Dear Reader,
Healthful Living wishes you a happy and
healthy autumn season.
We hope you enjoy this issue and become
motivated to attend Julie's pregnancy
workshop, try some raw milk and taste some
kombucha, or take any other action to
intentionally impact your health.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Martin and Julie Matthews
Holistic Nutrition for Pregnancy by Julie Matthews |
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Pregnancy is the most important time to be
conscious about what you eat. Traditional
wisdom, scientific inquiry, and mother's
intuition understand that nutrition has an
important impact on fetuses and babies, as
well as a mother who needs good health and
strength to take care of her newborn and
breastfeed.
Proper nutrition is important before, during,
and after pregnancy to ensure a healthy baby
and a healthy mom. And it's more than simply
increasing how much you eat, you must
consider what you eat. Those extra calories
should come from nutrient dense foods that
contribute to your baby's growth and
development, and adequately nourish mom
during and after pregnancy. A healthy diet
during pregnancy can help lower the risk of
chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes,
heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis
that many women may face after pregnancy and
later in life.
A few simple things you can do that will go a
long way:
- Maximize every bite. In order to absorb
the large amount of nutrients required for
pregnancy, it's important to eat as many
nutrient-dense foods as possible including
vegetables, leafy greens, grass-fed meat and
dairy, and mineral-rich broths.
- Adding fiber to your diet can help you
avoid problems like constipation and
hemorrhoids.
- Abundant water and good hydration are
important for pregnancy. Water flushes waste
products from cells and aids liver and kidney
function for mother and baby's waste. Proper
hydration is important for adequate breast
milk production and flow.
- Take a prenatal supplement. This is a
good "insurance policy." However, it is still
best to get as many key nutrients as you can
from whole foods. Nutrients from food are
more easily absorbed than from supplements.
- AVOID additives and toxins in foods (such
as the following) is important: mercury in
fish, MSG, artificial colors, flavors and
preservatives, nitrates/nitrites in cured
meats such as ham and bacon, artificial
sweeteners, contaminants in water, and
pesticides in produce and animal products.
These substances are harmful to mother and
baby.
Some benefits to Mom and Baby:
- Lifelong impact on the health of your
child by building a strong physiological
system from the beginning.
- Minimize the challenges of morning
sickness, constipation, anemia, heartburn,
gestational diabetes, and preclampsia.
- Lowers some of the risks of low birth
weight, susceptibility to infection, birth
defects and miscarriages.
- Increase daily energy level, feelings of
well-being, and help reduce fatigue
- Positively affects labor. Women who get
proper nutrition are less likely to deliver
early than women with poorer diets -
deficiency in zinc and essential fatty acids
have been correlated with preterm labor.
- Promotes healthy weight gain.
- Better postpartum recovery. A
well-nourished body recovers faster, and
healthy pregnancy weight gain comes off more
quickly
For much more information on Holistic
Nutrition for Pregnancy:
> Attend my upcoming
weekend workshop - 2 days on Holistic
Nutrition for Pregnancy.
> Listen to my recent
radio interview - wherein I talk for one
hour about Pregnancy Nutrition, essential
nutrients, aiding digestion, toxins to avoid,
and the specialized circumstances around
fertility and subsequent pregnancies.
See the special coupon
below and/or refer a
friend. I hope to see you then!
Are you a Holistic Practitioner? E-mail us about the
practitioner discount.
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Weight Loss Drugs - All Promise no Payoff Rant by Julie Matthews |
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In June, two new "weight loss drugs" were
announced to the public. The first was rimonabant
by Sanofi-Aventis and it was (believe it or not)
unanimously rejected by the FDA due to risks
from side effects. Wow, the FDA was doing
their job! In studies, rimonabant had twice
as many psychiatric side effects, including
suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety and
sleep problems as placebo.
In the same issue of the San Francisco
Chronicle, I read that an over-the-counter
drug by GlaxoSmithKline,
orlistat, would soon be (and now is) on the
market under the brand name "Alli." It is a
lower-dose
version of the prescription drug, Xenical
that has been on the market since 1999.
The Alli headline's subtitle read,
"over-the-counter drug isn't a panacea,
doctors warn, but at least it seems safe."
This is as good as we can get, it "seems
safe?" Well compared to suicide, I guess it
is "safer," but is that a good
comparison?
Alli works by preventing the body from
absorbing about 25 percent of the fat it
ingests. According to the paper, "When used
along with a healthy diet plan and regular
exercise, about half of people taking Alli in
clinical studies lost 5 percent of their body
weight in six months." This means that after
six months, a 200 pound woman may expect to
lose 10 pounds, and one doctor claimed the
average weight loss was 20 pounds before the
drug stopped working. That's it!
With side effects that include diarrhea and
upset stomach from fats that are not absorbed
and instead stay in the intestinal tract, I
don't know why anyone would consider using
this drug.
Additionally, their message is deceiving. While
users are told to maintain a healthy diet and
exercise regularly; Blackburn, co-chairman of
the Reality Council, an obesity-prevention
group that is funded in part by a
grant from GlaxoSmithKline states, "I have a
lot of patients who want to eat a little
extra fat, and they take this so they won't
absorb some of the fat that they eat,"
Blackburn said. "They get to have a little
higher fat in the meal, and they don't pay
for the calories, so they're happy." What!
People are going to go through diarrhea and
digestive discomfort, so they can eat MORE
fat. If it helps absorb 25% of fat, this
logic is akin to buying a dress you did not
need in order to save money. With this
strategy, where is the weight loss and
benefit to the individual's health?
If from a 2000 calorie diet that is 30% fat,
that's 600 calories from fat - with a 25%
decrease in fat absorption, that's a savings
of only 150 calories!!!
Dr. Michael Okimura, an endocrinologist and
chairman of the Healthy Weight Collaborative
for Kaiser Permanente Northern California,
said he's prescribed it to only two or three
patients, and none of them returned for
refills.
Additionally, if you block absorption of fats
you will also block 25% absorption of omega 3
fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins. These
nutrients are already in low supply for most
Americans and further deficiency could be a
big problem for many.
What has this world come to? The director of
nutrition studies at the prevention research
center at Stanford University School of
Medicine said about the drug, "It's not a
good way to lose weight, but I don't have a
better way," said Christopher Gardner.
What!
What planet does this person live on? You're
going to tell me that the Director of
Nutrition at Stanford University School of
Medicine doesn't have a better way to lose
weight?! What are they studying?!
We know how to lose weight. Don't we? I
guess when you want a pill to fix a health
and weight problem, they don't have a better
way.
To admit this drug strategy doesn't work and
that good old fashioned diet and exercise is
the solution would blow too many doors off
established systems (and secrets) - The
weight loss industry, the pharmaceutical
industry, the food industry, and the medical
industry.
Message to industry: low quality, nutrient
deficient "diet foods," junk foods, and
processed foods are toxic and making us fat
and drugs are not the answer!
Message to society: connect with and
trust your body, align with universal laws
and natural principles in your pursuit of
health and healing - trust your
intuition.
Recent Reality Sandwich Radio Interviews
with the authors of The Beck
Diet Solution and Never
be Fat Again shed much healthier light on
the subject of weight loss. CLICK
HERE
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Healthful Living visits Organic Pastures Dairy by Martin and Julie Matthews |
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We've seen the cows! Their grazing on grass,
soaking up the sun, and sure do seem to be
happy - just like on the front of the milk
bottles.
A few weeks ago we stopped in at Organic
Pastures Dairy (OPD) in Fresno. We spent an
hour with owner Mark McAfee, learning about
the Raw movement and touring the facilities.
We went out to the fields, met the cows, and
learned how the mobile milk barn works. The
Jersey and Guernsey cows we saw all have
names and are milked twice a day, right out
there by the pasture - no commute! We could
see how the milk is instantly chilled and how
it proceeds through the processes of bottling
or becoming butter, cheese, or Quephor
(Kefir).
The place is spotless, everything is multi
cleaned and inspected to ensure the highest
quality raw milk products that are safe and
delicious for all. Do we sound like fans?
There's an overwhelming sense of
professionalism and passion with Mark, which
shows in every aspect of the operation. OPD
employees are as happy as the cows, as the
company pays a healthy wage to hardworking
and loyal employees who enjoy serving the
healthy food chain.
For the past seven years, Organic Pastures
has grown out of consumer demand for raw milk
products. People know and feel what is happy
and healthy for their bodies, and they want
raw milk - a living unprocessed whole food.
Mark explained that raw milk satisfies the
biological necessities to help ameliorate
many immune and digestive system disorders
such as lactose intolerance, asthma, Chrohn's
disease, IBS, ulcers, and arthritis. We've
personally heard the stories (many from
Healthful Living clients) of how the positive
probiotic qualities of raw milk products have
helped to heal a longstanding or particularly
challenging health issue, or simply that
people feel healthier when they drink it.
Raw milk is markedly more nutritious than
commercial pasteurized milk. See the websites
below for the extensive list of virtues, but
here are a few:
- Absorb more calcium - which is one of the
main reasons people drink milk. Raw milk
contains Phosphatase, the enzyme that allows
for the absorption of the calcium in milk.
Phosphatase is completely destroyed during
pasteurization, thus commercial milk is truly
deficient in one of its trademark claims.
- Fatty acids (such as butyric acid) -
Nourish brain and intestinal lining -
Antimicrobial properties
- Natural source of probiotics and enzymes
that aid digestion
- Milk fat shown to affect reduction in
asthma
- Rich in vitamin A and D - High in DHA and
tryptophan
- More digestible - Raw milk contains the
natural
enzymes and lactase-producing bacteria that
our bodies need to break down and assimilate
the milk sugar lactose - aiding those with
lactose intolerance.
At Healthful Living, we embrace people and
concepts that respect the balance necessary
for us to live healthfully interconnected
with all things (which we are!). Thus, we
appreciate what OPD is achieving by believing
in, creating, and sustaining an innately
clean ecosystem in which a historically
known, viable, and healthy component of the
human food chain can flourish - to the
benefit of many. And raw milk products DO
benefit many.
Check the
testimonials on the Organic Pastures
website, or our colleague Carla Borelli's
site, LocalForage.com
If you remain skittish about raw milk, that's
okay - not everyone is drawn to it. We
suggest you do just a little fact-based
research and allow yourself an honest
assessment. Raw Milk itself is rarely the
challenge; it's simply that we're afraid it
won't be safe raw milk. That's understandable
given the media hoopla on the matter.
Surprisingly Mark explains, the typical
conventional milk tank had either salmonella
or E. coli O157:H7 detected about 30 percent
of the time it was tested. At OPD, the state
of California (CDFA) monitors and tests their
raw dairy products multiple times per month
and hasn't found a single pathogen in nearly
seven years. As noted above, healthy
ecosystems produce safe and healthy foods.
In California, we are very fortunate to have
Organic
Pastures and Claravale producing healthy
and safe raw milk for consumers - nature's
super food. OPD ships their products across
the country, by labeling as pet food. To
learn more about the true virtues of raw
milk, we recommend that you
visit www.realmilk.com,
www.westonaprice.org,
and www.mercola.com.
There are lists of more than 50 different
illnesses that are directly, naturally, and
positively affected by consuming raw milk.
At the end our tour we picked up samples; Raw
Milk, Choc-leche Colostrum, Raw Cream, Raw
Butter, Raw Cheese - all delicious! To learn
more about raw milk and Organic Pastures
Dairy, check their website, particularly the
FAQ
section and this
video interview with Mark McAfee.
To your health.
Martin and Julie Matthews
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Can cholesterol go too low? Study sees cancer link |
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Note from Julie: This article on
cholesterol
is just one look at how cholesterol is
helpful and important. It also highlights
two questions: is cholesterol "bad" and are
the statin drugs used to lower cholesterol
harmful? While the article states that
statin drugs may not be the cause of the
increased cancer risk (although I strongly
believe more study is needed as some studies
already appear to show this1), they are known
to damage the liver and muscles as well as
increase the risk of Parkinson's Disease.
However, I believe more importantly this
study is bringing into question, something
that we've talked about before at Healthful
Living - is cholesterol bad? Many studies
show that cholesterol is not all bad, in fact
in balance, cholesterol (with high quality
foods and sources) is important for our
health 2, 3. This is just one study
highlighting that we are missing something in
our pursuits to lower cholesterol.
A question that could use attention by the
medical community, does artificially lowering
the cholesterol numbers impact health in a
positive way? More study is needed to know
who is at risk for heart disease, as well as
what other markers (such as homocysteine, c
reactive protein, etc.) are more relevant.
One thing that is true is that all
cholesterol should not be labeled as "bad"
and completely avoided. There seem to be
better ways through diet, exercise and
nutrient support to impact health and heart
health.
By Maggie Fox and Ben Hirschler
WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Lowering
cholesterol as much as possible may reduce
the risk of heart disease, but with a price:
taking it too low could raise the risk of
cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Patients who took statin drugs to lower their
cholesterol had a slightly higher risk of
cancer, although the study did not show that
the statin drugs themselves caused the
cancer.
The researchers found one extra case of
cancer per 1,000 patients with the lowest
levels of LDL -- low density lipoprotein or
so-called bad cholesterol -- when compared to
patients with higher LDL levels.
Dr. Richard Karas of Tufts University School
of Medicine in Boston and colleagues did not
look directly at patients for their study,
published in the Journal of the American
College of Cardiology.
They did what is known as a meta-analysis,
looking at the records of 41,173 patients in
23 different trials of statins.
"The demonstrated benefits of statins in
lowering the risk of heart disease remain
clear; however, certain aspects of lowering
LDL with statins remain controversial and
merit further research," Karas said in a
statement.
Some experts cautioned that the general
public could misunderstand the meaning of the
study.
"You have to be careful about these things,
because people stop taking their statins
because they are afraid of cancer and then
they die of heart attacks," said statin
expert Dr. John LaRosa of the State
University of New York Downstate Medical
Center in Brooklyn, who wrote a commentary in
the journal.
Statins are the world's top-selling drugs,
pulling in billions of dollars for their
makers. They lower the risk of heart attack
and stroke, and evidence also suggests
unexpected benefits, such as a lowered risk
of death from influenza, pneumonia and the
effects of smoking.
Experts believe some of the beneficial
effects may come from the drugs' effects on
inflammation in the body.
EXTRA-LOW CHOLESTEROL RISKS
But people with extra-low cholesterol may
have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease.
Statin drugs can also damage the liver and
muscles.
The Karas study renews concerns about cancer,
as well. Karas and colleagues examined the
records of
patients treated with popular statins,
including Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor and Merck &
Co. Inc.'s Zocor, now off patent.
They did not include data from recently
launched statins such as AstraZeneca Plc's
Crestor and Merck/Schering-Plough Corp.'s
Vytorin.
LaRosa said even if the statins did raise the
risk of cancer, the overall risk was low and
the risks of heart disease are far more
immediate. "The truth of the matter is that
we cannot live forever," he said in a
telephone interview. "Something is going to
get us. If we don't die of heart disease,
then we die of cancer
or Alzheimer's. We don't want people to stop
something that we know has benefits."
Andrew Baum, an analyst with Morgan Stanley
in London, said concerns over statin safety
had waxed and waned over the past 10 years,
and few physicians were likely to change
prescribing practice following the news.
1. Newman TB, Hulley SB. Carcinogenicity of
lipid-lowering drugs. Journal of the
American Medical Association 27, 55-60,
1996.
2. Forette B, Tortrat D, Wolmark Y.
Cholesterol as risk factor for mortality in
elderly women. The Lancet 1 ,868-870,
1989.
3. Jacobs D et al. Report of the conference
on low blood cholesterol: Circulation 86,
1046-60. 1992.
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Share your Kombucha story! |
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Have you been making your own kombucha?
Please share your story with Healthful
Living. We'd love to hear how the wonderful
process of producing your own healthy food
has positively affected your life and/or
grossed you out. Whether you've taken our
Traditional Foods cooking class, or learned
through Nourishing Traditions, the Weston A.
Price Foundation, or elsewhere, we're glad
you're catching on to this drink.
Kombucha can be considered a wonder food
(similar to raw milk in that regard) - it's
strictly healthy, restoring beneficial
live-cultures and enzymes to our body. It's
a probiotic food that helps bring us back
into balance. And, with a little smarts, you
can make it at
home - essentially for free!
What could be better than growing a fermented
beverage in a vessel upon your refrigerator,
then bottling and drinking an elixir of your
creation - infused and intended to bring
health to your mind and body? Engaging in
the process of making kombucha orients you
toward healthier practices in life; it is an
experiential practice that literally
nourishes both mind and body.
Here are some photos of our recent Kombucha
cultures.
The look on your face RIGHT NOW reflects
whether or not you've discovered Kombucha. If
you're among the crowd saying things like "my
digestion improved," "I have more energy,"
"my bones are less stiff," "my acne went
away," or dozens of other touted health
benefits - you're smiling. For the squeamish
type clinging to the cola or cappuccino -
you're likely squeaming.
Fortunately you're too smart to NOT be
curious about kombucha - all upside, no
downside. If you're just learning, follow
your intuition and enjoy the process. If
you're already brewing kombucha a home,
please share your experience with us. We'll
be compiling these and conducting interviews
with some of you for an upcoming kombucha
education project.
Don't know about Kombucha?
See our story in an
earlier newsletter, and also check out
the well written write up by Jennifer Adler
at Conscious
Choice Magazine.
Share your stories to info@healthfulliving.org
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Uggh! Raw Almonds No More by Julie Matthews |
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In an unbelievable ruling by the USDA,
starting September 1, 2007, ALL almonds to be
consumed in the U.S. must be pasteurized.
What does that mean?
All almonds will
need to be heated and processed before you can
purchase them. Pasteurizing food destroys
important enzymes for digestion and results
in a dead, processed food.
Where is this world going to? This whole
almond issue was based on two pathogen
findings on conventional farms (not
organic), from which no one was seriously
harmed. Because of that are we going to keep
cooking, killing, and processing all
of our
food before we eat them? Why not just produce
and consume high quality food that doesn't
need to be pasteurized? Where will this
stop? Will all nuts need to be pasteurized
soon?
Actually, not ALL almonds must be pasteurized,
imported nuts will be available truly
raw.
This legislation forces small organic farmers to
comply with an expensive process that
degrades the quality of their product, while
international producers carry on raw. It all
sounds a little to convenient for the
large almond growers - to reduce their risk by
pasteurizing, force everyone else to
participate to cut out any competition, don't
require honest labeling.
"Pasteurization" is a sterilization method
that typically uses heat to kill organisms.
However, what is more disturbing is the
United States Food & Drug Administration has
approved propylene oxide's use to pasteurize
raw almonds. According to Wikipedia,
"propylene oxide is a highly toxic flammable
chemical compound. It was once used as a
racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited
under the US NHRA rules for safety reasons.
It is also used in thermobaric weapons, and
microbial fumigation." Propylene oxide does
not have "Generally Recognized as Safe"
status from the FDA. Propylene oxide
treatment of foods is banned in Canada,
Mexico, and the European Union.
Not only will almonds not be labeled
pasteurized, you'll never know what they were
pasteurized with - heat or chemicals
While the president and CEO of the Almond
Board of California Waycott states,
"Pasteurized raw almonds do not differ in any
significant way -- taste, quality or
nutritional value -- from untreated almonds.
Pasteurization simply reduces the presence of
harmful bacteria on those almonds to safe
levels while maintaining taste, quality and
nutritional value."
Do you believe him? You shouldn't.
Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria but it
also kills good bacteria and eventually will
create more "superbugs" resistant to
antibiotics and possibly pasteurization
methods. Good nutrients and fatty acids are
destroyed through heating. These chemicals
are inadequately tested for their toxicity or
safety for adults or children. A close
cousin (due to their similar structures),
ethylene oxide, is a known carcinogen and
while propylene oxide has not been found to
be so yet, we can not trust it is safe.
Additionally, much of the live nature (or
"living energy") of the food is destroyed
when it is pasteurized.
This is so wrong. What you can do?
Protest - refuse to purchase these
pasteurized almonds. Show the industry, we
won't tolerate it.
Get to know a farmer and go to them directly.
The rule applies to handler and retailers
were redefined as handlers. However, farmers are
not handlers.
Buy imported almonds. I know it's important
to support local farmers and do so whenever
you can, but before you buy
the pasteurized nuts, "vote against them" by
buying anything else. Imported
almonds are exempt from the rule. If the
industry knows they have shot themselves in
the foot, they may change their tune.
Tell your friends and family what the truth
is. People need to know and given the
labeling deception, we need to inform people.
Sign the petition. Over 18,000 people
already have signed it. GoPetition.com
Online
petition - Mandatory Almond Pasteurization is
WRONG!!!
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Julie speaks at DAN! Conference and NANP this fall |
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There are three opportunities to see Julie
speak this fall on Nourishing Hope: The
Essentials of Nutrition Intervention for
Autism.
October 13th - Defeat Autism Now!
Conference in Anaheim, CA - INFORMATION
October 20th - Annual Conference,
National Association of Nutrition
Professionals (NANP), Rhonert Park, CA INFORMATION
December 1st - Parent's Listen Speaker
Series, presentation and cooking
demonstration. Toronto, Canada. INFORMATION
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