Changing Supermarkets

After a year, I found that I was unsatisfied with the selection I was given at my local supermarket. I passed a Fresh Market on my way home from work and decided to check it out. I FELT AS IF I WAS IN A NINTH DIMENSION OF LUXURIOUS PEOPLE WHO SIP FAIR TRADE COFFEE AND NIBBLE ON FRENCH CHEESES WHILE SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES. I was impressed!
So I decided to pick up something, anything.
I was like a kid in a candy store. There were so many things I had never seen or even heard of before, it was so cool.

So I get home to my roommates and gush about the lavish experience I had just had. Luckily, we were all somewhat interested in health (on different levels) so we decided to head out there together for choice items.

Long story short, we began to do our grocery shopping solely at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Fresh Market. Before long, our kitchen was absolutely over 75% Organic.

This was the next step to a healthier me: changing to a whole food grocer.

Try it,

~Turmeric

Going Organic

After about 2 years of being conscious that I had been an unhealthy person, I had controlled my fast-food addiction and soda consumption. I had read some information on foods in the supermarkets and the chemicals used to raise them. I read the effects said chemicals had over time on the health of humans, animals, plant life, and soil. I have always been environmentally conscious. In my decision to begin buying some produce and food organic, it was more for Mother Earth than for me.

I deduced that the most important products to buy organic was Dairy and Meat; and so this is how I began my Organic journey. I told myself that I would never buy non-organic meat or dairy from a supermarket every again...and I never went back on that. There are many many many reasons why I decided this is where my organic path should start. Some of those reasons I have spoken of in earlier blogs.

The second group of foods that I decided to only buy organic at all costs were berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. The reason: 1- Berries are extremely important to health, so I eat a lot of them, therefore I need them to be good for me which leads me to 2 - Their thin skin. Berries have extremely thin and pourous skin that allows the pesticides to permeate the fruit. When tested for chemical residue, berries are amongst the highest in concentration. Thicker skinned fruit like oranges and bananas score lower.

If you are following my story, this is 2 years into actively becoming a more healthy human being that I began to buy all my Meat, Dairy, and Berries organic.

~Turmeric

Getting Started

I had nasty food habits. I was a fast food junkie who's favorite drink was Cola. When I got my license, I lived at the drive thrus. I ate fast food at least 4 times a week. I was also a gluton. I was told this since the age of 6. I ate so much and adored food. I ate good things too, but I had a food obsession. My day revolved around when I was eating and what I was going to eat.

In 2004 I found myself with no medical insurance and it suddenly clicked for me. I may not be able to control if I get hit by a car, but I can control my health. I did not even know where to start, but I started somewhere. I began to research and research and research. I read articles, books, magazines, journals, you name it. I found out a lot, which is the reason for this blog. But let me tell you how I started and maybe this may give you some ideas.

The first chore was breaking my addiction to fast food. This took me about 1 year. I was still going after a year, but more like a normal person. I began with just completely not going, but 3 weeks later, I would ferociously tear up fast food for a week. I then decided to go 6 days on (meaning not eating fast food), 1 day off. This worked best for me but everybody is different and it may not work best for you. I am just throwing out ideas and what I went through.

Along with breaking my fast food addiction, I found it pertinent to halt soda consumption. I stopped carrying it in my home which was a big help. I didn't miss it at home because I love other drinks to. At parties and such, I would feel bad for drinking it, but I rationalized to myself that I was going slowly and it was okay. I stopped drinking it at home, but I allowed myself (initially) to drink if it was available at a gathering.

Guys, this took a year of work for me. It was not easy. Do not beat yourselves up ever. Find your pace and go with that.

Next week I will go through the nitty gritty of the next step I took.

~Turmeric

Milks Of All Forms! (It's Dairy Substitution Time!!!)

This is by far my favorite topic when it comes to nutrition. Dairy Substitutes. We are lucky in this day and age that there are so many options. In the 70's, those vegetarians/vegans didn't have too many places to turn. We have it easy!

Ok!

Let's tackle the biggest product first: milk.
There are SOOO many options:
1- Soy Milk
2- Rice Milk
3- Hazelnut Milk
4 -Oat Milk
5- Hemp Milk (yes, you read right)
6 - Almond Milk (my personal favorite)
...and there is an exciting new option from a company that claims they are the only ones producing it
7- Coconut Milk drink!!!!!!

{NOW, rewind to my 2nd blog. I SAID THIS. I said that I created my own coconut milk concoction that works as a great substitute because its thick like milk. I just found out about this product A WEEK ago. (I should've acted on it!)}

Most of the milk options are wonderful AND Healthful too! Soy Milk is the only one that has its issues, but I'll tackle that in the months to come.

Let's go to spreadables. Where does one turn if butter is no longer an option:
1- Jam/Jelly (tried and true)
2- Hummus/Tahini
3- Canola Oil solid spread (hard to find. Only in natural food grocers)
4- Honey (indeed!)

Ok, making fantastic progress here. I hope you are all taking vigorous notes!
Yogurts:
1-Soy yogurt
2- Coconut milk yogurt (from the same company that makes the coconut milk drink)

Sour Cream:
1- Guacamole
2- Soy sour cream

Cheese:
1-Rice milk cheese
2-Soy milk cheese (some brands of Soy cheese actually still contain small amounts of dairy, so be mindful to read ingredients.

I would like to say that dairy from Goats and Sheep are far easier to digest than the dairy from cows. So if you are not ready to eliminate cheese from your diet, try taking baby steps by purchasing Goat Cheese and/or Pecorino, which is sheep's milk cheese. I used to sprinkle grated pecorino on my pastas like parmasian. It honestly tastes better. I dare you to call me on it!

Dairy deserts:
1- Soy ice cream
2- Coconut milk ice cream (you guessed it, from the same company as the above coconut milks)
3- Raw Cacao
- This means in a chocolate bar form
- And it means as a chocolate powder to mix with your choice of nut milks.

If you have questions on specific products that you'd like to substitute for a non-dairy version OR questions on the brand names to the food items I have listed, just write a response, I'll answer all questions within a week...and with much love.

Good Luck

~Turmeric

p.s. This concludes the Month of July series on Substitutions. Next month will be tactics and strategies to adopt a new way of eating (trust me, I did NOT get this way over night)

Answers to the Food Coloring problem

As I wrote on my blog in March, Food coloring is basically in everything....edible and non-edible. I will not write a long list as I have done these past weeks of acceptible substitutes because there are too many.

What I will do is insist we all read labels. Whatever product it is: a loaf of bread, candybar, oatmeal, pasta, jam...whatever; read the labels. Food coloring is snuck into everything.

Companies that keep good practicing standards when it comes to food use food as food coloring. Natural food products with a reddish to purplish hue use extracted colors from beets. A yellow, orange, or brownish hue is usually attributed to annatto, which is a spice.

As you continue on your personal exploration for a better, healthier you, you will find those companies that "naturally" color their food.


I wish you health,
~Turmeric

Answers No. 3

Where to go to avoid Enriched, Bromated and Bleached items.

Get out of regular supermarkets. You can't find what you are looking for there.

1) For breads go to an organic or natural foods grocer. Some great grains include Spelt, Kamut, Oat, Buckwheat and Bulgar Wheat.
2) For pastas, do the same. Plus, there are non-flour options for pasta like Rice pasta, Spinach pasta, and Quinoa pasta.

Get ready to chow down, y'all

~Turmeric

Sugar Answers!

Where does one turn to get a little sugar...

Sugar!

But you don't want the white stuff; that highly processed and bleached concoction is unfriendly to the human body but there are plenty of other options.

- The closest to white sugar in taste and feel is Cane Sugar or Turbinado. This is solidified liquid cane extract. It is natural and has not been bleached.

- Honey is another fantastic option. Not only is it very sweet, but there are health benefits to consuming honey. Personally, I use a raw honey which is solid in room temperature. Buy pesticide-free when possible.

- For a lighter sweet taste, there is Agave. Agave is a liquid syrup from the Blue Agave plants of Mexico (also known for making tequila!). Agave works just like honey and is fantastic as a 'syrup' for flapjacks.

- Lastly, there is Stevia. Stevia comes from an Andean plant that has been used for centuries by the Natives of that region. It is amazingly potent where a small fraction of what you would use of sugar is needed with Stevia. Stevia has become increasingly popular in the last couple of years.

Those are my recommended options for sweeteners. Below are substitutions to the avoidances I listed in February.

1) Instead of diet cola, DRINK WATER BITCHES! I'll tell you another thing, if you have Type II Diabetes and you get your health act together, you can have your disease under control so that you can drink juices again.
2) Instead of sugar-free snacks...DON'T BUY SNACKS WITH SUGAR.
3) There are aspartame-free chewing gum at natural food grocers
4) There are natural toothpaste and mouthwash at natural food grocers.

Later Sweeties!

~Turmeric

ANSWERS!

Now, it would not be becoming of me to bash all this food without delivering to you answers directing us where we can turn to combate the lack of these foods.

This blog will give you answers to the absence of Hydrogenated Oils

I had previously listed some of the following food items that contained Hydrogenated Oils:
1- Margarine
1- Vegetable Oil
2- Breads
3- Peanut Butter
4- Baked goods/frosting
5- Crackers and such

Here are the answers following in numerical order.

1-I don't advocate the use of dairy, but when in need, just use plain old Organic butter. As much as dairy is not good for us, it is far better than margarine. I use a non-dairy canola spread from a great company that does not use GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). It looks like margarine and has the same type of container but is completely "whole". :)

2-Instead of Vegetable Oil, when cooking in high heat, use Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is full of saturated fat; this is a good thing! Because if it wasn't, during the heating process, the chemical bonds would turn toxic. Plus, the saturated fat in Coconut Oil is Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) which act more as a carbohydrate (giving you energy) than a fat. Coconuts are also naturally anti-viral and anti-bacterial. I know a couple of people who could stop taking ulcer medication because they began to consume 1 coconut item a day; that action kills off the bacteria in the stomach lining that creates the ulcer to begin with. Coconut products aid with hair growth, nail growth, hair shine, and creates a glowing complexion. There are 2 types of Coconut Oil; Refined and Unrefined. The Unrefined kind smells like and gives off a flavor of Coconut. The Refined is more-or-less flavorless.

Organic Canola Oil is a runner up to cooking under high heat.

If sauteeing in low level heat it may be alright to use Organic Olive Oil. Personally, I use Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for non-cooking scenarios like to dress salads or keep pasta from sticking.
There are an array of other oils that exist [Grapeseed, Peanut, Avocado, etc.] but none that stands up to high heat like Coconut Oil.

3-If you walk into any Organic or whole foods grocer, you will find PLENTY of breads to choose from. (I have yet to see sliced bread from a conventional grocer without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient.) My grain of choice is Spelt, but there are a plethora of grains to choose from: Oat, Wheat, Rye, Kamut, Quinoa...

4-I'm sure that at least 99.9% of us do not own a peanut grinder to make our own peanut butter. But dont' fret! There are plenty of options at whole and organic grocers. I don't like to name brands, but there are quite a few. Additionally, at these grocers you can find other nut butters: Hazlenut, cashew, walnut etc. Personally, I go with Almond Butter. It's my fav!

5- Just like the above 2, you can find ready-made cupcakes and cookies and pastries at whole grocers and none of them have hydrogenated oils and taste MUCH BETTER! We can also find cake mixes in these grocers so we can prepare cakes at home with out those devil oils.

6-Crackers too are easy to find at alternative grocers. Addtionally, just like breads, we can find an array of different grain crackers: Rice, Quinoa, Spelt, Rye etc.

Happy Hunting,
~Turmeric

Drink Milk, Get Osteoporosis

Pardon the absence. This subject was the scheduled next subject and it was so important to me, that I became overwhelmed and my reaction was inaction. Well, the buck stops here.

DAIRY OFFERS ABSOLUTELY NO BENEFIT FOR THE HUMAN BODY!

Yes, its is true. Contrary to popular belief.

I'll walk you through this. Answer these questions for yourself:

1- What are the benefits to drinking milk?
2- What species consume milk until adulthood?
3- What species consume the milk of another species?

NUMBER 1: What did you come up with? Did you come up with Calcium? Anything else?
Well guess what? Calicium in conjuction with Animal Protein actually leeches calcium from the bone. In other words, when you consume Animal meat or dairy, it takes calcium away from your bones.
This is precisely the reason why the worlds biggest consumers of dairy: United States, Sweden, Finland, also have the highest percentage for osteoporosis in their population. CONVERSELY, it has been found that small tribes in some African nations that consume NO DAIRY, osteoporosis is almost NON-EXISTENT. CHEW ON THAT!

(In a later post I will tell you where to turn for Calcium)

NUMBER 2: Were you stumped? Did you come up with just humans? Well my friend, you are right. Human Beings are the only mammals that consume milk past childhood.

NUMBER 3: Do you get where I'm going with this? HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE ONLY SPECIES IN THIS WORLD TO CONSUME THE DAIRY OF ANOTHER SPECIES!!!! THIS SHOULD ALARM YOU!!!!

Additionally, Dairy contains 3 things that are harmful to us: Lactose, Casein, and Whey.

When we are born, most of us have a good amount of Lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar Lactose. It is said that by age 5, most of us lose around 95% of this enzyme...makes sense because Nature wasn't planning on having us be breastfed past age 5!
So then what happens, well, you have a world population where 50% of humans are lactose intolerant. Your body is telling you that the dairy is poisonous, it is rejecting it. Listen to your body! It knows better than you!
So instead of suggesting an absence of milk in your diet, they create pills so that you can more easily ingest this poison AND add a pill with chemicals to your system. How Perfect!

The Dairy Industry wouldn't want to have it any other way.




p.s. This concludes the series that started in February on food avoidances. Look out in July for the healthful substitions of these avoidances.

Yellow No. 6

Artificial food colorings...are...in...EVERYTHING! But is there a problem?

What is the pretty cost to give your food a pretty hue???

Here is information on some dyes from a source book on food additives:

Yellow No. 6 [Sunset Yellow] - This has been shown to cause allergic reactions like hives, rhinitis (runny nose), and nasal congestion. It appeared to cause tumors of the kidney and adrenal glands in rats, and it may be carcinogenic. FDA reviewed studies on rats and believes that this color is safe to use. This color is banned in Norway and Sweden. It has been found used in saugages, candy, gelatin, and baked goods.

Blue No. 1 [Brilliant Blue] - It is found in desserts, confectioneries, candies, and beverages. It has not been properly tested and is suspected to contain a small cancer risk. It is banned in Finland and France.

Blue No. 2 [Indigotine/Indigo-carmine] - Not much is known of this additive, although it was suspected to cause brain tumors in animals. It can cause allergic reactions. Aside from soft drinks, candy, and baked products, it is also found in pet foods. This is banned in Norway.

Need I even add a comment?

But WHILE we are on the subject of artificials, let's talk about how TASTY Mcfries are! Mmmm, right?!? So mouth watering! But might I add that these flash-freezed, zapped potatoes that not even MOLD will grow on because that is how far from FOOD it really is, in actuality tastes like nothing.
BUT HOW? do you say...HOW is that possible...BECAUSE OF ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS! TA-DA!

Well, actually, artificial scents that highten our own sense of taste. This is a very complex science that banks a lot of profit. These scientists are lovingly called flavorists. The world's largest and 2nd largest flavor labs/Germany's largest/Japan's largest and dozens others are ALL located in the great state of Jersey. All these Jersey companies produces 2/3rd's of America's flavor additives. They also create cosmetic scents.

Here's an interesting anecdote from "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal" by Eric Schlosser:

"Legend has it that a German scientist discovered methyl anthranilate, one of the first artificial flavors, by accident while mixing chemicals in his laboratory. Suddenly the lab was filled with the sweet smell of grapes. Methyl anthranilate later became the chief flavoring compound of grape Kool-Aid."

And from the same book:

"A typical artificial strawberry flavor, like found in a Burger King strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients: amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amylketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, theyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone ...." and about 22 others. My fingers are tired.

Jenny McCarthy has recently proclaimed that she cured her son's autism. One of the many food eliminations she made was eliminating artificial colors and flavors.

Get ready for this list of where you find artficials, because its a long one.

Biggest Culprits:
1) Snacks: chips/cheesy things
2) Breakfast bars/granola bars/ protein bars
3) Fast food anything
4) Sodas/Fruit juices/energy drinks/powdered drinks
5) Ice cream/sorbets/sherberts
6) Candy/cookies/ready-made baked goods
7) Toothpaste/mouthwash/antacids
8) EVERY GOD DAMN THING

But there is a silver lining. Catch the 4th posting in March for the easy way to find these same items sans the artificials.

Love You All,

~ Turmeric

Enriched! Fortified with everything we took out!

Turn over the package of your loaf of bread. Go on...do it. I bet the 1st ingredient says "Enriched Flour". So...does it?

Do you know what that means?

When I was younger, I assumed that it meant something healthy. ENRICHED! It has that sorta ring to it. Well, FDA legal terminology is a bitch!

Here's an anecdote.
Earlier in the 20th century, when bread was normal, the bread companies searched to extend the shelf life of their products, thus garnering increased profits. It is, of course, the nutrients that speed up the rate in which mold has a field day with produce. A method was used to successfully sap bread of its nutrients, but the loss prevented bread from yielding a loaf-like shape.
Some genius figured out that if they use a similar compound to Plaster-of-Paris (remember, the white substance used in elementary art class to create Paper Mache sculptures!) then one could sap out the nutrients and keep the mold of a loaf! Oh Joy.
Here is where "enriched" comes in. They infuse the new loaf with synthetic nutrients just so they have something to put on the Nutrition Label.

Tidbit: You ever notice how white bread gets hard when its old. Whole bread doesn't. It stays soft but gets moldy. White bread gets hard because of the pseudo-Plaster of Paris.

Along with enriched are its cronies bromated, and bleached.
The bromation process is used in order to make the dough more elastic, therefore decreasing the need to be handled as delicately. It also promotes the development of Gluten. The bleaching process includes extremely harmful chemicals to make the product all white and pretty.

Biggest Culprits:
1) Bread
2) Pasta

Aspartame? I'd rather go sweet-free, please!

Aspartame: Culprit #2

What is aspartame. Aspartame was the food industries response to saccharin (the calorie-free sweetener of the moment that was found to cause tumors in mice). Artificial sweeteners were created for diabetics above anyone else, but as our overweight nation began searching to cut calories everywhere, the everyday person began its addition in their daily diet. Problem #1. Then Saccharin was found to be a lot less good for your health than everyone assumed. In comes Aspartame; the calorie-free substitute...for the, umm, calorie-free...substitute.

Get it together people, anything that gives a sweet taste, yet has no calories PROBABLY WILL KILL YOU. I'll calm down with the theatrics, but seriously.

Taken from 8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil:

"Saccharin, cyclamates, and aspartame all taste funny and disturb physiology in some people (causing headaches and menstrual dysfunction). Some experts suspect them of promoting cancer and having toxic effects on the nervous system. You are much better off eating moderate amounts of sugar than any of these unnatural compounds"

Eating Well for Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil:

" You should also note that the epidemic of obesity here also correlates with widespread use of noncaloric artificial sweeteners...artificial sweeteners may be useful for diabetics, but there is no evidence that they help anyone lose weight."

Mmmm, I love him.

Biggest Culprits:
1. Diet ANYTHING: Soda, gingerale, 0 calorie flavored drinks
2. Sugar-free ANYTHING: cookies, breakfast bars etc.
3. Gum
4. Toothpastes and mouthwashes


Get all that stuff out of your kitchen and away from children.

Check in next week for our 3rd food of avoidance

Eat well and be merry,

~Turmeric

Hydrogenated Oils

From this day until the last Friday of February, I will focus on the top 5 ingredients one MUST avoid to have at least decent health and an optimum weight.

Today we talk about Hydrogenated Oils.

What are they exactly?

I will paraphrase from Eating Well For Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil:

"To hydrogenate an oil, manufacturers heat it to high temperatures 248 - 410 degrees Farenheight with Hydrogen gas under pressure in the presence of metal catalysts (usually nickel, sometimes platinum) for 6 to 8 hours. This process is usually stopped before completion, resulting in a complex mixture of compounds, including trans-fatty acids."

My words: (These compounds called trans-fatty acids denotes the structure of the particular fat compound. Fats should be linear in shape. The more stable cis-fatty acids are used to build membranes and hormones. When the configuration is abnormal, let's say after hydrogenation, and the shape may be L-shaped or even pentagon looking, it will produce defective membranes and defective hormones. These trans-fatty acids promote atherosclerosis, damage the heart, and drive up production of cholesterol)

Do we understand now why Hydrogenated Oils are dangerous? If not, please email me directly, I will detail this subject more for you personally.

What products have this ingredient? Well, unfortunately many.

Biggest Culprits:
1. Margarine - Everyone should avoid this like the plague!!!
2. Vegetable Oil - NEVER, EVER cook with this stuff
3. Peanut Butter
4. Most Bread
5. Conventional Crackers (i.e. Ritz, Keebler etc.)
6. Conventional Cookies (i.e. Chips Ahoy, Oreo, really all the main ones)
7. Ready-made baked good of all sorts (cake, cupcakes, pie crusts etc.)

This is an abundant ingredient so it is challenging to avoid when you are first changing your health. The reason for it's prevalence has everything to do with $; food manufacturers discovered that this hydrogenation process extends the shelf life of the product which then turns them a bigger profit. This is an unnaturally occuring ingredient that did not exist in foods before the 20th Century.

Don't fret over avoiding this; as you begin your journey, you inevitably get into your groove and find your alternatives. The easiest way to avoid hydrogenated oils is by shopping solely at Organic grocers. That ingredient is not welcome in products at those stores.

Starting the first week of March, I will answer each 'Ingredient of Avoidance' from February with the 'Healthful Alternative'.

Peace to all,

~Turmeric

A New* Milk Substitute

*Well, not really; but not the usual. Personally, I don't consume milk at home; I don't buy it. I am not so strick that I won't eat a friend's birthday cake at her party, but it does mean that I need a liquid for my cereal! There are the common substitute staples: Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk, Hazelnut Milk and Oat Milk. Almond Milk tended to be my substitute of choice but I still longed for the thickness of milk. Well, I experimented. I opened a can of Organic Coconut Milk and poured some into a glass. I then added some Organic Honey. I tasted; it was nice, but slightly too thick. I mixed this with about equal parts Organic Almond Milk; Jackpot! It was FANTASTIC! So I challenge Vegans and Non-Lactose cosumers and the curious among us to try this one. Once again, its: Coconut Milk, Honey, and Almond Milk. Add a couple of ice cubes if you'd like to thin out the concoction. Let me know what you think!

The Basics

For the first post, I would like to make it understood that this is NOT a weight-loss blog. This is a blog on Health. I will guarantee you, though, that as you apply the information on this blog to your life, you will be at your optimum weight. There is no secret to weight-loss; plenty of individuals have made millions off of this 1 basic principle of weight gain/loss: Eat more calories than one can burn = weight gain; Eat less calories than one burns = weight loss.

That's it! Nothing more, nothing less.

I am excited to provide real, scientific information to all my readers. Your best self is yet to come.