We now enter an interesting time of year – the Holiday Season. We become festive and at the same time introspective. It can be a time of excess food and drink and yet at the same time we start to ponder our New Year’s Resolution – changes we will make or what we will do differently in the coming year. For many the last thing we want to hear about is how to eat healthier, but why not, that’s what I do! Here’s a few simple suggestions for a healthier New Year, or perhaps you may want to start them now!
1. Start your morning off with a healthy protein shake for breakfast. Please use whey or rice based protein and avoid soy (I’ve written in the past on the dangers of soy protein). This is a great way to get your breakfast protein. Remember we want to have protein with each meal. And, it is a great way to eat some fruit (like a cup of frozen berries) for antioxidant protection and fiber. Berries – blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries have the most antioxidants, but you can also use half a banana, pineapple, mango, cherries, or kiwi. You can even add in some yogurt or kefir for probiotics (the good bacteria) to help your digestion and some ground flax seeds, flax seed oil, or chia seeds for healthy fats.
2. While we’re talking fats – make your own salad dressings from extra virgin olive oil and use it! Mix the olive oil with balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice; add some garlic, Dijon mustard, or other spices and you have a very tasty dressing. Have a salad with some chicken or tuna for lunch, or have a side salad with dinner.
3. Eat one organic carrot a day! And I don’t mean a “baby” carrot. You do know there really is no such thing as a baby carrot, right? The carrot has lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber; and if it is organic you don’t even have to peel it. Just wash, eat and enjoy!
4. Eat one serving of leafy greens per day. You can get these in your salad from a variety of lettuces (no iceberg please) or for the most nutrition have kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, beet greens, or spinach. Except for lettuce, all the other leafy greens I mentioned are best steamed or sauted to get the most nutrition from them and they tend to taste better, particularly when sauted with garlic and butter!
5. Make home-made soups. As it gets colder our body wants to be warmed and home-made soup is a great way to do it. Start from scratch, if it is beef based or chicken based use the bones! Why does chicken soup have the reputation for healing? Because of all the nutrients (minerals) that leach out of the bones while it is being cooked. Soup is also a great way to get your vegetables in – celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cabbage – and many more all go great in soup. I’ve recently become fond of cooking the soup and for the final touch putting it my VitaMax for a tasty blended soup. That’s a great way to hide the vegetables from the veggie-phobics in the family!
So, there you have it. What do you say? These aren’t too bad are they? Try them out, one or all of them. I can guarantee you’ll be pleased if you do.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Guest Blog - Impacts of Oral Contraceptives on Sexually Transmitted Disease
This article is courtesy of Kristin Davis. She is an advocate for women's health who enjoys writing and aspires to be a journalist in New York City one day. Let me know what you think!
Although instances of unwanted pregnancy have declined recently, rates of sexually transmitted disease continue to climb. This might be explained by society’s views toward sexuality and which behaviors are acceptable and which are considered taboo. While society still clings to social stigmas regarding unwanted pregnancy, sexual promiscuity has largely been accepted. This discrepancy in societal attitude is ironic because sexual promiscuity is actually more dangerous than unintended pregnancy. While young women have several safe options in the event of an unwanted pregnancy, women who become infected with these diseases risk spreading the illness to others, permanent damage to their bodies and even death. Unfortunately, with this fixation to avoid pregnancy, many women ignore protection against this physical risk. Based on recent health trends, it is obvious that measures to prevent pregnancy do not ensure safety from disease as well.
Social stigmas regarding contraceptive use have also largely been replaced. However, many issues remain when choosing which method, including effectiveness, convenience, health risks and long term consequences. While condoms might have been the most accepted preventative tool of unwanted pregnancy, oral contraceptives have now stepped in as the leading product. These products are easy for women to use, highly effective at preventing pregnancy and affordable. Unfortunately, these contraceptives also give couples no protection against sexually transmitted disease, which could explain the rise of disease seen in America today.
It is obvious, then, that women are unaware of this method’s limitations. In fact, a serious lack of available information regarding their effectiveness and safety remains. While tempting to trust manufacturers of these contraceptives, it’s important to realize that because of this drug’s popularity, oral contraceptive manufacturing has become a major industry with huge profit potential. Drug manufacturers now promote their products heavily and send promotional materials to many health facilities. The U.S. government even endorses the use of these drugs, sending these contraceptives to family planning clinics targeting indigent, unmarried women.
Unfortunately, this heavy marketing and wide use often misleads young adults into believing these products are total health safeguards. Many oral contraceptives also advertise their products as cures to many other health conditions, including acne and mood swings. Although these products have led to the welcome decline in unwanted pregnancy, the increased rate of sexually transmitted disease might actually be a result of misconceptions regarding these products. Teens protected from pregnancy might be emboldened to have unprotected sex, believing disease prevention is just one more benefit of these “miracle drugs.”
Indeed, manufacturers of these contraceptives have little motivation to dispel these misconceptions. In fact, several manufacturers have been found guilty of contributing to the rampant misunderstanding surrounding their products, regularly failing to point out important details regarding safety. One oral contraceptive producer, Bayer HealthCare, was cited by the FDA for their misleading television advertisements. Labeling their product a total quality-of-life aid, the FDA found these ads further misled teens with unproven claims. Furthermore, Bayer was cited for substandard conditions in a plant its ingredients were manufactured in. However, the drug company’s annual multi-million dollar advertising campaigns continue to overshadow these revelations and keep its product the most popular form of oral contraception today.
Although Bayer’s lack of corporate integrity is disturbing, the severe physical consequence of these drugs is even more striking. Oral contraceptives are hormone-altering pills and can actually lead to permanent side effects, like the possibility of infertility. Originally introduced in the 1960’s, evidence today links the growing use of these drugs with the rise of cancer seen in U.S. women. Although easily dismissed by their harmless appearance, these drugs literally upset numerous significant aspects of women’s physiology as they trick the body into believing it is pregnant.
The growing number of Yaz lawsuits today highlights just how serious the health consequences of these pills are. Users of Yaz, the most popular oral contraceptive sold today, have experienced severe side effects including heart attack, stroke, blood clots, pulmonary embolisms and gallbladder disease, with some cases even ending in death. However, until sexually transmitted disease becomes the focal point of reckless sexuality, pregnancy prevention will continue to be the focus of young women, to the exclusion of other risks. A reversal in the growing trend of sexually transmitted disease requires women first learn about the limitations and dangers of this contraceptive option before blindly trusting their health and safety to it.
Although instances of unwanted pregnancy have declined recently, rates of sexually transmitted disease continue to climb. This might be explained by society’s views toward sexuality and which behaviors are acceptable and which are considered taboo. While society still clings to social stigmas regarding unwanted pregnancy, sexual promiscuity has largely been accepted. This discrepancy in societal attitude is ironic because sexual promiscuity is actually more dangerous than unintended pregnancy. While young women have several safe options in the event of an unwanted pregnancy, women who become infected with these diseases risk spreading the illness to others, permanent damage to their bodies and even death. Unfortunately, with this fixation to avoid pregnancy, many women ignore protection against this physical risk. Based on recent health trends, it is obvious that measures to prevent pregnancy do not ensure safety from disease as well.
Social stigmas regarding contraceptive use have also largely been replaced. However, many issues remain when choosing which method, including effectiveness, convenience, health risks and long term consequences. While condoms might have been the most accepted preventative tool of unwanted pregnancy, oral contraceptives have now stepped in as the leading product. These products are easy for women to use, highly effective at preventing pregnancy and affordable. Unfortunately, these contraceptives also give couples no protection against sexually transmitted disease, which could explain the rise of disease seen in America today.
It is obvious, then, that women are unaware of this method’s limitations. In fact, a serious lack of available information regarding their effectiveness and safety remains. While tempting to trust manufacturers of these contraceptives, it’s important to realize that because of this drug’s popularity, oral contraceptive manufacturing has become a major industry with huge profit potential. Drug manufacturers now promote their products heavily and send promotional materials to many health facilities. The U.S. government even endorses the use of these drugs, sending these contraceptives to family planning clinics targeting indigent, unmarried women.
Unfortunately, this heavy marketing and wide use often misleads young adults into believing these products are total health safeguards. Many oral contraceptives also advertise their products as cures to many other health conditions, including acne and mood swings. Although these products have led to the welcome decline in unwanted pregnancy, the increased rate of sexually transmitted disease might actually be a result of misconceptions regarding these products. Teens protected from pregnancy might be emboldened to have unprotected sex, believing disease prevention is just one more benefit of these “miracle drugs.”
Indeed, manufacturers of these contraceptives have little motivation to dispel these misconceptions. In fact, several manufacturers have been found guilty of contributing to the rampant misunderstanding surrounding their products, regularly failing to point out important details regarding safety. One oral contraceptive producer, Bayer HealthCare, was cited by the FDA for their misleading television advertisements. Labeling their product a total quality-of-life aid, the FDA found these ads further misled teens with unproven claims. Furthermore, Bayer was cited for substandard conditions in a plant its ingredients were manufactured in. However, the drug company’s annual multi-million dollar advertising campaigns continue to overshadow these revelations and keep its product the most popular form of oral contraception today.
Although Bayer’s lack of corporate integrity is disturbing, the severe physical consequence of these drugs is even more striking. Oral contraceptives are hormone-altering pills and can actually lead to permanent side effects, like the possibility of infertility. Originally introduced in the 1960’s, evidence today links the growing use of these drugs with the rise of cancer seen in U.S. women. Although easily dismissed by their harmless appearance, these drugs literally upset numerous significant aspects of women’s physiology as they trick the body into believing it is pregnant.
The growing number of Yaz lawsuits today highlights just how serious the health consequences of these pills are. Users of Yaz, the most popular oral contraceptive sold today, have experienced severe side effects including heart attack, stroke, blood clots, pulmonary embolisms and gallbladder disease, with some cases even ending in death. However, until sexually transmitted disease becomes the focal point of reckless sexuality, pregnancy prevention will continue to be the focus of young women, to the exclusion of other risks. A reversal in the growing trend of sexually transmitted disease requires women first learn about the limitations and dangers of this contraceptive option before blindly trusting their health and safety to it.
Monday, November 1, 2010
November 2010 Newsletter
Would you believe it is already November? It's getting to be "Holiday Season" - the nutrition consultant's nightmare time of the year. Why? Well - who wants to hear about healthy eating during the holiday season? Yet, this is probably one of the times we can do the most damage due to the readily available excess food and drink. So, please do your best! Remember - balance and moderation.
I'm a big believer in two sayings. One is that you learn something new every day. Two is that if you don't know the answer to a question your best response is, "I don't know." My feature article this month deals with that exact situation. I was asked a great question - basically - how to large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) get so large? To find out read below.
November is another busy workshop month for me so I encourage you to attend or pass along the information to friends. I'll be doing another round of Nutrition Boot Camp at HeartSpace in Thiensville on the 20th and 21st and my Rejuvenation and Relaxation workshop at the Port Washington Recreation Center also on the 20th. Rejuvenation and Relaxation is one of my favorites. Come learn simple 10 minute techniques to both relax and rejuvenate the body! For full details of the workshops click here:
The inspiration for this article comes from two absolute truths: One – you learn something new every day; and two – if you don’t know the answer it is best to say so rather than make something up! Recently I was asked a great question during a Nutrition Boot Camp workshop. I was discussing the importance of eating animal protein. I was asked if it is so important how do cows and other animals that don’t eat meat grow so large. I had never really thought about it, so it provided an excellent learning opportunity.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
To continue reading click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/10/protein-are-you-eating-enough-or-how-to.html
Positive Results from Earthing in One Night
Earthing? What’s that? I’m guessing that is what you are saying to yourself. Let me explain what I believe may be the latest and greatest breakthrough in natural health!
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
To continue reading click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/10/positive-results-from-earthing-in-one.html
I'm a big believer in two sayings. One is that you learn something new every day. Two is that if you don't know the answer to a question your best response is, "I don't know." My feature article this month deals with that exact situation. I was asked a great question - basically - how to large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) get so large? To find out read below.
November is another busy workshop month for me so I encourage you to attend or pass along the information to friends. I'll be doing another round of Nutrition Boot Camp at HeartSpace in Thiensville on the 20th and 21st and my Rejuvenation and Relaxation workshop at the Port Washington Recreation Center also on the 20th. Rejuvenation and Relaxation is one of my favorites. Come learn simple 10 minute techniques to both relax and rejuvenate the body! For full details of the workshops click here:
Protein: Are You Eating Enough or How to Cows Get So Big and Not Eat Meat?
The inspiration for this article comes from two absolute truths: One – you learn something new every day; and two – if you don’t know the answer it is best to say so rather than make something up! Recently I was asked a great question during a Nutrition Boot Camp workshop. I was discussing the importance of eating animal protein. I was asked if it is so important how do cows and other animals that don’t eat meat grow so large. I had never really thought about it, so it provided an excellent learning opportunity.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
To continue reading click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/10/protein-are-you-eating-enough-or-how-to.html
Positive Results from Earthing in One Night
Earthing? What’s that? I’m guessing that is what you are saying to yourself. Let me explain what I believe may be the latest and greatest breakthrough in natural health!
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
To continue reading click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/10/positive-results-from-earthing-in-one.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
October 2010 Newsletter
Happy Autumn. Hard to believe that the Fall is here already as the seasons continue to turn. I have a few articles of interest for you this month. We’ll take a look at the Fall season and how we can best nurture our body’s natural rhythms through our selection of food. I’d also like to introduce you to a reliable site for drug safety information – www.drugwatch.com. And, an interesting position being taken by Organic Valley – they are against the sale of raw milk. What’s interesting to me is that both the conventional dairies and even Organic Valley don’t get it. The people who are buying raw milk are not going to switch and buy from them. So, that only makes me less likely to purchase other products from Organic Valley.
And, another reminder of the many workshops I am offering this month in Thiensville and Hartford, Wisconsin and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Workshops include: Nutrition Boot Camp, The Five Tibetans, Stress Management, and others. For full information and registration please go to the respective web sites:
HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI http://www.blogger.com/goog_1926746502
18
Copper Tree Wellness, Hartford, WI http://www.coppertreewellnessstudio.com/Workshops-temp.asp
Field of Yoga, Cedar Falls, IA https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/asp/home.asp?studioid=8947
One last item – stay tuned for an exciting announcement of the latest and greatest book from Ann Louise Gittleman. You’ll be hearing about that next Tuesday. Also look for an article in the Wall Street Journal on that day as well.
Foods for Fall
The Fall season is here. The ancient wisdom of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine) tells us that each season has its own rhythm and character related to the temperature and weather changes along with the variations in daylight they bring. All of these factors impact our health and vitality as the body responds to the changing of the seasons.
Each season has specific organs to be detoxified, rebuilt, and nurtured during that season. In the fall it is the lungs and the large intestine, in the winter the adrenals and kidneys, in the spring the liver and gallbladder, and in summer the heart and small intestines. In addition each season has specific foods, teas and herbs to support the body during that time. As we move from season to season over the next year I’ll devote one article to each season.
To learn how to support your body during the Fall click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/foods-for-autumn-nutrition-ideas-for.html
Reliable Drug Safety Information
DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide. DrugWatch.com includes up-to-date information about prescription and over-the-counter medications and includes details about associated drug side effects to aid in the protection of patients and consumers.
The resources available on DrugWatch.com are provided to offer visitors free and accurate information to aid in the understanding of various medications and conditions. The content on the site may help consumers formulate questions for medical professionals and alert the public about important information regarding potentially dangerous side effects associated with certain medications. By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions, and potential side effects on the site, patients have access to valuable knowledge that could enhance their ability to voice concerns with their doctor and improve their quality of care.
Go to http://www.drugwatch.com/
Organic Valley Opposes Raw Milk Sales
This is an e-mail that I received from the Weston Price Foundation about this issue. Please go to my blog to read it. http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/weston-price-foundation-info-organic.html
And, another reminder of the many workshops I am offering this month in Thiensville and Hartford, Wisconsin and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Workshops include: Nutrition Boot Camp, The Five Tibetans, Stress Management, and others. For full information and registration please go to the respective web sites:
HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI http://www.blogger.com/goog_1926746502
18
Copper Tree Wellness, Hartford, WI http://www.coppertreewellnessstudio.com/Workshops-temp.asp
Field of Yoga, Cedar Falls, IA https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/asp/home.asp?studioid=8947
One last item – stay tuned for an exciting announcement of the latest and greatest book from Ann Louise Gittleman. You’ll be hearing about that next Tuesday. Also look for an article in the Wall Street Journal on that day as well.
Foods for Fall
The Fall season is here. The ancient wisdom of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine) tells us that each season has its own rhythm and character related to the temperature and weather changes along with the variations in daylight they bring. All of these factors impact our health and vitality as the body responds to the changing of the seasons.
Each season has specific organs to be detoxified, rebuilt, and nurtured during that season. In the fall it is the lungs and the large intestine, in the winter the adrenals and kidneys, in the spring the liver and gallbladder, and in summer the heart and small intestines. In addition each season has specific foods, teas and herbs to support the body during that time. As we move from season to season over the next year I’ll devote one article to each season.
To learn how to support your body during the Fall click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/foods-for-autumn-nutrition-ideas-for.html
Reliable Drug Safety Information
DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide. DrugWatch.com includes up-to-date information about prescription and over-the-counter medications and includes details about associated drug side effects to aid in the protection of patients and consumers.
The resources available on DrugWatch.com are provided to offer visitors free and accurate information to aid in the understanding of various medications and conditions. The content on the site may help consumers formulate questions for medical professionals and alert the public about important information regarding potentially dangerous side effects associated with certain medications. By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions, and potential side effects on the site, patients have access to valuable knowledge that could enhance their ability to voice concerns with their doctor and improve their quality of care.
Go to http://www.drugwatch.com/
Organic Valley Opposes Raw Milk Sales
This is an e-mail that I received from the Weston Price Foundation about this issue. Please go to my blog to read it. http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/weston-price-foundation-info-organic.html
Protein: Are You Eating Enough or How to Cows Get So Big and Not Eat Meat?
The inspiration for this article comes from two absolute truths: One – you learn something new every day; and two – if you don’t know the answer it is best to say so rather than make something up! Recently I was asked a great question during a Nutrition Boot Camp workshop. I was discussing the importance of eating animal protein. I was asked if it is so important how do cows and other animals that don’t eat meat grow so large. I had never really thought about it, so it provided an excellent learning opportunity.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
How do we get protein? It comes from both animal and plant sources. Animal sources include meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. Plant sources include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When we consume a “protein” it is broken down in our body to amino acids. Believe it or not, depending on what book you read you will get a different number for how many amino acids there actually are! But, for discussion purposes here we’ll use the number 23 with nine of them being classified as “essential”. Anytime you hear the word “essential” in nutrition means you have to eat it (your body does not make it). Animal proteins are considered complete proteins meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant proteins are not, which is why you hear the famous “rice and beans” combination to provide a complete protein. People and animals that do not eat meat are therefore dependent upon getting the right mix of incomplete proteins from plant sources and mixing them together properly to build essential amino acids.
Now comes the big question – how do cows or other animals get complete proteins? Particularly since unlike humans they don’t have access to the Internet and all other kinds of sources to tell them exactly what foods to eat in what combinations so they can get the exact nutrients they need!
I did some research and found out some interesting facts. First, I came across a very succinct answer at www.everything2.com. Here’s a summary:
“Grass it mostly cellulose. And cows, like us, can't digest cellulose. So where do cows get all their nutrients? Cows have four separate stomach compartments. The rumen (one of the compartments) serves as a fermentation vat where microorganisms, such as bacteria and protozoa, break down the feed (hay, water, saliva, etc.) These microbes break down the cellulose into energy sources that the cow can digest (volatile fatty acids), and build protein, which again, the cow can digest. The rumen is quite huge (about 160 liters), and in an average cow, there are about 100 times as many bacteria as there are humans on earth.”
Then I found another interesting fact. In nature grasses are not cleaned and purified. What do I mean by that? They contain small bugs, grubs, larvae, etc. that the animals consume along with the grass! These small bugs are complete proteins! So, many of these so called “herbivores” (plant only eating animals) may in fact be eating small animals on the plants!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
How do we get protein? It comes from both animal and plant sources. Animal sources include meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. Plant sources include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When we consume a “protein” it is broken down in our body to amino acids. Believe it or not, depending on what book you read you will get a different number for how many amino acids there actually are! But, for discussion purposes here we’ll use the number 23 with nine of them being classified as “essential”. Anytime you hear the word “essential” in nutrition means you have to eat it (your body does not make it). Animal proteins are considered complete proteins meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant proteins are not, which is why you hear the famous “rice and beans” combination to provide a complete protein. People and animals that do not eat meat are therefore dependent upon getting the right mix of incomplete proteins from plant sources and mixing them together properly to build essential amino acids.
Now comes the big question – how do cows or other animals get complete proteins? Particularly since unlike humans they don’t have access to the Internet and all other kinds of sources to tell them exactly what foods to eat in what combinations so they can get the exact nutrients they need!
I did some research and found out some interesting facts. First, I came across a very succinct answer at www.everything2.com. Here’s a summary:
“Grass it mostly cellulose. And cows, like us, can't digest cellulose. So where do cows get all their nutrients? Cows have four separate stomach compartments. The rumen (one of the compartments) serves as a fermentation vat where microorganisms, such as bacteria and protozoa, break down the feed (hay, water, saliva, etc.) These microbes break down the cellulose into energy sources that the cow can digest (volatile fatty acids), and build protein, which again, the cow can digest. The rumen is quite huge (about 160 liters), and in an average cow, there are about 100 times as many bacteria as there are humans on earth.”
Then I found another interesting fact. In nature grasses are not cleaned and purified. What do I mean by that? They contain small bugs, grubs, larvae, etc. that the animals consume along with the grass! These small bugs are complete proteins! So, many of these so called “herbivores” (plant only eating animals) may in fact be eating small animals on the plants!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Positive Results from Earthing in One Night!
Earthing? What’s that? I’m guessing that is what you are saying to yourself. Let me explain what I believe may be the latest and greatest breakthrough in natural health!
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
Here’s the longer description from amazon.com:
How many electronic innovations have you dialed, watched, surfed, charged, listed to, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged in today?
Consider your typical day: If you’re like most people, it probably starts in front of your coffee maker and toaster, ends as you set the alarm on your cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between.
We’re being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can’t sip a cup of coffee at our local cafe without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.
But we don’t have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electromagnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them. From where you place your sofa to when you use your cell phone to what you eat for dinner, Zapped is packed with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electropollution.
As she examines modern life room by room, device by device, Gittleman reveals a master plan for detoxifying your surroundings and protecting yourself and your family. We don’t need to abandon our homes—or even give up our PDAs—to be healthier and happier. Based on the latest scientific data, case studies, and Gittleman’s years of clinical practice, Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can’t live without.
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
Here’s the longer description from amazon.com:
How many electronic innovations have you dialed, watched, surfed, charged, listed to, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged in today?
Consider your typical day: If you’re like most people, it probably starts in front of your coffee maker and toaster, ends as you set the alarm on your cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between.
We’re being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can’t sip a cup of coffee at our local cafe without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.
But we don’t have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electromagnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them. From where you place your sofa to when you use your cell phone to what you eat for dinner, Zapped is packed with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electropollution.
As she examines modern life room by room, device by device, Gittleman reveals a master plan for detoxifying your surroundings and protecting yourself and your family. We don’t need to abandon our homes—or even give up our PDAs—to be healthier and happier. Based on the latest scientific data, case studies, and Gittleman’s years of clinical practice, Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can’t live without.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Dirty Baker's Dozen - Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic
The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 50 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 89,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2008 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. The 49 fruits and vegetables analyzed in the guide are the top 49 most consumed fruits and vegetables, as reported by the USDA, with a minimum of 100 pesticide tests between 2000 and 2009. Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.
The most recent results had a surprising shift in one particular food moving from the "good" to the "bad" - domestically produced blueberries! This caught me by surprise as I've been distributing the old list for the past several years and always speaking highly of blueberries. For some reason, they are now finding high levels of pesticide contamination on them. Now, here's where it gets more confusing. The testing agencies do not test wild blueberries! These have been what I've been advising my clients to eat. Now, I'm not so sure. From what I read elsewhere, they do use some pesticides on them. A brand I recommend, Wyman's from Maine, does use them. The question is, what stays on the fruit?
Here's the latest information:
I recommend you buy the following organic - there are 13 listed here (the Baker's Dozen):
Vegetables highest in pesticides: celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale, potatoes, lettuce.
Fruits highest in pesticides: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, cherries, imported grapes.
These are up to you:
Vegetables lowest in pesticides: onions, corn (frozen), peas (frozen), asparagus, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower.
Fruits lowest in pesticides: avocado, pineapple, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, honeydew, plums, cranberries, bananas, tomatoes.
The most recent results had a surprising shift in one particular food moving from the "good" to the "bad" - domestically produced blueberries! This caught me by surprise as I've been distributing the old list for the past several years and always speaking highly of blueberries. For some reason, they are now finding high levels of pesticide contamination on them. Now, here's where it gets more confusing. The testing agencies do not test wild blueberries! These have been what I've been advising my clients to eat. Now, I'm not so sure. From what I read elsewhere, they do use some pesticides on them. A brand I recommend, Wyman's from Maine, does use them. The question is, what stays on the fruit?
Here's the latest information:
I recommend you buy the following organic - there are 13 listed here (the Baker's Dozen):
Vegetables highest in pesticides: celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale, potatoes, lettuce.
Fruits highest in pesticides: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, cherries, imported grapes.
These are up to you:
Vegetables lowest in pesticides: onions, corn (frozen), peas (frozen), asparagus, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower.
Fruits lowest in pesticides: avocado, pineapple, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, honeydew, plums, cranberries, bananas, tomatoes.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Are You Zapped
The following is courtesy of HSI-Alert! It is a promotion for the latest and greatest book from Ann Louise Gittleman called Zapped. It explores the effects of electromagnetic fields on your health and vitality. How do I know it is a great book? I was part of the review process, so trust me, it is fascinating reading.
Since there is no use in recreating the wheel, here's what HSI-Alert had to say:
_________________________________________________
Whether you know it or not, you've been zapped.
Recluses who live in remote outposts with no electricity or wireless devices, they're not zapped. But the rest of us--we're all getting thoroughly zapped with electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by the numerous electrical and wireless devices in our homes, offices, schoolrooms, cars, restaurants, stores--just about everywhere.
And according to HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., this constant EMF immersion is nothing less than electropollution. As Ann Louise puts it, "Your body responds to it as though it were a cloud of toxic chemicals."
But there's good news here too.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Through ceilings and walls
-----------------------------------------------------------
I just got off the phone with Ann Louise. We talked about her newest book, "Zapped," which she describes as a handbook for recognizing EMF sources. More importantly, "Zapped" offers hundreds of invaluable tips on how to significantly reduce your electropollution exposure.
For instance: If you live in a two-story house and you have a ceiling fan downstairs, the fan's EMF filters up into the room above. So be sure you don't run that fan at night if the room above is a bedroom.
Your refrigerator also generates a very powerful EMF. So if there's a couch or an easy chair on the other side of the wall behind your refrigerator, anyone sitting there is cocooned in a powerful electromagnetic aura.
With just these two insights, you can immediately imagine the many ways your appliances fill your home with EMFs.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wild & wireless
-----------------------------------------------------------
Of course, "Zapped" also closely examines the effects of our wireless world--multifunction cell phones, laptops, iPads, and all the other wonderful gadgets that bring new layers of electropollution to our daily rituals.
Especially the cell phone.
As I mentioned earlier this year, a series of international studies called Interphone, coordinated by the World Health Organization, revealed a very troubling link between heavy cell use and giloma, the type of brain tumor that ended Senator Kennedy's life.
Other studies have shown that extended cell use among young people sharply increases their risk of developing malignant brain tumors.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
Here are three essential steps Ann Louise offers in "Zapped"...
1) After dialing a number, hold the phone away from your head while the call connects--this is when the signal (and the EMF) is strongest
2) Don't sleep near your cordless phone charger--it emits radio frequency power even when it's not in use
3) Keep the calls you make from cars, elevators, trains, etc. to a minimum--enclosed spaces increase EMF power
If you've been an HSI member for a while, you know Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and the author of many books on health and healing, including "The Fat Flush Plan," a New York Times bestseller. No surprise, then, that she caps off her many excellent EMF avoidance tips with suggestions for foods and supplements that can help "zap-proof" your world.
For more info go to http://www.areyouzapped.com/
Since there is no use in recreating the wheel, here's what HSI-Alert had to say:
_________________________________________________
Whether you know it or not, you've been zapped.
Recluses who live in remote outposts with no electricity or wireless devices, they're not zapped. But the rest of us--we're all getting thoroughly zapped with electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by the numerous electrical and wireless devices in our homes, offices, schoolrooms, cars, restaurants, stores--just about everywhere.
And according to HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., this constant EMF immersion is nothing less than electropollution. As Ann Louise puts it, "Your body responds to it as though it were a cloud of toxic chemicals."
But there's good news here too.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Through ceilings and walls
-----------------------------------------------------------
I just got off the phone with Ann Louise. We talked about her newest book, "Zapped," which she describes as a handbook for recognizing EMF sources. More importantly, "Zapped" offers hundreds of invaluable tips on how to significantly reduce your electropollution exposure.
For instance: If you live in a two-story house and you have a ceiling fan downstairs, the fan's EMF filters up into the room above. So be sure you don't run that fan at night if the room above is a bedroom.
Your refrigerator also generates a very powerful EMF. So if there's a couch or an easy chair on the other side of the wall behind your refrigerator, anyone sitting there is cocooned in a powerful electromagnetic aura.
With just these two insights, you can immediately imagine the many ways your appliances fill your home with EMFs.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wild & wireless
-----------------------------------------------------------
Of course, "Zapped" also closely examines the effects of our wireless world--multifunction cell phones, laptops, iPads, and all the other wonderful gadgets that bring new layers of electropollution to our daily rituals.
Especially the cell phone.
As I mentioned earlier this year, a series of international studies called Interphone, coordinated by the World Health Organization, revealed a very troubling link between heavy cell use and giloma, the type of brain tumor that ended Senator Kennedy's life.
Other studies have shown that extended cell use among young people sharply increases their risk of developing malignant brain tumors.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
Here are three essential steps Ann Louise offers in "Zapped"...
1) After dialing a number, hold the phone away from your head while the call connects--this is when the signal (and the EMF) is strongest
2) Don't sleep near your cordless phone charger--it emits radio frequency power even when it's not in use
3) Keep the calls you make from cars, elevators, trains, etc. to a minimum--enclosed spaces increase EMF power
If you've been an HSI member for a while, you know Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and the author of many books on health and healing, including "The Fat Flush Plan," a New York Times bestseller. No surprise, then, that she caps off her many excellent EMF avoidance tips with suggestions for foods and supplements that can help "zap-proof" your world.
For more info go to http://www.areyouzapped.com/
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Weston Price Foundation Info - Organic Valley is Against Raw Milk!!
This is an e-mail that I received from the Weston Price Foundation:
INFORMATION UPDATE
ORGANIC VALLEYS ANTI-RAW MILK POLICY
Dear Members,
As many of you may have already heard, the CROPP cooperative, producer of dairy products and other foodstuffs under the Organic Valley (OV) and Organic Prairie labels, voted at their May 13 board meeting to prohibit any of the CROPP farmer members from selling raw milk as a side business. The vote was a close onefour in favor, three againstreflecting the division of opinion among the CROPP board members themselves. After the Board vote, the cooperative took the decision to their Dairy Executive Committee (DEC) for further discussion and another vote. The result was a split, 20 votes in favor and 20 against. This policy is to take effect January 1, 2011.
We at WAPF did not immediately publicize this new policy, instead writing privately to CROPP CEO George Siemon and the members of the board, urging them to reconsider and take the issue back to the board for further discussion and another vote. In our letter, we addressed some of what we felt were misguided issues that led to the cooperatives anti-raw milk stance, such as potential liability to CROPP and marketplace competition, pointing out that these were grossly inflated and not legitimate concerns; we noted the potential downside to CROPPs reputation as a supporter of family farms; and, most importantly, we pointed out that the new policy would impose severe economic hardship on many farmers, farmers the co-op was founded to protect. (For a discussion and rebuttal of CROPPs concerns about raw milk, see below.)
Many of CROPPs farmers have high levels of debt, and they have, over the past few years, faced new financial burdens with lower pay prices and quotas that CROPP had in place for the past yearin some cases amounting to a 30 percent reduction in income. Their financial situation is recovering somewhat now, but many are challenged to make up for past losses.
Many of their farmers had active raw milk businesses established before they even joined the cooperative, many operating in states where the enterprise is unquestionably legal. Others developed raw milk customers after their incomes droppedallowing these farms to remain solvent. The new policy will force these farmers to choose between remaining a CROPP member or selling raw milk exclusively, either of which will likely lead to severe financial stress or even bankruptcy and possible loss of the family farm.
Despite our grave concerns, I received a response from George Siemon dated June 21, 2010, stating that the anti-raw milk policy would remain in effect. In the letter, Siemon insisted that CROPP is not against raw milk, and that we are standing on the same side of the river in supporting organic and local food, agricultural reform and corporate reform.
Is that true? CROPP did indeed start small, as a local cooperative of just a few dozen vegetable farmers, the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool. The co-ops seven dairy producers soon branched out from produce to include cheese and eventually other dairy products. Unfortunately, in so doing, they opted for the industrial model. Instead of producing what consumers were asking fordairy products as natural as possible, such as low-temperature, non-homogenized milkCROPP chose to market ultra-high temperature (UHT), homogenized industrial-style milk and cream. (UHT processing takes milk to 230 degrees F, way above the boiling point, thereby killing every enzyme and immune-supporting factor in the milk.) When they branched out into eggs, they chose the industrial organic confinement model, instead of pastured poultry, something their grass-based farmers were perfectly positioned to do. Their raw cheese is actually heated to above 150 degrees. They also sell an Organic Valley brand of soy milk.
We then further delayed making any announcement about the OV decision because we were working behind the scenes with representatives of the co-op, and hoping that OV would reconsider. However, at their most recent board meeting, the board voted 7-0 that raw milk sales by their producers must not exceed 1 percent of their volume, and must be limited to family, friends and neighbors. While some board members have insisted that this anti-raw milk policy will not be enforced, we hear from others in the organization that OV is planning to strenuously enforce the policy.
In any event, for the average OV farmer, 1 percent is probably about three to six gallons per day, so the updated policy merely puts a gloss on the original anti-raw milk stance. The new policy will mean that thousands of consumers who need raw milk for their own and their childrens health will no longer be able to obtain it.
Ironically, the $12 billion dairy industry giant, Dean Foods, which owns the Horizon Organic label, the largest conventional and organic dairy producer in the United States, has specifically stated that its farmers are free to sell or provide raw milk on the side. Dean Foods/Horizon the good guys and Organic Valley hurting family farmersthis picture seems upside down.
This isn't the first time CROPP seems to have lost its bearings. A couple of years ago, the management opted to buy some of their milk from a 7200-cow industrial dairy located in an arid part of Texas, until some of their farmer-members found out and put an end to the lunacyboth their farmers and consumers saw the move as a violation of trust. Organic Valley has always represented itself as being pro-family farmertheir management shouldn't need to be reminded that a 7200-cow dairy is not a family farm!
Just as in the case of buying from factory farms, we hope CROPP farmer leadership will come to their senses and rescind their destructive anti-raw milk policy.
The unfortunate decision by the CROPP board should galvanize all of us to renew our efforts to purchase as much of our food as possible directly from local farmers; if your only choice for dairy foods and eggs is the local health food store or cooperative, make a point of purchasing from the local dairy producers listed in our Shopping Guide. Farmer-friendly brands such as Natural by Nature and farmstead dairy producers such as Traders Point Creamery, among many others, are highly rated in The Cornucopia Institute's organic dairy scorecard (ratings of all 120 organic brands www.cornucopia.org) and deserve our food dollars. Another good choice is to purchase raw grass-fed butter from one of our many advertisers in Wise Traditions and have it shipped to you.
If the farm family you get your raw milk from faces the dilemma of choosing between CROPP and direct raw milk sales, please express your support for them and do everything you can to help them choose the latter. You can help them build their customer base, reduce their expenses by offering help on the farm, and even provide the funding and financial advice they may desperately need to make the transition. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund can help assist with advice and model cow-share and herd-share agreements.
If you feel betrayed by a cooperative that you had always considered to be an ally, you can also visit their website, www.organicvalley.coop, and let them know how you feel. Maybe if they hear from enough of us, they will realize the damage they are doing to their brands reputation. Please consider forwarding this message to your friends and family members who might also want to convey their feelings to Organic Valley management.
Above all, lets all make the pledge to vote with our pocketbooks in support of small farmers and artisan producers instead of large commercial dairy interests that put their profits before the interests of the hard-working farmers who produce their milk and other commodities.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation
---------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS ON OV MANAGEMENT OBJECTIONS TO RAW MILK SALES BY THEIR MEMBERS
The following is a brief analysis of some of the rationale Organic Valley management and board members used in making their decision to ban and then severely limit the amount of raw milk their members could sell.
LEGAL LIABILITY
The Board articulated concerns about Organic Valley being sued if one of their farmers, selling raw milk, ran into legal trouble. This concern is dubious at best. Farmer-members of the cooperative are independent businesses. Until their truck picks up member milk, Organic Valley has no legal responsibility for it, or for unrelated sales of other milk.
MARKETPLACE FALLOUT
The Board expressed concern that if one of the Organic Valley members selling raw milk ran into trouble, and was the subject of widespread publicity, some of that manure flying around could stick on the Organic Valley label.
However, most intelligent consumers are able to discern the difference between locally distributed raw milk and Organic Valley products on the store shelves.
To mitigate this risk, without harming farmer-members who are engaged in raw milk commerce, it was suggested suggest that the co-op could:
1. Require any member that sells raw milk to immediately take down their Organic Valley sign and not wear any clothing items embroidered with the OV logo.
2. Prohibit any member that sells raw milk from discussing Organic Valley in any regard with their customers, the public or news media. Nothing should be done to overtly or covertly identify them as an Organic Valley member-supplier. If a problem were to occur, it is unlikely the news media would be interested in where the wholesale portion of the farms milk was being shipped to (and then pasteurized).
COMPETITIVE FACTORS
Raw milk sales are booming all around the country.
Consumers are going to continue to seek out raw milk. Whatever market share raw milk achieves, as the marketplace matures, will be accomplished whether or not Organic Valley implements its raw milk ban. The ban might retard growth, temporarily, but the growth will recover as non-OV farmers fill in the gaps.
However, in the meantime, this new co-op rule stands to economically injure many of its members. Many of these families operate in states where selling raw milk is unquestionably legal.
Consumers who drink raw milk are not going back to drinking OVs ultrapasteurized fluid milk. From a competitive standpoint they are buying a different product than Organic Valley is selling. Depending on how the coverage of this issue escalates, it could bring heightened attention to the fact that most of Organic Valley milk is ultrapasteurized.
DISRUPTIONS TO SUPPLY
The co-op has been concerned that sometimes their trucks show up at a farm that also sells raw milk, and the bulk tank is empty. This is obviously a waste of time, money and diesel fuel. Furthermore, the cooperative makes production plans, let's say to fill up a cheese vat with milk, and if the farmer has instead sold it to raw milk customers, it throws a real monkey wrench into their production plans. This is the one concern of the cooperative that seems legitimate.
However, a workable solution could be crafted by requiring raw milk producers to make a commitment in terms of overall volume, or percentage volume of their dairy herd, to the cooperative. They would need to contractually fulfill that commitment before they could divert milk to raw milk sales.
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
Implementing these suggestions, or variations thereof, would be a viable alternative to the present prohibition on raw milk sales. Everyone would win. Farmers would maintain their income, consumers could choose between pasteurized and raw milk, and the cooperatives interest would be protected.
INFORMATION UPDATE
ORGANIC VALLEYS ANTI-RAW MILK POLICY
Dear Members,
As many of you may have already heard, the CROPP cooperative, producer of dairy products and other foodstuffs under the Organic Valley (OV) and Organic Prairie labels, voted at their May 13 board meeting to prohibit any of the CROPP farmer members from selling raw milk as a side business. The vote was a close onefour in favor, three againstreflecting the division of opinion among the CROPP board members themselves. After the Board vote, the cooperative took the decision to their Dairy Executive Committee (DEC) for further discussion and another vote. The result was a split, 20 votes in favor and 20 against. This policy is to take effect January 1, 2011.
We at WAPF did not immediately publicize this new policy, instead writing privately to CROPP CEO George Siemon and the members of the board, urging them to reconsider and take the issue back to the board for further discussion and another vote. In our letter, we addressed some of what we felt were misguided issues that led to the cooperatives anti-raw milk stance, such as potential liability to CROPP and marketplace competition, pointing out that these were grossly inflated and not legitimate concerns; we noted the potential downside to CROPPs reputation as a supporter of family farms; and, most importantly, we pointed out that the new policy would impose severe economic hardship on many farmers, farmers the co-op was founded to protect. (For a discussion and rebuttal of CROPPs concerns about raw milk, see below.)
Many of CROPPs farmers have high levels of debt, and they have, over the past few years, faced new financial burdens with lower pay prices and quotas that CROPP had in place for the past yearin some cases amounting to a 30 percent reduction in income. Their financial situation is recovering somewhat now, but many are challenged to make up for past losses.
Many of their farmers had active raw milk businesses established before they even joined the cooperative, many operating in states where the enterprise is unquestionably legal. Others developed raw milk customers after their incomes droppedallowing these farms to remain solvent. The new policy will force these farmers to choose between remaining a CROPP member or selling raw milk exclusively, either of which will likely lead to severe financial stress or even bankruptcy and possible loss of the family farm.
Despite our grave concerns, I received a response from George Siemon dated June 21, 2010, stating that the anti-raw milk policy would remain in effect. In the letter, Siemon insisted that CROPP is not against raw milk, and that we are standing on the same side of the river in supporting organic and local food, agricultural reform and corporate reform.
Is that true? CROPP did indeed start small, as a local cooperative of just a few dozen vegetable farmers, the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool. The co-ops seven dairy producers soon branched out from produce to include cheese and eventually other dairy products. Unfortunately, in so doing, they opted for the industrial model. Instead of producing what consumers were asking fordairy products as natural as possible, such as low-temperature, non-homogenized milkCROPP chose to market ultra-high temperature (UHT), homogenized industrial-style milk and cream. (UHT processing takes milk to 230 degrees F, way above the boiling point, thereby killing every enzyme and immune-supporting factor in the milk.) When they branched out into eggs, they chose the industrial organic confinement model, instead of pastured poultry, something their grass-based farmers were perfectly positioned to do. Their raw cheese is actually heated to above 150 degrees. They also sell an Organic Valley brand of soy milk.
We then further delayed making any announcement about the OV decision because we were working behind the scenes with representatives of the co-op, and hoping that OV would reconsider. However, at their most recent board meeting, the board voted 7-0 that raw milk sales by their producers must not exceed 1 percent of their volume, and must be limited to family, friends and neighbors. While some board members have insisted that this anti-raw milk policy will not be enforced, we hear from others in the organization that OV is planning to strenuously enforce the policy.
In any event, for the average OV farmer, 1 percent is probably about three to six gallons per day, so the updated policy merely puts a gloss on the original anti-raw milk stance. The new policy will mean that thousands of consumers who need raw milk for their own and their childrens health will no longer be able to obtain it.
Ironically, the $12 billion dairy industry giant, Dean Foods, which owns the Horizon Organic label, the largest conventional and organic dairy producer in the United States, has specifically stated that its farmers are free to sell or provide raw milk on the side. Dean Foods/Horizon the good guys and Organic Valley hurting family farmersthis picture seems upside down.
This isn't the first time CROPP seems to have lost its bearings. A couple of years ago, the management opted to buy some of their milk from a 7200-cow industrial dairy located in an arid part of Texas, until some of their farmer-members found out and put an end to the lunacyboth their farmers and consumers saw the move as a violation of trust. Organic Valley has always represented itself as being pro-family farmertheir management shouldn't need to be reminded that a 7200-cow dairy is not a family farm!
Just as in the case of buying from factory farms, we hope CROPP farmer leadership will come to their senses and rescind their destructive anti-raw milk policy.
The unfortunate decision by the CROPP board should galvanize all of us to renew our efforts to purchase as much of our food as possible directly from local farmers; if your only choice for dairy foods and eggs is the local health food store or cooperative, make a point of purchasing from the local dairy producers listed in our Shopping Guide. Farmer-friendly brands such as Natural by Nature and farmstead dairy producers such as Traders Point Creamery, among many others, are highly rated in The Cornucopia Institute's organic dairy scorecard (ratings of all 120 organic brands www.cornucopia.org) and deserve our food dollars. Another good choice is to purchase raw grass-fed butter from one of our many advertisers in Wise Traditions and have it shipped to you.
If the farm family you get your raw milk from faces the dilemma of choosing between CROPP and direct raw milk sales, please express your support for them and do everything you can to help them choose the latter. You can help them build their customer base, reduce their expenses by offering help on the farm, and even provide the funding and financial advice they may desperately need to make the transition. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund can help assist with advice and model cow-share and herd-share agreements.
If you feel betrayed by a cooperative that you had always considered to be an ally, you can also visit their website, www.organicvalley.coop, and let them know how you feel. Maybe if they hear from enough of us, they will realize the damage they are doing to their brands reputation. Please consider forwarding this message to your friends and family members who might also want to convey their feelings to Organic Valley management.
Above all, lets all make the pledge to vote with our pocketbooks in support of small farmers and artisan producers instead of large commercial dairy interests that put their profits before the interests of the hard-working farmers who produce their milk and other commodities.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation
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COMMENTS ON OV MANAGEMENT OBJECTIONS TO RAW MILK SALES BY THEIR MEMBERS
The following is a brief analysis of some of the rationale Organic Valley management and board members used in making their decision to ban and then severely limit the amount of raw milk their members could sell.
LEGAL LIABILITY
The Board articulated concerns about Organic Valley being sued if one of their farmers, selling raw milk, ran into legal trouble. This concern is dubious at best. Farmer-members of the cooperative are independent businesses. Until their truck picks up member milk, Organic Valley has no legal responsibility for it, or for unrelated sales of other milk.
MARKETPLACE FALLOUT
The Board expressed concern that if one of the Organic Valley members selling raw milk ran into trouble, and was the subject of widespread publicity, some of that manure flying around could stick on the Organic Valley label.
However, most intelligent consumers are able to discern the difference between locally distributed raw milk and Organic Valley products on the store shelves.
To mitigate this risk, without harming farmer-members who are engaged in raw milk commerce, it was suggested suggest that the co-op could:
1. Require any member that sells raw milk to immediately take down their Organic Valley sign and not wear any clothing items embroidered with the OV logo.
2. Prohibit any member that sells raw milk from discussing Organic Valley in any regard with their customers, the public or news media. Nothing should be done to overtly or covertly identify them as an Organic Valley member-supplier. If a problem were to occur, it is unlikely the news media would be interested in where the wholesale portion of the farms milk was being shipped to (and then pasteurized).
COMPETITIVE FACTORS
Raw milk sales are booming all around the country.
Consumers are going to continue to seek out raw milk. Whatever market share raw milk achieves, as the marketplace matures, will be accomplished whether or not Organic Valley implements its raw milk ban. The ban might retard growth, temporarily, but the growth will recover as non-OV farmers fill in the gaps.
However, in the meantime, this new co-op rule stands to economically injure many of its members. Many of these families operate in states where selling raw milk is unquestionably legal.
Consumers who drink raw milk are not going back to drinking OVs ultrapasteurized fluid milk. From a competitive standpoint they are buying a different product than Organic Valley is selling. Depending on how the coverage of this issue escalates, it could bring heightened attention to the fact that most of Organic Valley milk is ultrapasteurized.
DISRUPTIONS TO SUPPLY
The co-op has been concerned that sometimes their trucks show up at a farm that also sells raw milk, and the bulk tank is empty. This is obviously a waste of time, money and diesel fuel. Furthermore, the cooperative makes production plans, let's say to fill up a cheese vat with milk, and if the farmer has instead sold it to raw milk customers, it throws a real monkey wrench into their production plans. This is the one concern of the cooperative that seems legitimate.
However, a workable solution could be crafted by requiring raw milk producers to make a commitment in terms of overall volume, or percentage volume of their dairy herd, to the cooperative. They would need to contractually fulfill that commitment before they could divert milk to raw milk sales.
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
Implementing these suggestions, or variations thereof, would be a viable alternative to the present prohibition on raw milk sales. Everyone would win. Farmers would maintain their income, consumers could choose between pasteurized and raw milk, and the cooperatives interest would be protected.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Upcoming Nutrition and Yoga Workshops
I have a lot of great workshops coming up in October and November. Featuring the Nutrition Boot Camp and a fan favorite The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation. Boot Camp will be offered at HeartSpace in Thiensville, Copper Tree Wellness in Hartford, and at the Port Washington Rec Center. See all the details below:
Nutrition Workshops:
Nutrition Boot Camp
Nutrition Boot Camp – Part 1: Fundamentals of Nutrition
Learn the basics of nutrition – what to eat and why. Discover the core nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water – and why they are important. This information will aid you in making better choices. You’ll leave with food shopping lists, ideas for healthy meals, and a step by step transition to a healthier diet.
Nutrition Boot Camp – Part 2: Applied Nutrition
Learn how to use nutrition to address common ailments and symptoms you may suffer from, such as: digestive problems (acid reflux, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea), aches & pains, inflammation, blood sugar, high cholesterol, fatigue, stress, emotional issues (anxiety, depression, mood swings, PMS), and hormones.
October 9 - Copper Tree Wellness Studio, Hartford, WI (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
October 10 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (11:00 PM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
November 20 - HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (1:00 PM-4:00 PM) - Part 1
November 21 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (1:00 PM-4:00 PM) - Part 2
January 23, 2011 – Port Washington Recreation Center (10:00 PM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get the Salt Out
Just like sugar, we’re also told to watch our sodium (salt) consumption. But there’s more to the story. We do need sodium for optimal performance. This workshop will review the true facts about sodium and salt and provide practical tips on how to get the salt that you do need and avoid what you don’t need.
October 21 -Mequon-Thiensville Recreation Department, Range Line School, 11040 N. Range Line Road, Mequon, WI (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM)
-------------------------------------------------------
Guess What Came to Dinner?
Do you feel tired? Do you have digestive problems? Do you have food sensitivities or environmental intolerances? Have you developed new allergies? Believe it or not, you may be an unsuspecting victim of the parasite epidemic that is affecting millions of Americans. This workshop will introduce you to these unfriendly critters, why they are on the rise, what they can do to you, how to avoid them, and how to get rid of them.
November 18 -Mequon-Thiensville Recreation Department, Range Line School, 11040 N. Range Line Road, Mequon, WI (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM)
-----------------------------------------------------
Yoga Workshops:
Relaxation and Rejuvenation
The Joy of Relaxation... Simple Stress Management Techniques
Stress is the most widespread affliction in our fast paced world. It affects people of all ages. It comes from a wide variety of sources and is at the root of many common cardiovascular, digestive, energy, and weight complaints. Learn the impact of stress on your body, but more importantly learn techniques to reduce its effects.
Rejuvenation... The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation
Come learn these simple techniques to improve your physical and mental vitality. Practiced by a remote sect of Tibetan monks, these rites were brought to the West by a British Army colonel fascinated by stories of monks that had discovered the secret to longevity. The Five Tibetans are a great way to start the day. The complete practice requires only 10-15 minutes.
October 8, 2010 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI – 7:00-9:00 PM
December 10, 2010 - HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI – 7:00-9:00 PM
-----------------------------------------------------
For more information call 262-389-9907 or e-mail: bernie@brwellness.com
To register:
HeartSpace events: (262) 242-6521
CopperTree Wellness Studio: (262) 670-6688
Port Washington Rec Center: (262) 268-1359
Nutrition Workshops:
Nutrition Boot Camp
Nutrition Boot Camp – Part 1: Fundamentals of Nutrition
Learn the basics of nutrition – what to eat and why. Discover the core nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water – and why they are important. This information will aid you in making better choices. You’ll leave with food shopping lists, ideas for healthy meals, and a step by step transition to a healthier diet.
Nutrition Boot Camp – Part 2: Applied Nutrition
Learn how to use nutrition to address common ailments and symptoms you may suffer from, such as: digestive problems (acid reflux, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea), aches & pains, inflammation, blood sugar, high cholesterol, fatigue, stress, emotional issues (anxiety, depression, mood swings, PMS), and hormones.
October 9 - Copper Tree Wellness Studio, Hartford, WI (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
October 10 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (11:00 PM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
November 20 - HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (1:00 PM-4:00 PM) - Part 1
November 21 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI (1:00 PM-4:00 PM) - Part 2
January 23, 2011 – Port Washington Recreation Center (10:00 PM – 5:00 PM) - Parts 1 and 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get the Salt Out
Just like sugar, we’re also told to watch our sodium (salt) consumption. But there’s more to the story. We do need sodium for optimal performance. This workshop will review the true facts about sodium and salt and provide practical tips on how to get the salt that you do need and avoid what you don’t need.
October 21 -Mequon-Thiensville Recreation Department, Range Line School, 11040 N. Range Line Road, Mequon, WI (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM)
-------------------------------------------------------
Guess What Came to Dinner?
Do you feel tired? Do you have digestive problems? Do you have food sensitivities or environmental intolerances? Have you developed new allergies? Believe it or not, you may be an unsuspecting victim of the parasite epidemic that is affecting millions of Americans. This workshop will introduce you to these unfriendly critters, why they are on the rise, what they can do to you, how to avoid them, and how to get rid of them.
November 18 -Mequon-Thiensville Recreation Department, Range Line School, 11040 N. Range Line Road, Mequon, WI (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM)
-----------------------------------------------------
Yoga Workshops:
Relaxation and Rejuvenation
The Joy of Relaxation... Simple Stress Management Techniques
Stress is the most widespread affliction in our fast paced world. It affects people of all ages. It comes from a wide variety of sources and is at the root of many common cardiovascular, digestive, energy, and weight complaints. Learn the impact of stress on your body, but more importantly learn techniques to reduce its effects.
Rejuvenation... The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation
Come learn these simple techniques to improve your physical and mental vitality. Practiced by a remote sect of Tibetan monks, these rites were brought to the West by a British Army colonel fascinated by stories of monks that had discovered the secret to longevity. The Five Tibetans are a great way to start the day. The complete practice requires only 10-15 minutes.
October 8, 2010 – HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI – 7:00-9:00 PM
December 10, 2010 - HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI – 7:00-9:00 PM
-----------------------------------------------------
For more information call 262-389-9907 or e-mail: bernie@brwellness.com
To register:
HeartSpace events: (262) 242-6521
CopperTree Wellness Studio: (262) 670-6688
Port Washington Rec Center: (262) 268-1359
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Information web site: DrugWatch.com
DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide. DrugWatch.com includes up-to-date information about prescription and over-the-counter medications and includes details about associated drug side effects to aid in the protection of patients and consumers.
The resources available on DrugWatch.com are provided to offer visitors free and accurate information to aid in the understanding of various medications and conditions. The content on the site may help consumers formulate questions for medical professionals and alert the public about important information regarding potentially dangerous side effects associated with certain medications. By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions, and potential side effects on the site, patients have access to valuable knowledge that could enhance their ability to voice concerns with their doctor and improve their quality of care.
Go to http://www.drugwatch.com/
The resources available on DrugWatch.com are provided to offer visitors free and accurate information to aid in the understanding of various medications and conditions. The content on the site may help consumers formulate questions for medical professionals and alert the public about important information regarding potentially dangerous side effects associated with certain medications. By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions, and potential side effects on the site, patients have access to valuable knowledge that could enhance their ability to voice concerns with their doctor and improve their quality of care.
Go to http://www.drugwatch.com/
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Foods for Autumn: Nutrition Ideas for the Upcoming Fall Season
September is here and it is my personal favorite month of the year. I enjoy the cooler weather, the start of football season, the “back to school” transition, and of course my birthday! But of course there is more to it than that. The ancient wisdom of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine) tells us that each season has its own rhythm and character related to the temperature and weather changes along with the variations in daylight they bring. All of these factors impact our health and vitality as the body responds to the changing of the seasons.
Each season has specific organs to be detoxified, rebuilt, and nurtured during that season. In the fall it is the lungs and the large intestine, in the winter the adrenals and kidneys, in the spring the liver and gallbladder, and in summer the heart and small intestines. In addition each season has specific foods, teas and herbs to support the body during that time. As we move from season to season over the next year I’ll devote one article to each season.
For the autumn the focus is on the lungs and the large intestines. The lungs are the gateway into the body for perhaps the most important nutrient – oxygen. Oxygen provides our cells with the energy to sustain our life. But through the lungs environmental irritants also enter our system, these are the various pollutants and natural substances that we breathe in that can create a variety of symptoms for us such as allergic reactions, asthma, or general congestion. Herbs such as Usnea, Licorice root, and Echinacea root support the lungs as they are soothing, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.
The large intestines are the home to many types of bacteria – both the good and the bad. The good bacteria aid our digestion and convert our waste into beneficial vitamins (B vitamins and Vitamin K) and help digest fiber. The bad bacteria are at the root of many digestive ailments such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and IBS. Many of my clients (and other Americans as well) suffer from these symptoms simply because their gut bacteria is out of balance with the bad bacteria outnumbering the good. I recommend two ways for my clients to increase their good bacteria. One way is through eating nurturing, immune-enhancing foods such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut, as well as fiber from flax, psyllium, or chia seeds. The second way is through supplementation with probiotics.
However, with all nutritional supplements there are all kinds of quality out there. You will read all kinds of claims. Here’s what to look for to ensure a high quality probiotic:
• Has living bacteria that ensures the bacteria are alive and active.
• Is packaged in a fermented culture to provide a continual feeding system for the bacteria.
• Includes organic acids to promote the growth of good bacteria in the colon.
• Is enteric coated to keep it intact and survive the stomach and bile acids until it reaches the colon.
• Provides evidence that it is gluten-free, non-GMO, hypoallergenic, and without preservatives.
• Has proven adhesion, meaning it sticks to the walls of the digestive tract.
• Is safe for infants, children, women and men as well as those with compromised immune systems.
• Has multiple strains of beneficial bacteria including the TH-10 strain. TH-10 strain defends against yeast, parasites, and pathogenic bacteria overgrowth that create endotoxins.
The tea for autumn is Fenugreek. It has a lubricant quality that dissolves mucus in lungs and moistens the digestive tract to provide these organs the additional support they need during this season. The list of autumn friendly spices includes cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and anise.
In addition to those foods recommended above for the large intestines, I’d recommend the following: Obtain your protein from lean beef, veal, lamb, poultry, fish, shellfish, and legumes (lentils, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, split peas). For fruits go low on the glycemic index with berries, apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines. It is a great time to get local apples! For vegetables (as always) look first for what is in season and eat all the colors of the rainbow.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Each season has specific organs to be detoxified, rebuilt, and nurtured during that season. In the fall it is the lungs and the large intestine, in the winter the adrenals and kidneys, in the spring the liver and gallbladder, and in summer the heart and small intestines. In addition each season has specific foods, teas and herbs to support the body during that time. As we move from season to season over the next year I’ll devote one article to each season.
For the autumn the focus is on the lungs and the large intestines. The lungs are the gateway into the body for perhaps the most important nutrient – oxygen. Oxygen provides our cells with the energy to sustain our life. But through the lungs environmental irritants also enter our system, these are the various pollutants and natural substances that we breathe in that can create a variety of symptoms for us such as allergic reactions, asthma, or general congestion. Herbs such as Usnea, Licorice root, and Echinacea root support the lungs as they are soothing, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.
The large intestines are the home to many types of bacteria – both the good and the bad. The good bacteria aid our digestion and convert our waste into beneficial vitamins (B vitamins and Vitamin K) and help digest fiber. The bad bacteria are at the root of many digestive ailments such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and IBS. Many of my clients (and other Americans as well) suffer from these symptoms simply because their gut bacteria is out of balance with the bad bacteria outnumbering the good. I recommend two ways for my clients to increase their good bacteria. One way is through eating nurturing, immune-enhancing foods such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut, as well as fiber from flax, psyllium, or chia seeds. The second way is through supplementation with probiotics.
However, with all nutritional supplements there are all kinds of quality out there. You will read all kinds of claims. Here’s what to look for to ensure a high quality probiotic:
• Has living bacteria that ensures the bacteria are alive and active.
• Is packaged in a fermented culture to provide a continual feeding system for the bacteria.
• Includes organic acids to promote the growth of good bacteria in the colon.
• Is enteric coated to keep it intact and survive the stomach and bile acids until it reaches the colon.
• Provides evidence that it is gluten-free, non-GMO, hypoallergenic, and without preservatives.
• Has proven adhesion, meaning it sticks to the walls of the digestive tract.
• Is safe for infants, children, women and men as well as those with compromised immune systems.
• Has multiple strains of beneficial bacteria including the TH-10 strain. TH-10 strain defends against yeast, parasites, and pathogenic bacteria overgrowth that create endotoxins.
The tea for autumn is Fenugreek. It has a lubricant quality that dissolves mucus in lungs and moistens the digestive tract to provide these organs the additional support they need during this season. The list of autumn friendly spices includes cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and anise.
In addition to those foods recommended above for the large intestines, I’d recommend the following: Obtain your protein from lean beef, veal, lamb, poultry, fish, shellfish, and legumes (lentils, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, split peas). For fruits go low on the glycemic index with berries, apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines. It is a great time to get local apples! For vegetables (as always) look first for what is in season and eat all the colors of the rainbow.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
September 2010 Newsletter: Walking the Talk Part 2 and FrankenFish
Greetings! I hope you’ve all had a great summer, hard to believe that Fall is practically here and the kids are back to school. Even harder to believe I have two in High School! It was a busy summer for me with the introduction of my new meal plan programs. My clients loved them as they felt better and lost weight! Since I want to share them with as many people as possible, I am offering a back to school special of $50 off the one month meal and consult program for the month of September. Call or e-mail for details.
I’ve been busy planning nutrition and yoga workshops for the fall and there’s quite a bit coming up soon. I’d love to see you there or pass on the information to a friend or loved one. I’ll be doing my Nutrition Boot Camp at HeartSpace in Thiensville (October and November), Copper Tree Wellness in Hartford (October), and in Minneapolis (December). I’ll also be doing a whole weekend of nutrition workshops in Cedar Falls in October.
For a complete listing of workshops, dates, times, and locations click here Workshop Information
For details at each location click here:
HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI
Copper Tree Wellness, Hartford, WI
Devanadi Yoga, Minneapolis, MN
Field of Yoga, Cedar Falls, IA
One last promotional note – yoga teacher training starts again in October. Once again Meg and I will be offering a 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved training with both weekday and weekend options. For more information click here YogaOne Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training.
Walking the Talk Part 2
In continuing the “walking the talk” theme from last month I also need to mention my new friend Susan Siemers. She is a fellow graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, former business executive, and now is into raw milk farming. And you thought I made a career change! Anyway, she hosted me earlier in the month, showed me the ropes around the farm, and taught me how to make kefir, yogurt, cheese, and pickles. She also makes great soap from goat’s milk. It is very good for complexions. In fact, my daughter Mollie is now a fan and I am getting some for her friend! If you’re interested in some high quality soaps, visit Susan’s web site Ceres & Co.
Also last month I learned how to make herbal tinctures from my friend Phyllis Heitkamp. We made three: black walnut to kill bugs in the stomach (the one that did the magic for Mollie), a motherwort-hawthorn mixture for heart health, and a mullein-lobelia mixture for glandular support.
Walking the Talk Part 2: Supporting Food with Supplements
In my feature article Walking the Talk Part 2: Supporting Food with Supplements, I describe my personal program. You’ll notice that glandular support is included. For more on why we need supplements, how to determine what supplements you need, and to see my daily plan click here
Supporting Food with Supplements - My Personal Plan
And one last walker of the talk. My friend Glen Depke a naturopath who lives in California. His latest blog post was why treating symptoms does not work and how we need to get to the root of the cause. To read click here Symptom Care Doesn't Work
Franken-fish: Genetically Modified Salmon is Coming
As I like to say, you can’t make this stuff up. This perhaps is one of the more disturbing stories I read recently. I saw it in the Price-Pottenger Journal of Health and Healing Summer 2010 issue. Genetically modified salmon to be bigger. That is really scary to me. For the full story click here
Genetically Modified Salmon
A Special Thanks
And thanks to my yoga anatomy guru David Keil (not the Homestead football coach for you in the Mequon area) I’ve resolved a physical complaint that had been bothering me for about eight months. He is an expert in trigger points and successfully diagnosed the pain I had in lifting my right arm over head along with the feeling of a knife stabbing me in my right scapula. Who would think it would be triggered in the neck. Sure enough, while talking to him, I put my left hand fingers where he directed and lifted my right arm over head and no pain!
David will be coming to YogaOne in April to do anatomy training. He is awesome. He also has some great DVDs. Check them out at Anatomy
I’ve been busy planning nutrition and yoga workshops for the fall and there’s quite a bit coming up soon. I’d love to see you there or pass on the information to a friend or loved one. I’ll be doing my Nutrition Boot Camp at HeartSpace in Thiensville (October and November), Copper Tree Wellness in Hartford (October), and in Minneapolis (December). I’ll also be doing a whole weekend of nutrition workshops in Cedar Falls in October.
For a complete listing of workshops, dates, times, and locations click here Workshop Information
For details at each location click here:
HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI
Copper Tree Wellness, Hartford, WI
Devanadi Yoga, Minneapolis, MN
Field of Yoga, Cedar Falls, IA
One last promotional note – yoga teacher training starts again in October. Once again Meg and I will be offering a 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved training with both weekday and weekend options. For more information click here YogaOne Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training.
Walking the Talk Part 2
In continuing the “walking the talk” theme from last month I also need to mention my new friend Susan Siemers. She is a fellow graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, former business executive, and now is into raw milk farming. And you thought I made a career change! Anyway, she hosted me earlier in the month, showed me the ropes around the farm, and taught me how to make kefir, yogurt, cheese, and pickles. She also makes great soap from goat’s milk. It is very good for complexions. In fact, my daughter Mollie is now a fan and I am getting some for her friend! If you’re interested in some high quality soaps, visit Susan’s web site Ceres & Co.
Also last month I learned how to make herbal tinctures from my friend Phyllis Heitkamp. We made three: black walnut to kill bugs in the stomach (the one that did the magic for Mollie), a motherwort-hawthorn mixture for heart health, and a mullein-lobelia mixture for glandular support.
Walking the Talk Part 2: Supporting Food with Supplements
In my feature article Walking the Talk Part 2: Supporting Food with Supplements, I describe my personal program. You’ll notice that glandular support is included. For more on why we need supplements, how to determine what supplements you need, and to see my daily plan click here
Supporting Food with Supplements - My Personal Plan
And one last walker of the talk. My friend Glen Depke a naturopath who lives in California. His latest blog post was why treating symptoms does not work and how we need to get to the root of the cause. To read click here Symptom Care Doesn't Work
Franken-fish: Genetically Modified Salmon is Coming
As I like to say, you can’t make this stuff up. This perhaps is one of the more disturbing stories I read recently. I saw it in the Price-Pottenger Journal of Health and Healing Summer 2010 issue. Genetically modified salmon to be bigger. That is really scary to me. For the full story click here
Genetically Modified Salmon
A Special Thanks
And thanks to my yoga anatomy guru David Keil (not the Homestead football coach for you in the Mequon area) I’ve resolved a physical complaint that had been bothering me for about eight months. He is an expert in trigger points and successfully diagnosed the pain I had in lifting my right arm over head along with the feeling of a knife stabbing me in my right scapula. Who would think it would be triggered in the neck. Sure enough, while talking to him, I put my left hand fingers where he directed and lifted my right arm over head and no pain!
David will be coming to YogaOne in April to do anatomy training. He is awesome. He also has some great DVDs. Check them out at Anatomy
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Walking the Talk Part 2: Supporting Food with Supplements
This is the second installment in my “Walking the Talk” series. Previously I answered the most common question I receive from clients (and friends): what I eat and why. Now I’ll answer the second most popular question. If we eat all the right foods, do we really need to take supplements?
In an ideal world we would be able to obtain all our nutrients from food – fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unfortunately, we do not live in such a world. Most of the plant food we consume is grown on land that is now mineral deficient, making these valuable food sources of vitamins and minerals deficient. Minerals are particularly important as they are the catalysts behind our bodily functions. Since we do not make them in our body we must get them from food. Most of the animal food we consume is from animals that are not healthy since they are being fed the same nutrient deficient food along with antibiotics and hormones. Even if you eat as clean as possible, as I and many others try to do, I stick with my conclusion that we just are not getting everything we need from our food.
Notice that I use the word “supplement”. This means we still need to eat our healthy foods and supplement with what we are not getting from the diet. I’ll tell all my clients I can give you all the supplements in the world, but if you do not eat healthy they will have minimal effect. You may not be feeling any symptoms, but that does not mean things are not happening in your body which will one day be symptoms.
How do we know what our body needs and what we are not getting from our diet? The easiest way is to be in touch with what we are feeling in our body. Symptoms that present are often signs of underlying nutritional deficiencies. Also, there are a variety of tests that I’ll use with clients to determine nutrient levels and/or deficiencies.
When creating a supplement program I consider two aspects. I start with the baseline – the supplements I believe everyone should use. Then I address the specific nutrients that may be lacking (determined as described above through symptoms and testing) and suggests proper supplements
Here’s how that translates for me. The baseline supplements support digestion and our need for a variety of vitamins and mineral support. I’ll start with digestion. We can be eating the best foods in the world, but if we don’t digest well, we won’t get all the nutrients available to us. Constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, acid reflux, headaches, ADD/ADHD, even anxiety and depression are all signs of poor digestion. To support digestion, I recommend digestive enzymes and probiotics. I take enzymes with each meal and probiotics on an empty stomach. As we age we make less of our own digestive enzymes, so another reason for supplementation. Many of my clients report amazing results from just doing these two simple supplements.
The second component of the baseline is what I’ll call a “multivitamin”, but not as you typically find in the vitamin section of the drugstore. I’ll pull together several products to deliver these components. Currently I am taking cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil from Green Pastures along with IntraMax from Drucker Labs. The cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil deliver my fish oils and my fat soluble vitamins – A, D, E, and K. The IntraMax delivers a wide range of nutrients including: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, more enzymes, etc. It is my super “multivitamin” and made from food.
This is another important point. I am a big believer in vitamins and supplements made from real foods, not in the laboratory. Those made in the laboratory are synthetic vitamins and often times not the full vitamin complex. Ever notice why your urine may be bright yellow after taking vitamins? That is why. Your body simply can’t process all these synthetic vitamins.
Next I look at is what I am experiencing in my body. So, as a middle aged male I am concerned about my prostate, heart, and overall energy levels. I take CoQ10 for heart health and to boost energy and I take a variety of glandular to support prostate and endocrine gland functions. I find that many of my clients also benefit from glandular products as they provide the direct nutrition that our endocrine glands require. These glands are among the first to suffer from poor nutrition. How do you know if your endocrine glands need support? If you’re tired, losing your hair in clumps, find your sex drive lacking, or for women if you suffer from PMS or any other female symptom – those are your glands asking for help!
I hope you find this information useful. If you are interested in having a supplement program designed specifically for yourself, please call my office and I’d be happy to help.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
In an ideal world we would be able to obtain all our nutrients from food – fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unfortunately, we do not live in such a world. Most of the plant food we consume is grown on land that is now mineral deficient, making these valuable food sources of vitamins and minerals deficient. Minerals are particularly important as they are the catalysts behind our bodily functions. Since we do not make them in our body we must get them from food. Most of the animal food we consume is from animals that are not healthy since they are being fed the same nutrient deficient food along with antibiotics and hormones. Even if you eat as clean as possible, as I and many others try to do, I stick with my conclusion that we just are not getting everything we need from our food.
Notice that I use the word “supplement”. This means we still need to eat our healthy foods and supplement with what we are not getting from the diet. I’ll tell all my clients I can give you all the supplements in the world, but if you do not eat healthy they will have minimal effect. You may not be feeling any symptoms, but that does not mean things are not happening in your body which will one day be symptoms.
How do we know what our body needs and what we are not getting from our diet? The easiest way is to be in touch with what we are feeling in our body. Symptoms that present are often signs of underlying nutritional deficiencies. Also, there are a variety of tests that I’ll use with clients to determine nutrient levels and/or deficiencies.
When creating a supplement program I consider two aspects. I start with the baseline – the supplements I believe everyone should use. Then I address the specific nutrients that may be lacking (determined as described above through symptoms and testing) and suggests proper supplements
Here’s how that translates for me. The baseline supplements support digestion and our need for a variety of vitamins and mineral support. I’ll start with digestion. We can be eating the best foods in the world, but if we don’t digest well, we won’t get all the nutrients available to us. Constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, acid reflux, headaches, ADD/ADHD, even anxiety and depression are all signs of poor digestion. To support digestion, I recommend digestive enzymes and probiotics. I take enzymes with each meal and probiotics on an empty stomach. As we age we make less of our own digestive enzymes, so another reason for supplementation. Many of my clients report amazing results from just doing these two simple supplements.
The second component of the baseline is what I’ll call a “multivitamin”, but not as you typically find in the vitamin section of the drugstore. I’ll pull together several products to deliver these components. Currently I am taking cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil from Green Pastures along with IntraMax from Drucker Labs. The cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil deliver my fish oils and my fat soluble vitamins – A, D, E, and K. The IntraMax delivers a wide range of nutrients including: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, more enzymes, etc. It is my super “multivitamin” and made from food.
This is another important point. I am a big believer in vitamins and supplements made from real foods, not in the laboratory. Those made in the laboratory are synthetic vitamins and often times not the full vitamin complex. Ever notice why your urine may be bright yellow after taking vitamins? That is why. Your body simply can’t process all these synthetic vitamins.
Next I look at is what I am experiencing in my body. So, as a middle aged male I am concerned about my prostate, heart, and overall energy levels. I take CoQ10 for heart health and to boost energy and I take a variety of glandular to support prostate and endocrine gland functions. I find that many of my clients also benefit from glandular products as they provide the direct nutrition that our endocrine glands require. These glands are among the first to suffer from poor nutrition. How do you know if your endocrine glands need support? If you’re tired, losing your hair in clumps, find your sex drive lacking, or for women if you suffer from PMS or any other female symptom – those are your glands asking for help!
I hope you find this information useful. If you are interested in having a supplement program designed specifically for yourself, please call my office and I’d be happy to help.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
August 2010 Newsletter: Walking the Talk
Walking the Talk
One of the themes playing itself out lately in my life is the importance of both our words and our actions. While we can say whatever we want, what we do is really where the rubber meets the road. We see this all the time. People say one thing, perhaps because it is the socially or politically acceptable thing to say, but their real world behavior is quite different. We all know these examples: the doctor that smokes cigarettes; the dietician that is excessively overweight; the nutrition whiz that eats and drinks whatever they want; or even the yogi who preaches peace and love and yet performs harmful acts.
This past week I was struggling to come up with my monthly article for the local paper. I was going to use something someone else wrote and with their permission re-write it more into my language and expression. But, as I was going to do it, it didn’t feel authentic. It wasn’t me. While it was great information, it wasn’t what I wanted to communicate. Then it occurred to me. At almost every talk I do people ask me what I eat. And there it was – the topic for an article! As I wrote the article, I realized I do walk my talk for the most part. We all have an occasional moment of food weakness (usually a sugary temptation), but overall I was pretty pleased. My next thought, what about the people whose information I follow. Do they walk the talk? Well this month I was able to experience two of these people first hand and I’ll report on that below.
To read my article on what I eat, click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/07/walking-talk-heres-what-i-eat.html.
One last note. Also this last month I’ve been lining up my fall schedule and it is loaded already with nutrition and yoga workshops and talks, as well as with yoga teacher training. In October I’ll be at Copper Tree Wellness (Hartford, WI). In October, November, and December I’ll be at HeartSpace (Thiensville, WI). In late October I’ll be making a return to Cedar Falls, IA. And, in December I’ll be in Minneapolis. For details click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/05/rosen-wellness-news-and-events.html.
To learn more about the YogaOne Vinyasa Flow 200 hour Teacher Training program starting in October and running through June click here: http://www.yogaonestudio.com/pages/training.html.
The First Lady of Nutrition
This past month I had the privilege of studying in person with Ann Louise Gittleman. I’ve spoken of her in prior newsletters and am a big fan of her nutrition philosophy which is shared in the over 30 books she has written. On my blogs you’ll see reviews of some of my favorites. To get to the point – she walks the talk! While I was there I was able to meet some of the other people at UniKey Health that I’ve spoken with over the phone over the past several years – Liz Beck, James Templeton, Carol Templeton, and Roz Livingston. They too all walk the talk! So thanks to all of you for making we welcome and a special thanks to Ann Louise for all the information she shared.
Ann Louise is an innovator in nutrition - always coming up with something new and interesting. Her latest book Fat Flush for Life is awesome. A new weight reduction program she recently developed is the Smoothie Shakedown. If you’re looking to lose some weight in a safe way over a two week period of time this is a great plan. For more information visit http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003 and click on Smoothie Shakedown. For more information about Ann Louise visit http://www.annlouise.com/
The Master Herbalist
Also this past month my daughter Mollie who is generally very healthy had an interesting physical ailment going on. I tried all the things that I knew of that I thought would help, but we really didn’t get anywhere. After about a week, I took her to see my local Master Herbalist and author Phyllis Heitkamp. Well sure enough, she figured it out, and within just over a day, Mollie was back to normal! And as a bonus, the next week she had me over, and taught me how to make my own herbal tinctures so I now have some important ones on hand and ready. Phyllis has written two books about herbs, both available at amazon.com
Need to Eat Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free
Give me a call or send an e-mail to learn about my healthy eating meal plans, complete with shopping lists and recipes. I have gluten free, dairy free, and gluten and dairy free weekly plans. It’s a great way to get started on the road to healthier eating.
One of the themes playing itself out lately in my life is the importance of both our words and our actions. While we can say whatever we want, what we do is really where the rubber meets the road. We see this all the time. People say one thing, perhaps because it is the socially or politically acceptable thing to say, but their real world behavior is quite different. We all know these examples: the doctor that smokes cigarettes; the dietician that is excessively overweight; the nutrition whiz that eats and drinks whatever they want; or even the yogi who preaches peace and love and yet performs harmful acts.
This past week I was struggling to come up with my monthly article for the local paper. I was going to use something someone else wrote and with their permission re-write it more into my language and expression. But, as I was going to do it, it didn’t feel authentic. It wasn’t me. While it was great information, it wasn’t what I wanted to communicate. Then it occurred to me. At almost every talk I do people ask me what I eat. And there it was – the topic for an article! As I wrote the article, I realized I do walk my talk for the most part. We all have an occasional moment of food weakness (usually a sugary temptation), but overall I was pretty pleased. My next thought, what about the people whose information I follow. Do they walk the talk? Well this month I was able to experience two of these people first hand and I’ll report on that below.
To read my article on what I eat, click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/07/walking-talk-heres-what-i-eat.html.
One last note. Also this last month I’ve been lining up my fall schedule and it is loaded already with nutrition and yoga workshops and talks, as well as with yoga teacher training. In October I’ll be at Copper Tree Wellness (Hartford, WI). In October, November, and December I’ll be at HeartSpace (Thiensville, WI). In late October I’ll be making a return to Cedar Falls, IA. And, in December I’ll be in Minneapolis. For details click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/05/rosen-wellness-news-and-events.html.
To learn more about the YogaOne Vinyasa Flow 200 hour Teacher Training program starting in October and running through June click here: http://www.yogaonestudio.com/pages/training.html.
The First Lady of Nutrition
This past month I had the privilege of studying in person with Ann Louise Gittleman. I’ve spoken of her in prior newsletters and am a big fan of her nutrition philosophy which is shared in the over 30 books she has written. On my blogs you’ll see reviews of some of my favorites. To get to the point – she walks the talk! While I was there I was able to meet some of the other people at UniKey Health that I’ve spoken with over the phone over the past several years – Liz Beck, James Templeton, Carol Templeton, and Roz Livingston. They too all walk the talk! So thanks to all of you for making we welcome and a special thanks to Ann Louise for all the information she shared.
Ann Louise is an innovator in nutrition - always coming up with something new and interesting. Her latest book Fat Flush for Life is awesome. A new weight reduction program she recently developed is the Smoothie Shakedown. If you’re looking to lose some weight in a safe way over a two week period of time this is a great plan. For more information visit http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003 and click on Smoothie Shakedown. For more information about Ann Louise visit http://www.annlouise.com/
The Master Herbalist
Also this past month my daughter Mollie who is generally very healthy had an interesting physical ailment going on. I tried all the things that I knew of that I thought would help, but we really didn’t get anywhere. After about a week, I took her to see my local Master Herbalist and author Phyllis Heitkamp. Well sure enough, she figured it out, and within just over a day, Mollie was back to normal! And as a bonus, the next week she had me over, and taught me how to make my own herbal tinctures so I now have some important ones on hand and ready. Phyllis has written two books about herbs, both available at amazon.com
Need to Eat Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free
Give me a call or send an e-mail to learn about my healthy eating meal plans, complete with shopping lists and recipes. I have gluten free, dairy free, and gluten and dairy free weekly plans. It’s a great way to get started on the road to healthier eating.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Walking the Talk: Here’s What I Eat
As a nutrition consultant, one of the most frequent questions I’m asked by clients, friends, and other curious people is, “So, what do you eat?” That’s a fair question right? You certainly want your nutrition consultant to be eating healthy foods! You wouldn’t want them eating donuts for breakfast and fast food burgers and fries for lunch and dinner. Nothing worse than the doctor who smokes cigarettes! So, here’s a look at what I typically eat:
Breakfast: I’m a big fan of a protein shake/smoothie in the morning. I find them to be filling and satisfying and easily last me until lunch time. My basic ingredients are 8 ounces of water (or a special cranwater concoction), a high quality protein mix (either whey, brown rice, pea, or some combination of these – never soy!), a cup of berries (blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries or some combination of them) either fresh or frozen, a handful of nuts and/or seeds (Brazil nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), some fresh greens or green powder, flax seed oil or ground flax seeds or chia seeds, and on occasion some yogurt and/or kefir. What does this provide? Plenty of protein, antioxidants, fiber, omega 3 and 6 fats and a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals. On the days that I don’t have a smoothie, I’ll have eggs on some steamed leafy greens or sprouted toast or in an omlete with a bunch of vegetables.
Lunch: Generally 2-3 days of the week it will be one of the egg dishes that I describe above. Other days it will be based on leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. There is usually some type of animal protein involved, it can be grass fed beef, turkey, or lamb. As a B blood type I don’t do real well with chicken or bean dishes, so I tend to avoid them. At the present time I am also limiting my fish due to mercury. A hair tissue mineral analysis that I did on myself indicated higher levels of mercury than I’d like to see which I believe that was a result of eating a lot of fish. Remember – everything in moderation! During the warmer month I tend to have this with raw vegetables in some type of salad and during the cooler months with cooked vegetables. I use a homemade salad dressing from olive oil and vinegar. Maybe once or twice a week it will be in the form of a sandwich on sprouted grain bread; on occasion it will be over brown rice or quinoa. I’ll also throw in some soup as I have a great curried cauliflower, carrots, and pea soup recipe that I enjoy.
Dinner: Dinner is similar to lunch on the days I don’t have eggs. There will be an animal protein along with several types of vegetables usually steamed or stir-fried in coconut oil. Once a week or so I’ll do my baked sweet potato fries. On about four of the days I’ll also have a whole grain side of brown rice, quinoa, or brown rice pasta.
I’m not a big snacker. As I said, the smoothie usually lasts me until lunch. Sometimes between lunch and dinner I’ll get a little hungry and I’ll have a hard-boiled egg, a protein bar, a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a bit of cheese.
What basic guidelines am I following? I don’t skip meals. I’m having protein at each meal. I’m eating lots of vegetables of all different varieties and colors, both cooked and raw. I’m limiting my carbohydrates in the form of grains, only doing whole grains, and not more than once per day. I make sure I get high quality fats from the coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, and organic butter or ghee. I eat real food, avoiding processed and refined foods. I have an occasional sweet, but of good quality. Nothing like a homemade organic chocolate chip cookie! And, I have an occasional sweet of not so good quality – yes you may run into me at Dairy Queen occasionally! And I do still love my pizza, but usually once a month at the most. I try to limit eating out.
As I tell my clients, the most critical component is to control your home environment. If it is not in your house, you’re not going to eat it, and after a while a nightly trip to go get ice cream will get tiring!
I do use some supplements for additional nutritional support, but that will be the subject for next time!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Breakfast: I’m a big fan of a protein shake/smoothie in the morning. I find them to be filling and satisfying and easily last me until lunch time. My basic ingredients are 8 ounces of water (or a special cranwater concoction), a high quality protein mix (either whey, brown rice, pea, or some combination of these – never soy!), a cup of berries (blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries or some combination of them) either fresh or frozen, a handful of nuts and/or seeds (Brazil nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), some fresh greens or green powder, flax seed oil or ground flax seeds or chia seeds, and on occasion some yogurt and/or kefir. What does this provide? Plenty of protein, antioxidants, fiber, omega 3 and 6 fats and a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals. On the days that I don’t have a smoothie, I’ll have eggs on some steamed leafy greens or sprouted toast or in an omlete with a bunch of vegetables.
Lunch: Generally 2-3 days of the week it will be one of the egg dishes that I describe above. Other days it will be based on leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. There is usually some type of animal protein involved, it can be grass fed beef, turkey, or lamb. As a B blood type I don’t do real well with chicken or bean dishes, so I tend to avoid them. At the present time I am also limiting my fish due to mercury. A hair tissue mineral analysis that I did on myself indicated higher levels of mercury than I’d like to see which I believe that was a result of eating a lot of fish. Remember – everything in moderation! During the warmer month I tend to have this with raw vegetables in some type of salad and during the cooler months with cooked vegetables. I use a homemade salad dressing from olive oil and vinegar. Maybe once or twice a week it will be in the form of a sandwich on sprouted grain bread; on occasion it will be over brown rice or quinoa. I’ll also throw in some soup as I have a great curried cauliflower, carrots, and pea soup recipe that I enjoy.
Dinner: Dinner is similar to lunch on the days I don’t have eggs. There will be an animal protein along with several types of vegetables usually steamed or stir-fried in coconut oil. Once a week or so I’ll do my baked sweet potato fries. On about four of the days I’ll also have a whole grain side of brown rice, quinoa, or brown rice pasta.
I’m not a big snacker. As I said, the smoothie usually lasts me until lunch. Sometimes between lunch and dinner I’ll get a little hungry and I’ll have a hard-boiled egg, a protein bar, a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a bit of cheese.
What basic guidelines am I following? I don’t skip meals. I’m having protein at each meal. I’m eating lots of vegetables of all different varieties and colors, both cooked and raw. I’m limiting my carbohydrates in the form of grains, only doing whole grains, and not more than once per day. I make sure I get high quality fats from the coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, and organic butter or ghee. I eat real food, avoiding processed and refined foods. I have an occasional sweet, but of good quality. Nothing like a homemade organic chocolate chip cookie! And, I have an occasional sweet of not so good quality – yes you may run into me at Dairy Queen occasionally! And I do still love my pizza, but usually once a month at the most. I try to limit eating out.
As I tell my clients, the most critical component is to control your home environment. If it is not in your house, you’re not going to eat it, and after a while a nightly trip to go get ice cream will get tiring!
I do use some supplements for additional nutritional support, but that will be the subject for next time!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Fourfold Path to Healing
Looking for natural cures for chronic diseases (cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, digestive issues, emotional issues, etc) then take a look at Dr. Thomas Cowan's The Fourfold Path to Healing. Billed as the "companion to Nourishing Traditions" (Sally Fallon's excellent book), this book utilizes nutrition, nontoxic therapeutics, movement, and meditation to facilitate healing. Truly a book that will transform your thinking and guide you along the way to vibrant health.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Eat Fat - It's Good For You - 2 for 1 Today
Happy July 4th! Celebrate your Independence, break away from the conventional thinking about fat. Eat fat - it is good for you. Of course it needs to be the right kinds of fat. Today I offer two books that provide both scientific evidence, real life experience, and rational thinking as to what fats we need and why. Eat Fat, Lose Weight by Ann Louise Gittleman and Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon both explain how we don't get fat from eating fat, and in fact eating fat will help us lose weight!
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Whole Soy Story
Do you still think soy is a health food? The Whole Soy Story: The Dakr Side of America's Favorite Health Food will set you straight. As Dr. Mercola says, "Kaayla Daniel blows the lid off nutritional dogma. Soy is NOT a miracle food." This book tells it all!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
July Newsletter: Summer Time - Get Your Fresh Veggies
Wow! July already! Time to get outside and get that natural Vitamin D along with your healthy fruits and vegetables right from the garden!
As I like to say, you can’t make this stuff up! Apparently I suffer from a new mental disease called orthorexia nervosa. This was written up in England’s The Guardian and is used to describe people with “healthy eating disorder”! To read all about it click here: http://www.naturalnews.com/029098_orthorexia_mental_disorder.htm
One of the areas where I am growing my practice is the ability to work with out of town clients. With my new meal plans program and some new high quality supplement providers it makes is easy to work with people throughout the US. One of these new providers – BioPharma Scientific is highlighted below.
So, if you know anyone who could use some nutritional help, please pass along me name and information!
Gluten Free and Dairy Free Meal Plans
Over the past few months I’ve been mentioning that I now provide meal plans. I have several weeks of gluten free and dairy free eating. Gluten and dairy are two of the foods that many people are sensitive to. By following a gluten and dairy free diet for this short period of time most people will feel better and get relief from a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms. If you’ve ever wondered if you have a gluten or dairy sensitivity, this is a great way to find out. For more details, give me a call or send an e-mail. For a sample day of the diet click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/06/lose-weight-feel-better-sleep-better.html
Man Eating Plants?
Several months ago I attended the Weston Price Foundation annual conference and spent a very interesting day on the learning tract entitled “plant toxins”. While we are not exactly dealing with Audrey II the man eating plant of the Little Shop of Horrors, there is definitely some very important and useful information to understand about naturally occurring chemicals in plants that may be toxic to some people. Think about it – a plant is a living being and just like you and I, wants to survive. To learn all about phytates, protease inhibitors, the nightshade family, and oxalates continue to my blog: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/06/man-eating-plants.html
Introducing BioPharma Scientific
I’m always on the outlook for new and reputable products. One of my best sources for new products comes from other natural practitioners – so thank you to Dr. Ray Bisesi, DC for introducing me to BioPharma. The products I recommend are the NanoGreens and NanoReds – specifically designed for people who want to boost their consumption of anti-oxidants and for those who just plain don’t like to eat their fruits and veggies. Yes, I prefer that you eat your fruits and veggies, but not everyone listens!
What I also like about these products is that you can order them direct from the company through a web site. This allows me to provide improved and quicker service to my out of town and out of state clients. One tip with these – if you are consuming them just with water they taste better with a little squeeze of lemon juice! Check them out (and better yet, try some) at http://www.mybiopharmacy.com/a/2428
Have a great holiday weekend and a wonderful healthy month!
Bernie
As I like to say, you can’t make this stuff up! Apparently I suffer from a new mental disease called orthorexia nervosa. This was written up in England’s The Guardian and is used to describe people with “healthy eating disorder”! To read all about it click here: http://www.naturalnews.com/029098_orthorexia_mental_disorder.htm
One of the areas where I am growing my practice is the ability to work with out of town clients. With my new meal plans program and some new high quality supplement providers it makes is easy to work with people throughout the US. One of these new providers – BioPharma Scientific is highlighted below.
So, if you know anyone who could use some nutritional help, please pass along me name and information!
Gluten Free and Dairy Free Meal Plans
Over the past few months I’ve been mentioning that I now provide meal plans. I have several weeks of gluten free and dairy free eating. Gluten and dairy are two of the foods that many people are sensitive to. By following a gluten and dairy free diet for this short period of time most people will feel better and get relief from a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms. If you’ve ever wondered if you have a gluten or dairy sensitivity, this is a great way to find out. For more details, give me a call or send an e-mail. For a sample day of the diet click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/06/lose-weight-feel-better-sleep-better.html
Man Eating Plants?
Several months ago I attended the Weston Price Foundation annual conference and spent a very interesting day on the learning tract entitled “plant toxins”. While we are not exactly dealing with Audrey II the man eating plant of the Little Shop of Horrors, there is definitely some very important and useful information to understand about naturally occurring chemicals in plants that may be toxic to some people. Think about it – a plant is a living being and just like you and I, wants to survive. To learn all about phytates, protease inhibitors, the nightshade family, and oxalates continue to my blog: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/06/man-eating-plants.html
Introducing BioPharma Scientific
I’m always on the outlook for new and reputable products. One of my best sources for new products comes from other natural practitioners – so thank you to Dr. Ray Bisesi, DC for introducing me to BioPharma. The products I recommend are the NanoGreens and NanoReds – specifically designed for people who want to boost their consumption of anti-oxidants and for those who just plain don’t like to eat their fruits and veggies. Yes, I prefer that you eat your fruits and veggies, but not everyone listens!
What I also like about these products is that you can order them direct from the company through a web site. This allows me to provide improved and quicker service to my out of town and out of state clients. One tip with these – if you are consuming them just with water they taste better with a little squeeze of lemon juice! Check them out (and better yet, try some) at http://www.mybiopharmacy.com/a/2428
Have a great holiday weekend and a wonderful healthy month!
Bernie
Friday, June 25, 2010
Man Eating Plants?
Several months ago I attended the Weston Price Foundation annual conference and spent a very interesting day on the learning tract entitled “plant toxins”. While we are not exactly dealing with Audrey II the man eating plant of the Little Shop of Horrors, there is definitely some very important and useful information to understand about naturally occurring chemicals in plants that may be toxic to some people. Think about it – a plant is a living being and just like you and I, wants to survive. Therefore, it has some built in mechanisms to do so.
Nature has placed a variety of anti-nutritional factors and toxins in grains, nuts, seeds and beans for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Phytates are found in beans, grains, and seeds. Their primary function is to prevent premature sprouting. Ever wonder why we’ve found seeds that are thousands of years old, still intact, and able to grow plants from them? That’s why – the phytates have protected them from being “digested” and maturing. However, when we eat them, phytates that are still intact block proper absorption of many minerals, including zinc, calcium, and iron. So - while we are told that whole grains, nuts and seeds contain many valuable vitamins and minerals – our ability to digest and assimilate them is greatly diminished if the phytates are still present. This is why sprouting and fermentation are promoted to deactivate the phytates so the nutrients are available. And, this is why I encourage my clients to eat sprouted breads and fermented vegetables.
Protease inhibitors disrupt our ability to utilize the enzymes that help us digest protein. An example is trypsin, found in soybeans, other beans, grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables of the nightshade family (more about them later) and other fruits and vegetables. In most cases trypsin is neutralized by cooking, however not in the case of the soybean. So – while we are told that soy is an excellent source of protein – the actual truth is that it is difficult to digest and when mixed with other proteins (“protein shakes” or “health bars”) it is also inhibiting the digestion of those proteins. As I like to say, “It is not what happens in a test tube, but what happens in your body.” This is only one of the reasons why soy is not a health food despite what the food manufacturers tell you!
Back to the nightshade family. This includes white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. These foods have been linked to muscle pain and tightness, morning stiffness, poor healing, arthritis, insomnia, heart burn and gall bladder problems. Many people have eliminated the above symptoms by removing nightshades from their diet. The reason behind this – nightshades contain calcitriol, the most active form of Vitamin D. To make a long story short, calcitriol signals the intestines to absorb calcium from the diet. If we have too much it leads to high blood calcium. The quick and easy solution for the body is to store the extra calcium in the soft tissues. Overtime these deposits build up, a condition known as calcinosis. Rather than your joints wearing out (the common view of osteoarthritis) perhaps the truth is that the cartilage is being slowly calcified?
One last plant toxin – oxalates – the salt form of oxalic acid. Again, I’ll get right to the point. Oxalates inhibit the absorption of calcium and represent about 80% of all kidney stone issues. Oxalates are found in a variety of plant foods, but the highest sources are in soy protein, spinach, peppercorns, and peanuts. Please note that cooking does not destroy oxalates, although they will reduce them slightly. This is another reason to avoid soy and why I recommend that spinach be cooked and not consumed as a large salad. One of the doctors at the conference told the story of another doctor who decided to eat healthy. Part of his plan was to have a large spinach salad every day for lunch. Within two months, he had developed severe kidney stones!
So where am I going with all of this? We are all individuals and all react differently to food. However, there are times when we think we are eating healthy foods, yet still seem to have discomfort, gas, indigestion, or a variety of other symptoms. It is at those times when we need to look really closely to see if there is something in the diet that is at the root cause.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to http://www.brwellness.com/.
Nature has placed a variety of anti-nutritional factors and toxins in grains, nuts, seeds and beans for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Phytates are found in beans, grains, and seeds. Their primary function is to prevent premature sprouting. Ever wonder why we’ve found seeds that are thousands of years old, still intact, and able to grow plants from them? That’s why – the phytates have protected them from being “digested” and maturing. However, when we eat them, phytates that are still intact block proper absorption of many minerals, including zinc, calcium, and iron. So - while we are told that whole grains, nuts and seeds contain many valuable vitamins and minerals – our ability to digest and assimilate them is greatly diminished if the phytates are still present. This is why sprouting and fermentation are promoted to deactivate the phytates so the nutrients are available. And, this is why I encourage my clients to eat sprouted breads and fermented vegetables.
Protease inhibitors disrupt our ability to utilize the enzymes that help us digest protein. An example is trypsin, found in soybeans, other beans, grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables of the nightshade family (more about them later) and other fruits and vegetables. In most cases trypsin is neutralized by cooking, however not in the case of the soybean. So – while we are told that soy is an excellent source of protein – the actual truth is that it is difficult to digest and when mixed with other proteins (“protein shakes” or “health bars”) it is also inhibiting the digestion of those proteins. As I like to say, “It is not what happens in a test tube, but what happens in your body.” This is only one of the reasons why soy is not a health food despite what the food manufacturers tell you!
Back to the nightshade family. This includes white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. These foods have been linked to muscle pain and tightness, morning stiffness, poor healing, arthritis, insomnia, heart burn and gall bladder problems. Many people have eliminated the above symptoms by removing nightshades from their diet. The reason behind this – nightshades contain calcitriol, the most active form of Vitamin D. To make a long story short, calcitriol signals the intestines to absorb calcium from the diet. If we have too much it leads to high blood calcium. The quick and easy solution for the body is to store the extra calcium in the soft tissues. Overtime these deposits build up, a condition known as calcinosis. Rather than your joints wearing out (the common view of osteoarthritis) perhaps the truth is that the cartilage is being slowly calcified?
One last plant toxin – oxalates – the salt form of oxalic acid. Again, I’ll get right to the point. Oxalates inhibit the absorption of calcium and represent about 80% of all kidney stone issues. Oxalates are found in a variety of plant foods, but the highest sources are in soy protein, spinach, peppercorns, and peanuts. Please note that cooking does not destroy oxalates, although they will reduce them slightly. This is another reason to avoid soy and why I recommend that spinach be cooked and not consumed as a large salad. One of the doctors at the conference told the story of another doctor who decided to eat healthy. Part of his plan was to have a large spinach salad every day for lunch. Within two months, he had developed severe kidney stones!
So where am I going with all of this? We are all individuals and all react differently to food. However, there are times when we think we are eating healthy foods, yet still seem to have discomfort, gas, indigestion, or a variety of other symptoms. It is at those times when we need to look really closely to see if there is something in the diet that is at the root cause.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to http://www.brwellness.com/.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
USDA Dietary Guidelines for 2010 - Press Release from the Weston Price Foundation
PRESS RELEASE
PROPOSED 2010 USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES --A RECIPE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE
Weston A. Price Foundation Proposes a Return to Four Basic Groups of Nutrient-Dense Foods
WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2010: The proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines are a recipe for infertility, learning problems in children and increased chronic disease in all age groups according to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
"The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources," explains Fallon Morell.
"The revised Guidelines recommend even more stringent reductions in animal fats and cholesterol than previous versions," says Fallon Morell, "and are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. While the ship of state sinks under the weight of a crippling health care burden, the Committee members are giving us more of the same disastrous advice. These are unscientific and grossly deficient dietary recommendations."
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation with no ties to the government or food processing industries. Named for Dr. Weston A. Price, whose pioneering research discovered the vital importance of animal fats in human diets, the Foundation has warned against the dangers of lowfat and plant-based diets.
"Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function," says Fallon Morell. "Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease."
The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese. Incredibly, the Guidelines single out cheese as an unhealthy food!
Fallon Morell notes that by restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will accelerate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats-including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid-are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day-but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. In their deliberations, the committee referred to this as the "choline problem." Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible-yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.
The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats-calling them Solid Fats-thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.
The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The Weston A. Price Foundation warns that the 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.
"The 2010 proposed Guidelines represent a national scandal, the triumph of industry clout over good science and common sense," says Fallon Morell. "It must be emphasized that the Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and-through the back door-encourage the consumption of processed foods. For while the USDA food police pay lip service to reducing our intake of refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt, this puritanical low-fat prescription ultimately leads to cravings for chips, sweets, sodas, breads, desserts and other empty food-and-beverage-like products just loaded with refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt."
The Weston A. Price Foundation proposes alternative Healthy 4 Life Dietary Guidelines, which harkens back to the traditional four basic food groups, but with a renewed emphasis on quality through a return to pasture-based feeding and organic, pesticide-free production methods:
Every day, eat high quality, whole foods to provide an abundance of nutrients, chosen from each of the following four groups:
ANIMAL FOODS: meat and organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pastured animals; fish and shellfish; whole raw cheese, milk and other dairy products from pastured animals; and broth made from animal bones.
GRAINS, LEGUMES AND NUTS: whole-grain baked goods, breakfast porridges, whole grain rice; beans and lentils; peanuts, cashews and nuts, properly prepared to improve digestibility.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: preferably fresh or frozen, preferably locally grown, either raw, cooked or in soups and stews, and also as lacto-fermented condiments.
FATS AND OILS: unrefined saturated and monounsaturated fats including butter, lard, tallow and other animal fats; palm oil and coconut oil; olive oil; cod liver oil for vitamins A and D.
AVOID: foods containing refined sweeteners such as candies, sodas, cookies, cakes, etc.; white flour products such as pasta and white bread; processed foods; modern soy foods; polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fried foods.
* * * * * * * * *
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501C3 nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 13,000 members, supports 450 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly International conference. The Foundation headquarters phone number is (202) 363-4394, www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.
CONTACT: Kimberly Hartke, Publicist
Home office 703-860-2711 cell 703-675-5557
press@westonaprice.org
Here's the additional info they sent along with the Press Release:
USDA has issued draft Dietary Guidelines for 2010. Rather than correct its anti-saturated fat and anti-cholesterol position, which has led to an epidemic of disease in this country, the new Guidelines are worse than ever, with more stringent restriction of saturated fat (7 percent of total calories, down from 10 percent) and cholesterol consumption of less than 300 mg per day (less than 200 mg for those with risk factors for heart disease or diabetes--one egg contains about 245 mg cholesterol), and reduction of salt intake from 2.3 grams to 1.5 grams (about one-fourth teaspoon).
The guidelines sweep the dangers of trans fat under the rug by lumping them with saturated fats, using the term "solid fats" for both, promote an increase in difficult-to-digest whole grains, and recommend lean meats and lowfat dairy products. Cheese is specifically singled out for avoidance because of its high "solid fat" content. Since, as the Committee admits, no one follows earlier versions of the Guidelines, it is recommending a focus on "actions needed to successfully implement" key recommendations, in other words on how to force people to eat in this highly deficient and grossly unsatisfying way.
ACTIONS TO TAKE
1. Please take time during this week to post a comment at the USDA website. Go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "SUBMIT Written Comments." It is particularly important to describe any adverse health effects you or family members have suffered by following earlier versions of the Guidelines. You may also want to use any of the talking points listed below.
2. Please also EMAIL your comments to your Senators and Representative in Congress. Let them know that USDA's formulation of dietary guidelines is a complete waste of taxpayer money and has resulted in a health crisis of epidemic proportions, especially in our children. It would be good also to PHONE your elected officials as well. For congressional contact information, go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
3. If you live near Washington, DC, consider attending the public hearings at USDA on July 8. You can sign up to give an oral presentation (as I will do) or simply attend to show support. To sign up for attending the meeting, go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "Meeting Registration/Oral Testimony."
4. Please send out the Press Release below to your local newspaper and radio shows. You may add your own contact information to that of our publicist Kimberly Hartke. In addition, you may add a paragraph to the press release about how the USDA dietary guidelines adversely affected your own health and that of your family.
5.Please broadcast this action alert to other groups. Let's create a tidal wave of outrage!
TALKING POINTS
1. The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources.
2. When a healthy food like cheese is singled out as a food to be avoided, there must be something wrong with the premises on which the guidelines are based.
3. Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates. But excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function. Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease.
4. The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese.
5. By restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will perpetuate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats-including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid-are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline.
6. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg of choline per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day-but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. The committee referred to this as the "choline problem." Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible-yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.
7. The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats-calling them Solid Fats-thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.
8. The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.
9. The Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and-through the back door-encourage the consumption of processed foods.
10. The Guidelines promote the consumption of whole grains, which can contribute to digestive disorders unless properly prepared.
11. The Guidelines completely avoid mentioning blood sugar problems caused by a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat; the diet is particularly dangerous for those suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia, since fats help regulate blood sugar levels. Many people have difficulty concentrating or can even suffer from seizures on a diet too low in fat.
12. The Guidelines urge salt restriction, which will lead to an increased use of artificial flavors like MSG in processed foods.
13. The Guidelines should be scrapped and the committee members should be replaced with individuals who have no ties to the food processing industry or to universities that accept funding from the food processing industry.
PROPOSED 2010 USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES --A RECIPE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE
Weston A. Price Foundation Proposes a Return to Four Basic Groups of Nutrient-Dense Foods
WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2010: The proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines are a recipe for infertility, learning problems in children and increased chronic disease in all age groups according to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
"The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources," explains Fallon Morell.
"The revised Guidelines recommend even more stringent reductions in animal fats and cholesterol than previous versions," says Fallon Morell, "and are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. While the ship of state sinks under the weight of a crippling health care burden, the Committee members are giving us more of the same disastrous advice. These are unscientific and grossly deficient dietary recommendations."
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation with no ties to the government or food processing industries. Named for Dr. Weston A. Price, whose pioneering research discovered the vital importance of animal fats in human diets, the Foundation has warned against the dangers of lowfat and plant-based diets.
"Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function," says Fallon Morell. "Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease."
The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese. Incredibly, the Guidelines single out cheese as an unhealthy food!
Fallon Morell notes that by restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will accelerate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats-including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid-are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day-but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. In their deliberations, the committee referred to this as the "choline problem." Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible-yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.
The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats-calling them Solid Fats-thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.
The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The Weston A. Price Foundation warns that the 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.
"The 2010 proposed Guidelines represent a national scandal, the triumph of industry clout over good science and common sense," says Fallon Morell. "It must be emphasized that the Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and-through the back door-encourage the consumption of processed foods. For while the USDA food police pay lip service to reducing our intake of refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt, this puritanical low-fat prescription ultimately leads to cravings for chips, sweets, sodas, breads, desserts and other empty food-and-beverage-like products just loaded with refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt."
The Weston A. Price Foundation proposes alternative Healthy 4 Life Dietary Guidelines, which harkens back to the traditional four basic food groups, but with a renewed emphasis on quality through a return to pasture-based feeding and organic, pesticide-free production methods:
Every day, eat high quality, whole foods to provide an abundance of nutrients, chosen from each of the following four groups:
ANIMAL FOODS: meat and organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pastured animals; fish and shellfish; whole raw cheese, milk and other dairy products from pastured animals; and broth made from animal bones.
GRAINS, LEGUMES AND NUTS: whole-grain baked goods, breakfast porridges, whole grain rice; beans and lentils; peanuts, cashews and nuts, properly prepared to improve digestibility.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: preferably fresh or frozen, preferably locally grown, either raw, cooked or in soups and stews, and also as lacto-fermented condiments.
FATS AND OILS: unrefined saturated and monounsaturated fats including butter, lard, tallow and other animal fats; palm oil and coconut oil; olive oil; cod liver oil for vitamins A and D.
AVOID: foods containing refined sweeteners such as candies, sodas, cookies, cakes, etc.; white flour products such as pasta and white bread; processed foods; modern soy foods; polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fried foods.
* * * * * * * * *
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501C3 nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 13,000 members, supports 450 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly International conference. The Foundation headquarters phone number is (202) 363-4394, www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.
CONTACT: Kimberly Hartke, Publicist
Home office 703-860-2711 cell 703-675-5557
press@westonaprice.org
Here's the additional info they sent along with the Press Release:
USDA has issued draft Dietary Guidelines for 2010. Rather than correct its anti-saturated fat and anti-cholesterol position, which has led to an epidemic of disease in this country, the new Guidelines are worse than ever, with more stringent restriction of saturated fat (7 percent of total calories, down from 10 percent) and cholesterol consumption of less than 300 mg per day (less than 200 mg for those with risk factors for heart disease or diabetes--one egg contains about 245 mg cholesterol), and reduction of salt intake from 2.3 grams to 1.5 grams (about one-fourth teaspoon).
The guidelines sweep the dangers of trans fat under the rug by lumping them with saturated fats, using the term "solid fats" for both, promote an increase in difficult-to-digest whole grains, and recommend lean meats and lowfat dairy products. Cheese is specifically singled out for avoidance because of its high "solid fat" content. Since, as the Committee admits, no one follows earlier versions of the Guidelines, it is recommending a focus on "actions needed to successfully implement" key recommendations, in other words on how to force people to eat in this highly deficient and grossly unsatisfying way.
ACTIONS TO TAKE
1. Please take time during this week to post a comment at the USDA website. Go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "SUBMIT Written Comments." It is particularly important to describe any adverse health effects you or family members have suffered by following earlier versions of the Guidelines. You may also want to use any of the talking points listed below.
2. Please also EMAIL your comments to your Senators and Representative in Congress. Let them know that USDA's formulation of dietary guidelines is a complete waste of taxpayer money and has resulted in a health crisis of epidemic proportions, especially in our children. It would be good also to PHONE your elected officials as well. For congressional contact information, go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
3. If you live near Washington, DC, consider attending the public hearings at USDA on July 8. You can sign up to give an oral presentation (as I will do) or simply attend to show support. To sign up for attending the meeting, go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "Meeting Registration/Oral Testimony."
4. Please send out the Press Release below to your local newspaper and radio shows. You may add your own contact information to that of our publicist Kimberly Hartke. In addition, you may add a paragraph to the press release about how the USDA dietary guidelines adversely affected your own health and that of your family.
5.Please broadcast this action alert to other groups. Let's create a tidal wave of outrage!
TALKING POINTS
1. The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources.
2. When a healthy food like cheese is singled out as a food to be avoided, there must be something wrong with the premises on which the guidelines are based.
3. Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates. But excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function. Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease.
4. The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese.
5. By restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will perpetuate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats-including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid-are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline.
6. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg of choline per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day-but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. The committee referred to this as the "choline problem." Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible-yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.
7. The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats-calling them Solid Fats-thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.
8. The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.
9. The Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and-through the back door-encourage the consumption of processed foods.
10. The Guidelines promote the consumption of whole grains, which can contribute to digestive disorders unless properly prepared.
11. The Guidelines completely avoid mentioning blood sugar problems caused by a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat; the diet is particularly dangerous for those suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia, since fats help regulate blood sugar levels. Many people have difficulty concentrating or can even suffer from seizures on a diet too low in fat.
12. The Guidelines urge salt restriction, which will lead to an increased use of artificial flavors like MSG in processed foods.
13. The Guidelines should be scrapped and the committee members should be replaced with individuals who have no ties to the food processing industry or to universities that accept funding from the food processing industry.
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