Day 5
Pre-cleanse Prep Day 5
Nutritional bandits gum up our body signals, confuse our internal conversation, create a toxic overload in the body, and rob us of our health when consumed regularly. Today we take a look at "nutritional bandits" 7 and 8, dairy and beef & pork, and what it means to eat REAL FOOD.
Nutritional Bandit 7: Dairy
“Of all the animals on the planet, people are the only creatures who routinely consume the milk products of other species. What has been assumed to be a beneficial practice is, in fact, more than merely questionable. The scientific evidence suggests that the consequences of this practice are devastating. It appears likely that no other component in the modern diet causes more pain and suffering, including premature death and disability, than dairy products.”
~ ALAN GOLDHAMER, D.C.
Most of us have grown up brainwashed to think that "everybody needs milk" or "milk does a body good". Why? Because the dairy association has spent millions in advertising as well as providing elementary schools with beautiful, free "nutritional" teaching materials. But the truth is, it "just ain't so"!
Dairy products include milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream, ice cream, kefir, ghee, and whey. The human system in general does not easily process dairy products. They are the MOST mucous forming of all foods, clogging the system, and causing a strain on the eliminative organs.
Dairy is the MOST common food allergen (to the protein casein) and 50% of the population is lactose intolerant (to the milk sugar lactose) causing allergic reactions, poor digestion and even more mucous build up in the body. It is also highly acid-forming (the basis of all disease) with ice cream being one of the MOST acid forming foods you can consume!
There is plenty of evidence to show that there is a link between dairy consumption and cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, allergies, sinus issues, ear infections, diabetes, constipation, skin problems, and even osteoporosis. Not only is dairy NOT a good source of calcium like we’ve all been led to believe, it actually leaches calcium from our bodies. Despite all the hype, science says that LESS dairy equals better bones!
In addition, conventional (non-organic) dairy products contain harmful substances such as puss, blood, antibiotics, pesticides and hormones, and are often raised in horrible living conditions and fed a grain based diet full of GMOs.
“Cheese is a very popular ingredient in American cuisine. You can find it in almost any traditional American comfort food, so when you think about it, it hardly comes as a surprise to find out that many people are actually addicted to cheese.”
~ ALANNA KELLER
When we eat dairy, the casein actually releases opiates known as casomorphins, which are similar to morphine. Cow’s milk has at least 10 times the amount of casomorphins as human milk, and since it takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese, the casomorphins in it are highly concentrated. This explains why we may feel strong cravings for this food, and our unwillingness to give it up. In addition, it may be a significant reason that cheese consumption has tripled since the 1950’s – along with the obesity rate.
HERE ARE SOME LINKS IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
HOW THE DAIRY INDUSTRY TRICKED HUMANS INTO BELIEVING THEY NEED MILK
Acid/Alkaline Rating: Highly acid forming!!!
If you are consuming dairy products frequently, begin to reduce the amount to lessen the withdrawal symptoms when you eliminate them completely for your 2 week cleanse. For our Cleanse Program we will eliminate ALL forms of dairy — including goat and sheep milk products.
Nutritional Bandit 8: Beef & Pork
“The bottom line is the health risks of consuming red and processed meat outweigh any benefits”
~ DONALD HENSRUD, M.D.
Ethical and planetary reasons aside, there are many health reasons to reduce or avoid eating meat and pork. Research shows that “red meat” - which includes beef, lamb, and pork - along with processed products such as deli meat, ham, bacon, hot dogs, and sausage - are most dangerous when consumed frequently. First of all, they are the most difficult of all foods for our system to digest and eliminate and they promote more aggressive behavior. They also cause the body to become highly acidic - which is the basis for all disease.
Meat has changed since the 1950’s when farmers started started giving more and more antibiotics to their livestock to increase their weight and the farmer’s profits! This practice has nurtured bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics used by humans and then passes it on to you. In short, today’s meat can make you sick and also make it more difficult to treat that sickness.
Every time you eat meat, not only are you are ingesting bacteria, but also antibiotics, toxic chemicals, hormones and a host of other harmful substances that can accumulate in your body and remain there for years.
In addition, meats are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat which increases our risk for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality, and it is even now rated as a carcinogen. It also promotes chronic inflammation which, in addition to heart disease, is linked with stroke, obesity, diabetes, impotence, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and a weakened immune system. And pigs are scavenger animals and frequently contain parasites and viruses that are not killed with cooking. And processed products (ham, bacon, salami, lunch meat, etc) have high sodium content and contain harmful preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites.
HERE ARE SOME LINKS IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
7 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T EAT BEEF ANYMORE
Acid/Alkaline Rating: Highly acid forming!!!
If you are consuming beef or pork frequently, begin to reduce the amount to lessen the withdrawal symptoms when you eliminate it completely for your 2 week cleanse.
Eat Real Food
We need to eat real food. No fast foods. No junk foods. No processed foods. Just honest, nutritious, real food.
It seems that everywhere I look there is an expert touting a certain food "model" (low-carb, low-fat, Mediterranean, Paleo, Keto, vegan, etc.) as the correct way to eat healthy - only to turn around and find another equally credentialed expert touting something different. While everyone agrees that diet is extremely important to health and well-being, they can't seem to agree on what actually is the best diet.
Oftentimes, these food systems have many rules that are annoying, confusing, and possibly even dangerous. And I believe that this is the reason so many people give up on trying to follow nutrition advice altogether and just close their eyes and eat whatever tastes good to them - often resulting in poor heath and disease.
In my opinion, eating healthy doesn't need to be so complicated. I LOVE food and I believe it is meant to be enjoyed. And it shouldn't require intensive study, calorie counting, or complicated calculations to figure out what you should eat and shouldn't eat. The holistic nutrition food philosophy that I was taught and have found to be successful for myself and my clients is really pretty simple: just eat real food!
Real foods are grown, hunted, or foraged - whole foods in their most natural state. This means they are unrefined, not processed or only minimally processed, and unadulterated without additives or preservatives, the way nature made them. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and animal foods including beef, fish, poultry, pork, and eggs are all whole foods. Animal proteins are pasture-raised and wild, and produce is local, seasonal, and organic. These are the types of foods that our great grandparents would have recognized and eaten.
Selecting real food is simply about avoiding modern agricultural methods (pesticides and GMOs) and manufacturing processing (that removes fiber and includes sugars, bad fats, and numerous additives - many that cause the product to be addictive for their soaring profits!), and instead going back to the basics. It's about letting go of current diet and food fads and trusting the wisdom of nature instead.
Ideally, we should be purchasing single-ingredient foods. Although you should know how to read food labels, most real food doesn't come with a label so the real food kitchen will house very few packages and labels. Most items come straight from the source - and we should always know and trust that source.
SHOPPING FOR REAL FOOD
The general rule of thumb is to shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the inner aisles. The outside is usually where the real food is stocked.
Produce - if you are choosing real food, the produce section will be where you spend most of your time.
Dairy - IF you choose to consume dairy products, then look for full fat, organic, and preferably raw.
Eggs - aim to purchase organic eggs from pastured chickens who roam in the grass and scratch in the dirt.
Meat/Fish - be sure to select only organic meats (hormone and antibiotic free) and wild-caught or sustainably farmed seafood.
Beans/Legumes - choose organic dried beans and legumes or keep a supply of canned beans on hand for busy times - be sure to look for cans that are BPA free.
Nuts & Seeds - purchase in small quantities from the bulk bins so you keep your supply fresh to avoid rancid oils.
Grains - IF you choose to consume grains in your diet, then look for unrefined, whole grains in the bulks bins as well.
Natural Sweeteners - Raw honey and pure maple syrup in moderation.
Check-in:
The info about dairy is probably the most challenging for people to accept – we have been brainwashed so well! Tomorrow we’ll look at unhealthy fats and chemicals in our foods, and get a list of movies to watch for education and inspiration.
Are you remembering to cut your intake of the "nutritional bandits" in half every few days and focusing more on fresh organic vegetables and fruits, non-gluten whole grains, raw nuts & seeds, legumes, and good quality protein and fat? If you want to get some ideas for “cleanse friendly” foods and recipes, visit:
Feel free to comment below or email me to ask questions or share your thoughts and experiences ~ I’d love to hear from you!
Blessings, JoAnn