Ghostly Gluten – You May Think You Know, But We Bet You Don’t

By Mila McManus, MD and Nancy Mehlert, MS

Gluten can seem like a ghost. We may not be familiar with all the sources, but most of us have heard the word by now. You can’t see it like you can see a bottle of Coca Cola or a candy bar. It hides in other consumables. So it does seem rather mysterious and ghost-like, and thus makes a good topic for October and all things spooky. As we care for ourselves and our families, understanding all we can about gluten is a critical part of making efforts to better health. Let’s try to clear up the mysteries.

Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS says in his book Why Isn’t My Brain Working? (2013): “No single dietary protein is a more potent trigger of neurological dysfunction and neurological autoimmunity than gluten, the protein found in wheat. We’re seeing dramatic increases in the number of people sensitive to gluten in the United States. Research shows gluten sensitivity has risen sharply in the last 50 years.”[i]

Gluten is made up of a sticky portion called glutenin and a protein called gliadin. One does not exist without the other and gliadin itself has three more fractions called alpha, omega and gamma. Wheat is the primary source of gluten, though there are other grains that also have gluten including barley, rye, spelt, kamut and oats (unless the oats are properly processed by a certified gluten free method).

The gluten in ancient wheat of a century ago was very different. It was nature’s real food. Today, gluten, and more specifically wheat, has been significantly hybridized, meaning the seed has been altered many times over the years to create a new, man-made wheat, if you will, that appears to trigger immune reactions. In other words, it is not natural or understood by the human body as a real, nature made food. In addition to this fake wheat, it has also been further altered through a process called deamidation. The food industry deamidates wheat using acids and enzymes to make wheat water soluble so that it mixes more easily with other foods. And let’s not forget about all the pesticides sprayed on the wheat crops and the chemcials used during the harvesting process! A study published in the European Journal of Inflammation concluded this new compound may be the major cause of hidden inflammatory responses to foods[ii]. These things make wheat a fake, man-made substance that perhaps should not be honored with the name “food”.

Gluten is pervasive in processed foods and products and can be truly hidden under unsuspecting names, often not listed at all, yet very easily present. This makes a gluten allergy or sensitivity extremely difficult to navigate, especially in the world of packaged, manufactured and restaurant food. Few realize that modified food starch, food emulsifiers, food stabilizers, artificial food coloring, malt extracts, and dextrins often have gluten in them. Even some clarifying agents used in red wine can have gluten. Equally unsuspecting sources of gluten include many deli meats, instant coffee, some ketchups and mustards, beer, soy sauce, imitation crab meat and even your shampoo and prescription medications!

Equally frustrating is that the immune system often does not make good distinction between gluten and other similar proteins and, as a result, attacks not only gluten, but other proteins recognized to be the same. Foods that fall into this area include milk proteins, corn, all oats including certified gluten free oats, yeast, millet, and rice. The immune system can also confuse nervous tissues with gluten and attack the nervous system, resulting in neurologic symptoms or an autoimmune disease such as Multiple Sclerosis. In addition, when the immune system attacks gluten, this attack can break down the blood-brain barrier (the thin lining that protects the brain) and lead to what is called a leaky brain. This is much like the Leaky Gut Syndrome of the gastrointestinal system.

You can see how important it is to understand that gluten and wheat have a very broad impact on health, not only in the intestines, but the central nervous system and skin. Despite extensive research, many physicians do not understand Celiac disease, much less gluten sensitivity. Most physicians who do have knowledge of it relate it only to intestinal damage and gut issues, ignoring the potentially dramatic impacts on the central nervous system. According to Dr. Kharrazian, the average neurologist has no idea gluten can impact every part of the nervous system from the brain, the spinal cord, and peripheral nerves that extend into the arms and feet, causing any number of neurologic symptoms and diseases. It also can directly affect our skin, being an underlying cause of such conditions as Rosacea, acne, or keratosis pilaris. And sadly, the criteria and testing for diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are outdated, unreliable, and incomplete. The best test is to radically remove it from the diet and see the results.

Gluten sensitivity has been shown to be a significant trigger in a broad host of health conditions including psychiatric and behavioral disorders, autoimmune diseases, hearing loss and restless leg syndrome. Virtually every part of the nervous system that has been researched has shown gluten to be a clear trigger for diseases of the central nervous system.[iii] If you do not have your health, or if you have an autoimmune disease of any kind, feel that your brain is not functioning optimally, have digestive, neurological, or skin issues or a combination of any of these, you owe it to yourself to learn more about gluten, how to avoid it and eliminate it from your diet. (Tests are also available). Here at TWIHW we are well prepared to help you with dietary advice, useful supplements and healing protocols. Call 281-298-6742 for help today!

[i] Page 158

[ii] Vojdani A, O’Bryan T, Kellermann GH. The immunology of immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reaction to gluten. European J of Inflammation. 2008;6(1):1-10.

[iii] Kharrazian,D. Why Isn’t My Brain Working?, Carlsbad, CA.,Elephant Press. 2013. Page 134.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-10-31T14:47:38-06:00October 7th, 2017|Articles, General|

Skinflammation

By Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert, MS

skinflammation

The skin is the body’s largest organ. It helps to regulate temperature and serves as the first line of defense against infection. It is an organ with the capacity to both absorb and eliminate substances.

The skin is also an outward manifestation and communication of what is going on inside the body. Healthy skin is reflective of a healthy internal body and ideally it should be clear and glowing. Any skin condition, such as oily or dry skin, blemishes, discoloration, eczema, psoriasis, acne, hives, rashes, itchiness, and premature aging are all signs that there’s something internally in the body that’s out of balance. These are not normal and should not be written off as “aging” or “normal for me”. Suppressing your skin problem with topical antibiotics and steroids, for example, is a disservice to your body because the underlying causes have not been addressed. Also, remember that the skin is a detoxification pathway and the body is, in many cases, trying to eliminate something through the skin. Stopping that process topically may prevent the body from detoxifying successfully.

When skin issues lead us to searching for the internal issues, in almost every case, it leads us to internal inflammation. This can come from many sources and, for some individuals, it may be the result of several factors. The most common are:

• Nutrient deficiencies
• Diet high in processed foods
• Hormone Imbalances
• Poor gut health with pathogenic microbial overgrowth
• Toxicity from heavy metals and chemicals
• Food sensitivities and allergies
• Compromised immune function such as autoimmune disease
• Viral, bacterial or parasitic infestation

Addressing these internal issues, along with improving liver detoxification pathways and doing so every day, in the lifestyle choices that you make, can result in healing that becomes evident in the skin too. An integrated, holistic approach addressing each of these areas is the optimal way to achieve healing of “skinflammation”.
Important nutrients for healthy skin include Vitamin A, Zinc, Vitamin C, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Biotin, Selenium, Silica, Niacin, Vitamin K2, Sulfur, Vitamin E and Pantothenic Acid. Each of these are essential for radiant skin health.

Because nutrition plays such a significant part of achieving and maintaining healthy skin, diet is one of the first items to address when healing skin problems. From this perspective, the most likely culprits that contribute to skin issues are sugar, dairy, gluten, corn and eggs. Anyone trying to identify sources of inflammation both inside and out would do well to abstain from these foods to see if improvement or healing is achieved. It is equally important to consider other possible food sensitivities through elimination or testing (e.g., IgE via skin and/or blood tests, IgG via bloodspot, ALCAT). Foods that support healthy skin and are anti-inflammatory in nature include avocados, wild salmon, bone broth and antioxidant-rich greens and other colorful vegetables and fruits. Click here for a real bone broth recipe or contact us for resources for buying quality, properly prepared bone broth.

It is a common misconception that skin care products are harmless and don’t penetrate the skin. In America, the FDA has only banned 11 ingredients in skin care products while Europe has banned over 1000 ingredients. The FDA leaves it up to skin care manufacturers to disclose and consider whether an ingredient is safe. What research clearly shows is that many of these ingredients are toxic, hormone-disrupting and/or are carcinogens. It is not safe to assume that a product is safe simply because it’s on the store shelf. You may find it helpful to use the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” guide for cosmetics (www.ewg.org) We carry one of the cleanest skin care lines (AnnMarie) available today in our office so be sure to come by and check it out.

Finally, supporting the liver and detoxification pathways is also critical for supporting an anti-inflammatory environment in the body and on our skin. There are many such protocols including supplemental and dietary detoxification as well as infrared sauna, salt therapy, and ONDAMED. Often the body is not effective at eliminating toxins and the body needs support to promote drainage so that detoxification can occur. Simple strategies such as lemon water, green juicing, proteolytic enzymes, deep breathing, and dry brushing can help to stimulate improved drainage and detoxification.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-09-09T08:34:40-06:00September 9th, 2017|Articles, General|

The “Need to Know” about Coffee and Tea

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

Edited by Mila McManus MD

Over the last decade, there have been many meta-analyses and other studies supporting the benefits of, and possible links between, coffee and tea reducing risk for chronic diseases. As recent as 2015, even the Dietary Guidelines for Americans added coffee and tea as a recommended beverage that could be safely consumed daily without detrimental effects. That came from research pointing to both coffee and tea as demonstrating anti-cancer effects, as well as protective qualities for the heart, brain, and liver. Research also has shown an association with lower risk for many other diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and overall mortality.

At the 230^th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, researchers stated findings that suggest Americans get more antioxidants from drinking coffee than from any other dietary source and emphasized that “nothing else even comes close”. ¹ Well I guess that just proves two things – lots of us enjoy our coffee and tea, and perhaps many of us are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. That said, if you truly want the health benefits associated with drinking coffee and tea, and it is a daily practice for you, then here are some things you need to know to reap the benefits:

Quality is essential! Both should be organic. Coffee is one of the most heavily pesticided crops in the world. It would also help if you seek sustainably shade-grown coffee to protect tropical rain forests and bird habitats. The green tea plant roots are especially receptive to absorbing lead, fluoride, and other toxins in the soil, so it’s important that tea be grown away from excessive industrial pollution (like China where 90% of the world’s green tea is produced!). Instead, it should be grown in a pristine environment, preferably using an organic, sustainable method. Whole leaf Matcha green tea is recommended to be obtained from Japan rather than China.
Buy whole bean coffee. Coffee, once ground, becomes rancid very, very rapidly. Thus, the vast majority of the coffee for sale in the marketplace that is already ground is rancid. You will get the caffeine, but none of the other health benefits of the coffee. Coffee should have a pleasant aroma. If not, it is likely rancid. Buy whole bean and grind it as you use it.
Look for dark roast to get the health benefits. The darker the pigment the greater the health benefits. Look for French Roast, espresso or Turkish coffee for maximum benefit.
Check out your filters. If you use paper filters, be sure they are non-bleached papers. Pure white filters have been chlorine bleached and usually also contain disinfection by-products such as dioxin. This makes your daily cup of joe a very counterproductive toxic drink!
Skip the milk and sugar! One of the benefits of coffee and tea come from a group of compounds called There is good evidence that dairy creamers interfere with the absorption of these compounds in the body. Also, sugar will contribute to insulin resistance which is at the heart of most chronic disease. Check out www.coconutoilcreations.com . Our office tried the Mocha and the Pumpkin Spice and all agreed it was latte style as good as your favorite coffee shop. If a sweetener is needed then stick with a natural option such as stevia, erythritol, xylitol or lo han/monkfruit.
One caution: While it does appear that coffee and tea in moderation can be beneficial, there can be adverse effects, especially if you are consuming excessive quantities. If you are already generally healthy, consuming moderate amounts are fine and even good for your health. If you are chronically fatigued, have anxiety or high blood pressure, caffeine can negatively impact hormone balance, neurotransmitter function and nerve signaling, and, therefore, it would be best to limit or avoid the caffeine associated with coffee and tea.

¹Eurek Alert August 28, 2014

By Mila McManus MD|2017-08-26T09:31:50-06:00August 26th, 2017|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Dietary Adjustments for Pain Relief

By Nancy Mehlert MS

Edited by Mila McManus MD

It’s very common that headaches, joint and muscle pain can be caused from the foods we are eating. Therefore, it is well worth the effort to practice some food elimination tests to find out if you are reacting to foods. Usually the pain response is reflective of inflammation and/or a food allergy. When we trigger elevated insulin levels from the foods we eat, we are also stimulating inflammatory prostaglandin production, leading to inflammation and pain.

Here are the key adjustments to make in your diet if you want to relieve chronic pain as well as provide the healthiest environment for wellness:

What to eliminate or dramatically reduce:

Sugar, in all forms. Sources include fructose from fruit, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut sugar, corn syrup, dextrose and maltodextrin. Check out any ingredient list such as food bars, protein powders, every bottled or canned beverage, portions of fruit, condiments such as BBQ sauces, salad dressings and ketchup, wine, alcoholic beverages and even uncured meats. Look closely, as you may be surprised at what you find. And think in terms of cumulative amount and effect. Sugar is sneaky.
Grains, and most commonly wheat and other gluten/gliadin containing grain,s as well rice and corn are fast digesting carbohydrates which convert mostly to glucose, thus elevating blood sugar and insulin levels which stimulate inflammatory pathways. Hence, pain.
Processed foods – sugar, grains, chemicals, damaged fats are all inflammatory contributors to pain and bad for us in a myriad of ways. Migrate to, and stick with, a whole food diet.

What to Eat

Be sure to eat plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids including Pacific wild salmon, anchovies, and sardines as well as fresh ground flax, hemp seed, chia seed, and grass fed butter or ghee. There is also an oil found in fish and dairy butter (grass fed butter or ghee is optimal) called CMO, which stands for Cetyl Myristoleate. It acts as a “joint lubricant” and has anti-inflammatory effects as well.
Include fresh herbs and spices. Curcumin/turmeric, ginger and many peppers have anti-inflammatory effects.
Include plenty of fresh vegetables
Consider collagen sources in bone broth, protein powders and as supplements which can support joint and gut health to reduce inflammation and pain. We carry protein powders in vanilla and chocolate flavors with beef collagen in them and can also recommend how to make or buy high quality bone broth.

References:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/12/13/6-chronic-pain-triggers.aspx

By Mila McManus MD|2017-08-05T13:24:13-06:00August 5th, 2017|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Bone Breakers and Bone Builders

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

Bone Breakers – Here are foods that suck the life and strength from your bones.

Sugar – When cellular glucose (sugar) levels rise too high from consuming sugar, the body cannot completely process it, resulting in the formation of acids which over-acidify the body. The body reacts by pulling calcium and magnesium from the bones and tissues to buffer acidic blood. In this way, we deplete our stores of calcium and magnesium. Calcium is the most prevalent mineral in the body and magnesium is required for hundreds of chemical reactions in the body.
Phosphoric Acid – Used to add tangy flavor and prevent mold in otherwise sugary substances, phosphoric acid is found in large quantity in soft drinks and is also added to bottled and canned iced teas, bottled and canned coffee beverages, breakfast cereal bars, non-diary creamers and enhanced chicken and meat products. Increased phosphorus in the body decreases calcium levels. Research has pointed heavily to destruction of bone health from overconsumption of soft drinks. Also, as the name suggests, it is acidic to the human body, so again, see the section above about sugar and the problem with acidity.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Really? You ask. While there are some benefits of apple cider vinegar, sometimes more is not better! According to Dr. Mercola¹, long-term and excessive use of this highly acidic substance could potentially cause low potassium levels and lower bone density. Because it is acidic, it can also impact your tooth enamel as well as tissues in the mouth and throat.
Imbalanced Diet – Optimal body functioning occurs in an alkaline state and this is created by many of the Bone Building Foods listed below. If you tend to consume a great deal of meat, dairy, processed grains of all kinds, sugary and processed foods and beverages which contain processed salt and sugar, it’s not likely you could consume enough alkalizing vegetables and fruits, herbs and clean water to offset the damage and inflammation created by the consequent acidity of such a diet. It’s interesting that the Standard American Diet has traditionally recommended 5+ servings of grains per day (which in our country are almost all highly processed into breads, cereals, crackers, snack food), 3+ servings of dairy per day, an emphasis on meat that is grain fed and antibiotic/hormone laden and little to no restriction on sugar. Hence, lifestyle diseases. Balance is the key.

Bone Building Foods – Here are the foods that should make up the preponderance of our diets, supplemented with some animal foods such as grass-fed meats, pasture raised eggs and wild caught seafood. They promote alkalinity (they are alkaline forming even if they taste acidic) and/or provide the complex variety of essential minerals, vitamins and nutrients needed to build healthy bones.

Clean pure water, free of fluoride, chlorination and other contaminants. Clean water is very alkalizing and essential to life.
Vegetables – while all vegetables are alkalizing, the greens are especially helpful including lettuces, kale, spinach, field greens, collard, mustard and beet greens, cabbage, spirulina, chlorella and most herbs. Squash and root vegetables are also helpful.
Fruits – In moderation, particularly alkalizing fruits include lemon, grapefruit, and avocado. Most fruits, if eaten at peak ripeness, are alkalizing, but if eaten too early can be quite acidic.
Nuts and Seeds – Nuts provide many of the micronutrients needed to build strong bones, including many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, selenium (Brazil nuts), copper (almonds), boron (walnuts) and zinc (pumpkin seeds and cashews).
Bone Broth –when made in the old traditional method through a slow simmering of bones and joints, bone broth is full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other bone building nutrients.
Fermented Foods – Vitamin K2 is a fat- soluble vitamin whose primary role is to move calcium into proper areas such as bone and teeth, and to prevent it from accumulating where it should not be, such as in the kidneys or arteries. This vitamin is produced by your gut bacteria and very difficult to get in your diet or through supplementation. An ideal way to maintain a healthy gut, sustain a good level of favorable bacteria in the gut, which in turn produces K2, is to consume fermented foods with those bacteria in them. Almost any veggie can be fermented, though cabbage is the most well-known, in the form of sauerkraut.

So there you have it. When it comes to what you eat, real whole food that includes a balanced diet largely inclusive of vegetables, nuts and seeds and moderate amounts of meats and fruits will contribute to good health, all the way down to your bones.

References:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/06/02/apple-cider-vinegar

By Mila McManus MD|2017-07-05T12:07:43-06:00July 4th, 2017|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones and So Will This

By Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert MS

We tend to not think about our bone health until we break one. , but maybe we should. The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research reported a study which revealed that 10.2 million adults have osteoporosis and another 43.4 million have low bone mass (osteopenia). That’s more than one-half of the total U.S. adult population! The study projects that by 2020, the number of adults over age 50 with osteoporosis or low bone mass will grow from approximately 54 million to 64.4 million and by 2030, the number will increase to 71.2 million (a 29% increase from 2010). Moreover, it’s anticipated that the number of fractures will grow proportionately. ¹

Osteoporosis is defined by the National Osteoporosis Foundation as a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both, and as a result, bones become weak and may break from a fall or, in serious cases, from sneezing or minor bumps. The word osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Viewed under a microscope, healthy bone looks like a honeycomb. When osteoporosis occurs, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much larger than in healthy bone. Osteoporotic bones have lost density and mass and contain abnormal tissue structure. As bones become less dense, they weaken and are more likely to break. ²

The good news is that most people can prevent, or reverse, bone loss through lifestyle choices. Here’s a list of important considerations to building and protecting your bones so that you don’t become a statistic:

Healthy bones require many nutrients, including protein, fats, vitamins and minerals to stay strong and repair themselves. Simply trying to increase calcium is an inadequate and potentially harmful approach, as research is suggesting this can actually worsen your bone density and lead to heart attacks.² Instead, it is important to obtain proper balances of vitamin D and K as well as boron, silica, manganese, copper, iodine, magnesium, chromium, zinc and selenium. Proper supplementation can go a long way to protecting your bones.
Nutrition plays a very foundational and critical role in bone health. There are important foods to include to optimize bone health. Equally important, there are foods that pull calcium away from bones and need to be avoided. Some of them may surprise you! See our Nutrition Nugget for details.
Exercise increases bone strength, especially weight bearing choices such as walking, hiking, jogging, stair climbing, lifting weights and playing tennis.
Those who smoke cigarettes or drink excessive alcohol are more prone to bone loss and broken bones as well as more likely to get other lifestyle diseases.
Low estrogen levels in women and low testosterone levels in men can cause osteoporosis. In fact, bio-identical hormones, especially the use of progesterone and testosterone, have proven very effective with increasing bone density. Synthetic hormones have not proven very successful and come with many side effects.
Medications can also steal bone health so it may pay off to discuss with your medical provider if you are using any medications that negatively impact your bones. Some examples include proton pump inhibitors used for heartburn, long term use of high dose steroids such as prednisone, chemotherapy and anticonvulsants.
Fluoridated Water and other sources of fluoride such as toothpastes, mouthwashes, foods and beverages processed with fluoridated water are problematic for our bones over time. Excess fluoride in the body results in excessive thickening of bone causing joint pain, bone pain and stiffness. Interestingly, even though the bone becomes thicker, it becomes more brittle. Fluoride should not be ingested for many reasons, bone health being just one example. ⁴

So take control, examine your bone health strategy and take positive steps to improve it. Talk to our medical providers for recommendations and a good plan for you.

References:

¹https://www.nof.org/news/54-million-americans-affected-by-osteoporosis-and-low-bone-mass/

²http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/30/calcium-supplement-on-heart-attack.aspx

³https://www.nof.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis/

⁴http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/08/bone-fluorides-magnet-new-studies-halflife.aspx

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/556768 (hip fx more deadly than breast ca in women 65+)

By Mila McManus MD|2017-07-04T09:08:48-06:00July 4th, 2017|Articles, General|

Fake Food: You Don’t Always Get What You Want (or think you bought)

This month we’re focusing on BEEF.

Traditionally, cattle were grass fed from start to finish. As little as three generations ago, a steer was fed grass its entire life and was not slaughtered for market until the age of four or five years old. Today, through misguided policies and government subsidies, our nation has figured out the route to cheaper and faster without considering the long term impact on humans, animals, and environmental health. Now, the majority of cattle spends just the first few months of life on pasture land and then are “finished”, or fattened, in a feed lot (Confined Animal Feeding Operations, aka CAFO). The goal is to take a cow from birthweight of about 80 pounds to 1200 pounds in just a little more than a year. The only way to accomplish this unnatural feat is to feed the animal enormous quantities of corn, soy based protein supplements, antibiotics and other drugs, including hormones.

This article could easily take many avenues, from animal cruelty, environmental issues or government policy, but our purpose today is to focus on what kind of beef can offer the greatest nutritional value. Let me preface this by saying that most Americans consume far more meat than needed and are grossly insufficient consumers of vegetables and healthy, undamaged fats. Meats, which can be part of a well-balanced, nutritious diet, are far healthier and superior when obtained from animals that have eaten their natural diet.

The Bad News about Feed Lot Beef

When we eat CAFO meat, our health is impacted negatively in the following ways:

Increasingly, research reveals that pesticides used on genetically modified food has significant long term health risks, most notably glyphosate. Glyphosate is classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2A, “probable human carcinogen”. Cows are fed genetically altered, glyphosate-sprayed, corn, soy and other byproducts.
We are currently human lab rats in the experiment of genetic modification as we artificially transfer genes from one species to another where it would never occur under natural conditions. The process yields unexpected and unpredictable results, including transferring foreign genes from other species into humans¹.
In CAFO operations, antibiotics are used as a preventive measure so that animals can be kept in conditions and fed things that would otherwise make them sick. Antibiotics, along with growth hormones and steroids, are also used as a cheap method to help cattle gain weight. Growth hormones and steroids are banned in pig and poultry production. ²
There are also reports that cattle are also fed animal waste that includes chicken litter (which contains chicken feces, bedding, feathers and other unknown residues) as well as the flesh and bones of dead cattle.⁶
Corn fed beef is more inflammatory to humans because it adds to our intake of Omega 6 fatty acids which promote inflammation.
“Pink slime” in ground beef remains very real. Simply look for terms like “lean finely textured beef” (LFTB), “textured beef,” “finely textured beef” or “boneless lean beef trimmings” (BLBT). It is used to hold beef together and is made from meat trimmings heated at high temperatures to remove the fat, then treated with ammonia or citric acid to kill bacteria. It is used as a filler as well.⁴ Um, gross!
“Meat glue” is also still very prevalent. Many “premium” cuts of meat you are buying in restaurants are cheaper cuts assembled to look like filet mignon or ribeye. The glue is an enzyme known as transglutaminase, reportedly created by cultivating bacteria or using blood plasma of pigs and cows. It is apparently toxic enough to warrant those working with the product to wear protective masks to avoid inhaling fumes from it. Another concern is that it harbors pathogens and since it will be located at the center of the meat, ordering on the rare side may not kill the pathogens. ⁵
An important consideration for everyone is the modern-day crisis we face, as the antibiotics we consume in our meat and dairy products create antibiotic resistance in our own bodies.

The Good News about Grass Fed Beef

Not surprising, when an animal eats its natural diet in a healthy living environment, the meat and eggs from that animal are healthier options for us to eat.

Grass fed beef is lower in fat and provides more of the healthy Omega-3 fats that are crucial for human health and are also found in walnuts, flaxseeds and fish. A grass fed steak typically has twice as many Omega-3’s as a grain fed steak. ³
Grass fed beef is also four times higher in vitamin E than feed lot cattle, and much higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Both of these nutrients are associated with reducing inflammation, providing antioxidant protection, and preventing cancer. ³
Truly 100% grass fed and organic beef will be free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. The cows will be raised on grass and hay. See the Nutrition Nugget in this newsletter for how to buy quality grass fed beef.

¹http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/01/05/ge-food-dangers.aspx

³https://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-grassfed-beef

⁴http://clark.com/health-health-care/how-to-know-if-youre-eating-pink-slime/

⁵http://www.natrualnews.com/054504_meat_glue_warning_fake_food.html

⁶http://www.naturalnews.com/z028675_beef_chicken_poop.html

By Mila McManus MD|2017-06-04T06:39:53-06:00June 4th, 2017|Articles, General|

How to Avoid Fake Fish and Fake Olive Oil

The following ideas are taken from Larry Olmsted’s book Real Food, Fake Food published in 2016. Mr. Olmsted is a food and travel columnist at Forbes.com, a writer, and teaches nonfiction writing at Dartmouth College. He loves food, gardening, travel and trying exotic new foods. He became perplexed at why food in other countries did not taste the same when he came home to America and ordered the same thing, such as Kobe Beef, Italian Olive Oil, and Parmesan Cheese. It initiated for him an extensive investigation into food where he discovered a lot of fake food. He wrote this book to tell about it.

In our main article today we talked about the likelihood of getting fake fish and fake olive oil. Here are some of his suggestions for seeking out the real stuff:

FISH

Look for third party outside and non-profit evaluators certifications. Several to look for include Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP for farmed fish),Blue Ocean Institute ratings by the Safina Center at Stony Brook and the Gulf of Main Research Institute’s Gulf of Main Responsibly Harvested certification. For those of us who are Houstonians, The Gulf Wild seal is a reliable assurance of the authenticity of wild-caught seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and is ideal for shrimp.
“Alaska Seafood: Wild, Natural, Sustainable” is one of the most reliable seafood logos you will find. The state has completely outlawed fish farming, and has a constitutional by-law requiring sustainability. Fisheries are regarded as well managed against overfishing, pollution and habitat damage. Alaskan Salmon has little or no traces of contaminants, low levels of heavy metals and organochlorines. Other than Alaskan Salmon, look for pollock, king crab, snow crab, black cod and pacific halibut as well as all five species of Alaskan salmon: king/chinook, sockeye/red, coho/silver, keta/chum and pink.
Here’s some good news: According to Michael Bell, director of the California Coastal and Marine Program for the Nature Conservancy, “Fishery management in the U.S. is the best in the world.” Since our supply chain is less contorted and our domestic monitoring of environmental factors is better, buying American is usually a good choice. This applies especially to Alaskan as well as Mississippi gulf fish, Maine Lobster, scallops and fish as well as domestically farmed catfish, assuming they are labeled honestly.
Wild Caught is usually a best choice, though there are some exceptions. Especially avoid farmed raised, foreign shrimp.
When eating out, if you order white tuna or red snapper, you will almost without doubt get something fake. Salmon will be farmed, crab will be imitation. Be wary of grouper too. Your best shot is to eat at some of the nation’s very best (and expensive) seafood and sushi eateries and otherwise, as Larry Olmstead says, assume the worst and you will most likely be right.
Large grocery retailers including Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco were named as reliable sources for seafood, fresh and frozen. According to Olmsted, he was surprised to hear the consistent message from industry experts that the big box stores with enormous buying leverage often force adherence to higher standards. At Walmart, over 90 percent of their seafood is either certified or in a fishery improvement program.

OLIVE OIL

Olmsted’s top three brand picks: California’s McEvoy Ranch, Australia’s Boulder Bend-Cobram Estate and Spain’s Oro Bailen.
Reliable retailers include T.J.Robinson’s Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oliviers & Co. and Tom Mueller’s extravirginity.com
In terms of labels, some concepts that may help in selection of a good, real olive oil include:
- The more information the better
- A harvest date, no more than one year old
- Know that there is no regulatory significance to terms like “first cold pressed, or “extra virgin” so don’t let that lead you.
- Look for third party certifications that promise higher standards such as “COOC Certified Extra Virgin”( California Olive Oil Council) or EVA (the Extra Virgin Alliance) and “100% Qualita Italiana”, by UNAPROL, the association of actual Italian olive growers. Interestingly, little stock is put in a USDA organic certification!
Chile and Australia have better practices and stricter standards in general according to the U.S. International Trade Commission report on the quality of extra-virgin olive oil followed by the United States. So these may be the best “go to” source of origin when in doubt.
Newer oils are always better. Be sure to buy small quantities (a six week supply) as it is highly perishable. It should not be exposed to heat or light and is best stored in a cool, dark cabinet. Tins do the best job of blocking the light, followed by an opaque bottle. Oxygen is also an enemy of olive oil so once opened, the oil quality is going downhill quickly.

¹ Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2016.

By Mila McManus MD|2023-05-20T07:30:17-06:00May 3rd, 2017|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

by Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert MS

There is no question, that if you knew everything about your food and what the FDA considers “acceptable”, you would be shocked. It may surprise you (or not) that the FDA doesn’t have the resources to pursue all the fraud in the marketplace. And like so much in government, the FDA can be heavily influenced. Additionally the food industry is powerful and busy in Washington fighting for itself, and not usually for what is best for you. Unfortunately, that leaves us to figure out what really is safe to eat and sometimes that is seemingly impossible to do. Moreover, the food industry and marketing techniques today are laden with an over-abundance of hype and confusion. Today we are sharing a few food examples of “fake food”. The information about fish and olive oil is taken from Larry Olmstead’s 2016 book called Real Food/Fake Food.

Sushi and Other Fish Scams¹

It may be surprising to you that there are very serious and frequent scams in the fish world where less expensive and sometimes dangerous fish are sold as a premium species. According to Larry Olmstead in his 2016 book Real Food, Fake Food, “The seafood industry is rife with fraud, substitutions and adulteration.” The non-profit marine conservation group, Oceana, launched a study in New York City and found fraud in 58 percent of the retail outlets. In addition, 39 percent of restaurants were serving something other than what the menu claimed was being served. In the same study, they found that every single sushi restaurant, 100% of them, served fake fish. Upon further research, they discovered these trends existed as the rule for the entire country. In sushi restaurants, the single most common substitute for tuna is escolar, one of the most dangerous sea food products you can buy, nicknamed “Ex-lax fish” because it contains a natural wax ester that causes gastric distress and diarrhea. It is never shown on a menu as escolar, yet it is one of the most widely served fish in this country. Other frequent trade out scams include replacements for grouper and red snapper. Apparently, according to Larry Olmstead, almost all red snapper sold in the U.S. is fake and more likely to be tilefish, which is on the FDA’s do-not-eat list for children and pregnant women because of high mercury levels. Tilefish is a common trade out for halibut on the menu too. In the shrimp world, it is extremely common for farm-raised to be labeled wild caught. Olmstead also says that shipping and country-of-origin information is routinely, and illegally, falsified to cover up poaching and to hide fish coming from dangerous farms that use unapproved chemicals and even slave labor. Did you know that wild Atlantic salmon is extinct, so always farm raised when you see it on a menu or package? Alternatively, Alaskan and Pacific Salmon is wild, where fish farming is illegal (in Alaska).

Olive Oil²

There are many ways to adulterate olive oil. To begin with, the legal definition says that olive oil is nothing but the juice extracted from high-quality, fresh, otherwise unprocessed olives. It is a time sensitive issue from proper ripeness and speed to press from picking. The best oils are pressed within 12 hours from picking at perfect ripeness. The three main ways to adulterate it are to dilute it with less expensive oils, dilute it with lower grades of olive oil that have been heavily refined with chemicals, or failing to pick at peak ripeness and press immediately, resulting in an older, rancid oil. Most of our olive oil comes from Italy where Italian investigators have found plenty wrong with olive oil from hydrocarbon residues, pesticides and pomace oil laced with mineral oil, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are proven carcinogens and that can also damage DNA and the immune system. According to Olmstead, virtually every investigation, whether by universities, journalists, law enforcement or government agencies, have found the olive oil industry rife with fraud. Our supermarket brands are almost all, without exception, included in these fake oils and routinely fail testing. In 2011, a large sample supermarket test was conducted of the top selling imported “extra-virgin” olive oil brands in the United States and 73% of the time they failed to meet the basic legal standard for olive oil. Colavita performed best but failed 50% of the time and Pompeian took last place and almost never passed. As recently as November 2015, the police in Turin, Italy investigated seven leading producers which included Bertolli and Carapelli and all seven brands failed despite being labeled “100% Extra Virgin” olive oil. By law, “virgin” oil can only be extracted by physical processing such as crushing or centrifuges without the use of chemicals or heat. Sadly, you can see that enforcement is non-existent and everyone in the industry knows it.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-05-05T06:21:11-06:00May 3rd, 2017|Articles, General|

Pillars of Health

How’s Your Juggling Act?

By Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert, MS

Admittedly, there are many balls to keep in the air to get well and stay well, and each aspect is necessary and overlapping with the others. How well are you doing with optimizing these areas? Test yourself here:

Clean Air – Often out of our control, but are you taking control where you can? At home, do you open windows frequently, decorate with real plants, vacuum often with a HEPA filter, eliminate heavily scented fragrances, candles and chemicals in exchange for safe, non-toxic cleaning products, replace ac/heat filters often, consider single room or whole house air filtration systems?

Clean Water – Do you avoid tap water and select high quality filtering systems for the water you drink and, if possible, the water in which you bathe? Do you limit plastic bottle water use? Are you successful at hydrating throughout the day (drinking half your body weight in ounces)?

Clean Food and Supplements – Do you know what is in your food and supplements? Are you an ingredient reader? Are you eating more and more real, whole food? Are you reducing sugar, packaged, fast, and restaurant food? See our article about choosing supplements carefully.

Unobstructed Energy Flow – Have you had surgery? Infections? Injuries? Parasites? Have you experienced the loss of a pet, family member, or job? These are just a few of the stresses that can trip a breaker for energy flow in the body. Energy therapies can restore this flow, promote healing, detoxification, oxygenation, reduction of pain, swelling and inflammation while increasing ATP (i.e. energy) production at the cellular level. These therapies assist the body with releasing emotional trauma stored at the cellular level to reduce emotional stress on the physical body. Read about our energy therapy called ONDAMED.

Quality Sleep – Do you achieve deep sleep? Do you get too much or too little sleep? Most people need 8 to 9 hours a night. Do you follow a consistent schedule for going to bed and waking up? While the number of hours a person may need can vary, the quality of sleep is critical. It is during deep sleep that our bodies balance, regulate and detoxify. Our brains process information from the day and are reset for the next day. This has a dramatic impact on the body’s ability to fight disease, cope with stress, ward off inflammation and illness.

Moderate Exercise – Are you getting exercise every week? Are you exercising too much (yes that is an important question to ask!)? Do you stand more than you sit? Do you get 10,000 steps in a day? Do you increase your heart rate at least 2-3 times a week? Do you get both aerobic and weight bearing exercise? Exercise is critical for reducing stress, improving sleep, and healing from some diseases. Are you trying to exercise your way out of a bad diet, poor lifestyle choices, or emotional stress? Too much exercise can have a dramatic impact on your adrenal health. So can too little.

Balanced Hormones – Are you working with a functional medicine specialist to balance and optimize your hormones? Simply having ‘normal’ lab results doesn’t guarantee that your hormones are working optimally at the cellular level. Test yourself here for hormonal imbalances.

Strong Immune Function – Are you taking care of your microbiota – the probiotics (aka beneficial bacteria) that defend your body from the outside world? Have you identified areas where your white blood cells are not coping well and put in place a proactive plan to restore this strength (ask why you are having recurrent upper respiratory infections, allergic responses, urinary tract infections or skin rashes, for example)? Do you supplement with immune supporting foods and vitamins? Are you prepared with natural anti-bacterials such as essential oils, coconut oil, herbs, vitamins and supplements that can support the immune system without the use of antibiotics?

Healthy Gut/Digestion –Are you consuming real food, avoiding man-made food products and chemicals and supporting your gut health with fermented foods, probiotics, soothing broths, digestive enzymes and moderate portions of food? There is great truth in the statement that “You are what you eat” but there are many external forces continually destroying your gut health. Do you know what they are and are you protecting yourself from them? Here are links to a 3-part series we published in 2014 regarding this subject: https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part.html/ , https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part-ii.html/ , https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part-iii.html/ .

Emotional/Spiritual Wellbeing – Are you attentive to your soul? Do you address emotional aspects of your life that need your care? Did you know that your emotional stress and despair get stored at the cellular level and have direct impact on your physical health? Do you take time every day to get centered emotionally? Have you forgiven? Can you release hate and anger and take in love and joy? Have you dealt with difficulties in a healthy way that allows you to look forward, not backward, with hope and not dread? Can you turn off the sound of life and find a quiet place for your soul?

Countless times we hear people say that “when you have your health, you have everything”. It is with good health that we can share joy, love others fully, give, and stand beside, and with, others. There is truth in that statement. How’s your juggling act coming along?

By Mila McManus MD|2017-04-04T06:40:17-06:00April 3rd, 2017|Articles, General|

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