THE YEAST CONNECTION

October Raspberries,  photograph.                                         © Ruth Zachary

Yeast and fungal infections can affect many parts of the body; the vagina, the bowels, the skin, and in other parts of the body. Three of every four women will have at least one yeast infection before menopause, according to Robert A Schulman, MD, in his comprehensive book, Solve It With Supplements. (Rodale Books)

We have known for a long time, too much sugar causes diabetes.. My grandmother found a diet for my grandfather that removed his diabetic symptoms, over 100 years ago. Other conditions are slow to be connected to carbohydrates. The link between sugar and yeast infections is rarely mentioned, and is not mentioned in Schulman’s book.

Dr. Oz recently did discuss this link on his daily program. Yeast thrives on sugar and carbohydrates in the diet. A high glycemic diet is known to cause inflammation. Yeast infections often cause inflammation. Yeast and Inflammation may or may not be linked to each other.

Antibiotics given for a yeast infection, can cause it to virtually explode in one’s system. Antibiotics can destroy the natural flora in the digestive tract,  that counteracts yeast.

Schulman, explains vaginal fungi, Candida albicans can cause outbreaks, when there are hormonal changes in the body. Usually a sexual partner is not responsible for a recurrent yeast infection. He says to avoid bubble baths, wear clean cotton underwear and to avoid tight fitting clothing.

Precautions include taking Lactobacillus acidophilus, in the diet – (8 oz. of yogurt)or as a supplement, or taking boron, garlic (with anti fungal properties), Lavender, or tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a proven germicide, and will inhibit 11 different bacteria, according to Schulman. See his book for details.

Yeast in the system may be a secondary, sometime problem, but it may also be a major malady on its own. A person can be allergic to yeast, even as it multiplies in different parts of the body. A blood test can reveal a yeast allergy or sensitivity.

Yeast infections in the body may go away on their own. Even if we try to avoid starchy or sweet foods, it is hard to realize the full extent of sugar and carbs we are consuming every day. Even if we look at the ingredients on canned goods, boxes, cereals, and condiments, the chemical names are a mystery, hard to identify by only looking at the names, which are unfamiliar. Processed foods are filled with high glycemic ingredients and various kinds of sweeteners and sugars, starches, flour, (as well as gluten which has other impacts).

If you have an autoimmune disease, and inflammation is part of your problem, it is critical to know how to avoid these ingredients in your diet.

The food industry is invested in selling these products. They tell you sugars, grains and starches are staples and are healthy. In regulated amounts this is probably true, but the volume of such products consumed in this country is not healthy. In addition, the amount of exercise we don’t do contributes to obesity and diabetes. Physical labor is not part of a person’s life style and occupation, to the degree that it was 100 years ago.

How to reverse yeast in the system? Learn to identify and avoid the sugars and carbohydrates that contribute. Some people think fruits and berries, a source of natural sugars must also be withdrawn from the diet. I am still researching that subject.

Another thing that will probably help is to take a probiotic, containing the natural living cultures to restore your intestinal health, and which will put the various cultures that live in the gut, including yeast into balance. Natural immunity to disease is dependent upon a healthy intestinal tract. 90% of a healthy immune system depends upon the intestines.

Next time: Lists of sugars, starches, high glycemic foods and additives.


Images and Writing are the Copy right © of Ruth Zachary

CEREAL SAFETY

White Bread. Computer Design in Kid Pix and Adobe Photoshop.   © by Ruth Zachary

To follow up on the Post  Is Grain the cause of Brain Drain, dated April 4, 2014,  I was curious to know if any grains are safe to eat. 

Dr Susan Blum in her Immune System Recovery Plan stated that she would remove any grains containing gluten from a person's diet for three weeks before re-introducing them.  Thes include wheat, gluten, barley and rye. Removing these grains would allow the patient to see if they are reacting to the grain or cereal. Blum is still cautious about allowing any gluten in the body because gluten protein causes anti-immune reactions in various parts of the body, which may not be noticed for years until accumulated symptoms show up later on.

Another factor may not relate to gluten. Eating any food or grain multiple times per week can cause a food sensitivity as well, a problem for people with auto immune diseases. Yeast, found in many grain products is also a trigger.

    WHEAT & GLUTEN

    BARLEY

    RYE

   YEAST

For this reason, I have crossed them off the list of safe grains.

I have listed several other grains below, with the caution that any grain, including Quinoa or another variety Ken-o wa not be ingested more often than every three days, to try to reduce the chance of developing a sensitivity to one of them. For instance, I am personally reactive to two grains that may be safe for others.

SAFE GRAINS

    AMARANTH

    QUINOA

    WHOLE GRAIN BROWNRICE

    WHOLE SHORT GRAIN BROWN RICE

    TEFF (SHILOH FARMS)

    MILLET

    BUCKWHEAT (EDEN)

    OATS- GLUTEN FREE

    CEREALS- GLUTEN FREE

    CEREAL BARS

    CORN MEAL made from Indian corn or Varieties not descended from those genetically altered  sweet corn

INDIAN CORN-RED,BLUE, is high in anthocyanins (anti carcinogen), and thirty times more antioxidants as our modern sweet corn, which is about 90% carbohydrates. Indian corn blocks inflammation, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar, and even reduces weight gain caused by a high fat diet. White and yellow corn has none of these benefits. Even colored corns grown in this country are grown for seasonal decoration, not for human consumption.

            In South American countries, people still eat purple corn, called maiz morado. It offers more resveratrol than red wine. It calms inflammation, inhibits tumor cells, and has several times more anthocyanins than most blueberries.

            A drink made from purple corn, pineapple skins and cinnamon, called chica morada can be found in health food stores. The traditional drink has no added sugar. From p. 75-76 Eating on the Wild Side.

To see more of Ruth Zachary's images,  visit her blog featuring Abstract Art

Writing and Illustrations are the © copyright of/by Ruth Zachary

 

SHOULD ALL FOODS YOU EAT BE ORGANIC?

Illuminated Fruit. Photograph.                          © by Ruth Zachary

We all know that organic foods can be more expensive than those not identified as such, although lately, sometimes foods at my local organic food store cost less there than they do in a chain grocery store. I have found it prudent to shop in several stores with a list of the foods that tend to have good prices and good quality. I go about once a week and each time to a different store.

But does every food have to be marked organic to be safe to eat? I would say, not all. But some foods should definitely be organically grown. A few are noted below.

Eggs should be organic – YES

Meats ………………… ..YES

Chicken………………….YES

Apples…………………...YES

Avacados………………….NO- people remove the skins, and the skin would contain toxins if sprayed, but not the flesh of the fruit. Some foods are resistant to insects, and are seldom sprayed so there is no need to buy that product with an organic label.

I don’t believe bananas are sprayed, but if you plan to eat the skins, which are very nutritious, you might want to check with your grocer and don't eat the skins without that organic label.

There are some foods that really need to be organically grown, especially those that are subject to insect pests. To get a good crop, farmers spray the produce. Only those sold as organic will not be sprayed. The fruit or vegetables may cost more to compensate for the grower’s loss to insects.

However, some GMO foods may be adverse to your body chemistry, and you deserve to know if the food you plan to eat has been genetically altered, before you buy it. Some food producers are fighting the requirement to label the food as genetically modified. Sometimes it is hard for them to know exactly which food sources are GMO or which ones are not. But some just want you to buy it and eat it, and if you have a reaction to it, how will you be able to prove it? Buyer beware!

All Images and Writing are the copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

IS GRAIN CAUSING BRAIN DRAIN?

 Brain Challenges: Scrabble is one of the games that can encourage brain function. ©R. Zachary

Dr.  David Perlmutter spoke on PBS Channel 6 recently. He has written at least two books on the relationship of grains to brain malfunction and degeneration. Perlmutter says the cause is inflammation,  something most people and doctors are not aware of. The inflammation will show up if a brain scan is done.

           

The reason grains are a cause of inflammation is that they are so high in starch, sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins that are difficult for the body to utilize. Free radicals are the cause, and the cure is antioxidants, available in a diet of brightly or deeply colored roots and vegetables.

Cut All Carbs From Your Diet.

Perlmutter stressed the first step to brain health is to stop eating all forms of sugars, which increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. (Diabetes is another auto-immune condition.) He says sugar is toxic to the brain, and is a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. The hippocampus is the memory center of the brain, and sugar is correlated with brain shrinkage. Sugar binds to proteins in a process called glycation

Sugar increases the free radicals in our body. Removing sugar from the diet is key to anti-aging, Perlmutter explained. In addition, people must also cut back on starches, all forms of sugar, and carbohydrates.

He says the best way to identify the healthy foods to eat is to become familiar with the glycemic index of foods.  Breads, and sugars have a higher index than a candy bar, not that you should eat candy instead. Perlmutter says the body just doesn’t need so many carbohydrates. The brain actually needs fats, but from healthy sources.

Cut All Gluten from Your Diet

The American diet is full of gluten, (the sticky stuff that holds bread together and allows it to form bubbles so it raises.) Gluten is a protein, that many people cannot metabolize. Instead the immune system attacks it, and when the immune system is overly stressed, it may not be able to recognize the difference between gluten and other types of proteins in our own bodies, so that it attacks our own cells.

Gluten appears in processed foods, and the prevalence of that ingredient increases the chance of sensitivity to it. You don’t have to develop Celiac’s disease to be sensitive to gluten. Perlmutter stressed that up to 30 % of people in this country are sensitive to gluten. Many do not recognize they are sensitive, or that they have inflammation, aggravated by gluten. Perlmutter said eliminating gluten and carbohydrates from the diet has improved the health of most of his patients.

Because the symptoms are so diverse, and may show up in ways that are not immediately seen, Perlmutter suspects that it may turn out the !00 % of people may be sensitive to gluten. Why? Because gluten is relatively new to the human animal. Wheat has been part of the human diet for about 10,000 years. Human DNA is about the same as it was from 50,000 to 70,000 years ago. Grains were not always a major staple. We have learned to increase the productivity of the grain plants with hybrids that allow more of them in our diet.

People selling food products promote their own crops as being beneficial, when often they are not, but we believe the claims that have been made often and over years of time, rather than to question that a food may be harmful.
 

There Is More You Can Do

Research is showing that a diet rich in healthy fats is good for brain and cardiovascular health. Sources for these fats is in olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, wild fish, nuts and seeds, and eggs. Even the cholesterol in eggs is a brain food.

Perlmutter said conditions such as ADHD, depression, tremors and other diseases have been cured by removal of gluten in the diet. Many doctors collude with this problem by prescribing antidepressants, or drugs to mask symptoms, even though these substances increase the chance of death by 34 %. 50 % of people at 50 years or more are at risk of developing dementia of some sort.

There are other factors that can also affect brain health and longevity. Aerobic exercise, diet, sleep and more all affect our genetic destiny, and can even change it.  The previous blog post listed activities which can encourage the brain to regenerate. (Did I mention the need to stop smoking?)

Nuerogenesis or regeneration of brain function continues throughout life. Lifestyle changes can help grow a new brain. Perlmutter said a supplement, DHA or Omega 3 turns on the growth of new brain cells and improves our chances of developing Alzheimer’s.  Omega 6 is also important for resistance to aging and brain degeneration.

Writing and Images are the © copyright of Ruth Zachary.

CAN YOU IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTION?

Concert in Blue Flat Minor, Study.    © by Ruth Zachary

Experts now say the brain can continue to add new functions and regenerate new cells even when you get older. DHA is advised as a nutritional supplement for your brain. It is one of the building blocks. As with the body, EXERCISE is crucial for the brain, in order to make the best use of nutrients you are so careful to make available for excellent functioning. Physical exercise improves circulation in the brain as well as strengthening the body.

Some activities advised to keep your brain active include:

            Do some activities every day that are beyond your usual comfort zone.

            Memorize long lists, which helps your memory to continue working, or even improve.

            Playing a musical instrument involves different parts of the brain, and helps children in school

                       to make new mental connections in other subjects, such as mathematics.

            Try activities with your non-dominant hand, such as writing with your left hand if you are
                        right handed, or brushing your teeth with your left hand.

            Dancing helps the brain, as learning the steps cross-trains all parts of the brain.

            Games like Scrabble, puzzles, and many more, challenge the mind.

            Do get enough rest for optimal mental functioning.

All Writing and images shown on this blog are the © Copyright of Ruth Zachary, unless otherwise attributed.

A FINE FETTLE OF FISH

One of the First Genetically Engineered Animal Foods- Salmon

This week a group supporting the labeling of GMO foods  (-http://www.JustLabelIt.org/takeaction) was encouraging  concerned consumers to contact the FDA about plans to approve genetically engineered salmon, stressing,“We have no time to lose.”

“The FDA is preparing to approve genetically engineered salmon, which would be the first genetically engineered animal on supermarket shelves in the United States. The salmon is engineered to produce growth hormones year-round that cause the fish to grow at twice the normal rate. The government already requires labels to tell us if fish is wild-caught or farm-raised -- don't we also have a right to know if our salmon is genetically engineered? Without labels, we'll never know.”

“As consumers, I think we have a right to know how the food we buy is produced, including whether it's genetically engineered. Otherwise, we can't decide what's best for us and our families.” By the author of the letter from the JustLabelIt Organization.

Many countries in the world are modifying foods to make them more resistant to cold, or to accept more powerful pesticides so that plants will survive harsher conditions or pests, and in order to produce greater crop yields. However, the United States is one of the few developed nations that does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Even China and Russia label them!  

It is becoming ever more apparent that Human bodily chemistry is unbelievably complex, and it is monstrous to hide a GMO in a protein source which is also in a major source of Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 6). This GMO change will pass along growth hormones to children as well as to adults without any recourse unless people have the information so they have a choice.

If readers would like to contact the FDA to weigh in on this issue, the contact Information is included below.

Google- Search for FDA GMO info

Contact  the FDA

ConsumerInfo@fda.hhs.gov

Consumer Health Information

Room 5377, Building 32

10903 New Hampshire Ave.

Silver Spring, MD 20993 

The FDA has a well organized web site and blog, featuring topics from A to Z. I recommend checking it out. It contains a lot of information, including the article below, taken from their site. 
 

Graphic from the FDA Web Site explaining the difference between Genetic Engineering and controlled pollination or cross- breeding different species of plants and animals.

FDA's Role in Regulating Safety of GE Foods

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Foods from genetically engineered (GE) organisms, also known as biotech foods and referred to by some as food from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), have been in our food supply for about 20 years.

Genetic engineering refers to certain methods that scientists use to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism. For example, plants may be genetically engineered to produce characteristics that enhance the growth or nutritional value of food crops.

Using a science-based approach, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates foods and ingredients made from genetically engineered plants to help ensure that they are safe to eat.

Since people have been modifying plants for thousands of years through breeding and selection, FDA uses the term "genetically engineered," or "GE," to distinguish plants that have been modified using modern biotechnology from those modified through traditional breeding.

FDA regulates food from GE crops in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is responsible for protecting agriculture from pests and disease, including making sure that all new GE plant varieties pose no pest risk to other plants. EPA regulates pesticides, including those bioengineered into food  to make them more resistant to  climate extremes.

Other Threats to Wild Salmon.
Oil Companies are seeking to drill for petroleum products along the major waterways in Alaska where a major source of Wild (Pink) Salmon are harvested.

Writing of the first article is the Copyright© of Ruth Zachary. The Article about the FDA's Role in Regulating Safety of GE Foods was taken from the FDA website and blog.

MORE ABOUT THE ONION FAMILY (ALLIUMS)

Garlic from my garden, 2006                     Photo by © Ruth Zachary

Continued from the previous post -  Part 2 of Alliums.

LEEKS are tall, mild flavored alliums. They have one bulb on a single stalk, but are rich in phytonutrients, stored in the stalk and leaves. To use the leaves, buy the smallest leeks you can find. Leeks do not have a long shelf life.

             

Prepare as soon as you can after bringing them home. Cut in 1/8 inch slices, and add to greens in a stir-fry and then add the bulbs a few minutes  later. A common recipe is Potato-leek soup. Leeks are also good as a sauted dish, or in soups or pot roasts. Leeks can be frozen in pint sized freezer bags for later use. p. 65 Eating on the Wild Side

ONIONS, RED,YELLOW Many onion varieties used to be available until about 70 years ago. They were pungent and potent, offering a wide range of phytonutrients and antioxidants. Around the 1940s, and 50s sweeter varieties were grown, which originated from a variety growing  on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.

           

One of the most beneficial phytonutrients in onions is quercetin. This may be antiviral, antibacterial, and anti carcinogen. Most cooking processes actually increases the quercetin content. Just don’t pour off the cooking water, but use it in the soup or stew.

            

Medicinal values were also reduced. In a 2004 test-tube study, extracts of strongly flavored onions destrowed 95 percent of human cancer cells of the liver and colon.

Western Yellow onions have more antioxidants than many other popular varieties 1. pg. 58-59 Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson.

             

Some people react to eating raw onions. In some cases, onions can cause heartburn, because of a complex carbohydrate  intolerance. This can run in families. Such people with these sensitivities can’t eat onions without taking an over the counter remedy, such as Beano to supply a missing enzyme.

            

 Sweet onions may be the best choice if to be eaten raw. Red onions that are wide and flat are more sweet. The papery outer skin retains moisture and flavor. The skins retain a lot of nutrients, and they can be added to soup stock. Yellow onion skins can be wrapped in cheesecloth, and pulled out easily. They will turn the soup a golden color. Hot red onions are round or oblong and bring tears to your eyes. Hot onions are those with more nutrients. To chop or slice onions, put vinegar on your cutting board, or cut them under running water to reduce the fumes. If to be eaten on sandwiches or salad, slice pungent more nutritious varieties thin, so they appear transparent.

             

Bags of onions will last about two weeks if stored in a cool dark pantry. Do not freeze or store where the temperature drops below freezing. Some onions can be stored on the refrigerator shelf in a covered container, if cut, for instance. The crisper drawer is too humid.

             

Use pungent varieties in cooking to obtain the most nutrients. Onions can be added to the cooking pot as soon as sliced or chopped, without losing any nutrients. Cooking yellow and red onions tames their firery heat. Five to ten minutes is enough. Longer, and the flavor tends to diminish. Therefore, add onions to a dish as a last step. Heat left-overs only to eating temperature and not to boiling. Nuking also reduces the flavor.

             

Onions were used in soldier’s diet in the Civil war, and they were also used as field dressings. Onions, used in a prescribed manner, are more effective against the flu than Tamiflu vaccine.

SCALLIONS – Green Onions, spring onions, or salad onions. They have slim white bulbs,

dark green tubular leaves.. They have 140 times more phytonutrients than common white onions. Use them in preference to onions. They should be eaten soon after purchased or harvested. Store in a micro perforated plastic bag.

*SHALLOTS Shallots look like large bulbs of garlic. They have from two to four cloves inside.

They are colored mahogany, rose, gray or amber. Sometimes scallions are used instead of shallots, because of the cost, but they are high in nutritional value. Asian markets however, often have shallots at the same price as onions. Most large supermarkets carry them in season. The mild but complex flavor complements egg dishes, soups, cream soups, sauces and stir-fries. Saute them in olive oil and serve over fresh salmon, halibut or tuna. (Tuna is a fish that may contain mercury or other heavy metals.) Shallots contain six times more phytonutrients than most onion varieties. On a refrigerator shelf, shallots will last about a month.

            Shallots grow well in a home garden. Buy them through vegetable and seed catalogues,

early in the season.

CHIVES-There are two types of chives, onion chives and garlic chives, both native to the old and new hemispheres.

            

Onion chives. In the US, onion chives are most familiar. They have long tubular bright green leaves and have a mild onion flavor. They are great in omelets or as a garnish for soups. Chives often brighten sour cream for mashed potatoes. They are usually eaten raw.

            Grow them near your kitchen, and clip them off, leaving about four inches of green.

Use in salad dishes, or other recipes. If you buy seeds, be sure they are not wheatgrass seeds.

             

Garlic chives have flat straplike leaves. They are more popular in Asia, and are often called Chinese or Asian chives. They are usually sautéed. They are used in spring rolls, stir-frys, hot and sour soup,  and in many meat and seafood recipes. Usually available in Asian markets.

Garlic chives have more antioxidants than the hottest red onions. They should be used soon after harvest, but they can be stored in a microperferated bag.They are all greens and no bulb. They are used to treat many maladies, including fatigue and disorders of the kidney, liver and digestive tract.

 Garlic seeds are the main means of propagation.

Most of this information was taken from Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson. 


Images on this blog are the © of Ruth Zachary. 

THE BENEFICIAL ONION FAMILY

ALLIUMS (onions) grow all over the world, and over 100 varieties were used by Native American hunter gatherers for food or medicine to treat many kinds of illnesses. They even protected fields    of alliums growing in their territories. The alliums growing at the southern end of Lake Michigan could be smelled for miles, and was called Shikako or “Skunk Place,” from which came the name for Chicago.

            Wild alliums are more pungent than domestic varieties. (P. 48 Eating on the Wild Side.)

Alliums have not been cultivated to be less pungent and more sweet. This is why they still contain
most of the benefits their wild varieties possess.

Garlic Amidst the Raspberries.  Photograph                                                © by Ruth Zachary

*GARLIC was used for thousands of years as a performance enhancing substance. Athletes used them to enhance their endurance before competing in Olympics. During the Black Death French priests ate garlic and onions as part of their diet, and were more resistant to disease than English Priests who scorned the bad smelling “peasant food.”

            

            Some people react to raw garlic (Allicin) Also, do not give your dog any kinds of onion varieties in leftover food. They are not something their species has adapted to.

            Egyptians used 22 different garlic preparations to treat conditions ranging from fatigue to cancer. (1) see p 48 of Eating on the Wild Side.

             

            Garlic was used by Russian medics during WWII in a similar way as penicillin. In 2009 onions and garlic were being rationed as a part of the army diet, as a protection against the H1N1 flu. One milligram of allicin, from garlic is equivalent to 15 IU of penicillin, although the benefit of eating garlic is not the same. However garlic is more effective at killing bacteria. (1) see p 49 – 50 of Eating on the Wild Side. Garlic is more effective against cancer than cruciferous vegetables.

            NOTE: The benefits from garlic can be destroyed by poor preparation. Alliicin is produced by mixing two separate compounds in garlic, allicin and alliinase,  requiring that it be crushed and the two substances blended together. This can happen when chewing. It must be kept away from the heat for 10 minutes. Once it has been mixed and rested for 10 minutes, the Allicin can be heated and is effective in various recipes.

           However, heating after crushing or slicing garlic can destroy it. Microwaving destroys 90 percent of its cancer fighting ability. 

            The usual variety of garlic in the supermarket is the California Silverskin. Another is the Spanish Roja, a hardneck variety, with more of a rich garlicky flavor, not just hot. Farmer’s markets may carry both softnecck garlic and hardneck garlic. The latter is closer genetically to wild garlic and has more of its medicinal qualities. Hardneck has a hollow stub projecting from the top. The bulb has a single row of cloves circling the stem extending down to the roots. Softneck garlic has several concentric rows of cloves, smaller ones near the center. This is also heavier and plumper. Hardneck varieties have a smaller yield per acre and are more perishable, less desirable for mass production.

            Freeze dried garlic and other alliums retain most of their beneficial nutrients, but fresh garlic is the most economical choice.

            Store fresh garlic outside the refrigerator, but out of the light and with air circulation. Storing it increases its pungency and alicin content as much as tenfold. Store it in the frig but not in the crisper drawer. It needs to be dry or it will sprout.

           Most of the information for this topic was taken from  Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson.