But the TSCA came with an enormous loophole negotiated by the all-powerful chemical industry. Any chemical already on the market before 1979 was excluded from either screening or restriction. In effect, this clause ‘grandfathered in’ over 62,000 industrial chemicals, among which were thousands of highly toxic substances with evidence of being carcinogenic, neuro-toxic and unquestionably bad for the environment. Now, over thirty years later, 95 percent of all chemicals in circulation have never undergone any testing for toxicity or their impact on the environment.

It’s clear that the TSCA, has acted more to protect the profits of the chemical industry then the American public or the environment. Efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require testing of some 200 chemicals in response to public outcry, has only resulted in some slight degree of regulation on five chemicals.

Asbestos was determined to be a ‘known carcinogen’ by the EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, and they tried to severely restrict it’s use.  But the chemical industry challenged the EPA’s ruling and a federal court supported their claim that asbestos didn’t meet the TSCA’s requirements. Those requirements included:

1. that the dangers of the chemical should exceed its perceived usefulness.
2. That the EPA heavily weigh the ‘costs to industry’ and any regulation should constitute the “least burdensome alternative” for eliminating the “unreasonable risk” of exposure.

With this wording in place, and the federal courts support of the TSCA contract, the EPA has been unable to ban a single chemical since that decision. A year later, asbestos was back in business.

Another little known slight of hand that the TSCA uses to get chemicals into production without testing, is the fact that exposure and toxicity testing is supposed to be done by the manufacturer themselves and delivered to the EPA for approval 90 days before it goes into the consumers hands. Theoretically, this data would enable the EPA to determine whether regulation is warranted before a chemical hits the market. But according to the EPA’s own figures, 85 percent of the data submitted contain no evaluation of public health impact whatsoever and toxicity reports are routinely inaccurate.

In fact, our real government policy regarding toxic industrial chemicals has been to support their promulgation and wide spread use without regard to their impact on human health or the environment. The inaction of both the TSCA and EPA have allowed a veritable epidemic of diseases and toxic pollution  to explode in America.  In recent years, scientific reviews independent of the chemical industry, show overwhelming data linking various chemicals to cancers, neurologic, reproductive, auto immune disease and developmental abnormalities.

It is time for a fundamental reform of these agencies.

However, overhaul is going to be hotly contested by the corporations linked to the chemical industry. They also have more leverage now then ever since the Supreme Court has ruled that corporations can essentially contribute an unlimited amount to political campaigns to protect their ‘pro-business’ agenda.

Yet, there is a ray of hope in this battle. The European Union has been working on a new chemical regulation policy called REACH—Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals. REACH promises a radical change in how chemicals are evaluated, and how production decisions around the world will be made from now on.

Under REACH, all industrial chemicals will have to be registered, evaluated for toxicity and authorized before being permitted to remain in use. Toxins, which are known to cause cancer, alter genes and affect fertility, will be the first to be removed from the market unless producers are able to prove that they can be “adequately controlled.”

REACH also extends its influence to the consumer goods that utilize these chemicals; thus “downstream users,” from the building industry to cosmetics and car manufacturers, will be forced to find out and report what chemicals are in their products and what effects they have on human health and the environment. The plastics and petrochemical industry is likely to be very hard hit as many of their plastics have already been identified as toxic for both humans and the environment and their chemicals are in everything we use. If they want to continue to export their products into the E.U. market (which now exceeds the US market both in population and wealth) they will have to conform to a much higher standard.

Unfortunately, the flip side to the new regulations in Europe is that America will become the dumping ground for all the toxic products no longer allowed in the E.U. Like we exported our DDT to countries where it wasn’t regulated, our lax standards will make us the world’s premier market for toxic products.

The TSCA has successfully argued that the cost of finding alternatives to toxic chemicals is far too great a burden for their super rich industry to bear. However, the E.U. estimates that REACH would cost European chemical manufacturers a mere $4 billion over fourteen years, or less than 1% of their combined yearly revenue. The E.U. further calculated that these expenses would be repaid many times over by the resulting health benefits. According to E.U. estimates, compliance with REACH would prevent some 4,500 occupational cancers each year and reduce European health-care costs from ailments related to chemical exposure by $70 billion over the next thirty years.

Also, by giving consumers honest information about the health risks associated with various products, it has already begun to generate new research to produce safer chemicals. E.U. chemists have already come up with alternatives to some of the most toxic chemicals currently in use, and its environmental initiatives have spawned billions of dollars in green technology. Oh that Obama would live up to his promises and do likewise here and regenerate a vibrant and safe chemical industry with millions of new jobs that can grow into the next century. One can hope, and one can write to one’s Congressperson. It really is time for change.

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Today, there is much more awareness about what a healthy diet should contain, but most American kids aren’t eating it. Obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions and most alarmingly, these preventable conditions are affecting more and more children. According to a paper from the Journal of the American Medical Assn., dated Feb 18th of this year, the rate of chronic health conditions affecting children increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006. Latino and black youths and males were most affected largely due to poor diet and lack of access to health care. While some of this increase reflects behavioral and learning disorders, the rise in obesity was by far the most significant increase. So, why are our kids being over fed but undernourished?

This is a hard question to answer but I think it has to do with our increasingly fast passed lifestyle that is jammed with stimulus and demands. Lower and middle income families consume about 50% of their meals from fast food restaurants or eat prepackaged, highly processed, quick meals like hot dogs at the gas station or Chinese from the takeaway. This shift from eating whole foods prepared at home to highly processed fast food, eaten on the run, has had a huge impact on our health. Fast food factories have done a superb job of providing us with high energy, high taste, instant gratification and it’s no surprise that these kinds of foods quickly become addictive. In a society where we seem to be constantly rushing forward, food has been reduced to fuel and the quicker it can be consumed – the better.

The effect of this trend towards consuming more highly processed food is very dramatic in places like Japan and China where not long ago, most people ate a high fiber and vegetable rich diet. Now, along with affluence and I phones, obesity and chronic health disorders are proliferating, especially among the young. Portion sizes have also increased to such a degree that a single typical meal from a fast food restaurant provides more calories than our entire optimal daily allowance. While a cheeseburger, fries and extra large soda do provide proteins, fats and sugars, it’s not providing the range of nutrients that healthy brains and developing bodies need. Even a trip to the salad bar can be deceptive when you are adding high fat dressings on top of nutrient anemic iceberg lettuce.

Yesterday a mom told me that she tries to make healthy meals for her kids, but they absolutely refuse to eat them. I asked her what she did when they refused to eat their supper and she became uncomfortable. It turns out, she then allowed them to rummage the kitchen and eat a box of sugary cereal instead of the more balanced meal she’d prepared. Truth is, kids will always prefer sugary cereals if they’re available. The trick is to not stock your home with such food items in the first place. In various studies, it shows that babies do have an instinct to prefer whole and natural foods and given the choice, will eat a good variety of foods that provide our required nutrients. However, this instinct clearly can be lost after years of eating processed food.

But the good news is that childhood obesity and it’s related health problems are easily reversed when a parent takes charge and starts to provide both the food and the guidance that will help a child regain their health. But, it does mean taking control of your life, pulling on the reins against the mad rush forward to slow down. Eating healthy foods takes more time. More time to shop, more time to prepare, and hopefully more time to enjoy with your family along with conversation and emotional support. It’s not so hard when  you realize that giving your child a foundation of health is one of the single most important things you can do for them. It’s all about our priorities.

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Too little research has been done on the cumulative effect of pesticide residue consumption and how these deadly chemicals may be linked to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s. I’m especially concerned for our children, whose bodies are far more vulnerable to any kind of chemical contamination. Mothers exposed to pesticides while pregnant are more likely to suffer miscarriage. Birth deformities are more common in rural areas after intensive spraying. Still, it’s hard to appreciate the risk of maybe one day getting cancer when you are twenty years old and healthy, with buying apples that might be half the price of the organic ones.

I know that when money is tight, we all have to make compromises and yet, taking risks with our health is always a bad decision. Particularly, taking risks with the health of our children is a bad decision and that is why I believe it is so important to provide our babies with a diet that is as near to completely organic as we can get. If it were a choice of having a new bedroom set or fancy stroller for baby or eating organically throughout a pregnancy and for the first 3 years of that babies life – there’s no question which is the wiser investment.

If money were not a consideration, I would buy absolutely everything I consume or use in it’s most organic form. Not just because it’s a better choice for my health, but because it’s a better choice for the environment. Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides deplete soil and run off into our water supply and kill wildlife. When you choose organic products, you are supporting a small but growing movement away from petrochemical, industrial farming and back to a truly sustainable relationship with the earth. Organic farms are keeping alive varieties of plants that have been lost to the big business of monoculture.  They may be the last barrier protecting us from a world of genetically modified, sterile and pesticide ready crops. But perhaps most importantly, organic farming is protecting our soil from erosion and rebuilding precious top soil upon which our lives all depend.

The following list is based on information and studies by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Consumer Reports, and the Environmental Working Group. These foods carry a high level of pesticide residue even after washing or peeling when that is possible. The good news is that choosing organic in just these foods can substantially reduce your families risk of pesticide related diseases.

* Beef, chicken and pork

* Dairy products: Milk, cheese and butter

* Strawberries, raspberries and cherries

* Apples and pears

* Tomatoes

* Spinach and salad greens

* Potatoes

* Stone fruits: Peaches, nectarines and apricots

* Grapes

* Celery

* Peppers (capsicums), green, yellow and red

* Coffee (also Fair Trade)

Here is a list of fruits and vegetables found to contain the least amount of pesticides. Notice that many of these have thick, inedible skins which protect the fruit.

* Asparagus

* Avocados

* Bananas

* Broccoli

* Cauliflower

* Corn (However, almost all corn is genetically modified)

* Kiwi

* Mangoes

* Onions

* Papaya

* Pineapples

* Sweet Peas

Other tips is to buy produce from your local farmers market. You may find farmers who are ‘almost’ organic but not yet certified and their prices may be better than you’d find elsewhere. Also, there are organic farmers who give very reasonable prices to customers who buy a box of whatever is ready to be harvested. This is an economical way to get  your organic veggies and try foods that you may not be accustomed to.

Try to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables so you limit your exposure to chemicals associated with any one product. There are many stores that advertise now, bio-clean, or some label which indicates the food has been assessed to have a low pesticide residue – even though the food is not organic, it may be a better choice. Buy your organic choices in moderation and use them more sparingly to save money. And most importantly, plant your own organic vegetables. There are so many ways to have a patio garden of at least some salad vegetables that will feed your family well for a season. Whatever you can afford, consider it a down payment on your families health and well being when you choose organic.

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In America, we have some restrictions on the amount and type of pesticide that can be used based on determinations of ‘tolerance levels’. These ‘acceptable levels’ are obtained using risk assessments performed by the pesticide manufacturers – an arrangement that seems likely to skew results to find pesticides safe to use at levels that may not be compatible with our best interests. Even so, the tests are done only for single pesticides at minimal exposure levels. The compounding effects of exposure to multiple pesticides via air, food and water have simply not been done. Do you wonder why?

Since the use of organophosphate pesticides continues to increase exponentially, our total exposure is much higher than has been tested for safety. Independent studies have shown neuro-toxic effects on developing animals from organophosphate pesticides at legally tolerable levels. There is substantial evidence that long term health risks including Parkinson’s disease and diabetes can result from cumulative exposure.

Farm workers have been afflicted with cancers, respiratory problems, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions, depression, neurological deficits, miscarriages, and birth defects. I can’t help but wonder if our exposure isn’t increasing to levels endured by farm workers through cumulative exposure. It would certainly seem that the diseases that have been tied to pesticide exposure are on the rise and I can’t help but worry about the connection.

“Children have been found to be especially susceptible to the harmful effects of pesticides. A number of research studies have found higher instances of brain cancer, leukemia and birth defects in children with early exposure to pesticides, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.” Wikipedia. Mothers exposed to pesticides via food or through other channels are known to pass on the chemicals to their fetus where is can have profound consequences – miscarriages and birth defects are well documented at ‘tolerable levels’ of exposure.

Mandatory pesticide applications in school and office buildings to prevent pest infestation are regularly reapplied and represent a much higher level of cumulative exposure than studies have evaluated for safety. “No testing has ever been done specifically pertaining to threats among children.” Wikipedia  To me, the cumulative impact of pesticides on our food is an obvious health hazard to all of us, but especially to our children.  Thankfully, there is an alternative that is completely free of pesticide residue, artificial hormones, genetic modification and other petrochemical contaminants – Organic food.

Organic farmers have successfully managed pests with biological pest controls, composting, crop rotation, polyculture (growing different plants together) and non chemical methods of interfering with insect breeding. In the U.S., farmers have also had success controlling pests by steam cleaning the soil at a cost that is about the same as pesticide spraying. This technique forces steam into the soil and has the added benefit of curing soil fatigue through the release of nutritive substances that were blocked prior to the treatment. In essence, it revitalizes the soil and promotes quicker growth and strengthened resistance against plant disease and pests.

Granted, organic foods do cost more and often don’t look as pristine and perfect. But, they are more nutrient rich because the soil they are grown on is vital and healthy. Eating even a few organic foods can greatly reduce the pesticide risk to your health. Particularly, certain fruits and vegetables consistently show up with high pesticide residue or use pesticides that cannot be removed by peeling or washing. According to the EPA:

Top fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residue include:

* Peaches and Nectarines: Peaches require a large amount of pesticides to grow conventionally and have extremely delicate skin, making them the top organic fruit pick – with nectarines not far behind.

* Apples: Apples are the second priority when choosing organic produce, as their pesticide loads consistently test high.

* Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are the number one vegetable to buy organic. They have thin skins and are heavily sprayed with insecticides.

* Celery: Celery lacks a protective outer layer and needs many different chemicals for conventional growth, making it number two on the list of vegetables to buy organic.

* Strawberries: Strawberries rank high on the organic priority list. They are treated with very large amounts of pesticides, including fungicides. When purchased out-of-season, they probably come from a country with inadequate pesticide regulations.

* Cherries: Cherries continually rank high for pesticide contamination.

* Lettuce and Spinach: Lettuce and spinach are often found to have high levels of various pesticides – sometimes very potent types.

* Imported Grapes: Imported grapes are likely to have higher pesticide levels than domestic. Vineyards may be sprayed with a number of different pesticides throughout the growing season. Because grapes have a permeable skin, even peeling will not eliminate the residues.

* Pears: Pears consistently show high levels of pesticides when tested.

* Potatoes: Potatoes are at high risk for pesticide contamination and may also be affected by chemicals, such as fungicides, in the surrounding soil.

* Tomatoes: consistently among the highest levels of pesticide residue that cannot be removed by washing or peeling.

Safer Non-Organic Foods – produce that has a lower pesticide residue include:

* Fruit: pineapple, mango, kiwi, banana, mango, papaya, blueberries, watermelon

* Vegetables: onions, avocado, sweet corn (may be GM), sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, brussel sprouts

While this article doesn’t address other food stuffs, such as dairy products, eggs, meats and grains, all of these products are equally affected by the pesticide problem as well as other additives such as artificial hormones. I hope to address these issues in future articles.

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So, when I read this article “BPA Protection: Spinach and Soy” by Dr. Alan Greene on Healthy Child Healthy World, it was a great comfort. Apparently, there is promising research that shows that consuming green leafy vegetables, (such as spinach, kale, collard greens) and natural soy beans can reverse the damage caused by BPA exposure. While the study was conducted with pregnant women, there is reason to believe that the benefits would extend into childhood and even adulthood – although the strongest results are likely to be during our earliest years.

The nutrients believed to be responsible for the blocking of the genetic damage caused by BPA exposure is folate, in green leafy vegetables and genistein, found in legumes such as soy. We already know that these foods are beneficial for other reasons and should be part of a balanced diet, but protecting us from cancer and reproductive problems is definitely another reason to seek them out.

Personally, I think it’s important to seek these foods out in an organic form. When you buy organic, you are assured that there is no dangerous pesticide residue. Also, since most soy in this country comes from genetically altered crops, I only buy organic soy to avoid whatever unknown risks GM foods may contain.

One of my favorite, super quick ways to cook spinach is to buy organic frozen spinach, cook according to directions, drain and then add a couple tablespoons of cream cheese. Mix well and add salt and pepper and you have a creamed spinach in minute. If there are leftovers, I like to add this mix to our scrambled eggs the next morning for an easy spinach omelet. I buy the huge containers of organic baby spinach greens and use them as a base for our daily salads. Friends have told me they never buy the big cartons because they can’t use it all up before it goes off, but spinach cooks down to nothing and I always find a way to toss it into a soup and use it up quickly.

In fact, one of the standard meals I made for my children when they were babies was to put 1 heaping spoonful of steamed organic spinach, any cooked organic potato and raw organic tofu into my baby mill. Turn the crank and a super satisfying and nutritious dinner is ready. Add a dribble of flax oil or organic butter for extra flavor and nutrients.

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While the PR machine of the GM industry continues to promise a great deal, to date it has not marketed a single crop with enhanced nutrition, drought-tolerance, salt-tolerance or any other ‘beneficial’ trait. The main trait that has been successfully engineered is extreme herbicide and pesticide tolerance in over 80% of all GM crops. This trait has allowed for increased pesticide use and has caused an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds requiring the use of even more toxic pesticides. Conveniently, the same companies that manufacture the genetically altered seeds, are among the world’s largest providers of these pesticides.

Despite persistent concerns about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), they are spreading so rapidly that it has become almost impossible for consumers to avoid them. Between 1997 and 2005, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 50, from 17,000 km2 (4.2 million acres) to 900,000 km2 (222 million acres). More than 100 million acres of the world’s most fertile farmland were planted with genetically modified crops just last year. Wind-blown pollen, commingled seeds and black market plantings have extended the propagation of this new technology into the far corners of the world’s food supply – perhaps irreversibly, according to agricultural experts.

Gene-altered crops are already ubiquitous in the United States, but Europe and parts of Asia have restrictions on the use of GM foods, and has tried to halt or slow down their import. Scientists there say that tampering with nature could inadvertently alter species, harm wildlife and give rise to unforeseen ecological and biological problems. They also worry about the long-term health consequences of eating foods that are armed with insecticides, antibiotics and foreign genes as well as being saturated with abnormally high levels of toxic pesticides.

Already, food makers around the world are finding traces of gene-altered crops in foods that were not supposed to be made with them. Midwestern farmers are complaining that wind is blowing pollen from gene-altered crops into neighboring fields planted with conventional corn. Even some organic crops labeled “GM Free” are testing positive for genetic modification.

“We have found traces in corn that has been grown organically for 10 to 15 years,” said Arran Stephens, president of Nature’s Path Foods, an organic producer of breads and cereals based in Delta, British Columbia. “There’s no wall high enough to keep that stuff contained.”

Yet, there have been cases of lawsuits brought against innocent farmers both in the US and Canada by Monsanto where their seeds were inadvertently spread into a farmers field by wind or insects. “Farmers are being sued for having GMOs on their property that they did not buy, do not want, will not use and cannot sell.” – Tom Wiley, North Dakota farmer. But because the seeds are the patented property of the biotech company, they have legal ground to sue for the ‘stealing’ of their technology’.

The fact that ingredients in foods are not required to be labeled as Genetically Modified, is to me the final insult. How can we as consumers protect ourselves and our families from a genetic Trojan horse? We can not measure it’s effect because genetically modified ingredients are not identified as such and therefore illnesses cannot be traced to consumption of these altered foods.

On a personal note, my husband has suffered from increasingly severe food allergies. He has become allergic to any product containing any form of soy, corn, dairy (fed GM crops) wheat, canola oil and more. He hadn’t been allergic to any of these foods earlier in his life. Now he’s become allergic to even more foods, even organically grown fruits and nuts and his reactions are so severe that they’ve become medical emergencies. I believe his hyper-reactivity is caused by the unwitting consumption of GM foods.

Intense allergic reactions to more and more foods, previously not problematic is one of the main reactions to eating GM crops, well documented in animal testing. Further evidence of this to me is that when we travel to countries where GM products are not used, his food allergies gradually disappear. Of course, illnesses of this kind are not being linked to GM crops and that allows the Biotech corporations to reassure us that there have been no reported cases of health problems associated with the consumption of GM foods. To find out how much GM food your family is consuming, click on the link below.

GM foods currently commercialized.

Read a brief Health Risks Brochure by the Institute for Responsible Technology

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If you look at the layout of a typical supermarket, the produce is usually on one side, the meat on the opposite side and in between, there are acres of canned, packaged and highly processed items that humans were never exposed to until recently. Today, highly refined, chemical preservative and pesticide laden, nutritionally poor and genetically modified food-like substances are grossly over represented in most large scale food stores. How this has happened is that these food-like substances typically don’t spoil, are made from ingredients heavily subsidized by our government and have a much higher profit margin than real food. Plus, worst of all for parents, they taste good.

My hero of this issue is Michael Pollan. If you haven’t already read his books: In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, (winner of the James Beard Award), and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, (named one of the ten best books of the year), then may I suggest that they will forever transform how you view food. His new book ‘Food Rules’ is now in bookstores and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

One of his comments about how to choose a healthy diet was so elegant that I must share it with you. I’m paraphrasing here a bit, but he says that if the food you’re considering wasn’t around when your grand parents were, then it’s probably not a good choice to eat. For me, my grandparents, who lived on a farm in Germany, that excludes virtually any packaged, processed or commercially canned food. For younger people, they may have to look back to their great grand parents to reach the time when humans were eating a non-commercially modified diet.

With the recent information about the dangers of BPA and it’s prevalence in commercially canned food, now you have to worry not only about the quality of the food that you buy, but how it is packaged. Bisphenol -A is a chemical that is used to make plastics hard, clear and resistant to breakage. It is also used in the lining of canned food products. It leaches into liquids in canned food and at present, there is no real alternative available. BPA is linked to breast cancer, male reproductive dysfunction, autism, obesity, infertility, miscarriages, prostrate problems and cancer.

To be safe, I’ve switched to glass containers for tomatoes, juices, using dried rather than canned beans and making my own soups from scratch. My larder now has rows of glass jars filled with colorful beans, lentils, peas, whole grains, oats, nuts and flours. If you still drink canned or bottled soda or juices, there are dangers of BPA leakage in those items as well. The good news is that frozen fruits and vegetables are nutritionally superior to canned and sometimes even to fresh. The long distance that most fresh foods are shipped causes a dramatic loss of vitamins, whereas most frozen foods are packaged within hours of being picked and their nutrients protected. I’m also finding more organic fruits and vegies available in frozen form and sometimes they are a better deal than buying what’s fresh in the local market.

Another great book to help us figure out what we’re up against is “Genetically Engineered Foods: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers” by Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston. Genetically Engineered food is a huge subject and one that deserves careful scrutiny by all of us, but I urge you to seek out the facts yourself. As far as I can tell, genetically modified crops have not fulfilled their promise of providing greater yields with fewer pesticides but have increased our reliance on pesticides and ‘chemi-culture’. Sterile GE crops have been accused of contributing to the global food crisis and also contaminating non-genetically engineered crops world wide.

Perhaps the worst fact of genetically modified food is that there still is no legal requirement to inform us when GE ingredients are being used. Without this information being tracked, there simply is no way to know what the long term health consequences are. In Robyn O’Briens powerful book “The Unhealthy Truth” more of the consequences of our genetically modified diets are exposed. She examines research that links genetically modified foods to multiple health disorders and the increased prevalence of serious childhood illnesses. It begs the question, how can we protect ourselves from dangers that aren’t even acknowledged or made public?

It seems we do need to eat defensively, and shop with a view of protecting our families from unwanted chemical contamination. To learn more of what you can do, check out a favorite blog of mine at Healthy Child Healthy World.

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While I’m not advocating that we all become total vegetarians, new health guidelines suggest that an optimal amount of meat protein in our diet would be around 11 oz a week. Compare that to the average American consumption of that same amount or more, per day! Our ever increasing reliance on meat has also put unsustainable pressures on land and water resources and is exacerbating global warming. The massive quantities of waste produced by livestock and poultry threaten rivers, lakes and other waterways.

In fact, waste generated by livestock in the US is about 130 times the amount produced by humans! Livestock wastes are implicated in waterway pollution, toxic algal blooms and massive fish kills. Also, livestock farms are getting bigger and bigger throughout the world to meet the worlds increasing demand for meat. Along with the innumerable health risks associated with immoderate consumption of meat, isn’t it time that we all gave peas a chance?

Legumes, are a complex carbohydrate, high in protein and low on the glycemic index. They are also high in fiber, folate, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, calcium, and selenium. High glycemic foods cause our bodies to secrete insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) which has been linked to diabetes. These hormones promote cell growth and inflammation which can weaken your resistance to the development of cancer. Legumes also have many of the B vitamins and are rich in antioxidants, which can prevent cell damage. Many kinds of beans, including soybeans, are rich in saponins, an anti-inflammatory compound which helps your immune system protect you against cancer while it lowers your cholesterol.

Plant Estrogens In Legumes

Women in Asia, who tend to eat a diet high in legumes, have blood levels of phytoestrogens (natural plant estrogens) 20 to 30 times greater than those of most American women who consume far fewer legumes in their diets. Researchers believe that phytoestrogens derived from food plants are a safer alternative than chemical hormone replacement for uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. Several phytoestrogens have been identified and classified into groups, the most potent of these are isoflavones. Many of these phytoestrogens are found in several fruits, vegetables, and cereal grains, but isoflavones are found only in legumes.

Tips for Reducing Flatulence from Beans

Perhaps one of the reasons that beans have been so disregarded in our culture is because they can cause intestinal gas, or flatulence. Most legumes contain a sugar, oligosaccharide, that our digestive tract can’t break down. Taking an enzyme product, such as Beano, with your first bite will help prevent gas or you can add a pinch of Asafoetida (hing powder) while cooking beans. Asafoetida can often be found in Indian specialty stores and it is made from fennel root. You often see fennel seeds at the check out in Indian restaurants because chewing a couple of teaspoons of the seed will also reduce gas after eating beans or cruciferous vegetables.

Other concoctions that minimize gas from legumes include:

- Chewing on some fresh ginger slices soaked in lime juice after meals.

- A drop of dill oil in a tsp of honey taken immediately after a meal.

- Powder 1 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of dry ginger and 1 tsp of green cardamom seeds. Mix ½ tsp of this mixture with water and drink an hour after a meal. (similar to ingredients used in Indian spiced teas).

- Chew a spoonful of celery seeds to get quick relief.

You can also try Anasazi beans (Jacob’s cattle beans) which contain only about a quarter of the oligosaccharide that causes gas and yet have all the benefits. Some people have an easier time with black beans, split peas, lentils or refried beans. Experiment until you find some legumes that your body tolerates well.

In conclusion, beans and other legumes (lentils, split peas) are nutritious staple foods for people all around the world. Cheaper than meat, high in protein, fiber and essential nutrients, beans make a perfect addition to any diet, vegetarian or not.

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The loss of a spouse to war, a disabling disease, homes destroyed or lost, the death of a parent, failure of a business or a marriage, crippling debt or chronic pain are just some of the things that can empty that glass of water completely. For so many, the hits have been multiple. Loss upon loss upon loss and still one has to get up and somehow move forward.

How do we survive such losses, such immense grief and suffering? My heart rips open a little more each day as I see the images of children in Haiti; injured, homeless and parentless. The suffering of the Haitians is beyond anything that I have experienced, yet you see amazing portraits of courage, determination and resilience amidst the horror. Where do we draw strength from when we have lost everything?

I think, this is when we dig down to our DNA, our core beliefs and reach to our Maker. It’s no surprise that many of the people pulled from the caves of crumbled concrete after many days were thanking their God and affirming their faith. Doctors have long noted the dramatic difference in the recovery of  those patients who exhibit a powerful ‘will to live’ compared to those who resign themselves to defeat and even death.

But what determines which of those people we will be? Will we be fighters, or will we submit to what seems to be our fate. I’m told that our psychology, for want of a better word, is formed over a lifetime of experiences. Yet, every infant faces a thousand defeats before it learns to stand and walk on it’s own feet. A baby has no room in it’s brain for the concept that the task might be beyond them. I know our bodies are designed to heal and I believe that there is a purpose behind every challenge that we are faced with.

To survive the seemingly random and cruel blows of fate, we have to arm ourselves with beliefs that serve us. Beliefs that help us to find or create meaning out of chaos and help us put purpose in our actions. For many, this is found in a personal relationship to God. For others, it may be a deep love of family or commitment to a set of values. In both cases, there is something greater than oneself that provides the cup to hold the water of life.

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My experience has been that the greatest results are achieved by making relatively small changes that you can sustain – creating new habits. Any dietary change that is too extreme, inflexible or depriving will be dropped and you will yoyo right back to your old bad habits. The first step involves assessing your current eating choices and lifestyle habits. Consider where and when you eat your main meals and honestly ask yourself if these are ideal conditions. Eating in a hurry, eating at odd hours or while working or watching tv can lead to poor digestion and over eating.

Step One: Choose 3 regular meal times with occasional variance of up to one hour for best results.

It is generally believed to be healthier to eat 3 moderate meals a day and, if needed, 2 small snacks, but there can be a fair amount of flexibility in choosing the best time to eat those meals. This is a big deal to decide because how we  burn calories depends a lot on whether our body trusts that we are going to be fed regularly or not. Regular meals are more fully metabolized compared to erratic meals where the body decides to store more of the calories consumed as fat.

Studies done on rats showed that given the same diet, one group that fed irregularly, gained fat while the group fed at regular times maintained a healthy weight – both on the same number of calories. One of my clients never ate breakfast and survived on coffee until late in the day. Then she began to eat her whole days caloric allowance, often nibbling late into the night. When she switched to eating 3 regularly scheduled meals, the pounds began to melt.

Step 2. Drink 6 glasses of filtered water throughout the day – more if you consume caffeine and alcohol or work out.

Step Two is pretty simple. Most of us misread our bodies cues for hunger when we are thirsty. When rating hunger, drinking a single glass of water will drop our perception of hunger from acute to moderate or even mild. Also, most of us are chronically dehydrated and this puts an extra stress on every system and organ in our body. Stress signals often get interpreted by our brain as a signal to eat because eating redirects energy to digestion and eases our experience of stress. By drinking at least 6 glasses of water throughout the day, we are better able to interpret the bodies signals of real hunger.

Drinking caffeinated drinks is the exact opposite of drinking water because caffeine acts as a diuretic which depletes the body of water and vitamins. One glass of coffee depletes the body of approximately 2 glasses of water and vitamin C. Working out, high intensity sports, drinking alcohol or being in the sun, also depletes water and vitamin C. Caffeine also triggers adrenaline production which gives us that boost of energy, but also gives us the crash and the cravings. Now, you may not be ready to eliminate caffeine and alcohol this year, but by drinking twice the water for each such drink, you can reduce their negative effects.

Step 3: Reduce simple carbohydrates, sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Step three is a bit harder. It has been estimated that the average American consumes over 150 pounds a sugar per year. The increased use of artificial sweeteners has not decreased that statistic but has only added another equally serious health risk. We all know that sugar contains calories but no nutritional value and is a major factor in the obesity epidemic.

Daily consumption of refined sugars sends our blood sugar on a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys. This metabolic stress has been shown to lead to diabetes, a disorder that affects about 25 million Americans and is increasing exponentially. Sugar is highly addictive and it’s in almost all processed food and drinks. The only way to break the cycle of craving sugar is to consume complex carbohydrates at each meal which act as a slow burning fuel for the body’s energy needs.

The American Diabetic Association and World Health Organization recommend that about 60% of the calories of our diet should come from complex carbohydrates, 12 – 20% from proteins and 20 – 30% of our daily calories from healthy fats. Eliminate products that have cane syrup, sugar or white flour as the first ingredients. Consume more whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, millet and try a glass of fresh carrot juice or vegetable juice to prevent the energy slump of mid-afternoon, and infuse your body with cancer fighting antioxidants and vitamins.

Be prepared for those low sugar blues by carrying alternative, high-energy foods, like nuts, or a hard boiled egg, to get you past the pastries to your next balanced meal. Avoid all artificial sweeteners which have serious health risks and actually increase sugar cravings and weight gain.

There is one natural sugar substitute which has no known negative side effects that has been used for years in other countries but has not been welcomed into our food industry. That is stevia root, a very sweet plant that actually helps decrease hypoglycemia in the body and can be used to sweeten foods and drinks safely. Whole fresh fruits can be eaten, preferably between meals, but beware of canned fruit in syrups or fruit juices which are mostly empty calories.

Step 4: Reduce saturated fats  and increase fiber.

Step 4 is harder for some people than others. At present, the average American consumes almost 50% of their calories in saturated fats, mostly from meats and dairy products. These fats clog arteries and are the main culprit (along with cigarettes) in the increasingly high incidence of heart disease. Many people mistakenly believe that meat and dairy are the only sources of protein but protein is abundant in many vegetables, beans and whole grains which also provide other nutrients and fiber. Meat and dairy have no fiber and without fiber bowels become sluggish and toxic wastes accumulate causing fatigue, muscle and joint pain and contributing to degenerative conditions.

Most of us would benefit from taking a fiber supplement, such as psyllium seed powder or agave powder. Doing so one hour before regular meals with 2 glasses of water will dramatically reduce your appetite and make eating smaller portions more satisfying.

Step 5. Eat moderately at each meal.

The one truth about all dieting that can’t be disguised – you have to eat less. How much less depends on many factors but generally, it’s best to not go below 1,500 calories for a woman or 2,000 calories for a man. For a pregnant woman or anyone with a medical condition, please consult with your doctor. In general, reducing calories by a modest amount is more easily sustained. If that is coupled with increasing activity, the results will be noticeable and steady.

One trick that helps with portion control is to divide your dinner plate into quarters. Two quarters should be filled with low calorie steamed or raw vegetables. One quarter should be a high protein food, such as fish, lean meat, beans, soy protein or egg. The last quarter should be complex carbohydrate in the form of whole grain, winter squash or potato.  Breakfast and lunch should both fit in a bowl, such as a bowl of oatmeal or a bowl of soup. Weight watchers has excellent guidelines for helping with this process, but the more you concentrate on choosing high quality, high fiber foods, the easier it will be to eat less and reach your goals.

Step 6. Organize for success

Organize for success. It is nearly impossible to break old habits when the evidence of the old habit is all around you. It would be like a smoker seeing ashtrays and packages of cigarettes all around the house when they are trying to quit. For you, this means, clearing out the cupboards of the cookies, brownie mix, high fat cheeses, chips and frozen bagels pizzas. They’re just temptations that you don’t need. The other part of this is mentally preparing yourself to shop for just the items that are now on your list of healthy things to eat.  This means never going into a grocery store hungry and always shopping from a list. Your list is based on meal plans that you have organized, at least in your mind, beforehand. You may have been accustomed to thinking a lot about food and when you’re going to eat and what you’re going to eat, but now you have to think with a purpose. If you know that at 4 pm everyday you are likely to have an energy slump that will send you to get a coffee and doughnut, then you have to plan and be prepared for something healthier to change that pattern. I keep a bag of almonds in my purse at all times because a few almonds and a liter of water will get me though a hypoglycemia attack and help me get to my next, well planned meal.

Step 7. Enlist Support

The final step is to enlist support. I think the research on the  success of both Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous amply testify to the benefits of the buddy system. Sharing your journey makes the miles slip by more quickly. Having at least one friend that is equally motivated can make all the difference. Sit down at least once a week and talk about the things that are working and the places where you are still falling off. It’s always easier for someone else to see the answer to our problems than it is for us. If you have no friend to share this journey with than I strongly suggest weight watchers as a place where you will find support and a simple system to relearn how to nourish yourself, enjoy your meals and still lose weight.

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