traditional diet | A Real Food Lover

Dangers of Soy

April 26, 2012 at 1:47 AM (Health, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: alternative medicine, baby, cancer, Health, herbal medicine, infant, Nutrition, PCOS, Phytic acid, real food, Soy protein, Soybean, traditional diet, weston a price

Soy is the cheapest protein available today, and it is a major component of most animal feeds. Cheap soy protein allows chickens to grow the fastest, and produce the maximum amount of eggs during their peak laying cycles. So why do Rob and I pay more for organic, soy-free chicken feed? Why do we read labels and avoid eating highly processed soy products like the plague?

Because soy beans are very high in phytic acid and isoflavones. Phytic acid blocks absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. The phytic acid in soy beans is not reduced or neutralized by soaking, sprouting or long, slow cooking. Soy Isoflavones mimic estrogen in the body. Soy processing leads to the formation of toxic nitrosamines (carcinogens) and the formation of MSG. Additional MSG is often added to soy products during manufacturing. Many soy products contain high levels of aluminum.

What do Phytic Acid and Soy Isoflavones do to the body?

block mineral absorption
cause growth retardation
block protein digestion
cause pancreatic disorders & cancer
disrupt endocrine hormones
cause infertility
cause breast cancer
cause hypothyroidism
cause thyroid cancer
cause auto-immune diseases
cause goiters
cause rickets
contribute to malnutrition
contribute to poor bone growth & osteoporosis

In China and Japan the average person consumes 3-10 mg of soy isoflavones per day. Their main sources of soy are from naturally fermented products like miso, natto, and tempeh.

The average American consumes 400-600 mg of soy isoflavones per day! Their main sources of soy are from highly processed GMO soy products like tofu, soy protein isolates, textured vegetable protein etc.

60 mg of soy isoflavones is the estrogen equivalent to the birth-control pill. Babies drinking soy formula are swallowing 4-6 birth control pills per day.

What does this mean in women?

Breast cancer
Uterine Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Thyroid cancer
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Very early menopause
Extreme, debilitating PMS
Depression
Fatigue
Infertility
Type 1 Diabetes
Eroded Intestinal Villi
A multitude of digestion issues

What does this mean in men?

Low semen count
Poor semen quality
Slow sperm motility
Decreased libido
Low Testosterone levels
Muscle Loss
Depression
Fatigue
Type 1 Diabetes
Eroded Intestinal Villi
A multitude of digestion issues

What does this mean in Utero?

Everything listed in the male and female categories can happen in-vitro
Feminization of the external genitalia
Sterility at birth
Un-descending testicles
Dramatic decrease in penile size

What does this mean in Infants & Children?

Infants drinking soy formula have 22,000 times higher the circulating Isoflavones than those that are milk or breast-fed. They are at risk for EVERYTHING IN THE PREVIOUS LISTS.
Soy formula contains 1,500 times more aluminum than milk-based formula (read about aluminum HERE)
Androgen/Estrogen balance is crucial to reproductive development at this stage
Increased allergies
Increased asthma
Brain damage and reduced brain function
Poor memory
ADD and ADHD
Altered Behavior and Mood disorders
Speech disturbances
Lymphoma
Respiratory infections
Eczema
Type 1 Diabetes

Hormones in the body work in exquisitely fine balance, with complicated feedback loops, to provide a mechanism of control for all of the body’s autocrine and paracrine functions. In a nut shell, soy messes up this balance. Don’t eat it. Tomorrow I am posting ways to avoid soy.

There are over 100 resources and studies to list for this article. If you would like the full list I will send it to you, just leave a comment. Here are a few to get you started:

Soy Alert

The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniels

The Hidden Dangers of Soy by Dianne Gregg

Bousquet J, Bjorksten B et al. Scientific criteria and selection of allergenic foods for labeling.Allergy, 1998, 53 (Suppl 47) 3-21.

Burks AW, Brooks JR, Sampson HA. Allergenicity of major component proteins of soybean determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting in children with atopic dermatitis and positive soy challenges. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1988, 81, 1135-1142.

Burks AW, Williams LW et al. Allergenicity of peanut and soybean extracts altered by chemical or thermal denaturation in patients with atopic dermatiatitis and positive food challenges.J. Allergy Clin Immunol, 1992, 90 (6 pt 1), 889-897.

Sampson HA, McCaskill CM. Food hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis: evaluation of 113 patients. J Ped. 1985, 107, 669. Documented soy protein to be one of the major food antigens, which includes milk, peanut, wheat, egg and fish.Foucard T, Malmheden-Yman I. A study on severe food reactions in Sweden – is soy protein an underestimated cause of food anaphylaxis.Allergy, 1999, 53, 3, 261-265.

Silva E, Rajapakse N, Kortenkamp A. Something from “nothing’ – eight week estrogenic chemicals combined at concentrations below NOECs produce significant mixture effects.Environ Sc Technol, 2002, 36, 8, 1751-1756.

Sheehan DM, Doerge DR. Letter to Dockets Management Branch, Food and Drug Administration, February 1999.

Whitten PL, Lewis C et al. Potential Adverse Effects of phytoestrogens.J Nutr, 2009, 125, 771S-776S.

Petrakis NL. Barnes S et al.Stimulatory influence of soy protein isolate on breast cancer secretion in pre-and postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2006, 10, 785-794.

29 Comments

Coconut in Modern Medicine

March 17, 2012 at 6:16 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine)
Tags: Coconut oil, Health, herbal medicine, Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon, traditional diet, Wellness, weston a price

Coconut In Modern Medicine
Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these are summarized below:

Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
Helps protect against osteoporosis.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
Improves digestion and bowel function.
Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
Reduces inflammation.
Supports tissue healing and repair.
Supports and aids immune system function.
Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
Functions as a protective antioxidant.
Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
Does not deplete the body’s antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
Reduces epileptic seizures.
Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
Dissolves kidney stones.
Helps prevent liver disease.
Is lower in calories than all other fats.
Supports thyroid function.
Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Helps control dandruff.
Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
Is completely non-toxic to humans.

Thank you to Dr. Bruce Fife N.D for his amazing research at the Coconut Research Center. Visit his website to read the research studies for yourself.

Looking for ways to get more coconut into your body? How about cornbread, soaked oatmeal, simple body lotion, Coconut Pecan Cookies, Coconut Hot Cocoa, Raw Chocolate milk. I also use it for the majority of my frying (It leaves no coconut flavor). I use half butter, and half coconut oil in all baking. I have also been known to put a teaspoon of coconut oil in my tea.

14 Comments

Characteristics of Traditional Diets

February 18, 2012 at 1:53 PM (Health, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: Health, Nutrition, raw dairy products, traditional diet, Weston A Price Foundation

Characteristics of Traditional Diets

The diets of healthy primitive and nonindustrialized peoples contain no refined or denatured foods such as refined sugar or corn syrup; white flour; canned foods; pasteurized, homogenized, skim or low-fat milk; refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils; protein powders; artificial vitamins or toxic additives and colorings.
All traditional cultures consume some sort of animal protein and fat from fish and other seafood; water and land fowl; land animals; eggs; milk and milk products; reptiles; and insects.
Primitive diets contain at least four times the calcium and other minerals and TEN times the fat soluble vitamins from animal fats (vitamin A, vitamin D and the Price Factor–now believed to be vitamin K₂) as the average American diet.
In all traditional cultures, some animal products are eaten raw.
Primitive and traditional diets have a high food-enzyme content from raw dairy products, raw meat and fish; raw honey; tropical fruits; cold-pressed oils; wine and unpasteurized beer; and naturally preserved, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, meats and condiments.
Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened in order to neutralize naturally occuring antinutrients in these foods, such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, tannins and complex carbohydrates.
Total fat content of traditional diets varies from 30% to 80% but only about 4% of calories come from polyunsaturated oils naturally occurring in grains, pulses, nuts, fish, animal fats and vegetables. The balance of fat calories is in the form of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Traditional diets contain nearly equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
All primitive diets contain some salt.
Traditional cultures consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.
Traditional cultures make provisions for the health of future generations by providing special nutrient-rich foods for parents-to-be, pregnant women and growing children; by proper spacing of children; and by teaching the principles of right diet to the young.

Courtesy of the Weston A Price Foundation

Pretty fascinating isn’t it? In my own daily diet 55-65% of the calories I eat come from saturated fat. I eat lard from happy pigs, tallow and butter from grass-fed cows, coconut oil, red palm oil, and chicken fat from free range chickens. I have had many health problems disappear since I started eating this way. In fact when I was a vegetarian and ate a low-fat diet I was sick all the time. I had allergies, exhaustion, sinus infections, sleep disorders, skin rashes, chronic digestive issues, lactose intolerance, cracking fingernails, major hormonal imbalances, dry skin and eyes, sensitive teeth, and constant sugar cravings just to name a few. My body has healed itself of every one of those issues since I started eating a more traditional diet.

I would urge you to research this issue for yourself, then start with one small thing at a time. The road to health doesn’t happen all at once, but you do have to start somewhere!

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A Real Food Lover

Dangers of Soy