Archive for the ‘Health Tips’ Category

Consumer Reports Sounds the Alarm!
 

Consumer Reports, one of the most trusted guides for buying reputable products, has found heavy metals in protein supplements and is warning you to use caution.

 

Officials for consumers says it purchased 15 protein powders and drinks mainly in the New York metro area or online and tested multiple samples of each for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.

 

The results were very disturbing, considering how many people consume these highly processed food products and how MUCH they consume per day.

 

The results showed a considerable range, but levels in three products were of particular concern because they exceeded the daily exposure limits proposed by USP  for  arsenic, cadmium or lead. This is if you assume 3 servings per day which is the average for most consumers. Some eat more some eat less. For many products, levels of those contaminants were in the ‘low to moderate range’.

Personally I would not find even “low to moderate” exposure acceptable considering how many other toxic products we find in our environment. We have enough health considerations just dealing with life without wondering about a product we specifically consume for health or fitness!

Cadmium exposure is particularly scary because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys, the same organs that can be damaged by excessive protein consumption. It can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today. 

 

Imagine what will happen to the large group of teenagers and twenty somethings wanting to ‘bulk up’ today.  They are the ones who eat a LOT of these products and who may be in for a very unpleasant surprise some time from now.

 
”This (Cadmium) is a highly toxic metal, and while there are some cases where decisions have to be weighed against relative risks, accepting that you have to be exposed to any cadmium at all in your protein drink after your workout is definitely not one of them.” says Michael Harbut, M.D., director of the Environmental Cancer Initiative at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Royal Oak, Mich.

Even some plant sources can contain cadmium by the way.  This is because of the heavy use of cadmium-containing phosphate fertilizers in commercial farming. Potatoes, rice, sunflower seeds, spinach, and other leafy greens are suceptable to this but of course this is not a problem IF you are eating organic.

Below is the average finding for three serving of the protein drinks.

You can see that Muscle Milk and EAS were the most toxic brands while the whey products faired better than the rest generally. This is just a small sampling of products.  The protein powder you buy from the store may be better but it may be worse.

You can read the complete findings (5 pages) at consumer reports.

Why Bother? 

Many health experts argue that very few people need to be eating high quantities of protein to begin with, and consumer report points out  there are many protein sources from the grocery store which can supply all the protein you need that are NOT toxic.

Protein is essential in the body for our muscles obviously but also for most cell functions since it makes up enzymes, hormones and even DNA.  Most protein is recycled though, so unless you are growing rapidly or are breaking down the body a lot with extreme physical exertion,  there is not the need for a LOT of new protein. Very few people in North America are protein deficient.

 
At Real Food for Life, we like to remind everyone that you can get all your protein requirements from whole real food. Every single whole plant food has protein.

Beans, grains, seeds and sprouts have high levels of proteins but even fruits like oranges, banana,  and even watermelon have complete protein. You just have to eat more of those foods which have lower levels.  In North America, most people are generally eating a LOT of food.   If that food was whole, there is an abundance of ALL NUTRIENTS.

Copyright © Randy Fritz You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page ww.RealFoodforLife.com  or the direct link to this post.

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What is YOUR favorite berry? 

Mine certainly is the Saskatoon and I go out picking them as soon as they are ripe. I freeze lots of them to last the whole winter.  If you cannot pick them; you will often find them in farmer's markets. 

When we were children my father would load all of us into his pickup truck with buckets for all and we would go out saskatoon hunting. We would always come back with many full tummies and buckets. Back then my mother would perserve dozens of jars of them for us to eat in the winter. Now I freeze them which is easier and more nutritious. Still I fondly remember those delicious jars of saskatoons my mother made for us; so delicious.

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Randy Does It Again

I have had various experiences with the wild plants in my yard and garden. Some of them are pleasant experiences, and some of them are not.  This story falls into the second category.

During our recent set of interviews with Health Tribe Forum, Diana was talking with Stephen Buhner, a world plant expert. He explained that THISTLES are actually quite good for your health. He also explained in the same breath, that Chickweed (or Lamb’s Quarters) is just wild spinach. 

 It happens that Chickweed and Canada thistle are some of the healthiest plants in my garden.  I like eating chick weed so was very interested in the thistle idea. I was intensely curious whether you could actually take away the prickles. I couldn’t imagine how this could happen.  Visions of millions of happy Canadians feasting on enormous salad bowls of this prickly plant filled my mind.  I wanted to ask about Canada Thistle in particular but didn’t want to interrupt. Perhaps I should have.

I had also heard that you can either cook or blend thistles.  Blending is easier so that is what I tried. I pulled out several young plants (because that is what you are supposed to do) and just threw them in water and blended.

Amazing – the prickles were gone.  I could not feel them with my fingers in the blender or the few cautious drops in my mouth.

But the SMELL! It started drifting up even when I first started blending and got even stronger as I went along. Imagine blending up someone else’s smelly socks knowing you were going to eat the mixture! How does your body feel as you imagine this?  This is how my body feels several hours after I tried this.

The taste was not AS bad. It didn’t have a lot of taste to begin with but the aftertaste closely resembles the smell. BAD!  I did not throw up but was well on my way!

OK so I’ve learned I can’t eat Canada thistle like this.  But what was Stephen talking about? I will certainly ask him and do some research but perhaps you, as a member of the Health Tribe Forum or Real Food for Life, can help me?  Please leave your comments below. (You can even comment on how dumb I have been.)

This is what the Health Tribe Forum is all about. – combining our own direct experience and inner intelligence with the knowledge gleaned by mankind over the ages and combining it with modern scientific understanding.

Questions that come up in my mind:

• Does my reaction mean Canada thistle is not good for me, ever?
• Would cooking or blending with something else balance this effect?  Maybe if the thistles were fried in butter and onions and a dash of salt!
  
• Is there some particular compound in Canada thistle which causes this kind of reaction?

What do you think?

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I am quite fastidious about the way beans are cooked as I do not like experiencing the common thing we all associate beans with GAS!  So here is what I do.

Cooking Beans & Lentils

Ingredients:
Dried beans or lentils
Water

Directions:
  1.  Wash beans in cold water and soak overnight in three times the volume of water.
 2.  Next day, pour off the water.
 3.  Place beans in a pot and cover with water 1 inch above the level of the beans.
 4.  Bring to a boil.
 5.  Let simmer with lid ajar.
 6.  Skim off the foam.
 7.  Add more water if necessary, as the beans should always be covered with water while cooking.
 8.  Cooking time will vary according to the type, size, and age of the bean.
 9.  Most beans will need approximately 2 hours cooking time.
10.  Beans should be soft.  This is the stage that you can salt and other seasonings.  Do not add salt while cooking as above.

Adzuki Vegetable Bean Stew

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 sticks of celery, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 – 5 garlic cloves, minced
1- 2 inches of fresh ginger, chopped
1 1/2 cups adzuki beans 
3 pieces of Wakame Seaweed, rinsed and broken into pieces
2 – 6 tbsp. Tamari
Few drops of stevia (optional)

Directions:
1.    Cook adzuki beans for 1 – 2 hours (time is dependant on the age of the beans) according to recipe titled ‘How to COOK BEANS’ above.
2.    When beans are soft, add Wakame and cook for another few minutes.
3.    Then add onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, ginger and garlic.
4.    Simmer for ½ hour or till vegetables are tender.
5.    Add Tamari to taste and a few drops of stevia.
6.    Serve with a whole grain. 

Check out the Nutrition Facts on a Serving Size 1/4 cup (48g) of Adzuki beans!

Calories 160                  Protein 11g
Total Fat 0.5g               Potassium 600mg
Dietary Fiber 6g            Sugars 0g
Total Carbohydrate 29g

For Vegan Chili recipe:  http://realfoodforlife.com/veganchili/

Copyright © Diana Herrington  You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.com  or the direct link to this post.

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