The Whiter the Rice, the Closer to Christ

There are some long held food traditions in my family. One of our most sacred (or economically viable) traditions is white rice. Seems simple enough, right? I remember while growing up virtually every meal consisted of this white, fluffy (if we were lucky) grain. The rice, along with sweet peas or pork n' beans most nights, was consumed gratefully or begrudgingly without much thought right up to a few years ago. But the times, they are a changin' and we must fully consider everything we consume especially our bleached or enriched meal traditions.
Let's begin with white rice. White rice is made by stripping away the brown outer layers of the rice. These "layers" contain the bran (fiber) and most every other type of nutrient that can be found in the rice. Manufacturers then add powdered vitamins and minerals back onto the rice to enrich it. Most of the vitamins and minerals added by the manufacturers are synthetics making them unusable by the body and thus void of almost every nutrient it is supposed to be enriched with. Another thing to consider is that rice is a starch and therefore a carbohydrate. It's the bran (fiber) in brown rice that slows the absorption of the carbohydrates which is very important. White rice is virtually void of all fiber which allows for the rapid absorption of the carbohydrates which spikes the blood the sugar and puts undo stress on the pancreas as it works feverishly to crank out enough insulin to handle the excess sugar load. 1/2 cup of brown rice contains 1.6 grams of fiber or 53 times more fiber than white rice which contains about .03 grams of fiber. White rice puts the body under stress and is a diabetic nightmare.

The Whiter the Bread, the Faster You're Dead

These titles are more than catchy tongue-in-cheek phrases. They may be fun but they depict a level of accuracy that isn't very laughable. White bread is derived principally from flour that has been bleached (please pay attention to the word "bleached") and/or enriched. The excessive milling and bleaching of the flour removes its germ and bran (fiber). This renders the wheat void of nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, essential fatty acids, fiber, and zinc. Some of these nutrients are replaced with powdered versions that are synthetic and unrecognizable by the body which could lead to an immune response because the body sees the fake nutrients as foreign bodies or pathogens and attacks it. Also, like rice, since the fiber is stripped away the carbohydrates are quickly absorbed elevating the blood sugar rapidly which causes stress on the body through increased insulin production. The poor pancreas ends up pulling double shifts especially if you consider many people consume white bread and white rice with the same meal.

There is one other thing to consider: The bleaching process. How do you bleach white laundry? Do you use chlorine bleach? Perhaps you go old school and add a little peroxide. The makers of white bread like the way you think! To make flour white it has to be bleached and there are three main ways to do it. The are Potassium Bromate also known as Potassium Salt or Bromic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide and Chlorine Dioxide.

Potassium Bromate is fatal if swallowed, causes kidney damage, is considered an inhalation hazard and is readily absorbed through the skin.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a known irritant in large quantities. Benzoyl Peroxide is also used as an antiseptic but consumption outside of a clinical setting or counsel is not advised.

Chlorine Dioxide is used as a pesticide and as a strong disinfectant. Consumption or exposure can be hazardous.

What to Do?

Consuming white rice and white bread is nothing more than a stomach filling exercise that spikes blood sugar. Void of almost all nutrition and potentially laced with chemicals these modern marvels leave our bodies desiring proper nutrition and a nap once the blood sugar levels crash. Please be considerate when makers of white bread and white rice products make nutrition claims keeping in mind the heavy use of synthetics. Also beware of "brown breads". Just because they are brown and appear to made from whole wheat does not necessarily make it so. Be sure to read the labels. Some brown breads have been bleached and had caramel or some other coloring agent added to it to make it appear brown and wholesome. Try to consume minimally processed brown rice and bread that is unbleached and whole (i.e. whole grain, whole meal flour, etc). We need proper nutrition to not just survive but to thrive and live life to the fullest without the negative side effects of eating foods that are void of nutrients and robbing us of our lives. Just food for thought.

What's in Your Shampoo?

The twentieth century brought us many industrial wonders. Things like the automobile (and along with it the assembly line), microwave ovens and even the Internet. In the process we have super sized, super valued and super built just about everything. Furthermore, when you have super stuff you need super cleaners and super lubricants.

Industrial machinery and our mechanized society require (?) chemicals of an industrial nature like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Propylene Glycol (PG), and Diethanolamine (DEA). So let us take a brief moment to look at these various chemicals and don't worry, I am going somewhere with this.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate was initially developed as a detergent gaining in popularity as a garage floor cleaner. It is characterized as a harsh detergent which is entirely believable since garage floors can get a tad bit dirty. Its ability to break down oils made it ideal for this type of clean up duty. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate can incarnate in different products as Sodium Laureth Sulphate as well which in some ways could be a lot worse considering the process to turn a Lauryl into a Laureth may produce 1,4 Dioxane, a known cancer causing substance and an ingredient in Vietnam era Agent Orange. In other words it's bad stuff!

Propylene Glycol started out as one of the ingredients that could be found in anti-freeze, brake fluid, paint, and airplane de-iceing fluids. To this very day it is still used as such. Propylene Glycol is an alcohol primarily used for its solvent properties.

Diethanolamine (DEA) is used as an industrial solvent, emulsifier, and detergent. It is used as wall and floor cleaners among other things.

Now here's the rub (literally): Everyone of the aforementioned chemicals can be found in most shampoos. It's a curious matter when you consider that each one of these chemicals is known to cause health issues in humans and animals as well.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has been shown to hinder proper eye development in children, cause cataracts in adults and impedes healing in all beings (See summary report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc.). SLS is easily absorbed and stored in the body making it a cumulative toxin. Do you remember how SLS breaks down oil on garage floors? It interferes with the biology of the skin primarily through breaking down the oil in skin leading to stripping and over-drying. What is even more incredible is that SLS is commonly used as a skin irritant in clinical testing to see if other products can alleviate the irritation!

The American Academy of Dermatologist published a report back in 1991 establishing Propylene Glycol as a primary skin irritant even at low levels (5% concentration). Unfortunately, PG is usually a top three ingredient in most products it is used in which means it is at least 20% of the product making it at 20% concentration. Judy Vance, author of "Beauty To Die For" stated that in order to sell PG you would have to furnish the buyer with a material data safety sheet (MSDS). Ironically a warning clearly listed on the MSDS states "If on skin: Thoroughly wash with soap and water".

The US DOT regulates the transport of every version of Diethanolamine (DEA). Why, do you ask? Well, the US DOT lists DEA as an environmentally hazardous substance and an immediate health hazard as described as being the only hazardous ingredient in a product called Monamine (CD -100-CAS 68814-92-6). When combined with nitrates it is known to chemically form nitrosamines - a carcinogen (that which causes cancer). Even without nitrates newer studies are showing a carcinogenic effect in addition to mucous membrane and skin irritation.

Yes we undoubtedly live in an industrial age but we do not have industrial bodies. If a chemical was designed to strip a floor please know and understand that it will strip your skin and disrupt your inner and outer biology. I got curious the day I typed this blog and took a look at the ingredients in Wish Bone Ranch Dressing and was amazed that among some of the other questionable ingredients was listed Propylene Glycol! Would you like a little antifreeze with your salad or wings? So the question remains: What's in YOUR shampoo (or deodorant, toothpaste, or any number of personal care/hygiene products and even food)?

Post Script: Most sources were directly referenced within the post. In addition to those another source with great information is a book called Health Wars by Phillip Day.

The Addictive Nature of Artificial Sweeteners

The topic of addiction was lightly touched on in a previous post but this topic deserves a few more words. The very real and destructive nature of aspartame and it's fellow artificial brethren is only exacerbated by its addictive nature. Research conducted by Dr. H.J. Roberts while a practicing physician at St. Mary's Hospital and The Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fl. reveals a disturbing fact: Aspartame consumption can lead to addiction.

Dr. Roberts' research found that approximately 6% of his aspartame study group exhibited signs a clinical addiction. These persons found it near impossible or difficult to discontinue use of aspartame due to severe withdrawals. These withdrawal symptoms would include severe irritability, tension, depression, tremors, nausea, sweating, etc. These symptoms were described as being prolonged and sometimes violent. Some people have described the withdrawals as worse than ones experienced when trying to avoid alcohol. In most every case the symptoms went away almost immediately upon resuming consumption of aspartame.

The main mechanism that facilitates addiction as it relates to aspartame has to do with the methanol found in it. For people with addictive personalities the consumption of methanol is simply devastating but aspartame's addictive nature potentially extends to anyone who consumes it.

There are plenty of articles and research to be had on the topic of addiction to aspartame and other artificial sweeteners that can shed more extensive light on the subject. However, for the time being it would be best to think of aspartame as toxic waste that bloats (fatten) the body, increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and addicts the brain to keep you coming back for more even if you don't want to. Whats worst is that all of these things have been well known since before final FDA approval of aspartame and saccharin. If you consume aspartame or any other artificial sweetener in any way (and chances are you do unless you read labels) then by all means free yourself from the millstone around your neck lest you perish in the aspartame sea.