Beware of the “Soy” ful tales.

The unassuming soybean has silently infiltrated modern diet as the perfect health food- why not as soy is cheap, it is a vegetarian source of protein and could even unclog our hearts, truly medicinal isn’t it? But like any medicine we have to consider its side effects, there is a hidden dark side to soy, especially one that has the power to undermine everything it means to be male. Like cereal grains, soy is another toxin that is often perceived as healthy, and it can be seen in just about every packaged and processed food in the form of soy protein isolate, soy flour, soy lecithin and soybean oil. As a result, most men are unaware of how much soy they consume.  A study at the Harvard Public School of Health in 2008 showed just how detrimental soy can be to men’s sexual health. The study found that men who consumed the equivalent of one cup of soy milk per day had a 50% lower sperm count than men who didn’t eat soy. This is primarily due to the presence of phytoestrogens in soy, which is a plant compound resembling human estrogen, a female sex hormone. These phytoestrogen mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen, and have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues. Soy phytoestrogens are known to disrupt endocrine function, lower testosterone, increase cortisol (the stress hormone) and may even cause infertility. Soy also increases a man’s requirement for vitamin D, which many men are already deficient in. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be one of the factors for  erectile dysfunction in men. Further, many infant formula use soy  putting the baby's sexual development and reproductive health at risk. Infants fed soy formula have up to 20,000 times the amount of estrogen in circulation as those fed other formulas. This amounts to an estimated five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day.

 

Besides phytoestrogen soy contains several other natural toxins that are detrimental to health. Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease. Here is just a sampling of the health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

 

·       Breast cancer

·       Brain damage

·       Infant abnormalities

·       Thyroid disorders

·       Kidney stones

·       Immune system impairment

·       Severe, potentially fatal food allergies

·       Impaired fertility

·       Danger during pregnancy and nursing

So remember, the vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. But many of you may be thinking- many Asian cultures have been traditionally consuming soy for centuries with many health benefits to show? These have been fermented soy products that do not wreak havoc on your body like unfermented soy products do. This is important because the fermentation process partially neutralizes the toxins in soybeans and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.  These are the primary fermented soy products you'll find:

·       Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

·       Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

·       Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.

·       Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.

 

Please note that tofu is NOT on this list as it is not fermented. But the important point to be noted is that asians cultures also don’t consume soy foods as a main replacement for animal foods, but rather as a side dish.

The devil in the milk!

Milk has been such an integral part of the Indian vedic culture and the very thought that there is a devil hidden in the milk sounds absurd and bizarre. We all know that milk contains valuable nutritional components and definitely there has to be some value in ancient wisdom and its practices. But are we living the way our ancients lived? And there lies the catch, ancient milk was different than today milk. There is a mountain of evidence pointing to the fact that milk consumption today is associated with varied health problems such as heart disease, type 1 diabetes and autism.  Research has revealed two reasons why modern milk has been responsible for many illnesses- first being the consumption of pasteurized milk and second being a mutation in the milk protein.

Prominent food researcher Dr. Thomas Cowan who has studied medicinal aspect of cow’s milk is convinced that a large part of the diseases in western countries is related to the way we handle or rather mishandle milk. This is very well illustrated in a book by Dr William Campbell Douglass- The Milk of Human Kindness is Not Pasteurized. Raw milk and its products from healthy grass fed cows is one of the healthiest foods people have ever eaten. But the process of pasteurization entails heating the milk to a temperature of 62-65 degrees centigrade and keeping there for at least half an hour. This completely changes the structure of the milk proteins into something far less than healthy. Pasteurized cows milk is the number one allergic food today. It has been associated with a number of symptoms and illnesses including: diarrhea, cramps, bloating, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, recurrent ear infections and colic in infants and children, type 1 diabetes, infertility, leukemia and autism. The healthy alternative to pasteurized milk is raw milk, which is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes that aid in milk digestion. Raw milk is not associated with any of the above health problems, people who are allergic to milk thrive on raw milk!

We all may have heard about A2 milk? Why is there all this talk about it? Let us try to get a glimpse of it. One of the major protein in cow’s milk is casein, the predominant variety of which is called beta-casein. Beta-casein protein comprises around 30% of the protein contained in cow’s milk. In ancients or older breeds of cows such as Asian, African or Jersey cows (now called A2 cows) the beta-casein contains an amino acid called proline (producing A2 milk). In the newer breeds of cows like Holstein (A1 cows) the proline is mutated to histidine (producing A1 milk). This is important because beta-casein also contains a tiny protein fragment called beta-casomorphin-7 or BCM7 for short. BCM7 is a powerful opiate as well as a narcotic linked to negative health effects. So, metaphorically BCM7 is the devil in the milk! The proline in A2 milk has a strong bond to BCM, which helps keep it out of the cow’s milk. But the histidine in A1 milk however has a weak hold on BCM7, which allows it to get into the milk and also into the people who drink milk. Consumption of A1 milk has been linked to: neurological impairment, autism, schizophrenia, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune disease, heart disease and an impaired immune response. There is strong evidence that the milk devil is only produced from the milk of cows that are of European origin. Asian and African breeds of cows are free of it unless they have some hidden European ancestry. Interestingly, milk from goat and  sheep is also of the A2 type, human milk too is of the A2 type. (For more details visit http://www.betacasein.org).

Anyone who buys ordinary milk at the supermarket can be sure that it will contain milk from many cows and therefore there will be lots of A1 beta-casein in it. We don’t have to stop drinking milk to avoid this devil. All we have to do is drink A2 milk. We are lucky that A2 milk is available in all major supermarkets in Australia. And our ancients knew how to process or rather not process their foods and which cows to use, no wonder milk had such high status in cultures of the Indian subcontinent.

Goodness gracious ghee

Ghee is a highly prized, sacred food since indian antiquity. Ghee’s amazing health benefits can only be described in superlatives. The following quote from the Caraka Samhita: a primary classical Ayurvedic text pretty much sums it up “Ghee is sweet in taste and cooling in energy; rejuvenating, good for the eyes and vision; enkindles digestion; bestows lustre and beauty; enhances memory and stamina; increases the intellect; promotes longevity; is an aphrodisiac and protects the body from various diseases”.

Ghee is made from butter that has had all the water and milk solids removed. It has been used often in cooking, spiritual rituals and ayurvedic health care since ancient times, and for good reason. In ayurvedic medicine, ghee is considered the best form of fat available as no meal is considered balanced without it. Ghee is said to be beneficial to all body types. It ignites the fires of digestion and in doing so improves digestion of other foods.  Further, ghee aids in the development of brain, intelligence, memory power. Modern medicine has wrongly maligned ghee and fats in general, thus giving it  a bad reputation. So let us start by setting the records straight.

Not all fats are created equal, some like trans-fats are harmful whereas some fats are essential for health. Essential fatty acids (fats) are like vitamins in that they cannot be made by the body and a lack of either one of them will cause disease.  Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that is an essential fatty acid. CLA is an antioxidant that helps in fighting cancers and acts as an aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals from other food, serving to strengthen the immune system.  Ghee is a rich source of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), particularly Butyric Acid. It is one of the easiest fats to digest as SCFA is metabolized very readily by the body. This fatty acid also nourishes the cells that line the digestive tract, boosts immune system and used for development of the neurological system. In the fat phobic times that we exist, essential fatty acids are collectively the number one missing nutrient in an average person’s diet thus responsible for a host of degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease and inflammatory ailments. This is where ghee can tremendously benefit us. 

Ghee is rich in fat soluble vitamins like A, D and K2.  Vitamin A in ghee is preformed and this helpful for the eyesight. Vitamin D is important for healthy bone development. Vitamin K2 is very important in calcium metabolism.  A body with plentiful of vitamin k2 prevents calcium  from depositing in the arteries and thereby reduces plaques formation. Vitamin K2 is also associated with a softer skin that resist wrinkling. Ghee is an excellent cooking medium because it does not break down at high temperatures like many cooking oils. Cooking at high temperatures using vegetable oils is unhealthy as it creates peroxides and other free radicals. But ghee has stable saturated bonds and is lot less likely to form the dangerous free radicals when cooking. Ghee has a very high smoke point and doesn’t burn easily during cooking. Also unlike butter and other oils, ghee has a long shelf life. Finally, on top of the health benefits, ghee is delicious and imparts a beautiful flavor to the meals you create with it. Instead of avoiding ghee, the foods to avoid are easily digestible carbohydrates that come with ingesting white rice, white sugar, white potatoes, and refined wheat flour. Ghee is not dangerous as it is wrongly thought to be, it is okay to  use ghee for cooking, but keep in mind that ghee made from pastured grass fed cows are rich in nutrient content and therefore will  provide maximum health benefits.

Rebounding: An exercise for your immune system!

An amazing fact- twenty minutes of rebounding exercise equals 1 hour of running! Further, rebounding exercise can reduce your body fat, firm your arms, benefit the shape of your legs, hips and abdomen, improve your balance, stimulate your lymphatic system, protect your joints, strengthen your muscles and bones without the trauma of hitting a hard surface, provide an aerobic effect for your cardiopulmonary systems, revitalize your body when it's tired, and generally put you in a state of mental and physical wellness! Sounds too good to be true? Let us explore this a bit.

So what is rebounding?

Rebounding exercise to put it simply is bouncing on a mini trampoline. Unlike regular trampolining, the aim isn’t to bounce high or perform gymnastic tricks, but to perform a series of small, controlled movements. The idea of rebounding has been around for a long time, in the 1980s NASA studied its benefits while trying to find an effective way to help astronauts recover and regain bone and muscle mass after being in space. Astronauts can lose as much as 15% of their bone and muscle mass from only 14 days at zero gravity, so NASA needed a way to help reverse this damage. When the astronauts were tested while running on a treadmill, the G-force measured at the ankle was over twice what it was at the back and head. This means that the foot and leg absorb much of the force when running. On a trampoline, the G-force was almost identical at the ankle, back and head and at a lower level than that of the G-force at the ankle on a treadmill. This shows that rebounding can exercise the entire body without excess pressure to the feet and legs.

How Rebounding Works

Many types of exercise are done to target specific muscles or just to increase cardiovascular function. Rebounding is unique since it uses the forces of acceleration and deceleration and can work on every cell in the body in a unique way. When you bounce on a rebounder (mini-trampoline), several actions happen:

· An acceleration action as you bounce upward

· A split-second weightless pause at the top

· A deceleration at an increased G-force

· Impact to the rebounder

· Repeat

The action of rebounding makes use of the increased G-force from gravity based exercises like this and each cell in the body has to respond to the acceleration and deceleration. Rebounding is extremely beneficial for the lymphatic system as it makes the lymphatic fluid move. The main lymph vessels run up the legs, up the arms and up the torso, thus the lymphatic fluid moves only in one direction. Therefore, the vertical up and down movement of rebounding is an effective way to pump the lymph fluid. The lymph system bathes every cell, carrying nutrients to the cell and waste products away. Contrary to blood which is pumped by the heart, the lymph is totally dependent on physical exercise to move. Without adequate movement, the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients, a situation which contributes to arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases as well as aging. Vigorous exercise such as rebounding is reported to increase lymph flow by 15 to 30 times. 

The rebounding motion stimulates all internal organs, moves the cerebral-spinal fluid, and is beneficial for the intestines. Many immune cells such as T-lymphocytes and macrophages are self-propelled through amebic action. These cells contain molecules identical to those in muscle tissue. All cells in the body become stronger in response to the increased "G force" during rebounding, and this cellular exercise results in the self-propelled immune cells being up to 5 times more active. These immune cells are responsible for eating viruses and bacteria. Jumping on a mini-trampoline directly strengthens the immune system, 

Benefits of Rebounding

A zero-impact exercise, rebounding provides many benefits for you and your body:

· It increases the capacity for breathing. 

· It circulates more oxygen to the tissues.

· It helps combat depression. 

· It helps normalize your blood pressure. 

· It helps prevent cardiovascular disease. 

· It increases the activity of the red bone marrow in the production of red blood cells. 

· It aids lymphatic circulation, as well as blood flow in the veins of the circulatory system. 

· It lowers elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

· It stimulates the metabolism, thereby reducing the likelihood of obesity.

· It tones up the glandular system, especially the thyroid to increase its output. 

· It improves coordination throughout the body.

· It promotes increased muscle fiber tone. 

· It offers relief from neck and back pains, headaches, and other pain caused by lack of exercise. 

· It enhances digestion and elimination processes. 

· It allows for easier relaxation and sleep. 

· It results in a better mental performance, with sharper learning processes. 

· It relieves fatigue and menstrual discomfort for women. 

· It minimizes the number of colds, allergies, digestive disturbances, and abdominal problems. 

· It tends to slow down aging.

· 20 minutes of rebounding=1 hour of running for cardiovascular workout

· AND IS GREAT FUN!

Plus, unlike many other aerobic activities, rebounding places no strain on the joints of your body. Rebounding is suitable for all ages and abilities! Stabilizing bars can be fitted which may help if you feel unsteady or are elderly, disabled or handicapped. Exercising on a rebounder trains your sense of balance and helps establish better co-ordination and kinesthetic awareness. Start with a gentle bounce, moving on to higher jumps as you gain confidence.

Fast your way to good health

It is an established fact that South Asians  are at a high risk for diabetes and heart disease. Why is that?  The is due to a condition known as insulin resistance that is highly prevalent amongst South Asians. Excess insulin in the blood is the underlying cause for insulin resistance. A carbohydrate rich and grain based diet that rapidly raises the blood sugar is the main culprit. One of the hallmarks of insulin resistance is excess abdominal fat which is one of the trigger factors of chronic inflammation and the root cause of almost every imaginable chronic disease from accelerated aging to heart attacks and strokes to Alzheimer’s.

Molecular and genetic evidence has identified a gene associated with insulin resistance known as ENPP1. South Asians compared to any other ethnic groups have an even more aggressive version of this insulin resistant gene due to a mutation called K121Q. Now, why did this mutation occur? Evolutionary biologist and geneticist have a theory known as the thrifty gene theory. South Asians, who were used to living in a year round feast-famine cycle, inherited a gene that predisposed them to store body fat during times of famine. Famine has been an intrinsic part of South Asian life for thousands of years particularly during agricultural times when the unpredictable monsoon pattern often resulted in droughts, killing millions of people on a regular basis. The extra body fat was intended to provide energy when food was scarce. Researchers think the intensity and duration of these periods of famine may have made South Asians more susceptible to the gene. In modern times famines have been made redundant due to the green revolution that introduced drought resistant genetically manipulated wheat. Yes, this solved the hunger problem but now we have to deal with a host of health related issues.

So how do we make ourselves healthy given the genetic predisposition we have to insulin resistance? The answer lies in intermittent fasting. Most of us are familiar with the practice of fasting as culturally we fast for many reasons- for the devotion to a deity or perhaps to honor a departed family member.  Modern research has shown that by mimicking the periods of feast and famine cycle by intermittent fasting produces a number of biochemical benefits.

·      Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity: This occurs due to the body switching to burning fat instead of sugar during fasting.

·      Normalizing ghrelin levels, known as the hunger hormone.

·      Lowering triglycerides levels.

·      Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production. HGH is a fat burning hormone and plays an important part in health, fitness and slowing the aging process.

·      Reducing oxidative stress that decreases the accumulation of free radicals in the cell.

·      Boosts production of BDNF (Brain derived neurotrophic factor) that helps make new neurons and promote neural health.

Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term that covers a wide array of fasting schedules. Generally it involves cutting calories in whole or in part, either a couple of days a week, every other day or even daily. Briefly listed are the different kinds of fasting schedule

·      5:2 fasting- eat normally for five days with two days of fasting interspersed between the feasting days. On fasting days cut the food to one-fourth your normal daily calories with plenty of herbal teas and water.

·      Alternate day fasting- here you feast one day and fast the next day. On fasting day you can have just one meal of 600 calories. When you include sleeping time, the fast can end up being as long as 32-36 hrs.

·      Everyday fasting- here you simply restrict your daily eating to a specific window of time, such as an eight-hour window. This method is much more easier to comply once your body has shifted over from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel.

Intermittent fasting is the most effective way to shed unwanted fat and eliminate your sugar cravings. Since most of us are carrying excess fat we just can’t seem to burn, this is a really important benefit. When sugar is not needed as a primary fuel, your body will also not crave it as much when your sugar stores run low. But compliance is a critical factor in any of these approaches. Yes, you will get hungry but your hunger will be appropriate and you will be surprised at how much less food will completely satisfy when you no longer need to rely of stored sugar in your body for your primary fuel. Fast with conviction and determination and you will notice that food craving literally disappear. Why not give it a try- fast for a Hindu god, Gurunanak, Mahavir, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Allah, your beloved saint/guru, a lost loved one or whatever person, spirit or ideal inspires you! Lastly please note that people with any of these conditions need to be cautious or avoid fasting- if you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, pregnant or nursing, have cortisol dysregulation.

Moringa oleifera

Moringa oleifera is a tree whose name is derived from the Tamil word Murungai, otherwise popularly known as drumstick tree in India. The moringa tree is fast growing, drought resistant, native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India. Today moringa is widely cultivated throughout Africa, Central and South America and many parts of Asia. But the most amazing fact of this plant is its nutrient content: from the roots to the sap, every part of the plant yields some health benefits. It has 46 types of antioxidants, 36 kinds of anti-inflammatories and a wealth of other beneficial compounds.

Morigna oleifera has been used by the traditional Indian medical system of Ayurveda as early as 150 BC to treat a wide variety of health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, bacterial, fungal and viral infections. It is difficult to avoid superlatives when describing Moringa’s value as a food source. It is rich in protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron vitamin A and vitamin C. The leaves of this plant have high levels of a compound called beta-sitosterol known to lower cholesterol. Further, researchers have found that leaves have 2009mg of calcium per 100gm which is more calcium that 6 cups of milk. It also has 28mg of iron per 100gm- that is more that 7 oz of chicken liver. The flowers contain antioxidant substances called flavonids, such as quercetin, kaempferol, rhametin, isoquercitrin, and kaempferitrin, The plant’s root is rich in moringinem alkaloids that appear to have cardiac stimulant and hypertensive effects. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. The seeds are anti-hypertensive and help protect the liver. Moringa gum is used as an abortifacient, to treat headaches, fever, dysentery, asthma and intestinal cancer.

Effective for:

• Antifungal and antibacterial properties
• Lowers the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
• Powerful antioxidant
• Promotes healthy circulatory system
• Promotes natural serum cholesterol
• Promotes the normal functioning of the liver and the kidney
• Provides anti-inflammatory support
• Strengthens the immune system
• Supports the normal sugar levels of the body

Supplements:

Supplement of moringa can be bought as a leaf or seed powder, oil and tea products 

Recommended Dose:

The appropriate dose of moringa depends on several factors such as the user’s age and health. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses.

Side effects and precautions:

• Moringa leaves, fruit and seeds might be safe when eaten as food. However, it’s important to avoid eating the root and its extracts. These parts of the plant may contain a toxic substance that can cause paralysis and death.
• It is unsafe to use moringa is you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Chemical in the root and flowers can make the uterus contract and this might cause a miscarriage.

Beneficial bacteria: where have the good bugs gone?

Louis Pasteur theorized long ago that having the right bacteria in the digestive tract was essential to good health. Today, research has proven Pasteur right. Each of us has more than 1000 different types of beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive tracts helping us to break down food and absorb nutrients. Additionally, beneficial bacteria help the body build long lasting immunity to a host of illnesses and disease, including allergies, irritable bowels, viruses, bacterial infections and cancer. In fact, the entire bacterial colony in our gut weighs up to 1.5 kg and is so fundamental to overall health that it has been referred to as the “forgotten organ”. Unfortunately, modern medicine has created a villain for these friendly and helpful bacteria, namely antibiotics. Antibiotics indiscriminately destroy both bad and good bacteria. The casual overuse upsets the digestive tract’s delicate bacterial balance giving an edge to more harmful microorganisms such as yeast for e.g. Candida albicans. Other disturbers of the bacterial balance are bad diet, stress, environmental chemicals- e.g. chlorine and fluoride added to tap water that have the nasty habit of killing off our beneficial bacteria.

Beneficial bacteria can help with treatment for nearly all bowel disorders including Crohn’s disease, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Candida albicans overgrowth. Constipation is perhaps the most common intestinal problem that stems from a bacterial imbalance Whenever a food allergy is felt to be behind a medical problem, probiotics (beneficial bacteria) will prove beneficial. Apart from beneficial bacteria helping disorders of the gut, they also influence other illnesses throughout the body. Arthritis for reason scientists fully don’t understand but the wrong bacteria in the digestive system can cause or worsen arthritis. Research has suggested that an overload of toxins in the digestive tract and liver could be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Harmful bacteria in the digestive tract create many toxins whose excess may kill brain and nerve cells in the body and in turn lead to these ailments. Hyperactivity in children may also be caused by such toxins.

There are many different kinds of beneficial bacteria, described here are the three well known ones- Lactobacillus acidophilus,  Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria primarily live in the small intestine. It is also found in the vagina. It inhibits the growth of the Candida albicans yeast, E.coli and other harmful bacteria. Bifidobacterium mainly resides in the large intestine. It contributes to lowering cholesterol levels, preventing food poisoning, helpful in combating lactose intolerance by digesting lactose and making many B vitamins. It also lowers blood levels of ammonia which is toxic to the body. Further, it offers body maximum protection against many strange or new bacteria that can cause traveler’s diarrhea. Lactobacillus bulgaricus: this probiotic stimulates the immune system more than acidophilus. In an encouraging study of one hundred cancer patients the bulgaricus strain known as LB-51 showed very impressive results as an adjunct treatment for a range of cancers. It enabled the patients to live long, stopped or slowed tumor growth, and halted the cancers spread through the body.

There are ways to support growth of beneficial bacteria. Eating fermented foods such as plain unflavored yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kimchi, kombucha tea help as they contain lots of good bacteria. Eating foods with fiber helps as the beneficial bacteria in the large intestine feed on it. Avoiding alcohol, antibiotics, food high in sugar and minimizing stress help protect the health of beneficial bacteria. Taking high quality probiotic supplements can also help in maintaining good gut health. For maximum benefit consume the probiotic supplements regularly, at least once a week. The use of probiotic supplements is absolutely crucial if you have been on a course of broad-spectrum prescription antibiotics.