Monthly Archives: January 2022

Carrageenan Causing Serious Health Problems

by Miraadditives, ingredients, labelingcarrageenan, recipes

Is it the carrageenan from seaweed?

Have you ever had gut health issues after you've eaten something? You know what I'm talking about, you eat a meal, and then after you eat, suddenly your belly starts to blow up or your gut starts to roil and it doesn't feel good. Maybe you start getting constipation or diarrhea. A lot of people may think that it's due specifically to foods that they're eating. However, it's not just what you eat, it's what's in what you eat. Carrageenan is found in a lot of foods.

As a matter of fact, it appears in virtually every aisle of the grocery store. You can find it in lunchmeat, dairy products, beverages, ice cream, supplements, and more. When you're looking for it on the label, you will often most usually see it listed as carageenan. But sometimes it's listed as sea vegetable extract. You need to aware of that when you’re reading the labels.

Problems with carrageenan

As a food additive it can affect your gut because it pulls a lot of water into the intestines. This means if you're dehydrated, or if you're not drinking extra water to make up for that, you can potentially have gut health issues. It's tied to gastrointestinal inflammation and has even been shown to have a link to colon cancer.

There are a number of studies out there showing the challenges of consuming carrageenan. One stated that all of the different isomers all the different structures of carageenan were found to induce colitis. And then carageenan-induced colitis was also found to be correlated to changes in the composition of our microbiome, the bacteria that live in our gut. The challenge is that we need a healthy gut in order for us to be healthy. So if we're eating things that are changing our microbiome, that is going to have a downstream impact a long term effect on our health. We definitely don't want to do that. This particular study found that the results corroborated previous studies that showed that there are harmful gastrointestinal effects from consuming carageenan.

The FDA continues to list carrageenan [kar-uh-gee-nuh n] as a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) food additive despite decades of scientific studies proving that it causes gut inflammation, intestinal lesions, ulcerations and even malignant tumors. Many individuals who experience belly bloating, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease notice a dramatic improvement in their symptoms after removing carrageenan from their diet. Continued consumption of carrageenan can cause chronic inflammation which is the root-cause of all chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even cancer.

A study done in 2012 by the University of Illinois at Chicago proved that the consumption of carrageenan contributes to diabetes as it impairs glucose tolerance and increases insulin resistance.

What is carrageenan?

The food industry extracts carrageenan from red seaweed using an ionic salt of alkali metals that washes out everything that will dissolve in water leaving behind the carrageenan and other insoluble matter like cellulose. This form is called “food-grade” or “undegraded” carrageenan. When processed with acid, carrageenan is degraded to a low molecular weight. This “degraded” carrageenan is not allowed to be used as a food additive due to its known harmful effects, but because it works so well at causing inflammation, scientists for drug companies often use it to induce inflammation in lab animals to test their anti-inflammatory drugs. The problem here is that when “undegraded” carrageenan hits our stomach acid, scientists are concerned that it may become degraded, exposing us to the toxic form of carrageenan.

Why is carrageenan in our food?

The food industry uses carrageenan as a thickener in non-fat and low-fat foods, as a stabilizer in beverages that naturally separate, as a binder in low-sodium and low-fat deli meat and to improve tenderness and maintain juiciness in pre-cooked poultry. It’s found in many processed foods, even in organic food! Below are examples of products and a few brand names commonly containing carrageenan. For a more extensive list of brand names with and without carrageenan, see The Cornucopia Institute’s Shopping Guide to Avoiding Foods with Carrageenan.

Products Commonly Containing Carrageenan
Dairy Products	Non-Dairy Products	Processed Foods	Infant Formulas
Chocolate milk Cottage cheese Cream Eggnog Ice cream Frozen desserts Shelf-stable milk box Sour cream Yogurt	Almond milk Coconut milk Soy milk Rice milk Soy cheese Coconut water Coffee creamer Coconut yogurt	Pizza Frozen turkey Can soups Deli meat Dips Juices Nutritional drinks Cereal bars Puddings Frozen foods Nutrition bars	Currently all ready-to-drink (liquid) infant formula, except Gerber Good Start, contains carrageenan. Avoid carrageenan in infant formula by buying organic powdered formula.

A Few Brand Names Containing Carrageenan
Meat & Fish Products	Ice-Cream & Frozen Desserts		Non-Dairy Products
Aidells - sausage and lunchmeat Aldi - Fit & Active turkey breast and ham, Lunch Mate smoked ham Butterball - chicken breast strips Columbus Naturals - oven roasted turkey Hormel - Natural Choice deli meats Kroger - raw chicken Oscar Meyer - Deli-Fresh Vita - herring in real sour cream	Ben and Jerry’s Blue Bell Creameries* Blue Bunny Breyer’s Chapman’s Ciao Bella Gelato Coldstone Creamery Dairy Queen Double Rainbow Sorbet Edy’s Friendly’s Hood Kemp’s	LaLoo’s goat milk ice cream Lopez Island Creamery Perry’s Publix Purple Door Ice Cream Sassy Cow Creamery Schwan’s Snickers Ice Cream Bars Tillamook Turkey Hill - premium flavors only	Almond Breeze Almond Dream Coconut Dream - coconut beverages Earth’s Own Almond Fresh - almond milk Engine 2 Plant-Strong - almond milk Pacific Foods Rice Dream Silk So Delicious Soy Dream Starbucks (soy milk, coconut milk and cream almost always contain carrageenan, varies by store)

* Blue Bell Creameries was shut down for significant Listeria poisoning and reopened in August 2015.

A majority of the above information came from the Carrageenan 2013 Report published by The Cornucopia Institute.

What can you do to avoid carrageenan?

Make your own ice cream and nut milk!

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipe from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 1 quart

Ingredients

3 egg yolks (organic and pasture raised)
1/2 cup maple syrup (organic)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (organic)
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (organic)
3 cups heavy cream (organic and raw, not pasteurized)

Instructions

Beat egg yolks and blend in remaining ingredients.
Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to instructions.
For ease of serving, transfer ice cream to a shallow container, cover and store in the freezer.

Homemade Almond Milk

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 45 cups

Ingredients

1 cup almonds (raw and organic, unpasteurized if possible - must come from outside the U.S. or from a local farmer who doesn’t sterilize them as all almonds produced in the U.S. are now required to be “sterilized”)
3 - 4 cups water (filtered or spring - no tap water!)
For a sweeter taste, add one of these options:
1 tsp honey (raw and organic)
½ tsp vanilla extract (organic) or 1 Madagascar vanilla bean (organic)

Instructions

Soak almonds for 8 - 12 hours in filtered water. Rinse and drain almonds thoroughly.
Blend almonds and 3 cups of water (and optional sweetener) in a blender on high for about 2 minutes until nuts are pulverized.
Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired. This step is optional, as the small particles remaining are just fine to consume… strain through a nut bag or cheesecloth to remove the small particles.

Don’t forget to listen in to my Mapping Carrageenan interview on The 15 Minute Matrix with Andrea Nakayama.

Cooking For Two

by Miragrocery, health, shopping guidesfreezer meals, meal planning, portion

When my husband and I were raising kids I cooked very large batches of food. After all, when you’ve got three hungry teens, plus their friends, you learn to make a lot in order to feed the hungry horde. Eventually, however, the kids grew up, they moved out, and then there was just the two of us. I discovered learning how to downshift cooking skills can be somewhat challenging. And it turns out I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Part of the difficulty is the lack of recipes for two. Usually, there’s a recipe you’d love to try, but it's for 4-6 servings. Or you need to buy groceries and succumb to the fact that the family packs are less expensive Realistically, however, when you are a family of two you simply cannot eat all that.

Unless you throw a neighborhood-wide dinner party, you’re looking at either an awful lot of leftovers (which can get boring if you’re not sure how to mix it up) or food goes bad and then you throw it out. Given the amount of food that’s wasted in this country anything that contributes to food waste is a shame. So here are a few quick tips on cooking for two.

Have a plan

While not always “fun”, planning is a good way to ensure you have the amount of food you need without wasting food, money, or energy. When you plan your meals ahead of time (and make a shopping list that shows portion sizes), you’ll be more on top of your grocery game.

Before you go to the grocery store, be sure to check your pantry, fridge and freezer. This helps you avoid buying extras of things you already have. It also helps you plan for what you already have on hand that can be incorporated into your meal plan. For example, if you’ve got some leftover chicken maybe it’s time to make a pot pie. Or if you have extra eggs, you may want to make a quiche or a frittata.

Talk to the butcher

Often when you buy the larger package, it has a lower cost. But that’s not always efficient or reasonable for a smaller size family. Fortunately, there is an option. If the roast, or some other portion is too big you can ask the people at the meat counter to cut it down for you. I’ve often used this tip to purchase post-Thanksgiving turkeys. I get them to cut it in half for me which is much easier for us to handle once we’re not hosting a crowd for the holidays. In my experience, many grocer stores are willing to do this.

If you are purchasing a large package of already cut-up meats, such as chicken parts, simply repackage it into smaller portions and freeze the extra for another meal. Or use the Fast Fun Freezer meal strategy and prep the extra portions to have a ready-to-cook meal in the freezer.

Making adjustments

Although many recipes are written for a larger number of servings, it’s fairly easy to adjust it for a smaller number. If it’s for six servings you can divide by three to get two servings. While it may not be easy to divide some recipes, especially baked goods, you can always plan ahead and freeze for future use.

Making a meal for six that is too difficult to scale to size can actually be a meal-prep strategy. Simply package up the extra into two-portion servings and freeze. That way you’ll have meals ready for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.

Freezing tips:

Make sure everything is cool before you freeze it. This is to avoid extra heat and moisture which can contribute to freezer burn. It is especially important for baked goods.
Use freezer-safe storage containers, I prefer glass or silicon. Make sure to fill the container full enough that there is no extra space. This also helps prevent freezer burn.
Label everything before you put it in the freezer. You may think you’ll know what it is. But when that lumpy, unclear container resurfaces months later you may be looking at a case of Mystery Meal Dinner Theater. Write down what it is, when you made it, and how many servings are in the container.
Most frozen dinners will thaw reasonably well if put into the fridge the night before you want to reheat and serve them.

Leftover creativity

Creative use of leftovers is one of the best ways to use what you’ve got, stretch your food budget, and reduce food fatigue

Leftovers can be a great way to have a delicious, money saving lunch
Have dinner for breakfast, nothing says breakfast has to come from a box, be a high carb meal, or always be eggs and bacon
Instead of putting individual leftovers in individual containers make your own “TV” dinner by packing a meal in a container and then freezing that
Consider becoming “leftover buddies” with a friend
Make a plan for sequential meals, ideas include:
- Cook a chicken and then use the leftover meat for pot pie, enchiladas, chicken salad, etc
- Cook a roast and use the leftover meat to make hash, tacos, or stew, etc
- Combine different leftovers to make soup (be mindful of seasoning and how well they will or won’t go together)

Review and re-evaluate

As you build your grocery list take time to look back at your last menu plan. What recipes worked? Which ones didn’t? Were there some you really liked or that need to be adjusted further? When you put time and effort into being mindful about your meal planning it becomes easier to downshift to a more comfortable strategy that will work for a smaller household.

Cooking for two doesn’t have to cost a lot and doesn’t need to be complicated. A little creativity, combined with some organization can help you continue to have delicious meals without worry about the number of portions or food waste.

2021 Healthy Readers Book Club Roundup

by Mirareviewsbook club

It's been another fascinating year in the Healthy Readers Book Club. There are so many wonderful books out there that cover the topics of health, wellness, the environment, and holistic living. In some ways it can feel overwhelming because there are just so many books out there. Taking the time, however, to simply read one book at a time, it's amazing how many you can get through. This is the third year that I've had the bookclub; I find myself astonished at how much I've learned by spending time in the group and reading together.

For those who aren't aware of the Healthy Readers Book Club, it's an annotated book club where we typically read 10 books per year. The annotation part is me spending time looking up studies, asking questions, finding other information about what the author is talking about and sharing it with everyone. This year real life interfered and we wound up reading only nine books. It was still an adventure and we covered a lot of territory.

I've decided to do a brief overview of what we read. I'm not going to give star ratings, or assign the books any order of important ranking. After all, my perception, and understanding, of what we've read may be different than yours. However, some of these books were truly amazing and I want to share them with even more people than those in the book club.

Note: All the books have Bookshop.org links. I prefer Bookshop to larger booksellers because it supports small, independent booksellers. While I did not buy all of the books through Bookshop I do always look there first. And just like with any of the other booksellers, if you purchase a book using my link I do, at no extra cost to you, make a small commission.

US Plastic Waste

1960 = 0.4%

2018 = 12.2%

Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash by Edward Humes

An enlightening look at just how much garbage we generate. Often without realizing it. This books was a fascinating dive into the history of garbage in America and the way we don't see all the trash we make. While modern sanitation practices are good from a hygienic point of view, if you don't work in or live near a garbage dump, they also serve to make our trash nearly invisible. And not all communities handle their trash the same as others.

Some difference in trash collection were highlighted when I talked with my friend and colleague, Erin Knight.

I've learned that attention to how much trash we generate is an ongoing issue and needs to regularly be revisited.

The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat, and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz

I learned a lot about the science behind fat and consumption of it. This is a very detailed, thoroughly researched look at how we got to the whole low-fat/no-fat/fake-fat dietary theory that was promoted for decades. The author spent nine years researching the book. It may be a bit heavy for some readers but is definitely fascinating and informative.

Because I started with the same premise as the author, we need fat and that meat, cheese, and butter, are part of a healthy diet, I didn't make any changes based on what I read. I did, however, learn a lot about how the whole industry was upended.

It is possible to think of the recommended low-fat, near-vegetarian diet of the past half-century as an uncontrolled experiment on the entire American population.

If you don't like the texture or flavor of something, change it.

Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate The Foods We Hate by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic

I'm fortunate in that I'm not a picky eater and none of my children were either. However I was amazed to learn how many people are and how challenging it can be to deal with in every day life. The author took us on her own person journey, including genetic analysis, visiting food labs, and interviewing feeding experts.

As with other health conditions, there can be complex reasons why people have picky palates. We often forget how we tend to perceive foods as simply being prepared one particular way. Especially if it’s a food that we think we don’t like.

One strategy the author shared was modifying the foods. By taking the time to find alternative ways to prepare foods we think we don’t like and give them new flavor profiles, or cooking them in a different way, or modifying the texture, we may actually find that we like them.

Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li

I've always known that I love being among the trees. There's something peaceful and wonderful about that setting. And the opportunity to hug trees or even just caress them is always a good thing. Dr. Li talks about the scientific benefits of being among the trees. However it's even possible to “forest bathe” in a park or other natural setting.

We need a connection with nature and, unfortunately, many of us are spending too much time indoors. It's not healthy for us from a mental, physical, and emotional point of view. This book encouraged me to start a nature notebook and be more mindful of the time I spend outdoors.

I also had the opportunity to interview two Certified Forest Therapy Guides and we had a great chat about spending time in nature

Do you have nature deficit disorder?

Five years ago, I stopped showering.

Clean: The New Science of Skin by James Hamblin

The book starts with a startling admission by the author that he stopped showering five years ago. We are then taken on a very wild ride though the science and commercialization of skin care, cleanliness and hygiene. Plus we learned a lot about our microbiome. Even though all the media push is on the gut microbiome we have a skin microbiome (we actually have different microbiomes for different areas/parts of us).

While I'm am advocate of reading the label and being aware of environmental toxins, I learned to rethink some of the commercial messaging around skin care that we've all been exposed to.

I also interviewed my friend, colleague, and skin care expert Rachael Pontillo to get her thoughts

Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook

Note: This book now has a third edition available: Tomatoland: From Harvest of Shame to Harvest of Hope. I have not read this third edition.

This was the hardest book I've read in the book club to date. The descriptions of modern slavery conditions and how tomatoes have come to be grown in Florida were quite disturbing. There was a lot of fascinating history about tomatoes themselves, but the manipulation required to grow them in a state with weather conditions that are not conducive to that type of produce was startling.

Once again I was struck by how tasteless and cardboard-like store-bought tomatoes are. There's a reason why fresh tomatoes are so mouthwateringly delicious. This reminded me of the quote by Lewis Grizzard, “It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”

And I'm determined to improve my ability to grow a larger crop of tomatoes in my home garden.

What's on your tomatoes?

Your child's lunch isn't healthful, fresh, or environmentally sound because it wasn't designed for children. It was designed for soldiers.

Combat Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat by Anastacia Marx de Salcedo

Easily the most startling book we read all year, this book shared astounding information about just how much our food purchases are influenced by the needs of the military. Food choices that are all around us and seem to ordinary and every day.

One mind-boggling example is when you stop to realize that the process of canning food for preservation has only been around since 1803. The idea of preserving food in glass was originally invented by a young French confectioner named Nicholas Appert who came up with the idea in response to Napoleon Bonaparte‘s offer of a prize for anyone who could figure out how to preserve food to take with the military on campaign.

Even protein bars, lunch meat, and more; these are military-inspired items we don’t necessarily think about that have become part of our everyday. It makes you look at the aisles of the grocery store very differently.

The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food by Ben Hewitt

This book was a heartfelt look at what is possible with food when we give the power for it's production back to the people that actually work the land. It was a thought-providing exploration of how food production has become so decentralized and how difficult it is for farmers to make a living.

It was also interesting to read how much farmers need to diversify and create cross-production models in order to have a viable farm. One interesting example in the book was a dairy farm that began to grow sunflowers in order to create biofuel for their equipment.

Although it focused primarily on one area of the country, Hardwick, Vermont, it's not difficult to see how this model could spread to other areas with focus on decentralized food production instead of the current model of global planning and production. However the book clearly pointed out that the farmers are only part of the equation. They need their consumer partners to support them in order for both parties to enjoy the benefits of the farm labors.

The problem is, we've got a seed industry that's basically encouraging bad farming.

Rodents are slaves to sweetness

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach

The funniest book we read all year, this book was both highly educational and immensely entertaining. It turns out there's a lot more going on inside us than we realize. Her efforts to put herself in the middle of the experiments and to actually experience many of these things as personally as possible is, quite frankly, more than a little mind-boggling. The discussions aren't limited to humans either, as she talks about dogs, cats, seabirds, cows, mice, etc. By the way, rodents aren't the only ones who are slaves to sugar, so are humans.

I have a particular way I annotate non-fiction books when I read them. You can see the video below. This book had more smilies than any book I've ever read before. If for nothing else than the laughs, this is definitely worth reading. This was my favorite book of the year.

The book for February is The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats

Did you ever think about where food comes from? How is it that in the everyday American grocery store we think nothing of eating locally grown kale but don’t realize it originally came from Croatia. Or mangoes from India? Or avocados from Chile? It turns out many of the foods we think of as regular options exist in America thanks to David Fairchild, a globe-trotting botanist who transformed the food culture in America.

Read along with us—join the Healthy Readers Book Club!

Buying The Best Slow Cooker For Your Kitchen

by Miracrockpot, Instant Potrecipe, slow cooker

History of The Slow Cooker

When it comes to kitchen convenience the crock-pot, or slow cooker, is one of the best things ever invented. That’s largely thanks to Irving Naxon who invented the slow cooking Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker in the 1960’s while trying to reproduce his grandmother's cholent stew.

Cholent is a traditional Jewish food, a stew, that’s made on Friday and set to slow cook for at a low heat until it it’s ready for dinner on Saturday night. This allowed Jews who were highly observant to avoid turning on an oven or stove as doing so would be a contradiction to the requirement to rest on the Sabbath. After Irving invented his slow cooking device The Rival Company wound up purchasing the rights to it in 1970. Technically not all slow cookers are crock pots. That brand name is supposed to identify that it’s a Rival product. All others are simply slow cookers. If you want to learn more there’s a great podcast episode on Nice Try! - The Crock Pot.

Benefits of Slow Cooking

All these decades later the concept of a simple circular or oval cooking pot with a heated element is a useful and popular way to cook all over the world. From simple high-low-off style cookers to multi-featured high-end models this device is great for making no-fuss one pot meals. You set it in the morning and by dinnertime you have a hot and delicious meal ready to go.

A slow cooker is incredibly useful for taking tougher, usually less expensive, cuts of meat and making them very tender. They’re also fabulous when it comes to cooking and shredding meat. Another wonderful benefit is the low energy usage. The device uses about the same amount of energy as an incandescent light bulb (remember those?) which is considerably less than turning on your oven. Plus, because the inner pot is usually removable, a slow cooker is incredibly easy to clean up. Note: I do not recommend using the disposable liners because these are made from plastic and not a good choice for food contact.

If you’re not sure how to use a slow cooker there are a lot of cookbooks that offer wonderful recipes. Check out any bookstore and you’ll find dozens. Chances are your local library has some you can borrow, and your neighborhood used book store may even have some as well.

Recipes

Here are a couple of great recipes that are super simple to throw together and let your slow-cooker do all the work. The first one is my version of a cholent which is inspired by Jamie Geller’s Healthy Chicken Cholent. The second is a Tex Mex Shredded Chicken that’s fabulous for making taco salads, burrito bowls, or just eating plain.

Chicken Cholent

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds baby potatoes, diced
2 pounds carrots, diced
2 - 2 1/2 pounds bone in chicken (I like a combination of breasts and thighs), skin removed
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dry parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 cups bone broth (*see recipe link below)

Instructions

Place potatoes and carrots in the bottom of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker
Arrange chicken on top
Salt and pepper chicken to your preference
Top with onion, garlic, spices, and chickpeas
Add bone broth
Cover and cook on low for 12 hours or high for 6 hours
Enjoy!

Notes

*Bone Broth

Tex-Mex Shredded Chicken

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (depends on how hot you like it)
4 cups of cooked black beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Place chicken in the bottom of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker
Add remaining ingredients except for limes and cilantro
Stir to combine all ingredients
Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high
30 minutes before you are done cooking remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks
Stir to combine shredded chicken well
Cover and cook 30 minutes more
Add lime juice and cilantro and stir well
Enjoy!

Evolution of the Slow Cooker

Although the original idea for a slow cooker started as a low temperature cooking solution for a one-pot meal, they’ve evolved considerably since then. In fact, we now have the Instant Pot which is a multi-function cooker. Now you can brown foods, sauté, boil soups or stews, steam and slow cook all in one device.

It’s possible to buy slow cookers in different sizes depending on what the needs are for your household. When we were raising our kids I had three crock-pots, two large ones and a small one that was great for breakfast casseroles, overnight oatmeal, for appetizers, or for desserts. Crockpots are fabulous for breakfast because the meal cooks while you’re sleeping and you wake up to a hot breakfast with very little effort.

Now that the kids are grown and out of the house I have my original crock-pot which is still going strong after 40 years. The lid has been replaced, but the original device continues to help me easily make delicious meals for my family. I’ve also got an Instant Pot at this point. Initially I resisted it thinking I had a crock pot and didn’t need one. But now that I have it I love the multi-function ability and find that I use both on a regular basis.

When it comes to picking the right device for your kitchen, take the time to think about what’s important to you. What size is you family? How often do you plan to use your slow cooker? What kind of meals or dishes will you make in it? By taking the time to research it you’ll find the best option for you. And who knows, you may even find it’s so convenient that you’ll need more than one.

The Health Risks Of Fluoride

by MiraUncategorizedfluoride

Fluoride is touted as this wonderful element that is great for our teeth, but have you ever wondered about the history of this halogen? In the early 1900’s a young dentist, Dr. McKay, began his practice in Colorado. He noticed that most the children had brown stains on their teeth. Through the years he and other dentists studied this condition. Dr. McKay spent 30 years working on this. Other areas in the US began to have this challenge also which included Idaho and Kentucky.

As with much discovery in science, as technology advances so does the ability of the scientist to discover more information. By 1931 photospectrographic analysis revealed that the water in these areas contained high levels of fluoride which had affected the teeth of the children. The condition has since been named fluorosis. It can change tooth enamel which can be slight spots, to brown staining, to pitting and all are permanent. It is most prevalent in children. One of the dentists that was studying this condition also found that these children had low rates of cavities.

Testing then began to be done on water to compare various levels. It was determined that fluoride levels up to 1.0 ppm in drinking water did not cause enamel fluorosis in most people. This is how fluoride began to be used to treat cavities.

Adding Fluoride to the Water Supply

With this newfound information, the head of the Dental Hygiene Unit at the NIH set out to determine how fluoride could be added to the water supply in “safe” amounts. What needs to be noted is that fluoride found naturally is in the calcium fluoride form. In dental products such as toothpaste and mouthwash, a pharmaceutical grade of fluoride is used, sodium-fluoride.

What is used to add fluoridation to our water supply is actually an untreated industrial waste product from the fertilizer industry. This can contain trace elements of arsenic and lead. This is a less expensive form to use but is it safe and effective to be added to our water supplies?

In 2011, the amount of fluoride to be added to water was reduced to 0.7 ppm because fluorosis has continued to be found in children. Now you may be thinking 0.7 ppm is such a small amount how can it affect my teeth? Well, it isn’t just from water and dental products that you may be ingesting fluoride.

Other Sources of Fluoride

Fluoride isn’t only added to our water and used in dental care products. It can be found in a number of foods we eat. Plus any item made with water may be a source of fluoride if the water source has not been filtered to remove it. The following items may also be a source of fluoride:

tea
coffee
grapes (this also means grape juice, raisins, and wine)
shellfish
sodas
popsicles
baby foods
broths, and stews

Another Source of Fluoride Can be Bottled Water!

Yes, your bottled water can contain fluoride. It's important to note that if you drink a lot of bottled water not only are you being exposed to BPA (from the plastic), chances are high that you are also consuming fluoride. That's because many bottled water companies actually pull their water from municipal sources which are heavily treated with fluoride.

Here is a source of bottled waters that contain fluoride.

The Cavity Connection

Does fluoride really help with cavity prevention? It is interesting to note that most countries do not fluoridate their water. The United States, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, and Brazil are some that do. Western Europe has rejected the process, yet the rate of tooth decay has declined there at the same rate as the US.

The other interesting statistic is that the rate of dental fluorosis has increased markedly in the past quarter century. Plus fluorosis is not the only concern when it comes to ingesting fluoride.

Fluoride may also become concentrated in the bones, altering the tissue structure, and weakening the skeleton. Fluoride ingestion can cause decreased activity of the free calcium, which is concentrated throughout the body in the teeth, bones, ligaments, aorta, skeletal muscles, and the brain. It has also been found to cross the blood-brain barrier. In fact, long-term fluoride exposure appears to decrease IQ in children.

Thyroid Health

Another area of concern is with the thyroid. A study published in Environment International suggests that there is emerging evidence that shows fluoride is an endocrine disrupter with the potential to disrupt the thyroid. This occurs because fluoride is a negative ion and easily displaces iodine in the body.

Fluoride inhibits iodine uptake, transport, and reabsorption. This is especially important when there is greater susceptibility, especially in infancy and childhood which can influence health outcomes into adulthood.

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can have serious implications on the health of the baby including the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, reduced IQ, and greater risk of ADHD and ASD. In adults, the loss of iodine bioavailability can lead to lower antioxidant capacity, reduced anti-inflammatory capacity, impaired immunity, and increased risk of cancer. All this emerging evidence that fluoride intake is associated with negative health outcomes suggests that continuing the policy of fluoridation of drinking water maybe contributing to the pathogenesis of neurodevelopment disorders, impaired immune responses, inflammatory diseases, and cancer.

Reducing Your Fluoride Exposure

With all these serious health conditions, it is important to be proactive in eliminating or at least limiting your fluoride exposure.

There are steps you can take to begin this process. The first step is probably the most important one – stop using fluoride-added products. To avoid fluoride, it is important to choose fluoride-free toothpaste and dental health products.

It is also recommended to filter all water that you cook with, drink, and bathe in. There are a number of filters that can remove fluoride from your water. These include whole house filters, which can be admittedly expensive or reverse osmosis under-sink filters, or specialty filters such as a Big Berkey with a fluoride filter. Because water is not the same in every community it's a good idea to choose a filter that's the correct one for your geo-individual location.

Watch this interview with Lara Adler in order to learn more about healthy water or purchase her e-course PURE: Finding The Best Filter, For The Purest Water

It’s also important to avoid using Teflon coated cookware as fluoride can leach from these pans into the food.

The next step is exercise. Exercise helps with overall detoxification especially with sweating. Options can include free-weight training, yoga, brisk walking, and etc. The best exercises are the ones you enjoy and can consistently do while working up a sweat.

As you know I am a big proponent of a healthy, whole food diet and this is also important for mitigating the effects of fluoride. Sticking to whole foods is important as they generally contain less fluoride because processed foods can be prepared with water containing fluoride. If you can choose organic all the better as there will be less pesticides and insecticides that may contain fluoride products. A key to fluoride detoxification is to maintain an alkaline state in your body. It can be helpful to limit acidic foods from your diet.

Real Food Support for Fluoride

There are specific nutrients that can be helpful in decreasing the effects of fluoride in the body. Let’s take a look at a few now:

Calcium is one of the biggest known substances in fighting fluoride. It can sometimes be recommended as one of the treatments of a fluoride overdose from household products such as hydrofluoric acid in rust remover. Food sources include seeds, cheese, yogurt, almonds, leafy greens, sardines, salmon, and any other fish where the bones are edible. Note: if you suspect a fluoride overdose call the Poison Control hotline right away for information and support - 1-800-222-1222
Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium. Food sources include wild salmon, herring, sardines, and grass fed/pasture-raised animal products.
Vitamin C is helpful to heal damage caused by fluoride. Food sources include peppers, parsley, kale, kiwis, broccoli, lemons, strawberries, and citrus fruits.
Selenium acts as a free-radical scavenger. This can provide a beneficial effect against fluoride toxicity by maintaining normal antioxidant status plus selenium can directly bind to fluoride. This decreases the high concentrations of fluoride, promotes urinary excretion of fluoride, and provides clinical recovery. Selenium-rich foods include brazil nuts, tuna steak, shrimp, sardines, salmon, cod, cremini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, and asparagus.

With the rates of dental fluorosis increasing since 1980, we need to take a good look at how much fluoride we are consuming. A very large international study has indicated that cavity incidence is lowest in cities with the lowest levels of water fluoride and with a calcium sufficient diet. This supports maintaining a diet rich in whole foods as they will be rich in antioxidants and nutrients to battle against the fluoride.

[expand title="Sources"]

Is Fluoridated Drinking Water Safe? Harvard Public Health Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/fluoridated-drinking-water/
Flora, Swaran. (2015). Preventing Fluoride Toxicity with Selenium. Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289520631_Preventing_Fluoride_Toxicity_with_Selenium
Reddy KP, Sailaja G, Krishnaiah C. Protective effects of selenium on fluoride induced alterations in certain enzymes in brain of mice. J Environ Biol. 2009 Sep;30(5 Suppl):859-64. PMID: 20143719.
Sauerheber R. Physiologic conditions affect toxicity of ingested industrial fluoride [published correction appears in J Environ Public Health. 2017;2017:4239182]. J Environ Public Health. 2013;2013:439490. doi:10.1155/2013/439490
Singh N, Verma KG, Verma P, Sidhu GK, Sachdeva S. A comparative study of fluoride ingestion levels, serum thyroid hormone & TSH level derangements, dental fluorosis status among school children from endemic and non-endemic fluorosis areas. Springerplus. 2014;3:7. Published 2014 Jan 3. doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-7
Wang, M., and others. (January 2020). Thyroid function, intelligence, and low-moderate fluoride exposure among Chinese school-age children. Environmental International. Science Direct. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019301370
Waugh DT. Fluoride Exposure Induces Inhibition of Sodium/Iodide Symporter (NIS) Contributing to Impaired Iodine Absorption and Iodine Deficiency: Molecular Mechanisms of Inhibition and Implications for Public Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(6):1086. Published 2019 Mar 26. doi:10.3390/ijerph16061086
Zelko, F. Toxic Treatment: Fluoride’s Transformation from Industrial Waste to Public Health Miracle. Retrieved from https://origins.osu.edu/article/toxic-treatment-fluorides-transformation-industrial-waste-public-health-miracle

[/expand]

What’s In Season: January Produce Guide

by Mirafruit, health, immune system, produce, root vegetables, seasons, super foods, vegetablesproduce guide, recipes, seasonal

When we eat what's in season, we are making a better choice for wellness. This is because when they are at the peak of ripeness, seasonal foods deliver the most nutrients -- exactly what your body needs.

Start your year off right by committing to choose those things that are fresh and in season! If possible take it even one step further by purchasing local produce.

Here are the fruits and vegetables that are abundant and, not surprisingly, at a lower price this January and February. Be sure to click on the links for delicious seasonal recipes.

1.Broccoli

Broccoli is a superfood native to Europe. It belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family which includes kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, collard greens, rutabaga, and turnips.

Low in calories and packed with many micronutrients, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants broccoli has a reputation for helping to boost immunity and promote heart health.

Broccoli can be eaten cooked or raw. When cooking it can be sautéed, steamed, boiled, or roasted. If you plan to serve it without cooking it’s great for salads or dips.

2. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts derive their name from the capital of Belgium, where they were first cultivated in the 13th century. They look like mini cabbages but don't let their small size fool you!

A nutritional powerhouse, just 1 cup of raw Brussels sprouts meets the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) recommended daily requirements for vitamin C and vitamin K. Not to mention that they are also rich in minerals.

These vitamins and minerals help preserve eye health, protect skin health and appearance, and improve bone health.

Brussel sprouts can be eaten raw (when shredded they make a fabulous slaw) or served roasted, stir-fried, steamed, or grilled.

3. Cabbage

Native to the Mediterranean region, there are four different varieties of cabbage: green, red or purple, white savoy, and napa. Regardless of which variety you choose, all of them boast an outstanding nutrient profile.

Cabbage is rich in vitamin K1, providing 85% of the recommended daily intake in just 1 cup. This vitamin is crucial for blood clotting.

The humble cabbage also makes a delicious and inexpensive addition to several healthy recipes, such as stir-fried vegetables, kimchi, and coleslaw.

4. Cauliflower

Not many vegetables contain choline. Cauliflower, along with broccoli, is among the sources of this nutrient that most people are lacking. Although the body makes some choline, we still need to consume choline-rich food to get enough of it.

Consuming a sufficient amount of choline may reduce the risk of several health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.

If you're following a low-carb diet, cauliflower can be used to replace grains and legumes in a wide variety of recipes. Some popular substitutions are are cauli-rice, cauli-mash, and cauli-hummus. Have you tried it?

5. Citrus fruits

Did you know that January is National Citrus Month? We are so used to thinking of grapefruit, lemon, limes, and oranges that we forget about the other equally tasty and nourishing citrus fruits. These include: tangelos, tangerines, Buddha’s hand, clementines, kumquats, pomelos, and ugli fruit.

All of them are among those fruits which are a rich source of powerful oxidants that may prevent many chronic conditions, especially cancer.

Due to their high water content, they can also help you stay hydrated in the winter. You can enjoy these citrus fruits in hot tea, mocktails or cocktails, and spritzer.

6. Kale

Kale was introduced to the United States by early English settlers in the 17th century and became popular in the 1830s.

Considered one of the healthiest and most nutritious vegetables, a single cup of kale contains more vitamin C than an orange. Kale also packs a punch providing high amount of Vitamin K and important minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Steaming kale, according to a study, could increase the bile acid-binding effect that can lower cholesterol levels in the body. The best way to get the nutrition out of kale is steaming, as it is 43% as effective as cholestyramine, a drug used to treat high cholesterol caused by bile obstruction.

7. Leeks

Leeks are an ancient crop and are native to eastern Mediterranean lands and the Middle East. Its close relatives are onions, shallots, scallions, chives, and garlic.

Low in calories but high in nutrients, such as magnesium and vitamins A, C, and K, leeks also contain some fiber, copper, vitaminB6, iron, and folate.

They’re widely used in soups and stews. You can also enjoy leeks in dips, salads, and even dishes such as quiche.

8. Parsnips

Parsnips are a tasty root vegetable related to carrots and parsley root. They’re commonly found in Great Britain and throughout Europe and Asia. Parsnips were introduced in America early in the 17th century.

They pack a hearty dose of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and other important micronutrients. Parsnips are also low in calories yet high in fiber, improving digestive health, regulating blood sugar level, and supporting heart health.

If you want to add parsnips to your diet, you can easily swap them for other root vegetables in your favorite recipes!

9. Rutabagas

Rutabagas are thought to have been first bred in Russia or Scandinavia in the late Middle Ages. They are a hearty vegetable packed with fiber, vitamins, and important minerals that you may not be getting enough of.

Among the minerals and micronutrients that rutabagas are rich in are potassium and magnesium, which play an important role in regulating cells, tissue, and organs. In a nutshell, it makes your body work right.

Rutabaga roots can be cooked with other root veggies. While the leaves can be added to salads and soups.

10. Turnips

Turnips are thought to have originated in middle and eastern Asia. Both turnips and turnip leaves provide over 30% of the daily value for vitamin C. The leaves are also a rich source of folate, vitamin K, and provitamin A.

Moreover, their glucosinolate compounds may help control blood sugar levels, fight harmful bacteria, and provide anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

Turnip roots make a great addition to salads! They can also be cooked and served whole, mashed, or used in stews.

In Conclusion

Each seasonal fruit and vegetable has a unique set of health benefits. From preventing chronic diseases to boosting the immune system, adding these amazing, nutritious foods to your daily diet with regular exercise is a good choice to help improve your health and well-being.

[expand title="Sources"]

https://www.britannica.com/plant/broccoli

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/broccoli

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266765

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Brussels-sprouts

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-brussels-sprouts

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284765

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Brassica-oleracea

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cabbage

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284823#nutrition

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Citrus

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/citrus-fruit-benefits

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280882

https://www.britannica.com/plant/cauliflower

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cauliflower

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282844

https://www.britannica.com/plant/kale

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270435

https://www.britannica.com/plant/leek

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leek-benefits

https://www.britannica.com/plant/turnip

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turnip-nutrition

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284815

https://www.britannica.com/plant/rutabaga

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rutabagas [/expand]

Celebrate Is The Word Of The Year

by Miraholidays2023, word of the year

Here we are on the other side of that magical divide that makes up a year. And, like each of the previous years, I’ve picked a word to be my guiding focus for the year ahead.

Thinking about last year

Last year, 2022, my word was Illuminate. I was astonished at how many different ways the word showed up for me throughout the year. Certain things were made clear, or illuminated, for me as I moved through the year. Then, on more than one occasion, I realized the word was at work when people told me I had helped them to see things from a different perspective. In effect lighting the way.

Although at times 2022 had its fair share of challenges, (doesn't every year?) overall when I look back I do see a clearly illuminated path and feel grateful that we managed to navigate a number of difficult situations.

I was once again struck by how very powerfully a word can show up in your life and business when you choose it to be your primary focus for an entire year.

Choosing a word for 2023

Now for 2023! I had thought I had my word but then realized it wasn't resonating or sitting very well. I picked another word and during a gathering of a sisterhood of amazing women I belong to shared it with everyone. I was positive that this new word was the one and now that I had spoken it aloud in the presence of others it would be so. However it soon became clear that wasn't my word either.

Feeling more than a little off-kilter I decided to stop trying so hard and trust that the word would come to me. It's amazing sometimes what happens when we let go and let flow simply move through us and the situation at hand.

While it didn't happen immediately, my word did eventually reveal itself. For me there's a sense of “click” or rightness that happens when I somehow stumble on the word that I believe I'm meant to focus on for the year ahead. This year it's

Celebrate.

Definition of Celebrate verb (used with object), cel·e·brat·ed, cel·e·brat·ing.

to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities:to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.

to make known publicly; proclaim:The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.

to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels:a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.

to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize:to celebrate a marriage.

Thoughts about Celebrate

When I think about Celebrate I feel infused with a sense of joy. An almost it's-about-time feeling. I've realized that the last few years have been so challenging for so many of us on a number of different levels that perhaps we've not been celebrating as much as we should. Plus I know stress levels are high. A number of clients have expressed a sense of blah and frustration with what is going on in the world.

Having chosen Celebrate as my word of the year my initial thinking is to make room in my life to celebrate every thing. The big things, certainly, but even the little things. To find ways to incorporate more celebration into my everyday.

I'm also creating a goal for myself to be more mindful, to help family, friends, my clients, and others I'm working with to celebrate more. Perhaps we'll create celebratory rituals or find ways to help us all infuse that sense of celebration into life. I really can't say what will show up. But I do know I'm excited for the year ahead and cannot wait to see how this world reveals itself throughout 2023.