Before I am going to tell you about the not so well known, but well documented unhealthy effects of unfermented soy products, let us have a quick look on how they became so popular.

 First, the soy industry started to plant soy beans to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. The production of soy oil created a lot of soy protein residue as a left over by-product, and since they could feed only small amounts of it to animals, the industry had to find another big market and ventured into the field of “human consumption”. This is how isolated soy protein came to play a mayor role in the manufacturing of products that mimic meat and dairy products.

 Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, two scientific researchers who’s extensive article can be found at http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html , state “Advances in technology make it possible to produce isolated soy protein (the key ingredient that imitates meat and dairy) from what was once considered a waste product—the defatted, high protein soy chips—and then transform something that looks and smells terrible into products that can be consumed by human beings.  Flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and synthetic nutrients have turned soy protein isolate, the food processors’ ugly ducking, into a New Age Cinderella.”

 You get the idea, I guess. They just found a way to turn a large amount of undesired byproduct into profit!

 To the laymen soybeans are soybeans and soy products are soy products, but this is far from the truth.

There are only two kinds of soy beans: organic and genetically modified (it’s also called GM, that’s the short form you find on the labels). You should avoid the genetically modified soy at any costs and for several reasons. Here an excerpt of epidemiologist and biochemist Judy Carman’s letter to the editor of Farm Weekly August 5, 2004

 “…Not all ingested DNA and proteins are completely broken down in the gut. If proteins were fully digested, we would not have allergies (e.g. to peanuts) or mad cow disease.

There is also evidence that some DNA can survive digestion in the gut and be incorporated into white blood cells, spleen, liver, muscle, milk, kidneys and cells of the immune system.

Studies have shown that large molecules, including food proteins and allergens, eaten by the mother, can enter the developing fetus and breast milk.

There is a specific concern about proteins and DNA in genetically modified foods because of the way GM foods are made.

Methods, such as shooting the desired genes into the plant on tiny bullets, result in genes being placed randomly into the plant’s genetic code.

This may inadvertently turn some of the plant’s natural genes on, or off, produce new toxins, proteins or allergens or produce characteristics found in ancestral forms of the plant.”

I hope you’ll understand how powerful gene manipulation is and therefore a big thread to our health.

If you want to read more about this topic visit http://www.non-gm-farmers.com

A very shocking and eye opening movie regarding gene manipulated food I would like to recommend is called “The Future of Food”, http://www.thefutureoffood.com/  

Soy products are also classified into two main groups: fermented and unfermented. The unfermented soy category (including soy milks, soy protein powders, soy protein isolates, soy infant formula and all the soy meat and dairy alternatives) is the problematic one because of their phytic acid content. While all legumes and grains contain a certain amount of phytic acid, soy beans are the only ones which’s phytic acid can not be destroyed or even lessened through the two best known methods: soaking (and throwing away the water) and cooking!

The reason why phytic acids are not desired in our diet is that they inhibit the absorption of significant levels of minerals. That means, from the probably 100 milligrams of magnesium in 12 ounce tofu you can absorb only about 10 milligrams! (You can apply this to other minerals as well) And who knows if these phytic acids could affect the absorption of minerals from other food you consume at the same time too?

 The only effective way to reduce the phytic acid in soy beans is to ferment them, so miso, tamari and tempeh are ok.

 I personally think it all comes with balance. In the western world we’ve hyped up the soybean consumption so much, that in almost all processed food you find them in one form or the other and too many vegetarians rely on tofu as their main source of protein. No Asian would ever consume so much soy products! And they have no vegetarian tradition that thrives on soy proteins as well. My advice would be to cut down on processed soy foods like burgers or sausages and if you enjoy drinking a protein shake use hemp protein powder instead. It’s a much safer product that also contains the full range of amino acids and you can find already hemp bars and milk in organic shops.

First, I don’t want to debate here, if it is ethical to drink another mammal’s milk, which is actually meant to feed the calf. But it is an interesting thought and you might like to give it some consideration. Another fact is that most milk cows are worn out after only 4 to 6 years, while the natural lifespan of a cow is around 25 years. In order to produce these vast amounts of milk, their genes are manipulated and they are kept in a constant cycle of pregnancy, lactating and milking. And finally, you need to be aware of the environmental impact of cattle farms. Did you know, that only 10,000 cows produce waste equivalent to the household waste of a city of 1, 6 million inhabitants? That animal agriculture consumes intense amounts of water and emits so much ammonia into our atmosphere that it threatens the air quality and contributes highly to the acidification of our waters and soils?

Second, you might have already noticed I’m always referring to “processed” milk, not organic raw milk, which on the contrary has at least a high nutritional value, but you will get it only straight from the farmer or in health food shops.

The milk you can buy in any supermarket is either pasteurized, ultra high temperature processed (UHT), homogenized and/or fortified. The result is a far cry from the original raw milk, but who has ever tasted fresh, unprocessed milk straight from the cow? I was fortunate to grow up with it, and the most delicious thing was to leave the milk outside in a low dish for a day or two. The natural bacteria of the milk fermented into homemade sour milk (yoghurt), leaving all the cream (milk fat) on top. Yummy! Try that with the processed milk….it will turn into a foul smelling disgusting something, isn’t it?

Let me explain these different processes and how they affect your health.

Pasteurization is a process that uses temperatures below boiling to reduce the bacterial count. The real reason for pasteurization is to make milk less perishable, so it can be easier distributed and stored refrigerated up to 7 or 10 days. The opponents of raw milk argue that pasteurization makes milk safer, because it will kill most of possibly harmful bacteria. I certainly agree that pasteurization kills bacteria, but I also would never buy milk produced by a conventional dairy farm, because, despites an inferior milk quality, the risk of contamination with pathogenic bacteria is much higher due to the ways they treat their cows. You will be surprised that milk’s available calcium is cut in half through the process of pasteurization! And if you think the low-fat milk is healthier, you’re wrong again. It makes calcium unabsorbable because fat is an essential part of the transportation and absorption of calcium

Milk is a living product because of the good bacteria! Unfortunately, pasteurization will not only kill the bad bacteria, but the good ones too. During this process the membranes of the bacteria cells are broken open and releasing so called cytotoxins. These substances are foreign to our body and we therefore can react to with immune responses like asthma attacks and mucus production, as well as tearing eyes or inflammation. Let me say it again: pasteurization will not remove the dead bacteria, nor will it remove the cytotoxins.

UHT, or ultra high temperature treatment, takes this process a step further. It is a partial sterilization by heating milk for a short time at a temperature exceeding 135°C (275°F) and results in an extended self live of 6 to 9 month, no refrigeration required! This alters also the characteristic taste of milk. Needless to say, that this product has not much in common with milk.

Ok. The next process they force the milk through is called “homogenization”. The milk industry says it is done to prevent the natural separation of cream from the rest of the emulsion. You may not know, if you never bought raw milk, that the fat in milk normally separates from the water and collects at the top. What’s wrong with that, I’m asking you? You would only need to shake the bottle! That’s why the real reason for homogenization is, that the industry takes all the (butter)fat out of the milk to make butter and then add milk powder to the strapped milk for the better taste and according to the fat content that’s stated on the label!

Homogenization breaks up the fat globules into smaller sizes so that they no longer float on top, but are rather evenly suspended in the milk. This is accomplished by forcing the milk at high pressure through small orifices, that unfortunately will also destroy the butterfat structure and releases enzymes that are not suppose to be in the milk. Not only can they cause problems in your intestines, but also heart diseases are related to homogenized milk. Epidemiological researchers (these are the ones that study the origin and spread of diseases) have also found correlations between breast/prostate cancer and milk consumption. Milk can cause acne, increases childhood diabetes and, you may have never heard about, the risk of bone fractures!! Let me also remind you, that milk from conventional dairy farms are contaminated with pesticides and genetically engineered bovine growth hormone.

Are you having any more doubts about milk being hazardous to your health?

Ok, then we can start talking about milk and calcium.

Evidence is coming up everywhere, that milk is not a good source for calcium. But of course, this information can hardly be found in mainstream media. The head of the “Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine“, Neal Barnard, says, “It would be hard to imagine a worse vehicle than milk for delivering calcium to the human body”. This nonprofit organization was founded in 1985 and promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research. They have gathered over 700 links regarding the terrible effects of milk.

Furthermore a 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women showed that those who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk.

Also an Australian study has shown that people in those countries that consume the highest levels of dairy foods, break two or three times more bones than people with the lowest calcium intake! How can this be explained?

Well, milk and other dairy products, although rich in calcium, are high in animal protein. And that has been shown to create calcium loss through the urinary tract. Might the high protein consumption of the western world be the reason, why the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium is set to 1,200mg daily against the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 500 mg for children and 800 mg for adults?

Interestingly also, that areas of the world where dietary protein is very low have low national calcium recommendations, like in Thailand, where the RDA is set at 400mg for all ages! Inuit’s’, in contrast, consuming daily up to 400 grams of protein through fish and even though their RDA of calcium is set at 2,000 mg daily, they show the highest rate of osteoporosis in the world!

So how does a high protein diet affect our health?

Milk, cheese and other dairy products, coffee, black tea, meat, fish, eggs, pasta, sugar, bread and all deep fried junk food forcing the body to produce profuse amounts of acid, because to digest these foods, our stomach produces hydrochloric acid. In order to maintain a pH balance in the blood and to neutralize strong stomach acids, the body needs massive amounts of calcium. It alkalizes the acidic digestive mixture when it enters the bloodstream. Later, when they will be excreted with other metabolic wastes, calcium compounds can get stuck in the kidneys causing kidney stones, or in the gall bladder producing gallstones.

A diet high in animal protein depletes calcium also through excess protein turning into urea in the liver. This creates a diuretic action in the kidney that let the calcium (together with other minerals) escape through the urine. Interestingly vegetarians rarely get kidney stones.

When the body uses calcium to neutralize the acidic mixtures, it creates a negative calcium balance which will result in osteoporosis! That shows us, that protein consumption has the greatest impact on calcium depletion of the bones, even greater than the level of calcium intake through diet.

Harvard professor Mark Hegsted explains that we adapt to low calcium intake by using what is available. On the contrary, high calcium intake causes the body to decrease the amount of calcium that is absorbed and excreting the excess. This is another explanation for why people with low calcium consumption still manage to form healthy skeletons.

Also Dean Ornish, MD (author of “Eat More, Weigh Less) shares this view. He writes, “The real cause of osteoporosis in this country is not insufficient calcium intake, it’s excessive excretion of calcium in the urine…..Vegetarians, in contrast, excrete much less calcium, and this is why they have very low rates of osteoporosis even though their dietary intake of calcium is lower than those on a meat-eating diet.”

Let me sum it up: While calcium is important for bone health, increasing consumption does not improve bone integrity! Milk and other dairy products are actually a bad source of calcium because they are also loaded with cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, and saturated fats and lead even to excretion of calcium into the urine.

You don’t need more than approximately 600mg calcium per day and this is an amount that can be easily achieved without dairy products or calcium supplements, provided you reduce intake of animal protein and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Not a single nutrient can be found in dairy products that cannot be found in other sources!

Let me just state here the plant products with the highest calcium content per 100 grams (3.5 oz):

Sesame seeds 1000mg, Seaweed 600mg, Sardines in oil 550 mg,Tahini 420 mg, Blackstrap Molasses 400 mg, Leeks 360 mg, Flaxseeds 255 mg, Almonds 216 mg, Mustard Spinach 210 mg, Kale 205 mg, Dandelion Greens 200 mg, Turnip Greens 200 mg, Raw Garlic 181 mg, Cuttlefish 180 mg, Brazil Nuts 169 mg, Dried Figs 162 mg, Anchovy 147 mg, Okra 120 mg, Watercress 120 mg, Pak Choi 105 mg, Olives 90 mg.

Please note, that oxalic acid, which is found in spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens binds with the calcium in those foods and reduces its absorption. These foods should not be considered good sources of calcium compared to the ones I stated above. Another advantage of a plant based diet is also that you will get enough of magnesium, one more essential mineral that is needed to absorb calcium.

I don’t think it is very difficult to obtain your calcium from these resources. You agree?

If you, in addition, make sure you’ll get enough vitamin D (through sunlight), which promotes calcium absorption and helps form and maintain strong bones and some weight bearing exercises (pulling builds bones!) then you’re basically all set to prevent osteoporosis.

If this all has not convinced you yet, I have only one final remark:

How do the largest animals that walk the earth, like the elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, horse and cow grow these massive skeletons without the aid of cow milk and calcium supplements?

As a holistic color consultant I know, that colors are affecting our lives on ALL levels, and this might be new to you, including our food. We need to color up our plates in order to be and stay healthy and I will tell you why:

It’s clear, fruits and vegetables are the source of colorful food. The colors are indicators for the different phytonutrients they content. They provide an incredible amount of some 25,000 different phytochemicals which can help prevent our most common diseases of aging including heart disease, diabetes and common forms of cancer. It’s in the pigments!

We can divide fruits and vegetables into five color groups: green, yellow/orange, red, blue/purple and white, each with a different set of beneficial phytonutrients.

Green fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytonutrients, for example, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, both known to reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. They also content another family of phytochemicals called indoles which may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. Green foods like broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, celery, bok choy, collard greens, watercress or okra are rich in cancer blocking chemicals like sulforaphane, isocyanate and indoles, which inhibit the action of carcinogens and are also important for maintaining strong bones.

Yellow/orange foods contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and carotenoids, especially the cancer fighter alpha carotene along with beta carotene that protects the skin against free radical damage and promotes repair of damaged DNA. Yellow/orange food includes carrots, mangoes, cantaloupe, winter squash and sweet potatoes, as well as peaches, papaya and nectarines, which provide beta cryptothanxin that supports intracellular communication and may help prevent heart disease.

Red fruits and vegetables get their color from powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins. Scientists believe they delay cellular aging and help the heart by blocking the formation of blood clots. They contain also lycopene which reduces the risk of prostate cancer, heart and lung disease. Red foods include tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, red peppers, radicchio and even red wine is in this category! Red wine, consumed in moderation not more than one glass per day, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting due to the resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries. But alcohol drinking may increase also triglycerides (bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its empty calories. So, if you’re not used to drinking wine, don’t start it. You get all the benefits just from staying with the pure fruits and veggies.

Blue/purple fruits and veggies like blue grapes, blueberries, beets, eggplant, red cabbage, plums and blackberries are loaded with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins. They’re believed to delay cellular aging and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

White, tan and brown fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients like allicin, which is found in garlic and the onion family. Allicin is known for its antitumor properties. They contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol. Quercetins may reduce inflammation associated with allergies, inhibit the growth certain cancers, and protect the lungs from the harmful effects of pollutants and cigarette smoke. Especially onions and citrus fruits are known to be full of kaempferol, a strong antioxidant that helps to prevent oxidative damage of our cells, lipids and DNA and can acts as a chemo-preventive agent, which means that it inhibits the formation of cancer cells.

That all sound really powerful, doesn’t it? The joy I feel just by looking at a plate loaded with this colorful fruits and vegetables is immense, not talking about their natural rich flavors!

When it comes to the consumption of these healthy goodies, there are a few things you should know. According to the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” (and I guess that applies to the rest of the world as well) of 2005, the recommended daily consumption of fruit and vegetable is 4-13 servings. Of course, the closer you’re towards the 13 the better! One serving is considered: 1 cup (0.23l) chopped fresh vegetables, ½ cup (0.12l) cooked vegetables, ¾ cup (0.18l) of vegetable juice. For the fruits, one serving means 1 piece of middle sized fruit, 1 cup(0.23l) chopped fruit, ½ cup (0.12l) berries or ¾ cup of (0.18l) fruit juice. But because the fruits sugar content can imbalance your insulin levels, you should eat far more vegetables than fruits.

And last but not least, use organic produce so you don’t lose their most concentrated source of beneficial chemicals through peeling. Start experimenting a little bit in your kitchen and enjoy these colorful sensations and the way you’re taking care of yourself!

Note: There is an email link embedded within this post, please visit this post to email it.

So, one morning, as I am preparing my almond smoothie, I “recognized” that I always peel the almonds before I use them; just as I remember my mother did before using them for baking! Up to this moment I never even thought about why am I peeling the almonds, isn’t that amazing? At least it was to me.  What if the almond skin is very healthy like the ones of some fruits?  Instantly I went online and did some research and you may suspect already my findings:

Almond skin contains polyphenolics which will lower LDL (that’s the bad cholesterol)! 

(And of course, the almond itself has one of the highest protein content of all nuts and is the only kernel that is alkaline! But that I knew already) 

So my two messages from this short entry are: ask yourself more often why you are doing the things the way you do. Is it because you just follow a habit without ever establishing true value? Then it’s time to change!

And the other message is: don’t throw away the almond peel!

Caffeine is a diuretic and increases the amount of calcium we excrete in our urine for several hours after we drink it, and I don’t want to continue doing things that will reduce the amount of calcium I absorb. Massey and Whiting of Washington State University concluded that:

“Oral doses of caffeine increase the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, sodium and chloride for at least 3 hrs after consumption. . . . Uncompensated losses of calcium would be a risk factor for development of osteoporosis. . . . Comparison of data from epidemiological surveys and animal and human studies suggests that for younger adult women consuming adequate calcium, moderate caffeine intakes may have little or no deleterious effects. Increased urinary and intestinal losses may be compensated for by increased intestinal calcium absorption. However older women do not seem to compensate adequately to maintain their former calcium balance, especially when calcium intakes are below recommendations.”

Researchers also found that caffeine may interfere with the absorption of Vitamin D. Since Vitamin D is necessary for the body’s absorption and use of calcium, I really thought it was not worth paying the price!

So I went to visit all my favorite organic shops in search for some substitute. And I found the most delicious caffeine-free coffee alternative! It’s made out of roasted organic barley grains and with organic soy milk I hardly can tell the difference anymore. I’m on it now since almost three weeks. I feel fully satisfied with this healthy version and hope you will give it a try when you want to kick your coffee habit too.

If you are really serious about achieving your goals, checking the mindset of your friends is essential. If their mindset is not in alignment with yours, they will rather be an obstacle on your way to succeed. How to check their mindset? Ask yourself, if they themselves have goals they are working on? Are they supportive, uplifting and a source of inspiration to you? Do you feel nurtured?

Here are some practical examples to illustrate my points: let’s say you want to quit smoking and start a healthier lifestyle. It takes already all your willpower and determination, and the response you’re getting from some of your friends may sound something like: why you want to do this, smoking is fun and we’ll die anyway, or they keep on smoking in your presence, or try to challenge you by offering you cigarettes …I would consider this a non supportive behavior.

Now, I would call a real friend someone that would acknowledge your desire and would, let’s say rather meets in the park than dragging you to a smoky bar. Or, for instance, you’re thinking about changing career path, because you want to look for a more fulfilling work and you feel you got stuck where you are. Now, are your friend’s reactions something like: Oh, that’s daring but a great idea. Can I help you brainstorming? How can I be of assistance? Or is it rather like: Ah, why do you bother? You’re already so old and that’s just how life is, you have to arrange yourself. Nobody will hire you and all the effort will be for nothing!

I think you got my point. So, friends can be neutral, supportive or impairing. On your way to fulfill your goals, you want to make sure you’ll surround yourself with as many as possible of your supporting friends. You might even have to look for new ones. It is very motivating to be with people which are already there where you want to be. The question remains, what to do with the ones that are exhibiting a rather impairing behavior? Please understand, that consciously they don’t mean to harm you!

They’re just expressing their own fear of change and they are most probably not even aware of it. I believe it’s always worth a try to express how you feel and how you would like them to be with you. But more for your own satisfaction, that you’ve done something to save the friendship. In my experience, in most of the cases it will not work, because you want them to change against their established but unconscious believe system, which they feel very comfortable with (even if it harms them!)

Therefore, don’t be too disappointed if they are not able or willing to change. You’ll have to learn to let them go or withdraw yourself – at least for the time being. Sometimes, this might trigger something within them and could initiate a change in perception, but I would not count on it. But taking a stand for your own advancement and being authentic to yourself will give you a motivational boost that will also attract more like minded people into your life.

I have done juice fasting many times and also several five day Colon Hydro Therapies combined with a liquid diet. Since they are a bit costly I was more than willing to try a very cost effective detox program. This cleansing regime involves only a few, but very powerful ingredients. Organic lemon juice, organic maple syrup, cayenne pepper, sea salt and a laxative tea! Is that simple or what? I know, it sounds a bit scary to live 10 days just off that, but I did some research on the net and found plenty of encouraging living testimonials to its effectiveness. You can check them out and get more information here http://www.ideasforconsciousliving.com/mastercleanse

So, finally, I found the time in September, and what can I tell you: it was a fantastic experience! During the whole 10 days I felt great, except on the afternoon of day 4 I got a headache and went to bed early. I never felt hungry and there even was not a single day that I could consume the maximum amount allowed! I finished the Master Cleanse feeling very light (I lost 4kg), energetic and up until today my skin is still glowing. If you want to clean your colon and your entire body, I can highly recommend this method. I will implement it into my detox regime every 6 to 9 month.

Yes, our body, respectively our liver, is doing this all the time and she would not have any problems doing a good job, if we would live in an environment of clean air and unpolluted water, free of processed food and toxins being gassed out of furniture and clothing, free of personal care products that contain mineral oil and preservatives….you get the message?

So, we have no choice but to take some of this intense load off the liver not only by making healthier choices, but also by assisting the body to remove toxins stored in its tissues through specific detox regimes. For example, I frequently (once or twice a year) detox my liver with a method I learned from a Russian healer. I will share with you the procedure:

On the day of the detox, you should have an enema (1% saline water will be fine). For breakfast and lunch take only fruits and vegetables. After lunch put a heating pad on your liver until you’re ready to start the detox. The best time to start is between 7pm and 8pm. You need 0,2 l organic olive oil and 0,2 l organic lemon juice, warm them separately up to body temperature.

Take 2 sips of olive oil, followed immediately by 2 sips of lemon juice. Wait for 15 or 20 minutes before continuing. If you don’t feel nausea, take the next 2 sips olive oil followed by the 2 sips of lemon juice. Repeat this procedure until you finish the oil and the juice. If you feel nausea you have to wait until this has subsided before you continue. If you feel nausea for more than an hour, you simply quit the detox. Don’t worry, it’s just a sign that your body can’t take more at this point of time. If you repeat the detox some other time your body will be able to tolerate a larger amount.

From 11pm until the early morning hours the liver is cleaning herself. Maybe you’ll be having a running stomach. If your stool is black-greenish, that’s a sign of toxins have been removed from the liver. Sometimes first timers can’t go to toilet. In that case you’ll have to do another enema.

For breakfast you’ll have only 0,5 l fresh organic carrot juice. For lunch you can have already a normal meal. In case you can’t take olive oil or lemon juice, you could subsidize with organic sunflower oil and red currant juice.