News regarding traditional wisdom and native diets regarding nutrition.
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.
Power Up With Beets
A new study has emerged that may give hope to those who may see themselves as the proverbial “90-pound weakling.” Surprisingly, the remedy can be found in the garden. The study, recently conducted at the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, is one of several university trials revealing that a small amount of beet juice is all it takes to beef up your exercise performance and endurance. The researchers found nine heart failure subjects who experienced the typical symptoms — loss of skeletal muscle strength, reduced ability to exercise and even evidence that quality of life was suffering. Each individual exhibited measurable improvement. The patients were given 140 milliliters — about two-thirds of a cup — of concentrated beet juice, followed by testing, which found an almost instantaneous increase in their muscle capacity by an average of 13 percent. The study was published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure in September 2015. One of the study’s coauthors, Andrew Coggan, assistant professor of radiology at the university, asserted that’s the type of boost one might get after a few hard months of resistance training. The source of this impressive difference, studies revealed, came from nitric oxide. One of the most important benefits beet juice offers the heart is that its compounds “de-stiffen” patients’ blood vessels when the individual is at rest. This prevents the heart from having to work so hard and also demonstrates potential value to diabetics. Interestingly, it’s occurred to more than a few scientists that a similar therapy might be useful for lowering blood pressure. When testing was being done on individuals with heart failure, scientists concentrated specifically on the muscles used to extend the knee, looking for improvement in power, which they specified as a combination of force and velocity. This is crucial for athletes in training, such as sprinting or gymnastics. That easy-to-take-for-granted strength is also required by people who want to climb stairs, move furniture around, or simply get up from the toilet, an action that — if they’re unable to accomplish — is what most often puts people in a nursing home.
Grass-fed Traditions Offers Bison Bone Stock for Broth to the Public
Grass-Fed Traditions, part of the Tropical Traditions and Healthy Traditions network, has announced that it is offering bison bone stock to the public. The stock is sourced from the bones of grass-fed bison that are raised on pastures that are never treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. These magnificent animals yield bones that are perfect for making a nutrient dense stock.
Study: Saturated Fats and Coconut Oil Prevent Colon Cancer
A recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology challenged a long-held belief that high fat diets contributed to colon cancer. The authors of the study correctly stated that the lipid profile of the fats being consumed is very important to understand: "High-fat-diet (HFD) consumption is associated with colon cancer risk. However, little is known about how the lipid composition of a HFD can influence pro-oncogenic processes." This study out of the University of South Carolina looking at the effects of saturated fats on colon cancer is a very welcome study, and many more similar theories about the "dangers" of high fat diets should be challenged and looked at more carefully, studying the lipid composition of the fats being consumed. The conclusions of their experiments showed that a high fat diet rich in saturated fats, specifically coconut oil, protected against colon cancer.
Coffee Benefits May Outweigh Health Risks for Many
Coffee's affect on general health has been considered mostly negative for decades. But recent years have seen more reports and studies pointing to beneficial health effects from consuming coffee on a regular basis. Despite a recent epidemiological study that alluded to longer life without dangerous diseases among those who drank five or more cups daily, moderation and understanding one's own physiological reaction tolerance is basic for managing coffee's health benefits beyond risks. Some cannot manage even one cup of coffee without getting too fidgety to function. Others have a threshold of time for coffee that can't be broken if they want to get a good night's sleep. Another aspect to consider is the type of coffee consumed, how it's brewed, and what is added to the final brew.
Government and Corporate Interests Censor Free Speech on Nutrition
What are the supporters of the government’s “US Dietary Guidelines for Americans” afraid of? Last week, investigative journalist and author Nina Teicholz was disinvited from participating in a panel discussion at the Consumer Federation of America’s National Food Policy Conference. Other panelists reportedly said that they would not participate with her, and got the organizers of the conference to rescind Teicholz’s invitation. Why did this happen? A few background details are necessary to explain why this episode typifies how Big Food works in sneaky ways to silence dissent from the established orthodoxy.
Studies Show Neuro-Protective Effects of Real Maple Syrup
Over the past several decades of unsustainable agricultural practices, farmland topsoil has lost much of its organic mineral content. There are a few food items from crops that do not depend on topsoil for its nutrition. Among them is maple syrup. The large more commonly used maple tree varieties and even occasional birch trees tapped for their saps have roots that extend far below the topsoil level into layers of relatively pristine and less adulterated deep soil. It's there that maple syrup gets its high mineral content. Lab studies have aroused interest in maple syrup's health benefits. Current research has discovered more micronutrients and minerals in real maple syrup than previously considered, with potential positive health effects and even dementia prevention.
The Much Maligned Potato is Actually Very Healthy
What would motivate a relatively healthy man to undergo a 60 day diet of potatoes only? In 2010, Chris Voight began his successful 60 day potato fast to prove the health merits of potatoes. His inspiration was ignited by the federal WIC (Women, Infants and Children) low-income assistance program's decision to remove potatoes from the list of vegetables that were being provided. Due to his losing weight and having improved health markers from blood testing, his experience went viral at that time. He did this on a Spartan variety of 20 potatoes or less daily, cooked differently with healthy oils and seasoned lightly but never smothered with butter or sour cream or bacon bits. Chris' 60 day potato diet was done without supplements, yet his health profile after the 60 days was amazing. As a result of Chris' experiment with the 60 day potato only diet, a handful of other individuals followed his lead with somewhat shorter potato only diets, usually around 30 days, also with amazingly health boosting weight loss results.
Could Eating Saturated Fats Save 1 Million Lives per Year?
Saturated fats: Increase your LDL levels, but they increase the large fluffy particles that are not associated with an increased risk of heart disease, Increase your HDL levels. This more than compensates for any increase in LDL. Do NOT cause heart disease as made clear in all the above-referenced studies. Do not damage as easily as other fats because they do not have any double bonds that can be damaged through oxidation. Serve to fuel mitochondria and produce far less damaging free radicals than carbs.
Study: Consuming Unprocessed High-fat Cow’s Milk Protects Against Asthma
Could the consumption of processed dairy products be a leading cause of childhood asthma? That is a question researchers in Europe recently looked at, and their results were just published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Significant reduction of risk for developing childhood-onset asthma is related to continuous consumption of high-fat unprocessed cow's milk, according to these European researchers. The longitudinal study looked at 1133 children from birth to age 6 years living in rural areas of 5 European countries: Austria, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and France. The study was able to demonstrate that "continuous consumption of unprocessed farm milk contributes to protection from childhood-onset asthma." And the good news is that one does NOT have to live on a farm to enjoy these benefits. Drinking the high-fat unprocessed farm milk alone was beneficial.
Coca-Cola-funded Study: “Diet Coke Is Healthier than Water!”
“Diet Coke Is Healthier than Water!” This is according to a bizarre new Coca-Cola-funded study. A new obesity study led by Prof. Peter Rogers, PhD, of the University of Bristol, arrives at the following conclusion: “Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of [low-energy sweeteners] in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced [energy intake]and [body weight], and possibly also when compared with water.” Translation: diet soda is better for controlling your weight than water! Research not funded by beverage companies has found that artificial sweeteners contribute to diabetes and that diet sodas are linked to increased risk of stroke.
Beyond Soup: Six Ways to Eat More Nutrient-Dense Bone Broth
Soup and stews have been a traditional food for many societies, and for good reason. Not only does that pot stretch precious ingredients, it also makes use of one of the most nutritious, healing foods available – bone broth. Bone broth is having a resurgence in popularity in recent years. The humble simmering of meat and bones has become all the rage in some circles, with broth shops opening up next to coffee shops in large cities. This ingredient has a long list of benefits for everything from skin health to gut health to joint pain relief and more. There is a reason that Mothers and Grandmothers handed out bowls of broth and soup to their ailing loved ones in times past. They knew it was some of the most easily assimilated nourishment they could offer. But eating a cup of broth or bowl of soup at every meal - or even once per day - can be a challenge for some. Though this may be the simplest way to ingest broth, it isn’t everyone’s favorite and can lead to burnout very quickly. To avoid broth burnout and keep things interesting and delicious, here are some ideas for using broth in your daily meals.
4 Ways to Add Flavor to Your Butter
One very easy way to incorporate a healthy and traditional source of fat into your everyday diet is to consume cultured butter made from the milk of grass-fed pastured cows. Butter is so versatile and brings out the best of the flavors of whatever you add it to: enjoyed on grilled meats, steamed vegetables, baked seafood, homemade freshly baked bread made with freshly ground flour, various breakfast foods and even stirred into your morning coffee. With all of those uses for butter, wouldn't you like to know that there are just as many options for handcrafting flavors of butter to suit each and every occasion? In the following 4 recipes we'll show you how easy it is to get started creating your very own small batches of compound butters, both sweet and savory varieties.
Salt Restriction Increases Heart Disease Deaths and Hospitalizations
Since graduating from medical school in 1989, I have come to the conclusion that much of what I was taught was wrong. In fact, at my medical school graduation, the dean said, “Fifty percent of what we just taught you was wrong, your job is to figure out which part was correct and which was incorrect.” When medical students come to my office, I always encourage them to question everything I tell them and, furthermore, to question what they have been taught. I was taught in medical school that a lowered salt diet was a healthy diet—for everyone. Furthermore, it was drilled into my head that anyone with heart disease, particularly heart failure, should limit salt in his/her diet. In fact, it is still standard-of-care for a cardiologist to tell his/her heart patient to limit salt in their diet. This is especially true when the patient is suffering from heart failure. So, does limiting salt in the diet of a patient with heart failure result in a better outcome? Not according to a recent study.
Four Methods for Making Homemade (and Raw) Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the most recognized cultured foods in North America. Often over-sweetened and generally made with low-quality ingredients, it is one of the few fermented foods easily accessible at any grocery store. But it isn’t all it could be – not by a long shot. Good quality, probiotic-rich yogurt can be cultured fairly simply at home using the best milk available to you. Unprocessed cow’s milk, goat milk, and raw milk of all varieties can be used to make yogurt from thick to thin. It can then be sweetened with raw honey or fresh fruit, making a delicious breakfast or creamy treat.
Are GMOs a “Natural” Food?
The FDA recently announced that it would be accepting public input on how—or whether—to define the term “natural” on food labels. This action came about as a result of a number of petitions filed by the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association (GMA) and Consumers Union. The GMA asked the FDA to redefine “natural” so that foods derived from biotechnology (read: GMO foods) could use the label, while Consumers Union separately filed a petition asking the FDA to prohibit the use of “natural” on food labels altogether since the term is vague and misleading to consumers. The FDA is asking for public input on a variety of questions revolving around which foods should be allowed to bear the term “natural” and what kinds of things—such as processing and different manufacturing methods—should bar a food from being called “natural.” The GMA petition is a case in point—what meaning does the label have if genetically manipulated foods doused with herbicide can be called “natural”?
Is Whole Milk Dairy Better Than Low Fat?
Are you still eating low-fat or no-fat dairy products? If you are, you probably think you’re doing the right thing for your health. And if you check with virtually any public health agency, they’d wholeheartedly agree. The American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Cancer Society, for instance, all recommend low-fat or no-fat dairy. The US Department of Agriculture, in their nutrition guidelines for Americans, also advises, “Dairy Group choices should be fat-free or low-fat.” So what’s the problem? The advice to eat low-fat foods, including dairy, is antiquated, at least back to the 1970s, when low-fat diets were first recommended. It’s also not scientifically supported, and if you’re choosing low-fat over full-fat, not only are you missing out on taste, flavor and satisfaction, but you’re missing out on valuable benefits to your health – benefits that come from eating full-fat foods.
Why Canola Oil is Not the Healthy Oil You’ve Been Led to Believe
We can trace olive oil back to olives and sesame seed oil back to sesame seeds, so wouldn’t it make sense that canola oil would come from canola seeds? Well, it’s not the case. There is no natural canola plant that produces canola oil. In the late 1960s canola oil was invented in Canada. The oil was cheap to manufacture and a dominant ingredient in many processed foods. A derivative of the rapeseed plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants, canola oil has been hybridized to eliminate the lethal erucic acid found in rapeseed. The name was changed to LEAR: Low Eruric Acid Rapeseed. LEAR was not well received in the US as its association with rapeseed was too glaring. Not to mention having the word “rape” in a product name, which did not promote a healthy image. In 1978 the food industry merged the words “Canada” and “ola” meaning oil – creating the name Canola Oil.
Beet Kvass: An Easy Fermented Tonic You Can Make at Home
Among the many fermented beverages available to the home-fermenter, beet kvass is often the least known. That is unfortunate since it is also one of the simplest fermented beverages one can make and many find it to be a wonderful tonic when taken on a daily basis. It is said that beet kvass originated in the Ukraine. It is here where beets are well-loved and oft-used in the kitchen. Beet kvass is just one way in which this traditional culture has incorporated the nutrient-rich beet into their everyday diet.
Stop State Monopolies on “Approved” Nutritionists Backed by Big Corporate Food
In recent years we have made a lot of progress working together to protect free speech and ensure an open marketplace for qualified nutrition professionals. We have now sent letters to legislators in over a dozen states, warning them that their restrictive nutrition boards are violating federal law in the aftermath of recent court rulings. None of the letter recipients have admitted guilt yet—they wouldn’t. A second wave of letters is now directed to key lawmakers in these states—to the people who have the power to change the actual laws currently on the books governing how state dietetics and nutrition boards operate. ANH-USA will also be working with legislators to amend state laws to reflect these recent court victories. In the end, we may have to pursue legal action in order to get reform.