Having struggled with unexplained health issues and pain since childhood and finally finding healing & hope through nutrition and alternative methods, it has become my goal to share encouragement and information with others dealing with the same challenges.
I’ve been battling intense allergies for the past two weeks, so I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I have to admit that I became a bit discouraged, starting to believe that this new healthy lifestyle wasn’t helping at all. But I realized that I need to reflect a little and remember how far I really have come with my health. Since I haven’t shared my story with you yet, I thought this would be the perfect time…
For as long as I can remember, I have been sick or in pain most of the time. While it’s never been anything super serious, I’ve definitely had a few debilitating days. For the most part, it’s simply just kept me from enjoying life to the fullest. Throughout my childhood, I got sick pretty often, mainly suffering from respiratory illnesses, and I’ve always had nearly constant back pain. I moved to Austin at age 6 and developed allergies and asthma, often developing into a sinus infection, pneumonia, bronchitis, you name it, and then of course, taking lots of medicine. I always complained of back pain as a kid and my parents did everything they could to discover the cause: taking me to multiple doctors & specialists, having MRIs & xrays and doing physical therapy. No one could figure it out. When I reached middle & high school, participation in sports only made it worse, and I started to have shoulder pain as well. Doctors prescribed muscle relaxers, Advil or physical therapy to manage the pain. Then, with the onset of puberty came acne (and other hormonal problems). My dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic for the acne, which I proceeded to take for only the next 8 years.
In college, everything got even worse. I was sick with bronchitis for the entire second semester of my Freshman year. Then, winter of Sophomore year brought even more illness. It started with my typical holiday seasonal allergies, developing into an apparent sinus infection compounded with bronchitis. Over the course of a month and a half, I was prescribed 6 courses of antibiotics and 3 steroid packs. Since I had a fever every day, the doctors also suggested Advil every 4-6 hours… for a whole month. My back pain became so intense that one doctor even said I “probably” had ovarian cancer… I didn’t. I saw 10 different doctors, trying to figure out what was actually wrong. No one could diagnose me. By March, my stomach became so inflamed from all those medications that I couldn’t keep any food down or sleep. It eventually culminated in a trip to the ER and a week-long stay in the hospital for gastritis.
I was furious, depressed and hopeless… I still didn’t have any answers and doctors were making me worse, not better. This was my turning point. As a last straw, I made an appointment to visit an “alternative doctor,” who immediately put me on probiotics to rebuild my immune system and my gut. She gave me some vitamins and changed my diet from the bland, carb-heavy “sick diet” to lots of protein and vegetables. Within a week, I was a different person, and continued to get better and better. That experience made me realize that there had to be something to this alternative, holistic medicine thing.
Since that time, I’ve been healthier – staying away from fast food, eating more veggies and taking vitamins. But, I still felt like my immune system just wasn’t performing up to par… it takes me awhile to get over being sick, I’ve suffered from hormonal issues (girls, you know) and I struggled with back pain daily. After watching a couple of great documentaries and reading some surprising health articles, I realized that even this was not normal and that I didn’t have to live this way. Providing even more motivation, after getting married a year ago, I inevitably began to think about my future children. I certainly didn’t want my kids to be sick all the time, and, I was frightened by the epidemics of food allergies and autism in kids today, not to even mention the possible (again, epidemic) fertility problems I could face trying to get pregnant someday. If you know me, you know I don’t accept “well, that’s just how things are” very easily. I was going to find answers.
Now, I read books, watch lots of documentaries, and keep up with new research and articles. I learn something new every day that I can put into practice immediately. Now, my healing comes from food that I can buy from a local farmer, not from medication – it’s much more delicious and there’s no long list of terrible side effects! I know that it may take my body a while to recover from all the toxins I put in it for so many years, but I have complete confidence that it will rebuild itself. God designed our bodies to heal themselves given the right nutrients. I’ve already seen a huge difference – pain and sickness are now in the minority in my life and I’m feeling better every day. Plus, I’m giving my future children a real chance to be healthy, and that will be the most rewarding result of all.
Is it just me, or does America seem to be getting sicker? I don’t remember so many kids having autism or food allergies when I was a kid. And it certainly seems like infertility problems have skyrocketed in my lifetime. Apparently, I’m not crazy, because, in fact, since the mid 90s, the number of Americans suffering from at least 3 chronic illnesses has nearly doubled. Oh, and the infant mortality rate is increasing, even though we are supposed to have better medical care and technology than ever. So, what’s changed? A few months ago, I watched a documentary (and did some research of my own) that opened my eyes to an interesting coincidence, pointing to what has changed in our environment that could be causing these health epidemics in America. Genetic Roulette, directed by Jeffrey Smith, won AwareGuide’s Top Transformational Film of 2012 award – to get the word out about the film, they are making it available to watch for FREE, this week only (through Feb 10), here. Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives may be the best documentary I’ve seen. It’s filled with testimonies from farmers & moms and facts & explanations from experts to back up everything it claims. I’m going to give an overview of the film, but I’ll never do it justice. So make time for about 80 minutes this week to sit down and watch; I promise you won’t regret it.
So what’s the coincidence? It was the switch from eating whole foods to scientifically altered foods – the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs were created by putting the DNA from one species into another to get benefits from both. For our food and farming purposes, this means creating a seed that makes a plant produce its own pesticide or making it pesticide resistant so that farmers have an easier time fighting off bugs and weeks. It sounds like a great idea, except that it’s all a science experiment in genetic alteration, resulting in mutations and unpredictable side effects, creating toxins, allergens, carcinogens and triggering inflammation. It creates a new genetic sequence that our body doesn’t recognize as food and so attacks the foreign object. Wait, so how did all this get approved by the FDA?
I love me a good government conspiracy theory, but get the facts on this one: The FDA has claimed overwhelming consensus from scientists that GMOs are safe since 1992, but when internal memos were released to the public during a lawsuit, it was discovered that their research staff actually expressed health and safety concerns about GMOs. Unfortunately, their concerns were ignored because the FDA Deputy Commissioner, Michael Taylor, was also a former attorney & Vice President at Monsanto Chemical Company, the company that manufactures and sells GMO seeds to farmers. And Michael Taylor’s not the only commercial GM advocate that’s been appointed to a high government position in charge of our safety (ahem, Dept of Agriculture). Actually, the FDA doesn’t regulate these seeds; they ask these companies to do their own studies and remind them of obligation to provide safe food to the public. If you’re not familiar with Monsanto, they’re the same company that said Agent Orange & DDT were safe – do you trust them? Unfortunately, companies are motivated by money, so when they perform their own studies, the statistics are likely skewed to get the product to market faster. Often they are too short to identify cancer, birth defects, and infertility effects.
Interestingly, independent studies (those not funded by companies making money from GMO foods – look carefully when you research) show that since GMO corn and soy started increasing in farms in 1996, America has seen a huge rise in problems with the gut – inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal disease, Chrohn’s disease, chronic constipation, reflux. For your reference, today, about 88% of corn and 94% of soy is GMO; while you may not think you eat a lot of corn or hate soy milk, the products of corn and soy are in almost every processed, pre-packaged food item that you eat. Oh, and there seems to be a shared rise in diabetes, autism, alzheimer’s, heart attacks, thyroid issues, allergies, and autoimmune diseases as well.
The movie covers a variety of topics, each building upon the last… here’s a taste of what you’ll learn:
Insecticide in Food: The BT toxin used in GM corn & cotton is designed to break open the stomachs of insects to kill them. Seems to do the same to us, making our intestines leaky and allowing food to enter the body before our flora have a chance to respond. Stat: A Canadian study found BT toxin in the blood of 93% of pregnant women sampled.
Intestinal Damage: Many diseases on the rise are connected to intestinal permeability – the food is leaking into body and we are creating antibodies to those foods, naturally developing food intolerances & allergies.
Allergies: Food allergies are on the rise today due to intestinal damage. Although the allergic reactions to certain foods may not reverse, symptoms decreased when prescribed a high-quality, organic, non-GMO diet. I don’t want to be the mom who said: “What have I done to my children? What did I unknowingly consent to?”
Autism: The rate is sky-rocketing and one of the main health issues autistic people have are intestinal. Parents have seen great results switching to a non-GMO diet. Not saying this is the cause, but I certainly wouldn’t risk it.
RoundUp: Monsanto’s best selling herbicide to kill weeds is based on glyphosate, which steals nutrients. Plants treated with RoundUp will have reduction in available nutrients, so the animals eating it become weak and sick… and then we eat the plants and animals, making us weak and sick. When you are deficient in essential trace minerals and nutrients, diseases worsen and can become impossible to cure.
Birth Defects: Workers on farms sprayed with RoundUp suffered birth defects. Lab animals suffered severe birth defects and fertility problems from GMO soy; by the 3rd generation, some rats even lost the ability to have babies.
Mystery Organism: When researching the epidemic of livestock fertility problems, scientists found a NEW, unidentified organism with similar properties of fungus in a miscarried fetus. These livestock are eating high concentrations of roundup sprayed on corn & soy and GM alfalfa hay.
Cancer from Dairy: Scientists use the E.Coli bacteria to produce a hormone to increase metabolism and milk production in cows. Unfortunately, this causes painful mastitis in the udders, meaning more antibiotics and bovine growth hormone (rGBH) in the milk. IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), found in these hormones, is known to cause cancer, especially in milk-duct tissues. After studies showed a 55-60% increase in breast cancer for women over 50, rGBH was finally banned in many countries outside of the US, though some American companies have stopped using it. Even several Monsanto scientists admit they won’t drink non-organic milk.
Kids & GMOs: Kids grow fast and have a higher metabolic rate, so they eat more and need more nutrition from their food. Their immune system is also under development, making them more susceptible to toxins. And epigenetics has proved that pregnant women can pass many of these toxins onto their babies.
Infant Formula: Most formulas have rGBH dairy and GM corn in them, and the soy-based ones have GM soy. Babies are the most vulnerable of all to these toxins.
Why GMOs? They say it’s the best way to “feed the world.” But really, we are using chemicals that cost more money, require more work and destroy the soil. “Just because science can do something, does that mean it should?”
GMO Myths:
Increases Yield (seeds are not sustainable; organic outperforms in droughts; all independent studies prove not economically better)
Increases Exports (we’ve lost 99% of corn exports to Europe)
Reduces Need for Herbacide (after few years, weeds change and no resistance; more pesticides applied to GMOs than conventional)
The government and scientists have reviewed and approved (Many scientists who have spoken up or disagreed with GMOs in the past have been attacked and had their reputations destroyed.)
Lastly, a few farmer testimonies:
GMOs in India – When BT toxin took over cottonseed industry, thousands of field workers & farmers complained of skin allergies & rashes and animals grazing on BT toxin fields got sick and died. BT cotton is unpredictable and when crops failed, farmers went into debt, creating a huge suicide increase – BT cotton farmer suicides account for 75% of the country’s suicide rate.
GMOs in South Africa – GM corn fed to cows and pigs had reproductive failure, pneumonia and cannibalistic tendencies; problems disappeared after weeks on non-GMO and then when ran out of seeds and started using GM seeds again, the symptoms reappeared in 60 days. All 50-60 farmers on a GM corn farm ate the corn 3 times per day; they suffered from severe headaches, flu like symptoms, and a few died; sickness cleared up after removing GM corn, then returned when GM corn used again.
GMOs in America – A miniature steer ranch started on GMO corn to save money and the cattle began to bloat up and die; they also became really irritated and angry. Another pig ranch reported that their pigs were happier and healthier, eating more, calmer, and incurred less medical costs after only 3 days just by switching to non-GMO corn feed. Later, the conception and liter rates increased and birth defects decreased.
My favorite quote in the movie is when an expert refers to GM science as “tobacco science.” For years, everyone (and their mom) smoked cigarettes, even pregnant women, without any idea that it caused cancer and birth defects. These tobacco companies were allowed to self regulate until enough scientists and medical professionals spoke out to prove otherwise, causing a tipping point. It finally forced the government to require companies to put warning labels on packages and advertisements. I’m hoping that we are nearing a similar tipping point for GMOs. People have the right to know what these products are doing to their bodies. If you get a chance, vote for required GMO labels on all food, and pray that someday we’ll live in a world where our kids won’t grow up with commercials for high-fructose corn (syrup) flakes all over tv.
But, friends, there is hope! Studies have shown that many health problems reversed when GMOs were taken out of the diet. So how can you avoid GMOs? The main offenders are: Soy, Corn, Cottonseed (oil), Canola (oil), Sugar Beets (sugar), Papaya, Zuchinni, Yellow Crookneck Squash, Alfalfa, and Aspertame. But ingredient labels can be confusing and indirect, so it’s best to look for the Non-GMO Project Verified label. You can even find an easy shopping guide, or download the phone app here.
Have you ever heard of GMOs? Will you watch the documentary?
Open the can of coconut milk and put in the fridge overnight uncovered. You’ll find that the top 3/4 of the can has hardened enough where you can scoop out the coconut milk. Scoop out the hardened part (its okay if you get some of the liquid at the bottom) into a mixing bowl. Add the honey and vanilla extract and then whip with beaters or your whisk attachment until it has the consistency of whipped cream. Then separate into a few ramekins – I usually get 5-6 servings out of a full can. I toss some coconut flakes and sliced almonds in some melted coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and a little honey before putting on a cookie sheet to toast in the oven for a few minutes. And/or you can add a few dark chocolate chips – I found some without any soy at Natural Grocers!
Honey + Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk
Creamy Whipped Coconut Milk
Toasted Coconut & Almonds
And now time to devour the deliciousness by the spoonful…. Enjoy!
In the healthy food blogosphere, this week is known as “Fabulous Fermentation Week” and I thought this would be the perfect time to share my recent experimentation with fermentation and all benefits it has to offer! When you think of fermented foods, mostly likely only pickles and sauerkraut come to mind, but actually many of our favorite foods & drinks were created through fermentation – wine, beer, coffee, yogurt, cheese and chocolate. It’s a process discovered thousands of years ago, probably by chance, as a preservation method that happened to add nutrients in the process; it has provided profound health benefits to humans for generations. Defined by Webster’s Dictionary, fermentation is “an enzymatically controlled transformation of an organic compound.” Dr. Cate describes it best in Deep Nutrition – “With an arsenal of enzymes, microbes can break down toxins that might otherwise sicken or kill us outright, turn simple sugars into complex nutrients, make vitamins our diets might otherwise lack (such as K2 and B12), and wage chemical warfare on would-be pathogens.”
One main benefit to fermentation is that it produces live cultures with good bacteria – probiotics – that work with our immune system to fight the bad bacteria – pathogens – that attack our system and cause allergies, autoimmune diseases & inflammation. Many of us are consistently lacking enough probiotics in our system, and therefore have poor-functioning immune systems – story of my (former) life. By incorporating probiotics into your diet, you’ll quickly see great changes to your digestive system. Whenever I have an upset stomach, I go straight for pickles or kombucha (before you ask – no, they’re not pregnancy cravings) to feel better fast. Probiotics are also really essential when you are taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria with no discretion – the good and the bad. Without replenishing the good kind, you are compromising your immune system even more, opening yourself up to more infection (and yet I’ve never had a doctor tell me that).
While you can certainly take pricey probiotic supplements to boost your system, you could also start eating fermented foods like (raw, unpasteurized) yogurt, real (no preservatives) pickles, kimchi and sauerkraut OR by drinking delicious kombucha. For those of you who have never heard of it – kombucha is a probiotic-rich, fruity, naturally carbonated beverage that you can find in lots of different flavors at your local grocery or health foods store. It’s a great substitution for those of you who are addicted to soda, and you can even use it as a cocktail mixer – I tried some gin in a ginger-blueberry kombucha last week and it was pretty awesome. What you might discover is that it’s also pretty expensive – around $3-4 per bottle. I had always heard that it was easy and cheap to make it at home, so I decided to try it. And wow, definitely lived up to that promise. The hands on time for this was maybe only 20 minutes spread out over 2 weeks. Some of the fermentation processes are a little gross, but nothing that you can’t handle!
I started with an organic home-brew starter kit from Kombucha Brooklyn. However, all you really need to get started is a 1 Gallon glass jar, which you could find at a local beer home-brew store, a piece of cotton & rubber band, and then some organic unflavored tea and cane sugar. What makes the magic happen is something called a SCOBY – symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast – which is basically a strange, disc looking thing you put in your jar of sweet tea and let ferment. You can get a SCOBY online, in the starter kit, or, if you live in Austin, I can give you one from one of my batches! Once you start with one, each batch will produce another so that you can continue brewing and never buy again.
Kombucha Starter Set – dried fruit for flavoring bottles, sugar, SCOBY and tea
Boil water then steep tea for 20 minutes
Add 1 cup sugar and stir to dissolve
Add 8 cups cold filtered water
Kombucha fermenting and growing another SCOBY
Day 14 – Clearly see 2 SCOBYs
Take out the two SCOBYs
Add 1.5 cups kombucha liquid
Use funnel to fill 6 16oz bottles
Add dried fruit to the bottles for flavor
First, you boil 4 cups of filtered water. Take off the heat and add 6 organic, unflavored black or white tea bags. Let steep for around 20 minutes, then add 1 cup of organic cane sugar and stir. Once dissolved, add 8 cups of cold, filtered water and pour into your one gallon jar. After that, you simply add the SCOBY with 1.5 cups of kombucha liquid from your last batch (or that the SCOBY comes in). Cover with the cloth and rubber band and then put into a warm, dark place where it can breathe – as long as you don’t keep your house super cold, it’s fine anywhere but your pantry or by a window. Let sit for around 2 weeks and watch a new SCOBY grow as your kombucha ferments. After that amount of time, taste your kombucha to see if you like it… taste will tell you when it’s done (I like mine sweet, rather than sour). When done, simply take out the SCOBYs and set them aside with 1.5 cups of the liquid. Pour the tea into bottles – I used 6 old 16oz bottles I had saved. If you want to add a flavor, you must do it after fermentation, during the bottling process. I used dried mango, raspberries and ginger & blueberries for 3 different kinds. Once in your bottles, put the lids on tight and let sit out of the fridge for 3-5 days so that it will carbonate. After that, refrigerate and enjoy your refreshing & healthy beverages!
*If you’ve never tried Kombucha before, I recommend you go to the store now and buy some! Austin’s local Buddha’s Brew is the sweetest, so it’s a good starting point to get used to the flavor – the honeydew flavor is my absolute favorite.
What’s your favorite fermented food or drink? Have you ever tried kombucha?
For more fermented food recipes, you can find the participants in Fabulous Fermentation Week at My New Roots.
We typically think of cooking an animal only for its meat, but we’re missing some of the best part! French culinary masters consider stock/bone-broth to be a kitchen essential in flavoring soups, rice, sauce, gravy, and much more. Our ancestors survived on hearty broth made from bones, especially during the winter when fresh food was hard to come by – our bodies have gotten used to the nutrients that animal bones provide and depend on them to grow, repair and function. This is just one of the many reasons I’m not a vegan.
Animal bones (and the marrow) contain a protein molecule called glucosamine. Glucosamine, the main ingredient in arthritis meds and joint supplements, helps build and repair joints and also triggers the growth of new collagen. Collagen provides structural support for our bones, tendons and ligaments, and gives our skin shape, texture and youthfulness. While collagen injections may make the Real Housewives’ lips temporarily plump, consistent regeneration of the collagen in your skin, hair, bones, arteries and more can only come from making it part of your diet. I don’t know about you, but as I age, I want to look and feel young… here’s to a retirement full of active travel and less wrinkles! The good news is that natural collagen and glucosamine are an easy and tasty addition to your diet, and will not only help prevent issues, but also rebuild and repair. By simply simmering the nutrients out of the bones, joints and cartilage slowly, you are able to safely extract the minerals and vitamins (magnesium, vitamin D & calcium), as opposed to the high-heat damaging methods used in making glucosamine pills.
So here’s how I make my weekly bone broth: After I cook my whole chicken, I put the bones back in my crockpot, along with 8 cups of filtered water. I roughly chop any mix of the following to add to the pot: onion, celery, beet greens, carrots, garlic, leek or fresh herbs. You can also add a couple tablespoons of white wine or apple cider vinegar, as the acid in those liquids helps get more minerals from the bones.
Simmer on low for around 4 hours.
Then strain and transfer to a BPA-free container. Use within a couple of days from the fridge, or store in the freezer.
You can use it in any recipe that calls for chicken broth, as a soup or gravy base, to replace water when making rice delicious or drink by itself. And of course, you can do the same with beef bones or fish bones for different broth flavors. Considering how expensive a container of broth costs, this is a great deal – plus, no chemical preservatives or flavor additives!
A special tip for dog owner’s: I sometimes add a little broth to my puppy’s food to help her joints and she loves it! But, be sure not to use any onion in that batch as it is toxic to dogs).
Sources: Wikipedia searches of collagen & glucosamine and, of course, Deep Nutrition.
I’ve been battling intense allergies for the past two weeks, so I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I have to admit that I became a bit discouraged, starting to believe that this new healthy lifestyle wasn’t helping at all. But I realized that I need to reflect a little and remember how far I really have come with my health. Since I haven’t shared my story with you yet, I thought this would be the perfect time…
Healthy and Hopeful 