Xenoestrogens. The good, The bad and The ugly - Part 3

A talk about xenoestrogens would not be complete without looking at phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are weaker than the body's natural estrogen, and is found naturally in plant sources. Unlike the synthetic xenoestrogens, phytoestrogens do get flushed out of the body in a relatively shorter period. In some people phytoestrogens may actually help with estrogen dominant diseases by blocking the estrogen receptor sites. (The phytoestrogen would take the place instead of the stronger estradiol, thus in a way lowering the effect of strong estrogen.) This is evident in that the use of ground flax seeds do help in some cases (some breast cancers, endometriosis).

However, don't rush out and consume a lot of foods known to contain phytoestrogens. There is some controversy over how and if phytoestrogens should be used in the cases of estrogen dominance. Some foods have stronger phytoestrogens and they will make the condition worse. These will increase the estrogen load in your body. The following should be avoided (for their strong estrogenic properties) if you have an estrogen dominant disease;

Alfalfa

Coffee

Clover, including red and white

Chamomile

Alfalfa Sprouts

Pomegranate

Fennel

Licorice

Yucca

Hops (Beer – men with beer bellies – beer bellies are a major indicator of too much estrogen)
Safflower, sunflower, cottonseed and canola oils (you should avoid these anyway)
Sunflower seeds
Soy
Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot)
Dates
Motherwort
Tea Tree oil  (yes, this is a hard one)
Lavender Oil

As always, anything should be used in moderation anyway. Of course, you should always consult your naturopath for guidance if you have a disease. There are conflicting sides to the use or non-use of phytoestrogens as treatment for certain ailments. This is merely a reflection of what I have read and come to understand and should not be taken as a replacement for professional advice. If this is an area that affects you, do some more of your own research and seek the help of a naturopath.

A MAJOR one to always avoid is SOY. Soy has strong phytoestrogens. You should stay far away from soy, if you have an estrogen dominant disease or not. You will soon get one if you don't. Soy is often not eaten in it's traditional form and has very negative effects on peoples health.

As for those food with weaker phytoestrogens, these should be consumed in moderate amounts and in rotation. So what foods have weaker phytoestrogens? Well basically all foods contain some. So this is kind of a trick question. The bottom line is any one food should be consumed in moderation. Remember that these week phytoestrogens do help to prevent the stronger estrogens from taking over. Make sure to get these from your food. While some phytoestrogens are helpful, taking them in isolated (concentrated) form is extremely dangerous. (Soy is often found in isolated form.)

On the other hand there are also things that hinder progesterone absorption. Progesterone naturally balances out estrogen in the body. Progesterone is what naturally sustains pregnancy. Miscarriages can occur if there is too much estrogen and/or not enough progesterone. Estrogen is what regulates the monthly cycle. However, estrogen still plays a vital part in the development of the baby. Remember the three types of estrogen listed in Part 1? Well, this is where estriol comes in. Estriol (a weaker estrogen) is what changes the colour on the stick in a pregnancy test (and is detectable in blood tests). This is what everyone is so excited to test for, and it is monitored throughout pregnancy to see if things are developing as they should. Estriol is produced by the baby's liver and the placenta. In a non-pregnant women, estriol is produced in very small amounts (not enough to change the colour on a test) as a product of estrone metabolism. By the 3^rd trimester of pregnancy, this level rises to 300-400 mg per day. While estradiol is still produced during pregnancy it is produced in little amounts (as opposed to natural production of 100 – 200 mcg per day – more if you have more weight) – too much (or from xenoestrogens) would bring about miscarriage.

Certain herbs can block progesterone receptors, and unfortunately have been used to induce abortions in the past. Since pregnancy (the uterine lining) is sustained by progesterone, this method has been used to "naturally" cause a miscarriage by inhibiting availability of progesterone. For that reason I will not be providing a list of these herbs. Remember, natural doesn't always mean that it is good. On the other hand if you are pregnant don't stop eating all herbs, the amounts used to cause a miscarriage are far greater than anyone would flavour their food with. If you are pregnant your midwife can provide you with information on the herbs that should be avoided during pregnancy, and of course fasting and single food diets are not good during this time. 



Next up...Part 4 Xenoestrogens - what to do about it.
 

Xenoestrogens. The good, The bad and The ugly - Part 2

As stated in Part 1, xenoestrogens are estrogens that are foreign to the body, or rather they are estrogen mimickers. They don't belong and the body has a harder time getting rid of them than natural estrogen as they are much stronger.

These foreign chemicals “mimic” estrogen in that they bind onto the estrogen receptors. These receptors are mainly located in the reproductive organs and fat cells. This fat is vary difficult to lose and results in a cyclical pattern of fat loving estrogen and estrogen loving fat, resulting in an increase of both. More estrogen overload.

The estrogen receptors become desensitized. They overload and just plain get exhausted. But endometriosis has it's own estrogen receptors (as does fat cells and ) and they are more than happy to welcome more estrogen, which in turn makes the endometriosis grow and spread (or in the case of fat, become more fat).

So what are some sources of Xenoestrogens

The simple answer is: CHEMICALS. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals. The key is man made chemicals. People don't have a very good history of creating things, that's best left to God. (There is a difference between discovering, being creative, and plain messing around with stuff you really shouldn't). (I realize that water is a chemical. I sold Norwex, and I realized that “cleaning without chemicals”, and “just use water” was, in a way, an oxymoron. But in our modern language, most people are referring to man made chemicals when they say “chemicals".) More specifically the main chemicals for concern are those which are derived from solvents and petrochemicals. Unless you've done your research, you will be surprised to find out how much this really is.

-Plastic (any plastic - containers, wrap, drinking bottles, children's toys – including ones for “teething”)

-Fragrance (lotions, air fresheners, perfumes, cleaning products)

-Pesticides (Herbicides, Insecticides – and more than just the famous DDT)

-Non-organic, farm meat, eggs and dairy (hormones are given to animals to fatten them up – it is effective as seen above [fat has more estrogen receptors, makes more fat] since estrogen is fat soluble, you will get a portion of the hormones in your steak or glass of milk - not the way you want to fatten your kids)

-Styrofoam

-Food preservatives (BHT, BHA)

-Some food dye (dental labs, printing inks, candy, baked goods, condiments, snack foods, medicines)

-Insect repellent

-Detergents (especially laundry – it stays on your clothes and then absorbs into your skin)

-Paints, varnishes and solvents

-Glue

-Cleaning products

-Dry Cleaning chemicals

-Canned foods (that white liner – plastic – Bisphenol A)

-Personal care products (cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, deodorant)

-Fiberglass

-Formaldehyde (found in carpets, clothing, mattresses, plywood, etc)

-Benzene (petroleum by product, found in rubber, detergent, pesticides, plastics, nylon, car exhaust, dyes)

-Emulsifiers and waxes (soups, cosmetics)

-Chlorine

-Phthalates (add flexability to plastics, medical equipment such as IV bags and tubes, childrens toys, used as a stabilizer for fragrances)

-Sunscreen (specific ingredient; benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBS), octyl-methoxycinnamate, and octyl-dimethyl-PABA) In one study 4-MBS, using olive oil as a carrier, was applied to rat's skins doubling the rate of uterine growth well before puberty. Developmental abnormalities occurred in half of the 6 rats tested. The amount used was well within the allowable concentration for use in sunscreen.

-Industrial Chemicals (cadmium, lead, mercury, PCBs, dioxins)

-Sewage treatment waste (not designed to filter out hormonal waste from medicines being flushed down the toilet or excreted in urine)

-Unfiltered Water – contaminated with agricultural runoff (pesticides, fertilizers and from animals feed hormones) and prescription drugs. Most water treatment centers are not designed to deal with hormone pollution.

-Birth Control Pills

-Prescription Drugs (if not the drug itself, they often contain binders and fillers that are petrochemical in nature)

-Organochlorines (dry cleaning, bleaching products, PVC, PCBs chloroform, degreasing agents, dry cleaning chemicals, tetrafluoroethene [used to make Teflon], pesticides [DDT among others], dioxins, waste from manufacturing and incineration of plastics, including medical waste).


Okay, so what's not on the list? If your into the typical Westernized way of living, not much. Everyone is exposed to some of these chemicals everyday. Even a newborn baby has already been exposed. There is a minimum of 200 manufactured chemicals detectable in a persons blood. There is no way we are going to be completely rid of them. They key is, though, to limit your exposure to them as much as possible. This is not as difficult as you think, (see Part 4). Take it slow at first. Overwhelming yourself will lead to frustration and giving up. Change as fast or as slow as you need to. Change one thing every week, every 2 weeks or every month. Gradually you will find you can eliminate a lot of these toxins. Don't worry yourself with what you can't change (the air you breath outside) but focus on the things you can.

Xenoestrogens are ten times more potent when they are taken topically (through the skin) than orally. This is because they do not get processed by the liver first. Instead, they are absorbed straight into the bloodstream though the skin. What is in your personal care products?

You may also think that they are not affecting you, your relatively healthy, you don't have any diseases - at least not yet anyway. However, the effects don't necessarily show up right away. Many people don't do anything until the damage is visible, and often too late. What if you knew that sometimes the effects don't show up until the next generation – your children. Unborn baby's are at the highest risk, especially their developing reproductive system. Even if you have a system full of xenoestrogens (which are not easy to get rid off) before you get pregnant, they take their toll when you do manage to conceive. Also xenoestrogens can get passed on through mother's milk, weakening your baby's immune system and it's other damaging effects. Why do we drink pasture feed, non-hormonized dairy anyways?

This is not to scare to into doom and gloom, because there is only so much you can do. If you help your body do it's thing, it's created to deal with some of these things naturally. The issue is that our bodies have because so overloaded with the things that we eat and put on our skin daily that we succumb to a variety of ailments. There are many simple, practical things to do as we will see in Part 4.

Part 1                                                                                                              Part 3

Xenoestrogens. The good, The bad and The ugly - Part 1

What started out to be a simple post on Xenoestrogens has now turned into a four-part series. This topic is quite close to my heart - literally, and my lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, stomach and especially womb. Xenoestrogens are something that effects everyone these days, no one is immune to their destructive nature.. This area is especially of importance if you are a woman, man, adult or child.

Xenoestrogens

Xeno meaning “strange/ foreign” - estrogen. The first thing we need to look at is what are estrogens.

Estrogen is a hormone naturally present in the body. It is made up of estrone, estradiol and estriol. Estrogen IS present naturally in both male and females, although it is usually higher in females (a man can have more estrogen than some menopausal woman) and it is recognized mainly as a female hormone. Estrogen is what helps develop the obvious physical differences between men and women, including the specific placement of extra body fat in the hips, and less facial hair for women. Estrogen (in women), is produced mainly by the ovaries. One of the main functions of estrogen (estradiol, the dominant estrogen) is cell division. (Estradiol is especially stimulating to the breast – too much equals cancer. And this is the form often found in drugs - both birth control and HRT.) It regulates the monthly cycle and thickens the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) in preparation for pregnancy. (Estrogen in men – produced in the testes and does actually help in some way in the male development, although to a much lesser extent than in females.) The main areas for estrogen (where the estrogen receptors are located) are the reproductive organs (creates cell growth, the preparations of the endometrium, releases the egg), but also the brain (PMS!), heart, liver (influences cholesterol, a healthy balance lowers the risk of heart disease), bones (healthy level protect against osteoporosis in both men and women) and and any fatty tissue.

Estrogen is metabolised in the liver. Specifically, estradiol is converted into less-active estrone and estriol and excreted in urine. Some estradiol is naturally recirculated through the body again, helping to maintain estrogen levels. A healthy liver is needed for healthy estrogen balance. Often people with estrogen dominance also suffer from an unhealthy, overloaded liver . A healthy liver will inactivate and flush away extra estrogen. However, when your liver is overloaded with toxins (a lot of which are estrogen mimicers – xenoestrogens), then this ability is impaired. Xenoestrogens also activate CYP-1B1 enzyme in the body. This converts estrogen into a toxic and carcinogenic form of estrogen (4 catechols) instead of converting to less-active estrone and estriol). Estrogen is now on the rampage. The main place it likes to accumulate is in the reproductive organs (contains many estrogen receptors) and fat cells. Stress has also been linked to too much estrogen. A very likely explanation for this could be that stress also hinders the liver. People with estrogen dominance often have many of the symptoms of an unhealthy liver. This makes sense when you realize that it's the liver that's the root of the problem.

Whether you are male or female too much estrogen is a really bad thing. Some signs of too much estrogen include:

Female:
Early onset of periods
PMS, cramping

Premenstrual migraines

Facial hair growth

Endometriosis

Miscarriage

Cold extremities

Insomnia

Ovarian Cysts

Water retention

Male:

Less hair growth

Raise in voice

Loss in hard muscle, usually replaced with fat

Growth of male breasts (not muscle – and they can even develop breast cancer!)

Endometriosis has also been documented (although rare – but hey, I'm a rare case too – men don't even have an endometrium!)

Both male and female:

Allergies

Brain fog

Digestive problems

Depression

Obesity

Cardiovascular disease

Autoimmune disorders

Insulin resistance

Cancer – especially in the breast (female) and prostate (male)

Infertility (sometimes “unexplained”)

Irritability

Headaches

Osteoporosis

Memory loss
Insomnia

Increase risk of Stroke

Fatigue

Moodiness and apathy (when men start getting PMS)

Zinc and Magnesium deficiency

Estradiol is the main and dominant form of estrogen. It is the main factor for activating the changes in puberty. These days "experts" are saying that it's normal for 7 - 8 year olds to show signs of puberty, menarche happening at 9 - 12. In the past (1840) menarche occurred at ages 15-17. Early onset of puberty is often an indicator of too much estrogen (usually from outside sources – enter xenoestrogens).

In Part 2 we will look more closely at these xenoestrogens themselves.

Skip to Part 3

Charcoal and stings/bites

So wouldn't you know but I just finished a post on charcoal and it's general benefits, and I go out on a walk and get stung by an ant. So now, I'm immobile with my foot in a pan of charcoal water.

For those back in Canada, this situation may sound pretty funny. So what, I got bit by an ant. That usually doesn't cause too much concern. In Australia all the animals got a make-over and nothing is quite the same as anywhere else in the world.

This ant, for example, we believe it to be what the children all call a "jumper ant." I was warned about these when we first arrived here. Apparently, in true Aussie style, the "Jack jumper ant" is it's real name. Here's some tid-bits from Wikipedia.

The Jack jumper ant is a 1 - 1.2 cm long ant, relative to the "bull ant" (also been warned of these) and is native to Australia, especially Tasmania. They are territorial and are carnivorous (they apparently like my foot). Their sting is compared to wasps, bees and fire ants (although I've never had the pleasure, save for a tiny wasp). Apparently their sting is supposed to be quite powerful as they will even hunt wasps, although I'm not all that impressed - maybe because of the charcoal.

Their sting causes swelling (which was noted when I got home from my "walk" - the second part was a hobble - and took my sock off) and reddening. Wikipedia says that fever and a formation of a blister will occur, with increasing heart rate and dropped blood pressure. I'm not sure how general this information is, but I do know that after having my foot soaked in this charcoal bath for half an hour the swelling is already quite down - still stings a bit if I think about it though. No other side effects though. About 3% of the time, the bites cause allergic reactions in people resulting in death (like bee sting allergies). Therefore, there are more deaths due to "jumper ants" in Tasmania than spiders, snakes, wasps and sharks combined. This may sound impressive, but remember there aren't all that many people here, and there also is only one poisonous snake, and not that many shark incidences as the main land. Another site mentions that this is 1 death every four years, although severe illness occurs for many others.

So after I got stung, my husband and I returned home right away, it did hurt. Somehow the ant got in my shoe and bit me right under my strap, he was still sitting there when I took my shoe off to remove the "thorn" I thought wedged it's way in. It did get increasingly more painful on the hobble home. Immediately upon returning home my husband prepared a charcoal bath for my foot to soak in. Remember from my previous post that charcoal absorbs things. I don't measure anything, we just dumped a bunch of charcoal in enough water to cover my foot. And here I am. If I wanted to get up and around then I could make (or have someone else make) a charcoal poultice to put on the bite.

To make a poultice for a wound, bite, over your liver or kidney or other organ etc, mix 2 tablespoons each of ground flax seed or slippery elm bark (available at health food stores) (to hold water and keep the charcoal moist - charcoal must be wet to work) and charcoal (powder) in a small pot. Add 5-6 tablespoons water and bring to a boil and stir until toothpaste consistency. Spread evening on a clean cloth (even use a band-aid or paper towel if you have nothing else). The cloth should be appropriate for your application. You may not need to use all the recipe or you may need to double it, etc. Spread another piece of cloth over that, and cover with plastic wrap to keep poultice moist and your clothes clean. Leave on for a couple hours or overnight, depending on the desired use.

There are variations of the poultice recipe and whatever works for you is fine. Just remember, the charcoal needs to stay wet to be active. The charcoal absorbs odors and toxins, so if your placing the poultice on your liver, and the poultice starts to stink - this is a sign that you need a new poultice. Keep using the poultice until the foul odors are gone, or the swelling is gone, whatever fits your usage. And again, take some time to do your own research into charcoal and it's usages. I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Update: my foot is done soaking now, I've had it out of the water for a while. There is faint redness and you can see a small hole where the ant got a chunk of my skin. It's very hard to tell if the skin is raised and I can't feel any bump with my finger - I don't want to irritate it though just in case. But if it does start getting worse I know what to do!

What's in my Kitchen? - Charcoal

Charcoal is not something that most people would expect to find in a kitchen. And no - it's not from burnt supper.

Charcoal is a substance that, surprisingly, is seldom talked about in the health world, except for in a water or air filter. That same thing that filters can be readily available at your fingertips. It's cheap (or even free) and very simple.

I first heard about charcoal several months ago. A friend of mine had moved into their newly purchased home, only to find mold. Not good. She heard about charcoal from a friend of hers and had started reading, "Charcoal Remedies.com (The complete handbook of Medicinal Charcoal and it's applications)". Soon her children started sporting black mustaches and she got a black ring about her bathtub, also her children stopped having bloody noses, and started breathing better. (They did work at repairing their house too.) I got the book from her and started reading it on the airplane on our move over to Australia. It's got me convinced - it helps that I was pretty convinced from my friends experience before I even started reading the book. Since then, the book has now been passed on even more - to New Zealand and then over to the Solomon Islands, because it's a simple remedy that works for such a host of things.

Charcoal isn't new either. Charcoal is mentioned in a 2000 year old, Sanskrit (ancient Indo-Aryan language) text for the treatment of water. Around 1550 BC the Egyptians used it to cure various ailments and poisoning. Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC ) and Pliny the elder (23 AD – 79 AD) also refer to it in their writings. In the 1800's a few scientists, each unto their own, decided to use themselves as Guinea Pigs and took equal amounts of various known poisons (arsenic, strychnine) and charcoal with no ill effect. (A major DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, or anywhere else for that matter). In the early 1900's activated charcoal became industrialized as a means for dealing with deadly gases from World War I. From their it has taken off, in the manufacturing world at least, for use in water and air filtration. For a more detailed history click here.

So...what's the big deal?

Basically, charcoal is an excellent absorber of all sorts of things. (Click here if you want the technical explanation.)

Charcoal absorbs poisons (natural and man-made) and toxins - including heavy metals - making it excellent for insect bites, poisonous bites, wound cleaning/ healing, water and air filtration, and foul odors. It is used in hospitals for drug overdose, it tames diarrhea and bloating. It is excellent to poultices as it can actually draw poisons out of the body (organs, etc.) through the skin onto the charcoal poultice itself. A specified list of all that charcoal can be used for would be too long for me to write right now.

The great thing is that it doesn't just absorb all these things, it grabs them and keeps them there until the charcoal is eliminated (through your system, or cleaned off).

There are no known allergies, completely safe for newborns and pregnant/ nursing women, and it doesn't cost very much at all. My guess is that the last reason is why many people have not heard about it - nobody's making money off of you, especially if you can make it yourself (and that is mostly what we do). (Note: while it is completely safe, taking too much too, often can deplete your nutrition - remember it absorbs things - including some good stuff you will want to keep).

We did buy some capsules (capsules dissolve better than the tablets) for convenience for internal usage. Although a tablespoon in a glass of water works too. The capsules are great to carry along with you and for ease of use in public, or when your not at home. It just so happens that we went to a restaurant right after buying some capsules, (not that we eat out often, we stopped in LA for a couple weeks on our move). The water in the restaurant was so awful. So I decided to try this charcoal thing for myself. I unscrewed one capsule and dumped it into my husbands glass of water while he looked around to see if anyone was watching - he was a bit nervous about the black water. (As a rule, I generally don't drink the water at restaurants, although he made me try a sip of his to see how bad it was). We waited a couple minutes and tasted the water again. We could not believe how good it tasted! It was great, if you don't mind drinking black water.

So what's it doing in my kitchen?

It is for sure a "medicine cabinet" prize (if I had a medicine cabinet), but I use it a lot in the kitchen. This is of my own invention, I haven't heard of anyone else doing this, and you may think it's pretty weird...

We all know that it's important to make sure the stuff we put in our mouths is clean. Unless you pick it from your own garden, you do not know where that stuff has been or who handled it - with or without washed hands. A lot of people touch your food in the process of getting it to your plate. We used to always buy organic for a variety of reasons, but down here it's not so easy to do so, so we have to make do with what's available. In "Charcoal Remedies.com" I read a story about a man who attempted suicide by drinking pesticides (didn't say which one). His wife found him and somehow she and others managed to get enough charcoal into him and saved his life. With all the pesticides and all the harmful effects of them, this story really intrigued me. If charcoal neutralizes the effect of pesticides and is effective even into deeper levels of (human) skin, even to draw toxins from the liver transdermally, than what can it do for pesticide laden food? Like I said, that's just me thinking. But that's what I do for my non-organic produce and it makes me feel better.

There are many other places to use charcoal including the garden, but I will have to talk about that some other time.

Experiment and research this for yourself, it's a very well kept secret, but it's also a very useful bunch of burnt wood.

Check your Resources

As so often happens, I cruise the Internet researching for myself different things that I've heard about to find out whats legit or not. I would suggest this to anyone, and don't take my word for it.

There is tons of information, especially on the Internet. When I hear about something once, I'll usually keep it on the back burner, but when I hear about it a second or third time, it perks my interest a bit more. From then I will search and search until I am convinced it's for real, or that maybe I should leave that one alone. And remember, even though something works doesn't mean that you should do it, or right now. Your body can only handle so much. This is usually the reason why we look for ways to help it out in healing in the first place. But at the same time, our bodies can only take so much in the process of healing itself. Healing takes time. So while something may be great, it may not be for right now.

Anyways. I stumbled across this site a few years ago in researching something. Yesterday I stumbled across it again. This time I took a closer look at the whole site. I thought it was pretty hilarious.

Personally I get a bit worried if the thing that I'm looking into doesn't have any negative reports - nothing is that good. And I have tried (and still stand by) many things (Charcoal, herbs, colloidal silver, apricot kernels, etc). But let's be real, not everything works the same way for everybody. And not everybody prepares things the same way (eg. colloidal silver can be toxic if made incorrectly). Dosages can also be an issue - too much of a good thing... or sometimes not enough or not tried long enough.

But then there are those who are skeptic beyond belief.

http://www.quackwatch.org/index.html is such a place.

I never thought that I'd find a website that is against everything healthy that I do. Like I said I ended up there looking into something, but I had to laugh, and tell my husband this great joke - he thought it was funny too. They warn against everything. Here's some, just to name a very few;

Spiruila (although I am skeptic myself on the B12 intake, I do regularly consume Spiruila and Chlorella, just make sure you get your B12 from other sources)
Candida (There are even drugs for treating this! It's shooting yourself in the foot but drug companies are still making money!)
Chelation Therapy (Again the drug companies still make money on this one. Although it is far better to do Chelation naturally)
It even goes so far as to have an article titled "'The Mercury Toxicity' Scam" (We're starting to get into common sense now here. Amalgam fillings are banned in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, while other countries restrict it's use - not for children, pregnant women, those with kidney problems or those with mercury sensitivity, mmm am I sensitive to poison?)
"'Detoxification' Schemes" (quote "natural chemicals in our foods are thousands of times more potent than additives, or that most Americans are healthier, live longer, and can choose from the most healthful food supply ever available." Actually they're not. The SAD diet is absolutely killing Western society. I'd really like to know what goes on in his mind.)
Ear candling (I've had great success with these)
They even attack Chiropractors! (Sure my doctor told me that my chest pain was caused by a pinched nerve, want to guess who fixed it? Here's a hint - it wasn't my doctor.)
Colloidal Silver (This is where doing your own research is important. If colloidal silver is prepared and used correctly it is safe. I personally make my own. I have also seen an interview with a man who turned blue - argyria - from taking it. He stated himself that he made it incorrectly, and he is rather happy being blue considering the other alternative is that he'd be dead. The site also states that 11 cases of argyria have been reported. And how many people use it? I know many people do, and only 11 cases. This fares far better than conventional treatment...)
The use of Herbs (Quote: "The involvement of drug companies into the herbal marketplace may improve standardization of dosage for a few products. And public and professional interest in herbs is likely to stimulate more research. However, with safe and effective medicines available, treatment with herbs rarely makes sense, and many of the conditions for which herbs are recommended are not suitable for self-treatment." Agreed that, again, we need to be sure of our sources! However I highly doubt getting drug companies involved will help anything. Also, show me safe and effective medicines - I thought those were called herbs.)
Organic Food is also attacked, saying that it's no different in nutrition than the poison sprayed variety.
Even if your not into all the above, I'd be hard-pressed (no pun intended) to find someone who could disagree with Juicing, but there we have it.
Not to mention the "Hot Topic" for today, "Do Children Get Too Many Immunizations? The Answer is No." This one deserves a post of it's own.

So, what's the point? I ask that about this website too. Today, when I typed up this blog, I couldn't remember the exact web address for quackwatch so I typed it in Google. I couldn't find it there though. What I did find was loads of sites complaining about it. Fortunately the site was still in my History.

But really, why am I saying all this? The point is, do your own research. You will always find something that says what you want it to. At home, we've often found this true when people quote from the Bible - you have to read the whole thing and see what God is really trying to say, it's not hidden. One verse taken out of context won't change God's mind on something. At the same time, there are verses that say exactly what He means in a nut shell (eg. Matthew 22: 37-40 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.")

It is true that I listed, above, the ones that personally affect me. There are some things on this site that I would not try, and I did not read all of the articles there. It is true, that there may be bits of truth somewhere on the site. Although I'm not sure how they can get away with saying as much as they have, but it's a web site after all. I am also not scared to give you the direct links so you can read it for yourself. And read you should.

When researching something you should not be afraid to read something negative about it. Even if you thoroughly agree with the idea/product, there will always be someone who doesn't. I think there is safety in that. First, because we souldn't depend on anything too greatly, and Second, because it is true that not everything works for everybody. Thirdly, there are also actually things out there that you should be leary of. (And I say this even for things that "work", what influence do you want to be under? That is why I don't choose to do certain therapies, although I'm sure they are effective for some people.)

I also don't agree with some of the negative responses to the negative responses. It's one thing to point out when someone's wrong, but it's another thing to go overboard. Unfortunetly, those are just used as feul and you end up sounding like a lunatic.

I will continue to do my own research for things that come my way. I have done this with doctores (I am soooo glad, otherwise I would be in serious trouble right now - Lupron) I have done this with my naturopath (and she's more willing to discuss my findings with me and add her input, which is welcomed), and I do this with any new, or even old, thing. I have tried many things, and have not suffered negatively form them because, I believe, I have not tried them blindly. True, I am still learning and still improving on things, but that is what study is about. So I encourage you to do the same.

The Dangers of Soy

Soy is often hailed as a healthy, protein filled alternative for meat. It is recommended for vegans, menopausal women, body-builders, and even for infant formulas.

It is said to be beneficial for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, woman's health, diabetes and for stamina.

What kind of soy are they referring to? Is it the traditional soy products of Asia (fermented Miso and Tempeh)?

Westerners usually use soy in an isolate form. This isn't the whole food, but this is the form that most people eat. It comes in protein shakes, infant formula, packaged "meat" alternatives, "milks", and a variety of packaged food. This is a highly processed "food".

"SPI is not something you can make in your own kitchen. Production takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and, finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution.
Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. The resultant curds are spray- dried at high temperatures to produce a high-protein powder. A final indignity to the original soybean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein (TVP).
Much of the trypsin inhibitor content can be removed through high-temperature processing, but not all. Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as fivefold. (In rats, even low-level trypsin inhibitor SPI feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls.)
But high-temperature processing has the unfortunate side-effect of so denaturing the other proteins in soy that they are rendered largely ineffective. That's why animals on soy feed need lysine supplements for normal growth.
Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray-drying, and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing. Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein products to mask their strong "beany" taste and to impart the flavor of meat." (Sally Fallon & Mary G., read full article here. Very informative.)

Soy is very high in Phytic acid, one of the highest levels of grains or seeds. Is contains phytoestrogens, (hormonal imbalance terrible for infants), causes thyroid problems, allergies and infertility, it is full of toxins and often genetically modified.

The phytoestrogen content should alone be enough to scare anyone away. Worried about cancer, especially prostate and breast cancer? These are both propelled by estrogen domination. Children are reaching puberty years earlier. Weight gain, brain fog, headaches, fatigue and depression are also linked to estrogen dominance.

Men and children should especially avoid soy!

It is also interesting to note, that when cultures become more Westernized, they will consume less of their traditional foods, whatever they may be. So for Asian countries, for example, soy isn't the only traditional thing about their diet. There is a whole picture, a whole way of eating. It is dangerous to pick out one beneficial thing, while ignoring the rest of a whole, real diet.

For health nuts (and I would classify myself as a health nut - I'm not name calling) who are pro-soy usually consume a substantial amount of soy - soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese...But even if you could forget about all the other dangers of soy, this is not how soy was intended to be eaten, and not in these large quantities. Soy was eaten (prepared in a way as to neutralize the harmful effects) as a side, with other animal proteins and broth and lots of vegetables. It was part of a whole meal, not the whole meal itself.


There is SO much information on the dangers of soy. As with everything, I encourage you to do your own research.The following is very interesting if you are interested;

Soy for as punishment for inmates (I didn't include the 2nd part - it wasn't as much info about soy itself, you can view it at YouTube if you like)

There is also another four part video with Sally Fallon on YouTube

A very good site to look at is SoyOnlineservice there is really a lot of good information there.

This is the article quoted above. I really suggest you reading it.

Spouted Flour

I am constantly learning. One of my most studied subjects is food. Food is how we get many of our nutrients and our body's fuel.

Since learning to cook traditionally, trying to get the best and the most out of my food, I've had to adapt to soaking batter overnight in order to break down the phytic acid.

This can be inconvenient at times. If you want to bake something now, and haven't soaked anything the night before, then your stuck as far as the phytic acid goes.

Also when it comes to breading things - fish sticks, zucchini, etc. It's a bit difficult to soak the flour in water for that.

Then the community bought a grain-mill. And I started making sprouted flour.

Often, even gluten-sensitive people can tolerate spouted grains and since I'm supposed to avoid gluten, I'm all for this.

Again this is one of my "never measure" things, but it's not exactly a recipe so it doesn't really matter. I like to do as large a batch as I can at one time so it saves work, and saves energy in the dehydrating process.

Soak spelt (or whatever grain you want for flour) overnight in a bowl, covered with water. You will want to make sure that the grain is covered by at least an inch or two, as the grain will absorb the water and expand.

Rinse well the next morning. Now you will want to make sprouts. There are a few methods of doing this.

1. Place inverted in mason jars with screens on top.
2. Place in a sprout bag (I was doing this, but the bags got difficult to clean, the spout ends were pretty gooey)
3. Place in a large bowl/pan

Whichever way you choose do sprout, make sure that they are well rinsed to prevent mold and to retain the moisture needed to sprout the seeds. If in a large bowl you may want to stir a few times so the ones on the bottom get some air too.

When they have a "tail" about 1/4" long (about one to two days) they are now ready to be dehydrated. You do not want them to sprout too long, as they will become more of a plant then a grain and your grain-mill won't like this. If you are grinding in a Vita-Mix, go ahead and experiment with this if you want.

Dehydrate the sprouts in a dehydrator on an oven. Dry on low heat (less than 100 F) to keep the valuable nutrients intact.

When completely dry, grind in a grain-mill. Grain-mills do not like wet grains. Or if you have are fortunate enough to have a Vita-Mix, that works well too.

When ground into flour, I like to put into mason jars and freeze the flour. This keeps it from going stale, and I always have healthy spouted flour on hand.

Soaking Nuts and Grains

My husband comments that I am always changing things and finding new ways that we "have to" prepare our food. He's not complaining, just confused, especially when he's helping me I give him new instructions for something that we've done before.

For some fortunate reason, when we started eating dried beans and brown rice, one of the first instructions I read for preparing them was to soak them overnight. I never knew why, I just thought that was what you do.

Now I know why.

Phytic acid is found in nuts/seeds and the bran of whole grains. It combines with nutrients in the gut, hindering absorption of iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc. Whole grains and seeds also contain enzyme inhibitors which make digestion difficult. Soaking the grains from 12-24 hours (some grains need the latter, like oatmeal) in warm, acidic water (add some apple cider vinegar/kombucha to the water) will break down these not so pleasant parts of the grain, as will sprouting. Again I never measure, just make sure the grain is covered.

Soaking starts the sprouting process. All those nutrients locked up for the growth of the plant now get released. This includes; Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C. Soaking also breaks down complex sugars (which are responsible for gas/bloating - so now you can safely eat your beans). Aflatoxins (a mold found an all grains to some extent - and the main culprit for peanut allergies) is also naturalized. (Note: I am NOT saying if you are allergic to peanuts that soaking will make it safe for you.)

Apparently you're supposed to soak nuts in water with some salt added. This is because there are more enzyme inhibitors in nuts and the salt helps with breaking that down. Originally I started soaking nuts for myself because I heard that there are more nutrients available in soaked nuts. Also, after soaking the first time, I found that I enjoyed them way more when they were soaked.

After nuts have soaked for 12-24 hours, you can dehydrate them for later use, and to prolong shelf-life (just soaked nuts go bad fairly quickly). Dehydrate at a low heat, less than 100 F to protect the nutrients. Then you can make nut butters, or chop them for recipes, or keep on hand for snacks.

The main nuts that I soak are almonds and apricot kernels. My husband is allergic to a lot of nuts so almonds seem to replace them in many recipes. I eat apricot kernels (when I can get them) for all the health benefits they have, I find they are more tolerable when they are soaked (but that's just me, Joey thinks they're even more bitter).

If I'm eating something (anything) why not do a few simple things and get the best that I possibly can out of my food?

A few words on Sugar

I first saw this list as a hand-out in my chiropractors office. We know that sugar is bad, but here is some interesting information on some of the ways sugar effects your health. Some of the items are a bit repetitive, and some obvious, but it's neat to check out.

146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health