The question of what's causing early puberty in females has been a hot topic on television and popular internet sites this past week. The healthy age of menarche (a females first period) is 14. However, the age of menarche and breast development is dropping significantly, in some cases almost by 50%. So, what is causing early menarche? The media is portraying that it has to do with food additives and increasing rates of obesity in youngsters. There is validity in these two causes, yet there is a primary reason behind food additives and obesity that they aren't telling you.
The primary cause of early menarche is due to the increasing use of anti-biotics, steroids and hormones that are fed to our animals, particularly cow's and chicken's. Conventional farming allows the use of anti-biotics, steroids and hormones to treat the animals if they have infection and to fatten animals up more rapidly. Our two primary meat sources, beef and chicken, are packed into crowded living spaces, movement is restricted, they are fed food that is extremely hard and sometimes impossible for them to digest. Seldom, if ever, do they see sunlight and they are so crammed into their living space that they eat, sleep and live in each other's feces. With such awful living conditions, infection is very common, health is extremely poor and as a result the quality of their meat, eggs and milk suffers as well. Cow's are over-milked and in turn experience soreness, inflammation, and infections in their milk ducts; anti-biotics are supplemented to combat such cruel and unusual punishment. Hormones and steroids are fed to chickens and cattle to make the cuts of meat larger so to appeal to our western slogan "bigger is better".
In fact, bigger is not better as we are mirroring the affects of modern technology in our children. When we encourage factory farming and use steroids and hormones in our food sources, we ingest those substances and they become active in us. Our reproductive systems are made up of hormones and when we add synthetic hormones on top of what is naturally occurring within, our bodies get confused and harmed and start producing hormones at an increased and irregular rate. Such hormones are mimicked in us and cause early menarche and the rapid development of the reproductive organs. Menarche before age 14 is considered early and unfortunately increases one's risk for cancer's of the reproductive organs including breast, uterine and cervical.
Another cause of early menarche and reproductive cancers is due to the excessive use of plastic. When we heat up our foods in plastic or store them in plastic containers, chemicals in the plastic leak out into our foods. This causes substances known as pseudoestrogens which mimic the naturally occurring estrogen within our bodies. Our common use of bottled water poses a major concern in this area. Bottled water is very poorly regulated and typically is the same or even worse than tap water (depending on where you live). I've mentioned in previous articles about where to purchase a water filter that is much superior to bottled or tap water, is better for the environment and is free of pseudoestrogens.
By eating a diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, we can significantly reduce our child's risk for early menarche. One of the best ways to reduce this risk is to decrease dairy products in the diet, particularly, milk, yogurt, cheese and cream. You can make healthier choices by buying organic milk, (preferably goat's milk), organic cheeses (preferably goat's or sheep cheese) and organic yogurt (preferably goat's). Goat's and sheep's milk constitutionally have a different, more digestible form of protein that is much healthier for our bodies. Adults should look into purchasing and eating raw goat's/sheep's cheeses and milks as these are far superior to other forms. Also, by limiting you and you're child's intake of dairy, you will create a healthier landscape and decrease risk of diseases. Also, look to buy organic, free-range, grass-fed eggs and meats to improve you and your child's health.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Big G get's a Big "F"
Our food and drug administration has decided, finally, that Americans aren't getting enough whole grains, vitamins, minerals and fiber from our diets. Thank Goodness someone is paying attention. However, I wouldn't hold your breath. The bright idea loses it's shine when they call on the big guns which they refer to as Big G or General Mills, to solve the problem. General Mill's is as corporate as Goldman and Sachs with it's agenda being money, greed and bigotry. General Mill's quite literally throws sugar, artificial flavors, corn syrup, dyes, corn (promoted as "whole grain") and a number of GM's cereals contain a substance called BHT into a box. They also add in fortified vitamins which are not in usable form to our bodies.
Back to BHT. BHT is a chemical compound used to protect against the rancidity of fats and oils. BHT is also an additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels and rubber petroleum products, to name a few. BHT has been shown to be a common allergen which could cause your child to behave out of the ordinary. It is also a known carcinogen and tumor promoter. When we try to conquer nature by using science, we lose, every single time. By preparing our own foods from fresh ingredients, we bypass the need for chemical preservatives and additives. We need to leave the boxes on the shelf, or in our wood stoves, and pick up some cooking utensils so we can pass the art and beauty of preparing and cooking healthy, wholesome meals down to our children. When we teach them to open a box and pour it in a bowl, we're crippling them instead of empowering them.
General Mills goes on to use phrase slogans on the front of their boxes such as "whole grain", "good source of calcium and vitamin D", "Good source of fiber". Here's corporatocracy at its best; conventional, pesticide laden corn that's probably been sitting around for quite some time and starting to mold. That isn't exactly a whole grain. The vitamins they fortify cereals with such as, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and B vitamins are synthetic, yes, they're fake. These vitamins cannot be absorbed in our bodies, instead they are stored in fatty membranes or hopefully they find there way out via urine or defecation, hopefully. The dyes that they add for attractiveness such as Blue dye #1, can "trigger a number of behavioral, learning and health problems". These dyes have also been shown to be carcinogenic, increase nervousness, and lack of concentration they are also derived from petroleum oil. A nauseating (literally) 15 million pounds of dyes are added to U.S. food supplies each year. It is known that each added dye is like ingesting a small dose of cancer. This isn't exactly what we should be feeding our children nor ourselves.
As for the fiber. Unfortunately, it's still not looking too good. With the highest fiber amounts coming in around 3-5 grams with 46 grams of sugar for a 3/4 cup of cereal, that amount of fiber couldn't excrete a rabbit pebble. Try eating 3/4 of a cup of sugary cereal and see if you get satiated. Chances are you won't be or if you miraculously are the probability of you being hungry in about an hour is almost 100% (if you are a healthy individual). Bottom line- these cereals are at the forefront of what's initiating obesity in our youth as well as type II diabetes in children and young adults. In order to change the health of society, we need to change the way we eat. Stop buying chemicals in a box, start purchasing true whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and polenta. The FDA tries to outwit us via its sly advertising methods especially targeting children. We can stop this by discontinuing our purchase of such products. Overall, General Mill's and our FDA get an "F".
If you don't have time for a hot breakfast in the morning, here are some healthy cold cereal choices. Top with berries, ground flax seeds, and goat, rice or hemp milk:
Arrowhead Mills:
Back to BHT. BHT is a chemical compound used to protect against the rancidity of fats and oils. BHT is also an additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels and rubber petroleum products, to name a few. BHT has been shown to be a common allergen which could cause your child to behave out of the ordinary. It is also a known carcinogen and tumor promoter. When we try to conquer nature by using science, we lose, every single time. By preparing our own foods from fresh ingredients, we bypass the need for chemical preservatives and additives. We need to leave the boxes on the shelf, or in our wood stoves, and pick up some cooking utensils so we can pass the art and beauty of preparing and cooking healthy, wholesome meals down to our children. When we teach them to open a box and pour it in a bowl, we're crippling them instead of empowering them.
General Mills goes on to use phrase slogans on the front of their boxes such as "whole grain", "good source of calcium and vitamin D", "Good source of fiber". Here's corporatocracy at its best; conventional, pesticide laden corn that's probably been sitting around for quite some time and starting to mold. That isn't exactly a whole grain. The vitamins they fortify cereals with such as, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and B vitamins are synthetic, yes, they're fake. These vitamins cannot be absorbed in our bodies, instead they are stored in fatty membranes or hopefully they find there way out via urine or defecation, hopefully. The dyes that they add for attractiveness such as Blue dye #1, can "trigger a number of behavioral, learning and health problems". These dyes have also been shown to be carcinogenic, increase nervousness, and lack of concentration they are also derived from petroleum oil. A nauseating (literally) 15 million pounds of dyes are added to U.S. food supplies each year. It is known that each added dye is like ingesting a small dose of cancer. This isn't exactly what we should be feeding our children nor ourselves.
As for the fiber. Unfortunately, it's still not looking too good. With the highest fiber amounts coming in around 3-5 grams with 46 grams of sugar for a 3/4 cup of cereal, that amount of fiber couldn't excrete a rabbit pebble. Try eating 3/4 of a cup of sugary cereal and see if you get satiated. Chances are you won't be or if you miraculously are the probability of you being hungry in about an hour is almost 100% (if you are a healthy individual). Bottom line- these cereals are at the forefront of what's initiating obesity in our youth as well as type II diabetes in children and young adults. In order to change the health of society, we need to change the way we eat. Stop buying chemicals in a box, start purchasing true whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and polenta. The FDA tries to outwit us via its sly advertising methods especially targeting children. We can stop this by discontinuing our purchase of such products. Overall, General Mill's and our FDA get an "F".
If you don't have time for a hot breakfast in the morning, here are some healthy cold cereal choices. Top with berries, ground flax seeds, and goat, rice or hemp milk:
Arrowhead Mills:
- Spelt Flakes
- Oat Bran Flakes
- Kamut Flakes
- Amaranth Flakes
- Rice Puffs
- Kamut Puffs
- Millet Flakes
- Flax Plus Flakes
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Art of Chewing
Chewing one's food thoroughly improves digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Many westerners tend to hurry through meals without taking time to truly savor and be grateful for what is on our plates. Once we begin chewing, carbohydrate break-down is initiated; the more fully we chew the less stress our other digestive organs have to face when it becomes their turn to further break-down and assimilate food. It is recommended that foods be chewed at least 50 times or so (until the food is of liquid form) to make carbs, proteins, fats, oils, minerals etc. more absorbable. Also, improper chewing can cause symptoms such as bloating, gas, digestive upset, stomach pain, hiccups, belching and can cause one to be undernourished. Saliva is the substance that initiates the digestive process and releases enzymes that initiate the break-down of nutrients. Further, chewing foods to liquid form can be calming, more nourishing and less taxing on our digestive systems.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Studies have shown that by chewing food thoroughly, as oppose to swallowing foods whole or in larger pieces, increases the amount of beneficial enzymes released and there is also an increase in the amount of toxins released from the body! An additional study demonstrated that proper chewing is linked with decreasing rates of cancer. Also, a study performed in the U.K. displayed that thorough chewing can enhance both long-term and short-term memory.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Studies have shown that by chewing food thoroughly, as oppose to swallowing foods whole or in larger pieces, increases the amount of beneficial enzymes released and there is also an increase in the amount of toxins released from the body! An additional study demonstrated that proper chewing is linked with decreasing rates of cancer. Also, a study performed in the U.K. displayed that thorough chewing can enhance both long-term and short-term memory.
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