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Can Coffee Be Healthy?
How many of you had a coffee this morning? How many of you are eagerly anticipating your first sip? Maybe you like to save your latte for that lull around 11am, or the 4pm slump.
Taking a coffee break gives you the chance to slip out of the office and step away from your screen. It also provides a reason to take a pause. And for some people, that’s all they are really craving.
Lets be clear, coffee is not the devil – but nor is it as innocuous as some people think. It is a strong substance that performs differently in each of us. Which is why it can make some people put on weight and others dramatically drop it.
It can also provide an enjoyable pep for some people, while can leave others with pounding hearts, sleepless nights and lowered immunity.
For coffee lovers there is some good news; it has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, liver cancer and in a meta-analysis of nearly 480,000 people, lower your risk of stroke.
So why should you cut it out? I’ve outlined a few points below, but for those who will continue to enjoy the popular pick-me-up, see my golden rules for healthy coffee drinking at the bottom.
Why Coffee is Not So Good For You
* Coffee doesn’t give you a chance to relax; to find neutral. So when you’re craving that caffeine hit remember that nothing in coffee gives you energy. It’s a drug that affects your adrenal glands, and your nervous system. It keeps you going, even when you want to stop – or sleep.
Think about it for a moment. Exercise gives you energy, deep breathing fills your body with life force, bathing in Epsom salts soaks your cells in magnesium, which is crucial for energy production… but coffee? It generally leaves you wired, and then tired.
* Coffee can make you fat, according to Dr. Libby Weaver, a New Zealand nutritional biochemist and author of Accidentally Overweight. Dr Weaver explains that caffeine stimulates the production of adrenalin and when adrenalin is released your blood sugar spikes. What happens when blood sugar elevates? Insulin – the fat storage hormone – is released to deal with the excess glucose. What is not used or stored in your muscles ends up on your hips.
*Excessive caffeine depletes magnesium. Low levels of magnesium are linked to everything from skyrocketing stress and poor sleep to bone loss and cancer. In a recent survey, 46% of patients admitted to a cancer care unit in Brazil were found to be clinically deficient in magnesium.
*Coffee reduces your electrical energy. Yes really. A study from an independent division of Eastern State University in Cheny Washington, shows that sipping a cup of coffee can lower your electrical frequency in a matter of seconds. Why is this bad? The author of the study, Bruce Tainio, found that the immune system becomes compromised when your frequency drops.
If you’re a coffee lover, reading this post is unlikely to change your morning habit. Believe me, giving up coffee was one of the hardest things I had to do, but four years on, I don’t regret it.
It took 18 months to fully wean myself off my one almond milk latte. But for me it was worth it. My insomnia disappeared (almost overnight) my headaches became a thing of the past and I had more energy. I still miss it though, and sometimes on holiday, I treat myself to a cold brew coffee. Read below to see why this is the healthiest coffee to drink and how you can cut back on coffee if you need to.
Golden Rules for Coffee Drinking:
Always eat before heaving coffee. Ideally breakfast should include some protein and fat (porridge with peanut butter, eggs and avo on toast) to help offset the blood sugar spike.
Drink your brew between 10-2pm or 2pm-5pm say scientists. Why? It’s to do with cortisol. The hormone naturally peaks in the morning (around 8am) to help wake us up, but when you habitually drink coffee first thing it replaces that boost. To reduce the chance of coffee interfering with your natural rhythms save it for when the hormone naturally dips – at the above times.
Choose organic. Coffee is generally heavily sprayed with pesticides and highly susceptible to mold toxins according to Kevin Gianni, author of Kale and Coffee. One mold in particular, ochratoxin A, is linked to cancer of the kidneys and bladder.
Try Cold Brew. Now found in every artisan Australian coffee shop, it is made by steeping coffee beans for 20 hours in water. ‘The lack of heat makes it far less acidic and so kinder on digestion,’ says Natasha Corrett founder of Honestly Healthy.
Interestingly, cold-brew coffee is nothing new. I couldn’t believe it when I stumbled upon this entry in a nutrition book from 1973, when I was clearing my bookshelf!
Avoid Decaf. This is especially important if you are pregnant. Decaf tends to be moldier and also undergoes a chemical process to remove the caffeine. This ‘Direct Process’ involves either the use of methyl chloride (widely used as a paint stripper and degreaser) or ethyl acetate (used to make cigarettes, glue and nail polish remover). However organic is OK. For Decaf to be certified organic, the company must use one of two natural methods – either carbon dioxide or water (see the Swiss water method) to strip the caffeine. Try Organic Decaf Coffee from Coffee Plant.
If you want to cut down, try swapping one or your cups for a Matcha Latte or Chai Tea with almond milk. Both will give you a hit of caffeine without the jitters thanks to the calming effect of tannins in tea. I’ll sip to that, and end with a quote from India Knight, in a recent column:
‘Tea, unlike coffee, is never the wrong drink and there is no situation that tea doesn’t enhance.’
Laura Bond
is a journalist, author and nutritional health coach. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, balance their gut flora, lose weight and prepare their bodies for babies. For more information, click here.
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Lose Weight with Plant Carbs
What comes to mind when you think of carbs: pasta, peanut butter on toast, granola?
Or maybe it’s quinoa, kamut spaghetti and sourdough spelt bread.
These ancient grains are certainly more nutritious – and kinder to the stomach – than refined carbs.
Quinoa for example is recognised as a superfood by NASA, packed with protein and gluten-free. Properly fermented sourdough is created using a live culture, making it good for our gut health and better for slow releasing energy.
However if you really want to step up efforts to lose weight and load your body with phytonutrients, swap grains for plant carbs – think vegetables, nuts and seeds.
These foods are rich in anti-cancer compounds, fibre and antioxidants – and won’t leave you slumping on the sofa.
Swap Spaghetti for Pesto Courgetti:
A 125g serve of raw courgette spaghetti [without sauce] contains 21 calories and less than 4 g of carbs, compared with 346 calories and 64 g of carbs in regular spaghetti. Win!
Courgettes also contain Vitamin C as well as blood pressure lowering potassium. Plus, the soluble fibre in the skin stabilizes blood sugar and helps keep you regular.
How to make it: I use a simple hand-held spiralizer which works like a pencil sharpener to shred the vegetable into ribbons. At the moment I’m enjoying courgetti fried lightly with pesto sauce and topped with a poached egg, inspired by the recipe from Natasha Corrett’s new E Book Green and Lean. See image above
Swap Rice for Cauliflower Fried Rice:
Once reserved for cauliflower cheese, this cruciferous vegetable is now a fixture on raw food menus. Cauliflower supports the liver and kidneys and contains sulforaphane, shown to suppress breast cancer cells.
How to make it: Simply cut the cauli into florets and ‘pulse’ in a food processor for 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to over blend or you will end up with cauliflower mash. I love Asian flavours and have been experimenting with fried cauli rice – I simmer ginger, garlic, and onions then add prawns, mushrooms and lastly the cauliflower – as suggested by Paleo superstar Pete Evans author of Healthy Everyday.
Swap Toast for Vegetable Crackers:
Keep the warm crusty sourdough for a weekend treat and try these vegetable crackers for an everyday alternative. These Raw Herb Crackits from Inspiral are crisp, dense and crunchy and stay fresh for a week after opening. They are made with courgette, carrots, almonds, chia seeds, plus anti-cancer superfoods like reishi mushrooms and flaxseeds. If you live in Australia try Activated Organic Crackers from Good Natured Living – which I’ve been enjoying on holiday.
How to make it: Slather in nut butter or top with avocado, tomato a little salt and sauerkraut.
Swap Wheat-wrap for Coconut Wrap:
Nothing beats a wrap for a speedy on-the-go lunch and it can be a great way to use up leftovers. Made with coconut meat and coconut oil, a coconut wrap has just 70 calories and 4g of carbs, compared to an average of 180 calories and 28g carbs in a spelt wrap. Plus coconut oil helps boost the metabolism and stimulate collagen production to keep you looking young.
How to make it: Fill with whatever you fancy – try organic chicken, salad, olive oil mayo and broccoli sprouts, or raw slaw and peanut butter sauce.
Swap Muesli for Nuts, Seeds and Superfoods:
Rather than eat store-bought muesli, in the morning I combine activated almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds. I also sprinkle in superfoods like cacao nibs and hemp seeds, which are a great source of plant-based protein and contain the anti-cancer antioxidant phytol.
How to make it: Combine the nuts and seeds and drench in almond milk or serve with a side of coconut yoghurt.
Laura Bond is a journalist, author and nutritional health coach. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, balance their gut flora, lose weight and prepare their bodies for babies. For more information, click here.
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Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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Sprouted Buckwheat Courgette Bread
I developed this recipe for Planet Organic using their Sprouted-Buckwheat Flour. Not only is buckwheat flour gluten free but when you ‘activate’ or sprout the grain, enzymes are released which break down anti-nutrients and make the bread more nutritious and digestible.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups courgette (grated)
- 1 ripe banana (mashed)
- 2 cups of Planet Organic Sprouted Buckwheat Flour
- 1/2 cup of chopped activated walnuts (plus extra for decoration)
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarb soda (aluminium free)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 chopped dates (plus extra for decoration)
- Optional: Nut Butter to serve
First, make the ‘chia egg’ by covering chia seeds with 9 tablespoons of filtered water in a small bowl, then leave to thicken in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Line a loaf tin with unbleached parchment paper. Whisk the ‘chia eggs,’ honey, oil, courgette and banana together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 45-60 minutes. Test by inserting a skewer into the loaf, if it comes out clean, then it’s done!
Top with chopped dates and walnuts and serve with sprouted nut butter – or whatever you fancy.
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Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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Weedkiller in Your Bread?
Did you know that roughly 30% of British bread samples contain traces of a toxic weedkiller?
The shocking finding comes from a report by the Defra committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF). The chemical, glyphosate, is also sprayed around parks and is used liberally in UK farming; in the last 20 years its use has increased by 400%.
The good news? Glyphosate, which is the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, may soon be made illegal in Europe.
Last week the EU Commission was forced to postpone re-licensing of glyphosate until May. Several countries were pivotal in this vote for a safer planet; Italy, France, Sweden and the Netherlands opposed the new 15-year license.
This came following extraordinary public support to ban the weedkiller; 1.4 million people signed a petition against glyphosate, making it the biggest online campaign since the push to save bees from neonicotinoid pesticides.
Of course industry heads were outraged.
It means the licence to use the main ingredient in Monsanto’s $5bn-a-year Roundup brand, will expire at the end of June.
The re-vote will happen in May, so if you care about the planet and your health, help maintain pressure on governments to stand firm. You can stay engaged by signing up to alerts from the likes of SumofUS, Avaaz, and GreenPeace.
So what’s so bad about this herbicide?
The World Health Organisation’s cancer agency, IARC, recently found that glyphosate was ‘probably carcinogenic to humans.’ Let’s look at more of the evidence;
Studies suggest Glyphosate…
* Promotes the Growth of Deadly Bacteria according to research from the University of Leipzig published in 2015. A separate study shows that at just 0.1 parts per billion glyphosate destroys gut bacteria in chickens.
* Puts Holes in Your Gut ‘Glyphosate is responsible for putting holes in our guts so denatured proteins can cross through to our blood,’ says detox expert Dr. Daniel Pompa, ‘these act as foreign proteins to which our immune system makes antibodies.’ Dr. Dan Pompa shares more about toxins and how to rid your body of them in this fantastic podcast from Zestology.
* Is Linked With Infertility, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, as well as Crohn’s, colitis and diabetes according to Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a senior scientist at MIT.
* Increases you risk of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma – as well as other cancers including multiple myeloma.
* Has been linked to Birth Defects. In Argentina, a temporary ban on glyphosate was sought in 2009 following a high incidence of birth defects and cancers in people living near crop-spraying areas, as reported by the Scientific American.
* Magnesium Deficiency In 1964 the chemical was patented to be a ‘chelator of minerals’ especially magnesium. This means that glyphosate can act like a sponge to pull minerals out of your body according to Jefferey Jaxen.
* Affects Liver Detox Research shows the herbicide lowers cellular levels of glutathione – known as the mother of all antioxidants. Reduced glutathione means a reduced ability to eliminate toxins.
Found in Honey and Mother’s Milk
If you live in America it’s even more important to choose your food carefully. A report from Reuters in 2015 found residues of glyphosate in astounding 41 of 69 honey samples, 10 of 28 samples of soy sauce, three of 18 breast milk samples and six of 40 infant formula sample.
What you Can Do?
Buying organic is the best way to protect yourself. Yes, organic is more expensive; but consider it a donation to Mother Earth. As well as avoiding nasty pesticides you get more goodness from your produce. Organic fruit and veg has up to 69% more antioxidants according to a major review of 343 peer reviewed studies published in The British Journal of Nutrition.
You can also upgrade your body’s detox pathways by filing your diet with liver-loving vegetables. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, boost levels of glutathione which is crucial to your body’s detox pathways.
On Tuesday April 19th I will be speaking at Grace Belgravia in London about How To Stay Clean in a Dirty World.
In the evening workshop I will cover everything from how to pull BPA from your body and the safest seafood to eat, to how to stay healthy on the plane and what you need to know about your mobile phone. Guest ticket prices are £25 per person.
To secure your ticket please call 020 7235 8900 or email rsvp@gracebelgravia.com
For those who live overseas my book ‘Mum’s Not Having Chemo’ is full of natural detox strategies – from coriander and vitamin C, to modified citrus pectin and coffee enemas. American readers will find the same book under the US title ‘You Can Say No to Chemo.’
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Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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Glutathione
‘Glutathione …deserves attention as it is perhaps the most important anti-oxidant within cells and has proven to be highly cancer-protective,’ says nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of Say No To Cancer.
There are 89,000 medical articles on glutathione and it has been shown to help prevent ageing, Alzheimer’s, cancer as well as prepare the body for a healthy baby.
The importance of glutathione – which operates in the liver to clear toxins – was brought back to me recently over a vitamin injection.
‘Glutathione can help repair cellular damage and correct DNA mutations in cells,’ said Dr. David Jack as he hooked me up to an infusion of vitamin C, B complex (B1,2,3,5,6), biotin, glutathione, selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper and vitamin D.
Raw juices and fresh veggies contain abundant amounts of glutathione but levels are easily depleted by pollution, toxins, medication, stress and ageing. Dr. Jack, an anti-ageing expert (and gym-buff Scotsman) is one of the few doctors in the UK to offer infusions of glutathione, but he’s not alone in touting its benefits.
Holistic heavy weights including Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. David Perlmutter, Patrick Holford and Dr. Garry Gordon are also fans of the molecule.
So I thought I’d provide a quick de-brief on the latest research.
Fertility: Gluathione is essential for healthy egg quality and low levels are associated male infertility.
Anti-Cancer: Glutathione has been shown to stimulate apoptosis (cell death) of malignant cells while leaving healthy cells intact. Other studies show glutathione can help prevent toxicity from chemotherapy.
Anti-Ageing: As we age our levels of glutathione levels start to decline, usually around the age of 45. These levels can dip by as much as 50%. Supplementing with glutathione has been shown to protect the body from a host of age-related diseases including stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Alzheimers: Glutathione remains a ‘promising therapeutic strategy to slow and prevent mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease’ according to a 2011 study.
Where to get it:
Eggs, meat, garlic and onions – all these foods are rich in the amino acid cysteine which increases production of glutathione in the body.
Broccoli Sprouts – and other cruciferous vegetables (like kale and cauliflower) support glutathione production.
Brazil nuts – selenium helps the body recycle glutathione and brazil nuts are one of the richest sources. You could also try sardines (one can provides 70% of your RDA of selenium).
Sauerkraut and probiotics – this month a team from Chalmers University of Technology found that the bacteria in our small intestine help regulate glutathione. You can read the study here.
Berries – they contain compounds called anthocyanins, which recycle glutathione and make it ‘much more powerful’ according to Holford.
There is also the option of liposomal glutathione and ASEA – a supplement said to boost glutathione 500%.
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Disclaimer
Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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Broccoli Sprouts
When I think of childhood dinners I think of crumbed chicken, salmon mornay and broccoli.
My siblings and I would be served a few florets with dinner almost every night – often bribed with the promise of a chocolate Freddo or given the option of dipping the ‘trees’ in ketchup, if we were looking particularly gripey.
I’m sure many of you have similar memories of being goaded to eat your greens. From childhood we learn that vegetables are good for us, but it’s only in the last few decades that science has recognized how crucial cruciferous vegetables are for our immune systems – and when it comes to anti-cancer research, broccoli is the undisputed star.
Recent research has shown broccoli can:
Take on Cancer Stem Cells: The germ cells suspected of driving tumour growth.
Provide a rich source of isothiocyanates (ITCs): compounds that can target and block the p53 gene – associated with half of all human cancers.
Activate Glutathione: Known as the ‘mother’ of all antioxidants glutathione is also ‘highly-cancer protective’ according to British nutritionist, Patrick Holford.
Fight H Pylori: A common type of bacteria believed to cause stomach cancer.
Boost Sulforaphane: This substance helps the liver break down and destroy cancer cells. In 2011, the September Oncology Report, found that sulforaphane suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and growth.
Indeed sulforaphane may be the most important compound in broccoli. But, if you’re really serious about upping your levels, you should eat broccoli sprouts.
Why Broccoli Sprouts are Better
Three-day-old broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times higher levels of sulforaphane than a mature head of broccoli – that’s a radical leap in potency, and it can make all the difference.
Multiple studies show that broccoli sprouts and sulforaphane show promise against cancers of the prostate, bladder, liver, ovaries, colon and lungs.
But it’s not just cancer. Broccoli sprouts are also a beauty food.
They help seize toxins and usher them out of the body and promote radiant skin and luscious locks thanks to the beta-carotene, selenium, glutathione, zinc, vitamin C and folate they contain.
These little powerhouses of goodness can also alleviate:
Digestive discomfort
Aid poor vision
AND may even prevent osteoarthritis, by slowing the destruction of joint cartilage and interfering with the inflammatory process linked to condition, according to a study in the latest edition of What Doctor’s Don’t Tell You.
If that weren’t enough, recent research suggests that our stomachs ( residence to 80 percent of our immune cells) contain a ‘broccoli receptor.’
In a short video on GreenMedInfo.com Dr. Michael Greger explains that when we eat broccoli – and other cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and mustard greens – it leads to the ‘activation of our immune foot soldiers.’
While the broccoli we eat often suffers from being over-steamed and soggy, broccoli sprouts are left with their enzymes intact and their sharp mustardy flavor provides a pleasing piquance to sandwiches and salads.
But I find the best way to get a regular dose is to simply shove a handful through the juicer.
The online downside to broccoli sprouts? They are fiendishly hard to find. In my experience, Wholefoods stocks them sporadically as do local farmers markets. If you’re having trouble getting hold of them I would highly recommend broccoli sprout juice from Tonic Attack: www.tonicattack.com
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Green Dry Cleaning
There’s red wine on your silk dress and a wedding this weekend. Before you grab the garment and take it to your local dry-cleaners, you might want to find a green alternative.
Dry-cleaning involves saturating clothes in a chemical called perchloroethylene (known as perc) to remove stains from fabrics.
So toxic is this solvent that when exposed to the ground it will penetrate concrete and soil and not stop until it hits ground water.
It’s been classified as a ‘known carcinogen’ by the Environmental Protection Agency and has been banned in a number of countries – in 2012 France passed regulation to completely phase out Perc by 2020 and in California it will be officially illegal in 2023.
Perc is a central nervous system depressant and can enter the body through inhaling, touching the skin and through drinking water. It can also cause people to experience dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and skin and respiratory irritation. Prolonged exposure to Perc has been linked to neurological effects, liver and kidney damage, and cancer.
Death by Sleeping Bag
Growing up in Australia, I recall hearing about a boy who died on school camp by suffocating in his sleeping bag. It hadn’t been properly ventilated and the perc poisoned his body.
While the tragic tale may remain just a story, I did come across this passage from an official US army directive, verifying it’s possible: ‘All Sleeping Bags, regardless of type and filling, should be laundered the same as wool clothing, not dry cleaned. Use of sleeping bags that have not been completely deodorised after dry cleaning with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, such as percperchloroethylene may result in death.’
But you don’t have to cocoon yourself in perc to be effected. When you unwrap your newly cleaned cocktail dress from the layers of plastic, leftover perc may slowly contaminate your bedroom. AND dry cleaners located in residential areas risk exposing neighboring businesses and residents to an increased cancer risk, as high as 140 to 190 in 1,000,000.
So what’s the alternative?
‘Green’ dry-cleaners are popping up all over the world
In London, I feel lucky to live near Blanc which uses a ‘wet cleaning’ method – widely regarded as the most environmentally friendly option. The two stores (Marylebone and Notting Hill) have won plaudits from fashion magazines – including Vogue and Vanity Fair, so you know you won’t be compromising your clothes. The French founder Ludovic Blanc, is passionate about chemical-free living and protecting not only his customers but also his staff (he even uses BPA-free receipts). ‘To clean the clothes we use computerized machines and have a different biodegradable detergent for every type of garment,’ says Ludovic.
DIY Cleaning
*Despite the ‘Dry Cleaning Only’ labels most clothes are washable. Note, this does not include leather, suede, acetates or rayon.
*Both cashmere and wool can generally be handwashed according to Ludovic who adds that the drying process is also critical: ‘You need to dry it flat, ideally on a table with holes in it (think garden furniture) so it can aerate. If you leave it on a normal table it will stay damp, take too long to dry and will stink.’
*For creases – rather than greasy stains – try steaming the garment in your bathroom while you have a shower or have it professional ‘steamed’ rather than dry cleaned.
Know a green dry cleaner in your area? I would love my American and Australian followers to share their knowledge below.
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Root Canals & Mercury Fillings
Quick Quiz.
Some of the most renowned alternative cancer treatment centres in the world won’t
accept patients unless they’ve:
A: Completed a course in Transcendental Meditation
B: Given up sugar and dairy for at least four months
C: Had their amalgam fillings and root canals removed
The answer, which might come as a surprise to many, is C.
Mum came across this fact when she was looking at various treatment centres, following her diagnosis. She had long known that mercury fillings and root canals were toxic – but finding out this really hammered it home.
Way back in the 1920s Dr Weston Price, a dentist and author of the epic tome Dental Infections and the Degenerative Diseases, discovered that when he performed root canal therapy on patients, chronic illness would often follow. Was he responsible for spreading disease through this common procedure? He was brave enough to ask himself that question.
Price found that when he removed the root canal filled tooth (essentially a dead tooth filled with poison) his patients would promptly recover from whatever illness they were struck down with – be it arthritis, heart disease or kidney failure.
To test his theory, Price took infected root canal filled teeth and inserted them under the skin of rabbits. What he discovered, through these seemingly ‘hare-brained’ experiments, was that the rabbits became ill with the same diseases as the patients. If the patient had developed cancer followed RCT – so would the rabbit.
So what is Root Canal Therapy?
RCT is sold as a therapy that can ‘save’ a decaying or dead tooth. Pity it doesn’t come with the warning ‘You may die’ – or run the risk of developing cancer, sinusitis, Multiple Sclerosis, arthritis and eye diseases.
The procedure involves clearing out and sterilizing a dead tooth, filling it and then sealing it with a crown.
The first problem is that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to sterilize a dead tooth, as reams of recent research now shows. So even if it looks and feels OK, the root of the tooth, or the surrounding tissue and bone, is likely to be infected.
Weston Price had already discovered this problem in the 1920s. He experimented with a plethora of toxic substances, including pouring fuming formaldehyde down the root canal of a tooth, and found that nothing stopped the formation of bacteria.
Price’s research (25 years worth) on root canal therapy was largely ignored for 50 years. Until the late Dr George Meinig, released an abridged version of his works called Root Canal Cover-Up.
Others in the profession have also started to speak out.
Dr Hal Huggins, a renowned dentist, author and speaker has been fighting the battle against root canal therapy for decades. He has led groundbreaking research revealing bacterial contamination in the DNA of 100% of extracted root canal teeth tested. One type of bacteria Strep intermedius, was found in 69% of his samples, a bacteria which attacks the heart, nerves, lungs, liver and brain.
In 1993, Dr Hal Huggins gave a lecture to the Cancer Control society where he stated:
‘The problem with a root canal is that it is dead. Let’s equate that. Let’s say you have got a ruptured appendix…who do you look up? Let’s see, we have a surgeon and a taxidermist, who do you call? You going to get it bronzed? That is all we do to a dead tooth. We put a crown on it, looks like it has been bronzed. It doesn’t really matter what you embalm the dead tooth with, it is still dead, and within that dead tooth we have bacteria, and these bacteria are in the absence of oxygen…They undergo something called a pleomorphic change… like a mutation… they learn to live in the absence of oxygen.. now produce thio-ethers some of the strongest poisons on the planet that are not radioactive.’
These thio-ethers, which leak from the dead tooth into the surrounding tissue and throughout the body, are closely related to the chemicals used in Mustard Gas.
One such compund, Dimethyl sulfate, is so hazardous it has been categorized as a group B2 human carcinogen. Tumours have been observed in the nasal passages, lungs and thorax of animals exposed to it.
Dentistry is the only medical profession that thinks it’s a good idea to leave dead necrotic tissue in the body.
But you won’t hear dentists referring to ‘rooted’ teeth as dead – they prefer the euphemisms ‘pulpless’ or ‘non-vital.’
As the narrator of the eye-opening documentary Rooted so aptly says: ‘ A tooth that is dead, is dead, is dead. There’s not such thing as ‘a little bit dead.’
Looking away (if you can) from the alarming facts about bacterial infection and chronic disease – the second problem with root canals is what they fill them with.
A veritable cornucopia of cancer-causing ingredients are filling unsuspecting patients’ teeth as we speak – phenol, phenylmercury, formaldehyde, zinc oxide – to name a few.
In Australia, the most popular tooth cement for root canals is called AH26, which releases both fomaldehyde and ammonia. It comes with the warning: ‘Do not allow undiluted product or large quantities of it to reach ground water, water course or sewage system.’
In other words, don’t flush it down the loo, but by all means, insert it into your mouth.
Mum made her partner, Peter, watch the DVD Rooted three years ago. He was at first reluctant, then mesmerized and later – eternally grateful. About two weeks after watching the doco he started to get a toothache. He went to the dentist who recommended he have a root canal: he leapt out of that chair quicker than you can say ‘second opinion!’ He duly when to another dentist who suggested the same.
So Mum did some research and sent him to a holistic dentist called Dr Hament Hari in Perth. His diagnosis? Peter had something called ‘cracked tooth syndrome.’ The answer? A simple filling and some homeopathic remedies (for the damaged nerve) at a cost of $145 (AUD).
A root canal therapy, by comparison, costs thousands – and it’s worth remembering that doesn’t include the cost of needing to get it re-done (RCT has a 60% failure rate) or the possible cost of chronic disease.
Back in the good old days
More than 16 million root canal therapies are carried out every year in America, making RCT a Billion dollar industry. To quote from Rooted this represents a 10.2 Billion dollar tax income for the government.
That’s a pretty good incentive to keep embalming dead teeth. Who needs the Truth Fairy when you’ve got that kind of money rolling in?
Thankfully holistic or ‘biological’ dentistry is on the rise. Below I’ve started a list of holistic dentists that are trailblazing a new path.
Please click here to leave any of your own recommendations.
Laura Bond is a journalist, author and nutritional health coach. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, balance their gut flora, lose weight and prepare their bodies for babies. For more information, click here.
Hament Hari: +61 89350 9898 (PERTH)
Dental on George: +61 893393047 (PERTH, Fremantle)
Dr. Michael Chong, Image Dental +6189364 3996 (PERTH, Applecross)
Dr Eda Ellis: 212 753 1119 (NEW YORK)
The Ella Clinic: +44 207 935 5281 ( LONDON)
Holistic Dental Centre: +44 1252 820004 (SURREY)
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Healthy Christmas Gifts
If sales of the NutriBullet last year are anything to go by (one was sold every thirty seconds during Christmas 2014) the foodie/health present is a safe bet to put under the tree. Here are five ideas:
- The Cacao Celebration Cracker (MannaSuperfood £12): Looks like a Christmas cracker but contains a travel pot of coconut oil, manuka honey, cacao powder and cacao butter. Genius.
Stainless Steel Ice Lolly Mold (TickleTrunk, £30): You can now make coconut milk ice cream for the kids without worrying about BPA leaching into their treats. This picture is accompanied with a page from Natasha Corrett’s new alkaline cookbook Cleanse (Hodder & Stoughton £20)
La Vie Boheme – Parisian Lace Lyon Yoga Mat (The Sports Edit, £80): If ever there was a motivation to get yourself to yoga class in the middle of winter, this is it. Too good to just roll out at home.
Beech Slab Click Clock (Wolf and Badger, £49.95): Wake up to this wooden alarm clock instead of your mobile. To save energy, the digits light up when you click your fingers or clap your hands (at night time, there is no green light in your face).
Kale & Coffee (Hay House, £16): Written by US health blogger Kevin Gianni this is readable, relatable and so well researched. If you’ve ever wondered about farmed fish, the ultimate supplement for stress or whether going totally vegan is a good idea, I highly recommend this book
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Disclaimer
Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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Meat, as bad as Cigarettes?
Hold the Christmas ham and don’t take another bite of that bacon sarnie.
Last week the World Health Organisation announced that processed meats were a major cause of cancer, placing bacon, sausages, salami and ham in the same category as asbestos, arsenic, alcohol and tobacco – ie group one carcinogens.
Of course the media went wild – nothing sparks interest like the latest food-cancer research, and editors got to slap a picture of a bacon sandwich on the front page.
While it’s an interesting debate – more on that to come – the headline I really would have liked to see was this:
‘Cows, the biggest cause of climate change.’
Because, whether meat causes cancer or not, is really a moot point when you consider that the human race will not survive if we keep eating as much as we do.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also responsible for 91% of Amazon destruction, and the leading cause of species extinction.
Anyone who has seen the eye-opening documentary ‘Cowspiracy’ (executive produced by vegetarian Leonardo DiCaprio) will recognize these figures.
The bottom line is we all need to cut down – whether that means adding more beans to your burger mix or using hemp protein to keep those biceps sweet.
Healthier Meat Eating
At this point in my life I do eat meat, twice a week, always organic and grass-fed.
It means a happier life for the animal (although of course the happiest life would be not going to slaughter) and a healthier food for me – no antibiotics, no genetically modified corn or soybeans and a better omega 3 ratio.
I also choose medium rare; meat that is well-done has 3.5 times more cancer-causing heterocyclic amines than a steak cooked ‘à point.’
Marinating meat with turmeric, ginger and rosemary also reduces HCAs by as much as 87% according to Kansas State University.
Back to the Bacon Sandwich
It’s a pass for me. Aside from the nitrosamines in cured meats – like bacon – which have been clearly linked to cancer, it’s the animal cruelty factor that’s got me.
My mother, who doesn’t eat meat at all, recently shared this video. The pigs are awaiting slaughter in wire cages. It made me feel physically ill.
So I’ll take the Raw BLT ‘coconut bacon’ sandwich below, from Planet Organic instead. Gluten – and guilt – free.
Is Vegan Better?
One thing I have discovered as a health coach is there is no one-size-fits-all diet, nor is there one way of eating that works all the time – our needs change.
So whether it’s helping a mum-to-be get enough good quality fats that are free from toxins, or creating a vegan food program for someone who wants to make the switch – there are healthy, sustainable ways to do whichever diet rings true for you.
Below are some reasons for and against eating meat, plus key supplements to take if you’re living animal free.
3 Reasons to Eat Meat
* For Your Brain: B12 is the only vitamin we can’t obtain from plants; it’s crucial for mood balance, healthy hair, energy and cognitive function – a lack of B12 has been linked to brain shrinkage while supplementing with B12 has been shown to lower your risk for Alzheimer’s. If you are vegetarian or pescetarian, both eggs and fish provide sources of B12, however tests have found 83 per cent of vegans are deficient in B12. To up your levels take Better Your Methyl B12 spray, which is totally vegan.
* Lowers Anxiety: Eating grass-fed lamb and beef can halve the risk of depression and anxiety in women – that was the finding of a 2010 study led by Dr. Felice Jacka, from Deakin University in Australia.
* Go Grass Fed: It has three times the amount of omega 3 than grain fed beef says health researcher Chris Kresser. ‘These days we consume far too much omega 6, which is, in my opinion, one of the primary causes of the modern disease epidemic.’
3 Reasons to Not Eat Meat
* Enzymes: The body requires huge amounts of enzymes to digest meat, which places a burden on your system and means there are less enzymes free for healing and repair. Enzymes help break down the fibrin that coats cancer cells, allowing the immune system to get in and do its work.
* The Environment: Eat one burger and use 660 gallons of water – enough said.
* Antioxidants: When you swap meat for more vegetables you are loading your diet with powerful plant goodness. Mushrooms can help prevent cervical cancer; leeks, onions and garlic are packed with prebiotics, while the fibre found in beans and lentils helps sweep excess toxins out of the body.
To see more on this topic go to my article for Honestly Healthy ‘Five Reasons to Cut Down on Meat.’
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Disclaimer
Laura Bond is a journalist, author and Nutritional Therapist. She specialises in helping clients beat stress, reduce their toxic load and prepare their bodies for babies. To find out more, click here.
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