I thought it would be FUN to share with you some information in regards to sugar. I swore off sugar about 12 years ago. Now don’t get me wrong, my kids still eat sugar regularly. Not because its in my house or we make it available in anyway. But because sugar is EVERYWHERE in our world. Its unfortunate too because I see sugar as nothing less than a DRUG.
I think its HYSTERICAL that we can demonized actual plants and foods that are helping to heal our bodies and systems but then pass sugar around to everyone everywhere. Sugar is one of the HARDEST things to remove from your diet and break the addiction from.
Below is a video where after 12 years of teaching my children the negative effects of sugar my 4 year old and 9 year old made a conscious choice not to eat it. I am ECSTATIC and hope it happens again and again.
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I remember 12 years ago when I first read the book “Sugar Blues.” It forever changed my perspective of sugar and how it effects our bodies in such negative ways. Mostly, it lowers our immune systems to such an extent that they can scan history and find that the introduction of sugar was the beginning of many of our current diseases and ailments.
There was a time when I was scouring information about Native Americans and came across an article which discussed the wide spread of small pox among their communities once white sugar was introduced to them by the white man. It disabled their bodies from functioning properly to such an extent that after being exposed to the disease they literally fell over and died, within days and weeks.
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| Small Pox killed 1000’s of Native Americans |
I’m sharing some information below about soda and how it negatively effects the human system, along with a video about sugar and the effects of natural sweetners. All 3 of these so called foods, in my opinion, are killing us through disease and immune system breakdown.
I still remember when I was taking my very first herbalist class. The women teaching mentioned how carbon dioxide is a waste product to the human body but when we drink soda we are, literally, drinking a waste product. The body excretes waste products as a way to release toxic materials from our bodies. She mentioned how after she learned that information, now every time she even thought of drinking a soda she pictured herself drinking a nice warm cup of urine. Now, I know there is such a thing as urine therapy but I’m not buying it.
When it comes to all you pregnant mamas out there, the truth is these things are FULLY negatively effecting you and your baby. As you see below, sugar…and even worse….ASPARTAME….can cause obesity for you and your baby. Sugar can effect every process of the body. And believe me, if effects every process of body creation for your fetus. Aside the fact that it stimulates a limbic imprinting where your infant craves foods that are actually unhealthy and even hurtful for he/she to consume.
Notice on the chart below the negative reproductive effects soda can have on your body. Soda does carry cancer causing properties. Recent studies are showing that drinking soda can potentially be causing preterm birth as well. I believe soda creates VAST amounts of ill health during pregnancy especially for Mom. I often wonder what effects soda is having on pregnancy induced diseases because my nutritional and herbal backgrounds would logically tell me there would be MANY!
Oh, and btw….if you don’t believe me that soda and sugar is addictive and your an avid soda drinker, especially sodas with caffeine, take a week break from them. You’ll find that you actually get the shakes and headaches. Both are signs of drug withdraw. If this doesn’t convince you, I’m not sure what will.
Also, please read the article on natural flavorings. You’ll find that some of the so called natural flavors in our food products are actually coming from the sex glands of beavers. I don’t know about you but that sounds pretty gross to me. I do agree that its important that we know WHERE are food is actually coming from. I would recommend, like stated below, that you call the company asking them where they get their natural flavors from.
You will see more from me on this subject as I believe nutrition is VITAL for Moms and babies but especially for future generations. What we ingest today affects all of our children to come. It defines our egg and what DNA processes are stored in it.
In the world of conscious parenting, my hope and prayer is that all mama’s to be will be aware of what they are putting into their mouths. That they will educate themselves on the foods that are negatively effecting the health of their unborn children. That they will see the damage they are doing to their own systems and the systems of their fetuses. I believe staying focused on where true nutrition comes from and how to create ideal health and well being will be a strong focus for mothers and fathers to be.
Also, that those of us with children already will guide and discipline ourselves to help set the stage for life long vibrant health for each and every one of them. I’m striving to do my part and hope you will join me!
In Peace,
Rachel
The Gross Truth About Natural Flavors
The name sounds innocent enough, but these mild-sounding words are used by the food industry as an umbrella term for some pretty horrible stuff, including certain ingredients that come from extreme animal abuse.
The exact definition of natural flavors from the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows:
“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
When the phrase ‘natural flavors’ appears on a package, the best move is to call the company and find out what the flavors are actually made from. Of course, I say this assuming that we’re all the kind of people who would be horrified to find out that we might have come close to ingesting fluid from the sex glands of beavers.
Think that sounds absurd? Then you must not have heard of castoreum, which is “used extensively in perfumery and has been added to food as a flavor ingredient for at least 80 years.”
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Castoreum is a bitter, orange-brown, odoriferous, oily secretion, found in two sacs between the anus and the external genitals of beavers. The discharge of the castor sac is combined with the beaver’s urine, and used during scent marking of territory. Both male and female beavers possess a pair of castor sacs and a pair of anal glands located in two cavities under the skin between the pelvis and the base of the tail.
Castoreum is a product of the trapping industry. When beavers are skinned for their fur, these glands are taken out, and are sold after being smoked or sun-dried to prevent putrefaction…
Well, that’s a relief.
The European Beaver was hunted to near extinction, both for fur and for castoreum, which was also believed to have medicinal properties. The North American beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6–12 million, largely due to extensive hunting and trapping. Although sources report that beaver populations have now recovered to a stable level, some experts say that today’s American beaver population is only 5 percent of what it was when Europeans first settled in North America.
Castoreum is used in “high class” perfumery for “refined leathery nuances.” It is also reportedly used in some incense, and to contribute to the flavor and odor of cigarettes. In food, castoreum is used to flavor candies, drinks, and desserts such as puddings.
Grossed out? Horrified that humans think nothing of killing innocent beings so we can dress ourselves in their fur and flavor our candies with their secretions? I have a solution for you: Go vegan – really vegan. Don’t use cosmetics that are made using animal products, read the ingredients on food packages, call customer support when you see those scary words, ‘natural flavors’, and guess what? You’ll never eat anyone’s anal fluid again.
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Co-written with M Butterflies Katz