Oil Pulling & Health

Do you have a history of problems with your teeth and gums? When speaking with people, are you ever concerned that your breath smells bad?

Could health challenges like arthritis and cardiovascular disease be related to your dental problems? Yes!

Recent science indicates that oral health tremendously impacts the health of your entire body.

A Simple, Inexpensive, Non-Invasive Health Practice that is Extraordinarily Effective

Oil pulling is, quite possibly the easiest way for you to improve your health status. Breathing air and drinking water are the only two impactful health maintenance activities that are easier. Oil pulling requires no health care providers, no medications or supplements, and no equipment. Swish vegetable oil around in your mouth every day, and that's it!

Oil pulling does not cure anything! It does pull pathogenic organisms and toxins out of your mouth, thus removing them from your body. This reduces the load that your immune system has to contend with, making it easier for your body to heal itself.

Microbes Populate Your Mouth

There are more bacteria, viruses, and fungi in your mouth than you can imagine! Some are important for the health of your digestive system and the functioning of your body as a whole. Others have the potential to be pathogenic, if their numbers were to grow unrestrained.

When your mouth is healthy, pathogenic organisms are kept under control by your digestive and immune systems. But if you have even low levels of infection in your teeth or gums (and practically everyone does, whether they are aware of it or not), the bacteria enter into your bloodstream. They then migrate to locations where they are free to proliferate, contributing to a whole host of health conditions that are not conventionally associated with oral health.

Ayurvedic in Origins, Updated to Current Times

Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have used oil pulling for generations. Swishing vegetable oil in the mouth draws bacteria out of the mouth, and therefore out of the body. You then spit the oil out, disposing of the bacteria along with the oil.

The technique has been refined to be more effective. A particularly beneficial modification is the switch to coconut oil, from sunflower or other oils.

Coconut oil has several benefits compared with other oils, recommending it as particularly suitable for oil pulling.

1) Taste and consistency. Coconut oil tastes better and is more palatable to have in your mouth than are other oils.

2) It's just food! There are no doctor's prescriptions or oversight. And if you've already got coconut oil for cooking, there's nothing special to buy. (If you read Bruce Fife's books about coconut oil, you'll become a fan too. It is fantastic as a nutritive food for daily consumption, and it is safe to use in cooking. I blogged about this back in 2007. If you don't know about the benefits of coconut oil, this is worth checking out.)

3) Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic. All by itself, coconut oil has these tremendous beneficial qualities. This anti-microbial property of coconut oil makes it extraordinarily effective for oil pulling. You're engaging in the practice to remove bacteria and other pathogens. Why not use a safe, anti-bacterial food substance as the vehicle?

How does it get any better than that??

Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing  - A Must-Read Book

This book by Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. is awesome!  He explains it all, the why's and how's of oil pulling. He does it so much better than I do, that I'm mostly going to quote from him.  (Here is a link to the book on Amazon.)

Of course, the most direct benefit is to your oral health. Most of the stories in the book relate to non-oral changes that people have experienced, perhaps because the changes are so significant.

Here are a few Why's for you from the book. Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing, by Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D.

"Humans have more bacteria in their mouths than dogs do. Considering all the disgusting places where dogs like to stick their muzzles, their mouths are amazingly clean. You would pick up more germs from kissing your spouse on the lips than you would from kissing the mouth of a drooling dog! . . . Dogs have antibodies in their saliva that are not found in the human mouth. These antibodies kill disease-causing germs."

"The average toilet seat harbors fewer bacteria per square inch than the human mouth! There are more bacteria in your mouth right now than there are on the bottom of the average shoe."

"Teeth represent only 10 percent of the surface of your mouth and bacteria live throughout the whole mouth. When you stop brushing, bacteria left behind resettle on your teeth and gums. Oil pulling reaches virtually 100 percent of the mouth, thereby affecting all bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa in the mouth."

Dr. Fife relays so many stories of miraculous health turnarounds that I was compelled to be more consistent in my oil pulling. I'm only going to share one testimonial here, from the first page of chapter 1.

"I began oil pulling seven months ago," says Tara of Melbourne, Australia. "I suffered with chronic fatigue for 14 years . . . I was confined to bed rest and had limited mobility." Tara also suffered from fibromyalgia. "I was in chronic pain and was suicidal. I could barely move my tongue inside my mouth and could not walk. . . I kept oil pulling, and changes occurred incrementally every day until after a couple of weeks my health was back to normal . . . I am now more fit and active, and don't need to rest as much. I had been living this way for years, and oil pulling gave me my life back. It also cleared up a skin problem I had when nothing else seemed to work. . . . Oil pulling has changed my life." Within just a few short weeks Tara had overcome two chronic illnesses that doctors say cannot be cured.

The How's

Put coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around. I've received differing instructions for the amount. A teaspoon to a tablespoon are the amounts I've seen.

I can't imagine starting with a tablespoon, because the volume increases with saliva. Dr. Fife says to start with 1-2 teaspoons, and to spit part of it out when it gets to be too much fluid in your mouth. Spitting some out then continuing with the pulling doesn't work for me; I start with an amount of oil that I can handle. Looking at my measuring spoons indicates that I start with a little over 1/8 teaspoon of coconut oil. It's not much, but it works. If you have a lot of bacteria in your system, perhaps using a larger amount makes a difference. Experiment.

The recommended time for oil pulling is about twenty minutes. You may not be able to do it for that long at first. I set a timer then go do other things while pulling.

When the time is up, spit the mix out. The oil mixed with saliva create a white-colored emulsion. Coconut oil is solid below 76F/24C, so the sink is not a wise disposal option. Some people put it in the garbage. I've flushed it down the toilet, but am still concerned about the potential for clogging the drains. My favored option is spitting it onto the soil in the garden, where the sun and air can tend to any bacteria.

Oil pulling once a day is recommended. If you've got significant dental problems, or significant health problems, consider doing it two or even three times a day. Since there's absolutely nothing about it that can hurt you, go for it. (If you're concerned about potential risks from consumption of coconut oil's saturated fat, I recommend you read my 2007 blog post about fats and oils.)

Potential Detoxification Symptoms & Healing Responses

Anytime you do something that is ultimately beneficial, there is always the possibility that you may experience increased symptoms associated with an existing condition, or new symptoms. This is an indication that your body is cleaning house, and that it is ramping up its healing efforts.

With oil pulling, trust that all that is happening is pathogenic organisms and toxins are being pulled out of your body. This reduces the load on your immune system, supporting your body in healing itself.

There's Nothing to Lose & Your Health to Gain

I want to repeat a sentence from one of the quotes above.

"Oil pulling reaches virtually 100 percent of the mouth, thereby affecting all bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa in the mouth." ~ Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D.

That's it. It doesn't get any simpler or easier. Try it for a while and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

My Oil Pulling Changes

Today, I noticed something different. I'm quite healthy, so changes are likely to be subtle. I added one completely new maintenance practice this month, along with becoming consistent with the oil pulling that I started intermittently in January/February. So it's impossible to tell if it's the oil pulling, the other new practice, or the combination of both along with everything else I was already doing. But, . . .

I have no menstrual symptoms today. In the past, my PMS symptoms have been limited to one to two days of minor cramp-like discomfort. Today would be the day for that, but it's not happening. Sooo, something's different. One change reported associated with oil pulling is balancing of hormones. So my experience is consistent with this.

I will update this posting with what I notice over time. I've been consistently oil pulling for about two weeks. Plus I rinse my mouth with brine solution after eating. Since reading the book last week, most days, I oil pull twice a day. After I wrote this posting last week, I realized that my gums are clearly healthier. With other dental care changes that I had made, they were already better. But there is noticeable additional improvement. I used to have a light coating on my tongue, whitish. It's gone.

Evidence That This Works. March 25. Rather than attempting to track the number of days that I've been oil pulling, I'm going to record it by date. I first published this blog post on March 12.

When I wrote last week, I was already aware that there was decreased plaque deposition on my teeth. Today, I have clear evidence. Due to a busier than usual schedule, I did not oil pull at all today. I did it twice yesterday and the day before, but not at all today. I brushed my teeth this morning, then had a full day of activity. It is now time to prepare for sleep.

Before I began oil pulling, flossing had shown how much plaque was accumulated on my teeth. If I brushed first then flossed, usually there would be observable plaque on the floss. More than I would expect to see after brushing.

Tonight, I purposely flossed before brushing. And saw less plaque removed from my teeth than I would previously have observed after brushing!! My teeth definitely feel smoother (pre-brushing), another indication that there is less plaque accumulation. This on a day when I brushed once in the morning and didn't oil pull at all.

What does this say? That consistent oil pulling decreased the amount of bacteria in my mouth. Even on a day when I did not oil pull at all, there is significantly less plaque buildup by day's end than there used to be.

Tell Me Your Stories

If you have oil pulling experiences to share, send me your stories. I may post significant testimonials here, in limited numbers.  sandra@MiracleInspirations.com



To finish, . . . Did you ever watch Horton Hears a Who? I saw it on television many long years ago. What I heard when preparing my final thought is this from that children's movie, "Boil that dust speck! Boil that dust speck!" So say the following with that rhythm and emphasis.


Pull That Bacteria! Pull That Bacteria!

Breathe

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Licensed Massage Practitioner, Washington
Human Design Specialist
Certified Practitioner - The Emotion Code/The Body Code
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.
Copyright 2013 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

MSG - Part 2 - Why It Affects You

In giving educational presentations about MSG, I have seen that very few people understand why MSG is harmful. In these presentations, I help people understand how the brain works, and how MSG affects brain function. With this knowledge, people frequently feel more compelled to avoid MSG, and they take actions to protect themselves from MSG's damaging effects.

In this posting, I'll share with you some of what I teach in the MSG presentation. (If you are interested in having me present to your group or organization, please contact me. sandra@MiracleInspirations.com)

If you have not read my posting MSG - Part 1 - It's Everywhere, I recommend it. It helps you know how to identify MSG in packaged foods. http://foodmiracles.blogspot.com/2011/05/msg-part-1-its-everywhere.html

Why is MSG in Our Food?

MSG is a flavor enhancer, meaning it makes foods taste good. Food companies and restaurants want us to buy, eat, and buy, so they add chemicals to make us want more, more, and more. MSG and other food additives contribute to people gaining weight.

How MSG Affects People

MSG is toxic to the body's neurological system, though scientists do not completely understood how it works. Go to the Truth in Labeling site for more details. MSG causes a variety of reactions in people who are sensitive to it. Even if you are not noticeably affected, it is probably safe to assume that it has some impact on you, and that over time, any symptoms could become more significant.

On the Truth in Labeling list of reactions that people have had to MSG are cardiac, circulatory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, muscular, neurological, visual, respiratory, urological, genital, and skin reactions. At this moment, the only body parts that I can think of that aren't on this list are hair and bones. So perhaps your hair and bones are safe from MSG exposure. But then I wouldn't count on that, because if you aren't healthy overall, then your hair and bones won't be either. Your nervous system is important for the functioning of every cell.

Aspartame Too

The artificial sweetener Aspartame (or Nutrasweet) has basically the same effects as MSG/glutamate. And even more negative effects. (Aspartame is believed to contribute to cancer, headaches, diabetes, seizures, and blindness.) Avoid it. Aspartate is primarily used in beverages, sugar replacements, and diet foods. Basically, avoid all of the artificial sweeteners. It's too much to get into here.

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

In this book, respected neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock explains how MSG and Aspartame damage the nervous system. Almost literally from the beginning to the end of this book, I was exclaiming in horror with each turn of the page. For many years, I have avoided buying foods that contain MSG, because I had heard and read enough to know that it is harmful. But until I read Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, I didn't really understand. Well now I know, and it's ever so much worse than I dreamed was possible.

In this blog, I give some brief simplified details about what Blaylock explains in extraordinary depth. Though he conveys a tremendous amount of information, this book is still relatively understandable for the average person to read. He wants everyone to comprehend the importance of this material. I was actually quite surprised at how quickly I finished the book, because it is so easily understood.

Using clearly written text and line drawings, Blaylock first explains how the brain works. He then explains how excitotoxins interfere with the normal functioning of the brain, and how they contribute to the development of degenerative conditions of the brain and spinal cord. Every person can be affected by this, from conception to death.

Why Read the Book?

Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Lou Gehrig's Disease.

That's why. Reading the book will help you avoid having those wonderful conditions to look forward to in your personal future. Do you need another reason? How about protecting the healthy development and future lives of your children and grandchildren.

Eating MSG and Aspartame can kill brain cells. Do you and your children need your brains?

So, here I go. I am vastly simplifying here. Blaylock does a much better job of explaining all this in the book. Before I read the book, I knew none of this.

Why Are MSG and Aspartame So Dangerous?

MSG is a form of glutamate. Aspartame is a form of aspartate. When glutamate and aspartate are added in large quantities to the foods that we eat, the concentrations of these substances can then be dramatically increased in the brain.

Glutamate and Aspartate are amino acids (protein components) that are used as neurotransmitters (communicating molecules) by the brain and to a lesser degree, by the spinal cord. The body's highest concentrations of circulating glutamate are in the brain, because the brain needs it to function. The brain has several mechanisms for very carefully controlling the concentration of circulating glutamate.

What happens in the brain when glutamate is present? To shorten into a few sentences whole sections of the book, glutamate causes nerve cells, or neurons to fire repeatedly. This is part of how the brain develops and functions normally.

All of the glutamate that the brains needs can be obtained through the consumption of normal, whole-food proteins.

When MSG is consumed in foods, the amount of glutamate circulating in the blood stream and in the brain can be very dramatically increased. Even small fluctuations in the concentration can disrupt brain function. With sufficient duration and/or concentration of glutamate in the brain, the neurons die. Basically, the neurons are excited to death. That is why glutamate is called an excitotoxin.

Not all neurons use glutamate as neurotransmitters. It is primarily glutamate-using neurons that die as a result of excessive excitotoxin exposure. Non-glutamate neurons will survive even when glutamate neurons right next to them have died.

Aspartate is an excitotoxin that affects the same neurons in the brain as glutamate, so for the sake of simplicity, I mention only glutamate.

The Brain's Protection Mechanisms

Because the concentration of circulating glutamate is so critical for normal brain function, the brain has several ways in which it keeps this concentration under control.

BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER
This is the brain's first level of defense, keeping out most of the glutamate that is circulating in the blood from food sources. However, numerous conditions can make the blood brain barrier ineffective in performing this protective function. That makes these conditions risk factors for increased susceptibility to excitotoxin damage.

Risk Factors for Increased Excitotoxin Exposure and Damage:
- Head impacts
- Strokes
- Hypertension
- Brain tumors
- Infections
- Increased core body temperature and Fevers

PUMPING MECHANISMS

There are a couple of pumping systems in the brain that protect against excitotoxin damage. One pumps out excess glutamate. The other would require too much explanation to go into here.

An important piece of information about these pumps is that they require a lot of energy. Energy in the body primarily comes from glucose. When glucose is low, then energy is low.

When energy is low, the pumps stop working. This results in increased glutamate concentrations and increased damage to neurons. Therefore anything that results in low glucose levels is a risk factor.

Risk Factors for Increased Excitotoxin Exposure and Damage:
- Hypoglycemia
- Anything that increases your usage of energy, thereby depleting the supply of glucose
- - Injury. The body consumes a lot of energy in repairing the damage.
- - Illness. The same as above.
- - Excitotoxin exposure. This makes the pumps work, using up a lot of energy.
- - Exercise. Exercise is healthy, but it does deplete energy reserves. When you consume foods and drinks during or after exercise, any excitotoxins in them will be more likely to enter your brain and damage neurons. Do your sports drinks contain aspartame or MSG??

Babies and Children

The developing brains of children require glutamate. Many neurons require glutamate to function and to build new nerve connections. I won't go into all of the details here. It is this section of Blaylock's book that I found most horrifying, because of the devastating impact that excitotoxins have on neural development. Until the late 1960's MSG was added in large amounts to baby foods. And when pregnant mothers consume food and drink containing glutamate and aspartate, it goes to the baby.

Suffice it to say that for an assortment of reasons, babies, both in utero and after birth, and children are more susceptible to damage to their developing brains than are adults.

Depending on when the exposure occurs, glutamate and aspartate can severely impair the development of the endocrine system. The endocrine system controls all of the body's functions, so when its formation is impacted, a whole host of malfunctions can occur, including but not limited to delayed development, learning disorders, autism, and psychological conditions.

Does it make sense that if something kills brain cells, you don't give it to babies and children, with their developing brains?

Avoid MSG and Aspartame (Nutrasweet) if you are pregnant. (Since other artificial sweeteners are also suspected of having negative impacts, consider avoiding them too.)

Avoid giving glutamate and aspartate containing foods and drinks to children, INCLUDING TEENS. Unfortunately, many packaged foods, including baby foods, are likely to contain hidden forms of MSG. For more information about this, read my posting MSG - Part 1 - It's Everywhere.

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's Diseases
and other Degenerative Neurological Conditions

Excitotoxins are not the sole factor that results in individuals developing these conditions. But excitotoxins are significant contributors. Depending on each individual person's particular genetic makeup, lifestyle and diet, incidence of injury, and state of health, the likelihood of developing these conditions varies. These conditions are different in how they manifest physically because they each have specific areas of the brain or spinal cord where nerve degeneration has occurred.

In all of these conditions, the neurons that are affected use glutamate as a neurotransmitter.

80-90% of neurons have to die before the individual will experience symptoms of disease.

So by the time you have a diagnosable condition, the degeneration of neurons has been occurring for many years, perhaps even beginning in utero and in childhood.

Obviously it is much more complex than this. Multiple chapters in Russell Blaylock's book are dedicated to addressing these conditions.

Protecting Yourself

Does it make sense to minimize your exposure to MSG and Aspartame, knowing that they can kill brain cells? Stop eating excitotoxins now, and you can slow or prevent future degeneration. However this is not always possible. Personally, I do still occasionally eat in restaurants, and I do consume some packaged foods.

Next, I'll discuss how to avoid excitotoxins, followed by other actions you can take to protect yourself when you do consume them.
Eat Whole Fresh Foods!

Of course, making your own food from fresh whole ingredients is always best! But when that isn't a viable option, it's valuable to know how to make intelligent choices.

Avoiding Excitotoxins

Some food ingredients contain both glutamate and aspartate, and potentially other excitotoxins. As a general rule, Aspartame is primarily contained in beverages, sugar replacements, and diet foods. And MSG/glutamate/glutamic acid is in just about everything else. So if you 1) avoid the types of foods and beverages that tend to contain Aspartame, and 2) avoid anything that you suspect contains MSG, you will be pretty safe. It is difficult to completely avoid added excitotoxins if you 1) eat any packaged foods, and if you 2) eat in restaurants.

If you minimize your excitotoxin intake, your body's natural protection mechanisms may be able to take care of the rest, minimizing future damage. If you want to take additional protective measures, including those mentioned below, then you will do even better.

If you have not read my posting MSG - Part 1 - It's Everywhere, I recommend it. It helps you know how to identify MSG in packaged foods. http://foodmiracles.blogspot.com/2011/05/msg-part-1-its-everywhere.html

Protective Actions

As mentioned above, when your body's energy supplies become depleted, you are more susceptible to excitotoxin damage. So when you are low in blood sugar, be particularly vigilant in avoiding excitotoxins.

Some foods and nutritional supplements offer nutrients that help your brain protect itself. I won't go into further details of how they are protective here.

Magnesium and antioxidants help your brain protect itself. So eat foods rich in magnesium and antioxidants, and take supplements. If you want more information about how important magnesium is to health, go to Magnesium is Critical. http://foodmiracles.blogspot.com/2011/06/magnesium-is-critical.html

Educational Presentation About MSG

I give presentations about this and other food- and health-related topics. Feedback that I've received indicates that people take home information that positively impacts their food purchasing patterns. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation for a group, please contact me. sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Protect Your Brain Function!

Sandra
Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Practitioner - The Emotion Code/The Body Code
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com
Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.
Copyright 2011 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

You Are What You Eat - Go GMO Free!

I consider myself to be relatively well informed about food and nutrition. But until recently, I actually knew almost nothing about Genetically Modified (GM) food. I knew that it is good to avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's), and that they are potentially damaging to health. But I didn't know what foods are GM, or about the risks associated with consuming them.

In January, I received training in giving presentations about GMO's. Now that I understand the risks, I'm horrified that developing, producing, and consuming GMO's is permitted, even actively encouraged by our government.

I tell you now that this posting is long. This subject is both complex and critically important (for your health and more . . .) And I only get to the tip of the iceberg here. If you're not able to read this full posting now, please definitely read the next segment. And return later.

Where to Go to Learn More

For those of you who don't have time to read this whole posting now, I've included information about resources here.

I learned essentially everything that I know about GMO's from resources accessed through the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT). IRT was started by Jeffrey Smith, considered the world's authority on GMO's.

Tons of information is available through IRT's website. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Excellent Books (Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, and Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith)
Videos and Audios, both online and DVD/CD
Non-GMO Shopping Guides and Health Risks brochures. The Shopping Guide helps you know what to avoid when shopping, and lists manufacturers who purposely use non-GM ingrediets.

Have Hope - We CAN Do Something - Tipping Point

Before going further, I want to tell you that there is hope. What YOU Do Makes a Difference!

It is possible for us to stop the ongoing release of GMO's into the environment! It takes everyday people, like you and me, educating ourselves and making non-GMO food choices. Then the food manufacturing companies will lose their profits, and they will change to non-GMO sources for their ingredients to get their customers back.

The way we spend our food dollars has an impact. It is estimated that 5% of the U.S. population changing to non-GMO brands will get us to what is being called the Tipping Point. Hey Canadians, we're part of the equation too.

What Is Genetic Engineering?

Are you wondering what all this is about? To make a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), genes for a desirable trait from one organism are inserted into another organism. For example:

Plants Making Pesticides. Bt toxin is a substance produced by soil bacteria. It is traditionally used as a 'natural' pesticide. Biotechnology companies isolate the bacterial gene (DNA) that codes for Bt toxin, and they put it into the DNA of corn plants, for example. When the corn grows, Bt toxin is made inside each cell of the plant. When pests, like the corn borer, eat the plant, the Bt toxin kills them.
(Apparently, Bt splits open the pest's digestive system. Is the prevalence of Bt from GMO's in our food supply contributing to the increases in digestive problems? Noone knows. Because noone is studying this.)

Herbicide Tolerance is another common type of genetic modification. Tolerance to Monsanto's Roundup is the most common. A very large percentage of the soy grown, and much of the corn is Roundup Ready. When pesticide is applied, weeds die and the plant survives.

Other Qualities. Other modifications are made to provide particular desirable qualities. Like Hawaiian papayas and zucchini with protection from viruses, or tomatoes with extra long shelf life. (Flavr Savr tomatoes are no longer being sold.)

The Role of Government

People naturally assume that if a product is available for consumption, then it must be safe. We have government agencies whose purpose is to test products for safety, right? Well, I agree with that in theory.

In today's real world, the U.S. Government's official policy is promoting biotechnology. The U.S.'s food regulating agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to cooperate with corporate giants (like Monsanto) to promote biotechnology and the development and sale of Genetically Engineered foods.

The corporations and the FDA consider GM foods to be "substantially equivalent" to non-GM foods. Because they are considered to be the same, no safety studies are required.

Far less safety testing is conducted for GM foods than for pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, there are still no studies required when reactions occur that are suspected to be related to consumption of GM foods.

Many FDA scientists disagreed with this policy.

This FDA policy was made against the advice of FDA's own scientists, who recommended that long term safety studies be conducted. They said there could be unexpected side effects, including allergens, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems.

Noone Knows

Because no studies are conducted, we can only theorize how GMO's may contribute to human health problems. Plus, a lot (LOT!) of GM crops are used for feeding livestock. These animals produce foods like milk and eggs, or are themselves eventually consumed as meat. We do not know for certain how GMO's impact either the animals' health, or the quality and safety of the foods coming from them.

What do you think about the fact that no safety studies are required?

Preliminary Results Show Potential Health Risks

In what is probably the most in depth study conducted, rats were fed potatoes that were genetically modified to produce an insecticide. Here are preliminary results from this study. The rats developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver and damaged immune systems. This was intended to be a long term study, but the scientist was fired, and his lab was closed, ending the study.

Other preliminary study results show potential risks of a variety of other difficulties, including allergies and reproductive difficulties.

Are GMO's Contributing to Our Health Problems?

Without results from well designed and conducted studies, we don't know. We DO know that problems with cancer, reproductive difficulties, allergies, digestive difficulties, immune system issues, and a wide variety of other health challenges have been increasing. Certainly a variety of food and lifestyle factors contribute to these trends, so this can't all be attributed to GMO's.

Since they were first released in 1996, the presence of GMO's in our food supply has been increasing. It is reasonable to assume that they may be contributing to health problems.

Antibiotic Resistance. Frequently, the process of genetically engineering plants uses genes for antibiotic resistance. (See details about this below.) Aside from any risks or benefits coming from the 'desirable' traits which are conveyed to the plants, what about the risks resulting from the proliferation of genes for antibiotic resistance? Is this contributing to the increasing problems we're having with antibiotic resistant bacteria? Again, noone knows, because this is not studied.

Scientists should study each of these risks!

What Happens When Plants are Genetically Engineered?

The following description of the genetic engineering process is greatly simplified. But it is sufficient to provide you with a general sense of what happens.

The gene (DNA) for a 'desirable' trait (isolated from a source bacteria, plant, animal, etc.) is prepared for insertion into a target plant, such as soy. (Animals and other types of organisms are also targets for genetic engineering, but for now, our focus is plants.) Usually a gene for antibiotic resistance is also added. In the most common insertion method, the new gene fragment is shot (using a gun) into a plate of plant cells. Antibiotics are dumped in. Any cells that manage to survive are antibiotic resistant, and therefore have the inserted gene. These are then cloned into full plants.

"Massive Collateral Damage"

The biotechnology industry claims that this is a technologically precise process. But they have no way of either knowing or controlling what happens. The process is random, a genetic roulette, and nothing about it is certain.

The process of creating a GMO results in massive collateral damage in the plant. There can be multiple copies of the inserted DNA fragment, existing genes within the plant can be turned off completely, or they can be turned on continuously, . . . The potential problems resulting from mutations are endless.

DNA Compared to a Book

In the book Genetic Roulette, Jeffrey Smith compares DNA to a book. The comparison makes it terrifyingly clear what can happen during genetic engineering.

The four bases that make up the genetic sequence are the letters in the book; the genes are special pages that describe characters called proteins. The common way people explain and promote genetic engineering is to say, "It is just like taking a page out of one book and putting it into another."

In reality, a book would look quite different after it had undergone genetic engineering. The inserted page (gene) may turn out to be multiple identical pages, partial pages, or small bits of text. Sections of the insert are misspelled, deleted, inverted, or scrambled. Next to the inserts, the story is often indecipherable, with random letters, new text, and pages missing. The rest of the book has also changed. There are now typos throughout, sometimes hundreds or thousands of them. Letters are switched, words are scrambled, and sentences are deleted, repeated, or reversed. Passages from one part of the book, even whole chapters (chromosomes), may be relocated or repeated elsewhere, and bits of text from entirely different books can show up from time to time. Many of the characters in the story (proteins) now act differently. Some minor roles have become prominent, leads have been demoted and some may have switched roles from hero to villain or vice versa. And, if you get bored with this story, take the original book, insert another page - even the same one - and the changes will be completely different. Or stick with the original book and over time, it might actually rearrange the inserted page.

Scientists Don't Understand How Life Works

Living beings and the functions of their bodies are extraordinarily complex. Scientists understand only a minute percentage of the events that occur.

Each naturally occurring organism on the planet developed over time, with every aspect of its functioning finely tuned. Functions are turned on and off as needed, all carefully regulated by the organism's brain, nervous system, or whatever other guiding force controls everything. It's truly miraculous. And scientists just don't understand it all, it's far too complex.

Biotechnology companies shoot DNA fragments into the genome and expect that the organism can continue to function normally, with the only alteration being making one new and desirable protein? Dream on.

If you scramble a book in the manner described above, it can no longer be read properly. Well, that's what potentially happens to the DNA, to the organism as a whole each time a plant or animal is subjected to genetic engineering. It is unreasonable to expect these organisms to consistently function normally.

One DVD that I ordered from the Institute for Responsible Technology shows deformed and suffering animals (like pigs) that were genetically engineered. It's horrendous. (The video referred to is Unnatural Selection, part of the GMO Trilogy.)

One day, will human beings suffer these sorts of horrors? Because of some 'mistake' inadvertently created by the biotech industry?

What Foods are Genetically Engineered?

Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, Canola. The main crops are Soy, Corn, Cotton (cottonseed for oil), and Canola. All are in vegetable oil. Most packaged foods contain soy and corn in multiple forms (many of which are hidden under non-obvious names). Sugar from Sugar Beets is commonly GM. As are most Papaya from Hawaii, some Zucchini and Crookneck Squash, and Quest Tobacco. (GM Tomatoes and Potatoes were both released, but are no longer sold.)

A lot of GM crops are fed to livestock. Corn and soy in particular. GM free meat, dairy, eggs, and farmed fish can therefore be difficult to find. Plus, GM Alfalfa was very recently approved by the Obama administration. This will have a huge impact on farmers, livestock animals, and the foods coming from them.

There has also been talk of approving GM Salmon. I don't think it's smart to release GMO's into the ocean. Do you?

How Do You Avoid GMO's

* Eat organic, if you can. Organic foods are not supposed to be GM or contain GM ingredients. Though there are not yet standardized guidelines, you're still safer eating organic.
* Read labels.
* Avoid Soy, Corn, Cottonseed and Canola, including hidden forms of soy and corn, and 'vegetable oil'. If sugar does not specify that it is just cane sugar, then it probably contains sugar beet, which may be GM.
The other crops are minor, though still worthwhile avoiding. Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, and crookneck squash
* When eating in restaurants ask if their food is GMO-free. Avoid obvious soy and corn. Ask what kind of oil the food is cooked in. 'Vegetable oil' will almost certainly be GM. Request olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, or no oil.

GMO Presentations

You, your family, your friends - everyone - can learn how to protect yourselves from the health imbalances that GM foods may be contributing to.

I give presentations near where I live in the British Columbia Okanangan Valley, and in Washington's Olympia/Seattle area. If you are interested in attending an event in these areas, please contact me for information. sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

I will be in the Olympia area in late March and early April. I am available to give presentations during that time.

Are you interested in organizing a presentation about Genetically Modified Foods? At this time, I am speaking in locations that are within an hour or two of where I live in Penticton, British Columbia, and of Olympia, Washington. However, I may extend my reach to more distant locations in the future.

There are trained presenters throughout North America, and even the world. If you are interested in attending or organizing a GMO presentation, contact the Institute for Responsible Technology. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Send an e-mail requesting information about events and presenters. info@responsibletechnology.org

Where to Go to Learn More

I learned essentially everything that I know about GMO's from resources accessed through the Institute for Responsible Technology.
IRT was started by Jeffrey Smith, considered the world's authority on GMO's.

Tons of information is available through IRT's website. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Excellent Books (Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, and Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith)
Videos and Audios, both online and DVD/CD
Non-GMO Shopping Guides and Health Risks brochures. The Shopping Guide helps you know what to avoid when shopping, and lists manufacturers who purposely use non-GM ingrediets.

You Are What You Eat! Choose Real Food for Health!

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Practitioner - The Emotion Code/The Body Code
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com
Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.
Copyright 2011 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

Cholesterol - Not the Villian We are Led to Believe

"You've got high cholesterol." That's one statement that you really don't want to hear coming out of your doctor's mouth. So down the medical road you go, with the impending doom of potential heart disease following you around forever. But you're in luck. Here to save the day - and your life - we have wonderful cholesterol-lowering statin drugs . . .

Let's freeze that frame and rewind.


The Cholesterol Myth

The story that we get about cholesterol being bad for health is a myth. I think it is criminal that this fallacy has become such a standard fixture of 'truth' in our medical system, media, and government.

Cholesterol is a non-issue. Or perhaps more accurately, it can be described as a manufactured issue. It is in the interests of the pharmaceutical, medical, and food industries that you believe that cholesterol is bad for your health.

Once again, I am going to recommend that you read a book. The Cholesterol Myths, by Uffe Ravnskov contains reams of valuable information. The book's subtitle says it all: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease. Need I say more? Well, okay I'll write more. But read the book, which is available through numerous sources. Also, Dr. Ravnskov's website has a lot of great information.

Diagnoses of high cholesterol are increasingly common, and prescriptions for statin drugs are on the rise. Over time, the medical system has been systematically lowering the level at which an individual is considered to have high cholesterol; this means that a person is more likely to be diagnosed with high cholesterol than in the past, even if their actual cholesterol levels are exactly the same.

This is all supposedly based on clinical studies demonstrating the risks associated with high cholesterol. When I read the book, what most stunned me was realizing how industry manipulates the results of clinical studies to suit their interests. First, industry pays for all the research. Then when the results come out, they are frequently altered; yes the numbers may actually be changed, or at least mis-stated when the results are published. The published interpretation of the results then favors the position that industry wants to prove, even if the actual results of the study contradict this interpretation.

When reviews are conducted of all of the published studies, supposedly to provide a comprehensive perspective encompassing all of the research, they conveniently leave out of the analyses any studies that produced results that disagree with the desirable conclusion.

Based on these studies and reviews, we then get revised government guidelines for health, and new medical recommendations. The media runs with the story, so we all get to hear about the new research results. And we the people swallow it all, believing and trusting in what we are told.

Now that is a stacked deck! How is a person supposed to glean the truth about what is supportive of vibrant health from that?


Our Bodies Need Cholesterol

In many of the studies, it was actually shown that low cholesterol was actually a bigger health risk than high cholesterol. Our bodies need cholesterol to heal and to maintain day to day functions. Cholesterol is critical to the structure and function of each of the cells in our bodies. It is critical to our ability to make hormones. And so so much more.

Here is a quote from Dr. Ravnskov's website. "Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat."

In other words, if you don't get enough in your food, your body makes it, because it needs cholesterol. So what happens when a person takes statins drugs to forcefully lower cholesterol levels? The body doesn't have what it needs to be healthy.

I leave it to Dr. Ravnskov to tell you the details about why high cholesterol levels aren't dangerous. About how people with low cholesterol can have just as many problems with heart disease as those with high cholesterol.

Do you get it? Cholesterol is not the source of the problem!


Recorded Call

Recently, Dr. Chris Morris, with the Ziquin Educational Group gave a fabulous teleconference lecture about cholesterol and statin drugs. This call was packed full of education about the role that cholesterol plays in our bodies, and about what actually happens in the body when statin drugs are taken.

Ziquin is a company that produces and sells nutritional supplements. But this call was almost purely educational. Ziquin's products were hardly even mentioned. The call is not a sales pitch.

For anyone who is interested in listening to this recording, I have been told that it will be available soon, even for people who are not Ziquin customers.

If you are interested in listening to this recording, please send me an e-mail to that effect. sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

I will send you a link, when and if the recording becomes available. Again, my interest in sharing this with you is to provide you with valuable education. I am not asking you to purchase anything.


Educate Yourself

Read The Cholesterol Myths, by Uffe Ravnskov. At the very least, visit Dr. Ravnskov's website.

Educate yourself and take action accordingly.


One more myth exposed. Whew.

Eat Whole Fresh Foods!

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.

Copyright 2007 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

To go to the Breathe - Life's Inspirations With Sandra blog.

To Soy, or NOT to Soy

NOT to Soy!

Soybeans and the foods that are made from them have been promoted as miracle foods. For about a decade, I was vegetarian and ate quite a bit of tofu.

Several years ago, I first started hearing from friends that soy is not good for you. The book The Whole Soy Story was recommended. But I never put the effort into reading the book or into finding out more through other avenues.

When I finally read the book, I immediately began avoiding soy. I now agree with the people who have been telling me that soy really should not be used as a primary source of food.

Soy is BAD for you. The recommendations encouraging us to eat it for our health are aimed at getting us to buy it so food companies can profit. In fact, soy in some form has been hidden in most packaged foods. So it can be very difficult to completely avoid soy.


What Does It Do?

Here is a partial list of the ways in which soy impacts our bodies. For more information about this, I strongly encourage you to read the book The Whole Soy Story, by Kaayla Daniel.

Goitrogens in soy suppress thyroid function. This is a primary reason to stop eating soy. Many people have depressed thyroid function.

Phytoestrogens disturb estrogen balance. This negatively impacts women, men, and children who consume soy. This is another primary reason to stop eating soy. We are told to take soy phytoestrogens, but they are actually bad for us.

Numerous substances in soy irritate digestion. Many people have terrible gas.

Toxic MSG is produced during soy processing. If a packaged food product contains soy protein or hydrolyzed protein, it contains MSG, even though it won't be labeled that way.

Soy proteins are poorly digested.

Soy oil virtually always contains harmful trans fats, and does not contain the essential fatty acids that are important for our health. We are told that soy oil helps prevent cardiovascular disease. In fact, it is more likely to contribute to cardiovascular problems than to prevent them.

Some people's reactions to soy are so extreme that their allergic reactions can be potentially life threatening. Soy is now considered to be one of the top 8 allergy causing foods. (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, fin fish, wheat, soy)

And there is more. Read the book!


It is possible to remove most of the damaging substances as soy is being processed. But the food companies are not willing to do what it takes to accomplish this.


Soy Infant Formula

Soy formula should not be given to babies! In particular, the phytoestrogens have been found to disrupt the natural processes of sexual maturation.


Educate Yourself

Read the book The Whole Soy Story, by Kaayla Daniel. No matter how much I tell you, reading the whole story will really communicate the magnitude of the issue.

Educate yourself and take action accordingly.


Eat Well for Health.

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.

Copyright 2007 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

To go to the Breathe - Life's Inspirations With Sandra blog..

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is a phenomenal book by Dr. Weston Price. Since reading it, I have made significant modifications to the way I eat.

Every time I think about teeth, Dr. Price's astonishing pictures come to mind. In the 1930's, he traveled to isolated places around the world to study people who had not been exposed to modern processed foods. He found communities where people had virtually no dental decay or physical degeneration. Once regular consumption of processed foods began, immunity to tooth decay was lost, and children born to parents who ate these foods had significant dental and facial deformities.

It is distressing that the state of our food supply is now very much worse than when Dr. Price conducted these studies, with comparable impacts on people's physical and non-physical health. Reading this book, you truly understand why our society has so many problems with physical and mental illness, infertility, and crime. And of course, dental decay and deformities.

For example, he describes a time when heart disease was essentially non-existant. There used to be no such thing as a 'heart attack'. Now, American Heart Association statistics (for 2004) show coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in America, accounting for one of every 5 deaths. There are 1,200,000 new and recurrent coronary attacks per year, and about 38% of people who experience a coronary attack in a given year die from it. (2004)

Heart disease is a nutritional issue! Malnutrition!

Of the societies that Dr. Price studied, those that followed their 'traditional' diets (free from modern packaged and processed foods) had no heart disease. They were also free from diseases like tuberculosis, which was rampant in many areas of the world in the 1930's when he did these studies. They was no mental illness and no crime.

People in these societies took special care to provide special foods, called 'sacred foods' by Dr. Price, for women and men of childbearing years, for pregnant and lactating women, and for young children. These foods provided very important nutrients that were necessary to support the birth and growth of healthy children. The readily available modern diets that are recommended to us are sadly lacking in these vital nutrients. So now we have problems with infertility, miscarriages, and difficulties in childbirth. Mental deficiencies and physical deformities in babies and children are becoming increasingly common.

These are all occurring because we have had multiple generations of insufficient nutrition.


Change the Way You Eat

Fortunately, it is possible to make a difference in your own health and in the health of your children, now and in the future.

As a result of reading this book, I eat significantly better, and I can feel the difference. In particular, it is worthwhile to acquire raw cheese, and if possible, butter and raw milk from livestock that have been fed on green pasture. (I will definitely write more about raw milk in another post to this blog.)

For about ten years, I was a vegetarian. But vegetarian diets lack nutrients that are required to maintain optimal health. I now eat a significant amount of meat, and actively seek out meat from grass fed livestock, when it is available.

Dr. Price hoped to find a society of people who was optimally healthy on a vegetarian diet. He was disappointed, because he was not able to find such a vegetarian society. Since learning this, I have heard of person after person who experienced health challenges and chose to abandon their long-term vegetarian lifestyle.


Eating Better Today Makes a Difference

It's never too late to improve the quality of your diet.

In his book, Dr. Price has pictures showing three children from one family. The oldest has perfect physical form and wonderful health. That child was born before modern foods were available to the parents. The second child, born after the parents began eating modern foods, has significant dental and facial deformities. (These types of deformities were the first that Dr. Price observed to occur in the children of parents eating modern foods.) Prior to conceiving the the third child, the parents returned to eating their traditional diet, free from modern foods. And the third child is once again perfectly formed, free from deformities.

I think everyone should read Dr. Price's book, particularly if they have or want to have children. The pictures will astound you. And you can really only understand the implications of the images when you read the text. Get the book from the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation. It is also available from sites such as Amazon.

An excellent source of information is the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for people's right and ability to get nutritious whole foods.

Based on the work of Dr. Price, people around the world have adopted a way of eating and food preparation called the Nourishing Traditions diet, so named after Sally Fallon's excellent book by that title. Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price Foundation provide voluminous information about how people in our modern societies can eat in a way that provides the nutrients that are necessary to support optimal health. Personally, I do not strictly adhere to this diet, but I have definitely incorporated numerous aspects of it, and I continue to make modifications.

Every little positive change to your diet helps. Even one meal makes a difference, if it provides nutrients that your body has been missing.

Educate yourself and take action accordingly.


Eat Well for Health.

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.

Copyright 2007 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.

To go to the Breathe - Life's Inspirations With Sandra blog.

Fats & Coconut Oil

Good Fats, Bad Fats, . . . Are You Confused??

This blog entry has been moved from the Breathe - Life's Inspirations with Sandra blog.

Hello Friends,

Are you confused by the conflicting information about health that you receive? It can be daunting, particularly when it comes to food. A new study proves that what you were told last year is completely wrong. What was good for you is suddenly harmful, and what common sense tells you to avoid now contains health-supporting antioxidants. Keeping up with this could be a full time occupation, complete with confusion and stress. Your diet would bounce all over the place, and your closets would overflow with mostly useless bottles of supplements.

Ideally, information that is sent to us, through schools (!), health care providers, and the media, would be supportive of people’s health. Unfortunately, what usually determines these priorities is the interests of big businesses, i.e. profits. Finding out what is TRULY good for you requires actively searching for information. Many people give up on figuring out what is best for their health, and just eat what they feel like eating.

How about fats? Essential fatty acids, artery clogging fat. Saturated, polyunsaturated, hydrogenated, trans, cholesterol, HDL/LDL, triglycerides. Canola, soy, Olestra (artificial fat!), flax, fish oil, coconut oil. Butter, margarine, lard. Omega 3 and 6. It’s overwhelming.

If you already know a lot about fats, the next few paragraphs may be review for you. But the information about Essential Fatty Acids and Coconut Oil is more likely to be new. It was for me. If this information is not familiar to you, and you want more details, I invite you to contact me. sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

I began learning the distinctions between good and bad fats over a decade ago. I gave up margarine, and cooked with olive oil, butter, and occasionally "clear" oils (what I call soy, canola, etc.). For essential fatty acids, I swallowed flax oil from the gallon I kept in the freezer. I figured I was doing well fat-wise.

Then I discovered that "clear" oils still contain trans fats and are rancid, even if they haven’t been hydrogenated. They are heated in processing, then treated to make them smell and taste palatable. Exposure to light (while sitting on the shelf in clear bottles), air, and heat in cooking make it worse. Then, there is the whole issue of genetically modified organisms.


Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s).

Taking EFA’s is absolutely required for health, and you need to seek quality sources. Omega 3, 6, 9, and some 7. People who avoid fats altogether eventually discover the hard way that low fat diets are dangerous.

However, not all EFA’s are created equal. If flax oil and EFA formulas require refrigeration to prevent rancidity, what happens when they enter your body’s core at 98.6? I have stopped eating flax altogether, and what remained of my gallon of oil went down the drain. It tasted horrid from the beginning anyway.

How about fish oil? Toxicity in the oceans makes the quality questionable. It comes in gel caps, so you don’t smell or taste the fishiness. Unfortunately, getting the oil into the gel cap requires that the oil be heated. So it’s cooked and long bad by the time you buy it.

What about cod liver oil? In addition to my concerns about the potentials for toxicity, I am actually more concerned about the depletion of the fish stocks. Over harvesting has severely depleted the fish populations. The widespread recommendation that people take cod liver oil just feeds the already excessive demand for cod.

The essential fatty acids that I take come from Ziquin Educational Group. It is a stable formula that provides the beneficial Omega 3, 6, 9, and 7. If you want information about Ziquin’s quality supplementation and rejuvenation program, please contact me sandra@MiracleInspirations.com.


Coconut Oil – There’s always more to learn!

I had read online of coconut oil’s benefits. But I was really just scanning, and it went in one eye and out the other. Like I wrote above, there’s too much nutrition information to pay attention to. When I discovered that my parents eat coconut oil every day, I finally began cooking with it. What it took for me to actually learn about this truly amazing food was my mother giving me a book. (Thanks Mom, for coconut and for everything else over the years.)

The Coconut Oil Miracle, by Bruce Fife, ND. A few pages into the book, I thought, "Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?! Everyone should know about coconut oil!" I am now a dedicated coconut oil and Bruce Fife fan.

I only give you a tidbit about coconut oil here, because Dr. Fife does a much better job of explaining it all.

Coconut oil is almost all saturated fat with medium chain fatty acids. It is GOOD for your cardiovascular health, not bad like we have been led to believe. It easily turns into energy in your body and is NOT stored as fat. Coconut oil actually increases your metabolic rate, helping people lose weight who want to do so. It tastes a bit sweet, but does not have sugar’s negative effects. It is anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Its fatty acids are saturated, so it is stable in cooking, unlike polyunsaturated "clear" oils. Coconut oil is good for you, both taken internally and applied topically. The funniest part of Dr. Fife’s book is where he talks about the coconut’s only health danger: having one fall on your head and kill you, while you stand under a coconut palm. I still laugh when I read that section.

Coconut products are flowing towards my house, and Ken and I eat them multiple times a day. Coconut oil is almost exclusively the oil we cook with. I continue to use some butter (which is good for you), olive oil for salad dressing, and an occasional bit of sesame oil for flavor. That’s it for oils. Coconut milk, shredded coconut, coconut flour, . . . we’re surrounded by the stuff. There’s more that I’ll share below . . .

We put coconut oil in our tea and on top of soup and other foods. Foods taste richer and more satisfying. When I want butter, I make a 50/50 mixture. If you don’t like the oil’s mild coconut taste and smell, refined oils are essentially tasteless. I put coconut oil on my face, and my skin feels smoother and looks better. I made an herbal coconut oil ointment for bones, joints, cartilage, and skin.

Dr. Fife’s recommendation for general health is to consume 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. This can include what is applied to your skin.


Sandra Recommends Books by Bruce Fife

Bruce Fife, ND does an incredible job of explaining things so anyone can understand them. Studies and examples illustrate his points. Start with The Coconut Oil Miracle, which explains how coconut oil works and why it is good for you. Coconut Cures describes how coconut oil affects a wide variety of health conditions. I’m experimenting with Coconut Lover’s Cookbook. Cooking With Coconut Flour has recipes for cooking without wheat. Eat Fat, Look Thin is about much more than weight loss. The Detox Book is not about coconut oil. He gives the best explanations of what happens in the body, detoxification, and healing crises that I’ve ever read.


Where to Find Coconut Oil

Shopping for coconut oil in Olympia, Washington, I found it at the Olympia Food Coop and in health food stores. But I was stunned to discover that NONE of the other grocery stores had even one container of this wonder food. (I didn’t check literally all of the other stores, but pretty darned close. I figure one Safeway is like all the other Safeways.) The vegetable oil companies have so thoroughly convinced people that coconut oil is dangerous that few people buy it. For now, find it in health-oriented stores. I encourage you to ask for it at your local grocery store. Create demand, tell other people.


You are a Miracle.

Sandra

Sandra Lynn Lee
Certified Healing Codes Practitioner
Miracle Inspirations
www.MiracleInspirations.com
sandra@MiracleInspirations.com

Everything in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. When information is drawn from outside sources, both credit and access to the source are given, when available.
Copyright 2007 Miracle Inspirations. All rights reserved.
To go to the Breathe - Life's Inspirations With Sandra blog.