Monthly Archives: January 2014

Sugar Overload

Here we are at the end of January. If you're one of those people who made a New Year's resolution, or goal, to “lose weight” or “give up sweets” chances are high that you're either struggling right now or you've given up completely.

As I've talked about before, this is in part a matter of making absolute statements. But a significant part of reaching your health and weight goals is to understand where sugar is coming from. Especially fructose as excess fructose consumption can put a strain on your liver.

Sadly sugar is highly prevalent in our diet. We are predisposed to want it from a biological perspective. Manufacturers capitalize on this by including it in many foods. Additionally food producers will often break up the sugar in processed foods using a variety of types of sugar, especially fructose. As you know, the more of a particular ingredient that is in a food the higher on the label it needs to appear. By using different kinds of sugar they can make it look like there is less in the product. You can learn more about this in Chapter Five of The Pantry Principle. There's also an appendix that lists all of the different types of sugars so you can learn properly identify them.

In addition to reading the label we need to learn where sugar hides in our diet. We often don't realize how much is contained in everyday foods, even something simple like unsweetened apple juice. The infographic below highlights sugar content in common foods. Learning to be aware if where sugars appear in your diet will help you make healthier choices so you can eat well to be well.

fructose overload infographic

Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic “Fructose Overload.” Use the embed code to share it on your website or visit our infographic page for the high-res version.

<img src="https://media.mercola.com/assets/images/infographic/fructose-overload-infographic.jpg" alt="fructose overload infographic" border="0" style="max-width:100%; min-width:300px; margin: 0 auto 20px auto; display:block;"><p style="max-width:800px; min-width:300px; margin:0 auto; text-align:center;">Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic "<a href="http://www.mercola.com/infographics/fructose-overload.htm">Fructose Overload</a>." Visit our infographic page for the high-res version.</p>

What Are Safe Seeds?

by Miragarden, gmoseeds, small garden, vegetable garden

Seeds vs. Plants

Spring is just around the corner. Many people start thinking about planting a garden. Dreaming about fragrant, flavorful tomatoes, mouthwateringly delicious sweet corn, an abundance of greens and herbs, and more, all from their garden. For some, this thought process is accompanied by doodlings of garden plans, frantic searchings for last year's crop rotation chart, or just dog-earing a few pages in the latest garden supply catalog.

Some folks will buy seeds. Some will buy plants. But are they, and you, thinking about the environmental and biological impact of the plants? Are you considering non-genetically modified (GMO-free) plants and seeds? If not, it's time to consider making the switch. Yes, GMO-free can be more expensive. However, it comes with some important benefits.

Understanding the Safe Seed Pledge

But first I'd like to clarify. While organic seeds are great, in some cases, depending on the crop, not all crops require them. What is of vital importance is the use of non-genetically modified seeds. In order to support a move away from GMOs, more companies are signing the Safe Seed Pledge. Created in 1999 it was started as a way for companies to share their position when it comes to genetically modified seeds. Companies who have signed the pledge, and there are over 70 at this point, pledge that their seeds are free of genetic modification. Here are just a few companies you can buy from who have all signed the pledge:

Why Choose Safe Seeds

At a minimum, safe seeds from companies who have signed the pledge should be what you're looking for when choosing seeds. Here's why:

Seeds from genetically modified crops are often heavily sprayed with pesticides to keep down the weed population. This pesticide residue has a very sharp impact on the environment. Increased pesticide use appears to be reducing butterfly populations. It can also pollute the water and causes birth defects in water animals such as frogs and fish.
The most common pesticide ingredient, glyphosate, is a chelating agent and binds with nutrients from the soil, effectively blocking them from the plants. With no nutrient uptake, that means less nutrition in your diet.
New studies are showing a significant impact on human health and changes to DNA from exposure to pesticides.
Seed crops spend more time in the ground than food crops, this increases the amount of pesticide potentially taken up into the seed and then passed on to you through the food grown from those seeds.
Non-GMO crops and especially organic crops are often grown in healthier soil, creating a healthier end product.
According to information found from the Institute for Responsible Technology, there are studies that show that animals ingesting GMO diets have organ damage and gastrointestinal issues as well as accelerated aging and infertility.

Starting Your Garden

Starting vegetables from seed doesn't require a lot of room. Essentially you need a container of some kind, good quality dirt, safe seeds, water, and sunlight. The truth, however, is that many of us feel nervous about how to start a vegetable or herb garden from seed. We've gotten so far away from that habit that it seems foreign and perhaps a bit overwhelming. The following are good resources to get you started:

Starting Seeds: How to Grow Healthy, Productive Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers from Seed (Storey Basics)
The New Seed Starters Handbook (Rodale Organic Gardening)
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way To Garden In Less Space With Less Work
Seed Starting Kit – Basic kit includes a beautiful giftable box, drip tray, 12 cell seed tray, humidity dome, seed label sticks, 12 compressed soil pucks (just add water), easy to follow instructions, and an assortment of 6 medicinal and tea herb seeds, such as basil, dill, oregano, parsley, chives, and mustard
4-Tier Growing Rack - With Greenhouse cover. Measures 63" tall, 27" wide, and 19" deep
LED Grow Light - This 36 Watt srew-in bulb provides sufficient light for small vegetables, peppers, and herbs also. Perfect for indoor and urban gardens, microgreen and wheatgrass flats.

While it's certainly easier to plant vegetables that are ready to go in the ground, you need to know what you're getting. If you're planning to start your garden from plants that someone else has sown from seed it would be a great idea to find out where the seeds originated and if they are part of the safe seed pledge program.

Sources

Koller, VJ, et al. Cytotoxic and DNA-damaging properties of glyphosate and Roundup in human-derived buccal epithelial cells. Arch Toxicol. 2012 May;86(5):805-13

Mertens, M, et al. Glyphosate, a chelating agent—relevant for ecological risk assessment?. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018; 25(6): 5298–5317

"The ‘Doomsday’ Vault Where The World’S Seeds Are Kept Safe". TIME.Com, 2022, https://time.com/doomsday-vault/

"Glyphosate Binds Vital Nutrients | The Detox Project". The Detox Project, 2022, https://detoxproject.org/glyphosate/glyphosate-chelating-agent/.

"Home - Institute For Responsible Technology". Institute For Responsible Technology, 2022, https://www.responsibletechnology.org/.

“natural” Food Label Under Attack

by MiraFDA, gmo, labeling, Uncategorized

When it comes to food labeling there is currently a lot of media attention to GMO issues and whether or not GMO foods should be labeled. So far legislative challenges have either failed or been so severely curtailed as to be very difficult to achieve. Consumers are very outspoken about their desire for GMO labeling and some retailers have responded by mandating GMO-free products on their shelves within a certain timeframe. I have no doubt that GMO labeling will happen, it's simply a matter of time.

But this column isn't about GMO-labeling. It is, however, about the label that appears on our food and how it can be manipulated to hide information. At this point the only ways to avoid GMOs is to purchase foods which are known to not be genetically modified, foods which are labeled by the Non-GMO Project, or to purchase organic for those foods known to be highly contaminated by GMO. Sadly many people think that the “natural” label also means it is not genetically modified; this is not true and could lead to the purchase of foods with ingredients you do not want to eat. Not only are there very few legal rules regarding the use of the “natural” label, it's currently under attack.

The Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA) is a trade organization which is the front group for more than 300 companies in the food business. Large names such as ConAgra, Coca-Cola, Monsanto, and PepsiCo. GMA is currently being sued in Washington State amid claims that it illegally hid contributions from large corporations in the GMO labeling fight for Initiative 522. GMA is once again serving as the spokesgroup for it's member organizations and petitioning the FDA to allow genetically modified foods to be classified as “natural.” It is important to note that there are very limited rules governing the use of the word natural. The FDA specifically states, “FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.” Some of the claims made in the GMA's letter are:

GMA's members have a strong interest in “natural” labeling for foods containing ingredients derived from biotechnology. Several of the most common ingredients derived from biotechnology are from crops such as corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets. There are 26 state legislatures considering whether foods containing ingredients derived from biotechnology should be labeled and whether they are permissible in “natural” foods. Moreover there are approximately 65 class action lawsuits that have been filed against food manufacturers over whether foods with ingredients allegedly derived from biotechnology can be labeled “natural.” Given the predominant use of crops derived from biotechnology in our economy as well as consumer and state interest in this issue, whether foods that contain ingredients derived from biotechnology can be labeled “natural” is an important matter to GMA members and one that warrants FDA's involvement.

This is startling for a number of reasons. One is that GMA admits that GMO food labeling is an important issue but obviously spins this in their direction. They are conveniently leaving out the millions of dollars they have already spent in other states to fight against labeling. Another issue to remember is that if this change were permitted to be amended into the limited definition of “natural” foods, it would be a hidden use as the GMO ingredients would still not be declared on the label. And lastly is the number of lawsuits and legislative actions currently on the books regarding this issue. To my knowledge not a single state legislature vote is against GMO labeling. And it is probable that the majority of the class action lawsuits are against the use of GMO in “natural” food products.

But again, GMA is spinning this in their direction. They want labeling as long as it is to their benefit and does not allow consumers to truly understand what's in their food. Genetic modification is not natural. And while the natural label is so weak as to be close to worthless, it should not be modified or amended to specifically include the use of GMO items. There is no petition or open comment from the FDA at this time regarding this issue.

The only way to stay on top of food labeling and health issues is to become an educated consumer. One good resource is the book The Pantry Principle: how to read the label and understand what's really in your food. Staying informed is the best way to know how to make the healthiest food choices for yourself and your loved ones.

Pot Pie Makeover

by Miracrockpot, gluten free

The comfort of pot pie

One of my favorite meals is pot pie. When the weather gets cold and wintry, there is nothing more warming and delicious than a pot pie. It's also a wonderful convenience dish. Filled with meat and vegetables, it's a meal in one dish.

What's in the box?

For many people pot pie is something that comes in a box from the freezer section at the grocery store. While certainly convenient, these tend to come with a variety of ingredients that are not a great choice. Here, for example, is the ingredient list from

Stouffer's White Meat Chicken Pot Pie:
Water, Chicken Meat White Cooked, Flavor(s) Chicken, Chicken Powder, Chicken Broth Dehydrated,
Food Starch Modified, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum, Dextrose, Flavor(s), Salt, Whey Protein
Concentrate, Mono and Diglycerides, Cream Whipping, Apple(s), Flour Bleached Enriched, Wheat
Flour Bleached Enriched, Carrot(s), Celery, Chicken Fat, Egg(s) Yolks Dried, Niacin, Milk Non-Fat
Dry, Onion(s), Peas, Polysorbate 80, Iron Reduced, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Chicken Base, Contains BHA,
Contains BHT, Canola Oil, Caramel, Corn Syrup Solids, Lard, Maltodextrin, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2),
Soy Lecithin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Corn Starch Modified

44 ingredients! Going through this list one by one would be a rather long endeavor so I'll skip to the chase and point out that there are GMO's, lots of chemicals, known carcinogens, possible MSG, probably pesticides, and potentially heavy metals in this box. There's also a nasty ingredient called carrageenan which can cause intestinal distress and has some other unpleasant side effects. Not very tasty in my book.

So what's the answer?

For me it's making my own pot pie. 14 simple real food ingredients (15 if you include the seasoning on the meat).

Before when making pot pies I used to cook a chicken or a turkey and then dice up the leftover meat to use in a pot pie. Certainly a convenient way to make use of the leftover meat, but rather time consuming. Recently I had an epiphany. Why not shred the meat instead. I theorized that the shredded meat would be just as nice in the pot pie, but could potentially be made much easier than having to roast a bird, carve off the meat and then cut it up.

Using my crockpot, one of my favorite kitchen appliances, I made shredded meat overnight. I actually wanted to try making pot pie and chili with shredded meat so I cooked enough meat for both dishes. Using two turkey breasts and six chicken thighs (to get a good mix of white and dark meat), I put them in the crockpot with seasonings (I used Kirkland's No Salt Seasoning and some fresh ground pepper) and 1/4 cup of nourishing broth. I let it cook on low all night. In the morning when I got up the meat was fully cooked and so tender that it shredded without any difficulty simply using two forks.

Sidenote: I use my crockpot overnight on a fairly regular basis. I figure just because I'm asleep doesn't mean my crockpot can't be working for me. Nourishing broth, soaking beans, overnight cereal, marinara sauce, all kinds of things work well in the crockpot overnight to be ready to use when you wake up in the morning.

Updating your pot pie

As much as I like pot pie, over the years I've become less and less enamored of the idea of eating my meals encased in a crust of dough, especially a gluten based dough. Although it's possible to make gluten-free pie crust, I'm not very good at it (and not particularly interested in spending the time on it these days). So I've come up with an alternative. I make dumplings and serve that as the top “crust.” It's delicious without being overwhelming in the way of simple carbs. It also requires a little less labor. The dumplings are great because they provide just the right amount of toothsomeness to the pot pie; the right balance to top off the delicious filling.

Here's my basic-ish recipe for a pot pie. This recipe is for mushrooms and peas because that's what I had on hand when I made it last. Usually the vegetable part of a pot pie is somewhat flexible which is one of the things that makes it such a wonderful dish to have in your repertoire. The recipe does include bone broth which makes it tastier and more nourishing. Enjoy!

GF Dumpling Pot Pie

2017-04-30 11:57:53

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Ingredients

Gluten Free Dumpling Crusted Pot Pie
10-12 baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 T. organic butter
1/4 C. gluten free flour (these days I'm using Namaste and really like it)
1 C. nourishing broth
2 C. whole fat organic milk
1 heaping t. dried onion
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. sea salt
3 C. shredded chicken
2 C. peas, frozen or fresh

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F
Grease a 2 quart casserole dish
Melt butter in a large sauce pan
Add mushrooms and stir gently until mushroom soften
Add flour and toss gently, coating mushrooms
Add broth and milk, stirring well to incorporate fully and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and add onions, salt, and thyme, cook 5-7 minutes until sauce begins to thicken
Add meat and peas
Top with dumpling crust
Bake 30-35 minutes

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

GF Dumpling

2017-04-30 12:03:17

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Ingredients

1 cup gluten free flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. dried dill
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
generous pinch sea salt
1/4 cup organic butter
1/2 cup whole fat organic milk

Instructions

Combine flour, baking soda, and seasonings mixing well
Slice butter into thin pats and then blend into flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal
Add in milk and combine fully until it forms a dough
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto top of filling

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Winter Fitness Tips

by Miraexercise, habits, health

eat more fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C
Winter is here. For many people that brings an urge to practically hibernate; you just want to stay cozy and warm. Cozy and warm is great, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in shape. Here are five fabulous tips for staying healthy during the winter months.

Sleep Smart – A recent study from BYU shows that if you go to bed and get up at the same time every day you are less likely be overweight. It’s believed that your metabolism functions better with stable sleep patterns. Remember to avoid caffeine and alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime as these stimulants can prevent you from getting good sleep. A cooler room with enough blankets to stay warm, and a dark space will also help to promote healthy sleep. How much do you need? Aim for between 6.5 and 8.5 hours a night.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C is essential for normal body function. Although there is conflicting research about whether or not Vitamin C can prevent or shorten cold symptoms, it appears that higher levels of vitamin C are a good marker for health according a study from the University of Michigan. Dr. Mark Moyad, the study researcher, suggests taking 500 mg as a supplement in addition to eating 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C. The best fruit and vegetable sources are:

Oranges and grapefruits
Kiwi fruits
Cantaloupes
Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries
Cauliflower and broccoli
Green and red peppers
Spinach
Tomatoes

Exercise – It is very hard to stay motivated during winter, so get your workout in first. Don’t put if off. The short winter days make this even harder, so try to exercise before it gets dark out. This can be a real challenge in the winter time. Ideally it would be great to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine, but winter conditions don't always allow for that. If you can't be outside head to the gym or try a workout DVD or YouTube video and exercise in your living room. Home gym equipment can be purchased inexpensively and used for fitness year-round.

You can even go to the mall and walk some laps; the key is to keep moving as much as possible. Even walking just 15-30 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your fitness level. According to the American Heart Association, walking as exercise is enough to prevent heart attacks and extend life expectancy.

And as soon as there is a break in the weather, get out and move that body. Bored of walking? Why not try dancing lessons? This can be a fun way to get out and stay fit in the winter.

Avoid Alcohol – Winter time is full of parties and festivities. Alcoholic drinks are full of “empty” calories meaning that they provide very little nutritional benefit. Too much alcohol is a sure way to get out of shape during the winter. Try to stick to one glass of beer or wine a day or less.

Avoid Carbohydrate Loading – Winter makes you crave carbs. Less sunlight means lower serotonin levels which cause hunger. Less sunlight can also be a trigger for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Instead of loading up on carbs enjoy different meal choices. For lunch, make sure you get plenty of protein, veggies and dairy products to lessen afternoon hunger pangs. Healthy carbohydrate choices are sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Check out these other eating tips for SAD. Try to get as much sunlight as possible since this stimulates serotonin release and suppresses hunger. If needed, there are even special sun lamps that you can buy to get enough light during wintertime.

Just because it is cold, wet and dark doesn’t mean you can’t stay in shape. Follow these ways to keep fit and you will be full of energy come springtime.

Joe Alter is a fitness buff, writer, and the CEO of Yowza Fitness, a leading manufacturer of home fitness equipment, including treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. He is on a mission to lead the home fitness industry to a new era of innovation, with biomechanically superior cardiovascular fitness equipment.

photo: Fæ