More Dare You Eat Dairy

Thanks to every one who responded to my last health tip about dairy products. There were some good questions raised. One was about the difference in calories between low-fat milk and whole milk. I purposely did not mention calories because I think that one reason Americans have such an obesity problem is our obsession with calories. This has taken us down a dark road towards chemical substitutes that are supposed to be low in calories, but disturb metabolism because the body cannot process them. Sucralose is a good example.
Take sugar and chemically bond it to chlorine and you have sucralose, which is supposed to prevent the body from absorbing the sugar. Hard to imagine that ingesting sugar and chlorine together could be healthy. If we just eat whole natural foods, like humans have eaten for hundreds or thousands of years, we will not get fat. It is the processed and chemical Frankenstein foods that are causing us to gain weight at an unprecedented rate. Here is a link to an article that discusses that point. http://www.details.com/style-advice/the-body/201105/skim-milk-non-fat-milk-diet-foods

Raw organic milk can be purchased at “Full of Life” in Burban, or the Hollywood Farmer’s Market (Sunday morning) or the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. For those who already have a dairy issue that switching to raw and fermented products won’t handle, try :Nary Dairy”, made from cashew nuts. Made in Pasadena, you can order on-line.http://www.narydairy.com/

Have a cream-filled day!

Dare You Eat Dairy?

Recently I read about research into dairy consumption. The studies found that about 75% of the adult population of Earth can tolerate dairy products. Then why is there so much lactose-intolerance?
Let’s define our terms. By “dairy” we mean anything produced from the milk of a cow. Of course, food-industry ingenuity (and the pursuit of big bucks) has created dairy by-products that bear little resemblance to the near-perfect formula Nature created to nourish calves. In many countries, including the U.S., cheese that has certain chemicals and additives that extend shelf life and add a plastic texture cannot be labeled “cheese”. Is it any wonder that these altered dairy products might cause mucous or allergies?

Real milk products quickly break down, even when refrigerated. This  breaking down, or souring, is caused by a similar process that causes bread to rise. Organisms digest the lactose, or milk “sugar” and that changes it into sour chunks or curds. Yogurt, kefir and cheese are all made by controlling the types of organisms so that certain flavors are produced. Remember that you have trillions of organisms in your gut already. Fresh raw dairy products that are fermented or cultured are very healthy. The lactose becomes lactic acid, and few people will have an allergic reaction to lactic acid. Lactic acid is beneficial to healthy flora in the human gut, that is a major part of the immune system. Lactic acid supplements will help after a course of antibiotics or if your immune system is compromised and weak.

You would never heat-treat mother’s milk before feeding it to a human infant, but that is exactly what we do when we pasteurize cow’s milk. Calves raised on pasteurized milk do not thrive. And humans raised on pasteurized milk may develop allergies and sensitivities because they lack the enzymes needed to break down the lactose into lactic acid. This will cause the rumbly tummies experienced by those who are lactose intolerant.

But here is what I often find. Gall bladder/Liver congestion is a primary reason for dairy difficulties. The unfortunate intestine is frequently blamed for problems that actually arise higher up the digestive conveyor belt.

Dairy farmers are subsidized by the Government, but the price-fixing is hurting them because dairy prices are low and the cost of dairy farm business is high. So, organic dairy farmers are doing slightly better, since they can charge a premium for milk.  My advice is to always buy organic dairy products as much as possible, since pesticides and other toxins are fat-loving and the way we treat commercial cows is unwise for the cows, and unwise for their products that we consume.

Organic raw dairy is delicious and healthy, and well-regulated. Look for local California raw milk from Organic Pastures or Claravale Dairy. They also make delicious raw cream and cheese. Raw cheeses from Spain and France are often available, and are some of the most delicious varieties. Look for Comte’ at Trader Joe’s. Hard cheeses have no lactose left after the cheese-making process, so are safer choices for those who have concerns.

Dairy products add flavor and richness to your eating plan. Always choose the least processed path, so look for whole milk and non-homogenized versions, if not raw. Whole milk is 3% fat, and low-fat is 1%-not much of a difference!  You are also going to lose fat-soluble vitamins like A and D, so there is a price to pay that goes beyond taste.

I raised my two kids on organic raw milk and neither one has any allergies, and they had few colds or flus. Babies who drink raw milk usually do not develop milk allergies. I still use raw milk in my tea.

One sign of dairy intolerance is puffy, itchy eyelids or the area around the eyes. If you are sensitive already, total elimination of dairy products, plus taking digestive enzymes, is the answer.

If you are still concerned about dairy, or are already highly intolerant, don’t make the mistake of choosing soy. Soy isolate powder is one of the most highly processed and allergenic foods. And Monsanto is behind the big soy push-not a company that has anyone’s health at heart. And soy has phyto-estrogens that may interfere with optimum thyroid function. Children raised on soy products often go through puberty earlier from the estrogenic influences on their endocrine systems.

Humans have eaten raw or cultured dairy products for thousands of years. If we go back to sane farming practices we can enjoy the health and taste benefits of “real” food, as Nature intended.

Should We Be Worried About Genetically Modified Foods?

Should We Worry About Genetically Modified Foods?
I wish I could tell you that the people who are in charge of the food supply, the producers and manufacturers, farmers and grocery stores, really care about your health. I wish I could say that they consider that the well-being and long-term physical health of you and your children is as important to them as it is to you.

And I wish it were not cynical to tell you that money is their motivation and that it seems that food is just a commodity to some the way that bricks and buttons are a commodity. But if you buy a faulty button the worse thing that happens is that it breaks and your sweater sags.

But when food “breaks” it can cause damage to cells and organs because food is a living thing consumed by living beings composed of living cells. Alter human DNA and we know what can happen- deformity, illness and death. And we now know that food itself can change gene expression, something that was not known when the first GMO tomato was produced, using fish DNA to make its skin more resilient so it could be shipped across country.

All that Proposition 37 proposes is that GMO foods must be labeled so that the consumer knows what is in the food their hard earned money is buying. The fact that genetically modified foods are not labeled now is only beneficial to Monsanto and other companies that regard your food supply as their bottom-line and not as nourishment, cellular repair and health for your families. If GMO foods are safe, then let these new foods be tested and proven so with standard scientific methods.

Personally I like to know what is in my foods. I buy organic food to avoid the possibility that 10 years from now we will find out that the current epidemics of cancer, obesity and heart disease have been, in part, caused by Frankenstein foods. I consider that Nature has done a pretty good job so far and does not really need help from Monsanto. What do you think?

For another take on the subject go to http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-very-real-danger-of-genetically-modified-foods/251051/

Weight Loss After 40 - Is It My Hormones?

Anne Dunev, PhD CN
It is common to hear someone tell me, “I used to be so skinny when I was younger. I could eat anything I wanted. Now look at me!” as they pat their puffed- out belly or pinch the spare tire they now carry around their waist.

Dieting has not worked, cutting back has not worked, working out at the gym has not worked. So, it must be hormones, right?

Yes, but it may not be the hormones you are thinking of. The gradual dip in sex hormones is only part of the picture. Our glands and endocrine system work together like an orchestra, creating a beautiful symphony when there is balance and harmony.

The thyroid, pancreas and adrenals are just as important as the sex-hormone producing glands. The thyroid, located at the base of the throat, regulates over-all metabolism, or the rate at which we burn our calories for fuel to our muscles. The adrenals, located on top of each of the kidneys in the low back area of the body, make a number of hormones that regulate our stress and physical movement responses. Some adrenal hormones interact with our fat cells. The pancreas, located on the left side at about waist level, produces hormones that regulate the level of sugar in our blood and tell the body to send excess sugar to the liver for cholesterol and triglyceride formation, which ultimately get stored as fat cells, if the body does not immediately use the sugar for fuel.

Fat cells are manufactured in the liver from dietary sugars and simple carbs like breads and pastas. So “cutting back” on these foods is often not enough. For most of us our bodies are phenomenally efficient at making fat cells!

One important thing to note is that the body hardly makes any fat cells out of protein or vegetables or healthy fats like real butter and virgin olive oil. So, most people can eat a good amount of healthy fats that are high in calories, and eliminate processed, refined carbs like bread and cake, and lose weight.

Forget most of what you have read about “saturated” vs. “unsaturated” fats. It is mostly just hot air and will keep you confused and fat. If the dietary fat exists in Nature you can eat it in the raw or unprocessed form. This is the real basis of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. It is not the pasta; it’s the virgin olive oil!

You do not have to be a biochemist to figure out what to eat. But you do need to know a little health history. What our ancestors ate as good fats is what we should eat today. Good news, because good fats make food taste delicious, will balance your blood sugar, give you more hormones (including sex hormones!) and keep you satisfied so you do not crave so much sugar. I think people crave the fat in chocolate, more than the sugar. When woman crave chocolate before their periods, it may be that the body needs fat to make more hormones.

Worried about your arteries? Eliminate sugar and simple carbs and eat more real fat for three months and have a new blood test.

Both men and women do well to stop dieting and start eating real meals, which means eating real food at regular intervals that approximate meals. No snacking except fruit or protein or fat. A variety of seasonal vegetables every day. Raw organic dairy is best and could eliminate lactose issues. Fruit for dessert. No cereals (except oatmeal) or breads or pastas. Drink only plain, filtered or spring water and herbal teas. Coffee and tea do appear to have some health benefits, such as stable blood sugar. But those benefits probably do not extend to Fancy-ccinos. By the way, this is not dieting, this is what I call “healthy ancestral eating”.

Older Americans are experiencing obesity issues that are challenging the health gains we have made in recent years. Only 22 percent of older people were obese between 1988 and 1994. In 2009 to 2010, 38 percent of people aged 65 and older were obese. Many of these did not have weight problems as younger adults. Today it has become commonplace to expect older people to be overweight. Many adults are gaining 10 pounds every decade. The good news is that studies indicate that even moderate weight loss has benefits. And new evidence indicates that yo-yo dieters, those who repeatedly gain or lose 10-20 pounds at a time will also benefit from losing weight.

If you feel tired, toxic, bloated and have skin conditions you may be holding a lot of water. The answer is to detoxify your major organs, such as kidneys, liver and intestines. I have attached a flyer about the Cleanse/Detox program my patients do, with rave results. Many report they have not felt this good in years. There is plenty of food on the program, so you do not need to starve to detoxify. You can improve your waistline without wasting away!