The 5 Best Tasting Organic Food Products: A Kids Perspective

My children and I were fortunate to attend the 12th Annual San Francisco Green Festival several weeks ago and although I planned to write this review soon after, life with kids got ahead of me!  At the event, I set a task for both my kids, to choose 5-10 things they would consider buying after the festival.  With pen and paper in hand, my 8 year old son and 12 year old daughter were off on their mission. I really wanted to show my kids how a community comes together to support local and national green businesses and they were enthusiastic to learn about and try new products.  We brought 3 canned goods to trade in for free admission to the festival. My son really enjoyed getting a Henna Blessing Design and my daughter loved buying a dress from Lobos Del Mar which is a hand loomed home-crafted Organic fair-trade clothing company (see below for photos).

Here are the top 5 food products that made it on my son and daughters lists:

1.  RAAW Pure Juice Blends: Strawberry Purple Carrot (Gluten Free, Vegan, Kosher, Non-GMO verified) http://raawfoods.com/

2.  COCO-ROONS: Brownie and Lemon Pie (Raw, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Glycemic) http://mycocoroons.com/

3.  Vegan Gourmet Shreds (Dairy Free, Non-GMO verified, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Soy Free, Cholesterol Free, Kosher) 

http://followyourheart.com/vegangourmetshreds/

4.  Mama Chia (USDA Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan)

 http://www.mammachia.com/

5.  Organic Millet and Brown Rice Ramen (USDA Organic, Kosher, Non-GMO  Verified) http://www.lotusfoods.com

Caleb getting his Henna design

Kyra's favorite Mamma Chia

Kyra's Lobos Del Mar dress

Coco-Roons- We were at this table
for a while...lots of samples=)

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Daily Juicing: The Key to Nutritional Absorption

If you are reading this it is likely you have at some point in your life been intrigued by juicing.  I mean the idea of throwing a bunch of vegetables and fruits into a juicer and getting a cup of pure nutrient based juice is very appealing to those interested in supporting healthy cellular functioning.

Well, I started to juice about a year ago.  I was pretty good with it for a few weeks then stopped.  I recently met a few friends who juice everyday.  They look younger, they feel awesome, and they have TONS of energy. This alone was enough reason to bring the juicer back for round 2.

I did some research, and found that.....

"The use of high hydrostatic pressure in food processing is of great interest because of its ability to inactivate food borne micro-organisms and enzymes, at low temperature, without the need for chemical preservatives. Pressure-treated foods have sensory properties similar to fresh products, which is a major advantage in juice processing as it matches consumer demand for healthy, nutritious and “natural” products."

I also found that juicing is thought to be better than eating whole fruits because the body absorbs the nutrients better. However, to make sure you are getting the fiber provided when you consume whole fruits and vegetables, you need to make sure there is some pulp in the juice. 

Although juicing does not seem to be a 'better' alternative to eating whole fruits and vegetables it does seem to complement a healthy lifestyle and can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight. This, along with the energy my juicing friends bring to the table is enough for me to keep the juicer out as a permanent fixture in my home.

Click here for some starter recipes

Happy Juicing Everyone!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107

Deliza, R., et al. "Application of high pressure technology in the fruit juice processing: benefits perceived by consumers." Journal of Food Engineering67.1 (2005): 241-246.
Calbom, Cherie, and Maureen Keane. Juicing for life. B. Jain Publishers (P) Limited, 2004.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/13/benefits-of-juicing.aspx

Whey Protein is WHEY Better than Soy

If you have ever considered losing a few pounds while gaining lean muscle mass than you are likely familiar with the old debate of Soy vs. Whey protein.  Personally I have used Whey protein to lose a few pounds and I have found it to be easily digestible and tastes great.  I have heard many things about Soy protein including that it triggers an increase in estrogen.  So, I wanted to find out which protein is better.

Studies have clearly shown that Whey protein is the better choice for increasing quality protein intake.  Research groups suggest that the high amino acid content of whey protein supports an optimal rate of protein buildup.

What’s even more interesting is that a 12-week study conducted on two groups of individuals to test the effectiveness of whey protein on weight loss. Showed that groups that incorporated whey protein into their diet had less body fat and better preservation of muscle mass.

So, if you are looking for a protein high in biological value and a high fat loss capability, then Whey protein is the ‘Whey’ to go!

Soy vs. Whey Protein

Variable/Criteria	Soy Protein	Whey Protein	Better Protein
Biological Value (BV)	74	104	Whey Protein
Net Protein Utilization (NPU)	61	92	Whey Protein
Protein Efficiency Ration (PER)	2.2	3.2	Whey Protein
Amino Acid Score (AAS)	0.99	1.14	Whey Protein
Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)	1.00	1.00
Protein Digestibility Percentage (PD%)	95%	99%	Whey Protein
Glutamine per 100g of Protein	10.5g	4.9g	Soy Protein
mg EAA per g of Protein	378mg	480mg	Whey Protein
Arginine per 100g of Protein	7.6g	2.9g	Soy

References:

http://www.mytopform.com/whey-protein-vs-soy-protein

http://www.livestrong.com/article/240170-soy-protein-vs-whey-protein-for-weight-loss/#ixzz2AN8Iagg8

To purchase or learn more about Whey protein click here http://lisaehle.isagenix.com/us/en/isaleanshake_new.dhtml

You Are What You HEAT

We have all done it….you know the drill, place a food item in the microwave, press start, and then run for cover behind the wall to prevent the radiation from reaching you. But, do we REALLY need to duck and cover while heating our meals in the microwave? And if we find ourselves intuitively concerned about the effects radiation may have on our bodies, shouldn’t we be just as concerned about what radiation may do to the food we eat?

I’ve done some research and found that when you microwave food it denatures the natural make-up of the food by stripping vitamins, minerals, and proteins from your meal.  What is left is radiolytic compounds that have been proven to seriously compromise the make-up of our blood. Exposure to microwave emissions have also been proven to negatively effect the human body.  Did you know that microwaves were banned in Russia in 1976 after a study confirmed that they cause negative health outcomes?

I’m going to trust my intuition and the conclusions of Swiss, Russian, and German scientific clinical studies to start limiting the use of my microwave.  Science doesn’t lie!!

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven.<http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm>  

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term, permanent brain damage by “shorting out” electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].  

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.  

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.  

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.  

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.  

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.  

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.  

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.  

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.  

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.  

Chlorine Flavored Chicken, Any Takers?

Have you ever opened a package of chicken and became overpowered by the smell of chlorine/bleach? Then you diligently wash every piece of chicken before cooking it only to find out after your first bite that the chicken tastes like chlorine? Well this has happened to me several times and I am seriously contemplating ever eating chicken again.  I started to research this and found out that all commercial poultry processing plants use chlorine in their wash water to prevent and kill E. coli and Salmonella.

After being de-feathered and eviscerated, 80-percent of American poultry takes a chlorine bath.  Europe doesn't support the usage of chlorine on commercial poultry and has banned American poultry since 1997.  Russia banned chickens from countries using chlorine in poultry processing beginning Jan. 1 2010.  However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends the use of hypochlorus (i.e. active chlorine) solutions as an effective antimicrobial.

Chlorine is a carcinogen and is one of the three chemicals that form the cancer nucleus. The concern around using chlorine in our food supply is well founded. When chlorine is added to our water, it combines with other natural compounds to form Trihalomethanes (chlorination byproducts), or THMs. These chlorine byproducts trigger the production of free radicals in the body, causing cell damage, and are highly carcinogenic. Although concentrations of these carcinogens are low, it is precisely these low levels that cancer scientists believe are responsible for the majority of human cancers in the United States. The Environmental Defense Fund has stated that chlorine is a pesticide, with the sole purpose of killing living organisms. When we consume water or food products containing chlorine, it kills some part of us, destroying cells and tissue inside our body.

Breast cancer, which now affects one in every eight women in North America, has recently been linked to the accumulation of chlorine compounds in the breast tissue. A study carried out in Hartford Connecticut, found that women with breast cancer have 50% to 60% higher levels of organochlorines (chlorination byproducts) in their breast tissue than women without breast cancer.


Lesson learned, unless you grow your own chickens and butcher them yourself, you will likely be susceptible to ingesting chlorine. Becoming a vegetarian is looking more likely after learning about this.

Nutritional Cleansing: Whole Body Recovery

Say goodbye to the old way of cleansing- Say hello to nutritional cleansing.  The benefits of nutritional cleansing not only includes getting rid of harmful toxins to allow for better nutritional absorption, but also comes armed with essential amino acids crucial to adequate nutrition intake. This is a one-stop-shopping cleanse program that allows the whole body to release unwanted toxins and to recover to its natural state through vitamin absorption. I have never felt so good after completing the 9-day cleanse using Isagenix.  I lost 8lbs, quit my caffeine addiction, and never felt so focused.  I believe cleansing is very important for our bodies to take a break from all the environmental toxins and to regain our natural balance.  Do you know why people yo yo after dieting?  It’s because toxins cause our bodies to hold onto weight.  If your body isn’t “prepared” for weight loss than the weight will come right back.  Seven pounds is the average weight loss for people using the Cleanse and Fat Burning system for nine days. Nutritional Cleansing increases the health benefits by achieving these two things:

•   Accelerate the removal of impurities from the body.

•   Nourish the body with vital nutrients to rapidly revive health.

A cleansed and revitalized body is stronger, resists illness better, is more efficient and performs at a higher level than one that is filled with impurities. Many people notice an ability to reach and maintain their ideal weight.  The most wonderful thing about Isagenix is that they provide you with a cleanse coach free of charge!  This helped me stay focused and motivated.  This is a no joke company with a mission of improving the health of anyone interested in living a better life.

To learn more about Isagenix please click on the link below.  If you are interested in starting your Nutritional Cleansing system please contact me by clicking on the "Contact Me" section of the website.  I can fill you in about my awesome experience and set you up with a cleanse coach to chat with you before you purchase anything so that your goals are fully understood and that you know EVERYTHING about the products.  I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

To purchase or learn more about nutritional cleansing through Isagenix's 'Cleanse for Life' click here.

Kick the Can - Natural Health

Kick the Can - Natural Health

A new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has found that a group of volunteers who consumed a serving of canned soup each day for five days had a more than 1,000% increase in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations compared with when the same individuals consumed fresh soup daily for five days. The study is one of the first to quantify BPA levels in humans after ingestion of canned foods. The findings were published in the November 23, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

“Previous studies have linked elevated BPA levels with adverse health effects. The next step was to figure out how people are getting exposed to BPA. We’ve known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use,” said Jenny Carwile, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH and lead author of the study.

Exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical BPA, used in the lining of metal food and beverage cans, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity in humans. In addition to the lining of food and beverage cans, BPA is also found in polycarbonate bottles (identified by the recycling number 7) and dentistry composites and sealants.

Reduce your exposure to BPA by eschewing canned food and soda in favor of fresh, organic meals. Buy staples like tomatoes for pasta sauce in glass jars or Tetra Paks, which are cartons made of paper, polyethylene and aluminum foil (the aluminum does not come into contact with the food). In addition, Eden Foods brand beans come in cans labeled "BPA Free."