Steven Schram DC on YouTube

Be positive and stop worrying!

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:45:22 -0500

Are you well balanced emotionally? Do you have a genuine respect for the rights of others? Do you try to discover your true relationship with others? Or has bitterness and unhappiness, in your life, due to worry, caused you to unintentionally cultivate a critical outlook on life in general?

You must learn to think positively, without worry. Thoughts materialize themselves into reality, as “thoughts are things”. Worry is a ravenous creature that can destroy you. It destroys your strength, induces major and minor illnesses, sicknesses, diseases, and can cause a complete nervous and mental breakdown. It can so mess-up your subconscious mind that an individual is totally unable to deal with circumstance at hand. Worry makes the slightest irritant seem like a catastrophe.

Worry, does indeed, exist. One must make an effort to conquer it. Develop faith and strength with constructive mental exercises, like meditation, on a daily basis. If you try, you can achieve a happy, peaceful, healthy, harmonious and abundant life.

By the thoughts you entertain, you can either strengthen or weaken your world every day. You can destroy your health and vitality in the same manner.

Most people are victims of chronic exhaustion and mental fatigue, with only a small percentage from purely physical reasons. Yet, over 75% are tired from worry and emotional difficulties. Emotional fatigue and worry can cause you to become thoroughly discouraged, terribly tired, and, at times, lose the will to live.

Our need is to develop a positive attitude by positive thinking and faith. Secondly, stop pushing so hard at life and get off the emotional merry-go-round you’ve been riding. We are possessed by negativity when we worry, and borrow trouble unnecessarily by conjuring up things that never really exist. We become so distressed and anxious at times over a normal happening that we personally turn it into an unbearable crisis, which we can hardly cope with.

Many common diseases are due largely to our inability to handle stress, rather than direct damage by germs, poisons, or other external stimuli. Stress, fear and anxiety are personal problems of most everyone and a part of life. Unfortunately, as long as we are alive we cannot avoid stress, but we can learn how to handle it and keep it to a minimum.

Vital health lies in the successful adjustment to changing stresses. If not, ill health and unhappiness become the penalty for failing to adapt. When a person stops worrying and develops self-confidence and self-assurance, a wonderful feeling of peace prevails. We must learn to carry out our daily chores quietly, without stress, strain or nervous tension.

We look at the world through the windows of our own mentalities and interpret everything we see in terms of our own mental limitations. So, renew your thoughts and make them constructive. Transform your life into a success story.

You alone can re-shape and re-mold your character by changing it the way you want it to be. Learn how to be content with what you have and don’t worry about what your neighbor has.

We come into this world carrying baggage as a result of previous actions. There is nothing you can do about that. But you can do something about your actions in this lifetime. Every action has a reaction, be it good or bad. Let the past work itself out but re-shape your future by your actions from this day forward.

Aloha!

Sources:

www.raystedman.org

www.psychologytools.com

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Limes – Sour packed health benefits

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:44:08 -0500

When looking for a little sour taste, limes are the answer. This green citrus fruit comes in different shapes and sizes called species. There are Persian limes, Key limes, makrut lime, and desert limes. In Mexican and Southeast Asia limes are a staple for their dishes. In India, limes are pickled. Many alcohol beverages incorporate lime. Lots of desserts include lime such as Key lime pie, as well as ice cream and cookies. Some nontoxic sprays use lime with vinegar as a cleaning product. There are lime scented lotions, sprays, and candles too.

Limes have health benefits. They might be small, but they are packed with a big amount of vitamin C. A medium lime has about 20 calories, 22% of the recommended daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 grams of fiber, 2% of the DV for iron, 2% of the DV for Vitamin B6, and 2% of the DV for thiamin (helps turn carbohydrates into energy). The amount of vitamin C limes helps boost immunity. Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells which are the foundation of a strong immune system. Vitamin C also helps lower high blood pressure, which can prevent heart disease. Plus, limes contain antioxidants that help cells fight off free radicals. Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant that help stop the genes that cause cancer from progressing. Vitamin C is also a collagen producer in the body which is great for skin. Collagen keeps skin strong and firm. Antioxidants also help skin age well by fighting against oxidative stress that can cause premature aging.

Another reason to keep limes around is because they help the body absorb iron. Low blood iron levels can cause anemia. For people who do not eat meat sources of iron, but rather follow a more plant-based diet, limes can help absorb iron from plants more efficiently. Limes also keep kidney stones away. Citrus helps keep the levels of citrate in the body down so that minerals won’t form in urine.

Besides a little acid reflux or weaking enamel on the teeth, the pros of limes outweigh these side effects. Limes are found in nearly every grocery store almost always right next the lemons. Many people have lime trees in their backyards. Limes have many uses and many benefits that sometimes get overshadowed by other members of the citrus family. They’re a green machine even if tiny in size.

Effects of Citrus Fruit Juices and Their Bioactive Components on Inflammation and Immunity: A Narrative Review – PMC

Citrus limon (Lemon) Phenomenon—A Review of the Chemistry, Pharmacological Properties, Applications in the Modern Pharmaceutical, Food, and Cosmetics Industries, and Biotechnological Studies – PMC

Effects of lifelong intake of lemon polyphenols on aging and intestinal microbiome in the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 1 (SAMP1) – PMC

Antioxidant Compounds and Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits

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Sage – Array & aroma of benefits

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:48:37 -0500

The strong aroma of just a tiny bit of sage goes a long way. Sage is part of the mint family which includes herbs like basil, oregano, and rosemary. We often hear of sage being used for spiritual reasons and are unaware of health benefits it has and its versatility. Sage is often an ingredient in tomato sauce, with eggs, in stuffings, as a garnish, as a rub for meats, and for flavor with vegetables.

Sage does contain vitamin K, calcium, manganese, iron, vitamin A, copper, zinc, vitamin B6, and fiber. Although most of these nutrients are in trace amounts, sage contains 10% of the amount of vitamin K you need. Plus, it is packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals. Sage has over 160 polyphenols which are plant-based compounds that act like antioxidants. These compounds keep inflammation down, are anticancer, and are neuroprotective. Sage can help ward off certain types of cancer-causing cells from growing abnormally. Antioxidants also help the brain. It helps stop the breakdown or halt the breakdown of the chemical messenger acetylcholine (ACH which is used for memory. People with Alzheimer’s disease have low levels of ACH.

The aroma of sage contains rosemarinic acid, rutin, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid. These have been found to be beneficial for health as well.

There are some interesting benefits of sage that might seem unconventional. Sage is also useful for women in menopause. It can help reduce symptoms including sweating, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and feeling irritable. There is a decline in estrogen during menopause and sage acts like estrogen in the body which reduces symptoms. Sage can be an ingredient in mouthwash that can fight off plaque. It can break down Streptococcus mutans bacteria that causes cavities.

Sage can also help lower “LDL” which is bad cholesterol. Sage can keep diabetes away too. It helps lower blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity. It also helps the skin by keeping wrinkles away. Some people use sage to alleviate diarrhea symptoms.

There are some herbs like sage that don’t get all the credit they deserve. With so many uses, sage is something to keep in stock. Between cooking, aroma, dental care, and health benefits, sage doesn’t skip a positive note. Many people grow it, and practically all stores carry it. Add some sage to parts of your life and reap the benefits this herb generously offers.

Salvia (Sage): A Review of its Potential Cognitive-Enhancing and Protective Effects – PMC

Pharmacological properties of Salvia officinalis and its components – PMC

Assessment of the Effects of a Sage (Salvia officinalis) Extract on Cognitive Performance in Adolescents and Young Adults

Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Medicinal Property of Sage (Salvia) to Prevent and Cure Illnesses such as Obesity, Diabetes, Depression, Dementia, Lupus, Autism, Heart Disease, and Cancer – PMC

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Sometimes the truth is hard to digest.

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:44:30 -0500

There is a saying that “If slaughterhouses had glass walls we all would be vegetarians”. What will be presented in this article is what happens behind those windowless walls. One of two things will happen by the end of this article. One, you will feel sadness and make an attempt to change how and what you eat, or two, you will put it aside and continue doing what you have been conditioned to do and live with the reality that you most definitely are what you eat – a compassionless, hard-hearted person.

All animals go to slaughterhouses. While there, they can hear, smell and hear the death around them. And while these animals struggle to keep alive, the workers, to not slow down “production”, exhibit impatience to these poor animals.

The government, in their compassion, requires that an animal be stunned prior to its being murdered. How do the do this? With a method called, captive bolt stunning. A gun is put against the animal’s head that shoots a metal rod into its brain. What if the animal struggles and the rod misses? Easy. Do it again and again until it hits the right mark.

Then, there’s electrical stunning. This electrically zaps the animal creating a grand mal seizure. But, what if the electrical charge is not high enough? Then the animal will become paralyzed but will not lose sensibility. Whatever it takes, right?

Next is ritual slaughter where the animal’s throat is cut while fully conscious. Supposedly, the animal will become unconscious within seconds. The reality is that because of blood flow through the back of the neck the animal can remain conscious and bleed up to a minute, all the while screaming in pain.

There was an article in the Washington Post that revealed that hogs are immersed in scalding water after they are stunned to soften their hides for skinning. Given the mental acuity of the employees most of the hogs are scalded and drowned while conscious and kicking and squealing while being lowered in to the water. The same applies to chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese that undergo electric stunning. They are usually conscious as they are boiled or drowned.

Many slaughterhouse employees get their rocks off by punching the animals while alive or ripping the eggs out of a hen’s body and then having egg fights or ripping the heads off of turkeys that got their feet stuck in the transport truck cages. If a bird missed the throat-cutting machine a worker simply rips its head off to not slow down production.

Some of the other employee pastimes include throwing live chickens into a wall, picking chickens up by their feet and swinging their heads into walls or the floor, or throwing them on the floor, while alive, and jumping up and down on them.

The USDA, which oversees the treatment of animals and birds in the slaughter houses says, “Drastic increases in production speeds, lack of support from supervisors in plants, new inspection policies which significantly reduce our enforcement authority, and little or no access to the areas of the plants where animals are killed, have significantly hampered our ability to ensure compliance with humane regulations”.

The good news – even when problems are reported to the inspectors, the government ignores them. A case in point was that no action was taken against a Texas beef company for chopping the hooves and ears off of live cattle.

It’s up to you to look into your heart and decide if you want to be a part of this or not.

Aloha!

Sources:

www.100percentpure.com

www.alurxwellness.com

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The Amazing Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:42:51 -0500

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an effective natural remedy for hundreds of health problems. It helps restore balance in the body by delivering a wide array of remarkable health benefits.

Making it involves two steps. First, apple juice is fermented into alcohol. Then, the alcohol is fermented again to become vinegar. Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar also contains a cloudy substance called “the mother of vinegar,” similar to the scoby in Kombucha, according to HuffPost.

Nutritionally, ACV has only 3 calories per tablespoon (15 grams) and virtually no carbohydrates. It also contains small amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. Like apple juice, it may contain additional pectin, vitamins B1, B2 and B6; biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C. (OrganicFacts.net)

Health Benefits

The range of health conditions that benefit from the use of this drink is staggering. Its beneficial bacteria content acts as natural probiotics that help balance the gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms living in our digestive system. This is helpful for good digestion, better absorption of nutrients, and prevention of bloating and constipation. Further, a healthy gut plays a key role in supporting the immune system, helping our bodies defend against harmful bacteria and infections.

A study published in the Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare journal reveals that the regular consumption of ACV by people with Type 2 diabetes lowers HbA1c, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. This not only enhances glycemic control but also promotes cardiovascular health.

Time Magazine suggests that the acetic acid in ACV could be the primary mechanism causing these effects:

“After it’s swallowed, acetic acid turns into acetate, a fatty acid that’s good for digestion, metabolism, and energy production.”

Try this simple trick: drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed, paired with a bit of cheese. A study published in Diabetes Care suggests this routine may regulate blood sugar overnight, states Health.com.

Regular consumption may also aid in modest weight loss by potentially boosting metabolism and fat oxidation. It’s not a panacea, but its moderate use seems to help with so many problems that it would be a shame to leave it out of your food arsenal. Give it a try; you won’t regret it.

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It’s time to fight conditioning!

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:02:52 -0500

The more forcefully we ignore something, the more power it has over us and the more strongly it influences us. Taking a clear look at the foods produced by modern methods and what we have been conditioned to accept, we find misery, cruelty and exploitation. Therefore, we avoid looking deeply at our food, if of animal origin, and continue to float in that big river in Egypt (de Nial).

This practice of avoidance and denial, applied to eating, carries over automatically into our entire private and public life. We know, deep down, that we cannot look deeply anywhere. If we do, we will have to look deeply into the enormous suffering our food choices directly cause.

So, we learn to stay shallow and to be willingly blind to the connections we see. Otherwise, our remorse and guilt would be too painful to bear. We, therefore choose to ignore and remain ignorant and inattentive to the pain and suffering our eating causes.

Being unwilling and unable to see, confront, and take responsibility for the hidden ocean of horror we condone to those who are sentient and vulnerable as we are, we remain hardened and blind by choice. We choose to be blind when we shop for, prepare, and eat the flesh of other creatures. Becoming insensitive to the pain that we cause daily to defenseless animals, we also become insensitive to the beauty of the creation that we oppress and disconnect ourselves from at every meal.

The desensitizing of millions of children and adults, on the massive scale that consuming millions of tortured animals daily requires, sows countless seeds of human violence, war, poverty and despair. These outcomes are unavoidable, for we can never reap peace, joy and freedom for ourselves while sowing seeds of harming and enslaving others.

We may speak of love, kindness, freedom and a more gentle world, yet it is our actions, especially those that are habitually practiced, that determine what future outcomes we and others will experience. The cycles of violence that have terrorized people, both historically and today, are rooted in the violence of our daily meals. Though animals cannot retaliate like other people can, our violence toward them retaliates against us in the form of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, constipation and more.

By confining and killing animals for food, we have brought violence into our bodies and minds. Our meals require us to eat like predators and thus see ourselves as such. We cultivate and justify predatory behaviors and institutions that are the antithesis of the inclusiveness and kindness that accompany true spiritual growth.

Because cruelty is inescapable in confining, mutilating, and slaughtering animals for food, we have been forced from childhood to be distracted and inattentive perpetrators of cruelty. As infants, we have no idea what “veal”, “turkey”, “egg”, “fish” or “beef” actually are, or where they come from. We don’t know what horror is visited upon helpless creatures in order to create the easily available concoctions being spooned into our little teething mouths and developing consciousnesses.

In time, we accept this indoctrination of denial and cruelty as normal and our meals become rituals of distraction and repressed sensitivity and guilt. The price we pay for this is the dulling of our innate intelligence and compassion.

Aloha!

Sources:

www.routledge.com

www.psychologytoday.com

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Horseback riding – Natural mental & physical health benefits of riding

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:59:54 -0500

For hundreds of years, horseback riding was a mode of transportation. Today, owning a horse can be considered a luxury. Horseback riding is now a sport or an activity to do for enjoyment. Horseback riding has many benefits including both mental and physical, that aside from once being a way to get places, can be a way to improve your health.

Horseback riding aids mental health. It is a way to destress though nature and the beauty of horses. Being outdoors and being with animals has calming effects. Acting calm is practically a requirement of horseback riding because horses pick up on the energy of their rider. This empathic ability of horses means if the rider is anxious, the horse will be anxious. Therefore, as a rider it is important to remain calm. The vitamin D of being outside can boost mood and reduce the onset of depression. The practice of caring for an animal also helps lower stress.

Learning to do a new skill can also be part of horseback riding. Continuing to learn is always good for the mind and helps keep the brain sharp. The rider must pay attention to detail and problem solve during the ride. The rider also has to concentrate and recall the necessary skills of riding needed to guide the horse. Confidence also builds with horseback riding. It takes leadership to be in control of the horse. Taking charge is required. The rider cannot be intimated to get on a horse and go. Horseback riding can take practice and with practice comes confidence by the improvements made. Feeling good about doing something does boost confidence.

Horseback riding is a physical activity so even though it might look easy to sit on a horse, there are muscles working. To stay in good posture requires stamina. Staying on the horse in proper position uses the back muscles, inner thighs, and pelvis. The benefits of building these muscles can ward against low back pain. Posture does improve with ongoing horseback riding. To stay in the seat, the rider must make sure to stay upright not leaning too far forward or back. Slouching throws off the riding. Sweating is normal during the ride and the rider’s heart rate does elevate with the intensity and focus and engagement of muscles. Therefore, there is cardiovascular benefit to riding. Breathing harder is normal as well. Again, the heart is working pumping blood to the muscles and upkeeping oxygen supply. This can ward against heart diseases.

Hobbies like horseback riding can be done for pleasure or sport. Caring for horses is automatically part of this. The mind, body, and spirit connect with riding and with the animal. Horses are beautiful animals and riding them can be enjoyable for them as well. The mind and muscles of the horse and rider can benefit from horseback riding.

Perceived Benefits for Mental and Physical Health and Barriers to Horseback Riding Participation. The Analysis among Professional and Amateur Athletes – PMC

The Efficacy of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies on Improving Physical Function – PubMed

life-changing power of the horse: Equine-assisted activities and therapies in the U.S. | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic

Therapeutic Effects of Horseback Riding Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – PubMed

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Food Dyes – Unhealthy food decor

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:07:15 -0500

Most processed foods do contain food dye also called artificial food coloring. What might seem harmless and decorative, might raise concerns for health risks. Of course, our drinks, candies, and baked goods look bright and lovely, but looks can be deceiving. Children consume it the most and overall consumption has gone but my 500% in the last 50 years.

Oh the things we do for appearance. Food dyes are chemicals that originated in 1856 from coal tar. Only a handful are okay for consumption and the rest are considered toxic. The attraction to artificial food dyes versus natural ones is the bright colors it makes. Manufacturers want to draw our eyes in and make us see the foods even when we aren’t having them.

The FDA has approved food dyes as being safe, but controversy still surrounds this approval. These are the currently approved FDA food dyes and what they’re used for:

Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue): popsicles, icings, ice cream, canned peas, packaged soups.
Blue No. 2 (Indigo Carmine): ice cream, candy, cereals, snacks.
Red No. 3 (Erythrosine): cake decorating gels, candy, popsicles.
Red No. 40 (Allura Red): candy, condiments, sports drinks.
Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine): chips, cereals, candy, soft drinks, popcorn.
Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow): sauces, preserved fruits, baked goods.

The most commonly (90% of foods) used dyes are Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Questions do raise when a dye like Green No. 3 is approved by the FDA but not in Europe. However, Quinoline Yellow, Carnosine and Ponceau are approved in Europe but not the US.

There isn’t a lot of science to back up the claims regarding the harmfulness of artificial dyes, although studies have been done. There can be possible changes in children’s behavior which has been link to hyperactivity. Some doctors recommend eliminating artificial dyes from children who may have ADHD. Questions have also been raised about the relationship between food dyes and cancer, particularly Blue 2 and Red 3. Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 might be contaminated with cancer causing substances. The best answer is to eat whole foods, not processed. This takes away the risks possible associated with food dyes. Eat food in its natural color and form. Prepare your own. It can be scary knowing what is put in our food to preserve it, but best solution is to shop yourself, cook yourself, and to choose healthy options for your meals land snacks.

Avoiding processed foods is the best solution when it comes to being proactive about our health and nutrition. Whole foods like fruits can be used to add color or appearance to many dishes. The rainbow of fruits and vegetables can be the color as ingredients. If something has to be made to look a certain way, then there is an element of “fake” instead of natural that we should avoid. Natural foods stay true to their color and true to being beneficial to the body.

Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence – PMC

DIET AND NUTRITION: The Artificial Food Dye Blues – PMC

Applications of food color and bio-preservatives in the food and its effect on the human health – ScienceDirect

Toxicology of food dyes – PubMed

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Diastasis recti – Abdominal wall split

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:23:53 -0500

Pregnancy and postpartum are a challenging time for the female body. Although well-equipped and designed for the task, there can be conditions that occur even when the mother does all the right measures for childbirth. One of the unexpected side effects is called diastasis recti. It is very common, with an estimated one in two women having this happen to them to various levels of severity. The condition involves the rectus abdominis muscles (six-pack ab muscles) separating or being stretched during pregnancy and even after. There can be a bulge form the stomach that can affect self-efficacy and some daily living activities. The unfortunate part is that a woman can still look pregnant even after giving birth.

During pregnancy, a lot of pressure is put on the abdominal wall. The wall two sides and connective tissue. The walls get pushed out to create space for the baby. Diastasis recti happens when the gap is overstretched to create this space and then doesn’t come back together. There’s an ab gap. The third trimester is usually when the baby grows fast so the gap develops during this time.

Because we don’t see the inside of our bodies, most women don’t notice the gap until the postpartum period. A doctor would confirm diastasis recti by feeling the area, then measuring with a caliper or tap to determine if the gap is wider than 2 centimeters. Finger widths can also be used to diagnose. Two to three finger widths would be the gap length to check for. There are also steps to take for self-diagnosis. Laying on the back with feet bent and belly flat and relaxed, a person can do the 2-3 width finger test.

Some women are at higher risk for diastasis recti for a few possible reasons. Being over age 35 having a baby, having back-to-back pregnancies or multiple pregnancies, having a big baby, being petite in stature, and vaginal delivery requires a lot of pressure to the abdominal wall during the pushing out. To avoid the risk of diastasis recti, maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy, don’t strain the abdominals by planks, double leg lifts, boat pose, downward dog, or pushups (on the toes), and roll to one side when getting up and down of the floor or out of bed.

Diastasis recti should heal within about 8 weeks after delivery. However, there can be signs post pregnancy that he*align is not taking place. Symptoms can be a dome or cone near the belly button, softening around the belly button, low back pain, urine leaking, hip pain, pelvic pain, difficulty lifting objects, and pain during sex. There isn’t necessarily a pain in the abs, but there is a discomfort when maybe bending down and picking something up.

Physical therapy and corrective exercise can be performed to help fix diastasis recti. These involve engaging the deep abdominals. Breathing and controlled movements should be performed. Surgery doesn’t have to be the answer. Bringing a child into this world is a woman’s special ability and gift. The risk is worth the reward if you were to ask most women. Diastasis recti is just a side effect that can’t be predicted, but can be corrected. That makes the possibility easier to live with.

Impact of Rectus Diastasis Repair on Abdominal Strength and Function: A Systematic Review – PMC

Diastasis Recti Rehabilitation – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf

The relationship of severity in diastasis recti abdominis and pelvic floor dysfunction: a retrospective cohort study – PMC

Evaluation of functional outcomes following rectus diastasis repair—an up-to-date literature review – PMC

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Is eating chemicals yummy or bummy?

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:45:22 -0500

How hard is it to go to a food store, conventional or alleged “health” and buy clean, pure food? Well, it’s harder than you think.

We know that the supermarkets sell pesticide/herbicide-laden foods that can be washed. They are called vegetables.

We also know that the supermarkets and some “health” food stores sell animal flesh.

If it’s non-organic it contains bovine growth hormones, antibiotics, doo-doo, radiation and a host of other toxins and poisons. If it’s alleged “range-fed” maybe a lot of the crap is not there, but there is one thing that is always there: Raging fear hormones.

Think about it: do you really believe that when any creature is taken out of its element and faced with death that they are all happy and saying, “kill me, kill me, please kill me”?

But that’s a story for another time. Now I want to get into food that is anything but food and perhaps the following will give you some insight into the reality that there are people out there that do not give a s**t about what they sell as long as they can make money.

Imagine them selling and you eating non-descript, flavorless, chemicalized foods, only so they can make money.

Aspartame is often offered as a tabletop sweetener. You can also often find aspartame added to soft drinks, sugar free candies and desserts, frozen desserts or ice creams, iced teas, cocoa mix, chewing gums, breath mints, yogurts, meal replacements and other low calorie or sugarless foods.

Aspartame is designed to be consumed sparingly, so it may be best for you to consume a combination of low-sugar and regular options when making your food choices.

Soft Drinks. Many powdered soft drinks, flavoring syrups for coffee, sweetened iced teas, fruit or vegetable juices or flavored waters will contain aspartame to make them taste sweeter. Common soft drinks that include aspartame include Coca Cola Zero, Pepsi Max, Lilt Zero, Sprite Zero, Tango, 7up Free, Lucozade Sport, Schewppes Slimline drinks, Fanta Zero, Fanta Orange, Dr. Pepper Zero, Oasis Summer Fruits Extra Light, Oasis Fruit Punch Robinsons Orange Squash, Ribena Really light and Robinson’s no sugar added beverages. Options Hot Chocolate mix and Cadburys Highlights also contain aspartame.

Diet Sodas. Most diet sodas will use artificial sweeteners like aspartame in place of high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar that are higher in calories. Aspartame has a similar taste to sugar so those that like to drink sodas and do not like the idea of giving up their sweet drinks can swap for this lower calorie option without feeling like they are going without. Some of the most common diet sodas that use aspartame include Diet Coca Cola products, Diet Pepsi products and Diet Irn Bru.

Gum and Candies. A lot of common brands of candy or gum have aspartame as an ingredient. Candies that are labeled sugar free like chewing gum, hard candy, candy chews or breath mints will use aspartame. Gum that tends to have aspartame includes Wrigley’s Extra, Airwaves and Orbit products.

Yogurt. Yogurts that are sugar or fat free or those that have a drinkable consistency will usually be made with a low-fat milk and aspartame. Those that want to avoid the aspartame content can purchase unsweetened yogurt instead of these options. Yogurts that are known to contain aspartame include Mueller light cherry, blueberry, banana, custard and raspberry, Dannon Activia, Weight Watchers vanilla and toffee and Weight Watchers fromage frias.

Desserts. Most desserts that are advertised as being low-sugar or sugar-free have added aspartame to help maintain the flavor of the product. Ice cream toppings or novelties, cartons of ice cream, frozen ices, sugar free mousse, cookies or pies usually use aspartame. Pudding mixes or gelatin advertised as being sugar-free also usually have aspartame in them.

Condiments. Most condiments that are advertised as being lower in sugar like barbeque sauce, maple syrup, fruit spreads, jelly, jam, chocolate syrup or ketchup will have replaced the sugar with aspartame so they will still taste sweet but are lower in calories. Condiments that contain aspartame include Uncle Bens’s Sweet and Sour Light sauce, Silver Spoon Sweetness light and light granulated sugar and Canderel.

Meal Replacements. Some meal replacement options will replace the sugar with aspartame to help reduce the calories and sugar. A lot of shakes or weight loss bars that are promoted for dieting will have aspartame included to ensure that they meet specific calorie goals. If you are trying to cut down on calories should watch how many of these products they consume because consuming excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners like aspartame can have negative health effects over time.

MSG can be used (and hidden) in processed foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and the food that is given to pets and other animals.

It can be used in waxes applied to fresh fruits and vegetables.

It can be used as ingredients in pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and plant growth enhancers — remaining in the edible portion of the plant or on the edible portion of the plant when its leaves, fruits, nuts, grains, seeds, and other edible parts are brought to market.

There are over 40 food ingredients besides “monosodium glutamate” that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Each, according to the FDA, must be called by its own, unique, “common or usual name.”

“Autolyzed yeast,” “maltodextrin,” “hydrolyzed pea protein”, and “sodium caseinate” are the common or usual names of some ingredients that contain MSG. Unlike the ingredient called “monosodium glutamate,” they give the consumer no clue that there is MSG in the ingredient.

In addition to ingredients that contain MSG, some acids and enzymes when combined with a food that contains protein will produce MSG. The words “enzyme” and “protease” (which is a type of enzyme) signal the presence of enzymes capable of causing the production of MSG.

In particular…

Low fat and no fat milk products often contain milk solids that contain MSG.
Other dairy products often contain carrageenan, guar gum, and/or locust bean gum.
Low fat and no fat versions of ice cream and cheese may not be as obvious as yogurt, milk, cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc., but they are not exceptions.

Protein powders and protein drinks contain glutamic acid, and the glutamic acid in the protein powders and drinks will always be processed (manufactured) free glutamic acid (MSG). Individual amino acids are not always listed on labels of protein powders and drinks.

At present, there is an FDA requirement to give the name of the protein source when listing hydrolyzed protein products on labels of processed foods.

Examples are hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed pea protein, hydrolyzed whey protein, hydrolyzed, corn protein.

If a tomato, for example, were whole, it would be identified as a tomato.

Naming an ingredient “tomato protein” indicates that the tomato has been hydrolyzed, at least in part, and that processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is present.

At present, the FDA requires the disclosure of ingredients labeled “monosodium glutamate” and “hydrolyzed…protein” when, as ingredients, they are used in a “flavor” or “flavoring” (whether or not the “flavor” or “flavoring” is preceded by the words “natural” or “artificial”). However, “flavors” and “flavorings” can contain MSG in ingredients other than “monosodium glutamate” and “hydrolyzed…Protein” without the MSG being disclosed.

Disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate are relatively expensive food additives that work synergistically with inexpensive processed free glutamic acid (MSG). We believe that they would only be used if there were MSG in a product.

MSG will be found in some soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics, where MSG is hidden in ingredients with names that include the words “hydrolyzed,” “amino acids,” and/or “protein.”

Binders and fillers for prescription and non-prescription medications, nutrients, and supplements, may contain MSG.

Enteral feeding materials, and some fluids administered intravenously in hospitals, may contain MSG.

According to the manufacturer, Varivax–Merck chicken pox vaccine (Varicella Virus Live), contains L-monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed gelatin, both of which contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG).

It would appear that most, if not all, live virus vaccines contain some ingredient(s) that contains MSG.

There are a number of ingredients identified as organic that, organic or not, will contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, textured soy protein, and anything hydrolyzed are examples of ingredients that may be made from organic produce, but will never-the-less contain MSG.

Drinks, candy, and chewing gum are potential sources of hidden MSG. They may also contain aspartame, neotame, of AminoSweet (the new name for aspartame).

I mention aspartame, neotame, and AminoSweet here because they, like MSG, contain a neurotoxic amino acid, and can cause the same reactions that MSG causes.

Aspartame will be found in some medications, including children’s medications.

Anything that breaks down the protein in a product can produce MSG as it breaks down the protein. There have been reports of people reacting to meat wrapped in Cryovac, which is a registered trademark for a thick plastic in which meat is sealed with the air removed by a vacuum pump. The word Cryovac is also used for the thermoplastic resin wrapping film, which ca be heat-shrunk onto foods.

Some waxes used on fruits and vegetables contain MSG.

Produce may have been produced using fertilizer or pesticide products that contain MSG. Some of these fertilizers may be organic. It is impossible to know from looking at produce whether or not it has been treated with an MSG-containing fertilizer or pesticide product that leaves residue in or on the produce.

Some non-organic waxes used on some fruits and vegetables contain MSG.

Additional sources of MSG include infant formula, kosher food, enteral feeding products (tube feeding products), dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, protein drinks often recommended for seniors, protein bars and protein powders, vaccines, personal care products, protein powders sold in health food stores, food that is labeled “organic”, wine, food with labels that say “No Added MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No MSG” , food that is falsely advertised as containing no MSG, and in food whose manufacturers claim, in response to questions, that their products contain no MSG.

MSG can be hidden by restaurateurs who claim that the food they serve contains no MSG

About “organic” products…

Where MSG is concerned, “organic” doesn’t mean “safe”. Ingredients like organic autolyzed yeast and organic natural flavoring have just as much processed (manufactured) free glutamic acid (MSG) in them as those not called “organic”.

Also listed as organic are fertilizer products that contain hydrolyzed fish protein and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. All hydrolyzed ingredients contain MSG.

About “Health Food” stores…

Health food stores are mine fields for MSG including the ever popular Spike seasoning made by Modern Foods. I backed those guys into such a heavy corner years ago that they ceased their correspondence with me. Also, just about every bouillon and soup broth sold in so-called Health Food” stores contains an MSG euphemism.

Protein powders are generally nothing more or less than hydrolyzed proteins –and will contain all three manufactured neurotoxic amino acids: glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and L-cysteine. Food labeled “organic” cannot legitimately contain monosodium glutamate, but can contain other ingredients that contain MSG.

Dietary supplements will often contain individual amino acids (because they can be absorbed by the body more quickly than amino acids found in protein which have to be digested before they can be absorbed); and if dietary supplements contain individual amino acids, those amino acids may be neurotoxic glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and/or L-cysteine, all manufactured in food and/or chemical plants.

These are the names of some of the MSG-containing ingredients often found in Health Food stores:

amino acids (They almost invariably contain glutamic acid.)
autolyzed yeast
citric acid

glutamate
glutamic acid
hydrolyzed protein
monopotassium glutamate
monosodium glutamate
protein
whey protein concentrate

There are also chelates.

Minerals found individually and in some multi-vitamins, are usually joined to amino acids for better absorption, i.e., the minerals or multi-vitamins are chelated.

The following are names used for chelates that will contain MSG and/or aspartic acid and phenylalanine which are two of the main ingredients in MSG’s toxic cousin aspartame:

amino acid chelate (chelated with amino acids)
potassium (or any other mineral ) citrate
potassium (or any other mineral) aspartate
potassium (or any other mineral) glutamate
chelated with hydrolyzed protein,
chelated with protein
chelated with amino acids

Some supplement manufacturers place asterisks after the names of minerals.

Below the list of ingredients, the asterisk is often followed by a note that explains that the mineral is “chelated with hydrolyzed protein,” “chelated with protein,” or “chelated with amino acids.” Basically it is “chelated” with MSG.

Protein powders are all the rage for body builders and older people. The main ingredient is typically a hydrolyzed protein — and hydrolyzed proteins contain MSG, excitotoxic aspartic acid (found also in aspartame), and excitotoxic L-cysteine (found in some dough conditioners).

There has to be concern for anyone who ingests any form of MSG in his or her diet.

How sad for the athletes who ingest MSG just prior to, just following, or in the course of vigorous exercise, because there is evidence that the adverse effects of MSG, may be intensified by vigorous exercise.

Heart irregularities have been know to be caused by ingestion of MSG and/or aspartame. Heart irregularities can result in cardiac arrest.

About hospitals, nursing homes, and extended care facilities…

The most common sources of MSG in hospitals, nursing homes, and extended care facilities will be:

Soups – even if the institution purchases soups and/or soup bases that claim to be MSG-free

Protein drinks such as Boost and Ensure

Enteral care products – used when tube feeding

Gelatin

Gravies

Salad dressings

Intravenous solutions. Reactions have been reported to saline solution and solutions containing dextrose. Ringers solution appears to be MSG-free.

Anything no fat or low fat

Anything made with a sugar substitute likely contains neurotoxic aspartame, Equal, or AminoSweet.

People with extreme intolerance to MSG have difficulty with pharmaceuticals that contain MSG in the binders and/or fillers.

They may also react to the starch on powdered gloves and/or the contacts that are glued to a patient’s chest for heart monitoring. The contact points that touch the body may contain guar gum, which, after several days’ exposure, may cause adverse reactions.

It’s not only humans that have problems with MSG. The first evidence of MSG toxicity came from animal studies, some of which demonstrated that animals suffered brain lesions and endocrine disorders when fed monosodium glutamate. The possibility that your animal is sensitive to MSG is certainly worth considering.

People who are sensitive to processed free glutamic acid (MSG), or those who simply would choose to avoid ingestion of toxic amino acids, need to know that there are two other neurotoxic amino acids commonly used in food: aspartic acid and L-cysteine.

Aspartic acid is found in the sugar substitutes called “neotame”, “aspartame”, “AminoSweet”, “NutraSweet” and “Equal.” L-cysteine is identified as L-cysteine and is most often found in dough conditioners.

“Safe” levels of Round-Up weed killer glyphosate and GM corn found to cause tumors and multiple organ damage despite the lies of the biotech industries.

New peer-reviewed research published recently shows the results of the first animal feeding trial into the life-time exposure of Roundup tolerant GM corn and Roundup, the world’s best selling weed killer.

The study, published online by the scientific journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology, shows that levels currently considered safe can cause mammary tumors, kidney and liver damage, in laboratory rats.

The study was led by molecular biologist and endocrinologist, Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen in France and was supported by the independent research organization, CRIIGEN.

The researchers used 200 rats that were fed a diet containing the Roundup tolerant GM maize, NK603, or given water-containing Roundup, at levels permitted in drinking water and GM crops in the US. It showed that these rats developed tumors faster and died earlier than rats fed on a standard diet.

The results are an important consideration in the debate around genetically modified food as this is the first time scientific research has shown a link between GM food crops and negative health outcomes.

The research is also the first to show the impact of consuming the herbicide, Roundup, over a two-year period – the entire lifespan of a rat.

Previous studies into GM and Roundup have stopped at 90 days whereas this research showed that the most serious health impacts only started to show at four months, with the majority of tumors developing from 18 months onwards.

But Bayer-Monsanto, being the salt of the earth that they think they are, had Richard Goodman, a former employee, take on a newly created position at the FCT of being in charge of negating and removing GMO reports that spoke the truth about the adverse health effects of GMOs. And the first and only report removed? Yup, the Seralini report. And yet we are supposed to believe and trust a**holes like this.

GM food crops are a hotly contested issue around the world. Supporters believe they could be the silver bullet for feeding an ever-expanding population while opponents claim GM technology is untested and under-regulated. In the U.S, 70 per cent of all processed food contains GM ingredients without GM labeling and 85 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. is GM.

In the UK and Europe, GM maize is not consumed directly by humans but it is widely included in animal feed.

Hundreds of thousands of tons of GM maize are imported to the UK each year for use in the diets of chickens, pigs and dairy cows. Products from these animals are currently sold in British supermarkets without any requirement for GM labeling.
Michael Antoniou, molecular biologist and gene expert at Kings College, London says, “This is the most thorough research ever published into the health effects of GM food crops and the herbicide Roundup on rats. It shows an extraordinary number of tumors developing earlier and more aggressively – particularly in female animals.

Patrick Holden, the CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust says, “In-line with our core mission of developing a body of informed public opinion about the links between farming practice and health, the SFT was approached by CRIIGEN to play a supportive role in c

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