Here are 2 more food allergens that may be 'hidden' causes of stress, weight gain, digestive problems or mood swings.
Eggs - This is definitely one of the least common food allergens, but is a problem for many people, including children. If you don't know about possible food allergies you might have, remember what I told you before: use a food journal and record your response to eating eggs. If you feel great, energized and don't show any reaction, then you should be good to go.
The best way to cook eggs are soft boiled, poached of fried in butter or coconut oil. I suggest only eating scrambled eggs or omelets once in awhile.
Soy - If you have been reading my blog for awhile then you should be familiar with certain myths and misconceptions about food & Nutrition. Soy is probably the biggest 'health food' myth today. Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer and many other disorders.
Not only is it the 2nd most common food allergen, but its a nasty little bean that has been shown, in hundreds of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies that it is linked to:
Malnutrition
Digestive distress
Thyroid dysfunction
Cognitive decline
Reproductive disorders
Infertility
Birth defects
Immune system breakdown
Heart disease
Cancer
And NO, Asians don't eat nearly as much as Americans are - not even close.
Here are some myths & facts about soy you might not know about:
Men who eat soy-based foods may be harming their fertility after a study found a link between soy-rich diets and lower sperm counts.
Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.
Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.
Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.
Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.
Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.
Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.
Truth: Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.
Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.
Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12
Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.
Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.
Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.
Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.
Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.
Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.
Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol improves one’s risk of having heart disease.
Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.
Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.
Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.
Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.
Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.
Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.
Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.
Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.
Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment
Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.
Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.
Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.
Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.
Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.
Taken from http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz
Soy Dangers Summarized
taken from http://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 foods.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Until next time
have a great week and PAY ATTENTION to how you react to food!
Antonio
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Top 10 Food Allergens part 2
Ok, so there are more than 10 on this list so I will post shorter blogs and give you great info so you can LEARN and see if you have any problems with nay of these foods.
Also, everything on the list is not really a food, but, the point is this: there are foods that trigger serious health issues in many people and these may be 'hidden' sources of stress or weight gain.
If you have been working out and 'eating right' (whatever that means) and your still not getting results, simply use a food journal and see what's going on after you eat and this will clue you in to possible problematic or allergenic foods.
What's next on the list?
Caffeine - similar to alcohol, there are a lot of false teachings in the media about this stimulant. Caffeine is a stimulant that disrupts your metabolism and triggers your 'fight or flight' (which is an emergency response system, not a daily lifestyle system) into FULL EFFECT.
Personally, I have never seen anyone in NYC who drinks coffee that isn't experiencing some type of negative consequence of drinking coffee.
Typically, people argue that there is some health benefit or they read some article that touted the benefits of coffee. What they fail to realize is that, like alcohol, even if there were some benefits, the negatives FAR OUTWEIGH any of these mythical benefits.
Caffeine is a stimulant that triggers the release of cortisol (stress hormone) that is associated with practically every disease known to mankind.
The primary reason people drink it in NYC is beaucase they are sleep deficient and exhausted. Sleep deficiency, although popular, is not cool, nor healthy and makes you age prematurely. Whenever you drink coffee to 'get you going' - you continue a cycle of exhaustion that gets harder and harder to break as you age.
And for my friends who are drinking coffee to help with 'number 2' (going pottie)....the caffeine is one of the main reasons why you cant go in the first place, fyi.
The other reason is because it dehydrates the human body, despite what the NY Times coffee addicted 'health reporter' says.
Coffee beans are also the most heavily sprayed crop on the planet and the acids in the beans are damaging to your digestive tract.
Enough said?
If you really want to drink coffee, at least find some good organic stuff and dont drink it on an empty stomach.
Seriously though, caffeine addiction is a widespread problem and a MASSIVE factor in hormonal imbalance (depression), burnout and weight gain.
Want to improve your health, look good and not age prematurely???? Ditch the drug addiction.
Oh, and for the hundreds of people that may say something like 'I got headaches last time I tried to quit' --> Getting headaches is not a reason for continuing your caffeine addiction. Headaches are a symptom of drug withdrawal and there are many things you can do to alleviate this. But any addiction comes with a price and if getting headaches is a minor consequence, than thats something you will have to deal with.
Peanuts - I am aware that most Men's Health and Shape magazines tell you that peanut butter is a good source of protein and when I was a teenager I thought the same thing. I have since discovered that not only is it a common food allergen, but its also a very low quality food source and loaded with mold. That's right. Even the healthy versions are full of nasty little critters that can make you sick.
Peanuts are also difficult to digest for many people. Want a better alternative? Try almond butter. You can also find cashew nut butter or macadamia nut butter and they are absolutely fantastic! Unless of course you can tolerate tree nuts...
Tree Nuts - as long as you dont have a nut allergy, most other nut butters are better than peanuts. However, another common food allergens are tree nuts.
Here is a list of common tree nuts and foods or products that may contain them:
Cashews
Pecans
Macadamia nuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Brazil nuts
Pine nuts
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
hickory nuts
Beech nut*
Butternut*
Chestnut*
Coconut*
Ginko nut*
Lichee nut*
Pili nut*
Sheanut*
natural nut extract
artificial nuts
nut meal
caponatanut meat
nut oil
nut paste (such as almond paste)
gianduja (a nut mixture in some chocolate)
nut pieces
pesto
mandelonas
marzipan/almond paste
nan-gai nuts
nougat
pralines
nut butters
Other names for tree nuts
Anacardium nuts
Mandelonas (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Marzipan (almond paste)
Nu-Nuts ™ (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Nut meats
Pinon
Common Sources/Foods Containing Tree Nuts
Artificial nuts (peanuts altered to look and taste like almonds, pecans and walnuts)
Baked goods (cakes, cereal bars, cookies, doughnuts, energy/granola bars, muffins, pastries)
Baking mixes, cereals, crackers, muesli
Coffee grinders
Dressings/gravies
Chinese food
Gianduja (chocolate and chopped nuts mixture found in premium or imported chocolate and ice cream)
Ice cream/frozen desserts/frozen yogurts/sundae toppings
Natural flavorings and extracts
Nut butter
Nut-flavored coffee/liqueurs
Sauces (barbecue, pesto, Worcestershire)
Salads (Waldorf salad, curried chicken)
Spreads (almond paste, cheese, chocolate nut, nougat, Nutella)
Trail mixes
Non-food sources of tree nuts
Hacky sacks
Bird seed
Cosmetics, hair care products, lotions
Pet food
As always, use extra precaution when eating out at restaurants or eating foods prepared by others.
*As of 10/2006, the FDA has added these as tree nuts for the purposes of FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act).
Here is a great resource, provided you DONT HAVE ANY NUT ALLERGIES and CAN DIGEST THEM WITHOUT A PROBLEM.
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/
www.sweetwatermarket.net
www.bluemountainorganics.com
These are great websites with awesome products - check them out.
Untill next time
Have a great weekend!
Also, everything on the list is not really a food, but, the point is this: there are foods that trigger serious health issues in many people and these may be 'hidden' sources of stress or weight gain.
If you have been working out and 'eating right' (whatever that means) and your still not getting results, simply use a food journal and see what's going on after you eat and this will clue you in to possible problematic or allergenic foods.
What's next on the list?
Caffeine - similar to alcohol, there are a lot of false teachings in the media about this stimulant. Caffeine is a stimulant that disrupts your metabolism and triggers your 'fight or flight' (which is an emergency response system, not a daily lifestyle system) into FULL EFFECT.
Personally, I have never seen anyone in NYC who drinks coffee that isn't experiencing some type of negative consequence of drinking coffee.
Typically, people argue that there is some health benefit or they read some article that touted the benefits of coffee. What they fail to realize is that, like alcohol, even if there were some benefits, the negatives FAR OUTWEIGH any of these mythical benefits.
Caffeine is a stimulant that triggers the release of cortisol (stress hormone) that is associated with practically every disease known to mankind.
The primary reason people drink it in NYC is beaucase they are sleep deficient and exhausted. Sleep deficiency, although popular, is not cool, nor healthy and makes you age prematurely. Whenever you drink coffee to 'get you going' - you continue a cycle of exhaustion that gets harder and harder to break as you age.
And for my friends who are drinking coffee to help with 'number 2' (going pottie)....the caffeine is one of the main reasons why you cant go in the first place, fyi.
The other reason is because it dehydrates the human body, despite what the NY Times coffee addicted 'health reporter' says.
Coffee beans are also the most heavily sprayed crop on the planet and the acids in the beans are damaging to your digestive tract.
Enough said?
If you really want to drink coffee, at least find some good organic stuff and dont drink it on an empty stomach.
Seriously though, caffeine addiction is a widespread problem and a MASSIVE factor in hormonal imbalance (depression), burnout and weight gain.
Want to improve your health, look good and not age prematurely???? Ditch the drug addiction.
Oh, and for the hundreds of people that may say something like 'I got headaches last time I tried to quit' --> Getting headaches is not a reason for continuing your caffeine addiction. Headaches are a symptom of drug withdrawal and there are many things you can do to alleviate this. But any addiction comes with a price and if getting headaches is a minor consequence, than thats something you will have to deal with.
Peanuts - I am aware that most Men's Health and Shape magazines tell you that peanut butter is a good source of protein and when I was a teenager I thought the same thing. I have since discovered that not only is it a common food allergen, but its also a very low quality food source and loaded with mold. That's right. Even the healthy versions are full of nasty little critters that can make you sick.
Peanuts are also difficult to digest for many people. Want a better alternative? Try almond butter. You can also find cashew nut butter or macadamia nut butter and they are absolutely fantastic! Unless of course you can tolerate tree nuts...
Tree Nuts - as long as you dont have a nut allergy, most other nut butters are better than peanuts. However, another common food allergens are tree nuts.
Here is a list of common tree nuts and foods or products that may contain them:
Cashews
Pecans
Macadamia nuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Brazil nuts
Pine nuts
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
hickory nuts
Beech nut*
Butternut*
Chestnut*
Coconut*
Ginko nut*
Lichee nut*
Pili nut*
Sheanut*
natural nut extract
artificial nuts
nut meal
caponatanut meat
nut oil
nut paste (such as almond paste)
gianduja (a nut mixture in some chocolate)
nut pieces
pesto
mandelonas
marzipan/almond paste
nan-gai nuts
nougat
pralines
nut butters
Other names for tree nuts
Anacardium nuts
Mandelonas (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Marzipan (almond paste)
Nu-Nuts ™ (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Nut meats
Pinon
Common Sources/Foods Containing Tree Nuts
Artificial nuts (peanuts altered to look and taste like almonds, pecans and walnuts)
Baked goods (cakes, cereal bars, cookies, doughnuts, energy/granola bars, muffins, pastries)
Baking mixes, cereals, crackers, muesli
Coffee grinders
Dressings/gravies
Chinese food
Gianduja (chocolate and chopped nuts mixture found in premium or imported chocolate and ice cream)
Ice cream/frozen desserts/frozen yogurts/sundae toppings
Natural flavorings and extracts
Nut butter
Nut-flavored coffee/liqueurs
Sauces (barbecue, pesto, Worcestershire)
Salads (Waldorf salad, curried chicken)
Spreads (almond paste, cheese, chocolate nut, nougat, Nutella)
Trail mixes
Non-food sources of tree nuts
Hacky sacks
Bird seed
Cosmetics, hair care products, lotions
Pet food
As always, use extra precaution when eating out at restaurants or eating foods prepared by others.
*As of 10/2006, the FDA has added these as tree nuts for the purposes of FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act).
Here is a great resource, provided you DONT HAVE ANY NUT ALLERGIES and CAN DIGEST THEM WITHOUT A PROBLEM.
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/
www.sweetwatermarket.net
www.bluemountainorganics.com
These are great websites with awesome products - check them out.
Untill next time
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Top 10 Food Allergens
Are you ready to discover the 11 most allergenic foods and see if any of these
are causing you to be fat, bloated or fatigued?
Why is it important to know about food allergens??? Just ask yourself these questions...
Are you sick of getting bloated?
Have you struggled with anxiety or depression and can't figure out WHY?
Have you struggled with skin issues and acne?
Are you trying to lose weight but nothing seems to be working?
Do you often get that late afternoon energy slump?
The answers to these and many other similar questions have EVERYTHING to do with what you are eating.
More often than not, most people are eating crappy foods to begin with.
What also happens quite often is people who are trying to be healthy and lose weight are eating foods that trigger all sorts of health problems as a result of food allergies, sensitivities and intolerance.
I'll give you the list of foods and I suggest you pay attention over the next
couple of weeks and see how you react after you eat these foods.
This is one of the many reasons why Food Journals work so well.
Not for counting calories or obsessing over what you eat. But for paying
attention and noticing how you react to certain foods.
You might be surprised to find that some of these common 'health' foods are
anything but healthy.
The most common allergenic foods are:
Gluten - a protein found in wheat and most grains. Gluten is implicated in every single digestive disorder I have seen. Gluten is found everywhere, from BBQ sauce to 'whole grain' energy bars and everything in between. It is also responsible for all kinds of
neurological dysfunctions and mood imbalances.
Pasteurized Dairy - this is a HOT topic! I will cover more of what you need to know in the next few newsletters...you may want to hold off on your low fat yogurt (which is nothing more than glorified junk food) and get ready for this one!
Sugar - not just white table sugar, sugars come in many shapes and sizes.
Did you know that ALL Carbs are sugars? And
not everyone tolerates the carbs the same way?
Did you know that sugar acts the same on the brain as cocaine? Imagine
mixing it with caffeine and other synthetic ingredients and feeding it to
children? Actually, you don’t have to imagine. It’s happening right now.
I wrote a controversial article on the topic of marketing sports drinks to kids
that was immediately BANNED by some major corporations...wait till you hear
about this one!
Alcohol - yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Red wine has antioxidants,
right?
Well, possibly...but more importantly, did you know that it also contains
yeast, sulfur dioxide, histamine, additives and don’t forget about the pesticides
used to grow the grapes. Millions of people have been led to believe that
the antioxidants in wine are very healthy and in fact, I hear people use this alcohol industry marketing tool to justify their drinking habits.
Yet most fail to realize that when the food itself causes bloating, it ruins your ability to digest and utilize the antioxidants properly and sine it also contains all these other nasty, allergenic ingredients, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. ...and let's not forget about the 'intoxication' part (key word being 'toxic') of drinking.
Did you know that what causes you to wake up around 4 am after a night of drinking is
the same thing that can make you fat and age prematurely?
Ever stop and think about the health consequences of being bloated for an
entire day after a night of drinking?
Your body is a beautifully designed, dynamic system of systems and when an
allergenic food gets into your body - all hell can break loose in many ways.
The list of problems associated with food allergies, intolerance and sensitivities is enormous.
The dramatic results people experience when they finally realize these issues and stop eating problematic foods are absolutely amazing.
I am going to save the rest of the list for the next newsletter, but don’t
worry. It will come much sooner than the last two. My new blog, cookbook, videos and forum are all 98% finished and will be up later this week...its really exciting and I hope you all will get involved in the forum discussions.
In the meanwhile, if you really want to get healthy and lose fat and look like
a superstar....use a food journal and pay attention to how these foods treat
your body and mind.
Talk soon
Antonio
Have a great week and stay tuned for my new blog and video updates!!!
are causing you to be fat, bloated or fatigued?
Why is it important to know about food allergens??? Just ask yourself these questions...
Are you sick of getting bloated?
Have you struggled with anxiety or depression and can't figure out WHY?
Have you struggled with skin issues and acne?
Are you trying to lose weight but nothing seems to be working?
Do you often get that late afternoon energy slump?
The answers to these and many other similar questions have EVERYTHING to do with what you are eating.
More often than not, most people are eating crappy foods to begin with.
What also happens quite often is people who are trying to be healthy and lose weight are eating foods that trigger all sorts of health problems as a result of food allergies, sensitivities and intolerance.
I'll give you the list of foods and I suggest you pay attention over the next
couple of weeks and see how you react after you eat these foods.
This is one of the many reasons why Food Journals work so well.
Not for counting calories or obsessing over what you eat. But for paying
attention and noticing how you react to certain foods.
You might be surprised to find that some of these common 'health' foods are
anything but healthy.
The most common allergenic foods are:
Gluten - a protein found in wheat and most grains. Gluten is implicated in every single digestive disorder I have seen. Gluten is found everywhere, from BBQ sauce to 'whole grain' energy bars and everything in between. It is also responsible for all kinds of
neurological dysfunctions and mood imbalances.
Pasteurized Dairy - this is a HOT topic! I will cover more of what you need to know in the next few newsletters...you may want to hold off on your low fat yogurt (which is nothing more than glorified junk food) and get ready for this one!
Sugar - not just white table sugar, sugars come in many shapes and sizes.
Did you know that ALL Carbs are sugars? And
not everyone tolerates the carbs the same way?
Did you know that sugar acts the same on the brain as cocaine? Imagine
mixing it with caffeine and other synthetic ingredients and feeding it to
children? Actually, you don’t have to imagine. It’s happening right now.
I wrote a controversial article on the topic of marketing sports drinks to kids
that was immediately BANNED by some major corporations...wait till you hear
about this one!
Alcohol - yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Red wine has antioxidants,
right?
Well, possibly...but more importantly, did you know that it also contains
yeast, sulfur dioxide, histamine, additives and don’t forget about the pesticides
used to grow the grapes. Millions of people have been led to believe that
the antioxidants in wine are very healthy and in fact, I hear people use this alcohol industry marketing tool to justify their drinking habits.
Yet most fail to realize that when the food itself causes bloating, it ruins your ability to digest and utilize the antioxidants properly and sine it also contains all these other nasty, allergenic ingredients, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. ...and let's not forget about the 'intoxication' part (key word being 'toxic') of drinking.
Did you know that what causes you to wake up around 4 am after a night of drinking is
the same thing that can make you fat and age prematurely?
Ever stop and think about the health consequences of being bloated for an
entire day after a night of drinking?
Your body is a beautifully designed, dynamic system of systems and when an
allergenic food gets into your body - all hell can break loose in many ways.
The list of problems associated with food allergies, intolerance and sensitivities is enormous.
The dramatic results people experience when they finally realize these issues and stop eating problematic foods are absolutely amazing.
I am going to save the rest of the list for the next newsletter, but don’t
worry. It will come much sooner than the last two. My new blog, cookbook, videos and forum are all 98% finished and will be up later this week...its really exciting and I hope you all will get involved in the forum discussions.
In the meanwhile, if you really want to get healthy and lose fat and look like
a superstar....use a food journal and pay attention to how these foods treat
your body and mind.
Talk soon
Antonio
Have a great week and stay tuned for my new blog and video updates!!!
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