The Intelligent Eater

Final Thoughts...

2011-08-22T18:53:00.000-04:00

With ten days behind me now; some final thoughts...

The benefits of a juice fast are far reaching and profound. Now that its over, I definitely feel great!

A detox can help a vast array of problems. During juice fasting the body releases toxins from the colon, bladder, kidneys, liver, lungs, blood, lymph, sinuses and skin. This can eliminate many side effects of a poor diet, bad quality air, prescription drugs etc. It can also reverse or change the course of your health.
Inflammation! A juice fast is like a monster "all natural" anti-inflammatory. I started to notice it 2 day's in and it only got better.
I didn't do the fast for weight loss, but I definitely lost weight. Unfortunately I didn't step on a scale at all.
When you eat a meal your body has to devote a pretty substantial amount of energy to digesting and breaking down food. Your immune system has to work to kill off anything that may harm you. Energy is also needed to turn that food into useable fuel or storage as fat. Over the course of the juice fast your body uses very little energy towards digestion. All those nutrients are rapidly absorbed and assimilated into the body. These large doses of nutrients, lead to healing and restoration of the body; it's like hitting the reset button.
While living in the Midwest and going to Palmer College of Chiropractic I lived in a home that left me with all kinds of breathing problems. The landlord would spray for bugs in the home...Terminex...I never made the connection until it was way to late. Anyway for years I've had to take a maintenance inhaler. Well, I haven't taken the inhaler in 11 days!
I'd definitely do a juice fast again. I don't think it would have been difficult to go another 10 days. Your body doesn't even want food after day 3-4, in fact I had no hunger pains at all after the first few days. In my opinion, juice fasting is a very valuable tool in achieving and promoting health. However health is a journey not a destination, and a 10 day juice fast a few times a year would be a very wise practice.
Juicing is like drinking natural medicine...rich in vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, antibiotics, phytonutrients and probably hundreds of things still unknown... perhaps Hippocrates, the father of real medicine was on to something when he wrote, "Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food".

Day Ten...

2011-08-21T18:15:00.000-04:00

Day ten is finally here! The plan all along was to break my fast early afternoon and east some vegetable broth with cooked vegetables and brown rice.

Watermelon was first, I'd been eyeballing this all week...

I don't think anything ever tasted so good!
Organic vegetable soup with brown rice. Once your palate is rinsed of chemically, processed foods; good truly wholesome foods taste amazing.

For now thats all...

Day Nine....Day Ten!

2011-08-21T17:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was day nine, my father's 70th birthday...we went to New York. The food smells in the city have to be the ultimate "vanity fair" to a guy who hasn't eaten in nine days! I've also lived in Jersey my whole life and have never visited the Empire State Building. Plus, for the past nine days I've haven't gone out for juice so it seemed like a good plan. The day was incredible as where the views.

Felt like ELF

Glancing shot of MSG, home of the worlds best hockey team.

I think my sense of smell has been enhanced by this fast...everything is clean!

I try to avoid wheat but pizza still smells good anytime!

Not today though.

East River Tip of Roosevelt Island

And to top it off we ended up at a little Italian restaurant in the East Village.

I watched, drank lemon water and drank more lemon water.

Juice bars are more common in the city...we found one around the corner.

The Immune Booster

1 orange peeled

2 carrots

small piece of ginger

6-8 kale leaves

1/2 lemon

Central Park in the distance

It was a fantastic ninth day!

Day Eight...

2011-08-19T21:34:00.001-04:00

It's friday night and I got nothing other than the look of day eight coming to an end...

Got Juice?

Day Seven...

2011-08-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

I felt absolutely fantastic today. With day 7 now under my belt, I am really, really, really looking forward to breaking my fast. Its funny, all the "healthy" foods like raw peanuts, walnuts, veggies seem so appealing to me now. Junk food isn't even on my mind... instead a spinach salad or grilled veggies seems like the most amazing things to eat.

Anyway, just a few thoughts...
I've made some changes to my schedule of juicing. If I'm not working I will juice more frequently throughout the day. It is definitely a pain in the arse to clean the juicer all the time though! When I work, I can really only make 3 juices a day.
You start to get a feel for how much juice a bunch of produce will make. Trust me, you don't want 32oz of green juice it just gets old after a full glass. But I'd have no problem with 40 oz of the fruits pictured below.

Breakfast was really good!

In the documentary, "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" Joe Cross the "hero" juices for 60 days and completely changes the landscape of his health...I'm not sure I would ever want to juice 60 days, unless of course I was...fat sick and nearly dead!

Later folks!

Day Six...

2011-08-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

I must admit that at this point I thought I'd be having hunger pain often.
Actually I haven't had any feelings of hunger. I feel great, my head feels clearer, my mood is good...but I'm starting to look forward to being done.
4 days to go!

Some questions I've been asked...

How much does it cost to juice all these vegetables and fruits?
I'd say that conventional fruits and veggies cost about half of organic produce.
If you take the cookies, sugar cereals, fruit rolls, potato chips, soda and fake fruit juice out of your shopping cart, and put in the same amount of good quality raw produce, I think most people would be shocked.
First, I'd bet the cost would probably be about the same as what is normally spent. I've seen people in the food store pack their carts with armloads of meats, white breads, cold cuts, mayo (lard), chips, soda etc. and not even think twice about it, but when it comes to foods that are actually good for them suddenly its too expensive.
Second, you'd be giving yourself living, health promoting foods.

What about all the sugar in fruit juice?
Often the juices that are most beneficial don't taste great...see my "V8 experiment", while the juices that taste best are fruits and the juice is sweet. Personally, unless you are diabetic, I'm not sure I'd care. Compare the sugar in real fruit juice with the high fructose corn syrup in snacks and other foods.
I have tried to keep my fruit based juices in the morning and my vegetable based juices in the afternoon and evening, for no other reason than I feel better doing it that way. When I talk to people about nutrition I recommend that fruits be eaten only in the morning before moving on to other food types.

DD

Day Five...

2011-08-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

Best day so far. I am noticing energy changes now, lots more of it!

I made the real version of V8 tonight. Lets just say it needs work.

It's not terrible but nothing like the processed junk in the store.

It's crazy to me how different real juices taste compared to store bought juices. Real apple, pear, strawberry, peach and pineapple juices taste amazing compared to bottled juice from the store. Store bought juice is dead, real juice is full of life!

My "work needed" V8...

This looks pretty good...

This...does not.
Later.
Doc Drew

Day Four...

2011-08-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

Energy levels are definitely up today and I feel pretty good. So "they" say that after day 3-4 things get easier. Maybe, but I'm still liking the sound of my morning Smartworld "Depth Charge"...but I digress...
"breakfast" juice

The "new" Guinness

1/4 pineapple
2 handfuls of blueberries
5-7 strawberries
1/2 of 1" round of watermelon
This was a great tasting juice!

"Lunch" juice...
1 romaine heart
6 kale leaves
1/4 lemon
Half a thumb of ginger
2 handfuls of spinach
2 celery stalks
2 apples 1 red/1green

"Dinner" juice...
1 small beetroot
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 green apple
= 1 cup of juice
I tried it without the apple first but it was tough tasting. Maybe I'll be braver on day 9.

The whole idea about using fruits and vegetables to heal your body is based on juicing more fruits and vegetables than you really can eat. Its tough to eat a head of romaine lettuce, 2 cups of spinach, a cup of parsley, 5 celery stalks, 1/2 pineapple, 4 carrots, 8 strawberries...you get the idea! You'd have a fiber plug moving through your system...likely end up in the fetal position!
In all that produce is a ton of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and things we don't even know about yet. These "nutrients" cleanse, rebuild and heal the body, which explains why people who do a juice fast or at least juice on a daily basis can have all kinds of conditions and problems disappear.
You can't detox or cleanse the body with drugs, you can't rebuild a body with drugs, and you certainly can't improve the overall function of the body with drugs. You always have a side effect for which another drug is prescribed.

Side effect of a juice fast...health, energy, life!

Day Three...

2011-08-14T11:34:00.003-04:00

I think part of my problem is I'm not drinking enough water. I woke this morning feeling dehydrated. So today I'm going to focus on increasing my water intake...could some of my headache have been from not enough water? Absolutely! Hey, this is my first fast, and this is definitely a learning experience. I've learned that for me, the taste of watermelon is far better than the taste of watermelon juice. Anyway "breakfast" was:
1 watermelon "round" about 1" thick
1/2 pineapple
10-12 strawberries
I got about 32oz of juice

Hunger seems to come and go, sometimes its pretty intense but feasible.
Thinking about juicing a steak tonight...

Evening update
At this point I'm kinda juiced out. I did a few searches for nectarine juicing but didn't find much. So I made my own "Doc Drew's Free Radical Fighting VitaMineral Antioxidant Blast"
5 strawberries
2 organic nectarines
1/2 of a 1" round of watermelon
2 organic carrots
handful of organic blueberries
=16oz of really good tasting juice

To me watermelon is good if I mix it with other fruits and veggies.
Did watermelon and spinach...not recommended!
Headache is gone, I feel pretty good but still a little slow. Swelling, inflammation, bloat its totally gone.
I'm pumped that I'm about 3 days in with 7 to go!

Tonight I'm going to try this recipe:
1 cucumber
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of parsley
1 celery stalk
1/2 lemon peeled

I also found some really good info on the benefits of juicing certain fruits and vegetables.
This comes courtesy of juicingforweightloss.com

Cucumber: a base of choice for most detox recipes since they are water dense which helps eliminate toxic waste as well as having a reputation for dissolving kidney stones, cleansing and rejuvenating the skin.

Celery: Is often reccomended in weight-loss programs and is a natural diuretic and helps to cleanse and flush toxins from the body. Juice the entire celery stick including the chlorophyll rich green leaves.

Lettuce: dark-green lettuce types are nutrient dense and natural body cleansers.

Carrot: This delicious addition to your detox juices will help add sweetness but still let you benefit from the incredible benefits of this amazing vegetable such as digestion stimulant, liver cleanser, and high levels of beta-carotene.

Cabbage: Powerful body-cleansing vegetable recommend often for weight loss, alleviate constapation and improving poor skin.

Beetroot: One of the most powerful cleansing and blood beneficial juices available. Because of it's powerful kidney and blood-cleansing properties start of drinking in moderation or diluted with other juices.

Green Bean: Is also a body cleanser and known to aid in weight loss.

Asparagus: This alkaline veggie helps reduce acidity of the blood and cleanses body tissue.

Spinach: Rich in chlorophyll, spinach not only cleanses but also helps with rebuilding your digestive tract as well as stimulating the liver and gall bladder as well with aiding with blood and lymph circulation.

Tomato: Helps reduce acid in body, and is beneficial for stimulating blood circulation, liver cleansing and blood purifying.

Watercress: Considered a powerful intestinal cleanser and toxin neutralizer and is good for the kidneys, bladder, blood circulation, cleansing the skin and said to stimulate fat burning.

Apple: Known for a wide range of health benefits including promoting health colon flora, reducing the colonic bacilli, eliminating body toxins, controlling blood pressure, and blood-sugar levels.

Day Two...

2011-08-13T09:58:00.003-04:00

I was so exhausted last night. Day one really wiped me out, however I slept really well last night. I ended up going to bed around 9pm and woke this morning headache-less. I'm still pretty tired but I feel good this morning. My body feels less swollen, my joints feel pretty good as well. I'm not really hungry yet but I'm sure as the day progresses hunger will set in. I'm pretty sure I'm going just stay home today...may need that bathroom a few times haha!... Either way I'm ready to face day two...

This morning I drank pear, strawberry and apple juice.
4 au jus pears
10 strawberries
1 green apple
This yielded about 32oz of juice...enough for my wife and I...good stuff!
See ya later!

Afternoon update...
Tired, but things are good. "Lunch" was some mean green juice...really wasn't bad actually.

The Green Monster

1 cucumber
4 celery stalks
6-8 kale leaves
2 green apples
1/2 lemon
fingers worth of ginger
total juice ~32oz
good stuff!

end of day 2 was really tough...
Really, really bad headache most likely from caffeine withdrawal.
very hungry and juice was tough to drink however I did another mean green type juice...
1 cucumber
2 handfuls of spinach
6-8 kale leaves
1/2 lemon
1/2 fingers worth of ginger
got about 24 oz of juice

Day One...

2011-08-12T14:49:00.001-04:00

Preparation...

I started my 10 day juice fast this morning. Over the last 7 day's I've tried to mentally prepare for not eating any solid food for the next 10 days. I also did my best to cut my coffee intake. I've cut coffee out of my diet before, however I did it slowly over the course of 2 weeks. This time however the pressure was on and I cut it out in a week. Last Sunday and Monday I drank what most would consider a small coffee. I then drank half of a small coffee for 2 days, and finally I drank about a 1/4 cup of coffee on Thursday, not easy for a guy who really likes his coffee.

For what its worth...juicing takes a ton of fruits and vegetables.

I will be juicing the following nutrient laden foods...celery, carrots, beets, kale, cucumber, spinach, romaine lettuce, parsley, ginger, pineapple, apples, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, pears, etc etc!

Recipes...

This morning I started with:

1/2 of a pineapple

6 carrots

10 strawberries

I got about 20+ oz of juice

Because melon juices don't digest well with other juices I drank straight watermelon juice around mid-morning.

Before I left home I made enough juice to get through the day.

I juiced...

6-8 carrots

5-7 apples

4-6 celery stalks with leaves

As the day has progressed I have the obvious headache and I feel a little foggy. I'm also pretty darn hungry but...its just hunger. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Later!

Doc Drew

Evening update...
Throughout this process my goal is to tell it like it is. I'm not about to "sugar coat" how I'm feeling or what my body is going through. I'm sure others who have done a 10 day juice fast, or any fast for that matter may feel similar experiences, however others may feel totally different.
Simply put I feel like crap...I'm extremely weak, I can't really focus at all. I've broken out into a few sweats. I also actually puked...my headache got so bad. I believe this was due to caffeine withdrawal.
Right now as I lay in bed, believe it or not, I'm not really hungry at all. I'm really tired and just want some sleep...goodnight.

Fasting

2011-08-11T09:31:00.000-04:00

A Decision...
I have never fasted before but recently I've decided to do a 10 day juice fast...so I've spent this week developing the mental fortitude to not eat any food for awhile. Shouldn't everyone experience a fast?

A good place to chronicle my experience as well as provide a little accountability with fasting would be right here...

So what is fasting?

According to the freedictionary.com fasting is the act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food; a period of such abstention or self-denial.

Fasting can be part of weight loss, detox, to heal acute and chronic conditions or religious practice, however at the core, fasting is still self denial.

My purposes for fasting are for detox and healing. I want to experience the healing and cleansing power of fruits and vegetables. I want to flood my body with vitamins and minerals and just see what happens. Over the first 35 years of my life, my body has been exposed to vaccination, polluted air, water, processed junk foods, drugs etc. and its time to rid them from my system and see and experience the benefits of a juice fast.

Historical Roots...

Throughout history fasting was used by many societies in religious and non-religious practices...Assyrian, Babylonian, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Palestinian, Persian as well as Roman peoples all fasted.
There are many references to fasting the Bible. In fact, Jesus himself fasted for 40 days following his tempting by Satan. Fasting and prayer concentrated the minds of the Jewish people as they sought guidance from their great King.

One of the pillars of the Muslim faith is fasting from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. In order to purify one's being and draw nearer to God, Muslim's abstain from food, drink and other pleasures. It is also an exercise in self-control and self-denial that extends beyond eliminating food and drink.
Buddhists who follow the eight Precepts do not eat solid food after noon on days of the full moon. According to the Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera, "fasting is an initial stage of self-discipline to acquire self control."
People fast to experience what others who don't have food often feel. Many faiths and cultures fast for spiritual reasons, to draw closer to God and to practice self denial.

Types of fasting...

Dry fasting is also known as Absolute Fast, Black Fast or Hebrew Fast. It's extreme in my book, no food or water for short periods of time. It has definite spiritual roots and can cause a massive rapid detox that can be dangerous...definitely not recommended.
A Liquid Fast is just as the name implies. Only liquids are ingested, no solid foods are put into the body. Other than water, the juices used have very high nutritional values and are packed with vitamins and minerals. These juices are readily absorbed by the body and because no bulk is present (fiber), nutrients are absorbed quickly and used by the body. Other types of liquid fast include water, broth, milk (raw), and beer...yup beer! Middle age monks would fast on beer...that must have been some party! A more recent approach to fasting is the Master Cleanse or Lemonade diet, consisting of mostly water with some lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup.
Partial Fasting includes some or alot of solid food. Some people do a rice fast and eat only rice for a period of time, other's eat only fruit and vegetables. Partial fasting allows for a slow controlled detox. The point of the "fast" is to eliminate the foods that increase the toxic and allergen load the body must handle.

A variety of fasting types and styles, as well as periods of time allows people to customize what they would like to accomplish in a fast. Try it for a day, 3 days, 2 weeks or longer...either way my fast begins soon, wish me luck!

Sources:

wikipedia

islamicity.com - Islam and Islamic History in Arabia and the Middle East

rawfoodexplained.com - History of fasting
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera, "What Buddhists Believe"
allaboutfasting.com

Part IIa...Organic

2011-06-17T09:24:00.008-04:00

So whats the big deal about organic? Does it matter?
Read for yourself...you be the judge?
Its really common sense...Food is to nourish, heal and maintain, why would anyone want a hard to wash off, toxic pesticide in their body?

There are organic forms of everything, from fruits, veggies, grains and meats all the way to organic cookies, chips, mac and cheese etc.

Today I'm talking fruits, veggies and grains...

From Wikipedia..."While conventional agriculture uses synthetic pesticides....organic farmers are restricted by regulations to using natural pesticides and fertilizers."

That's pretty clear. Synthetic pesticides sprayed on conventional foods can cause immediate or delayed effects. So issues may not arise until years down the road.
Organic food on the other hand can't be sprayed with these unnatural poisons. They can however be sprayed with chemicals derived from nature...concentrated natural poisons that can still be dangerous.

Here are common "natural" chemicals used on organic farms in the U.S.

Neem: Derived from a tree that grows in India, neem is a slow-working pesticide that is best used on crops that are not for eating. It can be used to control gypsy moths, sweet potato whiteflies, mealybugs and caterpillars, among other insects. It is not toxic to mammals.
Nicotine sulfate: A chemical derived from tobacco, nicotine sulfate is toxic to insects and warm-blooded animals. Make sure to wear gloves when applying it. It can be used to get rid of aphids, spider mites and thrips, but should not be used on roses.
Pyrethrum: Probably the most commonly used chemical in organic gardening is pyrethrum, a chemical that comes from chrysanthemums. It is a powerful insecticide that knocks down (but doesn't necessarily kill) insects quickly. It is one of the safest chemicals out there for humans. In fact, some say you can use it the same day you harvest vegetables. There are also synthetic versions of pyrethrum that are not used in organic farming.
Rotenone: Rotenone comes from plants in the Leguminoceae family. It is used to control leaf-eating caterpillars, as well as beetles and aphids. It is somewhat toxic to humans and extremely toxic to fish.
Sabadilla: Sabadilla, which comes from the seeds of a lily, is considered the least toxic organic pesticide. It is effective on caterpillars, squash bugs and stink bugs, among others. Its dust can be irritating, so wear protection when you work with it.
Sulfur: The mineral sulfur is probably the oldest pesticide and is used to treat mildew, rust, leaf blight and fruit rot. Some insects, such as spider mites, are also sensitive to sulfur. It can be applied as a powder, paste or liquid. It can irritate the eyes, but is not otherwise harmful to humans or other mammals.

Pretty cool if you ask me...
But definitely wash your organic foods well.

Sources:

http://organic.lovetoknow.com/

Organic vs. Conventional? Part I...Conventional

2011-05-02T18:41:00.006-04:00

Since there is so much banter about organically vs. conventionally grown food, I figured I'd try to shed some light...
What is all the hoopla about?
Most people are starting to take note of the differences between organic and conventionally grown foods. For good reason, people are starting to question the methods that are used to grow foods.
We see health problems all around, kids with autism, cancer, all the autoimmune conditions we face.
The so called experts claim there are no link between vaccination and childhood health conditions/diseases, ( a topic for another time). I'd venture a guess and say the food industry "experts" also would say the same thing about the chemicals sprayed on the foods we eat.

Common sense should say otherwise...If you go buy a bottle of weed or bug killer what does it usually say? Stuff like...keep away from children or don't spray on fruit trees!
If these chemicals are so safe, why are there warnings not to walk on the grass after a lawn is sprayed? Why do the people spraying the pesticides wear suits that would make one think they are at a nuclear waste dump?
Yet conventional fruit/vegetables are ok to eat? Do they think we are stupid?

Conventional farming methods use:

Synthetic or chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.
Spray chemical insecticides to control pests.
Use chemical herbicides to control weeds.
Animals are fed hormones, antibiotics and other medications to speed growth and control disease.

The following information was taken from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Some Interesting Facts Concerning Pesticides

• The EPA estimates that US sales of pesticides in 2000-2001 exceeded $11 billion dollars, thus representing over 2 billion pounds of pesticides being dumped on U.S. farm soil, homes, gardens, schools, golf courses and more. This number is about 8 pounds for every man, woman and child in the entire country.

• There are over 21,000 different pesticides on the U.S. market containing over 875 active compounds. Many of these have been proven to have health implications and the others are unknown.

• Lawn pesticides and herbicides can cause cancer, infertility, birth defects, developmental disorders, and will double the risk of canine lymphoma for your dogs just from the exposure.

• Since 1945, total U.S. crop losses from insect damage have nearly doubled. During the same time, insecticide use has increased tenfold. Today, seventy-one known carcinogenic pesticides are sprayed on food crops. (In Harmony's report, "Pesticides: Losing Their Effectiveness")

• EPA estimates that there are approximately 20,000 physician diagnosed pesticide poisonings each year among agricultural workers. These are only the ones which have been reported.

• Pound for pound, children absorb a higher concentration of pesticides and herbicides than adults.

• According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, only 1% of all imported fruits and vegetables are tested by the Food and Drug Administration for illegal pesticide residues.

• The CDC has gone on record as stating... "Pesticides are toxic to life forms by their very design"

You make the call!...

Food Additives Please...

2011-04-13T12:57:00.003-04:00

Have you ever turned on the news, and watched as a police chopper shines that huge spotlight on the fleeing criminal who's dumb enough to think he can escape the 15 police cars and the thundering helicopter above? Well thats kind of what I want to do here. I'll be the chopper, you be the cops...

A little proof that the food industry cares only about how your food looks and tastes...and how long they can make it last on a shelf...
Food additives according to Wikipedia...are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance. (nothing here about health or nutrition!)
Here is a list of things "Big Food" puts in your kid's breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners.

I'm only going to discuss 2 of the hundreds...yes hundreds of food additives...
Read labels folks! Check out some of your kid cereals and other junk foods...do you see BHA and/or BHT on the label? Do we even know what BHA/BHT are?

BHA (Butylated HydroxyAnisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are synthetic preservatives used to keep fats from going rancid.
As fats are exposed to oxygen they break down. This is the natural world doing its thing...
However these 2 "miracle products" keep those fats from breaking down. Now the food has a shelf life of 14 years...
BHA/BHT are commonly found in: butter, meats, cereals, gum, snacks, baked goods, beer, dehydrated potatoes. It is also found in animal feed, food packaging and cosmetics.

There is mounting evidence that these chemicals are carcinogenic. However, only in the State of California do they definitely cause cancer...haha! So if you live in North Carolina...your cool!

As a side note, I stumbled across this little gem too...BHA/BHT has been linked to bladder, kidney and thyroid cancers in dogs.

So be smart consumer...vote with your wallet...and do not buy foods containing BHT/BHA.

Sources:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm
http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butylated_hydroxyanisole

Following the Sugar Trail

2011-03-30T15:44:00.001-04:00

I read this yesterday, a story on the "benefits" of having obese, type 2 diabetic patients get gastric banding surgery in order to ward off the serious complications that can occur in people with the disease. To me it seems a little extreme.

That started me thinking...
There is a common thread that runs among all of the common diseases we see in Western culture. The diseases most often talked about are Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer...the degenerative diseases.
All of these diseases have ties to food...processed foods to be more particular.
With the introduction of white sugars, processed white flours etc. Diabetes has exploded.
Why? What happens when you eat a Sugar Bomb?

"That brownie was fantastic! Homemade!... Only the best ingredients, right.
Well after I ate the wonderful brownie, here is what happened...
First, I felt awesome! That sugar, chocolate combo was sweeeet!
Now my body is going "Holy crow dude! What did you eat?"
My body works on this refined sugar and breaks it down into glucose, which then rapidly enters the blood stream causing a fast rise in blood glucose levels.
My pancreas goes "Oh Crap! I have to increase insulin levels to clean up all the sugar in the blood."
So my pancreas, which is already tired from the rainbow colored "fruit" swirls I ate for breakfast, squeezes and squeezes out more insulin.
Well after years of abuse the pancreas tires and starts wearing down...and it gets more tired and and dozes off...
Welcome to the Diabetic Freight Train...a trip not worth taking.

Remember, all white, processed, refined sugars and other carbohydrates are 100% nutrition free.
They contain nothing that your body wants or needs.
No amount of "Lap-Band"/gastric bypass surgery will fix the problem, and if I were a bettin man, I'd guess having a stomach staplin procedure done, sucks just as bad as having Diabetes.
How bout completely eliminating health depleting sugars?
How about having the food industry care about what they are selling consumers!

H Two O

2011-03-09T16:14:00.001-05:00

Water. H2O.
Absolutely essential to life. Absolutely essential to health...
Did you know that most people could survive weeks without food, however without water most people would last maybe 4 or 5 days.

This is from "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

"Quality water is beneficial for virtually all disorders known to humankind. Bowel and bladder problems, as well as headaches, can be reduced by drinking water. If not enough water is consumed, toxins can build up in the system, causing headaches. Water flushes out these toxins.

Anxiety attackes, food intolerances, "acid stomach" and heartburn, muscle pains, colitis pain, hot flashes, and many other discomforts and disorders can be eased quickly by drinking a full glass of water."

Water is essential. Check out a few of its functions in the body...
It has a role in digestion, absorption, circulation, elimination.
It carries nutrients around the body.
It regulates body temperature.
It detoxifies the body.

I've heard people say stuff like..."I drink plenty of water, I drink coffee all the time. Coffee and tea are mostly water." Well...I can't argue that indeed coffee and tea are "mostly water" but...
To drink water is not to drink coffee, tea, soda, fruit juice etc. Water is tasteless. It does not include "vitamins" and is not lightly flavored. It does not contain sweeteners, and it is always "no calorie".
I know people who have increased their water intake only, and have seen positive changes like...
weight loss, a decrease in headaches, decreased constipation, less muscle tension, fewer aches and pains, less fatigue and lots of other benefits.
Nourish your body with some "high quality H 2 0", and you will always be better off.

Internally "green"

2010-09-27T18:18:00.002-04:00

Here's something I've been thinking about for a long time...
We live in a society where everybody is "going green"...we got miles per gallon, "green" grocery bags, CFL bulbs (containing mercury btw) and more government regulations than ever before. Society in general is becoming more and more pre-occupied with the environment which is not a bad thing. I am all for common sense approaches to keeping the natural world cleaner, but what about your internal environment?

The liquid sloshing around in most people is toxic from food, air and drug pollution. Consider this...
in March of 2008 the Associated Press reported on a study that found traces of "antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers, and sex hormones" in the drinking water of 24 US cities, affecting at least 41 million Americans.
This means that not only is the American diet disturbing, but we are medicating ourselves to death. Drug commercials are some of the most comical things out there. The side effects generally lead to more issues than the original problem.
Heartburn is always a good one. You can eat all the crap you want...just take this little pill and all your chest burning issues will magically disappear, but you may experience some of these side effects... depression, hallucinations, dry mouth, fever, runny nose, dry itchy red skin, itchy throat, vomiting, difficulty breathing...
So in my mind the use of buffalo wings can lead to the use of not only heartburn medication, but also medications to "fix" all the other issues caused by the initial drug. So sure have another slice of pizza, even better...load it up with sausage and pepperoni too!
Another personal favorite is cholesterol lowering drugs...I have run into more people who have horrible side effects from this class of drug...
I'm going to logically walk through this one...
Side effects include but obviously are not limited too...
upset stomach...so have your heartburn and/or antacids ready!
muscle and joint pain...muscle relaxers and percocet anyone?
skin and eyes turning yellow...what? liver problems!!??
nausea and vomiting...I'm ok with that, just let me eat bacon.
swelling of the face and difficulty breathing...get this guy an inhaler!
difficulty passing urine...ok this is getting serious!
kidney pain...
But don't worry, you can still eat steak, ice cream, bacon, ribs all the "good stuff"!!!
And of course the clincher...
These side effects are only reported in a very small number of cases...

I do understand that there are instances where medicine is necessary, but the fact remains that most people would rather not be responsible with the choices they make regarding diet and care for themselves.
So while its important to take care of this one planet, its also important to take care of your one body.
This is plain common sense!
"Go green" with your body and life-style. The more foods you eat that come directly from nature, the healthier you will be.

If it's advertised on TV...

2010-08-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

So a good place to start with food is generally in the food store...right? Stock up, gotta feed the family!

What to feed the family?
Its gotta be easy right? "Grab and go!" "I am sooo busy...you have no idea how hectic my life has been lately..."

The food store is the gas station that powers you and your entire family. It is also the place where some of the most uneducated decisions are made...and for good reason. People just do not know.
Somehow society has been convinced that a 100 calorie pack of cookies is a step in the right direction. TV ads describe sports drinks as supplying "vital nutrients", or you can get a "full serving" of vegetables hidden in this sugary sweet drink... or that kids who are sluggish should drink an instant breakfast shake before school.
Right...so THIS is good nutrition! I had it all wrong...
Here's a question? Is it hard to peel a banana, or wash an apple?
As a general rule...if you see on TV...STEER CLEAR!
Food manufactures care about two things. How food looks, and how food tastes. The process of making food look and taste better generally involves stripping all nutrients out, then adding bleaches, dyes, salt, sugar, and preservatives. Then they add back what they think you need. Well thank goodness they "fortified" it...and added back those "essential nutrients"! The best thing you can do is avoid all of these processed refined "food" products.
I am stunned when I look around at what people pile into their grocery carts. It's disturbing! They bring home these choice morsels and wonder why there kids have allergies, or why they feel so tired after eating. They don't understand why they always feel rundown...
As a general rule the important area in a grocery store is the outer edge. The more un-processed the food the better. Fill your cart with foods that look like they came from nature (not fruit bits mixed with juice). Then find creative ways to prepare them...
The health of you and your family depends on it.

Blog #1...Welcome... a grand entrance!

2010-08-20T12:07:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

I have decided to start a nutrition blog... for the simple reason that I want to be famous and say that I have a blog. Hopefully you will all follow my life as closely as people follow Lebron James, Lindsay Lohan...you get the idea!
So my name is Drew...and here is my story.
I graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in October of 2002. For about 8 months, I had been suffering with joint pain. My ankles, knees, elbows and wrists were all swollen and very warm. I couldn't kneel down, I was only comfortable standing, or laying down. I could sit, but to be comfortable I had to have my legs stretched out. So here I was, a new graduate fresh out of school and I couldn't practice!

Fortunately, I was informed of a nutritional counselor who did nutritional blood analysis. I did what he said and one month later I felt like I did at 18 years old. I lost weight and felt great. To me it was a diet and as soon as I felt better, I went back to bad eating habits. For the next 6 years I would go on and off of the "diet" as I made my way back to see the nutritional counselor time and time again. Then following a long stint of poor eating habits, I developed hives in August of 2009. So...back to the nutritional counselor to get set straight! However this time was different...2 weeks of suffering with hives, that included a hospital stay and some wonderful prescription drugs, forced me to realize that diets are pointless and flat out do not work! And drugs are always harmful. They never fix the problem without causing another one and they never make you healthy, they can only mask a symptom, or artificially hide an underlying problem.
I needed to change my lifestyle and learn how to eat! Since August of 2009, I've continued on this lifestyle path. I eat intelligently! I put things in my body that are health building, not health destroying. I've lost 65 pounds and feel fantastic. Nutrition has flat out become a passion of mine.
I'm a chiropractor, but I love nutrition too!
I love good food! And I love telling people how and what to eat...

In my opinion, nutrition is the core of health. It is the center...you can literally eat your way to good health, and fend off disease processes, and other maladies just by eating. Oh there are many things that also contribute to good health, things like massage, exercise, chiropractic care etc. However proper nutrition tops them all...why? Because good foods can cleanse, repair, heal and maintain the body. Eating intelligently can and will add years to your life, and life to your years!

We can use this space to talk about "eating intelligently", foods, supplements or anything else...
Let me know what ya'll think!