Sugar

Over the past few months I have learned a lot. Mostly the material in my nursing textbook, but other than that... How sugar is bad for you. I mean, really bad (more on this subject later). For some, that fact may not be such a death sentence as it is for someone in my family.

Exhibit A) I stepped out of my room just this morning after I awoke and walked right into the wafting smell of baking chocolate muffins. (Which were delicious, according to my sisters, who happily munched away as I willed myself to sit in my chair unflinchingly...)

Exhibit B) Have I mentioned that the women in my family (namely my mom, me, and my next oldest sister) are all very accomplished bakers? We whip up homemade baked goods around here like nobody's business.

Alas... I cannot ignore some perturbing symptoms, which always get worse right around this time of year (finals approaching and several in-hospital clinical days). I have been more shaky lately, more sensitive to drops in my blood sugar, than I have before in my short life. Stress management is key to surviving nursing school, I am learning.

Therefore, I am trying to summon in myself the courage, the will, the sheer determination... to cut sugar out of my diet. Possibly all sweets, including honey, maple syrup, and stevia. It is SO hard! It is harder to do than any other diet I have attempted. And I have tried many!

However, the evidence is stacked against me. I have to give it a shot. (No, NOT the flu shot!) I will try to follow-up on my blog. I can't promise I will follow this to a T! I have strong ties to sugar... but I will do my best.

Au revoir!

The Whole Soy Story

This post is a two-for-one: a book review and food review. Unfortunately, I won't be including any recipes.

The Whole Soy Story, written by author Kaayla T. Daniel, explores and challenges health claims made by the pro-soy, low-fat diet industry of our age. And, no, I'm sorry to say, soy is definitely not the "miracle food" it's cracked up to be.

Dr. Daniel expertly sifts through many research studies done about soy, making this book a worthy read. Though it is dense, there isn't much left out. Almost every possible topic on soy is addressed, from types of soy to its different components and how they affect our bodies.

When I first picked up this book, I was only familiar with rumors about something that had to do with soy and estrogen. I really didn't know the half of it. Here are some of the topics and alarming facts I came across in The Whole Soy Story:

• Soy interferes with calcium absorption
• Soy inhibits protein digestion
• "...soy protein fibers are not much different from plastic fibers; both are difficult to digest, have a 'scouring effect' on the GI tract and cause marked amounts of flatulence."
• Soy may induce pancreatic cancer
  
• It may also cause iron deficiencies that "may lead to increased absorption of the heavy metal lead which, in turn, interferes with brain and nervous system function"
• Soy formula puts babies at risk for "brain damage ... that could lead to learning disabilities, attention deficit and other behavioral disorders, and even violent tendencies"
• Soy contains fluoride, which has been linked to "cancer, ... infertility, reproductive problems, skin eruptions, gastric distress, thyroid disturbances, immune system breakdown and other woes"
• Soy also contains aluminum, another heavy metal
• An isoflavone in soy protein may cause heart arrhythmias
• "Soy lowers thyroid function, which in turn will raise cholesterol"
• It may also cause menstrual irregularities in women and infertility in men
  
• Soy isoflavones may cause cancer and are teratogenic
  

There are many more details in the book. I suggest it to someone who is interested in learning more about soy. If purchasing the book is out of the question, there are several articles and websites that can be found through the internet about the dangers of soy.

Bad Advice

Recently, my tepid ears stumbled upon an exchange that was somewhat disturbing. It went something like this:

A co-worker approaches a nurse and tells her about some symptoms that she is having. "My throat is bothering me--and my sinuses are really messed up."

Nurse looks down her coworker's throat with a flashlight: "Oh yeah, it's a little red, but it definitely isn't strep throat."

"Good--I just don't want to go to the doctor."

"Yeah, you'll be fine! Just take some antihistamines and some decongestants, and you'll be okay."


Huh?
In other words, "take chemicals to hide your symptoms so that you'll sort of feel better but ultimately are hindering your body from truly healing and restoring itself."

Maybe I heard wrong.

The Gerson Miracle

Okay, so I just finished watching the documentary, The Gerson Miracle. If you are unfamiliar with the Gerson therapy, I'll give you a hint: it's a cure for cancer. And no, none of the profits from those cute plastic ribbons goes to this therapy. It isn't even allowed to be used on cancer patients in the United States.

Sounds ridiculous, right?

Max Gerson founded his therapy over 75 years ago, and his daughter Charlotte now carries it on. She created The Gerson Institute in Southern California and the Gerson Clinic in Mexico. The program consists mainly of a vegetarian diet complete with plentiful fruits and vegetables and their juices as well as the ever-so-popular coffee enema. The main causes of cancer, as indicated in the film, are deficiency and toxicity. More information about the Gerson therapy can be found at the Gerson website and NaturalNews.com.

There is not much that I have to say about the Gerson Therapy except: do your research! This is the third documentary I have seen featuring this therapy, and the testimonials and photographs and x-rays are just astounding. It seems too good to be true!

Books written by both Max and Charlotte Gerson include case studies of patients who have experienced complete freedom from chronic illness and degeneration. The therapy can also be implemented as a preventative diet for those who have not yet faced a difficult diagnosis.

The Gerson therapy is worth looking into! If anyone is interested, please visit any of the sites that are hyperlinked.

More links:

Max Gerson Archive
Dr. Andrew Saul: The Gerson Therapy
Interview with Charlotte (mp3--The Health Ranger, Mike Adams)
Recovered patient with prostate cancer
The Beautiful Truth (I would suggest this before The Gerson Miracle)
Food Matters (featured)

Book Review: The Hundred-Year Lie

Written by Randall Fitzgerald, The Hundred-Year Lie, I'd have to say, is one of my favorites.

Fitzgerald is an intriguing author and obviously passionate about his chosen field of study. As I was reading I could also see the depth of research Fitzgerald undertook for this work. There was so much information contained on each page, and it was written is such a way that was understandable by the reader.

One of my favorite parts of The Hundred-Year Lie was his chapter that included "The Slippery Slope Index." A full copy of it can be found here. It's basically a timeline of how far we have come as a nation with the deterioration of our health. And how quickly it all happened!

Here are a few examples:

1900 "Diabetes affects less than one-tenth of one percent of the U.S. population; by the end of the twentieth century, almost 20 percent of U.S. citizens will contract type 1 or type 2 diabetes."

1911 "The first partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening, Crisco, is introduced to the public. Heart attacks as a result of coronary artery disease are almost unknown to physicians."

1961 "The FDA approves a medication called Ritalin for use by children with behavior problems. By 1975, about 150,000 children in the United States will be taking Ritalin. By 2005, about six million U.S. children will be using Ritalin, representing 85% of total Ritalin consumption in the entire world."

In addition to these astounding facts and statistics, there is adequate material presented on topics such as artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate (MSG), fluoride, and more.

The outline of the chapters include myths such as "The government insures that drugs are safe," "Vaccinations are always beneficial," and "Only drugs can treat depression." Fitzgerald attempts to bust these myths and more by providing studies and evidence on each topic. I found it to be extremely thought-provoking, if not convincing on some subjects.

Another thing I liked about The Hundred-Year Lie was Part Three entitled "Beyond Apocalypse Now" where Fitzgerald writes about natural remedies--it isn't all doom and gloom! He mentions the Hippocrates Health Institute located in sunny West Palm Beach, Florida, where the physicians specialize in natural cleansing and healing.

Anyway, I could continue on with what I like, but I think you should check it out for yourself!

More information about The Hundred-Year Lie can be found here.

First Batch of Kombucha

I have successfully cultured my first batch of kombucha tea!

Thanks to a little help from a friend and The New Homemaker, I got started on this project almost 2 weeks ago.

A few months back, I decided to pick up a curious bottle at Whole Foods just to try something new. The liquid I had was fizzy, sweet, and sour, and I immediately loved it. That was my first experience with kombucha.

I bought various flavors of kombucha that G.T. had to offer, but the cost was beginning to add up. It was at least $3 per 16 oz. Nevertheless, I toted the bottles around with me, and it earned the nickname "crunk juice" because of its strange flavor and (very tiny) alcohol content.

However, today, I have a gallon of kombucha that cost me less than $1 (excluding the cost for the jar and bottles). It was so simple to make!

Here is the jar of kombucha after I removed the scoby and her "baby" (should I name it?):

My high-tech bottling system [EZ-caps and a funnel]:

(for scale: the measuring cup holds about 20 ounces)

The finished product!

The only thing I'm sad about is that I'll have to wait another week or two for the next batch. I'll figure out a rotation soon enough...

Sunshine

Okay, so I must share a recent find with you. Actually, I'm a little embarrassed I didn't figure this out before.

A great acne treatment I've been taking advantage of is sunshine. Though it may not be an absolute cure, getting a sunbath a few times a week really helps. All you gotta go is wash off the makeup, throw on a tank top and shorts, grab a good book, and soak in the sun's rays.

Obviously, a forewarning.. Don't stay out too long. The purpose isn't to get burnt! Also, don't slop on a ton of sunscreen, if any. The sun works with your bare, lotion-free skin to churn up lots of vitamin D.

In fact, vitamin D does more for us than most realize: prevents osteoporosis, prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer, schizophrenia, rickets... plus it's impossible to get vitamin D toxicity. (You can download a free e-book about sunlight here.)

I'm excited about the wonderful weather (excluding the occasional rain storm) that has graced Florida this spring. I just hope it doesn't get too unbearable during the summer!