The 7 Foods Experts Won't Even Eat

Click to read a very good article: 7 Foods Experts Won't Even Eat

*As far as the grass-fed beef goes... I have asked experts in my industry and they say corn and grass is an acceptable feeding regimen but the beef has to be high quality.  Costco, Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Gelsons are good places to purchase.    XOXO -K

Is Sugar Toxic To The Body?

60 Minutes has done it again... another great episode on sugar and the toxic effect it has on the body.  The run time on the information is 13 minutes and is so worth watching it all.  As you know, there is no refined sugar in my diet and has been something easy for me to eliminate.  If you want to do the same, let me know and I will happily share everything I have learned.

60 Minutes: Is Sugar Toxic Video Clip

Organic: The Dirty Dozen

Have you gotten your fix of fruits and veggies today?  The EWG just released the most up to date list of the fruits and vegetables you should buy organic.  These are the products that have been found to have the most pesticides known when purchased conventionally.

The EWG (Environmental working group) does make it clear that eating fruits and vegetables (even if only conventional) is better than not eating at all.  Of coarse, when possible, all organic is ideal but that is not always possible due to season, availability or cost.

Take this shopping with you.  If you like, I can email you the image and you can save in your phone as a reminder.  For you mothers: baby food was tested for the first time...buy organic!  The pesticide findings were consistent in baby food in a jar with the Dirty Dozen list.

So what about pesticides are bad for you (info directly from EWG)?

Pesticides are toxic by design.  They are created expressly to kill living organisms -- insects, plants, and fungi that are considered "pests." 

As acknowledged by U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems, including: brain and nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone disruption and skin, eye and lung irritation. 

For all the research I find on what to buy organic vs. conventional, I can find the same amount of research that says the pesticides found on produce are not at harmful levels.  I choose to buy whenever possible organic, I can't see how pesticides are good for my body.  If you want to do more research to make an informed decision that is right for you here are some good resources: Food News and Safe F&V.

Something else I would like to point out, that during the testing for the Dirty Dozen, all fruits and vegetables were washed before testing.  So although a fruit and vegetable wash is important practice, it does not remove all pesticides.  Something I have been thinking a lot about lately, is that I use tap water to clean my produce, but my tap isn't filtered.  I wouldn't knowingly drink unfiltered water, but yet it is good enough for my produce??  I think that will be changing soon....

Here's what the Federal Food and Drug Administration says about cleaning produce (directly from safefruitandveggies.com):

Washing fresh produce before eating is a healthful habit. You can reduce and often eliminate residues if they are present on fresh fruits and vegetables by following these simple tips:

• Wash produce with large amounts of cold or warm tap water, and scrub with a brush when appropriate; do not use soap.
• Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage.

These washing steps should be followed for both conventional and organically grown produce to remove any pesticide residues, dirt or bacteria. Please remember to clean hands, scrub brushes or colandars before using to wash your fresh 

To healthy eating! Love, Love  - K

So Sweet

As many of you know, I have completely cut out refined sugars in my diet.  I only, on rare occasion consume agave nectar.  Here is the skinny on sweeteners: 

The pink – saccharin: With the information I have read, I think it is the least offensive of the artificial sweeteners. 

The blue – aspartame:  I have read that aspartame is terrible for you.  However, the FDA does not report any safety issues and it is sold and added to over 6,000 products.

The yellow – sucralose:  Sucralose is made by taking a sugar molecule and adding chlorine to it. Not good for you, at all!

The green – stevia:  Stevia is 100% natural, extracted from a plant in South America, it has a low glycemic index and there are no controversial reports on the health or safety of this natural sweetener.

The real stuff - raw sugar, honey, white sugar: All are accepted by the body as sugar. All cause increases in insulin, our fat storing hormone. Controlling this hormone, so that our food is burned as fuel rather than stored as fat. Much better choices than artificial sweeteners. I think honey is the best of the three. 

Agave – 100% natural.  It’s the consistency of honey, but is not supposed to spike insulin, like honey.  Agave is 20 on the glycemic index as opposed to sugar which is 100! 

Before my diagnosis, I didn't know that the GI was.... here is a basic overview, in case you're like me and don't know either: The GI ranks specific carbohydrates from zero to 100, based on how they affect your blood sugar levels after eating them. Typically, eating foods that have a high GI (such as white bread and soda) causes a spike in blood sugar levels. High GI foods have been linked to an increased risk for cancer, type 2 diabetes, acne, Alzheimer's, and weight gain. 

Sugars & Substitutes with their Glycemic Index

Artificial Sweeteners	N/A	Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it's essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).
Stevia	0	Best Healthy Sugar Alternative Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Read more about stevia at Organic Lifestyle Magazine (OLM). Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing.
Xylitol	7	Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence with initial consumption. It's said to be safe for pregnant women, and is said to possibly treat ear infections, osteoposis, respiratory infections, candida, and is it even helps fight cavities. In fact, in Finland, virtually all chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol.
Agave Nectar	15-30	A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of "sap" from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%). Read more about agave nectar at OLM.
Fructose	17	Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition.
Brown Rice Syrup	85	It is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Raw Honey	30	A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation        With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey. Read more about honey at OLM.
Coconut Palm Sugar	35	Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix sylvestris). It's also made from the sap of coconut palms. With a relatively low glycemic index, Cocnut palm sugar is the new rage among health nuts. It's often called "coconut nectar sugar" or "coconut sugar".
Apple Juice	40	Fresh apple juice is good for you, though we recommend eating fresh raw whole apples. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice.
Barley Malt Syrup	42	Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder.
Amasake	43	This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It's not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.
Sugar Cane Juice	43	Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey.
Organic Sugar	47	Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed).
Maple Syrup	54	Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed.  It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious then refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices.
Evaporated Cane Juice	55	Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.
Black Strap Molasses	55	White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.
Turbinado	65	Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar. Raw Sugar
Raw sugar	65	Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many different variations of raw sugar with many different names depending on how refined it is.
Cola (and most other sodas)	70	Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!).
Corn Syrup	75	Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.
Refined, Pasteurized Honey	75	The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.
Refined Table Sugar	80	Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic to the body causing calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs (sugar is alkaline but has a very acidic effect on the body).
High Fructose Corn Syrup	87	Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.
Glucose (AKA Dextrose)	100	White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.
Maltodextrin	150	Foods that have maltodextrin often say "Low Sugar" or "Complex Carbohydrate", but this sweetener should be avoided!

Magic Mineral Broth

If you or someone you isn't feeling well, whether it is a cold or cancer this soup is magical!  Will get anyone filled with nutrients right away.  http://rebeccakatz.com/recipes/magic_mineral_broth.html

Recipe is from the book, "Cancer Fighting Kitchen".  A must have for any one in the fight.

Juicing

Add a juicer to your holiday shopping list!  I have been juicing since I was diagnosed and the health benefits are incredible.  Determining whether to juice or blend for me was a tough choice, so I bought a machine that could do both.  When you juice, the vitamins from the vegetables or fruit are suppose to go straight to your bloodstream and you get maximum nutrients which is very good for me right now.  As for blending, you get the fiber and nutrients but not the same punch of nutrients as juicing.  Doing both is a very good for the body.

Ashley and I having our morning juice

I juice absolutely everything- lettuce, spinach, apples, pears, celery, cucumber, kale, kiwi and anything vegetable or fruit that is in the refrigerator.  

If you are looking to purchase here is a run down on machines (I did my homework for all of us).... 

The Vitamix is very popular and can often be purchased at Costco.  This is a blender only, so if you are wanting to blend this is your machine.  You can make your soups in it to- it will heat them up for you. 

If you want to juice and blend, the Breville is by far your best choice. 
Here’s the low down on the Breville (juicer and mixer in one)… 1) It’s fast.  2) It’s super EASY to clean. 3) It juices large quantities because it shoots the pulp out into an exterior container and has a large carafe for the juice (with a top that holds back foam so I don’t need to strain it).  4) It has a knob for changing the speed of the juicer so I can turn it down for leafy greens and turn it up for harder fruits and veggies. As for the blender, there are many different speeds and I can make soup in it, blend the hardest of things.  The power on this is CRAZY! Demo Video


If you are looking to juice for just yourself and area just starting out, you can buy the Breville Juicer in a small version which is called the Ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain.  These are fairly inexpensive and you can purchase them almost anywhere. 


I am happy to announce the juice bar opening at the Whole Foods in Thousand Oaks... we finally have a juice bar close to home! So, when you are there, buy a juice. The Dr. Oz is one of my favorites.  

Forks Over Knives

This weekend I watched "Forks over Knives", an excellent video that talks about health in America and in other parts of the world.  For anyone that has diabetes or heart disease in the family and for anyone at risk of cancer this is a must see video.  Whether you choose Vegan or not, this video will get you thinking about your choices or at least it did for me.

At this time, I won't go Vegan, I believe that there is good nutrition for me in meats and dairy, however, I am currently doing a lot of research and have definitely changed my diet.  Many cancer patients turn to a plant based eating plan, if my Oncologist told me it would help save my life I would do it in a heart beat....but for now, in moderation dairy and meat are fine. However, I have completely eliminated refined sugar from my diet which I believe is so important for everyone to do.  All of the research I have read suggested the same; refined sugars are one of the reasons disease is so present in United States.  I will share more with you later on the refined sugars, I am finishing up my research on it.



forksoverknives.com