| eurized Milk | | | | cheese or on stage two of the Body Ecology |
| Milk is touted as a healthy food, and most people | | | | diet, once your gut is populated with dairy-loving |
| assume that it does a body good. But | | | | microflora, try cheeses made from fermented |
| pasteurization destroys active enzymes and | | | | raw milk to flavor your salads. |
| denatures the fragile proteins in milk. It also kills | | | | 6. Protein Bars |
| beneficial bacteria and lowers the vitamin content | | | | Protein bars now compete with candy bars in |
| of your milk. | | | | convenience stores and grocery aisles, |
| A better alternative? | | | | butproteine these quick snacks are not necessarily |
| Raw milk is milk that hasn't been pasteurized. | | | | healthy. Many protein bars use soy protein and |
| Why raw milk? | | | | count sugars in their top 3 ingredients! Instead of |
| Supporters of raw milk say the pasteurization | | | | offering you a healthy option, they actually |
| process kills most, if not all, micromilk organisms, | | | | contribute to fungal infections. |
| including the beneficial ones that aid in digestion | | | | A better alternative? Soaked almonds and other |
| and metabolization. They also promote good | | | | nuts are easy and delicious snacks for those on |
| health by crowding out bad bacteria and help | | | | the go! Or try RenewPro for an energizing, |
| prevent yeast overgrowth in the intestinal tract. | | | | gut-healing source of protein. You can mix it in |
| The Campaign for real milk says that raw milk | | | | water or even eat a scoop between meals. You'll |
| comes from cows that are properly fed. Cows | | | | love the delicious taste of this truly healthy source |
| that eat green grass provide milk with nutrients | | | | of protein. |
| like vitamins A and D. They argue that | | | | 7. Energy Drinks |
| pasteurization enables the milk industry to raise | | | | Their labels say they contain various herbs, |
| cows in less-expensive, less-healthy conditions. | | | | minerals and the amino acid taurine, specially |
| They also say that pasteurization destroys | | | | designed to boost your energy by the time you |
| enzymes and diminishes vitamin content. | | | | reach the bottom of the can. But if you look at |
| Pasteurization, says the group, is associated with | | | | the ingredients, you'll find that the main ingredients |
| allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, | | | | in most energy drinks are actually caffeine and |
| growth problems, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart | | | | sugar making them hardly more than high-priced |
| disease and cancer. Many calves fed pasteurized | | | | soft drinks. |
| milk die before maturity. | | | | Yet their glitzy designs and claims to improve |
| Raw milk will sour naturally due to the bacterial | | | | your performance, concentration and reaction |
| production of lactic acid and still be healthy, while | | | | speeds seem to be working. In 2004, energy |
| pasteurized milk, which lacks the essential bacteria, | | | | drinks overtook bottled water as the |
| will putrefy. | | | | fastest-growing category in the beverage |
| 2. Fruit Juice and Sodas | | | | business. Similar products have even been |
| Fruit juice may be delicious, but it's often loaded | | | | introduced for kids as young as 4 years old. A |
| with even more high-fructose corn syrup than | | | | better alternative? Drink healthier fluids like water |
| actual juice! High fructose corn syrup has been | | | | or tea, and if you must have a jolt of energy, a |
| linked to increased cholesterol levels, blood clots, | | | | good old-fashioned cup of black coffee will at least |
| and impaired immunity. Sodas are no better as | | | | spare you the sugar. |
| we all are well aware. | | | | 8. Fast-Food Salads |
| Fructose reduces the affinity of insulin for its | | | | Yes, you went to that fast-food joint near your |
| receptor, which is the hallmark of type-2 diabetes. | | | | office for lunch, but all was not lost you ordered a |
| This is the first step for glucose to enter a cell | | | | salad! Most fast-food chains have jumped on the |
| and be metabolized. As a result, the body needs | | | | health bandwagon and are nowsalates offering |
| to pump out more insulin to handle the same | | | | salads, wraps and other healthy menu choices for |
| amount of glucose. | | | | just such nutrition-minded customers. |
| The annual 'Liver Meeting' of the American | | | | And while some won't come right out and say |
| Association for the Study of Liver Diseases which | | | | they're healthy (McDonald's, for instance, no longer |
| took place October in Boston reported results | | | | uses the word because our consumer research |
| linking high intake of sugar (specifically fructose) to | | | | shows people don't understand it and it's actually a |
| liver disease. | | | | turn off when it comes to food items.), it is |
| "The research team concluded that consumption | | | | certainly implied in their ads featuring fit, active |
| of high fructose can have negative effects on | | | | people and catchy nutrition slogans. |
| liver through overfeeding, as well as damage the | | | | But all salad is not inherently healthy. |
| liver by inducing increased oxidative stress. | | | | In fact, most of the salad ingredients that most |
| A better alternative? Delicious, healthy and | | | | fast food chains use make most of them no |
| convenient Dong Quai and Coco-Biotic, both of | | | | more healthful than a burger without the bun, |
| which you are strongly urged to learn more about | | | | dipped in salad dressing, said the Physicians |
| and try today! | | | | Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), |
| 3. Whole Grains | | | | which conducted a nutrition analysis of 34 fast |
| Many foods from bread to breakfast cereals | | | | food salads. |
| advertise that they are now made with whole | | | | One of their more startling findings: McDonald's |
| grains. Despite earlier reports discounting fiber's | | | | Crispy Bacon Ranch Salad has more fat and |
| role in colorectal cancer prevention, two recent | | | | calories and just as much cholesterol as a Big Mac. |
| studies say fiber from fruits, vegetables, and | | | | Culprits that make good salads go bad are fried |
| grains may indeed slice the odds of getting the | | | | meats, additions like croutons and crispy noodles, |
| disease. One study, surveying more than half a | | | | bacon, and high-fat salad dressings. Many even |
| million people, found a 25 to 40 percent risk | | | | have added sugar. |
| reduction from 30 grams of fiber daily (five to | | | | A better alternative? Create your own fresh |
| seven servings of fruits and vegetables). Fiber in | | | | salad using lots of veggies, some lean protein |
| food may be the key, since those earlier studies | | | | (egg, chicken), a few nuts or seeds or a small |
| focused on fiber supplements. | | | | amount of cheese, and a little olive oil and |
| If you have digestive problems or suffer some of | | | | balsamic vinegar dressing. |
| the classic autoimmune reactions (e.g. allergies) | | | | 9. Soy products |
| consider the possibilities that grains may be | | | | Soy products, including soy milk and soy protein |
| problematical. Look at your family members and | | | | have been linked to digestive distress, immune |
| your family history for clues about dietary | | | | system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, |
| problems. Adjust the ratio of cereal grains to | | | | reproductive problems for men and women, |
| meat, vegetables, and fruits and see if the | | | | allergies, ADD, higher risk of heart disease and |
| adjustment has physiological and psychological | | | | cancer, malnutrition and loss of libido.1 |
| effects. In my opinion one should supplement with | | | | Soy milk has some negative aspects which are as |
| vitamins, minerals, protein, and free fatty acids. | | | | follows : |
| Above all, eat a varied diet and not too much of | | | | -It contains a lot of phytic acid |
| one thing. | | | | -It contains hemagglutinin which causes the red |
| Conventional whole grains lack vitamins and | | | | blood cells to clump together. However, it is |
| minerals, can be difficult to digest, and often | | | | believed to be harmless unless soy milk is taken |
| cause allergenic responses, contributing to | | | | intravenously |
| autoimmune disorders like Celiac disease. | | | | -The genetic modification involved in the process |
| A better alternative? Grain-like seeds millet, | | | | of preparing soy milk may cause lysinoalanine or |
| quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth are gluten free, | | | | even nitrosamines |
| do not feed candida act as prebiotics, have a | | | | -It contains aluminum |
| calming effect and are full of vitamins and | | | | -It contains trypsin inhibitors |
| minerals. | | | | A better alternative? Fermented soy products like |
| 4. Cereal | | | | miso soup, natto and tempeh. |
| Cold cereal seems like a convenient and healthy | | | | 10. Oatmeal |
| meal, but combined with pasteurized milk, it can | | | | For many people who suffer wheat and gluten |
| be a bowl full of nutritionally damaging food. Cereal | | | | allergy or intolerance, oatmeal also becomes and |
| itself undergoes a process called extrusion that | | | | unsafe option. While oats themselves do not |
| denatures its proteins (making them toxic) and | | | | contain gluten, they do contain a protein which is |
| destroys the grains' naturally occurring fatty acids. | | | | relatively similar and current farming techniques |
| The result is a nutritionally void carrier for sugar | | | | create concerns as well. It is not uncommon for a |
| and sodium. | | | | farmer to rotate his oat crops with his wheat, |
| For more on cereal and healthy alternatives, read: | | | | rye or barley crops from year to year, and |
| The Four Major Health Risks of Conventional | | | | millers often encounter kernels from volunteer |
| Grains and the Healthy Weight-Optimizing Grains | | | | wheat when processing the oats. |
| to Choose Instead. | | | | Oatmeal seems harmless enough and doesn't |
| A better alternative? Make your morning meal | | | | actually contain gluten. But oatmeal can be unsafe |
| green! Try Vitality SuperGreen or a Good Morning | | | | if you have a wheat or gluten sensitivity2 |
| Greens Smoothie to start your day off right. | | | | because farmers often grow oats in fields that |
| 5. Processed Cheese | | | | previously had grains like barley and wheat. The |
| Processed cheeses, especially individually wrapped | | | | other grains can contaminate the oats and could |
| slices, have little nutritional value. They are | | | | be dangerous for anyone with gluten sensitivity. |
| pasteurized and often have fillers and | | | | A better alternative? For a warm, convenient |
| preservatives. | | | | morning meal, try Body Ecology's Hot Breakfast |
| A better alternative? Make Young Coconut Kefir | | | | Porridge recipe. |