Put Yourself in My Shoes

You’ve worked really hard to prepare this meal. You shopped a week in advance, at least. You pressed the last of the napkins hot out of the dryer. You’re really pleased with your menu. Broiled fish, roasted chicken breasts with garlic cloves, bell pepper and onions and steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, and corn you took off the cob just this afternoon. And by request, your special macaroni and cheese is also on the menu.

It’s time to get everything heated, so you’ve got the oven set to 200 up and the warming pots on the stove. The vegetables are steaming and all that’s left is the macaroni and cheese and the corn. Planned down to the minute, your family will be arriving in twenty minutes; the macaroni will be put into the microwave, straight from the fridge in your microwave-safe plastic ware. Your corn will go in right after that for three minutes.

Everyone is on time. You’re placing the last two items on the table as the guests are seated—it went like clockwork.

What Could Possibly be Wrong with This Picture?

The only problem is the microwave. You know how you learn something but it doesn’t stick because it’s so out of line with the rest of life? That was my problem with the truth and fallacy of microwave cooking.

Many, many years ago, when the microwave was banned in Germany, I can recall hearing about it. I was a child and I remember thinking, What an odd thing to ban. Those poor people are so oppressed. Little did I know.

The Problems with Microwaving Foods

Microwaving changes food on the molecular level, denaturing its nutrients and therein making foods empty, useless substances.

What are you left with?

• Carcinogens in your proteins in cereal and milk
• Radiolytics - stuff unknown in nature
• Destroyed meat proteins

As a result of eating this food, studies have recorded the following:

• Reduces blood hemoglobin count (indicator of anemic condition)
• Increases cholesterol and white blood count

In 1991, microwaving blood denatured it enough to kill a transfusion recipient who received that warmed blood.

Most nutritionists will warn parents away from warming baby milk and formula in microwaves for two reasons:

• It destroys the nutrients in the formula
• The formula is generally much hotter than the bottle indicates when removed from the microwave

It’s even been demonstrated to be unsafe for people to stand in front of microwaves. It’s actually causing cell destruction.

Why People Still Use Microwaves

I am going to guess that many people are a lot like me. I extend to the government a benefit of the doubt that they wouldn’t deliberately make me sick. (I don’t know why I extend the government this because obviously that very thing is the case. It makes me sick.)

I am all about the convenience of heating food quickly. I remember our first microwave. It meant and end to oven and stove reheating. No more steam burns—almost no more—hello, 4-minutes-to-a-complete-meal. Speed can’t mean a sacrifice of health. Who would allow that? Actually it was the same people who prosecuted a United States researcher, William Kopp, who went and collected the Russians’ and Germans’ research results.

So, What Does All This Mean to Me?

Instead of saying thank you to my family and friends for the excellent care they took of me after my surgery, I was giving them damaging garbage to eat with the rest of their meals.

What is the liver’s job?

The liver has several functions that play a major roll in maintaining health. It breaks down red blood cells, stores fat and glucose, filters toxins from the body and produces amino acids and bile. Its jobs provide energy and facilitate the digestion process.

The liver is the largest gland in the body, located at the beginning of the small intestine. An adult liver produces between 400 and 800 ml of bile each day which is stored in the gallbladder until needed.

The Liver Can Be Damaged

The liver is one of few internal human organs that can regenerate. It can do this with as little as 25% of its mass in tact.

Still, liver function can be impaired, which in turn can afflict other parts of the body. Two common liver diseases are hepatitis and cirrhosis. The liver like the gallbladder can develop stones. Alcohol and other pharmaceutical grade chemicals such as, acetaminophen, and isoniazid can affect the liver adversely.

You May Get Warnings that there’s Trouble Looming

Sometimes your liver functions can be sluggish. Some ailments that have been reported that point to this condition are: headaches, depression, constipation, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities and digestive difficulties.

Actions You Can Take

Be proactive when it comes to having good health. Let pharmaceutical drugs be your last resort. They can damage the liver and they put a heavy burden on your liver to filter them from your blood stream. Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption. Your body only needs purified water to live. Choose organically grown items whenever possible. Genetically modified foods add many unnecessary toxins to your diet. Eating a proper diet is a good plan of action.

Eating Habits You Want to Have

Remember the dietary stuff you learned in school? If you decided to ignore it in favor of fast food and steaks at your favorite steakhouse restaurant, consider returning to the healthy choices.

Good eating and drinking habits will save your liver the extra wear and tear of purging your system of all the toxins you regularly ingest. The following healthy dietary practices will nourish you, not overburden your liver, and should improve your energy overall.

• Make sure as much as 40% of your diet consist of live red, purple, orange and yellow fruit and vegetables, including dark green leafy organic vegetables
• Avocados and oily fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines promote liver health
• Many varieties of raw seeds such as flaxseed, sunflower, and alfalfa seeds are beneficial
• Eat balanced meals, not until you’re stuffed or overstuffed
• Avoid empty calories of fatty foods, and excessive carbohydrates
• Limit your vitamin A intake. Instead opt for emulsified vitamin A, the liquid form of the vitamin, which does not contain cholesterol or fat.
• Keep your sodium intake low
• Find out what your optimal protein intake is and don’t overdo it
• Certain oils (primrose, black currant seed, and cold-pressed olive oil to name a few) assist the liver as well.
• Always wash your food before eating and preparing it.

There are several healthful organic herbs that promote healthy liver functions. Some of these beneficial herbs are:

• Turmeric
• Greater Celandine
• Peppermint Leaf
• Dandelion Leaf
• Dandelion Root
• Chicory Root
• Yellow Dock Root
• Milk Thistle Seed
• Wildcrafted Chanca Piedra

More information about these herbs is provided in The Liver and Liver Stones and their related articles. There are many more healthy living practices you can incorporate into your routines including minimizing your environmental toxins, and exercising regularly.

Make it easy for your liver and other organs to do their parts. Eat healthy for an energized life.

10 Questions Come To Mind

When I hear in the news that 143 million pounds of beef gets recalled, after most had been distributed (business as usual during the investigative period) and subsequently consumed by an unknowing public, questions come to mind.

While the investigation was going on, the producers were able to continue selling. Subsequently most of their food when to schools; no one protected the children. As a result of the recall delay, 28 people fell ill.

10 Questions I Would Like Answered

1. What body will protect us from the recall of already-eaten, 143 million pounds of anything?
2. Who keeps the public from suffering from the business end of USDA?
3. When do we get the protection that is explicit and implicit in the formulation of government?
4. When will government put the health of people before the revenue of business?
5. How does one create a viable argument for health overruling practices so obviously rooted in commerce?
6. Why are non-organic substances allowed in organic foods?
7. When did we agree that the USDA could defile organic products with non-organic ingredients?
8. Why are producers allowed to label their products organic when in fact they aren’t?
9. How is it acceptable to call non-organic food organic when such a thing is fully unnecessary?
10. Should it really take an act of congress to say that organic needs to be organic?

There are many who take serious issue with the National List’s allowances. Two great articles are on The Daily Green. When “Organic” Doesn’t Really Mean Organic the first article, there is a detailed example of the implications related to the use of non-organic intestinal casings. And, in 38 Non-Organic Ingredients Found in ‘USDA Organic’ Foods the second article, you find a list of the non-organic substances and how they came to be on the list, (when the information was not restricted).

Just because “the people” want it and it is good for them, doesn’t mean that they can have it. It must be economically feasible. Some people decided that they wanted healthier diets for themselves and their families. Some farmers decided that they wanted to produce healthy, organic, fruit, vegetables and cattle. The USDA decided to step in and “regulate” to hell what is organic and how it should be done, and who gets to obfuscate the guidelines. In the face of all that goes on surrounding meat and product, the bonus question that I have is:

Are we any safer with government regulating than if it weren’t in charge of organic guidelines?

Problem with the National List Regulation

As far back as 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ratified the recommendation of a list of 38 ingredients being added to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

The government acted on criticisms that the regulation §205.606 was being too broadly interpreted. They decided to clarify the rule and reign in the wanton approval of non-organic substances. From the Federal Register, June 2007 issue:

Until recently, some producers, handlers and certifying agents have misinterpreted National List regulations §205.606 to mean that any non-organic agricultural product which was determined by an accredited certifying agent to be not commercially available in organic form could be used in organic products, without being individually listed pursuant to the National List procedures.

In January 2005, this gap was effectively closed when they stipulated that the approved items had to be present on the National List in order to be sanctioned for use as “organic.”

“Smooth Transition” Means Longer Time with Unapproved, Mislabeled Ingredients in Circulation

The ruling, further, made provision for the “smooth transition” to compliance with the more strict interpretation of regulation §205.606:

• Mislabeled products can remain so labeled, and on the market until June 2007
• At that time, there would be no new items accepted into the market
• All pre-existing supplies can be sold until stores depleted
• Once depleted, then they had to comply with the formulaic changes, change their labeling, or face fine

About the 38 Non-Organic Ingredients added to the National List

On the website, The Daily Green, Karen Berner has complied information about the 38 ingredients, from sources including the USDA, Organic Trade Association, and Organic Consumers Association. In her article she covers:

• Who supported inclusion of the 38 ingredients in the National List
• Why Organic Consumers Association is against their inclusion
• Where the ingredients come from and where they can be found

The Name is Changed, Only

The Federal government is allowing producers to sell non-organic food ingredients listing them as “organic.” Putting these non-organic materials in the “safe” organic categories, however, does not change the substance to something safe. It only serves business and confuses the consuming public. With this possibility of non-organic mixed with organic, a good rule of thumb would be to suspect anything that doesn’t say “100% Organic.”

For now, you can’t call just anything “organic.” It must appear on the National List as “organic.” The question remains, though, should there even be a list of pretend organic substances in the first place?

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

According to an article, Fibromyalgia Research, by Dr. Edward F. Group III, for many years the symptoms of fibromyalgia were misdiagnosed, often as growing pains. Since the 1980s, much more is known about the disease and treatment. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Chronic pain
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Irritability
• Sleeplessness
• Dermatological disorders

What Relief is Available?

If you’re living with fibromyalgia and you want to lessen the medications that you take over the span of possibly years, consider the natural remedies to promote your best health. Currently treatment is focused on the specific symptoms as they manifest. According to WebMD and other researchers, alternative treatments are reportedly relieving symptoms of fibromylagia.

• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Physical therapy
• Mental health care
• Mild exercise

Following are other suggested practices for overall better health which may provide relief from fibromyalgia symptoms:

• Meditation
• Nutrition and supplements
• Colon cleansing
• Chiropractic manipulation

Studies show that fibromyalgia symptoms tend to fluctuate over time and weather changes. There are indications that the symptoms in many sufferers lessen over time. Many people are finding that even mild exercise is helpful both for pain relief and for reducing sleeplessness, two of the most common complaints of fibromyalgia sufferers. Some theories suggest that the occurrence of some symptoms bring about the disease. Some argue that the disease brings on the symptoms. No one as yet has mentioned a cure.