Each of you is such a beautiful and unique individual with such awesome potential! Welcome to the possibilities of Love and Peace and Joy!

Each of you is such a beautiful
and unique individual
with such awesome potential!

A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON DIVERSE SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH
TOTAL HEALING HEALTH ™ and INFINITY HEALING

NOTE: Some of the articles below have been copied directly from some source, and the references are duly noted. A great deal of the other articles have been collected from various sources over the years, including Earthfare Grocery Information. Although I have no specific references, I would like to honor those who contributed to any of this. If there is any information which may be incorrect, I take full responsibility.

TOPICS:
1. My Food Philosophy
2. My Definition of "Toxic"
3. Living a Toxic Free Life
4. List of Major Toxic Food Products
5. Processed Foods
6. Healthy Food Planning
a. Where to Begin to Improve Your Diet
b. Balancing Your Meal Plan
c. List of Non-starchy [Healthy] Vegetables
d. List of Starchy [Not as Healthy] Vegetables
e. List of Healthy Fruits [Low Sugar Content]
f. List of Healthy Nuts [Raw, Unsalted Only]
g. List of Healthy Carbohydrates
h. List of Healthy Oils
i. List of Unhealthy Oils
j. Foods Which You Should Basically Never Eat
7. Water
8. High Fructose Corn Syrup
9. Genetic Modification [GMO]
10. Fats and Oils
11. Irradiated Foods
12. Flour and Other Grains
13. Animal By-Products and Pet Foods
14. Synthetic Growth Hormones
15. Inhumane Treatment
16. Aspartame and its Derivatives
17. MSG and its Derivatives
18. Blank Charts I Use in Total Healing Health
19. Green Drink Recipe

MY FOOD PHILOSOPHY

You should eat only those foods which test as right for you, and none of those which do not, in the right proportions and amounts. You should use foods that are as “close to the ground” as it gets and as “clean” as possible, as free of any chemicals, preservatives, processing as possible, as organic as possible. You should as many raw foods as possible, and as few processed foods as possible, as many “whole foods” as possible.

MY DEFINITION OF "TOXIC"

What is the definition of the word "toxic"? The dictionary defines it very simply as "poisonous". The problem is not whether something is poisonous, nor is it even so much the quantity required to be considered poisonous, rather the real issue is in the effects of even a minute amount ingested over time. This, unfortunately, is not an issue which has been studied very well in traditional science. The studies which are done are generally hidden, debunked, or "disqualified". No matter, they are there.

LIVING A TOXIC FREE LIFE

Our country is in more danger than many others when it comes to health. People are too willing to sacrifice health for flavor, for an "easy fix", for instant gratification. Thus, toxic substances abound, some more so than others, of course. We find them in our water, in our food, in our environment, and for the most part, we choose to ignore them. If you are reading this, it might be assumed that you are interested in better health, and thus, that you are willing to work a little harder to achieve that health. If that is true, read on for information on common toxins which are often underrated.

Living a toxic free life is the key to true health, but it is not easy. To be honest, it is impossible to be totally toxic free. There is toxicity in every food, in the environment, in the water, in the products we use. All disease is caused by toxicity in the body, which produces lack of balance in the body. If you remove the toxicity, you will begin to eradicate the symptoms.

The secret is to become as toxic free as possible and then to do your daily healing and forget about it. Too many people stress out about all of this, buy all kinds of products to reduce toxicity and to protect the body from it. Remember that stress is a major cause of toxicity and a major contributor to increasing other problems.

Our government assures us that so many things are safe for us. They are not always correct, nor do they really know how to test for toxicity levels. They tell us that certain things are safe in certain amounts, but they do not take into consideration that we ingest these on a regular basis, or that we are exposed to them on a regular basis. Unfortunately, traditional medicine does not know how to test for low levels of toxicity in the body. Even more importantly, it does not understand the cumulative effect it has on the body, although there is some new effort along these lines.

There are, of course, certain sensible things you should do, some more so than others, depending on how healthy your body currently is. The basic ones are to remove as much toxicity from your diet as possible, drink only purified water, get an air purifier, if this is an issue. If you have the money, a whole house water purification system is an excellent investment, especially if you have skin or breathing issues. The chlorine in municipal systems is nothing more than a type of the Clorox® which you use in cleaning. Would you drink that? Would you rub it all over your body every time you shower? Yes, it’s in minute amounts, but it adds up. It enters your body through your skin.

The healthier your body is and the more in balance it is, the better able it is to handle toxicity. No matter how healthy you are, or think you are, there are certain things you should avoid as much as possible. It is also very important in keeping toxicity away to believe absolutely that you can have Total Healing Health. Ask questions, read labels, learn more.

People think that they need to buy special products, eat special foods, etc. Commercial products are almost never as good as the most simple solution you can find, the most pure, the least processed.

Attached is a list of the biggest contributors to disease in this country. These are the items which you should try to avoid as much as possible, as often as possible.

LIST OF MAJOR TOXIC FOOD PRODUCTS

PROCESSED FOODS

What is processed food? Wikipedia describes “processed food” as any food that is changed from its natural, raw state. Did you peel your banana before you ate it? Cut your apple into slices? Stir-fry your dinner vegetables? Scramble your egg? You just processed your food by that definition. Following are common food processing techniques listed in the Wikipedia entry:

* Removal of unwanted outer layers, such as potato peeling or the skinning of peaches
* Chopping or slicing, of which examples include potato chips, diced carrot, or candied peel.
* Mincing and macerating
* Liquefaction, such as to produce fruit juice
* Emulsification
* Cooking, such as boiling, broiling, frying, steaming or grilling
* Mixing
* Addition of gas such as air entrainment for bread or gasification of soft drinks
* Proofing
* Spray drying

Under that broad a definition, nearly every food we eat is processed. However, most of us tend to define processed food in a much narrower sense. For me, “processed food” is food which has been chemically altered through additives such as flavors, flavor enhancers, binders, colors, fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc., or which has been manufactured through a combination of other methods. Generally speaking, if the ingredients aren’t “natural” and organic, then I consider it to be processed. It is difficult to have a nutrition plan entirely devoid of processed food, but it is possible, especially for a short time.

HEALTHY FOOD PLANNING
WHERE TO BEGIN TO IMPROVE YOUR DIET

1. Do not listen to a great deal of what you hear in the traditional media and health care programs
2. Change all household oils and cut down significantly on any foods using oils when eating out, especially at fast food places. Substitute with these oils
a. Virgin olive oil
b. Grapeseed oil
c. Real butter [absolutely no substitutes]
d. Coconut oil [be careful when frying with oil; it has a very low burning point]
e. Even though it’s advertised as such, Canola is a very poor choice
f. Think about all the places where oil is an ingredient
3. Add more whole foods to your diet
a. This means foods eaten in their natural state and not cooked or processed, especially raw vegetables
4. Cut back on carbohydrates, especially the starchy ones
5. Add a healthy salad to as many meals as possible
a. Salad dressings are a main source of many health problems; choose very wisely, or make your own
6. Cut out as much sugar as possible
a. Anything which tastes sweet is generally in this category, including honey, agave, etc.
b. At all costs, avoid all substitute sweeteners; they are poison to your system and cause many health issues
c. Stay away from xylitol, etc. completely
d. Try substituting a good brand of liquid Stevia [KAL]
e. Beware of Truvia and many of the popular brands of Stevia; e.g., Sweetleaf tests only half as well as KAL
f. This includes any sweetened drink, including tea/coffee
g. Stay away from desserts; almost all are laden with sugar
7. Meat is fine for most people if it is organic and prepared in a healthy manner
a. This does not include processed meats of any kind

BALANCING YOUR MEAL PLAN

1. Healthy Proteins; this should comprise about 50% of your daily diet
a. Healthy meats [preferably organic (grass fed) or at least hormone free]
b.Healthy poultry [preferably organic (grass fed) or at least hormone free]
c. Healthy fish [wild caught, preferably in cold waters, never farm raised]
d. Greens, spinach, healthy lettuces [try to avoid iceberg]
e. Healthy cheese [preferably goat cheese, feta]
f. Healthy eggs preferably organic (free range) or at least hormone free]
g.Healthy milk [preferably raw, or at least not homogenized and from grass fed cows with no hormones
h. Beans [preferably organic]
i. Lentils [preferably organic]
j. Yogurt [sugar and additive free]
k. Healthy nuts [see list below]
l. Seeds [see list below]
m. Tofu [read labels for best products without additives, manner of production, etc.]
2. Healthy Carbohydrates; this should comprise about 30% of your daily diet
a. Non-starchy vegetables
b. Legumes (beans)
c. Healthy whole grains [unless you are gluten sensitive]
d. High fructose fruits
e. Nuts
f. Yogurt
g. Healthy whole grain cereals [unless you are gluten sensitive]
h. Healthy whole grain crackers [unless you are gluten sensitive]
i. Healthy whole grain bread products [unless you are gluten sensitive]
3. Healthy Fats; this should comprise about 20% of your daily diet
a. Healthy oils [see list below][look for cold pressed, first run, organic, if possible]
b. Homemade oil based salad dressings, as opposed to creamy style
c. Healthy nuts [see list below]
4. General Notes
a. Choose foods with as few additives [MSG, aspartame, hormones, etc.] as possible
b. Avoid sugars, refined or otherwise, and all artificial sweeteners
c. Avoid heavily refined and/or processed foods

LIST OF NON-STARCHY [HEALTHY] VEGETABLES

LIST OF STARCHY [NOT AS HEALTHY] VEGETABLES

1. Beans
2. Beets
3. Carrots
4. Corn [on or off the cob]
5. Green Peas
6. Parsnips
7. Plantain
8. Pumpkin
9. Sweet Potatoes
10. Taro
11. White Potatoes [no matter how cooked]
12. Winter Squash or butternut squash
13. Yams

LIST OF HEALTHY FRUITS [LOW SUGAR CONTENT]

1. All berries
2. Lemons
3. Grapefruit
4. Apples with low sugar content; Granny Smith, Braeburn, Gala, Pink Lady [limited amounts]
5. Pears with low sugar content [limited amounts]
6. Figs [limited amounts]
7. Dates [limited amounts]
8. Raisins [limited amounts]
9. Prunes [limited amounts]

LIST OF HEALTHY NUTS [RAW, UNSALTED ONLY]

1. Walnuts
2. Almonds
3. Brazil nuts
4. Hazel nuts
5. Pistachios
6. Macadamia nuts
7. All seeds; pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, chia, flax [golden and regular], alfalfa, radish, poppy

LIST OF HEALTHY CARBOHYDRATES

NOTE: A combination of healthy beans and rice makes a complete protein and is very healthy in moderation

1. Minimally processed whole grains
2. Non-starchy vegetables
3. Fruits from the “Healthy” list
4. All beans
5. Whole grain brown
6. Sweet potatoes

LIST OF HEALTHY OILS

1. Olive oil
2. Grapeseed oil
3. “Real” butter [in limited amounts]
4. Coconut oil [this does not do well at high heat, but is excellent in baking sweet things]
5. Flax oil [you cannot cook with this; it must be used raw in salad dressings, drinks, etc.]

LIST OF UNHEALTHY OILS

1. Every single other oil than those listed above [Canola oil is NOT good for you, nor is peanut oil; don’t be misled by current thinking]
2. All butter substitutes, spreads, etc.
3. “Pam” and all cooking oil based sprays
4. Anything not on the above “Healthy Oils” list

FOODS WHICH YOU SHOULD BASICALLY NEVER EAT
[ AT LEAST NOT UNTIL YOU ARE TRULY HEALTHY
AND THEN ONLY IN LIMITED AMOUNTS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS]

1. Hydrogenated oils
2. Heavily processed foods of any kind
3. Anything labeled “fat free” or “sugar free”
4. Any sweeteners except Stevia [the real thing, not Truvia, etc.], honey, agave; all sweeteners, including Stevia should be used in limited quantities since they cause the body to crave sweets
5. Refined carbohydrates;. white bread, heavily processed grains, pastas, etc.
6. Foods high in MSG and its derivatives [see available list]
7. Fried foods made commercially or in restaurants, fast food places, etc.
8. Processed meats; hot dogs, lunch meats, canned, potted meats
9. Most commercial salad dressings
10. Sweets of any sort
11. Bacon
12. Corn in any form; this includes cornmeal, cornbread, taco shells, etc.
13. White potatoes
14. Oranges
15. Peanuts
16. White rice
17. Alcohol in any form

WATER

Water? Yes, water! But, I’m talking about common tap water .... would you drink from a bottle of Clorox™? Well, that’s what’s used to make your water "safe" to drink. True, it’s in small quantities, but your system still considers it toxic. The amount of impurities which the government allows in tap water is huge, and well above the level of real safety. There is also the possibility that your water has added fluoride. Ask anyone in the water business.

Are you aware that a great deal of bottled water is nothing more than tap water with the chlorine removed? If you really want to be safe, buy only brands, even cheap ones, which say "purified" on the label, or possibly spring water if you have researched its true origins.

Are you also aware that many water systems designed for the home do not really purify your water, but merely soften it by adding some type of salt? If you want purified water, you have to spend the money for a true purification system, and they’re not cheap. But, they are worth it. My late husband and I saw a huge difference in our skin in one week, just from the difference in bathing, and your hair will thank you as well. We’ve probably paid for our system in health issues alone, not to mention the cost of purchasing bottled water.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a clear and colorless liquid, which is synthetically and chemically derived from corn. It is commonly used as a sweetener in many processed foods because it’s cheaper and sweeter than sugar. HFCS is everywhere. It’s even in products in which you wouldn’t expect it to be. HFCS is comprised of two simple sugars: fructose and glucose. HFCS is very different from table sugar. HFCS is not natural. It’s not something that you could ever make at home. HFCS takes dozens of mechanical and chemical processes to produce.

Why is HFCS Unhealthy? Recent studies seem to suggest that HFCS could lead to insulin and leptin resistance. When your body is "insulin resistant," your body doesn’t use the sugars that you eat correctly. When you are "leptin resistant", your body no longer recognizes when it is full.

Common HFCS Culprits: Coca Cola, Pepsi & conventional sodas, Ketchup, Bread, Pancake Syrup

GENETIC MODIFICATION [GMO] LABELING

I believe GMO labeling should be mandatory. For thousands and thousands of years, farmers have used selective and cross breeding of plants and animals to create a diversity of crops and improve the quantity, if not the quality, of food.

In the late 20th century, some farmers chose to replace this natural process with genetic modification (GMO). GMO takes natural selection out of the hands of nature and puts it in the hands of a few scientists. Scientists now have the power to change a plant or an animal's DNA at the molecular level.

Why would they want to do this? The simple answer is productivity. GM has been used to make plants resistant to insects or herbicides, extend the shelf life of a tomato, and even to increase the amount of milk produced by dairy cows.

In 30 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMO’s. However, the U.S. approved commercial production of GMO’s based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and made profit from their sale.

Studies have shown increased allergic reactions in humans to GMO soy. Farmers have reported animal death and sterility when animals consumed GMO corn, soy and cotton. Cows that are given synthetic growth hormones can experience higher incidences of sterility and cyst development in their udders and have a shorter lifespan. There are also environmental problems, including unintentional destruction of livestock, destruction of friendly insect pollinators and the creation of herbicide resistant weeds.

FATS AND OILS

Not all fats are bad for your body. Dietary fats are essential to give the body energy and to support cell growth. They help protect organs and help keep the body warm. Fats also help the body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones. Your body definitely needs fat – but not as much fat as most people eat.

I recommend using ONLY the following fats and oils: “real” butter from grass fed animals, First Cold Pressed Virgin Organic Olive Oil, organic Grapeseed Oil, high quality organic Coconut Oil, and organic Flaxseed Oil [you cannot bake or cook with this], and fats connected with organic meats. Technically, this means you can never eat out, but if you are serious about your health, you will be very careful when you do. By the way, if you really have your body in good health, you can afford to “cheat” at restaurants when you go out, though this should never be a steady diet.

Not all saturated fats are bad. While some saturated fats do raise bad cholesterol (LDL), not all of them are equally bad. Coconut oil, butters, and meat fats from grass-fed animals do NOT raise the LDL, contrary to traditional thinking. They are also much richer in the good omega-3 fatty acids than the butters and meat fats from inhumanely raised animals. Canola oil, which has been highly recommended is NOT a good choice, and the traditional folks are even beginning to realize this.

Some monounsaturated fats are better fats! They can be very healthy, and a necessary part of a balanced diet, especially those found in some raw organic nuts, organic avocados, and of course olive oil. Monounsaturated fats can lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and will not clog arteries. Our bodies need the good fats for healthy heart function, energy, brain function, cell repair and building, regulation of the hormonal system and insulation.

The ingredient "partially hydrogenated oils" means there are trans fats in the food. Partially hydrogenated oils are liquid oils that are solid at room temperature and chemically manipulated. Hydrogenated oils are typically sold as shortening and margarine. They are used in hundreds of packaged grocery products and used to increase the shelf life and stability of foods. Hydrogenating oil creates dangerous fats known as trans fats. If hydrogenated oils are present, you will most likely see partially hydrogenated oils listed on the label.

A trans fat, or a trans fatty acid, is unhealthy because it increases LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood, lowers HDL (good) cholesterol in the blood, causes heart disease or strokes, and contributes to diabetes, not to mention chemically manipulated. A 2% increase in calories from trans fats can result in a 23% increase in the risk for heart disease.

Examples of poor choices: cookies, crackers, & other prepackaged baked goods; peanut butter; conventional salad dressings; margarine

IRRADIATED FOODS

Food irradiation is a process by which food is exposed to ionizing radiation. The purpose of irradiation is to kill bacteria. It also is used to slow down natural decay and extend the shelf life of food.

Food irradiation has been shown to delay the ripening of many fruits and the sprouting of many vegetables. It can be used to sterilize packaged meats, poultry and poultry products. Food irradiation is not a natural process. And, presently, the FDA does not require labeling if foods have been irradiated.

Irradiation does not destroy all of the bacteria. Bacteria can survive the irradiation process. Irradiation gives producers the belief that they have a "safety net" at the end of the process. In turn, many feel as if they can take health shortcuts because everything will be "cleansed" during the irradiation process.

Common Irradiation Culprits: Some conventionally grown fruits, some conventionally grown vegetables, conventional aromatic herbs, conventional spices

FLOUR AND OTHER GRAINS

Bleaching flour involves using chlorine gas to artificially age flour. It whitens the flour, which gets it to the shelf faster. When chlorine gas is added to flour, it reacts with some of the proteins in the flour, which produces a by-product named alloxan.

Flour is bleached by chlorine gas. Human beings can die from inhaling chlorine gas, so of course this toxic chemical is not healthy! Flour will whiten naturally over time, but companies unnecessarily use toxic chlorine gas to whiten it quickly. It is not safe, and is less nutritious because many nutrients are lost during the whitening process.

Bromated flour is treated with potassium bromate. The potassium bromate is a maturing agent that allows for the development of gluten in dough to make the dough stronger. It also whitens the flour. Given time to age, flour will naturally whiten, and gluten levels will naturally improve.

Bleached flour is less nutritious. During the whitening process, you lose: 50% of healthy unsaturated fatty acids, most of the vitamin E, 50% of calcium, 70% of phosphorus, 80% of the iron, 90% of the magnesium, between 50-80% of B vitamins. Also, the by-product alloxan has been shown to produce diabetes in rats and mice.

Common Bleach/Bromate Culprits: conventional flour, conventional hamburger buns, cookies and baked goods

ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS

Animal by-products are anything that is not fit for human consumption. This includes animal brains, stomach, necks, feet, bones, heads, intestines or feathers. Animal by-products are used because they are considered a cheap source of protein. There are no quality standards for animal by-products.

Much of what goes into animal by-products is derived from 4-D meat sources. This means that the meat has been presented to the meat packing plant as dead, dying, diseased or disabled. Animal by-products are most commonly found in animal feed, pet food, medicinal products and cosmetics. Animal by-products have been linked to diseases in animals, including mad cow disease. By-products could lead to diseases in pets.

Common Animal By-products Culprits: Science Diet Pet Food, Purina Pet Food, Iams Pet Food, Eukanuba Pet Food

SYNTHETIC GROWTH HORMONES

Synthetic growth hormones became popular during the 20th century because it accelerated weight gain in beef cattle so that the cows could get to market faster. Synthetic growth hormones also increase milk production in dairy cows.

Most conventional beef cattle in feedlots are given growth hormones. While growth hormones are most effective when given in the ear, most ranchers give the injections into the muscle, which means that more of the hormone makes it into the food that we eat.

In dairy cows, this shortens the lifespan of the cow threefold while only increasing milk production by 10 to 15 percent. It also leads to a disease known as mastitis in the cows’ udders. Studies suggest that synthetic growth hormones could imbalance or increase the levels of natural hormones. This could lead to cancers, including breast cancer.

Common Synthetic Growth Hormone Culprits: Conventional beef, some conventional milk, some conventional dairy products

INHUMANE TREATMENT

Large and industrialized meat, poultry & dairy production utilize techniques which force animals to live in environments far removed from their natural settings. Sometimes, this means that the living conditions are unhealthy, disgusting and unsanitary.

Overcrowding, confinement and improper diets can lead to illnesses and stress, which impact not only the animal’s quality of life, but also the quality of food that the animal yields.

What is Humane Treatment? Access to pastures for cattle, room to move and exercise, reduced and/or no time on feedlots, beak trimming instead of de-beaking for poultry, clean bedding and good ventilation, small scale/stress-reduced slaughter houses. We are what we eat. So, why would we want to eat animals or animal by-products raised and killed in stressful conditions?

Common Inhumane Treatment Culprits: Conventional cattle farms, conventional chicken farms, conventional dairy farms.

ASPARTAME AND ITS DERIVATIVES

Although the article below discusses aspartame and its derivatives, it is important to understand that MSG is serious as well, and many symptoms are the same for both substances. It should be noted here that aspartame is 90% worse for you than MSG, although MSG is often more hidden. There are lists at the end of each article which show many of the products where these substances are hidden. If you do nothing more than completely remove these two substances from your diet, you would improve your health substantially.

[This article is reproduced from: William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., called "The Conscience of Modern Medicine".]

“Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink (aspartame) might cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products, and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (Aspartame) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

Aspartame is a sweetener made from two amino acids, phenylalanine and the excitotoxin Aspartame. It should be avoided at all costs. Aspartame complaints accounts for approximately 70% of ALL complaints to the FDA. It is implicated in everything from blindness to headaches to convulsions. Sold under dozens of brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients:

1. DKP (diketopiperazine) (When ingested, it converts to a near duplicate of a powerful brain tumor causing agent)
2. Formic Acid (ant venom)
3. Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
4. Methanol (causes blindness and is an extremely dangerous substance)

If you're like most people, you reach for a sugar substitute because you've been told it's good for you, that it would save you from the evils of sugar, and that it would even help you trim off those extra pounds. But, like all of us, you've been lied to.

So let me set the record straight now. Aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever added to food. Not only has aspartame been proven to make you fatter, it's been proven to cause some pretty serious diseases, not the least of which are cancer and neurological diseases.

And the proof is on file already. Aspartame has brought more complaints to the FDA than any other additive-ever. It's responsible for a full 75 percent of the complaints the agency gets. From 10,000 consumer complaints, the FDA compiled a list of 92 symptoms, including death. Did you know that it’s against the law to expose people to a drug found to induce cancer in experimental animals? (It’s called the "Delaney Clause.")

For years, doctors and scientists have scratched their heads over the "mysterious" rise in neurological diseases. But there’s no mystery about it. Hundreds of diseases can be traced back to one root cause: aspartame. Over the years, various reports have implicated aspartame in headaches, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma, and cancer. It also appears to worsen or mimic the symptoms of such conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue, and depression.

And it makes sense: A toxin like aspartame goes to many different types of cells, but it seems to have a particular liking for the cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems. That means that the damage from aspartame can show up anywhere the nerves are—which, of course, is anywhere in the body. And because it attacks your body at the cellular level, it can cause any number of diseases.

The collection of signs and symptoms will vary, but the diseases will still come back to one root cause—aspartame. Another major problem with aspartame is that it interacts with other chemical substances, including antidepressants, Coumadin, cardiac medications, hormones, insulin, vaccines, and many others. The stuff even interacts with other artificial sweeteners.

Aside from these risks, now there’s even more proof that these toxins are helping you pack on the pounds. Some recent research conducted at Purdue University shows that a group of test subjects fed artificial sweeteners subsequently consumed THREE TIMES THE CALORIES of those given ordinary sugar (not a good thing to eat, either, by the way).

That means some of the very things most mainstream doctors recommend for weight loss (diet soda, Sweet-N-low, etc.) are causing us to crave calories and binge on unhealthy carbohydrates. No wonder we’re all getting fatter! The only way to avoid it is to shop the supermarket periphery for your food—the meat and fish, dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some people argue that regular sugar is just as bad for you as sugar substitutes. And in a sense, they’re right. In time, taking in too much sugar can lead to diabetes, which will lead to heart disease, renal disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetic retinitis (blindness), diabetic peri-pheral-neuropathy, and the list goes on and on.

But again, let’s look at the big picture. What we’re talking about here is a "lesser of evils." The best possible thing you could do for your body would be to eliminate any and all sugar from your diet. If you want to live to a healthy old age (key word here being "healthy"), you should extract your sweet tooth ASAP in order to avoid the laundry list of horrors I just mentioned.

But like I said, we’re talking about a lesser of evils here, so if you have a sweet tooth that just won’t take "no" for an answer, consider using a sweetener that doesn’t contain aspartame—like Stevia.

The sweetener Stevia comes from the Stevia plant and is said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. In other words, it’s natural, and you don’t need a lot of it to sweeten up your coffee, tea, or what-have-you. Even though it works great as a sweetener, the FDA won’t allow it to be labeled as such. Instead, they insist that it be called "dietary supplement." be careful of many Stevia products, which have alcohol in them, and are not pure stevia. Beware also of the new chemical named Truvia; it is not what the manufacturers will tell you; it is a chemical version of Stevia and not at all healthy.

People who simply choose to avoid ingestion of toxic amino acids, need to know that there are two other neuro-toxic amino acids commonly used in food: aspartic acid and L-cysteine. Aspartic acid is found in the sugar substitutes called "neotame" and "aspartame." Aspartame is found in "NutraSweet" and "Equal." L-cysteine is most often found as a dough conditioner.”

Common Examples of Aspartame: Diet soft drinks, sugar free gums, sugar free Kool Aid, crystal light, childrens' medications, thousands of other products claiming to be: "low calorie", "diet'", "sugar free".

For more information on MSG, see:
Blaylock, Russell L., M.D. Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, Health Press, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 1994.
Schwartz, George R., M.D. and Schwartz, Kathleen A. In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex, Health Press, Santa Fe, NM 87504.

MSG AND ITS DERIVATIVES

“Kombu, a seaweed, was first used in Japan as a flavor enhancer without understanding that glutamic acid was its flavor-enhancing component. In 1908, a doctor, Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo, Japan, isolated the main ingredient MSG, or monosodium glutamate, and started what has become a million-dollar industry.

He noticed that glutamic acid had flavor-enhancing potential. MSG does not affect food; instead it tricks your brain into thinking the food which you are eating tastes good. MSG is not a preservative and does not protect food from contamination or spoilage.

Manufacturers can use inferior ingredients, and by adding MSG, can mask the inferior quality and freshness of foods. It is used to disguise the tinny taste of canned products and to give a fresh taste to frozen or freeze-dried foods. Food companies are able to make their ingredients go much further with the help of this flavor enhancer, thus cutting their production costs. Inferior products and higher profits prevail at the expense of consumer health.

Why is MSG such a concern? What if someone were to tell you that this chemical (MSG), when added to food, could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could affect how your children's nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties? What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink might cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products, and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (Aspartame) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

And finally, what if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could possibly aggravate or even precipitate many of today's epidemic neuro-degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and Alzheimer's disease? Would you be concerned if you knew that these excitotoxin food additives are a particular risk if you have diabetes, or if you have ever had a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, seizure, or have suffered from hypertension, meningitis, or viral encephalitis?

Would you also be upset to learn that many of the brain lesions caused by these products are irreversible and can result from a SINGLE exposure of these products in sufficient concentration? How would you feel when you learn the food industry hides and disguises these excitotoxin additives (MSG and Aspartame) so they can't be recognized? Incredulous? The fact is, many foods are labeled as having "No MSG", but in fact, not only contain MSG, but also are laced with other excitotoxins of equal potency and danger.

According to the manufacturer, Varivax-Merck chicken pox vaccine (Varicella Virus Live), contains L-monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed gelatin, both of which contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG), which causes brain lesions in young laboratory animals, and causes endocrine disturbances like obesity and reproductive disorders later in life. It would appear that most, if not all, live virus vaccines contain some ingredient that contains MSG.

Reactions to MSG are dose related, i.e., some people react to even very small amounts. MSG-induced reactions may occur immediately after ingestion or after as much as 48 hours. The time lapse is typically the same for any one individual.

While some people can use MSG with unnoticed adverse effects, many others have severe reactions to it, some of them life-threatening. MSG has been linked to asthma, headaches, and heart irregularities. Behavioral and physical problems of children, such as incontinence and seizures, as well as attention deficit disorder (ADD), have been diagnosed and successfully treated as MSG disorders.

Why do some people experience a reaction after ingesting MSG? MSG works like a drug, altering taste buds’ sensitivity. While all people do not seem to notice a reaction to the current dose levels found in our food supply, about 30 percent of the population does respond seriously. As higher and higher doses of MSG are added to foods, more and more people are experiencing reactions. Current levels added to food are fifty times higher than amounts used forty years ago, and the quantity continues to grow every year.

What kinds of reactions can MSG cause in people? Reported reactions to MSG include: headaches, migraines, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks, heart palpitations, partial paralysis, "heart-attack like symptoms," balance difficulties, mental confusion, mood swings, behavioral disorders (especially in children and teens), allergy-type symptoms, skin rashes, runny nose, bags under the eyes, flushing, mouth lesions, depression, and more.

In addition, medical research has demonstrated glutamate relationships in Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), diabetes, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.

NOTE: Scientists used to feel that infants were the group most at risk from MSG. Now, however, researchers have found a relationship between MSG and some of the dreaded neuro-degenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinsonism, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, which all affect the elderly.

While MSG in its pure form must be labeled, food manufacturers are aware that consumers have become savvy to the term, "monosodium glutamate," and are now adding enormous amounts to our foods under devious and difficult-to-identify names—with the Food and Drug Administration’s approval.

The not so new game is to label hydrolyzed proteins as pea protein, whey protein, corn protein, etc. If a pea, for example, were whole, it would be identified as a pea. Calling an ingredient pea protein indicates that the pea has been hydrolyzed, at least in part, and that processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is present.

Those wishing to eliminate MSG from their diets are faced with an almost impossible task. Food preparers are often unaware that they're even using MSG. Labels can be misleading. A label that says "No MSG added" doesn't necessarily mean that the food is free of MSG, it simply means that the manufacturer didn't put in additional MSG. MSG goes under many aliases, one of the most common being "hydrolyzed vegetable protein," an additive used to increase the protein content of a wide variety of foods.

MSG is now the most widely used flavor enhancer in the world. MSG and MSG-containing substances are used in almost all processed foods and of course, in fast foods. They're also found in nearly all canned and frozen foods. Don’t be fooled by labels which read "organic"; those, too, can have MSG and/or MSG-containing substances. If it comes in a box, a bottle, a jar, a can, a package of any kind, it most likely contains one of these substances.

Manufacturers also hide MSG as part of "natural flavorings," because it is a natural product. But being natural is not the same as being harmless. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins Aspartame and L-cysteine are frequently added to foods and, according to FDA rules, require no labeling at all. Remember: By FDA definition, all MSG is "naturally occurring." "Natural" doesn't mean "safe." "Natural" only means that the ingredient started out in nature.

When added to another ingredient (frequently the case with carrageenan, for instance), the FDA does not require that MSG be listed as such on a label. Food labels are arranged in descending order of ingredient concentrations. The earlier an ingredient below appears on a label, the higher the likelihood that the food contains MSG.

MSG can be used (and hidden) in processed food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, personal care products, and drugs. It can be used in waxes applied to fresh fruits and vegetables. It can be used as ingredients in pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and plant growth enhancers – remaining in the edible portion of the plant or on the edible portion of the plant when its leaves, fruits, nuts, grains, and other edible parts are brought to market.

MSG is shorthand for processed free glutamic acid, i.e., glutamic acid that has been manufactured or freed from protein through processing or bacterial fermentation. It is a toxic substance. It can be used without disclosure.

To understand how MSG can easily be hidden, you must first understand that there are two very distinct ways of manufacturing MSG. The first is through manufacture of a product called "monosodium glutamate." There are a number of ways in which this can be achieved, but the end result will always be a product that contains glutamic acid (glutamate), sodium (salt), moisture, and a number of contaminants. It is important to understand that in "monosodium glutamate," glutamic acid will be the only amino acid present. If there were other amino acids present while the "monosodium glutamate" was being manufactured, they would have been cleaned out.

When any product contains 79% free glutamic acid (with the balance being made up of salt, moisture, and up to 1 per cent contaminants), the product is called "monosodium glutamate" by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must be labeled as such. FDA regulations require that all food ingredients be called by their "common or usual names," and "monosodium glutamate" is the "common or usual name" of the ingredient that contains 79% free glutamic acid (with the balance being made up of salt, moisture, and up to 1 per cent contaminants).

The second way of producing MSG is through breakdown of protein, i.e., processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is created when protein is either partially or fully broken apart into its constituent amino acids. A protein can be broken into its constituent amino acids in a number of ways (autolysis, hydrolysis, enzymolysis, and/or fermentation). When a protein is subject to autolysis, hydrolysis, enzymolysis, and/or fermentation, the amino acid chains in the protein are broken, and the amino acids are freed. Acids, enzymes, and/or fermentation processes may be used to create MSG in this way.

There are over 40 food ingredients besides "monosodium glutamate" that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Each, according to the FDA, must be called by its own, unique, "common or usual name." "Autolyzed yeast," "maltodextrin," "sodium caseinate," and "soy sauce" are the common or usual names of some ingredients that contain MSG. Unlike the ingredient called "monosodium glutamate," they give the consumer no clue that there is MSG in the ingredient. The Truth in Labeling Campaign has asked the FDA to require manufacturers to identify ingredients that contain MSG by listing MSG on a product's label. In response, we have been told that FDA regulations require that all food ingredients be called by their "common or usual names," but there is no requirement that a constituent of an ingredient be identified.

Processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is considered to be a constituent of a hydrolyzed protein or fermentation product because the MSG is created during the hydrolyzation or fermentation process. To autolyze yeast, for example, yeast is subject to processing; and during that processing, protein is broken down, and glutamic acid is freed. The finished autolyzed yeast product will, therefore, always contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG) as a constituent of the autolyzed yeast. The MSG will not have been poured into the autolyzed yeast. Rather, the MSG will have been processed into the autolyzed yeast.

The distinction between having MSG poured into an ingredient and processed into an ingredient is important because the glutamate industry plays on this distinction in their efforts to hide the presence of MSG. One of their favorite ways of hiding MSG is to claim that there is "no added MSG" in a product. If MSG is processed into a product instead of being poured into a product, they declare that there is "no MSG added" or "no added MSG," in the product, even though they know full well that the product contains MSG.

That the FDA allows these distinctions to be made; that the FDA refuses to monitor those who make false claims about the presence of MSG in a product; that the FDA refers consumers who are concerned about the toxic effects of MSG to agents of the glutamate industry such as The Glutamate Association; and that the FDA refuses to require that MSG in a product be disclosed, testifies to the close ties between the FDA, Ajinomoto, Co., Inc., and the rest of the glutamate industry. It is true that the FDA does not require that the constituents of ingredients be identified. But there is nothing in FDA regulations to prevent constituents of ingredients from being identified. And there is precedent for identifying constituents of ingredients, such as cholesterol.

Although glutamic acid had been isolated in 1866 by the German chemist Karl Ritthausen, it was not until well into the 1900's that food technologists began to break various protein products into individual amino acids and used the processed free glutamic acid (MSG) as a flavor-enhancer. Today, some of those hydrolyzed protein and fermentation products are designed to replace "monosodium glutamate" as a flavor enhancer, because manufacturers know that consumers are looking for products without MSG in them, and that consumers may well not realize that products such as "yeast extract," "autolyzed yeast," and "soy sauce" are nothing more than flavor enhancers that invariably contain MSG.

The flavor enhancer known as "monosodium glutamate" was first brought to the United States in quantity in the late 1940's. Today, processed free glutamic acid (MSG), the toxic ingredient in the food ingredient called "monosodium glutamate," and a toxic ingredient in hydrolyzed protein, enzyme modified, and fermentation products, is found in most processed food. In 1997, MSG was introduced in a plant "growth enhancer" (AuxiGro) to be applied to the soil or sprayed on growing crops. Today, we know of no crop that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to approve for treatment with AuxiGro. People first reported MSG reactions following ingestion of lettuce, strawberries, and giant russet potatoes in 1997 -- people who didn't know at the time that those crops might have been sprayed with a product that contained MSG.

The glutamate industry is adamantly opposed to letting consumers know where MSG is hidden. Why? Because the glutamate industry understands that MSG is a toxic substance: that it causes adverse reactions, brain lesions, endocrine disorders and more. And the glutamate industry must understand, as we do, that if MSG in food, drugs, and cosmetics were disclosed on product labels, people who reacted to those products might realize that it was MSG they were reacting to, and might, therefore, refrain from buying products that contain MSG.

MSG does not affect food; instead it tricks your brain into thinking the food which you are eating tastes good. MSG is not a preservative and does not protect food from contamination or spoilage.

Manufacturers can use inferior ingredients, and by adding MSG, can mask the inferior quality and freshness of foods. It is used to disguise the tinny taste of canned products and to give a fresh taste to frozen or freeze-dried foods. Food companies are able to make their ingredients go much further with the help of this flavor enhancer, thus cutting their production costs. Inferior products and higher profits prevail at the expense of consumer health.

MSG is hidden in ingredients used in processed food. English names of ingredients known to contain and/or produce MSG during manufacture are listed on the following Web page:

Names of ingredients known to contain or create MSG during manufacture E-numbers are numerical designations which have been developed within the European Community (EC) for declaration of foodstuff additives. The list does not include all ingredients that contain MSG. MSG is being sprayed on growing fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables; not all, just some. And, yes, there have been reports of MSG reactions to produce.

MSG can be hidden: In Wine -- Sprayed on wine grapes, including California wine grapes; In food with labels that say "No Added MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No MSG"; In food that is falsely advertised as containing no MSG; In food whose manufacturers claim, in response to questions, that their products contain no MSG; MSG can be hidden by restaurateurs who claim that the food they serve contains no MSG.

A Final Note...

DR. Blaylock, an expert on the subject of MSG, recounted a meeting with a senior executive in the food additive industry who told him point blank that these excitotoxins are going to be in our food no matter how many name changes are necessary... “

Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Please be certain to check the complete list given elsewhere:

Additives that always contain MSG:
Autolyzed Yeast
Calcium Caseinate
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Monosodium Glutamate
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Textured Protein
Yeast Extract

Terms that frequently indicate hidden MSG additives:
Malt extract
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavoring
Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

Additives that may contain MSG or excitotoxins:
Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate
Protease enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.

Each of you is such a beautiful
and unique individual
with such awesome potential!
Welcome to the possibilities of Love and Peace and Joy!

Each of you is such a beautiful and unique individual with such awesome potential! Welcome to the possibilities of Love and Peace and Joy!