Hidden MSG in our food

MSG is hidden in our processed foods, not just in the term "yeast extract" but also in the numbering that is used on labels.

Decipher what is going on in your food and beware these numbers:

E620 - L-Glutamic acid - Potential allergic reaction. Avoid for children
E621 - Monosodium glutamate - Potential allergic reaction. Avoid for children
E622 - Monopotassium glutamate - Potential allergic reaction. Avoid wherever possible
E623 - Calcium glutamate -Potential allergic reaction. Avoid if possible
E624 - Mono ammonium glutamate - Potential allergic reaction. Avoid if possible
E625 - Magnesium di glutamate - Potential allergic reaction. Avoid if possible
E627 - Disodium guanylate - Avoid for children
E631 - Disodium inosinate - Avoid for children
E635 - Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides -Banned in some countries
E636 - Maltol - Flavour enhancer
E637 - Ethyl maltol - Flavour enhancer
E640 - Glycine and its sodium salt - Flavour enhancer
E650 - Zinc acetate - Flavour enhancer

How does MSG cause obesity?

MSG - monosodium glutamate - is an excitotoxin - just like "innocent" aspartane.

According to Dr. Russell L. Blaylock in his book Excitotoxins, it is a substance that overexcites neurons to the point of cell damage and, eventually, cell death.
"Early exposure in life to high doses of glutamate, or the other excitotoxins, could theoretically produce a whole array of disorders much later in life, such as obesity, impaired growth, endocrine problems, sleep difficulties, emotional problems including episodic anger, and sexual psycho-pathology."

It is used by food manufacturers as a taste enhancer - to cover up the bland tastes of manufactured foods and make them more appealing to us. But they don't want to list MSG on the labels, especially when they know that consumers will avoid purchasing products that list MSG.

So, instead they hide MSG in another ingredient called "yeast extract" and then they put yeast extract in the product and list it openly on the label.

How stupid are we - beware!

5 Secret foods for healthier skin

We are all paying through the nose for skin care products to treat skin conditions such as acne, wrinkles and dryness. I must have at least 5 different applications just for my skin and I don't regard myself as high maintenance!!

I've somehow never connected my skin condition to the food that I don't eat and that could be helping - here are 5 foods that can dramatically improve your skin condition:

• Green Tea - rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation & protect cell membranes. Proven to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer.
• Salmon - along with other fatty fish, walnuts and flaxseed -- is high in healthy fatty acids that are key for achieving healthy skin. Increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods such as salmon will help keep the skin supple and youthful.
• Blueberries - the antioxidants and phytochemicals in blueberries neutralise DNA-damaging free radicals, reducing cell damage.
• Carrots - contain high levels of antioxidants (including Vit. A), which prevent free radical damage of skin cells. Vitamin A is required for developing and maintaining skin cells, and a deficiency of the vitamin can cause dry skin.
• Water - Drinking plenty of water - at least your individual minimum intake - will help keep your skin young and healthy-looking. Water intake must be from pure, clean water, which rejuvenates skin cells. Water both hydrates cells and helps them move toxins out and nutrients in.

Avoid certain foods that are known to trigger bad skin reactions - sugar, white flour, saturated fats & fried foods - they can trap oil and bacteria beneath the skin, causing acne and other skin ailments.

Raw food juicing is the surest way to healthy skin, and I recommend juicing vegetables (spinach, kale, lettuce, garlic, celery and cucumber) with a little base of carrots and apples.
You can spot people who drink raw juices on a daily basis - they have glowing skin! Compare that to those who eat mostly processed, refined or cooked foods and you have skin that ages rapidly.

Now I just need to add the Green Tea to every meal!!

Butter or Margarine?

Butter

1. Butter & Margarine have the same amount of calories.
2. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
3. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.
4. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
5. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!
6. For most people, butter tastes better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods. (The best flavour claim margarine can make in ads is that it tastes the same as butter.)
7. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. "

Margarine...

• Very high in trans fatty acids.
• Triple risk of coronary heart disease.
• Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol)
• Lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol).
• Increases the risk of cancers by up to five fold.
• Lowers quality of breast milk.
• Decreases immune response.
• Decreases insulin response.

No contest!
Use butter - this was not sponsored by the dairy industry.

Did you think Soy is Health Food?

In a recent Reuters article this definition for soy sauce is provided:
"Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt..."

The article follows the surprising results of a study from researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) - Dark soy sauce may offer more antioxidant protection than red wine or vitamin C.
Unfortunately, the soy sauce at your local grocery is not the same soy sauce described by NUS researchers.

In a groundbreaking article about soy titled "The Ploy of Soy," Sally Fallon and Mary G Enig, Ph.D., of the Weston A. Price Foundation (a pro-raw dairy group), put the nutritional realities of soy consumption into perspective.

Here are a few of the key points they make:

• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soybeans are high in phytic acid; an organic acid that impedes the absorption of four key minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc
• Fermented soy products - such as miso and tempeh - provide nutrients that are easily absorbed
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Soy intake may also increase kidney stone risk.
A 2001 study published in the American Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed how soybeans, tofu, and commercially processed soy products - especially textured soy protein - contain extremely high levels of oxalate, a compound that binds with calcium in the kidneys, increasing the risk of kidney stone development.

It can't be said often enough: Soy is not health food.

For more eye-opening details about soy, you can read "The Ploy of Soy" at the Weston A. Price web site: westonaprice.org.

10 Tips to a Healthy Detox

It's spring in the Southern Hemisphere and time to think of skimpy clothes, beeches and summer holidays.
If you hibernated like I did during the winter, you would also be in need of a decent detox.

I've always been too suspicious of those large boxes with ingredients for a 15 day detox, subscribing to the "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" school of thought!

Here are a few tips for a healthy detox!

1. Follow a wholesome lifestyle – eat fresh, raw, natural foods; drink filtered water; exercise for 30 minutes daily, and avoid junk foods and additives - It will minimize the need to detoxify.
2. If you feel toxic or congested - have aches and pains, allergies and sinus congestion, sluggish digestion, or skin rashes – consider a detoxification program under the guidance of a natural therapist!
3. If you habitually have any SNACCs (Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine, or Chemicals) take a break occasionally to evaluate how you really feel. These short breaks can give you a new perspective.
   Is your habit an easy pleasure or is your body paying a price? I know I start losing weight and have a clearer skin when I skip my daily glas of wine for a few days running!
4. Detox in a way that feels right to you – through a combination of diet changes, juice cleansing and supplements.
   Challenge yourself a little, but don't ascribe to the "No pain, no gain" attitude! The idea is to give yourself some TLC.
5. Create the time and space to detoxify successfully. You may want to do a 7-10 day Spring Cleanse. Starting on Friday gives you the weekend to move in and out of your program.
6. My favorite cleanses are fresh vegetable juices, and broths, with added Spirulina or other algaes.
7. Include regular exercise in your life and create a balanced schedule of activity and rest, work and play.
   Get outside - walking through the bush, by the ocean or a river. In the city, watch the sky to stay connected to Nature. Don't forget to relate to flowers, birds, and other natural life forms.
8. Do saunas, sweats, showers, and skin brushing to help detoxify. Drink 8-10 glasses a day of good quality spring or filtered water.
9. Make sure you keep your digestive track cleansed. Have a bowel movement at least once or twice daily – using fibers, herbs, salt water flushes, enemas, or colon hydrotherapy (my personal favourite!). A topic not often discussed, but so necessary for experiencing healthy cleansing and vibrant health.
10. Be positive – drop at least one old habit this month. A simple change such as giving up wheat or dairy products, sugar or caffeine, could make a big difference in your health.

Detox does not need to cost you money - neither is it a once in a blue moon project. Make it a lifestyle!