Live Smarter, Not Harder!

The Health Risks of GM Foods: Summary and Debate

2011-04-06T13:33:00.001-04:00

I would like to share an amazing summary of Documented Health Risks of GMOs.

Credit for this goes to Jeffrey Smith, Author of Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods and Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating

You can find free tools on their home page: www.responsibletechnology.org

The talking points are organized around the 65 main point summaries presented on the left side of the two-page spreads in Part 1 of Genetic Roulette. Each section linked below offers the opportunity for people to submit updates, corrections, challenges and responses. Before making a submittal, please review the full content in that section of the book.

Contents at a Glance:

Part 1: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods

Section 1: Evidence of reactions in animals and humans.
1.1 GM Potatoes Damages Rats (see full content)
1.2 Rats Fed GMO Tomatoes got bleeding stomachs, several died
1.3 Rats Fed Bt Corn had multiple health problems
1.4 Mice Fed GM Bt Potatoes had intestinal damage
1.5 Workers exposed to Bt cotton developed allergies
1.6 Sheep died after grazing in Bt cotton fields
1.7 Inhaled Bt corn pollen may have triggered disease in humans
1.8 Farmers report pigs and cows became sterile from GM corn
1.9 Twelve cows in Germany died mysteriously when fed Bt corn
1.10 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had liver cell problems
1.11 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had problems with the pancreas
1.12 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had unexplained changes in testicular cells
1.13 Roundup Ready Soy Changed Cell Metabolism in Rabbit Organs
1.14 Most offspring of rats fed Roundup Ready soy died within three weeks (see full content)
1.15 Soy allergies skyrocketed in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced
1.16 Rats fed Roundup Ready canola had heavier livers
1.17 Twice the number of chickens died when fed Liberty Link corn
1.18 GM peas generated an allergic-type inflammatory response in mice
1.19 Eyewitness reports: Animals avoid GMOs
1.20 A GM food supplement killed about 100 people
Section 2: Gene insertion disrupts the DNA and can create unpredictable health problems.
2.1 Foreign genes disrupt the DNA at the insertion site.
2.2 Growing GM crops using tissue culture can create hundreds or thousands of DNA mutations.
2.3 Gene insertion creates genome-wide changes in gene expression.
2.4 The promoter may accidentally switch on harmful genes.
2.5 The promoter might switch on a dormant virus in plants.
2.6 The promoter might create genetic instability and mutations.
2.7 Genetic engineering activates mobile DNA, called transposons, which generate mutations.
2.8 Novel RNA may be harmful to humans and their offspring.
2.9 Roundup Ready soybeans produce unintentional RNA variations.
2.10 Changes in proteins can alter thousands of natural chemicals in plants, increasing toxins or reducing phytonutrients
2.11 GM crops have altered levels of nutrients and toxins.
Section 3: The protein produced by the inserted gene may create problems.
3.1 A gene from a Brazil nut carried allergies into soybeans.
3.2 GM proteins in soy, corn and papaya may be allergens.
3.3 Bt crops may create allergies and illness.
3.4 The Bt in crops is more toxic than the Bt spray.
3.5 StarLink corn’s built-in pesticide has a “medium likelihood” of being an allergen.
3.6 Pollen-sterilizing barnase in GM crops may cause kidney damage.
3.7 High lysine corn contains increased toxins and may retard growth.
3.8 Cooking high lysine corn may create disease-promoting toxins.
3.9 Disease-resistant crops may promote human viruses and other diseases.
Section 4: The foreign protein may be different than what is intended.
4.1 GM proteins may be misfolded or have added molecules.
4.2 Transgenes may be altered during insertion.
4.3 Transgenes may be unstable, and rearrange over time.
4.4 Transgenes may create more than one protein.
4.5 Weather, environmental stress and genetic disposition can significantly change gene expression.
4.6 Genetic engineering can disrupt the complex relationships governing gene expression.
Section 5: Transfer of genes to gut bacteria, internal organs, or viruses.
5.1 In spite of industry claims, transgenes survive the digestion system and can wander.
5.2 Transgene design facilitates transfer into gut bacteria.
5.3 Transgenes may proliferate in gut bacteria over the long-term.
5.4 Transgene transfer to human gut bacteria is confirmed.
5.5 GM foods might create antibiotic-resistant diseases.
5.6 The promoter can also transfer, and may switch on random genes or viruses.
5.7 If Bt genes transfer, they could turn our gut bacteria into living pesticide factories.
5.8 Genes may transfer to bacteria in the mouth or throat.
5.9 Transfer of viral genes into gut microorganisms may create toxins and weaken peoples’ viral defenses.
Section 6: GM crops may increase environmental toxins and bioaccumulate toxins in the food chain.
6.1 Glufosinate-tolerant crops may produce herbicide “inside” our intestines.
6.2 Herbicide-tolerant crops increase herbicide use and residues in food.
6.3 Tiny amounts of herbicide may act as endocrine disruptors.
6.4 GM crops may accumulate environmental toxins or concentrate toxins in milk and meat of GM-fed animals.
6.5 Disease-resistant crops may promote new plant viruses, which carry risks for humans.
Section 7: Other types of GM foods carry risks.
7.1 Milk from rbGH treated cows may increase risk of cancer and other diseases.
7.2 Milk from rbGH-treated cows likely increases the rate of twin births.
7.3 Food additives created from GM microorganisms pose health risks.
Section 8: Risks are greater for children and newborns.
8.1 Pregnant mothers eating GM foods may endanger offspring.
8.2 GM foods are more dangerous for children than adults.

MSG... Excitotoxicity, yeah its as bad as it sounds.

2011-04-02T06:55:00.000-04:00

MSG without a doubt, leaves me feeling like crap.

MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate is a salt of the amino acid - Glutamic Acid (glutamate). A salt is the chemical name for a molecule held together by opposite charges. Basically one (mono) sodium atom is "stuck" to the amino acid glutamate.

This reaction varies from person to person, and I suspect has something to do with Blood Brain Barrier Health as well as a Hormesis response.

Glutamate is an Amino Acid Neurotransmitter. It tells nerves to activate. It stimulates the Nervous System. Other Amino acids like Taurine and GABA balance that to tell the nerves to calm.

So the issue presents itself in the balancing of these Amino Acids. Keeping them in line with what is found in nature...

Heres the Problem. Theres a short list of Items readily available to Americans that doesnt match that Balance...

A significant quantity of Processed Foods are intentionally modified to free glutamic acid to achieve the same taste structure as MSG. Obviously I have strong opinions against Soy and Grains regardless(if you've read past posts)

Soy
Wheat
Barley
Corn
Meat(one of the reasons processed Red meat is bad, yet Whole Grassfed Beef is still great!)
Milk
Fish
Soy Sauce
Wheat Gluten (hah!)
Cheese

Anything with Hydrolyzed Protein, Seasonings and Stocks etc.
Allegro Crop Spray - yes even your vegetables might be contaminated.
Many Vaccines use it as a preservative.
Cigarettes! (Ammonia converts internally)
Aspartame has the same effects! (Don't even drink DIET soda!!!)

How does it affect me?

from: http://www.msgtruth.org/

Pancreas – glutamate stimulates the pancreas and may cause Type II diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance. In individuals with Type 1 diabetes, it may cause an excess of glutamate since 85% of those with Type 1 diabetes have antibodies which attack GAD - the enzyme responsible for converting glutamate into GABA.
By directly stimulating the pancreas to release insulin, which drops the blood sugar, MSG can be considered an "anti-appetite suppressant". In other words, eating MSG makes you hungrier than you would have been, sooner than you would have been.

Brain – during periods of hypoglycemia where low blood glucose levels leave the brain with low defenses, or allergy response where the blood vessels become "leaky", MSG may cross the blood brain barrier and damage brain cells by excitatory neurotoxicity. By affecting the pancreas and creating a situation of hypoglycemia, MSG may bring down the brain’s barriers, carrying it’s own key, in a sense, to get to the brain.

Blood Pressure - may create taurine deficiency – calcium channels stay open – causing high blood pressure and counteracting calcium channel blocking medication.

Inflammation - The immune response allows the blood vessels to become "leaky" so that the white blood cells can get to the site of the injury. This flood of fluid leaving the blood vessels and entering the tissue is what we recognize as swelling.

Leptin- leptin did not work on test animals that were obese due to MSG-induced obesity. This suggests that perhaps the damage to the hypothalamus caused by MSG, caused the hypothalamus to become resistant to the effect of leptin. *(go back and read my post on Leptin if you need to!)

Hidden Names!

MSG Gelatin Calcium Caseinate

Monosodium glutamate Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) Textured Protein

Monopotassium glutamate Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast Extract

Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food or nutrient

Glutamic Acid Sodium Caseinate Autolyzed Yeast

Vegetable Protein Extract Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)

What can I do to counter MSG?
Id personally avoid them like the plague. Eating Whole Natural Foods will ensure that you're getting Glutamate in Balance with Cystene, Taurine, GABA, etc comparable to what is found in nature.
Barring that, accidental or intentional ingestion, MSG Truth has a nice list:
http://www.msgtruth.org/remedies.htm

Further Reading

Dr Russell Blaylock is considered one of the foremost experts on Aspartame/MSG Excitotoxicity.

http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/

He wrote an excellent book: Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

Be sure to visit MSGTruth.org and MSGMyth.com as well.

Everything you need to know about Dangerous GMOs

2011-03-31T21:23:00.000-04:00

I insist that anyone who cares about Human Beings, Animals or the Environment watch this video:

Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods from Jeffrey Smith on Vimeo.

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/Everything-You-Have-To-Know-about-Dangerous-Genetically-Modified-Foods-September-2009

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/take-action/join-the-campaign

Corn vs Grass. Its all about Oil.

2011-03-29T11:35:00.001-04:00

Arin Training put out this great little video.

Corn(OIL) vs Grass.

in addition, saw this really exciting Video as well...

Plastic, back into Oil.

Want to Eat Healthy, but never learned to cook?

2011-03-17T06:16:00.001-04:00

Luckily the Interwebz is here to save the day.

I learned how to cook with the Bachelor Method. Open Box, remove processed Garbage, read instructions on box. Get Fat and Unhealthy, Repeat.

Luckily, nowadays I can cook. Ive picked up a few simple skills... some through trial and painful error.

But the Internet and tools like YouTube are incredible resources.

Just wanted to share my current 2 Favorite sites for finding recipes (instructions for when you dont have that Box of Garbage) for Healthy Food.

http://www.thefoodee.co/

http://www.chowstalker.com/

Absolutely love these resources, let me know what you think, and if you know of other great Healthy Recipe Resources.

Quality of Life: Taking Stock at 69

2011-03-17T05:54:00.000-04:00

Quality of Life.

That's my entire mission, and what I hope to share with anyone reading this. Art DeVany, Jack Lalanne and other Older, yet Fit and Active Humans are a great inspiration.

My new Goal. Match this guys feats when i'm 69.

Reversing Desertification and providing Sustainable Meat.

2011-03-17T05:49:00.001-04:00

http://challenge.bfi.org/winner_2010

This project demonstrates how to reverse desertification of the world’s savannas and grasslands, thereby contributing enormously to mitigating climate change, biomass burning, drought, flood, drying of rivers and underground waters, disappearing wildlife, massive poverty, social breakdown, violence and genocide.

Description of Initiative
Our work established a previously unsuspected cause of desertification – that humans of all ages and cultures make decisions using the same core decision framework. Flaws in this universal framework made world-wide desertification inevitable. Modifications, explained in "Holistic Management" A New Framework for Decision Making" Savory & Butterfield Second Edition 1999, Island Press, make reversing desertification possible.
This work, begun in the early 60s gave erratic results. Since 1984 when the decision-making piece of the puzzle fell into place, as long as the process is followed results in restored grasslands have been consistent and can be guaranteed.
In this particular project ACHM has demonstrated on 6500 acres of grasslands in Zimbabwe the process of reversing desertification. Livestock have increased 400% using holistic planned grazing and we now enjoy open water, water lilies and fish a kilometer above where water has been known before in the dry season. The livestock are integrated with Africa’s big game avoiding competition and wildlife are on the increase. Currently, we can barely keep pace with grass growth even in dry years. This is greatly influencing scientists, NGO’s and pastoralists from all over Africa.

More Meat, Less Wheat. This is really exciting stuff. Sustainable Food, that sustains the environment, unlike conventional agriculture that is practiced around most of the world, which actually has been proven to cause a desert when not continually replenished.

Another link in the chain.

Top 10 for Boosting Testosterone

2011-01-14T07:14:00.000-05:00

To stimulate testosterone production, the hypothalamus releases a substance to the pituitary gland called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). This hormone, in turn, causes the gland to produce two other hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), collectively known as gonadotropins. LH is released into the bloodstream where it travels to the male testes and triggers the production of testosterone from cholesterol. If this process continues until the testosterone level becomes too high, the pituitary slows the release of LH so production slows down. FSH is similarly involved in the increase and decrease in sperm production.

When LH reaches the testes, it influences activity in the Leydig cells, which are where cholesterol is gradually changed into a series of compounds until it becomes testosterone. When the small but vital amount of testosterone produced is released into the bloodstream, it is mostly bound to a special "carrier" compound called sex hormone binding globulin or SHBG. SHBG, which is produced by the liver, plays an important role in regulating the amount of "free" testosterone circulating in the body at any one time. The more SHBG there is the less unbound, active testosterone is able to move from the blood stream into cells where it is needed. As SHBG levels rise and fall, so do free testosterone levels, except in reverse.

There are 2 major parts to Increasing your Testosterone. Precursors(Lutenizing Hormone) and Anti-Estrogenics.(Block Conversion of Testosterone into Estrogen and block SHBG:sex hormone binding globulin) Its all whole food, I do not condone supplements.

1. Zinc- luteinizing hormone AND anti-aromatase

Oysters
Shrimp
Eggs
Liver
Spinach

2. Omega 3 Fats - Hormonal Fuel! (shoot for EPA/DHA not ALA) also binds SHBG

Grassfed Meats
Wild Fish (best)
Shellfish

3. Vitamins A, B, C, E - Testosterone Production

Wild Meat!
Avocado
Spinach
Asparagus
Liver

4. Indole-3-Carbinol - Anti Estrogen

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage

5. Allicin - Boost Testosterone

Garlic

6. Cholesterol(dietary cholesterol does NOT equal blood cholesterol) - Pure Fuel.

Wild Meat
Eggs
Liver
Shellfish

7. Potassium

Avocado
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Spinach

8. Sleep. Seriously. its when you produce the most Testosterone, and lower stress/more rest will inhibit estrogen conversion.

9. Sex. Seriously. More of it, or even thinking about it, boosts Test Production.

10. HIIT - High Intensity Workouts. Train Fasted, Train hard, if you're not breathing heavy and sweating afterwords, you did it wrong.

NPR.org » Food For Thought: Meat-Based Diet Made Us Smarter

2010-08-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908

Our earliest ancestors ate their food raw — fruit, leaves, maybe some nuts. When they ventured down onto land, they added things like underground tubers, roots and berries.
It wasn't a very high-calorie diet, so to get the energy you needed, you had to eat a lot and have a big gut to digest it all. But having a big gut has its drawbacks.
"You can't have a large brain and big guts at the same time," explains Leslie Aiello, an anthropologist and director of the Wenner-Gren Foundation in New York City, which funds research on evolution. Digestion, she says, was the energy-hog of our primate ancestor's body. The brain was the poor stepsister who got the leftovers.
Until, that is, we discovered meat.

NPR has a great series going on right now, The Human Edge.

Check it out.

Also Semi-Related, a Great Book Recommendation:

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

Where Can I Find Real (Raw) Milk?

2010-08-15T10:45:00.001-04:00

Just a quick Link share....

http://realmilk.com/where1.html

Make sure if you do get Raw Milk, that its from Grass Fed Cows. Raw milk from Sick cows would be scary. Raw Milk from Healthy Natural Cows is ideal.

Looking for Cows with Casein A2, Jersey, Asian and African Breeds. These will have fewer potential allergen response, and tend to be less overbred.

and a reminder,

http://eatwild.com/

to find GrassFed/Pastured Meats!

Have some Butter...

2010-08-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

Eat your Butter... Its good for you.

Taste - Honestly who doesnt love butter? It's Betta with Budda.

We personally LOVE Kerrygold, for taste and nutritional benefit, its a Grassfed Butter, we get it at Costco, Sams Club, Kroger or Trader Joes...

Nutrition - A Great Source of Vitamins A, E, K(will have another writeup on this oft overlooked vitamin), Iodine, Anti-Oxidants, Selenium, Butyric Acid(anti inflammatory)

Vitamins are Fat Soluble - Your body absorbs vitamins better when it has dietary fat.

What good is eating the Healthy Food without the benefits... make sure you add a Healthy Dietary Fat with every real meal to ensure absorption. If you take supplements(I prefer real food), make sure you take them with a meal, with Dietary Fat!

Heres a Great Writeup over at Weston A Price.

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/519-why-butter-is-better.html

Quality Saturated Fat. Heart Healthy. and Happy Tastebuds to boot!

Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition- Brown, M.J., Ferruzzi, M.G., Nguyen, M.L., Cooper, D.A., Eldridge, A.L., Schwartz, S.J., & White, W.S.

Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil.Journal of Nutrition - Unlu, N.Z., Bohn, T., Clinton, S.K., & Schwartz, S.J..

Intermittent Fasting: A Primer

2010-07-25T12:32:00.000-04:00

Lets get one thing on the table right off the bat... Breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day.

Your metabolism does NOT start as soon as you start eating. Quite the Opposite!

Your metabolism only slows down when your overall caloric intake doesnt meet your bodies needs for an extended period of time, not a day, but weeks.

If you skip a meal, you wont Starve!!!

We store Fat for a reason. To use later. Its our built in Rechargeable batteries. Why in the world would our system decide if we aren't Constantly charging the batteries that they would not provide the juice to our systems?

The truth is, our body is supplying energy via stored fat almost all the time. Its our go to. Heres the kicker. As soon as you eat, your body stops pulling from stored energy and converts over to using (and storing) the incoming food. Eating also releases Insulin, your "Storage and Growth Hormone", which means your body is charging the batteries, rather than pulling from them...

If weight loss is a goal, the less time in Storage Mode the better.

Hunger is the real roadblock for most. The best I can recommend, until your body is used to running on stored fat for longer periods of time, is to move gradually into it.

Delay Breakfast.
Skip Breakfast
Delay Lunch
Skip Lunch.

personally almost every single day I skip breakfast, its easier. then depending how ive been eating lately, I choose to skip lunch or have a breakfast lunch(eggs and bacon!) at lunchtime. Depends how much ive decided to eat lately and my weight/fitness goals. I eat more when Im working out, I eat less if I notice ive gained some weight. I generally dont eat if im not hungry. Generally a 16-18 hour fast, or the days I skip lunch, a 24hr fast.

Martin Berkham over at Leangains.com has a TON of information about Intermittent Fasting if you want more information to read about.

also below Ill post a Number of studies talking about the weight loss and other benefits, but honestly, the list goes on and on far beyond what im sharing here.

Studies show that meal frequency is unimportant. In addition, eating less often and therefore spiking your insulin less often, results in improved insulin sensitivity. Meaning your body is better able to understand when to start and stop storage, signal when you should eat, control hunger, and give you a lower setpoint.

Meal frequency influences circulating hormone levels but not lipogenesis rates in humans -
Peter J. H. Jones, Gayle L. Namchuk and Raymond A. Pederson

Effect of meal size and frequency on the thermic effect of food-
Ph.D.Amy Z. Belko^a and M.A.Teresa F. Barbieri

Influence of Diet Composition on Nitrogen Balance and Body Composition in Meal-Eating and Nibbling Rats1-AYSEL OZELCI, DALE R. ROMSOS AND GILBERT A. LEVEILLE

The Human Body May Buffer Small Differences in Meal Size and Timing

during a 24-h Wake Period Provided Energy Balance Is Maintained1-Ulf Holmba, Arne Lowden,Mats Stridsberg and Anders Forslund

The Effect of Meal Frequency on Preprandial Resting Metabolic Rate-Abby Goodman-Larson, Kristine Johnson & Krista Shevlin

Effect of the pattern of food intake on human energy metabolism-BY WILHELMINE P. H. G. VERBOEKET-VAN DE VENNE', KLAAS R. WESTERTERP' AND ARNOLD D. M. KESTER'

Heres a Study showing Intermittent Fasting lowering Inflammation.

Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein and Biochemical Parameters during Prolonged Intermittent Fasting- Fehime B. Aksungar^a, Aynur E. Topkaya^b, Mahmut Akyildiz^c

Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: a review of human and animal trials- Krista A Varady and Marc K Hellerstein

Calorie restriction (CR) and alternate-day fasting (ADF) represent2 different forms of dietary restriction. Although the effectsof CR on chronic disease prevention were reviewed previously,the effects of ADF on chronic disease risk have yet to be summarized.Accordingly, we review here animal and human evidence concerningADF and the risk of certain chronic diseases, such as type 2diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. We also comparethe magnitude of risk reduction resulting from ADF with thatresulting from CR. In terms of diabetes risk, animal studiesof ADF find lower diabetes incidence and lower fasting glucoseand insulin concentrations, effects that are comparable to thoseof CR. Human trials to date have reported greater insulin-mediatedglucose uptake but no effect on fasting glucose or insulin concentrations.In terms of cardiovascular disease risk, animal ADF data showlower total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations,a lower heart rate, improved cardiac response to myocardialinfarction, and lower blood pressure. The limited human evidencesuggests higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations and lower triacylglycerolconcentrations but no effect on blood pressure. In terms ofcancer risk, there is no human evidence to date, yet animalstudies found decreases in lymphoma incidence, longer survivalafter tumor inoculation, and lower rates of proliferation ofseveral cell types. The findings in animals suggest that ADFmay effectively modulate several risk factors, thereby preventingchronic disease, and that ADF may modulate disease risk to anextent similar to that of CR. More research is required to establishdefinitively the consequences of ADF.

Corn Oil and Vegetable Oil...will Run your Car....

2010-07-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of ethanolpics

Corn and Vegetable Oil can be put in Gasoline and Diesel respectively and run a car...

They are similar chemically and have similar reactions...

Would you cook with Gasoline or Diesel? ...

The Easy Oxidation is the reason these work well as fuels. Its also why these go so quickly TOXIC when you cook with them.

They are one of the worst ways to get Omega 6 fats, a misbalance or oxidation of which leads to cancer and disease.

Just a little food for thought... tho I wouldn't dare eat it. I don't want my food to eat it either.

White Men can't Jump... because they can't squat.

2010-07-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

Besides a mildly humorous premise, When you take a look around the US and how we live and eat... This is true... but its not just White Men... Id say, Americans Can't Jump. Sure we have outliers. but by the time we are in our 30's if we aren't actively participating in sports or specifically training to jump... we just arent able to anymore... our kids don't seem to have a problem.. relative to their size of course.

Craig Weller from T-Nation did a great Article about the Third World Squat. I think its a great read about Sitting, Squatting and what we've forgotten how to do, here in America.

http://www.tmuscle.com/readArticle.do;jsessionid=931E7C67CC4D68CDD14935F00ADDDD39.hydra?id=1856085

The classic North American squatting down to grab something from a low shelf or play with his VCR is going to balance on his toes and shoot his knees forward. He's going to try and make the movement feel as much as possible like his natural environment, which is sitting in an office chair.

Home to many butts.
The hips and ankles are immobilized and because the force is being relegated mainly to the quads, the effect of the posterior chain is minimized. The musculature of the lower back will be overactive in order to support the weight of the upper body without much assistance from the glutes. The thoracic spine will generally be flexed forward into a kyphotic posture.

Our Swahili-speaking friend is going to keep his weight on his heels. His feet approximately shoulder width apart and pointed straight forward, with maybe a small amount of external rotation. His feet are in line with his knees, and he'll squat down placing his kneecaps neatly into his armpits. This isn't a skill that he acquired at some point, but simply one that he never lost due to a lifetime of immobility and office work.

An advanced trainee.

In this posture, the thoracic spine is neutral and can be easily extended depending on where the individual's attention is directed. The hips and ankles are able to move freely and remain mobile. The posterior chain is carrying the weight of the body, rather than the quads. When he stands, the power to do so will be generated through the glutes and hamstrings. The lumbar spine remains stable and is used primarily to transfer, rather than generate, force.

Carrnivore or Herbivore.

2010-07-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

Besides the obvious fatal flaws, Veganism is a Moral choice. Not one I would consider, because as much as I like animals... I like myself and my health more.

Theres just no way around it, our bodies are NOT adapted to eating only Vegetables.

We need Meat. Now don't get me wrong. I want Sustainable, Humane, Quality and Healthy Meat. not the CFA poison either.

Thats why I eat Wild Fish, Grass Fed Beef, Wild Forest Fed Boar, Free Range Non Soyfed Chickens and Eggs.

I look for this food to be local if possible, so that I can see how it lives on the farm. So that I Know whats going into my food.

That being said, I just wanted to leave you with 2000 words... Carnivore vs Herbivore, which would you rather be.

Image courtesy of Ianmichaelthomas

image courtesy of G1!7ch

Personally, Im sticking with a Highly Carnivorous, Nutrient Dense Diet with a Healthy Portion of Vegetables on the side... because thats what my body has adapted to live on.

Whole Health Source: Gluten Sensitivity: Celiac Disease is the Tip of the Iceberg

2010-07-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

This link is too important not to share. Given my stance on wheat, this puts things into a little more perspective about whether you think you might have a Gluten Intolerance.

Stephan has a great blog over a Whole Health Source, and alot of great information despite the fact that I disagree with him about eating fermented grains... Id rather avoid them all together.
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/12/gluten-sensitivity-celiac-disease-is.html

I want to point out a few key pieces of information from his post.

It gets worse. Gluten sensitivity is determined in large part by genetics. A gene called HLA-DQ is intimately involved. It encodes a protein that is expressed on the surface of cells, that serves to activate immune cells when certain foreign substances are present. Different versions of the gene are activated by different substances. HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are classically associated with celiac disease. Roughly 42% of the US population carries DQ2 or DQ8. According to Dr. Fine, every allele except DQ4 has some association with gluten-related problems! Only 0.4% of the U.S. population carries HLA-DQ4 and no other allele.

99.6% of the population of the US has genes that carry no known sensitivities to Gluten....
Thats good odds.

A betting man would assume they were part of that percentage.

Me personally, ive used the Elimination Test to determine my sensitivity. Eat absolutely no wheat, and I mean super strict, read every label, know everything you put in your mouth for 3 weeks. Then have some wheat for 2-3 days. then stop.

People report eliminating, Acne, Asthma, Weight!, Digestive Issues, Heartburn, Allergies, Fatigue and more! all from eliminating one poison thats directly attacking their immune system.

When you reintroduce it, pay attention to all these things to see if they return.
Personally I had Weight Loss, Better Digestion and much better Energy, all of which backfired when I eat Wheat. In fact, now that my gut is healed... if I eat wheat, I have Digestive Issues!

Stephan also explains why most normal testing doesnt pick up on the Gluten Sensitivity, besides, you can see for yourself the difference.

The immune system can be divided into two parts: innate and adaptive. The innate immune system is a nonspecific, first-line reaction to a perceived threat. The adaptive immune system is a more sophisticated, but slower system that produces a powerful response by particular cell types to a very specific threat. Antibody production is part of the adaptive immune system. Thus, if your gluten sensitivity test is looking for antibodies, it could still be missing an immune reaction to gluten mediated by the innate immune system!

Thor says, Feed me MEAT.

2010-06-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

Thor is a Carnivore.

Just like his 2 Good Friends Nariel and Arwen (our 2 cats.)

They are not Omnivores. No matter how much you want your "pet" to be like you. They are domesticated versions of WILD Animals. Wolves and Cats in the Wild EAT MEAT.

Their digestive systems are not designed to eat vegetables, and the influx of carbs that all these bagged foods include for your pet only make your furry companions health worse. Look at the epidemic of overweight pets... we are feeding our pets much like we are feeding ourselves... horribly.

Your Furry Friends needs Protein and Fat. Thats it.

I cringe everytime I pass by a "Pet Bakery".... expensive poison for your loved companion... wow.

Love your Furry Friend? Share some of your Grassfed Steak, Wild-Caught Fish, Free Range Chicken next time...

and buy food that isnt loaded with carbs/vegetables, that marketing is WRONG.

Chickens are not Herbivores.

2010-06-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Chickens are not Herbivores.

Chickens are Omnivores. Now, don't start envisioning wild packs of chickens roaming the countryside taking down wild boars or a loose cow. They do however, love insects.

As with all other food I recommend, a Free Range, Pastured Chicken is allowed to EAT WHAT ITS SUPPOSED TO EAT. Same as when people won't have optimal health with an all vegetarian diet, neither will your chicken or it's eggs.

Amazingly, when animals eat what they are supposed to eat, just like us.... they are healthier.

I dont eat sick animals.

Free Range Chickens produce higher quality eggs. Darker Yolks, a Much better Omega 3 to Omega 6 Ratio, and they taste ALOT better as an added bonus.

Chickens should not be eating soy, for the same reasons we should not be eating soy... and some of those anti-nutrients are delivered right from the eggs directly into our diets. In addition to the poor fat balance.

Ive found two incredibly tasty commercial brands that are Soy Free and have excellent Omega Balance.

Tropical Traditions

Organic Soy-free Omega 3 Eggs (4 dozen)

and Christopher Eggs. (I buy them at the local Kroger (appx 2.70/dz)
The Christopher Eggs have 660mg of Omega 3 to 660mg of Omega 6, or that Ideal 1:1 Ratio.

These are of course barring finding a Local Farm to get Organic Free Range Eggs.(best choice)

Exercise Should be Fun.

2010-06-05T08:16:00.000-04:00

Honestly. I Cringe every time I hear someone complain about going to the gym.

Why go? Seriously. Skip the Gym, Cancel your membership. If you don't Enjoy it, Don't do it.

There are so many ways to get your exercise as entertainment. Why would you pay to torture yourself and then go pay to sit on your butt later and call it entertainment?

Here are some of our Favorite Hidden Exercises. They all require me to use Muscles, Many Build Muscles, All of them are fun.(Subjective)

Aegis: Belegarth/Dagorhir Medieval Combat Fighting.

Thor: Wrestling at the Local Dog Park

Aegis: Ultimate Frisbee
Thor: Catch the Frisbee

Aegis: Nature Hike w/ Tree Climbing, Hill Sprints, Log Jumps, Small Rock Climbs.
Thor: Nature Hike w/ Whats that sound?, Look a squirrel!, Creek Splashing.

Aegis: Tennis/Volleyball
Thor: Fetch the Tennis Ball (and promptly rip off all the fuzz)

Aegis: Swimming in the Pool
Thor: Swimming at the Lake/River/Creek(see Nature Hike)

Aegis: Throwing the Ball with Thor and then chasing them both down...
Thor: Chasing the Ball Aegis threw and then running around with it...

Bike Rides, Kayaking, Tree Climbing, the list goes on and on.

the writer and editor of Live Smarter, Not Harder takes no responsibility for your lack of grace and balance in tree climbing or other "fun" activities. Any injuries sustained while following their advice is strictly from your own lack of dexterity.

Correlation does not imply causation: The Cholesterol example.

2010-06-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

Correlation does not imply causation

Such a simple statement... Yet AMERICA's S.A.D. Diet is completely broken because of a couple simple instances of Assuming Causation based on a flawed and limited Correlation study.

I felt this deserved a post all on its own, since this flaw is why we believe so many things we shouldn't and should be one of the first things you check when concerned about a study.

True Science has a "control" when the control is uncontrolled... the science is flawed.

The more firemen fighting a fire, the bigger the fire is going to be.Therefore firemen cause fire.

We use that same flawed logic to explain Dietary Fat, Cholesterol, Diabetes, and a number of other health issues.

Yet the Firemen are there to help.

Cholesterol is a great example of this.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/showthread.php?4723-Cholesterol-A-Primer-(Attempt-2)

This is a forum post with great explination of whats going on, with references and more reading

If you havent yet, I Strongly Strongly suggest getting this book:

It is NOT a Diet Book. It is a Review of Science gone wrong, where it went wrong, and why its wrong.

Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It

This one is also a good read if Cholesterol is a concern, but the bulletpoints are covered for the layman quite well by Griff in the Marks Daily Apple Forum post that I linked above.

How to get Started.

2010-05-31T13:38:00.000-04:00

I've been asked by several people now, How did you get the motivation to get started?
So heres another quick list of steps to get you off the couch and get you started on your own weight loss journey.

Thor Says: Repair your Metabolism.

Go back to one of my first posts about Leptin/Insulin. Metabolic Syndrome (Obesity/etc) is caused by high Resistance with these 2 hormones. Repairing these 2 hormones will cause you body to be able to distinguish WHEN to stop and start eating on its own.

How? Food. Meat, Vegetables, Limited Nuts, Limited Fruit. In that order. Avoid Vegetable Oils, Sugars, Grains.

Thor Says: Don't Overeat.

this one looks good on paper, harder to accomplish.
Don't clean your plate.
Don't Fill your plate. Its ok if theres extra room.
Don't go back for seconds.
Don't trust that hunger pain... remember, your hormones are damaged, until they are repaired, they dont know whats best for you... but soon.
Don't eat at Buffets.
Don't eat till you are Stuffed, Stop once you aren't hungry, maybe earlier.
Eat Satiating Food. Carbs dont fill you up. They make you hungrier. Protein and Fat fill you up.

Thor Says: Skip a Meal.

It won't kill you, mainstream media tells you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day... or maybe they just want you to buy their processed carbohydrate obesity puffs?
If you're trying to lose weight, skip breakfast, eat a reasonable lunch(of only good healthy food) and a healthy dinner. Suck it up, show some willpower, the hunger cravings are simply a trained response from a broken hormonal system. I promise they will go away. Once your sensitivity to Insulin and Leptin return, you'll find that you can skip an entire day and still feel great when you've had enough to eat.

You will learn that Food is fuel for activities, and when you eat right and your hormones are in balance, you will find yourself with boundless energy and the DESIRE to get up and do things!!!

Thor Says: Walk.

Get everything moving. Don't worry about muscle gain, exercise, Aerobics, Weight Lifting or the rest of the high intensity activities. Once your hormones are repaired, you will WANT to do those things.

Until then, Walk. 30 minutes a day. Just get yourself moving. If you're in a situation similar to where I was, a 30 min walk is a huge workout!!!

Thor Says: Sleep

If you're not rested, you wont have energy. Only you know how much you need. I highly doubt that 5-6 hours is adequate however.
Avoid the Bright lights of a computer or TV before going to sleep. Give yourself at least 30minutes of no bright light before going to sleep and you will sleep significantly better.

Once your Hormones are Repaired, you will no longer need to count calories(you'll stop eating naturally, including skipping a meal when not hungry), you will no longer need to schedule exercise(you will seek it naturally) you will simply have to eat naturally, and avoid the garbage thats prevalent in the SAD. (Standard American Diet)

Thats all it takes to get Started.

Your Appendix has a purpose!

2010-05-30T10:23:00.000-04:00

Not all bacteria are bad. In Fact certain Bacteria are symbiotic and vital to our ability to break down food and nutrients to a form our body can readily use.

There is a constant struggle in our Intestines, one that strongly regulates our overall health. Thor says: Enjoy a good struggle, but not in your gut!

The Good Bacteria feed on Prebiotic food. Conveniently, the Food they want is what we eat for our own health, Meats, Vegetables, Nuts, some fruit.

The Bad Bacteria feed on Sugars, Grains, and the garbage we shouldn't be eating anyways.
Starve them out!

Your Appendix has a purpose. It has been shown to serve as a repository for Good Bacteria.
When you get sick, diarrhea or other intestinal issues, take an antibiotic(gah!) or otherwise harm your Good Bacteria, The Appendix releases its stores of Healthy Bacteria and resets your system.

Gut Health ties back to such an incredible # of diseases, because it is the primary helper of your immune system. Good Bacteria will help clear out the bad bacteria. A clean system means your immune system can focus on cleaning the rest of your body instead of being tired and exhausted of resources from having to fight in your gut constantly. This is why Sugar and Grains cause you to get sick, Its like sending ammunition to the enemy in the middle of a war, that they shoot back at you!!! Politics aside, this is what we do on a daily basis when we eat Sugars and Grains!

Good Bacteria is responsible for breaking down carbs into short chain fatty acids, which the body can then use. We do not have a process for breaking down starches on our own.

people on the Standard American Diet (SAD) have horrible gut flora. Gas, Indigestion and very very weak immune systems. constipation etc. The list goes on and on.

You need to do 2 things.

Stop sending ammo to the enemy.

Bring in reinforcements.

Probiotics and Prebiotics. Getting alot of news coverage lately, these are the Omega3 of the Yogurt Industry... kinda humorous considering most of the yogurts include SUGAR (Feeding the Enemy) and they usually only contain one strain of bacteria and unknown quantities.

The other alternative is popping freeze dried pills. I personally dont know if theyre working, if the bacteria are alive, etc... in addition, the Prebiotics(a fancy way of saying Bacteria Food) arent packaged with them, therefore the newly awoken billions of freeze dried bacteria have nothing to eat and starve or get flushed out before they can setup camp.

The First Choice should be Food. Raw Food in particular, now im not recommending you eat everything raw. Tho I love Sushi and munch on fruit and veggies often... this is the best way to get these bacteria as Heat kills bacteria.

Fermentation. Lacto Fermented Food that hasn't been pasteurized. Homemade Sauerkraut etc. Note: most store bought varieties are mixed with preservatives that fry the good bacteria.
Also look for natural pickles,

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
is a great read/recipe book for Natural Fermentation.

Yogurt/Kefir - The easiest way to get live active cultures.
If you're buying either, be sure to look for 3 things.

Live Active Cultures. Usually 1 or 2 in Yogurt, 10+ in the right Kefir!
Low to No Sugar. seriously.
Full Fat. Feeds you and feeds the healthy bacteria. Low Fat makes you fat!

I love the Greek Style Kefir, available at most Grocery Stores.

Our Stocked Kitchen - Vegetables

2010-05-28T15:03:00.000-04:00

On to Vegetables! I won't be discussing all vegetables, simply the ones we choose to stock in our kitchen. There is such a wide variety out there, and so many that people like and dislike, eat what you love!
As far as Vegetables go, Your Bulk Stores, Costco/Sams carry Organic options but your best bet is almost always a local farmers market.

Asparagus - A wonderful Vegetable for Anti-Inflammatory, Promoting Good Bacteria(Prebiotic), Vitamin K(Calcium regulation), Potassium, B Vitamins, etc etc... the list goes on. This is a superfood and we eat it multiple times a week.

Sauteed on the Grill in Coconut Oil/Garlic is my Favorite! Pretty Good in Butter too.

Broccoli - another Superfood. Eye Health, Anti Oxidant, Anti Inflammatory, More Calcium than Milk, B Vitamins(including Folic).. .Another Several times a week Staple

We love Roasted Broccoli, Toss Broccoli in Olive Oil and Fresh Diced Garlic and Roast in Oven. Super easy.

Onions - A Great source of Prebiotic(feeds good bacteria) Onions also may help prevent colon cancer, They also have similar sulfides to garlic which have been shown to lower blood lipids and blood pressure. They may also help promote Free Testosterone, great for building muscle.

I love Sauteed Onions or just Raw on a Salad. A good fresh Vidalia I have been known to eat like an apple.

Peppers - Green, Red, Hot, Sweet, Mild. I grill them all. Mmmm. More Vitamin C than most Fruits, Peppers are extremely Anti-Inflammatory. Hot Peppers even more so, in fact Capsaicin (the thing in hot peppers that makes them HOT), is one of the most anti-inflammatory things you can ingest! Dont worry, your body adapts to spicy quickly, the more you eat, the easier it gets. Excellent Source of Vitamins A, B, C and Lycopene

I love sweet peppers on my salads, Hot peppers with everything, and Bell Peppers in Stirfry/Fajitas/Taco Salad.

Greens - Salad base. Lettuce, Cabbage, Any Leafy Vegetable. Avoid Iceberg, mostly water, the darker the color the healthier.

Honestly, for me, these are Salad Base. I prefer the Mixed Salad Greens , many prefer simply Romaine.

perhaps a Lettuce Wrap for Tacos/Burgers.

Mushrooms - Selenium, Iron, Protein.. Technically a Fungus, not a Vegetable. A potent Anti Oxidant, and may help with Energy Regulation.

Grilled or Sauteed, near mandatory addition to any Steak or Meatza Creation!

Zucchini and Squash- Anti Oxidant, Anti - Inflammatory (noticing a trend?) We prefer these grilled after a lite drizzle in E.V. Olive Oil or Coocnut Oil.

Garlic - Potent Anti -Inflammatory, Helps fight cancer, lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular system and add a ton of flavor to almost any dish, we eat garlic literally Every day.

We buy it Pre-Minced for convenience, remember to read ingredients, if it says anything other than "Garlic, Water". Don't get it.

Salad Veggies - Celery, Cucumbers, Carrots, we dont generally cook with these, but they have great vitamin profiles, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories, and add flavor and garnish to your Big Salads.

Cilantro - in addition to being a super plant all on its own, Cilantro has been shown to be a heavy metal scrub, flushing toxins and heavy metals from your system. Another personal favorite for adding flavor to dishes as well. rounds out our mean homemade Pico De Gallo (recipe forthcoming)

Sweet Potatoes - Not Yams, Don't get the sugary dessert copies. This is one of the few starches I eat, because these Tubers are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, Vitamin A in particular

Baked, with Kerrygold Butter and Saigon Cinnamon... melt in your mouth goodness.

Ginger - another great spice, extreme anti-inflammatory, and known to be an amazing home remedy for quelling stomach discomfort and motion sickness (ive personally tested this.)

Great seasoning for Fish, Seafood, Stir Fry.

What are your favorite Vegetables?

Our Stocked Kitchen - Meat!

2010-05-28T14:01:00.000-04:00

We like to keep a wide variety available, since we never know what we want to eat.

Heres what we keep in stock in our Kitchen, and where we get it.
When you see a great deal... stock up, Freezers are your friends. Vacuum Sealing is very helpful as well.

Grass Fed Steaks. Omega 3-6 Balance better than Grain fed, more vitamins, CLA etc. as an added bonus, It Tastes Much Better too(once you try it, youll be hooked!! A cheap grassfed tastes better than higher end cuts of grain-fed

In Atlanta, we go to Dekalb Farmers Market($5.99-9.99/lb). In Gwinnett, Whole Foods (6.99-12.99/lb)

Grass Fed Ground Beef- A much more economical Version of Grass Fed Beef. All the taste without the extreme cost. Great for Making Meatloaf, Meatza!, Hamburger Steaks, Stir Fry etc.

Costco Carries Verde Farms (~$12/3lbs) and Publix carries White Oak(~5.99/lb)
We keep ALOT of Grass Fed Ground Beef in the Freezer, its very versatile, tasty, and at roughly $4/lb... a great value.

Wild Salmon - One of the best sources of Omega 3 and a host of other Goodies for your health. Wild Salmon doesnt live in filth, eats what its supposed to and is a richer color and you can taste the difference. The Cost is usually roughly the same, however you sometimes have to look harder to find Wild. We buy ALL Seafood Wild if we can.

Costco and Sams Club are good resources, Price Fluxuates Heavily Wild Salmon is easier to find than Grass Fed Beef.

Other Seafood - Depends on what we find, are in the mood for. Ahi Tuna, Scallops, Cod, Mackerel, Halibut. Wild Fish, or whatever looks particularly taste at Dekalb Farmers Market when we go.

Eggs - An Inexpensive Staple. We use Eggs as quick snacks(hard-boiled) as Breakfast (Omelettes, Scrambled with HotSauce, Fried, Fritatta) Cheap and Healthy. Eggs ARE good for you. Eggs are one of the few Whole Protein sources. We go for the High Omega 3 Eggs (350mg per Egg) they have a healthier Omega 3 to 6 ratio.

Walmart has the Omega 3 Eggs (350mg per Egg) for $1.66/dz, alternately if you want a much healthier egg and dont mind paying a little extra, Grass Fed Traditions sells 4Dz for $25.99 ($6.50/dz) Organic Soy-free Omega 3 Eggs (4 dozen)

Beef Jerky - We dont eat alot... but its a quick grab and go snack for Hiking, Biking, Walking or a Day at Six Flags. This is the least healthy meat we eat, as its Grain Fed and has a little sugar added as well.Pick your preference yourself, its sold everywhere, but get whole meat, dont get the processed sticks.Look for the types with the Least Sugar and Lowest amount of preservatives and additives. The Closer you get to "Ingredients: Beef", the better.

We have a Dehydrator and make our own now. Cheaper, Healthier and Tastier.

Chicken - Pastured/Free Range Chicken falls under the same boat as Grass Fed Beef, yet even harder to find. Stick to Organic if the cost isnt much Higher... Personally I'd rather spend my money on Grass Fed Steaks and Wild Salmon.

Pork - We dont generally eat alot of Pork. We love Nitrate Free Bacon Bratwurst, and Sausage. Just be careful to read the Ingredient Lists to see what they have added to your tasty tasty Bacon.

Bison - Very similar to Grass Fed Beef. The taste is quite good and has been described as more earthy. with a similar cost to Grass Fed Beef, and a similar nutrition profile, Bison is a Much Tougher meat and very chewy. We stick to the Beef.
Lamb - Still meaning to try it. Honestly no current opinion at this time.
Turkey - Seasonal Bird for our household. great for leftovers. Follow same rules as Chicken.

Wheat Legumes and Soy: Hidden Evil Part 2

2010-05-22T09:07:00.002-04:00

Hidden Evils: Part 2

The Studies!

Image Courtesy of dglider

Part 2, Im going to share a few well written pieces, and then link to alot of Studies. My point remains, Even if there are "some" benefits. They are easily replaced by Real Food. Meat, Vegetables, even Fruit.

From Heartscanblog.blogspot.com
Name that food

What common food can:

• Cause destructive intestinal damage that, if unrecognized, can lead to disability and death?
• Increase blood sugar higher and faster than table sugar?
• Trigger an autoimmune inflammatory condition in the thyroid (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)?
• Create intestinal bloating, cramps, and alternating diarrhea and constipation, often labeled irritable bowel syndrome?
• Trigger schizophrenia in susceptible individuals?
• Cause behavioral outbursts in children with autism?
• Cause various inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, dermatitis herpetiformis, systemic lupus, pancreatic destruction, and increase measures of inflammation like c-reactive protein?
• Cause unexplained anemia, mood swings, fatigue, fibromyalgia, eczema, and osteoporosis?

The food is wheat. Yes, the ubiquitous grain we are urged to eat more and more of by the USDA (8-11 servings per day, according to the USDA food pyramid), American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, and the American Diabetes Association. Wheat is among the most destructive ingredients in the modern diet, worse than sugar, worse than high-fructose corn syrup, worse than any fat.

What other common food can result in such an extensive list of diseases, even death?

Celiac disease alone, a severe intestinal inflammatory condition from wheat gluten, affects an estimated 3 million Americans (Celiac Disease Foundation). The medical literature is filled with case reports of deaths from this disease, often after many years of struggle with incapacitating intestinal dysfunction and the sufferer's last days plagued by encephalopathy (brain inflammation).

What happens when you remove wheat from the diet?

The majority of people quickly shed 20-30 lbs in the first few weeks, selectively lost from the abdomen (what I call “wheat belly”); blood sugar plummets; triglycerides drop up to several hundred milligrams, HDL increases, LDL drops (yes, wheat elimination is a means of achieving marked reduction in LDL cholesterol, especially the small, heart disease-causing variety); c-reactive protein plummets. In addition to this, intestinal complaints improve or disappear, rashes improve, inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis improve, diabetes can improve or be cured, and behavioral disorders and mood improve.

Along with the ill-fated low-fat dietary advice of the last 40 years, the advice to eat plenty of "healthy whole grains" is responsible for untold disease and suffering. Yes, if you start with a fast food and junk diet and replace some of the calories with whole grains, you will be better off. (That was the logic--the Nutritional Syllogism--of the studies that established the benefits of whole grains over processed, "white" grains.)

But eliminate wheat grains and health takes a huge leap forward. And, no, there is no such thing as wheat deficiency--B vitamins, insoluble fiber, some protein--can easily be replaced by other foods.

Another good read:
Gluten: What you don't know might kill you. Mark Hyman MD

of particular note, A review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 "diseases" that can be caused by eating gluten. (iv) These include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia,cancer, fatigue, canker sores, (v) and rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all otherautoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to many psychiatric (vi) and neurological diseases, includinganxiety, depression, (vii) schizophrenia, (viii) dementia, (ix) migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy (nerve damage). (x) It has also been linked to autism.(ix)

288 Studies Showing the Toxicity of Soy in the US Food & Drug Administration's Poisonous Plant Database
Courtesy of www.westonaprice.org

A Nice Summary of Soy Dangers by www.westonaprice.org

High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B₁₂.
Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy food
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

A Long List of Hidden Ingredients that contain Gluten: from Celiacs.com
http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html

Studies:
by no means a definitive list, merely a small splash in the pond.

Wheat Gluten linked to Diabetes Type 1 in some individuals; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, news release, Aug. 20, 2009
A strong, relationship between grain intake and schizophrenia..Dohan FC et al 1984 and Singh MM et al 1976 and Zioudrou C et al 1979
A Paleolithic diet confers higher insulin sensitivity, lower C-reactive protein and lower blood pressure than a cereal-based diet; Nutrition & Metabolism 2006, 3:39doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-39
Antinutritive effects of wheat-germ agglutinin and other N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectins.The British Journal of Nutrition 1993 Jul;70(1):313-21. PMID
Lectin binding in benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Arch Pathol Lab Med.1989 Feb;113(2):186-9. PMID
Wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A inhibit the response of human fibroblasts to peptide growth factors by a post-receptor mechanism. J Cell Physiol. 1985 Sep;124(3):474-80. PMID
Natural human antibodies to dietary lectins. FEBS Lett.1996 Nov 18;397(2-3):139-42. PMID
Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Aug;63(8):947-55. Epub 2009 Feb 11.
Gluten linked to Autism lCochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(2):CD00349
Dietary Lectins linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis; British Journal of Nutrition (2000), 83, 207–217
The number of children with life-threatening peanut allergies has tripled during the last decade. N Engl J Med 2003 Mar 13;348(11):977-85.
Soy protein supplementation increases serum insulin-like growth factor-I in young and old men but does not affect markers of bone metabolism *linked to hormone Cancers. J Nutr 2002 Sep;132(9):2605-8
Soy foods were found to be high in oxalates and likely to contribute to kidney stones. J Agric Food Chem 2001 Sep;49(9):4262-6.
Soy-fed infants had more reproductive problems and more asthma as adults.JAMA 2001 Nov 21;286(19):2402-3.
Soy protein intake was significantly correlated with stomach cancer mortality rate in men" and "soy product intake estimated as total amount as well as isoflavone and soy protein intake were significantly positively correlated with colorectal cancer mortality rates in both sexes." In other words, men who consumed lots of soy had more stomach cancer and men and women who consumed lots of soy had more colorectal cancer.International Journal of Epidemiology Oct 2000; 29(5):832-6.
Participants who consumed tofu in mid life had lower cognitive function in late life and a greater incidence of Alzheimer's and dementia.White L. Association of High Midlife Tofu Consumption with Accelerated Brain Aging. Plenary Session #8: Cognitive Function,The Third International Soy Symposium, Program, November 1999, page 26
Individuals with cholesterol levels over 250 mg/dl would experience a "significant" reduction of 7 to 20 percent in levels of serum cholesterol if they substituted soy protein for animal protein.*(That means Eat Meat) Anderson JW and others. Meta-analysis of the Effects of Soy Protein Intake on Serum Lipids. New England Journal of Medicine, 1995 333:(5):276-82
Soybeans are listed as having some of the highest levels of phytic acid of all legumes. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of zinc, iron, copper and magnesium.El Tiney A. Proximate Composition and Mineral and Phytate Contents of Legumes Grown in Sudan. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 1989;2:67-68
Diets of soy protein isolate high in trypsin inhibitors caused depressed growth and enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer, and enlarged thryoid gland; Rackis JJ and others. The USDA trypsin inhibitor study. I. Background, objectives and procedural details. Qualification of Plant Foods in Human Nutrition, 1985;35.
The phytic acid in soy is highly resistant to normal phytate-reducing techniques, such as soaking or long, slow cooking.Journal of Food Science. January/February 1984;49(1):199-201.
Consumption of dietary phytoestrogens resulting in very high plasma isoflavone levels (in many cases over a relatively short interval of consumption in adulthood) can significantly alter sexually dimorphic brain regions, anxiety, learning and memory.Lephard ED and others. Neurobehavioral effects of dietary soy phytoestrogens.Neurotoxicol Teratol 2002 Jan-Feb;24(1):5-16
A link between soy consumption and goiter Doerge DR and DM Sheehan. Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environ Health Perspect 2002 Jun;110 suppl 3:349-53.
Soy protein isolates containing increasing concentrations of genistein stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells in vivo in a dose-dependent manner.Allred CD and others. Soy diets containing varying amounts of genistein stimulate growth of estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) tumors in a dose-dependent manner.Cancer Res 2001 Jul 1;61(13):5045-50.
Genistein and daidzein may stimulate existing breast tumor growth and antagonize the effects of tamoxifen. Women with current or past breast cancer should be aware of the risks of potential tumor growth when taking soy products."de Lemos ML. Effects of soy phytoestrogens genistein and daidzein on breast cancer growth. Ann Pharmacother 2001 Sep;35(9):118-21.
Lolas GM, Markakis P. "Phytic acid and other phosphorous compounds of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1975. 23(1):13-15.
Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L. "Iron absorption in man: ascorbic acid and dose-dependent inhibition by phytate." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1989. 49(1):140-144.
Koiwa H, Bressan RA, Hasegawa PM. "Regulation of protease inhibitors and plant defense." Trends in Plant Science. 1997. 2(10):379-384.

MSG	Gelatin	Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)	Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)	Yeast Extract
Glutamate	Autolyzed Plant Protein	Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid	Sodium Caseinate	Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract	Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)