The Good, the Bad, and the Soy

Soy used to be my favorite thing to eat. I used to eat lots of soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, edamame, natto (with MSG and junk in the sauce), soy protein, soy bars, etc. Until I found out one of the main reasons why I had so many health problems was due in part to soy. Oh joy. I've stopped eating it now for three years, and I still react to even small amounts of soy (like the amount you find in chocolate - yes, chocolate bars do have soy in them!). It sucks, but you know what, I got over it (and almost all Asian food). I'd rather be healthy.

Now, I find out that soy inhibits the thyroid (my latest shiny object), mimics estrogen (which is bad for an estrogen dominant person - female or possibly male!), and can cause allergic reactions in many (unsuspecting) people. Not fun for anyone.

I don't eat it. I don't recommend it to anyone, except in a few fermented products that are to be eaten every once in a blue moon. And, that's a blue moon, mister!

Now, research has come up indicating that soy products (conventionally processed soymilk, soy protein isolate, soy "cheeze", textured vegetable protein, meatless burgers, meatless chicken, etc.) are processed using hexane, a chemical solvent AND a neurotoxin. How companies can get away with using this process and still call a food "natural" is beyond me.

So, here's a video summarizing the results of a recent study. If you eat soy and plan on continuing to eat it, maybe this study will give you some thoughts about what soy sources you do end up eating.



Also, if you want to read an article from the Cornucopia Institute about questionable nature of "organic" soy coming from China (and some of the American products using the questionable soy), take a look at this webpage. The CI also has an organic soy scorecard so you can see which companies have the healthiest soy sources. This all brings me back to the point that your health depends on where your food comes from!

Thoughts? Do you eat soy?

Love and Water Can Heal the Earth

Water is a unique substance and acts like no other. It can be hard enough to break wood and soft enough to flow around obstacles in a river. You may think that all water is alike: a water molecule is a water molecule is a H2O molecule, etc. But in fact, studies have shown that water can be different structurally. Dr. Masaru Emoto and many other scientists, as portrayed in the movie Water - the Great Mystery, have shown that the energy in structured water can make a huge impact on how that water affects other living things. Positive energy, like that of love and gratitude, can create beautiful structures in water, whereas negative energy... not so pretty or neat. If water can be affected by energy so distinctly(and we humans are at least 75-80% water), how do you think our bodies will react?? If we inject love energy into water and share that water with the world, where do you think we could be?

I was blessed to have an opportunity to see Dr. Leonard Horowitz speak live last night. He spoke at D'Marie's LIGHT Bearers of the World Irvine event. He had an incredibly positive and loving energy for all participants, and boy, were we a captive audience! He is an author of many books including: Walk on Water, DNA: Pirates of the Sacred Spiral, Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse, and many more. His passionate speech last night was about the sacred geometry of love and bringing people back in harmony with love by coming together at his event, Live H2O, happening on June 21st (also Summer Solstice). This will bring people together in unity, both in person at many worldwide locations near large bodies of water and virtually. His belief is that if we focus on love, faith, and healing, we can change the world, and if we focus the healing on our waters, we can bring forth a healing so powerful our world can only benefit.

Why is this so important? Because we can no longer afford not to listen! Being holistic, I believe a good chunk of our well-being on this beautiful blue and green planet is due in part to the well-being of our Mother Earth. As we continue to introduce more chemicals into our agriculture and industry/manufacturing, we continue the degradation of our planet. The sicker our planet becomes, the worse our health will become as well. As far as I know, this is the only planet we can live on!

Please watch this 10-minute video on the Live H2O event and if you can, participate in a location near you:

So, are you drinking enough water every day? Did you bless it before you drink it? Dr. Horowitz said if you send love to your water right before you drink it, it'll do your body good. I'm giving this a shot, because it certainly wouldn't hurt. So far, my water experience has been excellent today! Positive intentions will lead to positive actions and reactions. It's another way to bring more love into the world!

Kefir, Kombucha, Yogurt, Sourdough Swap by Nourished Kitchen

Jenny with Nourished Kitchen has put together an online community swap for kefir grains, kombucha scobies, sourdough starters, and similar items. If you have ever wondered where to get started in finding one of these items, this would be a good place to check! The only thing you would need to pay is the shipping.

And, if you are inclined to stay local, check out craigslist.org and freecycle first. If you can find your item locally (some people have all the luck!), you will probably have to pay something for the item and some gas, but probably not much! I have yet to find my kombucha scoby... I'm laaaazzzyyy... but it is coming soon!

And, if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, google kefir and kombucha! You might be surprised at what you learn!

What's the big deal about thyroids??

OH, it's a BIG DEAL!! The thyroid is comparatively a small piece of the body puzzle.. a small two-bunny-ears-shaped gland in your neck. Some say it looks like a butterfly, but I think it looks more like two bunny ears (depending on which picture you look at)! It is a gland that is part of the endocrine system, one of the many systems that runs your body and keeps you healthy. The endocrine system is composed of organs that release hormones into your body. These hormones do all kinds of stuff: regulate temperature, release blood sugar into your system when you're hungry, maintain salt levels in the body, fight or flight, etc. The thyroid's sole purpose is to produce thyroid hormone. This thyroid hormone regulates the whole body's overall metabolism. That is why it is SO important...if the body is not running efficiently and metabolizing properly, organs and systems start to malfunction. Read here if you are interesting in hearing about how Oprah has been handling her thyroid (and weight) issues.

The human body is an utterly amazing, multi-tasking machine. On a black-box view, you eat, breathe, drink and poop. But, seeing things on the inside, all these different systems (endocrine, cardiovascular, immune, nervous, muscular, respiratory, reproductive, digestive, etc.) work harmoniously together to keep you alive and well. Talk about a miracle!

But, sometimes, things don't work out the way they are supposed to. For example, me! I was a little stunned by the hypothyroid news when I found out almost two weeks ago. It was a surprise because the last thyroid test I took indicated I had a normal thyroid (haha). But, when I started looking at the symptoms of low thyroid function as well as considering my previous health problems (fatigue, weight gain or inability to lose weight, fluid retention, depression, etc.), all the pieces of the puzzles were starting to come together. I've been taking a thyroid glandular, as well as pregnenlone and progesterone (also hormones) and digestive enzymes now for a week. My energy level has increased tremendously, and I have lost some weight. Yay! The other extreme of imbalance would be hyperthyroidism, where the thyroid is overproducing thyroid hormones. A great website with information about all issues thyroid related is at About.com,
and Stopthethyroidmadness.com is great for anyone concerned with hypothyroidism.

More on my pro-thyroid diet coming soon...

The Future of Food

If you haven't watched this yet, take a look. It's a great introduction into Monsanto and the genetically modified foods that show up in our stores and on our dinner tables. Some of this movie (like the scientific parts!) is a little dry, but it will give you a very good idea of how biotechnology has created unnatural combinations in foods. Where your food comes from matters! Grab a seat and a cup of tea before you start this one up!




Any feedback? Thoughts? Do you even have time to watch it??? =)

For more information, you can go to The Future of Food's official website

Sugar Here, Sugar There, Sugar Everywhere!

Someone pointed me to this website: www.sugarstacks.com. I find it amusing, but then again, I don't normally eat food that is shown on that website. However, some foods are naturally sweet -- whole fruits should not be shunned! For those of you who eat out.. this might be a huge eye-opener! It is the processed foods where we have to careful of refined sugars, manufactured fats, and commercial salt.

My Pro-Thyroid Menu Plan for This Week

I've been stuck this weekend working on work, so I have not been able to write more on the thyroid situation. However, I wanted to post my menu plan for this week so you can have an idea of what I can eat. Believe me, when I first heard what I can and can't eat, I was overwhelmed!

Today (Sunday - Happy Mother's Day!):
D - Fake rotisserie chicken with leftover beet salad and zucchini sauteed in coconut, half an orange
Dessert - homemade org. additive-free coconut milk strawberry ice cream!

Monday:
D - chicken salad with leftover chicken, org. lettuce, org. tomatoes, org. avocados.. you get the point! Plus, an org. orange.


Tuesday:
D - org. grassfed burgers with natural ketchup, whole grain mustard, and raw cheese and sauteed org. swiss chard in bacon fat. Plus, you got it, another org. orange.

Wednesday:
D - org. grassfed steaks with zucchini stir-fry (in coconut oil) and butternut squash soup. More orange! If I'm sick of oranges, I might have some homegrown strawberries.

Thursday:
D - Leftover steak and egg scramble with surprise veggies using coconut oil. Cherries for dessert!

Friday:
D - Veggie surprise like they serve at Rutabegorz with brown rice, veggie mix, and salsa. I will add raw cheese and chicken on top. Hold the sunflower seeds! Orange, orange, orange!

More on pro-thyroid diet coming soon... ~E

What is Real Food for YOU??

My definition of real food is changing. Hopefully, from good to great!

For the past few years, I was eating a mostly paleo/primal diet: food hunter-gathers ate waaaay back when. That would include meats, poultry, fish, nuts, berries, and greens. Somewhere mid-way, I started focusing on organic, grassfed animal protein and fat sources (to avoid the estrogenic effects of pesticides and herbicides in the conventional animal feed plus antibiotics routinely given to "healthy," conventionally-grown animals), coconut oil (antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal goodness in a jar!), and organic vegetables. You can say my diet is pretty extreme so far, right? At least compared to the average SAD (Standard American Diet) eater, it is!

Well, I found out recently that I may not be eating right... for me. I believe healing foods are customized to the person. What works for me may not work for you. This is that little lovely concept called Biochemical Individuality (one of my upcoming courses for my masters!). What I have been trying to do for some time is follow what works for alot of other people. And unfortunately, it may not be working so well for me. With my fairly clean diet, I found out that I have some serious dietary changes to make.

I took a special 24-hour urine test last week. I hate doing these kinds of tests, especially since you get locked down at home! But, I did it anyways because 1) I was curious to see what was involved in the process and 2) I wanted to understand why I was so tired all the time (4 or 5 hour naps is not normal!). I found this test through Lita Lee - a wonderful human being AND enzyme therapist/chemist. When a health practitioner tells you to visualize good health and use the Law of Attraction, you have to believe in that person! She and I are in sync!

The results are in, and my body is really out of balance (no duh). On Monday, I found out that I am deficient in electrolytes, my body fights for every little bit of calcium that I eat, and my thyroid is seriously underactive (among other things). And, an underactive thyroid explains ALOT of my health issues. And, this is all with my gluten-free, mostly casein-free, soy-free, and mostly sugar-free diet.

So, for the next two months, I will be eating a pro-thyroid diet, which will take me away from my low-carb hunter-gatherer diet. Some foods that I thought were healing apparently are not healing for me. I will go over the details of my diet in the next few blog entries. I plan on getting retested at the end of a month or two, after being placed on some enzymes and eating my healing foods. So, this is a great experiment for me!

My questions to you are:
1) Are you eating real food? If not, why not?
2) Are you eating foods that help you maintain fantastic health? If "no", can you figure out what foods are healing and what foods aren't?

Sometimes all it takes is a food log where you write down what you eat and how you react. Sometimes, like in my case, it takes a little help from someone else to figure it out.

My belief is that eating real food does heal the body. And, if you aren't healed (like me), you may not be eating the right foods!