Let Food Be Thy Medicine~ Hippocrates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers Free Classes in Nutrition,

USA- Heart Disease kills 652,486 people Cancer 553,888, & 225,000 die in unnecessary surgeries, hospital infections, or adverse drug effects. (Source: Food Matters) 


In 2010 still a vast majority of medical schools were not meeting the 25 hr of nutritional training for medical students....(Academic Medicine: Sept 2010 - Vol 85 - Iss 9 - pp 1537-1542)

UNC @Chapel Hill has been attempting to remedy the dearth in nutrition instruction by offering free classes to med students. But anyone can take them. I just signed up. :)

Our omega-6 rich diet and simple carb/high fructose corn syrup/sugar ways are killing us. Creating inflammation in our arteries. The answer? Whole grains, unprocessed, back to basics. Olive oil, butter from grass fed bovines. Less toxins/pesticides/herbicide/fungicide sprayed produce, no meat pumped full of antibiotics or fed with GMO corn or animal byproducts. Animals that eat what they were designed to eat and move like they were designed to move....

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease ~Dr. Dwight Lundell >

"We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.

The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated -- it is quite simply your body's natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well, smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods. 

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.

How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?

Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.

When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.

What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.

While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator -- inflammation in their arteries.

Let's get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6's are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell -- they must be in the correct balance with omega-3's.

If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.

Today's mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That's a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today's food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.

To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer's disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.

One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.

Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the "science" that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.

The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet."

Organic food costs more.

It's also worth more in fewer pesticides and contaminants and increased nutrients (this includes animal products- those not pumped with antibiotics, nor eating what they weren't meant to be (animal byproducts), & able to move around as designed).

As far as long term investment for our land, water, and air- organic has great value.

My family lives on a tight budget, and in the meantime, without access to a quality farmers market of affordable produce (like where we used to live), we turn to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for help. 

The EWG publishes the Shopper's Guide to Produce. They came up with the Dirty Dozen list of the most contaminated produce after analyzing 50,000 tests of pesticides on produce conducted by the USDA between 2000 and 2005. They keep this list updated after new analysis. They also remind us that we should not avoid eating vegetables all together due to pesticide issues.

Items on the Dirty Dozen list are to buy organic

1.APPLES yielded the highest rates of pesticide. (If you are not buying these organic- PEEL them and CORE them since pesticides gather at the stem and wick into the core).

2.CELERY A heavy feeder requiring a lot of water and food- it absorbs pesticides in the soil and water. The higher rates of pesticides are at the bottom of celery where they absorb water.

3.STRAWBERRIES-grown on the ground, they are subject to pesticides in the soil and absorb pesticides also through their stalks.

4.PEACHES- due to their susceptibility to insects and disease, peaches are routinely sprayed with fungicides and pesticides at various stages of development.

5.SPINACH- Subject to pesticides and fungicides in the ground and water system. They also uptake pesticides through their stalks.

6.NECTARINES-Thin skinned, anything used to treat them is absorbed.

7.GRAPES-Imported actually have higher rates than domestic since they are often treated with methyl bromide to guard against fruit fly infestation. Also, domestically they are treated with fungicides and pesticides.

8.SWEET BELL PEPPERS- Sprayed with pesticides throughout their growing season.

9.POTATOES- subject to treated soil and water contaminants. Many are waxed before being sold making it hard to remove residue.

10.BLUEBERRIES- Thin skinned, like other berries and fruits, they absorb what they are treated with.

11.LETTUCE- sprayed with fungicides since they are susceptible to fungus due to poor air circulation & excess moisture. Also a heavy feeder, they are subject to pesticides in the water and soil.

12.KALE/COLLARD GREENS- Subject to pesticides and fungicides in the soil and water.

In our area, surprisingly Costco carries the largest selection at the best price of organic produce. We also have Sunflower Market, and the Good Earth stores. It would be great to start seeing organic produce show up at the local farmer's market.

SOURCES: Environmental Working Group web site, accessed 4/16/2012
Hollender, Jeffrey & Alexander Zissu, Planet Home, NY: Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, 2010.

HOMEMADE LESS TOXIC HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS

Air Freshener

Squeeze lemon onto a small cup of baking soda, or add a few drops essential oil to baking soda

You can also add a few drops to the side of your toilet paper roll so when you pull it, it releases the fragrance. Be careful not to douse w/something like peppermint oil or you will get a zing!

Glass & General Purpose Cleaner

1 part white vinegar  + 1 part water  + few drops essential oils

Tub Shower Scrub

1 part Dawn dishsoap + 1 part hot/microwaved vinegar

Oven Cleaner

Before going to bed- Mix  1/2 cup to 3/4 C baking soda, a few TBSP vinegar, good squirt or two of dish soap. Stir. Apply w/a damp rag to the bottom, sides & inside the over door. Close it up & Leave overnight. Scrub out in the morning with a hot, wet rag.

Microwave Cleaner

Heat bowl of 1 part vinegar + 1 Part water in microwave until evaporates & soaks gunk good, open & wipe down

Drain Cleaner (For metal pipes)

Pour 3/4-1 cup baking soda in drain.

Then pour 1/2 cup vinegar in drain, immediately cover

Let work for abt 30 min

Remove cover & run HOT water run thru pipes for abt 2-3 min

Drain Freshener

Mix 1/2 cup baking soda w/ 1/4 cup table salt

Pour down drain

Follow w/ 1 cup heated vinegar down drain (it will foam)

Let it sit for 15 minutes, then run Hot water for 1 min

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

3/4 cup baking soda (or as ½ C baking soda, ¼ C borax)

1/2 cup water1/2 tsp castile soap scented or add  few drops tea tree oil
Combine, mix gently or you will get bubbles.



Carpet Spot Cleaner (Test for carpet discoloration first)
Combine 1 TBSP w/ 3TBSP vinegar
Add 2 C Water
Spray on carpet, let stand for 5 min
Scrub stain w/damp rug
Let Dry and Vacuum

Laundry Stain Treatment (Test on material for discoloration first)

1 part Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (I've used a generic brand w/ great results)
2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide
Mix together & pour directly on the stain

LAUNDRY

Whitening - Add ½ C Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, or Hydrogen Peroxide to wash cycle w/ your detergent

Deodorizing- Add Baking soda, or Vinegar to Wash Cycle

Hard Water- Add ½ Cup White Vinegar to Rinse Cyle to help w/hard water problems

Laundry Detergent

Dry Detergent- Store in airtight container, add 2 TBSP/load

Grate Fels-Naptha laundry soap, Add1/2 C Borax, ½ C Washing Soda

Liquid Detergent- shake before use, 1 C/load

Grate Fels-Naptha laundry soap, dissolve on stove w/ 4 qt water, turn off heat, add 1C Borax + 1 C Washing Soda, put mix in 5 Gallon bucket, fill to top w/HOT water, cover & let sit overnight, in morning stir until gelatinous stuff mixed in, pour ½ into another 5 gallon bucket, fill both buckets to top with hot water, stir, fill your containers.

Fabric Softener

6 C warm water
3 C white vinegar
2 C hair conditioner - pick a scent you like

Measure out as you would w/ store bought fabric softener.

Alternative Fabric Softener

4 cups hot water

2 cups white distilled vinegar

2 cups baking soda

10 drops essential oil of your choice

Mix & use as you would store bought.

Household Cleaner and the pH Scale

Acidic or Alkaline cleaners on the far end have to be used with caution- well ventilated area, gloves, and protective eye wear.

Surprised to see that vinegar has such a low pH? That's why Apple Cider vinegar, which is even more acidic than distilled white, is a home remedy to treat warts.

Source: Hollender, Jeffrey and Alexandra Zissu, Planet Home, NY: Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, 2010.

10 Gallons Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I have reviewed several homemade laundry detergents. Both dry and liquid. I prefer liquid mainly because sometime the dry ingredients don't dissolve as well.
I can see how people prefer the ease of making and storing the dry. But I didn't find either of those things a hassle.

Majority of the homemade laundry detergent recipes- dry and liquid- used Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap, Borax, and Washing Soda (not to be confused with Baking Soda).

I am a believer in the utility of Borax, but also know for those with sensitive skin it can be an irritant. (And it is toxic in it's dry form- you have to be careful not to inhale the dust when using this around the home).

Instead of using it in this whole batch of laundry detergent, I decided to make a homemade stain remover/ oxy-cleaner to pre-treat whites. (I'll post that later.)
So instead of Borax, I increased my Washing Soda and included 1/3 cup of salt (I dug this recipe up online).

Fels-Naptha also does wonders to get things clean and stain free- but again can be an irritant with those with sensitive skin.

That being the case I decided to use a Eucalyptus bar soap my Grandma Nathele gave me for Christmas. Some people say that certain bar soaps (which I store as part of my ongoing 2 year supply of emergency prep) are better, since those with moisturiser may not do as good of a job with getting clothes clean. But I am a fan of use what you have.

What I Used:

Eucalyptus bar soap- grated OR FELS-NAPTHA for a superKICK!

1 Cup Washing Soda

1/3 Cup Salt OR 1 CUP BORAX for a superKICK!

Hot Water
Grater, Pot to boil down soap flakes, 5 Gallon Bucket, Empty plastic storage tub, funnel, empty plastic jugs, stirrers (big slotted spoon and twisted off broom handle)

Fels-Naptha was 5.5 oz, my bar was 7 oz.

Grating my bar over a plastic bag. I read after the fact if you heat the bar in the microwave until it's soft like cheese it grates easier & faster.

The aftermath.

Grated only what I thought was 5.5 oz.

In my camp pot I added the flakes to a quart of water and continuously stirred on medium heat until all the flakes were dissolved.

Once dissolved I poured it in a 5 Gallon bucket (fr Home Depot for $3, lid for $1.50). Then added 1 Cup Washing Soda (about $3, obviously this will last and last since we just use a cup), & 1/3 Cup Salt (about $1).

I filled the bucket half way up with HOT tap water (over a rug since it does splash a bit).

Then I filled the bucket up the rest of the way with HOT water. I stirred it with my dollar store broom stick.

Then I covered the bucket and let it sit overnight.

In the morning it was a gelatinous mass. Like runny jello.

I poured this into my larger tub and stirred it with a slotted spoon until all the globs were liquid.

Then I added another 5 gallons of Hot Water, and mixed thoroughly.

After the liquid was consistent, I used a funnel to fill my jugs.

I have a lot of saved jugs for projects like these.

1309 oz!!!  1 CUP/Load- based on how dirty/clean...The end!

So, normally I use about 9 bottles of 32 oz, or 288 oz, of laundry detergent a year, . I prefer the above blue bottle I get at the dollar store because it is mild scented & the surfactants are biodegradable.

I have tried the clear versions- you can see the Sun bottle and the Arm&Hammer behind that. But they aren't particularly better and about $3 each. So for a year of laundry for two people, soap costs me $9- $13.

Homemade the cost is about a fourth of that.

Plus you feel super awesome.

Also, I use hot water for my whites (which being LDS I have a lot of), otherwise, since I don't have little kids we stick to mostly cold water. And I live in a 4 season area- but I have a line in my kitchen and a clothes horse for drying. I used my dryer twice this past year since my daughter needed something in a hurry for her recital. But since I pay to heat the apartment, the heat dries my clothes on the line & clothes horse.

Again. Awesome. For my wallet and the environment.