WARREN KING, L.Ac.

Teflon fumes may be dangerous to your health

Non stick pans seem nice as the food doesn’t stick. There is just one drawback; non-stick pans may be hazardous to one’s health — not, as you may think, due to chipping, but to fumes.

When non-stick pans are heated to high temperatures, the coating breaks down and vaporizes, releasing toxic substances into the air. DuPont, the maker of Teflon, admits as much, only the company claims that temperatures must exceed 500° F for “deterioration” to occur, and 660° F for “significant decomposition.” According to DuPont, temperatures don’t even get to 500° F in the course of “normal” cooking, except in the broiler.

Au contraire, says the Environmental Working Group. Non-stick pans do get that hot when preheated on high — a practice many cooks follow. It doesn’t take much time either for temperatures to climb. In tests conducted on ordinary gas and electric stoves, Teflon and other non-stick pans topped 700° F in three to five minutes.

With food cooking in the pan, temperatures stay lower. So people who don’t preheat their pans wouldn’t usually experience temperatures in the danger zone, unless, of course, they left the kitchen for a few minutes and the food burned — say, when a neighbor knocked or a child called.

Bird-owners have known about the dangerous fumes for years. There are many documented cases of birds dropping dead from exposure to “offgases” from non-stick products (including toaster ovens and heat lamps). Significantly, some occurred when the non-stick temperature was in the 400-500° F range. While it’s not surprising that birds, with their sensitive respiratory systems, would be affected at these low temperatures, the fact that it happens does suggest that non-stick coatings can disintegrate below 500° F.

Though people are less susceptible to the fumes than birds, they can still sicken from polymer fume fever — a flu-like condition with symptoms that include chest tightness and a mild cough. In severe cases, lung injury may result. More worrisome is the possibility of long-term damage from several of the toxins found in the fumes. Of particular concern is PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), also known as C8, which causes liver, pancreatic, testicular and mammary gland tumors in rats, as well as immune system problems, reproductive problems and birth defects. According to an independent EPA scientific advisory board, PFOA is a likely human carcinogen. It has been found in the blood of more than 90 percent of Americans — and animals around the globe. In terms of persistence in the environment, it is unrivaled. As far as can be determined, PFOA never breaks down.

Of course, we don’t all have PFOA in our bloodstreams solely as a result of cooking with non-stick pans — or using other consumer products that are made with, or break down to, PFOA, of which there are many. In fact, scientists are rather mystified about how this synthetic chemical has come to be so pervasive, but suspect that manufacturing processes as well as consumption may be to blame.

A skeptical person might point out that Teflon has been in use for 50 years. If it was so dangerous, why was it ever allowed on the market in the first place? The answer is simple. When it comes to approving chemicals used in consumer products (as opposed to food), our regulatory system is relatively toothless. Basically, there are no federal requirements that the chemicals be proven safe for human health or the environment prior to being manufactured or sold. Essentially, the government has to wait till there’s evidence that the substance does harm before it can act. That’s where we are with PFOA right now. The evidence of harm is trickling in and the EPA is finally beginning to study the matter.

It’s the same pattern we’ve seen before. Chemicals — such as PCBs or DDT — are introduced, gain widespread usage, and then are found to be harmful. At that point, the government steps in and bans or controls use of the substance. With persistent chemicals that degrade slowly in the environment, we’re stuck with the ill effects for years. In the case of an indestructible chemical like PFOA, we may be stuck forever.

You may already be breathing air, drinking water and eating vegetables contaminated with PFOA. Until serious study, monitoring and regulation of this chemical occurs, you wouldn’t know it or be able to do anything about it. One thing you can do, however, is to avoid buying products made with it, such as non-stick pans.

And if you already have a non-stick pan in your kitchen, be sure to use it carefully. Never preheat it or use with high heat, and always keep your eye on it while cooking. Watching a pot won’t keep it from boiling, but will ensure it doesn’t burn.

Naturally non-stick . For a great non-stick alternative, try a seasoned cast iron pan. Except for weight (it’s heavy!), it is superior in every respect. It heats evenly, browns food beautifully, keeps cooked food warm in the pan, enables low-fat cooking, can be used with metal utensils and lasts a lifetime, literally. To season: wash with warm soapy water, rub with solid vegetable shortening, and heat in a 300° oven for an hour. Cook high-fat foods in it the first few times to lock in the seasoning. After that, anything goes.

To care for your pan: wash in hot water with a stiff brush. Dry thoroughly and store with the cover off so air can circulate. Do not store food in it. You’ll know it’s time to reseason if rust appears, food acquires a metallic taste or food sticks.

Repellent packaging? PFOA- based coatings are used to repel grease on a variety of fast food packages, including pizza boxes, microwave popcorn packages and french fry containers. There is concern that if the coatings break down when exposed to heat, PFOA might migrate to the food and be ingested. This is one of many PFOA questions requiring research.

To preheat or not to preheat . NEVER preheat non-stick pans, but DO preheat other types for better cooking results — especially cast iron. To preheat, use a medium heat setting, never high.

The Dark Side of Unfermented Soy

Writings about the soybean date back to 3000 B.C., when the Emperor of China listed the virtues of soybean plants for regenerating the soil for future crops. His praises centered on the root of the plant, not the bean. These ancient writing suggested that the Chinese recognized the unfitness of soybeans for human consumption in their natural form. Now 5000 years later, we are once again catching on to the anti-nutritive qualities of the soybean, and realizing that the only soybean worth eating is one that has been fermented.



The key to releasing the nutrients of the soybean has been known for thousands of years.

About 1000 B.C. some smart person in China discovered that a mold, when allowed to grow on soybeans, destroyed the toxins present and made the nutrients in the beans available to the body. This process became known as fermentation and led to the creation of the still popular foods tempeh, miso, and natto.

A few centuries later, a simpler process was developed to prepare soybeans for consumption. After lengthy soaking and cooking, the beans were treated with nigari, a substance found in seawater. The end product was tofu. During the Ming dynasty, fermented soy appeared in the Chinese Materia Medica as a nutritionally important food and an effective remedy for diseases.


Unfermented soybeans contain potent anti-nutrients.

In their natural form, soybeans contain phytochemicals with toxic effects on the human body. The three major anti-nutrients are phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens.
These anti-nutrients are the way nature protects the soybean plant so that it can live long enough to effectively reproduce. They function as the immune system of the plant, offering protection from the radiation of the sun, and from invasion by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. They make the soybean plant unappetizing to foraging animals. All plants have some anti-nutrient properties, but the soybean plant is especially rich in these chemicals. If they are not removed by extensive preparation such as fermentation or soaking, soybeans are one of the worst foods a person can eat.

Unfermented soy has been linked to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems for men and women, allergies, ADD and ADHD, higher risk of heart disease and cancer, malnutrition, and loss of libido.

Groups most at risk of experiencing negative effects from the anti-nutrient properties of soy are infants taking soy baby formula, vegetarians eating a high soy diet, and mid-life women going heavy on the soy foods thinking they will help with symptoms of menopause.



Soybeans contain high levels of phytates

All legumes contain phytate (also known as phytic acid) to some extent, but the soybean is particularly rich in this anti-nutrient. Phytate works in the gastrointestinal tract to tightly bind minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium. It has a particularly strong affinity for zinc, a mineral that supports wound healing, protein synthesis, reproductive health, nerve function, and brain development. It is believed that people living in developing countries are shorter than those in developed countries because of zinc deficiency caused by eating too many legumes. There is also evidence that mental development can be negatively impacted by a diet high in phytate.

In most legumes such as other varieties of beans, soaking is enough to break down most of the phytate content. However the soybean requires that the enzymes be released in the fermentation process to reduce its phytate content to the point where it becomes fit for consumption. This means that fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh have the lowest levels of phytate and are the best choices for anyone wishing to eat soybean products. Tofu is also a good choice, as long as care is taken to replenish loss nutrients.

Whole soybeans, soy milk, soy chips, soy protein isolates, soy flour and all the other myriad of products made from processed soybeans and advertised as health foods have much higher levels of phytate and are not worth eating.



Unfermented soy products are rich in enzyme inhibitors.

When food is eaten, digestive enzymes such as amylase lipase and protease are secreted into the digestive tract to help break it down and free nutrients for assimilation into the body. The high content of enzyme inhibitors in unfermented soybeans interferes with this process and makes carbohydrates and proteins from soybeans impossible to completely digest. When foods are not completely digested because of enzyme inhibitors, bacteria in the large intestine try to do the job, and this can cause discomfort, bloating, and embarrassment. Anyone with naturally low levels of digestive enzymes such as elderly people would suffer the most from the enzyme inhibiting action of soy.



Soybeans can block production of thyroid hormone

Soybeans have a high content of goitrogens, substances that can block the production of thyroid hormone as well as cause goiter formation. Low thyroid activity plagues women in America, particularly middle-aged women. Thyroid hormone stokes the cellular furnaces, known as mitochrondia. When thyroid production is low, energy levels as well as body heat are also low. Low thyroid level is what makes old people move so slowly and seem like every action is a huge chore. Low thyroid means the action of the heart is reduced, resulting in lack of oxygen to the cells, a prime condition for cancer.

Genistein, an isoflavone found in soybeans, can also block thyroid production. Phytate can accentuate these effects because it binds up zinc and copper, leaving little of these important minerals available to make thyroid hormone.

A transport protein called GLUT1 is shut down by genistein. This protein sends glucose into the cells where it is used to generate energy. Slowing the transport of glucose means less energy production not only of thyroid hormone, but of every other action in the body.

Another way in which soy isoflavones reduce energy in the body is by inhibiting tyrosine kinases, enzymes involved in the transfer of energy from one molecule to another. These enzymes drive cell division, memory consolidation, tissue repair, and blood vessel maintenance and regeneration.

It is this action of regulating cell division that made genistein a popular substance for fighting cancer. When research on this anti-cancer effect of genistein became know, the soy industry feverishly developed products that would appeal to Western women looking for genistein. In the middle of all this excitement, little attention was paid to how the energy reducing effects of genistein lowered cellular energy in normal cells.

The benefits of genistein come at a high cost

Women have been encouraged to use high genistein soy products to alleviate symptoms of menopause and as a guard against bone loss and breast cancer. But given the full range of effects of genistein in the body, high consumption could result in age-related memory loss. Commercial soybean products offer genistein levels as high as 20 to 60 mg per serving. Asians are presented as an example of the benefits of eating soybean products because their incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis is low. However, the Asian diet of fermented soybean products such as miso and tempeh includes only around 5 mg of genistein a day.

Genistein slows the growth of blood vessels to tumors, another action that makes it popular as a cancer fighter. However, it has the same effect on blood vessels serving normal cells. Eating a regular diet high in genistein could result in the starvation of healthy blood vessels, resulting in a reduced supply of oxygen to cells, setting up a cancer promoting situation.

In a graphic example of how genistein slows cellular energy, a study found that eating high levels of it slowed hair growth by 60 to 80 percent

A decade ago a study of 8,000 Asian men showed that those consuming the highest amounts of tofu had smaller brain size and nearly three times the rate of senile dementia as those who ate the lowest amounts. These results suggest that eating foods high in isoflavones such as soy protein isolates may accelerate the aging of the brain.



Fermentation releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into nutritious food

People filling up their shopping carts with raw or cooked soybeans, soy milk, and other non-fermented soybean products do not realize that the isoflavones they contain will not be available to their bodies. Most of the isoflavones in soy products are bound to carbohydrate molecules called glucosides. In this form genistein is actually called genistin. It is fermentation that transforms genistin into genistein. Many products in the U.S. do not distinguish between genistin and genistein on their labels.

Even with fermented soy foods, a little goes a long way. The nutrients found in miso, tempeh, and natto can be beneficial in the moderate amounts found in the typical Asian diet, but have the potential to do harm in higher amounts. In China and Japan, about an ounce of fermented soy food is eaten on a daily basis.

When fermented soy foods are used in small amounts they help build the inner ecosystem, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients, and boost immunity.

Dr. John Lee, author of several books on the health of women, recommended that women wishing to consume soy production eat only miso, tempeh, natto. Tofu can also be eaten provided it is accompanied by fish or some other protein source and some seaweed or kelp to replenish bound minerals. Eating small amounts of these foods will provide the cancer protective effects of genistein without causing the other potential problems of genistein. Dr. Lee recommended avoiding genistein and isoflavone supplements, and soy protein isolates.

If a child eats conventionally grown produce, will it affect his or her health? Recent research revealed that pesticides do show up in the urine of children after consuming non-organic foods. Though the study did not look at whether or not some of the chemicals stay in the tissues and cause damage, other research says they do.

Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle and Emory University in Atlanta, headed by Chensheng Lu, tested urine samples from 21 children in the Seattle area who ate conventionally grown foods and then ate similar organic varieties for five days, before returning to seven more days of conventional foods. To be extra certain, the organic foods were tested and found to be free of chemicals.

Urine samples were collected twice daily for a period of 7, 12, or 15 consecutive days during each of the four seasons. It was found that levels of organophosphates, a family of pesticides resulting from the creation of nerve gas agents in World War II, could be identified in the urine during the time conventional produce was eaten. Within eight to 36 hours after switching to organic versions, the pesticides in the urine disappeared.

Previous studies have found a correlation between pesticides and neurological problems in the brains of rats. Dr. Theodore Slotkin of North Carolina’s Duke University has written up the results of several such studies. He found that brain development and behavior were both negatively impacted after exposure to organophosphates, especially chlorpyrifos, one of the pesticides in the recent study.

Andrew Schneider, writing in the Seattle P.I. quotes Lu, who says “more research must be done into the harm these pesticides may do to children, even at the low levels found on food… In animal and few human studies, we know chlorpyrifos inhibits an enzyme that transmits a signal in the brain so the body can function properly. Unfortunately, that’s all we know.

“It is appropriate to assume that if we – human beings – are exposed to (this class of) pesticides, even though it’s a low-level exposure on a daily basis, there are going to be some health concerns down the road,” said Lu, who is on the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide advisory panel.

We do know that toxins affect children differently than adults, as they are still developing and are thus more fragile neurologically. Some pesticides contain potent neurotoxicants, which work by disrupting an organism’s nervous system. There are studies which have found that exposure to pesticides affects growth and neurological development. So it would seem very likely that ingestion of pesticide residue in young children especially would lead to negative effects on health and development. At the very least, there must be an effect to the liver and kidneys for the extra work they are forced to do.

Consider what a teacher’s curriculum guide from Yale University states:

“-A young child’s renal system is not fully developed. For example, a newborn’s kidneys are immature compared to an adult’s, making it more difficult for the infant to eliminate toxic waste. This can lead to a greater buildup and increases their vulnerability.

-A young child’s brain, nervous system, immune system, and other organ systems are still developing and are therefore most susceptible to abnormalities and malfunctions.

-When children are exposed to toxins, there is more time for resulting damage to occur than when adults are exposed. To elaborate, if a series of events have to occur before the toxic effects of chemicals present, then it is more likely that those events will occur someday if the children are exposed early in life as opposed to exposure much later.

-Due to the rapid cell growth in children, they appear to be more susceptible to some carcinogens than adults are.”

Because of such concerns, the Food Quality Protection Act required that by 2006, the EPA was to complete a comprehensive reassessment of the 9,721 pesticides permitted for use. They were to determine safe levels of pesticide residues for all food products.

Even though this law’s passage resulted in a lowering of pesticide amounts applied to foods intended for children, many critics still consider the levels too high for safety. The other concern is that there are no restrictions on imported foods.

This effect was born out by the study, as higher levels of pesticides were found in the children’s urine in the fall and winter, when consumers rely more on imported fruits and vegetables.

Other critics point out that because of this and the EPA’s too lenient restrictions, more needs to be done. They state that it only makes sense to strengthen the limits on such exposure to pesticides at a time when children are evidencing more behavior, learning and neurological problems.

According to Schneider, Lu does not believe children should only eat organic. For Lu’s family, which includes two sons, about 60 percent of the diet is organic. “‘Consumers,’ he says, ‘should be encouraged to buy produce direct from the farmers they know. These need not be just organic farmers, but conventional growers who minimize their use of pesticides.’”

To help consumers make choices as to which foods to buy as organic, the Environmental Workers Group produced a ranking. In this list, the higher the item is ranked, the lower the amount of pesticides to be found in that item. So if a family can only buy some organic produce, the priority would be peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines and strawberries, etc.

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK FRUIT OR VEGGIE SCORE

1(worst) Peaches 100 (highest pesticide load)

2 Apples 96

3 Sweet Bell Peppers 86

4 Celery 85

5 Nectarines 84

6 Strawberries 83

7 Cherries 75

8 Lettuce 69

9 Grapes – Imported 68

10 Pears 65

11 Spinach 60

12 Potatoes 58

13 Carrots 57

14 Green Beans 55

15 Hot Peppers 53

16 Cucumbers 52

17 Raspberries 47

18 Plums 46

19 Oranges 46

20 Grapes – Domestic 46

21 Cauliflower 39

22 Tangerine 38

23 Mushrooms 37

24 Cantaloupe 34

25 Lemon 31

26 Honeydew Melon 31

27 Grapefruit 31

28 Winter Squash 31

29 Tomatoes 30

30 Sweet Potatoes 30

31 Watermelon 25

32 Blueberries 24

33 Papaya 21

34 Eggplant 19

35 Broccoli 18

36 Cabbage 17

37 Bananas 16

38 Kiwi 14

39 Asparagus 11

40 Sweet Peas-Frozen 11

41 Mango 9

42 Pineapples 7

43 Sweet Corn-Frozen 2

44 Avocado 1

45 (best) Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)

Note: A total of 44 different fruits and vegetables were ranked, but grapes are listed twice because they looked at both domestic and imported samples. – Pesticides in Produce by Environmental Working Group

I think anything above a 28 score should be eaten organically.

I have recently been asked why I recommend that many people should avoid or minimize nightshade vegetables in their diet. The main nightshade plants we use are potato, tomato, eggplant and bell and hot peppers (and tobacco). Nightshades refer to a group of plants that supposedly do their growth at night but may also refer to the narcotic qualities that these “Solanum” plants have, tobacco being in the same family. The main toxic substances found in nightshades are solanine, glycoalkaloids and alkamines. The greenish color found on many potatoes indicated solanine which is a toxin that is linked to rashes and other skin diseases. Glycoalkaloids cause red blood cells to self-destruct in vitro and alkamines contribute to nervous disorders. These substances have been linked with kidney stones, calcium depletion, nausea, abdominal pain and swelling, loss of red blood cells, ulcers, jaundice, rashes, muscle wasting, breathing difficulties, trembling, drowsiness and paralysis and is most famously connected to rheumatoid arthritis. Being expansive or yin in nature they make on crave animal products, especially dairy and red meat.

Nightshades have an interesting history, they were discovered being used by the Incas in Peru by the Spanish conquistadors in 1530. They had an elaborate process in preparing the peanut sized potatoes before they were considered edible. They would soak them in water the freeze them in the cold mountain air. Then they dried them in the sun and rubbed off the skin by waling on them barefoot until they turned black and hard as stones. They then soaked them for three to four day before being cooked in soups or ground into flour to make bread. Even today in Italy red peppers are often salted, burnt to a back crisp, the skins and seed removed and then cooked further before being considered edible!

During the 1600s and 1700s nightshades were grown ornamentally but not considered edible. The French thought they caused leprosy. Many in Europe thought potatoes caused hydrocephalus and general stupidity among those who ate them and their offspring. The tomato didn’t find its place in American kitchens until World War 1, before that they were believed to cause stomach cancer and appendicitis.

Some have suggested that the following groups of people avoid nightshades: people with arthritis, those on a macrobiotic diet, children with eczema, those with gastric reflux, those quitting smoking (nicotine and solanine are related), those of blood type A and B (which is half the population) and those with cystitis, lupus and psoriasis.

In the book, Energetics of Food by Steve Gagne there is a caution not just about the physical effects of nightshades but their energetic effect on emotions, mental attitude and character. Of the potato he says “It can contribute to mental symptoms of fatigue and drowsiness, scattered thinking, inability to pay attention, mental dullness, simplemindedness, blind allegiance and blind faith, as well as devotion to religious dogma and an overall dull spirit with a lack of creative thinking.” (Boy do Americans love their potatoes and French fries!)

There are some medicinal uses for nightshades however. Potatoes are supportive for conditions of tension accompanied by excess heat and dryness and can help reduce the sodium in tissues of those who have overdone salt. Tomatoes can reduce excessive fat accumulation in the body and can cool an over-heated metabolism and can calm and clear excess heat from the liver. Eggplants can help constipation and assist in reduction of abdominal swelling. It can also help balance fatty foods, especially cheeses, by thinning the blood. Peppers can stimulate appetite and digestion, and promote urination.

I love working with children. They have so much life force and vitality, it usually doesn’t take much to stimulate the body to heal itself. Of course being healthy before and during pregnancy is an added boost to the child. It is good to cleanse the mother of toxins before conception and make sure their are no deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids during pregnancy. 

Not too long ago I saw a pregnant woman whose baby was breach. I had her hold a quartz crystal pointed down over her abdomen and visualize the baby’s head going downward, she called the next day to report that the baby had turned. That shows how baby’s are so sensitive, so the environment of a child must be protected, whether is be from TV or words that are not comforting and uplifting. 

The birth experience should be protected as well. Childbirth should be a high and holy experience for all and is not a disease. Often in hospitals the child is taken from the mother, instead of being placed to her breast immediately and washed with chemical shampoos, and eyes doused with antibiotics. Breast feeding is so important for the baby, physically and emotionally, it should really be required in almost all cases when possible.

Babies are often giving a hepatitis B vaccination at birth. That is a disease you may get as an IV drug user or prostitute, but why give a newborn, whose immune system isn’t even developed a shot like that before they have even been properly introduced to the earth. The child will likely get another 48 different vaccines by the time they are 6. This is a grand experiment and nobody knows what kind of chronic or autoimmune diseases may manifest from these injections. Why do we need a chickenpox vaccine? Just so parents don’t have to miss a few days of work. Fortunately mercury is being removed from most vaccines, but now aluminum, a know neurotoxin, is replacing it. 

The first foods given after 6 months should be organic and easy to digest, and free of common allergens. Strained squash, peas, carrots and brown rice are often good first foods. Sometimes I have the mother add some seaweed, like nori, to the baby food for minerals. Wheat, corn, milk products, peanuts, oranges, sugar and meat are not good to add in infancy. Formulas often have sugar and low quality fats like palm oil and a base like milk or soy that is not a good source of nutrition for a baby. Young children should get used to drinking water, but not tap water which often has chemicals added such as chlorine and fluoride as well as unintentional chemicals such as prescription drugs. Even toothpaste has a warning saying to use only a pea sized dose and call poison control is swallowed. What child doesn’t swallow any toothpaste and chemicals are readily absorbable in the mucous membranes of the mouth.

Children’s immune system need challenges to develop. That is why young children get infections regularly. A fever is not illness, it is the body’s healthy immune response to an attack. The body is learning what is me and what is not me. If you take tylenol or other drugs to lower a 102 fever, when the body wants 104, then you stop a natural process and may trade in an acute illness with something more chronic.

Children don’t often need to take much besides proper nutrition. A good chewable multi, some calcium with magnesium, often some acidophilus and fish oil is all that many children need for healing. Homeopathy works wonderfully in children and can be added for colds, flu, rashes, ear infections, stomach aches, etc… Of course there are other healing modalities such as acupressure, laser acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, and chiropractic. Flower essences are amazing for working on emotional issues and conflicts.

I saw a child recently that needed herbs that are usually reserved for adults with adrenal exhaustion. The child looked depleted and needed many remedies, some for detoxing. Finally the mother admitted taking a drug to abort the baby. The doctors had never seen a baby born after taking that drugs, but then they said it probably didn’t do any harm.

I have seen children who were very sick from poisoning from having a mercury amalgam filling placed in the teeth. Occasionally I’ll see a child with headaches that shows up having lead poisoning. But these cases are rare. I’m working with a child with ADHD and temper issues that is related to yeast and food allergies. The mother has seen results rather quickly but is wondering if she should just try the drugs as avoiding wheat, corn, soy, red meat and milk products is just too hard for him. All I could do is assure her that these foods will eventually come back with time and just try her best with the diet.

I just saw a two year old that had all the signs of an old lady with rheumatoid arthritis. The remedies that showed up were all the ones from my vaccination detox protocol. She had just had the pneumococcal vaccine. I have confidence she will recover quickly and that if she ever has another vaccine, then the homeopathic protocol will prevent her getting sick again. But I wondered about the other millions of children who never would have found the proper help. 

Probably more important that all of this physical healing is the emotions, the mind and the soul. A child that feels that she is a victim will have issues, physically and emotionally and relationshipwise her whole life. We tell small children not to cry. That is the beginning of blocking natural emotions and will eventually dam up the energy and create disease. Children should learn that they attract to themselves what they put out. Children shouldn’t be told that they are bad, that is their essence. They may make mistakes, which is expected, but at their core they are lovable.

Children don’t often do what we say, they become what we are. So let us not partake of the toxins of the world, physical or emotional. Let us do our own inner work on our own inner child so we don’t have to foist our unresolved issues onto the next generation. And let us have faith in a higher power that can heal us and open up our intuition so that we can make right choices for ourselves and our children.

Eliminate the following from your diet:

Sweeteners: cane sugar, cane juice, dextrose, glucose, corn syrup, fructose, honey, maple syrup, molasses, agave nectar

Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Sweet and Low, etc..)

Fruits:

Grapes (wine)

Grapefruit

Orange

Apricot

Banana

Cantaloupe

Cherry

Coconut (oil, meal, milk, meat)

Currants

Dates

Figs

Kiwi

Mango

Nectarine

Pear

Persimmon

Plum

Prune

Raisins

Raspberry

Apple cider

Vegetables:

Potato,

Corn (corn products)

Mushrooms

Tapioca

Yams

Sweet potato

Nuts and seeds:

Almonds

Brazil nuts

Cashew

Macadamia

Peanut

Pecan

Pistachio

Sunflower seeds

Walnut

Miscellaneous:

Alcoholic Beverages

Artificial additives, colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners

Chocolate, Cacao, cocoa, cocoa butter

Coffee

Canola oil (rapeseed, vegetable or salad oil) in most premade and restaurant food

Fried foods

Hydrogenated oils

Baker’s yeast

Black tea

Brewere’s yeast

Caffeine

Pickles (in vinegar)

Vinegar.

Soy sauce

Grains: white wheat four product or white rice

Animal products

Aged Cheeses:

Asiago,

Bleu (blue)

Brie

Camembert

Emmental

Gorgonzola

Gruyere

Limburger

Muenster

Roquefort

Swiss

Meat: pork

Fish:

Grouper

Marlin

Mackerel

Orange roughty

Swordfish

Bass

Bluefish

HalibutLobster

Sea Trout

Tuna

Carp

Cod

Crab

Mahi Mahi

Perch

Snapper

Simplified Dysbiosis Diet: for the control of candida, parasites, bacteria and viruses

Eliminate the following from your diet:

Sugar: cane sugar, cane juice, dextrose, glucose, corn syrup

Fruits and vegetables: grapes (wine) grapefruit, orange, potato, corn (corn products)

Nuts and seeds:

Almonds

Brazil nuts

Cashew

Macadamia

Peanut

Pecan

Pistachio

Sunflower seeds

Walnut

Miscellaneous:

Alcoholic Beverages

Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Sweet and Low, etc..)

Artificial additives, colors, flavors, preservatives

Chocolate, Cacao, cocoa, cocoa butter

Coffee

Canola oil (rapeseed, vegetable or salad oil) in most premade and restaurant food

Fried foods

Hydrogenated oils

Grains: white wheat four product or white rice

Animal products

Aged Cheese:

Asiago,

Bleu (blue)

Brie

Camembert

Emmental

Gorgonzola

Gruyere

Limburger

Muenster

Roquefort

Swiss

Meat: pork

Fish:

Grouper

Marlin

Mackerel

Orange roughty

Swordfish

Bass

Bluefish

HalibutLobster

Sea Trout

Tuna

Carp

Cod

Crab

Mahi Mahi

Perch

Snapper

The Fat Flush Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman

THE FAT FLUSH PLAN’s unique, groundbreaking program targets cleansing the liver – the largest, most versatile organ in the body – and the one most essential to maintaining optimal body weight. Based on a satisfying, healthful, and cleansing combination of essential fats, balanced proteins, and quality carbohydrates, this detoxifying process boosts the liver’s ability to function at its highest level, accelerating weight loss while improving your health.

Simple, safe, and highly effective, THE FAT FLUSH PLAN is an excellent way to begin dieting as well as to continue weight loss. This program can successfully break through the stubborn weight loss plateau every dieter faces, “flushing out” stubborn fat while retaining crucial nutrients.

If you need to:

Trim off inches from your hips, waist and thighs …

Smooth away cellulite…

Give your body a cleansing boost …

Create a lifestyle of healthy eating

Then, here, at last, is a diet that combines common sense and sound science, making it the perfect choice for both first time dieters and those who have had varying levels of success on other programs.

Try THE FAT FLUSH PLAN for accelerated weight loss and weight control while managing hormones and bringing out your most radiant looks! THE FAT FLUSH PLAN is the only system that uncovers and corrects the five hidden factors that sabotage weight loss and vitality: liver health, food sensitivities and resulting waterlogged tissues, fear of eating fat, excess insulin/excess inflammation, and stress.

The Fat Flush process also sets off a domino effect of health benefits:

Increases your metabolism

Gives you more energy

Helps you get a more restful night’s sleep

Stabilizes your moods


THE FAT FLUSH PLAN has three distinct phases, all created to help you lose weight and to cleanse your body, giving you new energy and vibrancy:

 

Phase 1: The Two-Week Fat Flush 
This initial two-week phase will jumpstart weight loss for dramatic results. Your shape will be transformed as pounds melt away from your body’s favorite fat storage areas – your hips, thighs and buttocks. Some individuals report up a loss of up to 12 inches during this first phase of the diet!

 

Phase 2: The Ongoing Fat Flush  
This is the next step for those individuals who have additional weight to lose but who also want to pursue a more moderate cleansing program and enjoy a bit more variety in food choices while still losing weight. Phase 2 is designed for ongoing weight loss, until you reach your desired weight or size. 



Phase 3: The Lifestyle Eating Plan 
Phase 3 is the Fat Flush ® maintenance program for lifetime weight control. This phase provides guidelines designed to maintain your healthy weight, and to increase your vitality and well-being for life.

THE FAT FLUSH PLAN also includes detailed meal plans and recipes, an ongoing weight loss program, tips on eating out, and a newly developed lifestyle program for complete detox dieting.

See  www.annlouise.com

5/8 cup (1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. crunch or smooth almond butter

3/4 cup brown rice syrup (or other natural sweetner like maple syrup)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract

3.5 cups of Erewhon brown rice crispies

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the crispies, folding the bottom to the top without crushing the crispies. Wet hands and take a heaping tablespoon of mixture and squeeze into small balls with hands.

Makes 40 balls, and takes about 15 minutes to make.

In 1988 I studied and became a practitioner of Zen Shiatsu after studying with David Sergel in Boston. This method of body work was developed by Shizuto Masunaga of Japan. Zen Shiatsu, also known as Masunaga Therapy, is a form of meridian shiatsu. A difference between Masunaga’s Zen shiatsu and earlier forms of shiatsu is that Zen Shiatsu uses not only thumbs and palms but also fists, elbows, and knees. Often the massage table is folded down the ground so the body weight of the practitioner can be use in the pressure.

The primary precept of Zen Shiatsu is the importance of remaining in a Zen-like, present state when practicing shiatsu; nourishing weak , deficient or kyo areas and dispersing excess, tight or jitsu areas; using two-handed technique to better feel the flow of qi (life force); working from the hara (belly), which is the body’s energy center; and using perpendicular pressure to access the qi.

With this type of massage the person leaves their clothes on and the acupuncture meridians are stretched and pressure is giving successively down the meridian. The two hands on the body move alternately, giving an energetic connection between both part of the body that are receiving pressure. This is my favorite form of body work.