I specialize in food sensitivities where certain foods and chemicals are tested for a loss of oral tolerance (a fancy way of saying food sensitivity).   I've seen certain chemicals cause headaches in people.  Today I had a patient that determined by a methodical food challenge/washout process that she can eat a non-organic apple only if it is washed very well, otherwise she will get a headache.  Although not certain we can assume it is the pesticide residues on the skin of the unwashed apple as many people are reactive to chemicals. (and do not realize it!)

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When buying olive oil I often wondered how there could be so many brands at such different prices.   If you go into Whole Foods the unit price cost per gallon can vary dramatically.  Trader Joe's sells its 'organic extra-virgin' olive oil quite inexpensively.     In addition, one can see distinct color variations between oils in clear bottles.  What does this difference mean in terms of phytonutrients, taste and integrity? Read the rest of this entry

For so many years when people tell me they use honey in their tea or other foods I always question to make sure it isn't honey from a plastic squeezable bear.    I am surprised how many people use inexpensive 'honey' from a standard grocery.   You get what you pay for.  

There is a great new article from the Food Safety Network entitled "Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey".  Please read it to learn about what was found in store bought honey.   The results aren't sweet.

Interesting how chocolate is often associated with 'love' and 'heart' given its known benefit on the cardiovascular system . A review study just presented in Paris - a city that is renowned for its love of food and chocolate - showed that individuals who ate the most chocolate had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with individuals who ate the least amount of chocolate. Read the rest of this entry

There is so much data about the correlation with milk and chronic diseases. There was a lot of press about A1 vs A2 types of milk and the correlation with heart disease about 7 years ago. Now there was just another study released that correlated milk intake in adolescence with prostate cancer which is what prompted me to write this post.

I am not going to go into much detail here, but there is the no-milk.com website that contains a plethora of references.

I think it is unfortunate that so many people believe that pasteurized homogenized milk that can come from many cows in one carton is healthy.   Perhaps raw milk from organic grass fed cows can be healthy for people that are in a 'deficient' state.  Or milk from goats or other animals not in feedlots (as some 'organic' milk is!).

But we really need to think about drinking milk.  Small amounts are probably OK as the dose can make the poison in most cases.  (except IgE allergies which there are many to milk products).  But drinking a glass of milk is just not a smart idea.

Here is another good article: http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/one-type-of-milk-may-cause-diabetes-the-other-doesnt-which-do-you-drink/

The Environmental Working Group has released the new shopper's guide.   They have a "Dirty Dozen" produce items that need to be purchased organic and "clean 15" that have low residues of pesticides.  I was surprised to see corn as #2 on the "Clean 15" list since any non-organic corn is almost guaranteed to contain genetically modified protein sequences that have unknown physiological effects.   However then I read the preamble to the list where they suggest purchasing organic corn if we are concerned about GMO.   We all need to be concerned about GMO foods. Read the rest of this entry

We all collectively pay a high price for the glutton of sugar fed to us through marketing.  The sugar addiction starts with children and it may even start sooner with infant formulas. The worst offender is fructose, especially the high fructose corn syrup which is known to cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Read the rest of this entry

Given all the research about pesticide dangers and diseases it has been attributed to such as Parkinson's it still amazes me that foods grown with chemicals still make up the vast majority of foods consumed. This is probably largely due to the fact that chemical companies have a ton of money and political lobbyists. The vast majority of commercial farmers only know the way of the past 60 years and are of the false belief that organic farming is out of their reach. Not only are we exposed to pesticides from foods, but also those nice green lawns. Read the rest of this entry

It is widely knows that the phytonutrient known as isothiocyanates have powerful anti-cancer effects.   Isothiocyanate are found in mustard, horseradish, and onions to name a few.  It is what gives the herb its powerful biting taste.    However another anti-cancer phytonutrient that doesn't get as much attention is phenethyl ITC (PEITC).  Watercress contains high amounts of PEITC.  A recent study looked at what happens in women's blood after ingesting watercress.  In particular they looked at a specific blood marker that shows a  reduction in cancer cells.   What they found is marked inhibition in cancer cell activity, even stronger inhibition than what is found with isothiocyanates.

So next time you have the opportunity to buy fresh watercress please do so.   Add some to your salad to give it some bite and reduce your cancer risk as well.    Besides watercress is delicious! Read the rest of this entry

There is a new study out of Harvard by the well respected Walter Willett that is making headlines. I've seen some headlines say "Fruits and Vegetables Do Not Reduce Cancer Risk" or "Eating Vegetables Does Not Stop Cancer" which is incorrect at best. The headlines is not what this study reports, but the media needs to sell newspapers and thanks to the dumbing down of our society (with Fox leading the way) they need the sensationalist headlines to garner attention.
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