News regarding traditional wisdom and native diets regarding nutrition.

Olive Oil Lovers Need to Be Wary of Olive Oil Scams

It’s likely that many Americans who have been buying olive oil for decades have never tasted the real thing. In fact, it's likely that many of those who bought and used fake or compromised olive oils would reject the real thing because it tastes odd to them. Olive racketeering has been going on for quite a while to some extent. The Romans of B.C. ages had to clamp down on it. But it is bigger and more sophisticated now than ever. Genuine olive oil is time consuming to produce and demands higher prices than most other edible oils. Yet olive oil is easy to adulterate and sell as the real thing. Why is this important? It is the centerpiece of the Mediterranean Diet. Its monounsaturated oleic and palmitic fatty acids along with its healthy polyphenols are very heart healthy. Additionally, according to the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH): "Being able to buy authentic extra virgin olive oil is all the more important because it is a superfood. Among other good things, it contains a miracle ingredient known as oleuropein, which has anticancer, pro-mitochondrial, antibiotic, and anti-Alzheimer’s properties. It also contains polyphenols and antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits. It is a mainstay of the ketogenic diet." Some claim that since olive oil scam exposures the olive oil industry has cleaned its act somewhat. After explaining how olive oil frauds work and their recent history, there will be information provided of what makes a perfect olive oil and how you can determine if it is truly as advertised.

Leaked Emails Show Government Corruption in Approving Aspartame

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are typically used to sweeten so-called "diet" foods and beverages in lieu of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The idea is that reducing your calorie consumption will result in weight loss. However, research has completely demolished this notion, showing that artificial sweeteners actually have the converse effect; they actually lower appetite suppressant chemicals and encourage sugar cravings and sugar dependence, thereby raising your odds of unwanted weight gain. Research has repeatedly shown that artificial sweeteners promote insulin resistance and related health problems just like regular sugar does, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. John Podesta's leaked emails have turned up a number of damning pieces confirming the collusion between the soda industry and high level officials within the U.S. government, including Hillary Clinton.

FREE Summit from Health Experts Teaches About Healthy Fats to Reverse Disease and Lose Weight

From November 7 - 14 Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Carrie Diulus, and over 30 of the world’s top experts on fats will participate in an online FREE summit dispeling the biggest MYTHS about fat, and revealing the latest research about how to eat, move and supplement your diet for improved health and longevity. Join these world-renowned experts, such as Aseem Malhotra, MD (one of Britain's top cardiologists), Amy Myers, MD, Gary Taubes (famous science author that challenged mainstream media's dogma on fats), Sayer Ji (Founder of GreenMedInfo.com), best-selling author Nina Teicholz, Peter Attia, MD, and dozens of others! There’s so much confusion and misinformation out there about FAT…both the fat on our bodies, and the fats we eat. You’ve been told that eating fat makes you fat — and increases your risk for heart disease and other chronic illnesses — but fat is NOT the enemy. The truth is: eating MORE FAT can help shut down cravings, accelerate weight loss and potentially prevent or reverse disease.

CDC Corruption: Scientists on the Inside Slam the Agency

Recently we’ve reported on the crony ties between top US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials and beverage giant Coca-Cola. New evidence suggests that the cronyism at the CDC goes far deeper. A group calling itself CDC Scientists Preserving Integrity, Diligence, and Ethics in Research (CDC SPIDER) recently submitted a letter to the CDC chief of staff expressing grave concerns about special interest influence being exerted on the agency’s leaders.

How First Lady’s Organic Garden Became a Junk Food Campaign

Mere months after President Obama came into office, first lady Michelle Obama launched an organic garden project at the White House, complete with a composting system and beehives. Many were opposed to the idea of an organic garden in the White House, and even more so to having a first lady focused on organic food and organic gardening as a source of health. In 2012, a number of media articles suddenly cropped up, in which they referred to organics as an "elitist lifestyle choice." A spokesman for the American Council on Science and Health (ASCH) went so far as calling the Obamas "organic limousine liberals." Clearly, it was a poorly shrouded effort to quell the rising tide of organic food enthusiasts. It was also quite clear that the White House organic garden upset some significant donors, not because it was there, but because the first lady was implying that organic foods are healthier. In a recent New York Times article, Michael Pollan expertly details the subversive influence of Big Food on Obama's presidency.

FDA To Redefine “Healthy” Once Again

As usual, the agency is using outdated science and is heavily influenced by industry. Action Alert! Following the recent update to the Nutrition Facts label and the approval of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the FDA is proposing to update the definition of “healthy” and in federal regulations. The idea is to harmonize the regulatory definition of “healthy” (as well as related terms) with the “latest nutrition science,” presumably contained in the newly approved guidelines. The FDA has no business defining what “healthy” is, given its lack of scientific expertise (noted in a congressional audit) and especially its extensive crony ties to industry.

Best Foods for Boosting Brain Power

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans suffer with Alzheimer’s disease and 1 of every 3 seniors dies with some form of dementia. Families may spend over $5,000 each year caring for a loved one, and it costs the U.S. $216 billion a year for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. However, feeding your brain the right food isn’t just about preventing a disease in the future. Giving your brain the fuel it needs to function optimally may also improve your current cognitive function and creativity, making you more productive at work and at home. Your brain needs the right fuel to nourish neurons, boost production of neurotransmitters and protect against damage and degeneration. Unfortunately, some popular nutritional fads may have placed you at greater risk for damage to your neurons, without the additional heart health benefits and proponents of these dietary changes promised. You may make a significant difference in your overall health and reduce your risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease when you purposefully include the foods your brain needs to function and detoxify.

Healthy Traditions Announces Glyphosate-Tested Traditionally Produced Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Healthy Traditions recently announced the launch of their new product, raw Apple Cider Vinegar with "mother." Starting the last part of 2014, Healthy Traditions, a division of Tropical Traditions, Inc., has started testing all of its products for the presence of the herbicide glyphosate, since many of their USDA certified organic products were tested to be contaminated with glyphosate. Finding a supplier of Apple Cider Vinegar that could be tested and traced all the way back to the producer proved difficult, as many apple cider vinegars are produced with apples from many different orchards, meaning that a single batch test may not represent all bottles used in each batch. So they began to search for a single source orchard to produce their own apple cider vinegar. The Healthy Traditions Apple Cider Vinegar is made by hand on a small family farm in Wisconsin. This high quality and great tasting vinegar starts by hand picking a mixture of apples that are suited perfectly for cider, imparting a depth of flavors to the vinegar that are unique. The apples are grown in Wisconsin on a certified organic orchard that practices sustainable agriculture by using livestock to maintain the orchard floor. By rotating different animals in the orchard the caretakers are able to reduce weeds and insects that would hinder the apple production.

GMO-Tested and Glyphosate-Tested Corn Products Unique in the U.S.?

Healthy Traditions announced earlier this year that they had added Mexican heirloom corn products to their line of GMO-tested and Glyphosate-tested products. They explained how truly GMO-free corn is almost non-existent in the U.S., as even corn that is USDA certified organic or verified to be GMO free is still contaminated with small amounts of GMO DNA, according to their own laboratory testing. The corn products, which include corn flour, corn meal, grits, and whole kernel corn, are on sale this week. They are thought to be unique to the U.S. corn market.

Coca-Cola’s Influence Over the CDC

More evidence suggests the CDC has been bought and paid for by Coca-Cola. We recently reported that a high-ranking official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had resigned after extensive ties to Coca-Cola were exposed. Dr. Barbara Bowman, director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, was helping Coca-Cola influence the World Health Organization, which had published new guidelines on sugar consumption that were unwelcome to the beverage industry. Now it appears that Coca-Cola has ties to another CDC official, Michael Pratt, senior advisor for Global Health in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Study: How Ketones as Brain Fuel can Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

In 2016, a study was published in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience looking at the effects of ketones as brain fuel and their use in treating Alzheimer's disease. The title of the study is: Can Ketones Help Rescue Brain Fuel Supply in Later Life? Implications for Cognitive Health during Aging and the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. In recent years, the effects of a ketogenic diet has been studied in relation to dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, as Alzheimer's disease is increasingly being seen as a "Type 3" form of diabetes. However, since a diet cannot be patented, mainstream medicine has instead focused on pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines to combat diseases like Alzheimer's, as such drugs are seen as a financial windfall for pharmaceutical companies, with so many Americans in the "Baby Boomer" age group entering into their senior years. This new study from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience shows great promise in utilizing a dietary approach in preventing and fighting Alzheimer's disease. We have previously documented many stories of family members and caregivers seeing huge improvements in Alzheimer's disease simply by adding coconut oil to the diet, and coconut oil naturally provides a form of ketone energy to the brain.

FDA Finally Admits Raw Cheese Not Dangerous

For more than a decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has had an undeclared war on raw milk cheese, until [last] week, when the FDA finally beat a retreat. At the conclusion of its latest assault against raw milk cheese–a research study of more than 1,600 cheese samples to test for pathogens–the FDA made this remarkable admission: “The data collected by the FDA indicate that the prevalences of Salmonella and pathogenic Shiga toxin- producing E. coli are relatively low and similar to the contamination rates in many other foods.” I added the emphasis, just to highlight the significance of that statement. The FDA has never before gone so far as to suggest that a raw-milk product is as safe as “many other foods.” Instead, the FDA and its buddies at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have gone out of their way to foment fear about raw milk products of any kind, warning people not to consume them under any circumstances.

Healthy Traditions Adds Traditionally Produced and Glyphosate-Tested Rolled Oats to Product Line

Healthy Traditions' new Traditionally Produced Rolled Oats are grown on a small family farm in Wisconsin using sustainable methods without any pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. As an added assurance they are also tested for the presence of glyphosate and no trace was found. We have tested many batches of oats nationwide, including those certified organic, and it has been extremely difficult to find sources with no trace of the herbicide glyphosate present. These oats are processed by a small family-run mill, also in Wisconsin, and are never subjected to any heat processing and are truly raw. This mill is dedicated to milling only grains grown on nearby farms that are free from pesticides and herbicides.

CDC Executive Resigns After Being Caught Colluding With Coca-Cola to Salvage Soda Market

For many years now, health advocates have warned people about the connection between sugary drinks and obesity, and the message has slowly but surely started to take hold. U.S. soda sales have dropped 25 percent since 1998, no doubt due to successful public health advocacy, and this makes the current scandal all the more scandalous, as it's an attempt by a high-level health official to undo all the work that's already been done to protect the public health. According to USRTK: "Alex Malaspina was able to ask for and receive regular input and guidance from a top official at the ... CDC on how to address actions by the World Health Organization that were hurting the food and beverage industry. The emails ... reveal that ... Bowman ... tried to help Malaspina find inroads to influence WHO officials to back off anti-sugar talk. Bowman suggested people and groups for Malaspina to talk to, and solicited his comments on some CDC summaries of reports ..." Surprisingly, Bowman had the good sense to immediately vacate her post once her betrayal of the public trust was exposed. According to The Huffington Post, Bowman "announced her immediate departure from the agency ... two days after it came to light that she had been offering guidance to a leading Coca-Cola advocate who was seeking to influence world health authorities on sugar and beverage policy matters."

Healthy Traditions Adds Traditionally Produced and Glyphosate-Tested Raw Almond Flour to Product Line

Tropical Traditions announced this week that they have added Raw Italian Almond Flour/Meal to their Healthy Traditions product line. Unlike almonds grown in the US, that are required to be pasteurized by law, these almonds, grown in Italy, are free from that regulation. These almonds are grown by sustainable methods with no chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers used on the almond trees. It carries Healthy Traditions’ highest standards to earn the “Traditionally Produced” label. As an added security, they are tested for the presence of glyphosate for each batch.

Anti-Obesity Report Calls for High-Fat Diet Recommendations

The idea that a low-fat diet is the answer if you struggle with weight gain and/or have risk factors for heart disease is a persistent one. For the past 50 years, obesity and heart disease have steadily risen. The question is why? Are dietary fats really to blame? And if they are, which fats gave rise to these problems? It's unfortunate, but researchers have frequently failed to take into account the fact that not all fats are created equal. Some do harm, while others are vitally important for optimal health. Even more tragic, harmful and beneficial fats have been confused, leading to a situation where people are encouraged to eat the unhealthy ones and avoid the beneficial ones. In more recent years, a number of scientists have stepped forward to promote a healthier view of dietary fats. But trying to change public policy is a difficult task that often takes one or more decades.

How a High-Fat Diet Helps Starve Cancer

In 1931, Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. Most experts consider him to be the greatest biochemist of the 20th century. His lab staff also included Hans Krebs, Ph.D., after whom the Krebs cycle was named. The Krebs cycle refers to the oxidative reduction pathways that occur in the mitochondria. So just how does the metabolic inflexibility of cancer cells differ from healthy cells? A cell can produce energy in two ways: aerobically, in the mitochondria, or anaerobically, in the cytoplasm, the latter of which generates lactic acid — a toxic byproduct. Warburg discovered that in the presence of oxygen, cancer cells overproduce lactic acid. This is known as The Warburg Effect. Mitochondrial energy production is far more efficient, capable of generating 18 times more energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) than anaerobic energy generation. Warburg concluded that the prime cause of cancer was the reversion of energy production from aerobic energy generation to a more primitive form of energy production, anaerobic fermentation. To reverse cancer, he believed you had to disrupt the energy production cycle that is feeding the tumor, and that by reverting back to aerobic energy metabolism you could effectively "starve" it into remission. Although he was never able to conclusively prove it, he maintained this view until his death in 1970. One of his goals in life was to discover the cure for cancer. Sadly, as so typically happens in science, his theories were never accepted by conventional science despite his academic pedigree — until now. The New York Times recently published a long, detailed article about the history of modern cancer research, including Warburg's theories on cancer, which are now becoming more widely accepted.

Healthy Traditions Offers First-ever GMO-tested and Glyphosate-tested Heirloom Corn Products from Mexico

Over the past few years we have tried to find corn in the United States that tested clean for the presence of genetically modified material and the herbicide glyphosate. We tested corn products that were USDA certified organic, and corn that also made claims to be GMO-free. We found that all of them were contaminated. We have been successful in some years growing clean corn with our farmers in Wisconsin, but often subsequent harvest years turned up positive results of GMOs in our testing, forcing us to find new sources of open pollinated heirloom corn. As a result, we did not have much corn to sell to our customers, and some years we had none. But now, we have located some rural farms in Mexico that seem to have clean corn from native varieties. Healthy Traditions is excited to bring you a new line of products made from corn grown in the region where corn is thought to have originated, Central Mexico! In order to find a consistent supply of corn that tested negative for both GMO and glyphosate contamination, we began searching in Mexico, where commercial GMO corn production is currently banned because of the rich genetic diversity and cultural significance that corn has there. This open-pollinated corn has been grown in a traditional fashion, much the same way it has been done for hundreds, if not thousands of years in this region. The family of the farmer that grew this corn has a connection to the land for over a century, and the seed he uses has been passed down from generation to generation. Healthy Traditions views the opportunity to help preserve this genetically diverse corn as a great honor and one in which we are proud to be a part of. We are also pleased to work with a grist mill that has agreed to dedicate one of their stone grinders just for grinding GMO-tested and Glyphosate-tested corn. This mill processes no other grains in this facility and our corn is ground in small batches to ensure freshness.

Full-Fat Dairy Healthier than Low-Fat Dairy: Eating High Fat Linked to Lower Risk for Diabetes

The number of people with type 2 diabetes equals 9.3 percent of the population of the U.S. or 29 million people. This is an increase from the 2010 estimate of 26 million people. Another 86 million people have pre-diabetes, where their blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. If those with pre-diabetes do not make changes to their diet and exercise habits, between 15 percent and 30 percent will develop diabetes within the next five years. These numbers are overwhelming when you consider the complications related to diabetes have an impact on the individual, the family and the workforce. Diabetes is a serious health condition with serious complications. Without consistent blood sugar control, excess glucose in your blood causes damage to your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, gums, teeth and neurological system. The advice to eat low-fat foods and dairy products originated as far back as the late 1950s and early 1960s. A single research study performed by an economist proposed that high-fat diets were the cause of most heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol levels. Before that study, and since, other well-designed and peer-reviewed studies have refuted that evidence.

Healthy Traditions Adds Traditionally Produced and Glyphosate-Tested Raw Almonds to Product Line

Tropical Traditions announced this week that they have added Raw Italian Almonds to their Healthy Traditions product line. Unlike almonds grown in the US, that are required to be pasteurized by law, these almonds, grown in Italy, are free from that regulation. These almonds are grown by sustainable methods with no chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers used on the almond trees. It carries Healthy Traditions' highest standards to earn the "Traditionally Produced" label. As an added security, they are tested for the presence of glyphosate for each batch. The family-run farm that grows these almonds for us is a diverse farm, not an almond monoculture, and these almonds are never irradiated, so they are suitable for sprouting.