* By Ward, MH, BA Kilfoy, PJ Weyer, KE Anderson, AR Folsom and JR Cerhand
Environmental Health News, June 29, 2010

Nitrates in drinking water and food increase risk of thyroid cancer and thyroid hormone disease.

Long-term exposure to nitrates through food and water may increase a woman’s risk of thyroid disease, finds a study of older women in Iowa. Public water supplies contaminated with nitrates increased the risk of thyroid cancer in the women. Eating nitrates from certain vegetables was linked to increases in thyroid cancer and hypothyroidism, one type of thyroid disease.

This is the first study to show a link between nitrates and thyroid cancer in people, although nitrates have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in animal studies.

Thyroid cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women. In the United States, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased steadily since 1980.

Nitrate is a common contaminant of drinking water, particularly in agricultural areas where nitrogen fertilizers are used. High rates of fertilizer application may also increase the natural nitrate levels found in certain vegetables, such as lettuce and root crops.

Researchers from the National Institute of Health studied 21,977 older women in Iowa who had used the same water supply for more than 10 years. They determined cancer incidence using the state health registry. They estimated nitrate intake from public drinking water sources using a public database of nitrate measurements. Dietary intake was measured through questionnaires. Since nitrate levels in private well water were not available, all private well users were combined into one group.

The results show a nearly three-fold increase in thyroid cancer risk for women with more than five year’s use of a public water supply that had nitrate levels of 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or above. The maximum contaminant level of nitrate in drinking water is currently set at 10 mg/L in the United States. There was no evidence of elevated thyroid cancer risk among private well users.

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So the search goes on. For several years, many people in the natural health community have been turning to agave nectar, a low-glycemic sugar made from the bulbous roots of agave plants. While agave has a wonderful taste and a relatively low glycemic index, it has also been embroiled in controversy about whether it is truly “natural” or even low glycemic. Some agave nectar providers have, in the past, even been accused of adulterating the product with high-fructose corn syrup (although my sources tell me this practice has ceased for mainstream U.S. suppliers).

Now a new choice for a natural, wholesome sweetener emerges, and it has tremendous promise. It’s called palm sugar.

Why palm sugar is the next big thing in natural sweeteners

Palm sugar is a nutrient-rich, low-glycemic crystalline sweetener that looks, tastes, dissolves and melts almost exactly like sugar, but it’s completely natural and unrefined. It’s acquired from the flowers growing high on coconut trees, which are opened to collect their liquid flower nectar. This nectar is then air-dried to form a crystalline sugar that’s naturally brown in color and naturally rich in a number of key vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including potassium, zinc, iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6.

It is never refined or bleached like white sugar. So the nutrients it was made with are still there. That’s rare for sweeteners, most of which are highly refined. Even stevia is highly refined in its white powder form (real stevia is a green herb).

The amazing caramel and butterscotch taste of palm sugar

Remarkably, even though palm sugar cooks, dissolves and melts just like regular sugar, it has a far superior taste. As Wikipedia states, “The taste of pure coconut palm sugar resembles that of brown sugar, yet with more rounded caramel and butterscotch notes, without the metallic ending flavor that brown sugar has. It has a rich flavor.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_sugar)

I completely agree with that assessment. Palm sugar adds a special richness to almost any recipe. I’ve been using it in smoothies, and I know raw food chefs who are thrilled about using it in raw food desserts (palm sugar is not raw, by the way, but neither is agave nectar). You can use palm sugar as a replacement for regular white sugar in any recipe. You’ll get improved taste, improved nutrition and a lower overall glycemic index for the finished food.

Palm sugar is not a calorie-free sweetener. It has calories like any carbohydrate, but due to its relatively low glycemic index, its calories are absorbed into the bloodstream at a significantly slower rate than regular refined sugar. This property should be of interest to anyone who is monitoring their blood sugar levels and attempting to avoid blood sugar spikes. Palm sugar isn’t medicine; it’s a food with a surprisingly low GI, considering its sweet taste.  It has a glycemic index of 35. By comparison, the GI of honey is 55 – 60, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is 62. Maltodextrin, a common powder often added to many sweeteners, has a GI of 105! (http://www.snac.ucla.edu/pages/Reso…)

At just 35, our palm sugar has a glycemic index very similar to milk or cooked carrots. And yet it’s a super delicious sweetener!

One disadvantage: The price

As with many healthy products, the price is higher than conventional, processed “junk” products. Highly-refined cane sugar is dirt cheap because it can be mass produced in sugar factories that churn out huge quantities of that white, nutritionally-devoid powder known as “table sugar.”

But creating something healthier is more complex. Climbing coconut trees to harvest the nectar of their flowers is difficult work, and drying the liquid into crystals takes time (and patience). Palm sugar isn’t fast sugar. It’s slow sugar that takes time to grow, harvest, and dry. Not coincidentally, it also takes time for its complex carbohydrates to be disassembled during digestion, which is why it has a lower glycemic index.

Organic palm sugar usually costs anywhere from $8 – $10 per pound in the USA. There is an issue with adulteration when purchasing palm sugar overseas: Some low-integrity companies adulterate it by mixing in cane sugar.

My experience with palm sugar

As you know, I only recommend products I use myself. I’ve been experimenting with organic palm sugar for about two months now, and I’m really happy with the results. When used as a sweetener in smoothies, it doesn’t give me the “sugar jitters” that more refined sugars used to do. (I used to be borderline diabetic myself, so I’m very aware of how sugars impact the way I feel.)

It also doesn’t make my teeth feel sensitive the way agave nectar sometimes can. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this side effect from agave nectar, but it’s something I’ve noticed. I still recommend agave nectar, by the way, because it has many good properties. But it does seem to make my teeth feel funny from time to time. (I’d be interested to hear if you’ve ever felt this, too…)

Palm Sugar mixes really well with water, but it doesn’t mix 100%. There are a small number of palm sugar solids that do end up at the bottom of the smoothie shaker bottle, but this is no big deal as you can just shake it again. (I use a Blender Bottle to shake up my smoothies.)

The future of palm sugar

With everything I’ve learned about palm sugar over the last several months, I expect this to become the next “big thing” in natural, organic sweeteners. Before too long, we’ll begin to see it in health food bars and superfood smoothies.

You may even begin to see it next year in natural food products such as healthy cereals. I’ve come to really appreciate one cereal company called Nature’s Path, and palm sugar is the kind of natural ingredient they may be interested in researching more. (They already have some really great natural cereal products.)

But you don’t have to wait for the food products industry… you can try it yourself in your own smoothies and recipes! Enjoy your palm sugar. I think you’ll really like this natural, nutrient-rich organic sweetener.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

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Millions of us suffer from disease, sickness and pain because we simply don’t know this truth about our own health: our bodies are not properly eliminating poisons and environmental toxins. The colon’s job is to hold waste before it is evacuated from the body and to reabsorb water from the waste. Years of poor eating habits, low-fiber diets, sedentary living and other lifestyle choices can slow the digestive processes. If waste sits in the colon too long, toxins build up there and are eventually absorbed back into the body.
A toxic colon eventually leads to a toxic liver, which pollutes the tissues  and the bloodstream, making a person very sick.

Do You Have Any of These Symptoms:

Aches & Pain
Allergies – Sinus
Anemia
Arthritis – Rheumatism
Body Odor – Bad Breath
Brittle Nails & Hair
Blood Pressure (Hi or Lo)
Can’t Concentrate – Memory Loss
Circulation Problems
Cold Hands or Feet
Depression
Fatigue – Exhaustion
Fibroids – Endometriosis
Gas – Constipation
Headaches
Hot Flashes – Menopause
Infertility
Insomnia
Irritability
Low Sex Drive
Menstrual Irregularities
Nausea
Nervousness
Overweight – Obesity
Pot Belly
Swelling Legs & Feet
Skin Problems

These are some of the many types of problems that toxicity in the body can cause. Thee are many poisons which can be found in a toxic colon and in  many cases, these toxins can seep out of the colon and poison the rest of the  body through the bloodstream which nourishes all organs.

Here’s a list of some poisons found in a toxic colon:
Phenol, Cadaverin, Agamatine, Indol, Sulphurretted Hydrogen, Cresol, Butyric Acid, Botulin, Putrescin, Urrobilin, Histidine, Ammonia, Muscarine, Methylmercaptan, Indican, Methygandinine, Idoethylamine, Sulpherroglobine, Ptomarropine, Pentamethy Lendiamine, Neurin, Sepsin

Poisons from the colon can:
- Weaken and stress the heart
- Go to the skin and cause blemishes, paleness, psoriasis, liver spots, wrinkles
- Irritate the lungs and cause foul breath
- Go to the brain and disturb mental function
- Go to the joints and cause pain and stiffness
- Go to the muscles and cause weakness and terrible fatigue
- Rob you of your youth and ruin your health

Reasons to keep the colon clean:
- Prevents constipation and disease of the colon
- Eliminates waste such as fatty tissue, cholesterol, cellulite, toxins, mucus, hardened fecal matter, harmful drug residue
- Controls your weight
- Increases your energy level
- For the glow of health inside and out that shows with clear skin, bright eyes, and shiny hair
- Helps deal with our Polluted Environment

We live in an environment of polluted air, water and soil; a surrounding full of chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, additives and other potential toxins. Ideally these toxins are processed by the liver, dumped into the large intestine (or colon) and eliminated from the body. But when this process malfunctions, serious problems arise that no simple laxative can cure.

Autointoxication

Autointoxication is defined as a state of being poisoned by toxic  substances produced within the body. So, the second reason for concern about colon health involves auto-intoxication, or self-poisoning. When the digestive system doesn’t work properly, auto-intoxication may set in. This happens  when food begins to break down without being eliminated. Proteins putrefy and
rot, carbohydrates ferment, and oils and fats turn rancid. The body becomes poisoned from its own waste.

Doctors Promote Cleansing

“If the colon is not working properly, toxins must exit the body through other routes: the kidneys, the skin, the breath. Many of these patients  have bad halitosis, body odor, etc. When a person becomes ill from colon disease, he or she may develop a variety of symptoms, including headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, cancer or cardiovascular diseases.” William L. Cowden, M.D., internist, classical specialist in internal medicine and cardiology
“I like to think of colon cleanses as whole-body cleanses. Cleansing the colon helps virtually every tissue and cell in the human body. Laxative  herbs are important, and they are the major component of many cleanses. Many cleanses contain too much of strong laxative herbs, which results in cramps. Consequently, people won’t use the cleanse. I think it’s better to use a combination of well-proven herbs that can balance each other and provide a more desirable product.” Alvin B. Segelman, Ph.D., CNS, pharmacognosist
“The body is designed to move the bowels every time we eat. It’s called the gastro-colic reflex. After we eat, the stomach gets the signal that it’s distended, and it sends a nervous energy to our colon telling it to make room. But in western civilization we live on tight schedules. And it’s a little inconvenient to get a call of nature right after lunch when you’re supposed to be back at work. So we have taught our bodies not to do that. When food becomes backed up in the colon, serious problems can develop.” Marvin D. Berman, gastrointerologist, former assistant professor of  medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Diet during the cleanse: No red meat, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, fried food or fast food, no artificial sweetners (stevia is okay). NSP stevia now comes in packets just like the “pink and blue stuff” stock #1381-6).  Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish and turkey, whole grains, rice, beans, eggs are okay too if you like them.  Drink lots of water.  A good rule of thumb is 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water. To replace coffee try the NSP Herbal beverage stock #1600-1.

Cleansing Options:
*Clean Start 14-day Program-Stock # 3993-8-Wild Berry  flavor or Apple/Cinnamon flavor stock #3992-6.
Tiao He 10-day Chinese Cleanse-stock #3050-5
Para-Cleanse with Paw Paw for Targeting Parasites-stock #4115-7
Liquid Cleanse #3193-1
Candida Clear #958-7

If you have any questions or need help ordering, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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• Study Proves Three Monsanto Corn Varieties’ Noxiousness to the Organism
  By Le Monde with AFP
  Truthout, December 11, 2009
  Straight to the Source

Editor’s Note: Please click here to read the study. For more information on Monsanto’s unsafe GMO crops, please visit OCA’s Millions Against Monsanto Campaign page.

A study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences demonstrates the toxicity of three genetically modified corn varieties from the American seed company Monsanto, the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (Criigen, based in Caen), which participated in that study, announced Friday, December 11.

“For the first time in the world, we’ve proven that GMO are neither sufficiently healthy nor proper to be commercialized. [...] Each time, for all three GMOs, the kidneys and liver, which are the main organs that react to a chemical food poisoning, had problems,” indicated Gilles-Eric Séralini, an expert member of the Commission for Biotechnology Reevaluation, created by the EU in 2008.

Caen and Rouen University researchers, as well as Criigen researchers, based their analyses on the data supplied by Monsanto to health authorities to obtain the green light for commercialization, but they draw different conclusions after new statistical calculations. According to Professor Séralini, the health authorities based themselves on a reading of the conclusions Monsanto has presented and not on conclusions drawn from the totality of the data. The researchers were able to obtain complete documentation following a legal decision.

“Monsanto’s tests, effected over 90 days, are obviously not of sufficient duration to be able to say whether chronic illnesses are caused. That’s why we ask for tests over a period of at least two years,” explained one researcher. Consequently, the scientists demand a “firm prohibition” on the importation and cultivation of these GMOs.

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I buy certain staples like organic cheese and organic butter when they are on sale and keep them in the freezer.

Consider buying your organic meats, eggs, and fish in bulk and store in a larger freezer out in the garage.

Remember we have to pay for our health one way or another. Prevention is key. The food that graces your kitchen table is the best disease prevention money can buy. President Obama thinks that we will never fix the National Deficit until we fix the Health Care Crisis, I think we will never fix the Health Care Crisis until we fix the crisis at our kitchen tables.

Here are my favorite cheap health foods:

Flax seeds
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Apples
Yams/Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Spinach
Canned tomatoes
Carrots
Bananas

Tips I have learned from the Whole Foods School of Hard Knocks:

-Avoid buying a bunch of healthy stuff you don’t know how to prepare. Nothing is more wasteful than a bunch of rotting random veggies in your fridge. Instead, commit to making one new healthy recipe per week, experiment with new ingredients and recipes gradually to avoid wasting valuable grocery dollars. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the different grain options, make friends with them one recipe at a time.

-Drink a smoothie in place of one meal each day. You can easily get two servings of fruits out of the way by doing so. Buy frozen fruit when it is on sale, or save money each summer by picking and freezing your own.

-Shop at Farmer’s Markets for produce once weekly when possible. Plan meals around the foods that are in season, rely heavily on fresh herbs, pepper, garlic, and onions to season your food in lieu of organic sea salt.

-Buy frozen chicken breasts and fish on sale.

-Shop organic when possible, buy “The Dirty Dozen” organic, and save your organic dollars on the “Foods Least Likely to Contain Pesticides”.

-Avoid canned foods and opt for frozen. Always keep a little frozen broccoli, spincach, cauliflower, and mixed veggies in the freezer. You can quickly dress up any recipe by adding some steamed frozen veggies. Add one cup of frozen veggies to every frozen meal you prepare, most veggies will mix in nicely with the sauce. The fiber in the vegetables will keep you feeling full longer.

Remember that eating healthy is an investment in your current and long term health.

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

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1. Sodium nitrite
2. BHA & BHT
3. Propyl gallate
4. Monosodium glutamate
5. Trans fats
6. Aspartame
7. Acesulfame-K
8. Food colorings (Blue & , Red , Green , Yellow )
9. Olestra
10. Potassium bromate
11. White sugar
12. Sodium chloride

There are many reasons that some people choose to shop and eat a completely organic range of foods, but the primary reason seems to center around the additives in various non-organic food items. Those additives have been studied and linked to various diseases, and instead of taking the chance that unhealthy preservatives and flavorings might be integrated into grocery store items, people often opt for the strictly organic route so as to avoid them altogether.

But everyone cannot afford the prices of organic foods or the time it takes to shop at specialty markets for them. Thus, becoming informed about the additives in everyday food items can make for an easier shopping experience and healthier items being ingested by everyone. In addition, a mass boycott of foods that contain such additives could prompt food manufacturers to remove such harmful ingredients from their products in the future.

HealthNews Dozen
Top 12 Food Additives to Remove From Your Diet
By Jennifer Newell
Health News, June 29, 2009
Straight to the Source

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Source: An alarming study published in the Journal of Biological Science this week points toward serious health hazards from genetically engineered foods and pesticides. The research, conducted by scientists from France, Italy, New Zealand, U.K. and U.S., corroborates the decade-long criticism by public interest organizations such as the Organic Consumers Association, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth that European Food Safety bureaucrats and the U.S. FDA have used unreliable tests to assess the safety of food and products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are now found in more than 80% of (non-organic) foods sold in conventional grocery stores in the U.S., as well as the majority of animal feed in the EU.

Learn more

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Strawberry extracts may have direct anti-inflammatory effects, helping to inhibit the activation of genes and enzymes that promote inflammation.
Most of this benefit is due to another group of phenolic antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give ripe strawberries their lush red color. Anthocyanins may decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke by protecting blood vessels from the effects of wear and tear.
The ellagic acid and anthocyanins found in strawberries may aid weight loss in at least three ways:
1. Chronic inflammation blocks the hormones involved in keeping you lean. Foods like strawberries help restore normal function to weight-reducing hormones.
2. Anthocyanins can actually increase the body’s production of a hormone called adiponectin, which stimulates your metabolism and suppresses your appetite.

3. Both ellagic acid and anthocyanins can slow the rate of digestion of starchy foods, controlling the rise in blood sugar that follows a starchy meal. This effect can help control blood sugar in people with adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes.
You can eat fresh or frozen strawberries as a snack or dessert anytime. Add plain, fat-free organic yogurt for a creamy topping and chopped walnuts or ground flax seed for crunchiness.
I recommend organically grown strawberries, besides the fact that conventional strawberries have one of the highest amounts of herbicides and pesticides, organic strawberries have been shown to have higher levels of vitamin C.

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Bookmark this link! and share it with everyone you know!

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That said, I realize that’s not always realistic for all of us all of the time. We like to have convenience foods to help us deal with our time crunches, and that’s OK. But I recommend that you read the labels. Choose packaged foods made with real-food ingredients over those with factory-created components.

Be a smart consumer and look for things that are going to help your body thrive. When you pick something up, ask yourself the question: “Is this something my great grandmother would have eaten?” If the answer is “no,” you should probably put it back. Things like frozen blueberries or canned black beans can still be good for you, as long as they don’t contain a bunch of unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients.

STOCKING A HEALTHY PANTRY

Now that you know what to avoid, go to your cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer and toss out any foods that contain the ingredients on the avoid list.

Here’s a list of foods that you can replace in your pantry with healthier foods.

· Refined White Sugar – replace with stevia, agave nectar, honey, brown rice syrup, or Rapadura Whole Cane Organic Unrefined Sugar

· Margarine – replace with organic real butter

· Table Salt – replace with natural Celtic Sea Salt

· Skippy, Jif or other Peanut Butter – replace with natural peanut butter with only two ingredients: peanuts and salt.

· Canned veggies/fruit – eat fresh fruits and veggies

· Soft drinks – good clean water, sparkling water, herbal teas

· Pasta – replace with brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, or whole wheat pasta if your not sensitive to gluten or wheat.

· White Flour – replace with 100% whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour or other non-gluten flours.

· White Bread – replace with a good 100% whole grain bread. The ingredient list should be short with only a few ingredients such as whole wheat flour, yeast, honey, salt.

· Crackers – replace with whole grain crackers – try Ak-Mak, Mary’s Gone Crackers, or Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheats

· Breakfast Cereals – Go with a whole grain one, look for short ingredient lists.

Written by Dee McCaffrey, CDC

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