sucralose, then poor health is virtually guaranteed. So please, do not make “Fruitwater” a staple drink thinking you’re doing something beneficial for your health… Remember, pure water IS a zero calorie drink. You cannot find a beverage that contains fewer calories. If you think about it, why on earth would you choose artificially sweetened water over regular mineral water? If you want some flavor, just squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon or lime into mineral water as they have virtually no fructose in them. Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as acceptable and even preferred alternatives to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst seriously damaging the health of those who listen to this well-intentioned but foolish advice. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity. So much for being an ally in the battle against the bulge… The Case Against ALL Bottled Waters… While we’re on the subject of commercially available water products, let me remind you that bottled water in general is a bad idea. Not only are you paying about 1,900 percent more for the same or similar water you get straight from your tap, water stored in plastic bottles have other health risks as well. The plastic often used to make water bottles contains a variety of health-harming chemicals that can easily leach out and contaminate the water, such as: •Cancer-causing PFOAs •PBDEs (flame retardant chemicals), which have been linked to reproductive problems and altered thyroid levels •The reproductive toxins, phthalates •BPA, which disrupts the endocrine system by mimicking the female hormone estrogen If you leave your water bottle in a hot car, or reuse it, your exposure is magnified because heat and stress increase the amount of chemicals that leach out of the plastic. So the container your water comes in needs to receive just as much attention as the water itself, and plastic is simply not a wise choice from a health perspective … not to mention the extreme amounts of toxic waste produced! What’s the Healthiest Beverage You Can Drink? Sweetened beverages, whether it’s sweetened with sugar, HFCS, naturally-occurring fructose, or artificial sweeteners, are among the worst culprits in the fight against obesity and related health problems, including diabetes, heart- and liver disease, just to name a few. Remember that sweetened beverages also include flavored milk products, bottled teas, and “enhanced” water products. Ditching ALL of these types of beverages can go a long way toward reducing your risk for chronic health problems and weight gain. So what should you drink? Your best most cost effective choice is to drink filtered tap water. The caveat though is to make sure you filter your tap water. I’ve written a large number of articles on the hazards of tap water, from fluoride to dangerous chemicals and drugs, to toxic disinfection byproducts and heavy metals, so having a good filtration system in place is more of a necessity than a luxury in most areas. Remember, nothing beats pure water when it comes to serving your body’s needs. If you really feel the urge for a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice. Another option to consider is to bottle your own water from a gravity-fed spring. There’s a great website called FindaSpring.com where you can find natural springs in your area. This is a great way to get back to nature and teach your children about health and the sources of clean water. The best part is that most of these spring water sources are free! Just remember to bring either clear polyethylene or glass containers to collect the water so no unsafe chemicals can contaminate your water on the way home. If you choose to use glass bottles, be sure to wrap them in towels to keep them from breaking in the car. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Pesticides Definitively Linked to Bee Colony CollapseIsn’t it time the EPA listened to the science and not the insecticide manufacturer? Since 2006, up to 40% of the bee colonies in the US have suffered Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which honeybees die, disoriented, far from their hives. In 2010 we wrote about the disappearing honeybee and how this situation threatened much of our human food supply, including our vegetables and fruits, which must be pollinated by bees. Back then we noted that there have been very few reported bee losses among organic beekeepers, and suggested that the principal difference between them is the use of pesticides. We said at the time that this fact should lead anyone to the most logical conclusion: pesticides are likely responsible for CCD. Now, a study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has labeled the pesticide clothianidin as being an “unacceptable” danger to bees. At least 143 million of the 442 million acres—that is, nearly one-third—of US cropland is planted with crops treated with one of three neuroactive insecticides related to nicotine (a newer class of pesticide called neonicotinoids), all of which are known to be highly toxic to bees: clothianidin, imidacloprid, and/or thiamethoxam. Clothianidin, which is used to treat up to 90% of US corn, much of canola, and increasingly soy as well, expresses itself through the plants’ pollen and nectar—the honeybee’s favorite sources of food. In addition to finding clothianidin too dangerous to use on plants pollinated by bees, EFSA’s study specifically identifies the shoddy studies provided by pesticide manufacturer Bayer as evidence of clothianidin’s safety as “too flawed to be useful.” It was these studies that EPA used to first approve clothianidin in 2003, even against the objections of EPA’s own scientists. Three years ago we reported about Bayer’s involvement in a material conflict of interest surrounding its pesticide studies. At the time, a study had decided that a fungus tag-teaming with a virus was killing the bees—but the study’s lead author, Montana bee researcher Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, had originally signed up to be an expert witness on behalf of beekeepers who brought a class-action lawsuit against Bayer in 2003. He suddenly dropped out—and immediately received a significant research grant from Bayer to study bee pollination, which has continued in recent years. It should come as no surprise that Bayer pesticides were never mentioned in the study as a potential cause of CCD. Now Bayer’s clothianidin has been linked to colony collapse in Minnesota and Ohio. And researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who studied imidacloprid (which has identical results), believe bees are being exposed either through nectar from plants or the high-fructose corn syrup that beekeepers use to feed bees. The problem is that farmers are not left with much of a choice, as most of the available seeds are already coated with the pesticide: either you buy the seed, or you don’t grow corn. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency seems to be turning a blind eye to the situation. Even though they acknowledge that pesticides kill bees, they hurry to differentiate this from colony collapse disorder. And when listing possible causes of colony collapse, pesticides are conspicuously absent. Are honeybees merely the canary in the coal mine? If pesticides that coat 90% of our corn are killing off bees, what is the impact of those same pesticides on humans? It is extremely difficult to get accurate information when the biotechnology industry is aligned against you. For example, Beelogics, a company whose primary goal is to control colony collapse disorder, has just been bought by Monsanto. That means any research from Beelogics may now be compromised. Monsanto develops GMO corn and soybeans that develop their own pesticides. If these also contribute to colony collapse, we may never hear of it. Even more frightening, government agencies always seem to side with industry. In Illinois, organic beekeeper Terry Ingram had accumulated fifteen years of research supporting his belief that Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops cause CCD. But when he asked the Illinois Department of Agriculture to test one of his honeycombs for chemical contamination, since the bees wouldn’t touch it, the agency refused to test for chemicals but instead tested for foulbrood, a disease that affects bee larvae, and subsequently confiscated his bees, beehives, and equipment, and destroyed his fifteen years of research. Ingram calls it a subterfuge to destroy all incriminating evidence against Monsanto. Colony collapse disorder is very dangerous because bees are an integral part of the ecosystem—roughly one-third of crop species in the US are pollinated exclusively by honeybees, including fresh vegetables and fruits. If bees die off, half of the world’s food supply will disappear. Forget about the billions of dollars in agricultural losses: if we lose the bees, we will have worldwide famine of unprecedented proportions. On top of that, bees could hold the key to preventing HIV transmission. According to a study just published in the journal Antiviral Therapy, melittin, a toxin found in bee venom, physically destroys HIV virus without harming human cells. It’s a breakthrough that could potentially lead to drugs that are immune to HIV resistance. It could also be used for a topical anti-HIV gel, thus preventing transmission in the first place The vital importance of the humble honeybee is just one more reason why we should abandon the industrial farming model in favor of organic farming. Dangerous pesticides and genetically engineered foods are not needed, and in the long run they are proving costly both to the economy and to human health. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Dairy Industry Tries to Hide Artificial Sweeteners in School Lunches Aspartame is already allowed in your kids’ milk. Now they want to erase it from the labels. Action Alert! The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) are petitioning the FDA to let them remove any reference to non-nutritive sweeteners, mainly aspartame, from milk labels in school lunches. They claim—in one of the most spectacular failures of logic we’ve ever seen—that not labeling the milk “promotes honesty and fair-dealing in the interest of consumers.” Huh? Non-nutritive sweeteners are already allowed and included in the flavored milk used in school lunch programs. Many school children already drink flavored milk, so this gives the dairy industry a bigger market share while also falling within the low-calorie guidelines of the USDA School Lunch Program. Of course, the intent of the program guidelines is to provide healthier meals for children, so aspartame already violates the spirit of those guidelines. Aspartame is an extraordinarily dangerous and potentially carcinogenic chemical. Now they’re trying to remove FDA labeling requirements, arguing that labeling requirements makes the milk less attractive to children and might mislead children on the overall nutritive value of the milk—though they provide no data to back up this claim. Labeling is important for children (and parents), who have a right to choose milk without aspartame or other non-nutritive sweeteners—chemicals which have no place in school lunch program in the first place. By removing this labeling requirement, consumers won’t know the difference between artificially flavored milk and regular milk—and we’d be denied the right to choose milk that doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners and flavorings. School lunch is big business. USDA provides $1 billion each year to buy food for the program. Dairy has a vested interest in following the guidelines that qualifies them for the program, though they’ve balked at disclosing just how they are meeting those guidelines. Here’s an example of how powerful the chemical sweetener industry is: a human aspartame study at Harvard spanning a whopping twenty-two years, funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, found a clear association between aspartame consumption and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia in men. But not a half hour after the study results were revealed, Harvard caved to pressure from industry and issued a press release that minimized the impact of the study, calling the findings “equivocal” and the data “weak,” when in fact the opposite was true. As we reported in 2011, aspartame also decreases the ability of the body to absorb tryptophan and reduces serotonin levels. Ten percent of aspartame is methanol, which is converted to formaldehyde which, in turn, is converted to formic acid—which is used to strip epoxy! The other 90% is composed of phenylalanine and aspartic acid. These amino acids are normally harmless, but in isolation they are neurotoxic. Aspartame has also been implicated in the development of Gulf War syndrome. Huge amounts of diet drinks were shipped to Gulf War troops, who were drinking it in high temperatures. In 1985, Coca-Cola apparently expressed reservations about proposed FDA approval of aspartame for beverages, noting that aspartame is uniquely and inherently unstable and breaks down in the can. When stored or heated above 85 degrees F, aspartame may decompose into formaldehyde (embalming fluid), methanol (wood alcohol), formic acid (ant sting venom), diketopiperazine (an agent in brain tumors), and other toxins. This of course didn’t stop Coke from eventually deciding to use it. Aspartame was approved only because of the revolving door between industry and the FDA. Not only are such artificial sweeteners unhealthy, but so are the artificial colors found in kids’ drinks, which can lead to hyperactivity, allergic reactions, and possibly even cancer. The dairy industry petitioners are using school lunch program guidelines as a foot in the door. They also want to remove labeling requirements for seventeen other dairy products included in the petition, even though they have nothing whatsoever to do with the school lunch program. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.