Weight Loss Tip: Green Food For Fat Loss

This article is from  athleticgreens.com

Food for Fat Loss™ – 30 Days To A Healthier Happier YOU

 

Hey Mate,

I hope this finds you better than ever. In light of a bunch of questions recently on when to take Athletic Greens, Athletic Greens and fat loss, food and fat loss, belly fat and fat loss, fat loss and fat loss, and Athletic Greens vs. “post workout powder xyz” I decided to rip this one out.

It has been by FAR the most popular article I have ever written, now completely updated.

Read it, do it and you can expect dramatic and EASY Fat Loss.

My take on FOOD for FAT LOSS and the idea behind Athletic Greens

Lets start with my direction for 95% plus of people on how and when to take Athletic Greens

Wake up, take 1 serving of Athletic Greens, ideally in water. Do this everyday. AND/OR take your serving of Athletic Greens immediately post workout (or depending on diet immediately prior to first meal of the day). For 95% of people, this is the be all and end all of how you take Athletic Greens

PLEASE NOTE: It is NOT a meal replacement. I am going to say that often.

The idea behind Athletic Greens, or “Why would you take Athletic Greens?”

You take Athletic Greens to get a huge wallop of food-sourced and readily absorbable micronutrients (and get them IN to your system) every day. They have been pre selected for efficacy, quality, and combined in optimal amounts for synergistic impact.

Eating (and absorbing) sufficient micronutrients is VITAL for every function in your body. If you are missing out on even one essential nutrient, your health suffers. We can survive for a long time, but thrive is a different story.

At the same time as providing those micronutrients Athletic Greens works on your body’s ability to absorb ALL nutrients by improving gut health.

Improving gut health = increased nutrient absorption + lower inflammation

Since you know we need those nutrients, and inflammation is the number one cause of disease, you can see why this is useful

Athletic Greens will also massively boost your immunity, detox (lightly) your liver, and do a host of other cool little things like give your brain a neurotransmitter boost, improve your body’s ability to withstand stress (via a host of adaptogens) and provide potent anti-oxidants aimed at improving cellular function and overall health.

Pure and simple, it is “Ultimate Nutritional Insurance™“

• Insurance against nutrient gaps in your diet
• Even if you eat “perfectly” – insurance against nutrient gaps in your available food quality
• Insurance against disease, toxicity, and immune suppression
• And importantly insurance against problems with your GI tract impacting on your health and your absorption of nutrients.

That is it. It is not a meal replacement (who still eats these? please eat FOOD), it is not designed to be taken only on “cheat days” – it was designed to give you a DAILY leg up nutrition wise with a view to optimum health, energy, longevity, and performance.

If you take it every day, it works. GI function will improve, micro-nutrient absorption will improve, immunity will improve, energy will improve. And yes, if you get those benefits in a row it will help with fat loss.

Over training, having your immunity depressed, feeling sick, gut health issues, post antibiotics, or about to go on a binge and eat a ton of stuff that is bad for you – all good times to up the dose dramatically – that is the other 5% of the recommendation.

But, that is not the “plan” – it is designed so that you take it EVERY day, and over time and in conjunction with smart eating, lifestyle and exercise choices you will look, feel, and perform better. You will also get sick a lot less often, improve health right down to the telomere level (the ends of your DNA strands, anti-oxidants have been shown to do this) and enjoy overall greater energy.

Ideally, all of these will make you happier. THAT is our goal with this product.

We are all running our lives. We are all athletes… Just at different levels.

Athletic Greens is there to help you take it the next level.

These are all very good things. But none of that makes Athletic Greens a replacement for actual food that you chew…

FOOD is FIRST.

I would love to say ‘you heard it here first’ but deep down I am sure you already know this. We both know it.

If we all accept that food is first, here are some simple rules for nutrition. If you do these, you will be happily ripped in no time. As a plus, you will also live longer, feel healthier, and have far lower incidence of disease.

• EAT for nutrient density
• EAT to improve gut absorption of nutrients
• EAT a macro nutrient profile that lends itself to improved body composition and less disease
• EAT sufficient quantity of quality food to deliver your body its macro and micro nutrient requirements
• DO NOT EAT anti-nutrients
• DO NOT EAT foods that harm you

There are some great eating programs out there, the Slow Carb Diet ® from The 4-Hour Body, the Beyond Diet program, I like them both, they work well and are especially good with a view to people just starting out and wanting compliance for the whole family.

They work, and with compliance people stick to them… so people get results.

Those results are reflected in how many people love and rave about those programs.

Having said that, here is my take on FOOD for FAT LOSS.

This is an all-out, no bullocks, 30-day plan “results guaranteed” way of eating. You won’t get hungry more than once or twice if you do it properly.

This is very, very easy. Note the words FOOD (that is what you will be eating, and the only thing you will be eating) and FAT LOSS – if you eat this way, and don’t change a thing; FAT LOSS is what will happen.

The Kiwi‘s take on FOOD for FAT LOSS ™… and Happiness.

You want to lose fat? REALLY lose fat? Then lets get it over and done with!

Here is my ONE RULE:

Make every meal a healthy sequence of Protein, Good Fats, and Non Starchy Veggies…

… In that order…

… And with NO exceptions.

Do this for 30 days (or 60, or forever, if you prefer), and get the bulk of your fat loss over and done with, quickly.

This ONE RULE, which automatically ensures a superior macro nutrient ratio for fat loss (and health) – has outstanding results with EVERYONE who tries it for the whole 30 days.

Kiwi! It can’t be that simple.

It is, but if you want the nitty-gritty, here is how it works:

1. Protein FIRST. Every meal, start by eating a clean, CHEWABLE quality source of protein. What do I mean?

Meat (preferably grass-fed), (non-farmed) fish, free range poultry, clean living or game meats, and free range eggs.

That is it.

Aim for a DAILY intake of 1 gram of protein per lb. of lean body weight or more. Yes, I really said that that, and yes, it is harder than it sounds.

Yes, it is so important it is going at number 1.

Break this protein intake over each of your daily meals (2 meals is ok, 3 meals is perfect and 4 is more than enough), and make getting in that quota of high quality animal sourced protein your priority at every meal.

Don’t like counting? (And I don’t like counting, so this is how I recommend you do it)

HOW I RECOMMEND YOU DO IT (the food order part)

• Eat your protein until you are about 75-80% of the way to satiety, check for fats, and fill up on veggies.
• That means eat the animal-sourced protein component of your meal until you are nearly full (about 75-80% of the way there)

2. Fat SECOND. After you get your real food protein down, ensure you are getting some healthy, quality, FATS at every meal.

“Good fats are your friend”.

If you cook in coconut oil, limit omega 6 intake, and eat nothing for protein but grass fed meat, wild caught fish such as salmon, anchovies, and sardines, game meats and wild fowl, and vegetables, you are probably good to go without any supplementation, additives, or tricks whatsoever.

Since this is nearly NO ONE who is chasing fat loss, everyone else needs to balance out their omega 3 to omega 6 ratios and reverse all the damage this imbalance has caused you, as fast as possible.

You are aiming for a 1:1 to 1:3 ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s which are our ancestral dietary norms and NOT what is happening with the bulk of the food you eat (you need a LOT more omega 3 and a lot LESS omega 6 to get this balance, trust me).

We do this two ways. 1) LIMIT Omega 6 intake FIRST and then 2) TOP up Omega 3 intake.

We also want to ensure that you are getting sufficient variety and quality in your good fat intake, and that these are coming from clean sources.

Other than the protein selection guides above, to top up Omega 3, do the following…

Take down some high quality fish oil with every meal. Work up to 2-3 grams of combined DHA/EPA per meal.

Daily amount as follows:

2-4 grams total EPA/DHA per day if you can see your abs even when sitting, never eat any grain fed meat, have no auto-immune or inflammatory issues, and none of your joints hurt, ever.

4-8 grams total EPA/DHA per day if you are carrying excess flab, any of your joints hurt, or you suffer any form of auto-immune or inflammatory disease. If you are anywhere in between, I recommend you build up, hold the slightly higher dose for four weeks, then go back down to 2-4 grams total EPA/DHA per day.

Divide your daily intake across your meals equally.

Trust me on this, it may take some working up to, but the results are outstanding. It will also help your BRAIN, and recent science suggests even the health of your telomeres (the “caps” on your DNA).

NOTE: Hold this dose for no more than four weeks, then DROP DOWN. Don’t make a big deal of this – this is an intervention – the FOCUS IS ON FOOD.

“What If I Can’t Get Grass-fed Meat?

Grain-Fed Meat

What about eating grain fed meat? Avoid it whenever budget and availability allow, those cows are unhealthy and have a messed up omega 3 to omega 6 ratio (omega 6 heavy, frequently higher than 1:20), but if you have limited options, eating grain fed ruminants is STILL BETTER than not eating this way. However, for Grain Fed meat go for the leanest cut you can (the fat on grain fed meat is BAD).

So cut the fat OFF grain fed meat, go for the leanest cuts.

To top up the fat content with CLEAN FATS (remember, we check for fats EVERY meal), add a tablespoon of one of the below.

CHECK FOR FATS: ADD 1 TABLESPOON OF THESE TO any meal that is not made up of Grass-fed meat, wild caught salmon, or game meats.

1. 1. Grass-fed butter (the only dairy you will eat)
2. 2. Organic Ghee
3. 3. Coconut Oil

Or NUMBER 1: the rendered animal fat of a cleanly raised animal. Either because you bought it, or because you saved it from another cooking session where you cooked clean meat.

Some advise that you nibble away on almonds, macadamias, Brazil nuts or walnuts, but these can potentially increase your Omega 6 load (Macadamias, Brazil nuts and Macadamias the best of the nuts but remember that ratio) and potentially cause auto-immune issues, so personally, go for the other sources of fats given here, and limit total daily nut intake to half a handful of raw nuts per day, max. (Let’s call that “6 nuts per day” – no more).

Any meal that is made up of grass fed meat, wild game, wild salmon, anchovies, or sardines, you can skip the tablespoon of clean fats, since your meal will already provide you with them.

Feel free to leave the FAT ON when eating grass-fed ruminants or wild game. This is clean fat and GOOD FOR YOU, and very good for your fat loss.

For Cooking: Cook in coconut oil (low to high heat), grass-fed organic ghee, or in the animal’s own fat (or rendered lard from grass-fed animals, if you can find it). Those stuck with grain-fed meat, can cook in grass-fed butter if they want to.

Other than coconut oil (with impunity) and small amounts of olive oil (for flavor, if you cook with olive oil, LOW TEMP only) ALL OTHER VEGETABLE OILS are making you fat, inflamed, and unhealthy and they ARE BANNED FOR LIFE.

FAT SUMMARY:

1) Food quality is extremely important. Go for the clean cuts of meat and wild caught oily fish wherever you can find them/afford them, and you can chow down with the fat ON without even thinking about it. This is the BEST way to get your fats in your diet.

2) Next step on the ladder is to add in clean fats to your meal as required, normally in what you cook in.

3) Last step is the fish oil – NOTE: This slightly high dose fish oil approach is an INTERVENTION. It is designed to help you get rid of inflammation, start stripping fat and balance out your (likely horrible) current omega 3 to omega 6 ratio.

You hold this level for 30 days MAXIMUM at which point you will drop back and take from 2 to 4 grams of combined EPA/DHA from fish oil a day for the other health benefits.

MORE IS NOT BETTER. LONGER IS NOT BETTER.

Read this again: At the end of the 30 days at the higher dose, you must back right down.

Intervention means it is not forever.

3. Veggies THIRD.

Yes, third. Fill up (keep going until you achieve satiety) with green, nutrient dense vegetable choices.

You have eaten your animal sourced protein until you are 80% full. Checked for clean fats, and added if required. You took your fish oil…

NOW, for Part THREE – VEGGIES! – Just close out the meal and keep chomping until you are no longer hungry. You will get a TON of micronutrient goodness with very little calories, so seriously, eat away until you are nicely satisfied! Here are my favorites:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Baby Bok Choy
• Brussel Sprouts
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• String beans

Feel free to add your own.

You can do this as a stir-fry, steamed veggies, raw veggies, a big salad, a stew. Whatever makes you happy. Just watch sauces, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in small quantities are fine. Other than coconut oil, ALL other vegetable oils are banned.

Please make sure you cycle through the veggie choices, and don’t be afraid to add plenty more, variety rocks, and there can be too much of a good thing.

Tip: Cook with herbs and spices to add variety in nutrients and flavors to your cooking. There is no need to get bored.

What about carbs you ask?

My answer: This is about FAT LOSS, which generally implies that you have some form of METABOLIC DERANGEMENT and INSULIN ISSUES… so what about them?

Limit fruit, eat NO carbs at all other than those naturally occurring in your vegetable selection, and only drink sugar-free, unsweetened beverages.

This means water, tea, black coffee.

Sound extreme? Not really, extreme is forcing our bodies to survive on a diet that is freaking terrible for us.

The result, lots and lots of FAT, SICK, and MISERABLE people.

I am all about happiness, so please, don’t be one of them.

Oh yeah, this also means NEVER EVER – EVER – EAT GLUTEN.

Ancestrally, we didn’t eat any processed carbs, or even a carb heavy diet, and we sure as heck didn’t eat much, if any gluten.

The longer you go without by the way, the easier it is to get past any carb addiction.

Move your body over to this, our more ancestral and evolutionary format for eating and quite simply…. prepare to be amazed.

The nutrient density of a meal like this alone is a world away from a modern, nutrient starved, about to make you fat and miserable “meal”.

Note: Elite or very hard training athlete’s whose focus is on recovery (or fuel, in the case of endurance athletes) should take down some carbs post workout in the form of tubers. This equals yams, sweet potatoes, taro, yuca, and potentially a small amount of fruit. But this article is not about nutrition for you guys in season or training, this is about FAT LOSS.

Here is the FOOD for FAT LOSS Rule again.

Make every meal a healthy sequence of Protein, Good Fats, and Non Starchy Veggies…

…In that order…

… And with NO exceptions.

Nothing else. Do not eat anything else.

I repeat. If your goal is FAT LOSS, then for 30 days eat NOTHING ELSE.

This means for the 30 days…

NO CHEAT DAYS: Yep, no cheat days. You can have the odd OVER EATING day, but the rules for the food order and choices remain the same.

If you want to over eat one day a week, go for it!! Brazilian BBQ restaurants with a salad bar work a treat, as does a monster Thai “double” red chicken curry in coconut milk (ask them to hold adding sugar) and without the rice. Yummy.

NO GLUTEN: Remember the “no anti-nutrients” rule? Gluten is the king of anti-nutrients. So that means not today, not on a cheat day, not once in the next 30 days, and ideally not ever. You are welcome.

NO GRAINS, NO CEREALS and NO LEGUMES: Sorry, they are OUT for my version of the 30 day fat loss cure. While legumes are by far a “lessor evil” when compared to gluten, the anti-nutrient content (lignans, lectin, saponins) plus the carb content rules them out. All cereals and all grains out means no quinoa, no oats, no brown rice.

POST WORKOUT NUTRITION: see meal rules above, and Athletes note my comments. NOTHING changes if the primary goal is fat loss.

(Athletes already pretty lean who want to get a tiny bit leaner while not impacting training loads can add in some tubers and a small amount of fruit immediately post-workout. LIMIT fruit if you want to speed up the fat loss. If you are going to do fruit at all, or if you must blend any liquid meal, NOW is the time. Athletes who are serious about getting leaner should back off their training volume and adopt this eating strategy in full for 30 days, and get the fat loss over and done with)

NO JUICE: No juice, no juice…no juice. NOT ONCE.

NO DAIRY: including milk, cheese, whey protein, cottage cheese or anything else. Did you see ANY mention of dairy above other than grass-fed butter for people stuck with grain-fed meat? Nope. That is because it is not in your diet at all the next 30 days.

DO NOT HAVE LIQUID MEALS: if your goal is FAT LOSS. This includes ALL protein shakes, blending up a ton of veggies and or fruit in a blender, or any “meal replacement” products. These will cause insulin spikes, those spikes don’t help your fat loss one little bit. Blended is way better than juice, but even so, lets limit those insulin spikes for the next 30 days.

LIMIT FRUIT: to post work out only, one serving or less (on average) every second workout, until you are lean. Too much fructose will mess up the best of fat loss plans. Best choices are melons or berries.

Limit means exactly that. If you are seriously looking for fat loss I would be happiest if you ate NO FRUIT for the next 30 days.

NOTE: Your vegetables have ALL those wonderful anti-oxidants and nutrients as well, but without the fructose.

FRUCTOSE is the devil when it comes to Fat Loss – limit fruit!

SUPPLEMENTS: in total. Athletic Greens for insurance and gut health (as required), fish oil for Omega 3s and to combat inflammation, and Vitamin D3 if you are not getting enough sun. Anything else is surplus, and purely elective. Heck, ALL of them are elective. Food is FIRST remember.

HUNGER and CALORIE COUNTING: there is no calorie counting. If you do it right, there will be no hunger either.

Just eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are full, but ONLY eat according to the rule above. If a lack of appropriate food choices means you can’t eat for a few hours, pucker up mate and just hold on. You will thank me for it.

If it happens that you can’t find food that complies, just ENJOY the hunger, and when you can eat according to the rules, just make up for it in terms of volume.

Having this break from food intake won’t detrimentally harm your fat loss, or your muscle, or anything else. I promise.

That. Is. IT.

Woooohooooo!

Note: Just in case you are crying at the thought of what you CAN’T eat. Once you are ripped, you can start to play with the following:

• Having a small amount of fruit post workout on occasion
• Carbs in general post workout if your training necessitates it (tubers ideally, sometimes a bit of fruit, melons and berries the best)
• Nuts and seeds (but watch volume)
• Not worrying about having the odd meal where you go off the rails (a little, and if you are smart, NEVER gluten)
• Playing with Dairy a little – especially post workout if after MASS – and only if tolerated
• Playing with blended smoothies – if you must, again, post workout ideal
• Alcohol in moderation
• Cheat meals done right (more on this later)

But, until you are ripped… try this EXACT eating pattern and food choices for EVERY meal for 30 days.

This eating pattern puts Food Quality, Your Health, and FAT LOSS first… Crazy right? If you are carrying excess body fat, then it is something you should have done a long time ago. Now is your chance!

Exercise SMART. Lift weights with intensity 2-4 x per week, never more than 1 hour, and generally far less. Walk as often as you can. Sprint every now and again when orthopedically ready. It not orthopedically ready, work towards it aggressively with smart programming, since sprinting is your birthright and few things beat it in terms of quality exercise.

Spend more time on relaxation outdoors than you do now.

Focus on SLEEP (chase 8-9 hours plus in a blacked-out room), and getting 30-60 minutes of sun daily. If you don’t get enough sun, supplement with some Vitamin D3, and think about changing your lifestyle or moving.

If you do this FOOD for FAT LOSS plan, really truly do this, and don’t love me at the end of it… well, there is always a first time for everything.

“100% Focus on Happiness”

That is my mantra, and it starts with phenomenal health.

Best,

Chris “the Kiwi”

Today's Natural Cure: Kombucha Tea

This article is from  wakingtimes.com

Kombucha Tea: A Panacea For Many Ills

Let’s go right to the heart of the matter. What is it about Kombucha Tea that makes it such an elixir of sorts?! Why did the remote villages in Russia, where meat-eating and potatoes and vodka were standard fare every day, experience such unusual longevity and robust health by drinking Kombucha Tea?

Wherever Kombucha Tea has been used as a healing beverage, it has produced remarkable health benefits which are very easily understood. First, we look to the contexts like the remote Russian villages of yesteryear where diet was not aligned with the highest understanding.

When the body takes in foods that are ama-producing (meat) and toxic (vodka) and arthritis-triggering (potatoes), we have a perfect place to evaluate the effectiveness of such a powerful detoxifier like Kombucha. Truly, Kombucha Tea is a detoxification agent par excellence.

Why? Because it contains LOTS of glucuronic acid.

What is glucuronic acid? It is a well known and major detoxifying agent that combines with toxic chemicals and poisonous substances, making them more water-soluble which allows for quick and easy elimination from the body.

“Glucuronic acid is considered by many to be one of the important key components found in Kombucha Tea because of its detoxifying action. It is widely distributed in plants, found in gums, mucilages, saponines etc. and in animals. The related compound, UDPGlucuronic acid which is the active or co-enzyme form of Glucuronic acid, has been discovered in several non-Kombucha bacteria by at least eight scientists (Dutton, 1980). Since metabolic processes in related organisms are generally similar, it can, therefore, be expected that UDP-Glucuronic acid is also present in the Kombucha bacteria.”[1]

Sounds good to us in this age of awesome chemical overload! Ought to sound good to you, too. Especially if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

It has been universally experienced by our clients for 20 years that in addition to the extraordinary detoxbenefits, when Kombucha is taken regularly the energy level goes up substantially. We mean that you will see and feel the energy bump up in a way that is quite exhilarating. That’s because there are many other nutritional constituents which are so biologically active and bioavailable that you receive what you need quickly upon imbibing it.

What follows is a common list of other health benefits, which have been attributed to sustained kombucha drinking. It has been provided by Kombuchakamp.com, a great resource for all things kombucha:

“Kombucha has been consumed for over 2000 years the world over. It has been extensively studied and applied for several medical uses in Russia, Germany, China and many other places. It is naturally carbonated and is purported to have a host of healing properties that may include:

*Probiotics – healthy bacteria
*Alkalize the body – balances internal pH
*Detoxify the liver – happy liver = happy mood
*Increase metabolism – rev your internal engine
*Improve digestion – keep your system moving
*Rebuild connective tissue – helps with arthritis, gout, asthma, rheumatism
*Cancer prevention
*Alleviate constipation
*Boost energy – helps with chronic fatigue
*Reduce blood pressure
*Relieve headaches & migraines
*Reduce kidney stones
*High in antioxidants – destroy free-radicals that cause cancer
*High in polyphenols
*Improve eyesight
*Heal excema – can be applied topically to soften the skin
*Prevent artheriosclerosis
*Speed healing of ulcers – kills h.pylori on contact
*Help clear up candida & yeast infections
*Aid healthy cell regeneration
*Reduce gray hair
*Lower glucose levels – prevents spiking from eating

Simply put, Kombucha is an all natural health beverage chockfull of probiotics and other healthy amino acids. Probiotic literally means “for life”. Unlike antibiotics, which kill ALL of the bacteria in your body, even the good stuff, probiotics re-establish the natural ecology of the intestinal flora. Probiotics are said to boost immunity, enhance mood, fight allergies, detoxify the body and rid the body of disease. The Kombucha benefits you experience may vary.”[2]

KombuchaKamp also displays the following list, which was compiled after those who drank Kombucha Tea volunteered these results:

“The most common Kombucha benefits were:

85% experienced constipation or digestive relief
83% reported a “feeling of well being”
51% claimed relief from arthritis type symptoms
32% report relief of ulcer pain & digestive problems
30% had better sleep patterns
28% experienced weight loss
24% reported improvement in skin conditions & tone
18% had better eyesight, less floaters & sharper vision
17% experienced reduced sugar cravings
17% reported relief from PMS symptoms
17% had lower blood pressure & lower cholesterol
16% enjoyed allergy relief
13% reported better concentration”

Easy to make; easy to buy

Now here’s a great feature of Kombucha Tea which the homemaker types might really appreciate. You can make it from scratch if you purchase just one kombucha mushroom. Since the mushrooms replicate themselves every month, you’ll have a supply for the rest of your kombucha-drinking life.

Of course, you can also purchase the tea from manufacturers. Know that not all commercial teas are alike. Therefore, we recommend that you try those available before you settle on a choice. For us, GT’s Classic Raw and Enlightened Raw flavors really resonate. When their original formulation is mixed with their natural ginger flavor kombucha tea, you have a great digestion aid as well.

In closing:

Kombucha Tea has gotten many a client through some very rough times. Particularly for those who suffer from any of the Alphabet Soup Diseases or Multi-Infection Syndromes, do we see a great response. These folks are suffering from so much toxicity from both the pathogenic micro-organism infestations, as well as from the chemical and heavy metal overload, that they can experience a very quick turnaround. This turnaround, by the way, is most related to the mitigation of symptoms. However, with continued use of Kombucha Tea, cures can and do take place.

Take for instance a case which has as its root cause an intestinal flora imbalance. Kombucha can assist in re-balancing so that the eugenic bacteria recolonize appropriately and the pathogenic strains are kept in check. Because of the probiotics in the tea, this single contribution to intestinal wellness can make all the difference in the world, especially for one who has overused antibiotics.
Quite significantly, since Kombucha Tea is a fermented beverage, it can also function as the highly medicinal Ayurvedic wines once did in ancient cultures. The physicians of old routinely used these wines (virtually non-alcoholic by today’s standards) quite purposefully in the maintenance of wellness throughout their societies. You’ll never drink aspartame-laced soda again!

May you enjoy great health,
The Health Coach

Kombucha Tea Products:
Kombucha Wonder Drink
Yogi Green Tea Kombucha
Goldfinch Kombucha Scoby – at home starter
Kombucha Brooklyn Home Brew Kit - complete at home kit

Endnotes:
[1] “The Ubiquitous Co-Enzyme UDPGlucuronic Acid” by By Norbert Hoffmann – www.ourbluemarble.us

Health Disclaimer:

All content found at The Health Coach and Waking Times is for information purposes only. Therefore, the information on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care and should not be construed as either medical diagnosis or treatment. All recommendations contained herein ought to be considered within the context of an individual’s overall level of voluntary or necessary health care and prescribed treatment plan.

Since The Health Coach and Waking Times do not diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure, or heal any type of disease or medical condition, the information contained at this website is not intended to provide specific physical, mental, emotional or psychological health advice. We are not licensed medical professionals and conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with those who offer information for the consideration of the reader.

It is entirely the reader’s decision to act or not act on any information at The Health Coach and Waking Times. Therefore, we fully invoke the HOLD HARMLESS clause for those who are responsible for putting any of this information into practical use and application.

This article originally appeared at TheHealthCoach1.com.

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

Today's Natural Cure: Buckwheat

This article is from  greenmedinfo.com

Buckwheat - 9 Great Reasons to Know it, Plant it, Grow it and Eat it!

Buckwheat is one of those plants that may be unfamiliar to most Americans. It is a staple crop in parts of China, Russia and Eastern Europe, but is less well known to U.S. food consumers.

Buckwheat is not a cereal grain, although it's name might lead you to think it is. Rather, it is a flowering plant. Buckwheat is a relative of sorrel, dock and rhubarb, whose 'fruit seeds' are a great source of nutrition, cancer fighting phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber.

A major crop which has been cultivated throughout the world for centuries, buckwheat production in the U.S. is currently far lower than in other parts of the world.

In the U.S. it is often planted not for the harvest of its seeds but as a weed control cover crop, a green manure to be cut and either tilled or left on the soil as organic matter, or as a honey crop for bees.

There are some powerful benefits offered by buckwheat in the garden and in the diet, not the least of which is its ease of growing and ability to thrive without fertilizers or pesticides.

1. Buckwheat is a great gluten free grain substitute.

A source of high quality protein, it contains all eight essential amino acids. Use it to make pancakes, porridge, as a substitute for rice, or sprout it and add it to salads and sandwiches for an antioxidant boost. Research has shown that sprouting buckwheat changes its nutrient profile and provides a super antioxidant boost.

To super enhance that antioxidant boost, add trace minerals to the sprouting water. 2

2. Buckwheat improves blood cholesterol levels.

In populations where buckwheat is a staple in the diet, it has been shown to lower serum cholesterol and particularly to lower LDL cholesterol, earning it a reputation as a heart healthy grain substitute.

3. Cancer fighting properties.

Studies have shown that various parts of the buckwheat seed inhibit tumor growth and slow cancer cell growth in a variety of different types of cancer.3

4. Buckwheat is a clean crop.

Common buckwheat is one of the traditional ancient foods of people around the world. It has never been engineered, gone through breeding programs or modified, so you don't have to worry if it's safe.

5. Buckwheat shows results as an appetite suppressant.

It may even reduce your appetite and help you lose weight. In studies of grain substitutes, buckwheat was found to provide a higher sense of satiety than staple western grains such as rice and wheat. 4

6. An important bee crop.

Bees adore it. It blooms later than most spring pollen producers and can be a very important food source for bees. Like borage, it will continue blooming and producing new flower clusters and seed heads all season right up to the first frost, providing a major food source for the honey bee.

So, if part of your life mission right now is to help bees, planting common buckwheat is a definite must-do action item.

7. Buckwheat flowers are the source of buckwheat honey, which has proven antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties.

Not only does the buckwheat flower sustain the bees during the mid and late season when traditional pollen sources are low; the honey it produces is medicinal. According to research:

"As buckwheat honey was most effective in reducing ROS levels, it was selected for use in wound-healing products. The major antioxidant properties in buckwheat honey derive from its phenolic constituents, which are present in relatively large amounts. Its phenolic compounds may also exert antibacterial activity, whereas its low pH and high free acid content may assist wound healing."

8. It makes an attractive addition to the garden and has a fragrant flower.

No matter where it is planted in the garden, it adds flowering beauty and a pleasing scent. It can go in the vegetable gardens, herb gardens or along borders and edges. It can be broadcast seeded in meadows. Plant it around the main vegetable and fruit gardens to attract pollinators.

9. It's a great cover crop for garden beds

Buckwheat can crowd out some of the toughest spring weeds. While it's growing it is adding phosphorous to the soil for any vegetable crops which can be inter-planted later in the season once the buckwheat has been established.  In polyculture gardens it is left to continue blooming and plants are planted in among the stalks.

Buckwheat is a popular crop in permaculture for all these reasons.

So, even if you don't grow enough to harvest the seeds and make your own grain substitutes, adding buckwheat in the garden provides food for bees, nourishes the soil and fills the air with a delightful fragrance.

For those not fortunate enough to have a garden, this information might inspire a local seed bomb project. Remember, common buckwheat grows easily, without fertilizers or pesticides, so it's easy enough to make up small clay 'seed packages' and deliver them to edge lands, open spaces where little care is being taken of the property. Organic common buckwheat is sold by many organic specialty seed farmers.

Oh, one more thing, buckwheat can be used as a replacement for barley to make a gluten free beer. So, if it's really true that humans began growing grains and developing agriculture in order to make alcohol, as some anthropologists have suggested... Now there's the reason we were waiting for to get truly motivated!

Buckwheat: plant it, grow it, sprout it, eat it!

Today's Natural Cure: Activated Charcoal

This article is from  naturalsociety.com

Benefits of Activated Charcoal: Medicine of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Native Americans

Eating charcoal sounds about as appetizing as scarfing down some black, charred remains of a Saturday BBQ, but activated charcoal is a whole other animal. Activated charcoal is used as a detox agent to absorb a host of heavy metals, chemicals, and pharmaceutical drug remains that flow through your blood stream and cause a hindrance to your best health. Activated charcoal absorbs the toxins from your body and then, since it is not absorbed by the body, the toxins along with the charcoal are expelled, leaving you cleaner and more toxin-free.

The Numerous Benefits of Activated Charcoal

Charcoal is “activated” because it is made to have a very small particle size. This increases its overall surface area and absorptive capacity. Activated charcoal is produced by adding acid and steam to carbonaceous materials such as wood, coal, rye starch, or coconut shells. To understand just how effective this substance is at absorbing toxins, one standard 50-gram dose of activated charcoal has the surface area of 10 football fields. It also encourages bowel movements, so it can help to rid the body of toxins rather quickly.

Hippocrates, the Greek physician considered the father of natural medicine, used activated carbon to cure many patients. Activated charcoal (also referred to simply as carbon) has been called black magic because of it’s color and healing abilities. Carbon:

• Has a negative ionic charge that attracts the positive ionic charges of toxins and poisons causing them to bind to the charcoal. They are then surreptitiously escorted out of the body via the eliminative channel of the intestines.

• Removes heavy metals like lead and aluminum.

• Deodorizes foul smells.

• Removes symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea.

• Reduces ulcers in the stomach.

• Can be used as a toothpaste to whiten teeth and eliminate foul breath since it kills bacteria.

• Reduces gas from eating beans and other gaseous foods.

• Eliminate many micro-organisms and chlorine from drinking or bath water.

• Removes pharmaceutical toxins from the body. This includes aspirin overdose, accidental household toxin ingestion, and heavy metals. It has been used for hundreds of years in cases of food poisoning. Ancient Egyptians used activated carbon as did the Native Americans.

• Removes parasites and bacteria from the body. This includes bugs that cause everything from a stuffy nose to more invasive parasites.

• Removes fungal toxins.

Those with Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome need to prepare their activated charcoal a little differently, or use it externally, as a poultice, instead of mixing it with water and drinking it or taking it in pill form.

Today's Natural Cure: Flaxseed

This article is from  greenmedinfo.com

Evidence That Flaxseed Is A Heart Disease Reversing Food

Flaxseeds contain unique heart friendly properties, which the scientific research is only now beginning to reveal in greater clarity. Should we wait around for randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trials and the FDA's explicit drug approval, or take out our coffee grinders and start incorporating the meal into our diet right now? Thankfully, its a choiceyou still get to make for yourself.

The biomedical literature freely available to view on the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic citation database MEDLINE reveals a growing number of foods, nutrients and plant compounds with cardiovascular disease reversing properties, with 129 of these characterized on our research project alone [see Clogged Arteries].

Of course, the vast majority of these studies are preclinical, non-human in nature, as only so much precious capital flows into research on natural substances, which by their very nature do not grant patents (and therefore offer little to no return on investment), nor easily reveal their secrets through the optic of pharmacology. This does not mean, however, that we must wait around for future randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials to take some of this data to heart, letting it guide us into making simple dietary and lifestyle changes that could in fact prevent or regress disease at the same moment that it is most certainly nourishing us.

All the more reason why we should be encouraged by new research into the fabulous flaxseed's ability to reverse cardiovascular disease progression in a new animal study, especially considering that 30 billion dollars is pumped every year into the statin class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, which have been linked to over 300 adverse health effects.

If the science is now showing that a simple food could outperform a highly toxic patented chemical class of drugs, perhaps we are getting closer to the realization of Thomas A. Edison's famous prediction:

"The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. "

Flaxseed's Potential Cardiovascular Disease Reversing Properties

A promising new study published in the American Journal of Physiology and Circulation Researchtitled, "The Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Atherosclerotic Plaque Regression," looked at whether flaxseed in the diet of rabbits is capable of regressing atherosclerotic plaque, the primary pathological process associated with gradual constriction or sudden blockage in the arteries leading to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. [i]

According to the study, "Dietary flaxseed can retard the progression of atherosclerotic plaques. However, it remains unclear whether these anti-atherogenic effects extend to plaque regression."

Rabbits were divided into either a regular diet (Group I) or a 1% cholesterol-supplemented diet (Group II), with the latter group showing signs of steady plaque growth, as well as lowered response to stress hormone (norepinephrine) induced vessel contraction and impaired relaxation response to acetylcholine, which are indications of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic plaque progression.

Another group (Group IV) was given a 10% dietary flaxseed-supplemented diet, which resulted in "a significant ≈40% reduction in plaque formation (P = 0.033)," leading the researchers to conclude: "Dietary flaxseed is a valuable strategy to accelerate the regression of atherosclerotic plaques."

This is not the first report of flaxseed's seemingly miraculous ability to regress the pathological process that leads to the #1 cause of death in the developed world. 

Back in 2004, the journal Atherosclerosis published a study in hamsters revealed that flaxseed might provide an ideal solution for aging women, who following the failure of their ovarian reserve in the mid-40's to late 50's, begin to develop adverse changes in their blood lipids and increased atherosclerotic lesions. 

What the researchers found by using an animal model was that dietary flaxseed consumption was as effective estrogen (estradiol) for preventing some of the adverse blood lipid changes associated with the 'change of life,' and the furthermore, flaxseed was capable of preventing fatty streak area and the incidence of lesions that were also induced by hormone deficiency. [ii]

This finding is consistent with previously reported research that indicates that flaxseed has significant estrogen-like activity, however, without the well-known cancer risks associated with the use of estradiol (E2). [See: Confirmed: Flaxseed Contains 'Estrogens' That Regress Cancer.]

How Does Flaxseed's Cardiovascular Benefits Work?

Like any complex food, flaxseed has multiple modes of action.  The three primary beneficial compounds are:

• Omega-3: Known as alpha-linoleic acid, this dietary fatty acid, which is relatively rare in theWestern diet, is essential to human metabolism (meaning, we can't produce it ourselves), and has been the subject of thousands of studies, many of which indicate its value in reducing risk factors for heart disease.
• Soluble Fiber: Flaxseed is a rich source of soluble fiber, one of the benefits of which is to that it binds to bile acids (which include oxidized cholesterol and other fat-soluble waste products like toxic hormone metabolites, and other bile constituents) and help to pull them out of the body.
• Lignan: Lignans are a class of plant compounds with both estrogen-like and antioxidant properties. The major lignan found in flaxseed is known as secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, is metabolized into enterodial and enterolactone within the human body, which can affect a wide range of bodily tissues, including the reproductive and the cardiovascular systems.

What Are Some of the Other Benefits of Flaxseed?

Flaxseed is a true medicinal marvel. GreenMedInfo.com has identified research indicating it has potential value in preventing or treating over 50 health conditions. [See Flaxseed Benefits research]

Here are some highlights:

• Flaxseed Improves Skin Quality: A 2010 study found that supplementation of flaxseed oil diminishes skin sensitivity and improves skin barrier function and condition.[iii]
• Flaxseed Protects Against Radiation: A 2009 study found that dietary flaxseed prevents radiation-induced oxidative lung damage, inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of thoracic radiation injury.[iv]
• Flaxseed Helps the Swollen Prostate: A 2007 study found that dietary flaxseed improves lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia as well as drug therapy.[v] A 2004 study found that flaxseed supplementation in combination with a low-fat diet reduced the proliferation of prostate cells and PSA in men.[vi] There are also 3 studies on GreenMedInfo.com indicating flaxseed has direct anti-prostate cancer properties.[vii]

How Much Flaxseed Should You Take?

While there is no hard and fast "right amount" for everyone, it makes sense to incorporate a tablespoon of ground flaxseed a day in a culinary application, such as oatmeal or a smoothie, if you are looking to attain a 'medicinal' dose.  It helps to remember that regardless of flaxseed's evidence-based therapeutic properties, it is actually an excellent food, and should be incorporated into the diet in a way that actually provides some enjoyment (vitamin P[leasure] is of course as important as the nutritional composition of the food].

I personally try to consume a tablespoon of ground flaxseed daily. Grinding it fresh is ideal. This will also release the nutrient-dense interior of the seed for easy digestion, increasing the surface area by several orders of magnitude vs. consuming the seed whole.  

Remember that you must consume enough liquid with the flax meal or it may constipate (this seed suck up quite a bit of water and produces a soothing mucilaginous gel as a result). On the other hand, when used properly with water, it is a traditional 'cure' for constipation.

For additional research on flaxseed's nutritional composition, you can visit the NutritionData.com page on flaxseed here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2

Finally, for a discussion of other foods that may regress plaque buildup in the arteries, read our recent article on the topic, 7 Ways to Prevent and Even Reverse Heart Disease with Nutrition, or, view our research page on the topic: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/guide/health-guide-heart-health

---

[i] Andrew A Francis, Justin F Deniset, Jose A Austria, Renee K Lavallee, Graham G Maddaford, Thomas E Hedley, Elena Dibrov, Grant N Pierce. The Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Atherosclerotic Plaque Regression. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2013 Apr 12. Epub 2013 Apr 12. PMID: 23585134

[ii] Edralin A Lucas, Stanley A Lightfoot, Lisa J Hammond, Latha Devareddy, Dania A Khalil, Bruce P Daggy, Brenda J Smith, Neil Westcott, Veronica Mocanu, Do Yu Soung, Bahram H Arjmandi. Flaxseed reduces plasma cholesterol and atherosclerotic lesion formation in ovariectomized Golden Syrian hamsters. Atherosclerosis. 2004 Apr ;173(2):223-9. PMID: 15064095

[iii] K Neukam, S De Spirt, W Stahl, M Bejot, J-M Maurette, H Tronnier, U Heinrich. Supplementation of flaxseed oil diminishes skin sensitivity and improves skin barrier function and condition.Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2010 Nov 18;24(2):67-74. Epub 2010 Nov 18. PMID: 21088453

[iv] James C Lee, Ryan Krochak, Aaron Blouin, Stathis Kanterakis, Shampa Chatterjee, Evguenia Arguiri, Anil Vachani, Charalambos C Solomides, Keith A Cengel, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou.Dietary flaxseed prevents radiation-induced oxidative lung damage, inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of thoracic radiation injury. Cancer Biol Ther. 2009 Jan;8(1):47-53. Epub 2009 Jan 1. PMID: 18981722

[v] Wei Zhang, Xiaobing Wang, Yi Liu, Haimei Tian, Brent Flickinger, Mark W Empie, Sam Z Sun.Effects of dietary flaxseed lignan extract on symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Ren Nutr. 2007 Jan;17(1):23-9. PMID: 18358071

[vi] Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Cary N Robertson, Philip J Walther, Thomas J Polascik, David F Paulson, Robin T Vollmer. Pilot study to explore effects of low-fat, flaxseed-supplemented diet on proliferation of benign prostatic epithelium and prostate-specific antigen. Urology. 2004 May;63(5):900-4. PMID: 15134976

[vii] GreenMedInfo.com, Flaxseed and Prostate Cancer

Today's Natural Cure: Know What's In Your Products

This article is from  preventdisease.com

How Many 'Non' Ingredients Will Be Necessary Before We Improve Product Quality? Here Are 22 Exclusions You Want Listed

Manufacturers of high quality foods and supplements are now forced to list a barrage of "Non" ingredients absent from their products to increase consumer confidence. Sometimes these inclusions are exceeding the actual ingredients themselves. How long will this list become before we start to improve product quality across the board? Here are 22 types of ingredients you want excluded, or otherwise on the "Non" list.



1. No Artificial Binders (supplements)
Binders are used to hold ingredients together, but they also give weight and allow small active ingredients to be combined to make capsules or tablets appear much larger with a small fraction of formulated ingredients. Binders are typically a sugar derivative and include: lactose, sucrose, malitol (hydrogenation of maltose from starch), sorbitol (usually made from corn syrup), etc. Cellulose is a natural binder indigestible to humans and it enters and leaves the digestive tract unchanged and is chemically inert. This is one of the few acceptable binders in supplements.

2. No Artificial Colors (food or supplements)
Most food colorings on the market are linked with cancer and ADHD in children. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.

3. No Artificial Emulsifiers (food)
An emulsifier replaces surface proteins and aids in forming the network in specific food recipes. There are no healthy non-organic emulsifiers. They are all toxic causing everything from infertility, digestive disorders and migraines. Examples include polysorbate 80, Mono-diglycerides, carrageenan, xanthan gum (non-organic), guar gum, soy lecithin or soya lecithin.

4. No Artificial Flavors (food or supplements)
Artificial flavoring substances not identified as a natural product intended for human consumption, whether or not the product is processed. These are typically produced in a lab by fractional distillation and additional chemical manipulation of naturally sourced chemicals, crude oil or coal tar. Dr. Ben Feingold, an allergist proposed 30 years ago that artificial flavours, colors and salicylates can be the cause of hyperactivity in children. A diet free of artificial colors, flavours and salicylates reduced hyperactivity symptoms and behavioural disturbances in 30 to 50% of children. Although they are chemically different, in sensory characteristics are the same as natural ones, but with no nutritional value. Every single artificial flavor in the food industry has some kind of detrimental health effect. These include neurotoxicity, organ, developmental, reproductive toxicity and cancer. Examples include glutamates, monosodium Glutamate (MSG), maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate

5. No Artificial Sweeteners (food or supplements)
Any sugar substitutes that are synthetic are labeled as an artificial sweetener. An important class of sugar substitutes are known as high-intensity sweeteners. Sweeteners such as Neotame are thousands of times sweeter than sugar. They are all very potent, neurotoxic, immunotoxic and excitotoxic. Examples include aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, neotame, sucralose, sodium cyclamate, acesulfame-K.

6. No Artificial Preservatives (food)
Artificial preservatives are responsible for causing a host of health problems pertaining to respiratory tract, heart, blood and other. Some are extremely neurotoxic. Common preservatives include nitrites (i.e. Sodium Nitrite), nitrates (i.e. Sodium Nitrate), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sulfites (i.e. Sodium Sulfite), potassium Sorbate, benzoic acid, propyl gallate.

7. No Adulterants (food)
Food fraud and economically motivated food adulteration is highlighted by some very toxic substances which cause cancer, glaucoma, digestive and liver disorders. These are added to foods to increase their color, volume or weight. Examples include metanil yellow, potassium bromate, malachite Green, tamarind seeds, washing powder, argemone seeds.

8. No Animal by-products or Gelatin (food or supplements)
Animal by-product gelatin agents are commonly used in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. They are made from by-products of the meat industry (i.e. pork skins, pork, horses, and cattle bones, or split cattle hides). Some gelatins are incorporated into meats making them other proteins stick together like super glue. In the supplement industry, look for brands that are animal gelatin-free.

9. No Chinese raw materials (food or supplements)
This is a relatively new exclusion that you will see more of in the near future. It's already popping up in hundreds of natural and organic food labels. The USDA and FDA are only inspecting 1%-2% of all the food that enters U.S. ports. Food and Water Watch produced a Chinese Imports Backgrounder in 2009 assessing the extent of lax inspections and breadth of scandals surrounding food imports from China that have been linked to human illnesses from eating the unsafe food. If your food or supplements are coming from China, long-term health risks are inevitable.

10. No Dairy (supplements)
People will always have a choice to consume dairy in food but in the supplements most don't realize that many supplement ingredients are derived from dairy sources. If you have issues with dairy including allergens, look for supplement lines which are dairy free.

11. No Fillers (supplements)
Fillers are added bulk to products making very small active components appear larger in tablet or capsule form. Examples include: lactose, sucrose, magnesium stearate (via hydrogenated palm oil), calcium carbonate etc. The key to a good supplement is to have active ingredients fill the capsule, not fillers.

12. No Fragrance (cosmetics)
Fragrances found in products are made with dozens of different chemicals. Nearly 4000 volatile compounds are known to be included in fragrances. A lot of them are cancer causing and toxic. They can have an adverse effect on the human central nervous system. They have also been known to cause depression, irritability and in some people hyperactivity. Avoid any product containing fragrance.

13. No Gluten (food or supplements)
Mayo Clinic researchers uncovered a link between celiac disease and dementia or other forms of cognitive decline. There are as manyhealth risks associated with the consumption of wheat and millions are now avoiding wheat and gluten because of the health consequence. More than 2 million people in the United States are on a gluten-free diet even though they haven’t been diagnosed with celiac disease. An intolerance to gluten can cause a wide array of symptoms, some debilitating. 

14. No GMO (food or supplements)
If we can't beat Monsanto through food labeling, we'll beat them through exclusions. You definitely want to see this on any food or supplement bottle. But be careful and investigate your source and some companies are claiming their products are Non-GMO even though they're not.Ingredients to watch out for are soy lecithin, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, soy proteins, soy flour, soy lecithin, soy isolates, isoflavone, or corn-based ingredients including corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup, or corn sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose, modified food starch. Most vegetable oils and vegetable proteins are GMO. Also stay away from canola oil (also called rapeseed oil), cottonseed oil, anything not listed as 100% cane sugar.

15. No Irradiation (food or supplements)
Science has been unable to establish the long-term safety of food irradiation and the lasting health effects if any. Yet, almost every food category can now be legally irradiated by government regulators at the expense of our health. Irradiated foods are exposed to high level radiation for the purpose of sterilizing it. Report Exposes Irradiated Food Lists and Their Dangers

16. No Lactose (food or supplements)
Lactose intolerant individuals have insufficient levels of lactase, an enzyme that catalyzes hydrolysis of lactose into glucose. Some studies have produced evidence that milk consumption by lactose intolerant individuals may be a significant cause of inflammatory bowel disease. Diagnoses and some statistics are now showing that many people are intolerant to lactose even though they do not have any kind of diagnosed primary or secondary lactase deficiency. Some people can handle lactose without a problem but if your even slightly intolerant, make sure there is no lactose in your food or supplements.

17. No Lubricants (supplements)
They prevent the clumping of active ingredients and prevent the sticking of materials to machines in the manufacturing plant. Examples include: silica, talc, stearic acid, magnesium stearate etc. Many of these lubricants (depending on how they are manufactured) have been shown to suppress immune function. The absorbability of products is also questionable when some lubricants have been added to a formula. Most lubricants have no place inside a supplement so investigate your ingredients before purchasing. 

18. No Nano (cosmetics, food and supplements)
This is another new exclusion now finding its way to product labels and consumers are becoming aware of the dangers of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles in the gastrointestinal tract have been linked to Crohn's disease and colon cancer. Nanoparticles that enter the circulatory system are implicated in arteriosclerosis, blood clots, arrhythmia, heart diseases, and ultimately death from heart disease. Should these particles enter other organs, such as liver, spleen, etc., they may lead to diseases of these organs. 

19. No Soy (cosmetics, food and supplements)
Soy can no longer be trusted in the food supply regardless if labeled organic or not. Not only is over 90 percent of the world's soy genetically modified, but most of the soy in our food is unfermented making it even more toxic for the body to process and utilize as energy. If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, you would likely reach the same conclusions--the risks of consuming unfermented soy products FAR outweigh any possible benefits. The propaganda that has created the soy sales miracle is all the more remarkable because, only a few decades ago, the soybean was considered unfit to eat - even in Asia. Non-organic sources of soy in many agricultural practices are being passed off as organic. In 2011, the USDAuncovered a plot to import fraudulent organic certificates produced by an uncertified supplier in China. The Chinese firm used the counterfeit certificate to represent non-organic crops, including soybeans, millet and buckwheat, as certified organic. Any ingredient listed as soybean or soy on any product ingredient list has a 93% chance of being GMO.

20. No Parabens (cosmetics and supplements)
Parabens are a group of widely used preservative and anti-microbial agents in personal care products and supplements. Parabens can cause hormone disruptions and they have been found in high concentrations in breast cancer tumours. Parabens can be found in supplements and everyday toiletry products including moisturizers, make-up, shaving foam, tanning lotions and toothpaste. They can appear as methylparabens, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben. Choose supplements that avoid this potentially harmful substance.

21. No Pasteurization
Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. By law many beverages and nuts are now required to be pasteurized so your job is to find those that are not from reputable organic sources.

22. No Pesticides or Herbicides Some food products list this, but unless they are organic, please investigate and contact the manufacturer to confirm. It's almost impossible to avoid pesticides and herbicides in our food supply, but if you can, please do. As acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects, including: nervous system effects, carcinogenic effects, hormone system effects, skin, eye and lung irritation. Pesticides are unique among the chemicals we release into the environment; they have inherent toxicity because they are designed to kill living organisms, insects, plants, and fungi that are considered "pests." Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people, risks that have been acknowledged by independent research scientists and physicians across the world. One more reason to try and buy organic, but don't go crazy trying to avoid pesticides and herbicides because I can guarantee they are impossible to eliminate in our society as they contribute to air pollution. If you grow your own foods you will dramatically reduce your exposure.

Sources:cornucopia.org
life-choice.net
preventdisease.combloodrootproducts.com