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Why is Soy so bad for me?
Is Soy Really a Health Food? Consuming soy products is a modern phenomena. Traditionally soy has not been seen as a food, but due to chemical processing humans have created ‘food’ products from soy. Like TVP textured vegetable protein, tofu, soy milk, and soy protein powders. These have been touted as health foods but they are far from the truth. The benefits of soy have been pushed into the population by corporations and the health food industry. Phytic Acid in Soy: How It Blocks Essential Minerals Soy is a bean, high in phytic acid which stops the body assimilating essential minerals. Calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by soaking, sprouting or slow cooking. Phytoestrogens in Soy: Hormone Disruption and Thyroid Concerns High in phytoestrogens, soy is an endocrine disruptor. Causing the natural hormone release in our bodies to become dysfunctional. Cancer and infertility are two of the major problems with soy ingestion. They can also disrupt the activity of the thyroid. Phytoestrogens are goitrogens. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for Vit D and Vit B12. Aluminum in Soy and Nervous System Toxicity Soy foods are high in aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys. Soy Consumption and Estrogen-Related Health Risks Scientists Daniel Sheehan and Daniel Doerge studied the results of the consumption of soy and have reported that the extra estrogen consumed has created an increased incidence of epithelial hyperplasia, a precursor to malignancies in women. Soy is also known to alter the menstrual cycle of some women, and reduce the testosterone in men. How Soy Is Processed: From Raw Bean to Protein Powder The whole process of getting soy into an ‘edible’ form from the soaking of the raw beans, to the curd being spray dried at high temperatures to create the incomplete protein powder is unnatural. It is also the most genetically modified crop we have on this planet. Common Soy Products Still Marketed as Healthy It still amazes me that this poison is still being sold in many forms: - Soy protein powder - Soy Milk - Tofu It feels like we have been coerced into believing that this is a food let alone a healthy food. The Big Food industry is not concerned with our health and wellbeing, only by convincing the population a toxic product that is perfectly ok for us to consume and ‘better’ for us than perhaps real dairy products, it can line its pockets with the evil spoil that is the money that is being made with this product. Are Fermented Soy Products Safer? Miso and Tempeh Explained The only ‘safe’ soy products are the fermented ones, made with non GMO soy, miso and tempeh. The fermentation largely neutralizes the phytic acid but the goitrogens or thyroid inhibitors remain intact. So care should be taken with these products not to consume regularly. Why Do People Choose Soy Over Real Milk and Meat? I encourage you to ask the reasons why your friends prefer soy lattes, and tofu to real milk and meat. Further Reading on Soy and Health For more information: https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/aug/27/life1.lifemagazine6 You can read more about health and nutrition on our FAQs page and do continue to explore our blogs. We post every week.
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Are Grains Bad For Me?
Why are grains not that good to eat?? All plants contain defence chemicals, because plants want to reproduce, they cant fight or run so have developed defences to maintain their species. To deter animals, insects and humans from eating them.
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Carnivore vs Paleo vs Vegan: How to Choose the Best Diet for Your Body
Humans Are Genetically Designed for a Hunter-Gatherer Diet 99.99% of our genes were formed before the development of agriculture. S. BOYD EATON MD. Medical anthropologist. As a species we are essentially genetically identical with respect to genetic expression, regardless of blood type to those humans living for than 40 thousand years ago’ NORA GEDGAUDAS author. Now think about how this knowledge can determine your food choices?? And your questions regarding your own nutrition and your families. We are essentially modern men in cave man bodies!! And with this in mind think about our species and how current ill health and everything falls into place. We are not feeding ourselves evolutionarily correctly. Eating Seasonally: What Food Looked Like for Early Humans So, popping your head out of the cave, mid summer, your food is lush. Fruit, wild berries, honey and meat. Animals are all well fed and fat, and there for the taking!! We are physiologically, biologically and genetically hunter gathers. This is how homo sapiens began their journey to modernity. By feeding themselves with meat and fat and grazing on sweet fruit that was in season. This food is what our bodies are designed to operate on, optimally. By choosing to eat evolutionarily there is so much variety. One of the advantages of being in the 21st century is that we do not have to hunt our food. We can!! If we want to. However, choosing to support farmers who produce amazing food is really where our food dollars should be going. Climate, Evolution and the Role of Environmental Stress The climate fluctuations had a massive influence on these early homo sapiens, who evolved through many ice ages. What food was around then? Certainly not plants! But we evolved and developed big brains and the smarts to survive under difficult conditions. I guess that's why now, the cold is essential for our bodies as an environmental stressor. Humans have evolved to benefit physically from tough conditions. During the ice ages, there was never any fruits or vegetables to provide the hormetic challenges we needed. What Did the Caveman Eat? Evidence from Early Humans An interesting study by Bryant and Williams-Dean 1975, looked at fossilized human feces which revealed a complete lack of plant material. (Interesting!!) So diets consisting of high amounts of carbohydrates is a modern phenomenon, one that we have not had time to adapt to or create defense against. Therefore we are a species with many diseases that we have created with this radical change of food. The fact that our bodies manufacture their own glucose for energy and brain function when needed from the other two macros, protein and fat. However most organs and tissues in the body prefer to use ketones. Are Carbohydrates the Cause of Modern Disease? All the modern diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, all are a result of too many carbohydrates not excess fats in the diet. Other contributing factors are man made fats, trans fats, rancid oils (oils oxidise from the moment they are produced) and other pollutants like glyphosate in our food chain. If you want to learn more I recommend this book. https://thebigfatsurprise.com The Diet-Heart Hypothesis and the Saturated Fat Debate My concern is that dietary fats have been vilified during my lifetime, and that doctors are still prescribing useless and quite dangerous drugs to lower cholesterol even though we now know that saturated fats are life-giving!!! With the chronic consumption of carbohydrate and man made fats we have created metabolic syndrome. Together with other factors, stress, dieting, lack of exercise and a diet deficient in protein and good fats, (Weve come out of a low fat high carb paradigm). Metabolic syndrome is contributing to all our modern dis- eases. 90% of Americans have metabolic syndrome!!! New Zealand Dietary Guidelines and the Carbohydrate Paradigm Our current health guidelines in NZ recommends 6 servings a day of carbohydrate in the form of grains. Also lean meat and low fat dairy. Therefore maintaining ill health. It seems that the health department and big pharma need each other. Again, its about following the money. https://www.nzihf.co.nz/media-resources-1/articles/personal%20training-nutrition-guidelines-adults One major health concern for adults in western countries is excessive dietary fat intake. This concern applies particularly to saturated fat, which increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and hypertension (NHF 1999). A high-fat intake has also been associated with colorectal cancer (Baghurst et al 1997). NZ food guidelines (current document) The diet-heart hypothesis (that suggests that high intake of fat and cholesterol cause heart disease) has been repeatedly shown to be wrong and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and prejudice , the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fundraising enterprises, food companies and every governmental agency. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century. GEORGE V MANN MD. Researcher. Returning to a Prehistoric Food Pyramid If we can stick to the prehistoric food Pyramid I believe we will live long and healthy lives. That is the majority of our food as grass fed meat, wild game, fat and some seafood. Some seasonal fruit and raw dairy. There is so much amazing food available to us now. Remember to support your local farmers, and farmers markets. Don't buy food that has been processed or imported. Got more questions about diet and nutrition, Take a look at our FAQs page for more information.
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The Benefits of Ancestral Eating at Every Stage of Life
Ancestral Nutrition During Pregnancy and Postpartum I've been motivated to write this from inspiration I have had from my niece who has started weaning her little boy ancestrally. She carried him without problems. She ate and lived ancestrally throughout her pregnancy using organ meat to supply all her folate requirements, all her B12 and Choline and all mineral requirements. Her approach resulted in an easeful pregnancy, a quick home birth and rapid postpartum recovery. This should be every woman's experience of pregnancy and birth. Weaning Babies the Ancestral Way When our children are ready to start food, a great practice is to start them on foods like liver, or raw dairy. Cooked meat is also great to start them on. Grains, seeds, legume and nuts have no place in the human diet. So our little man is thriving on amazing evolutionary foods and will not develop allergies. He will remain healthy and grow strong. Why Ancestral Eating Supports Children’s Growth Ancestral eating is the best choice for food across the ages. As children grow, feeding them with evolutionary foods is the only option for thriving healthy humans. I've heard many stories of children choosing meat and cheese over vegetables!! Processed foods for children may be fast and easy for easy feeding but these are not giving our children good support. Their brains and bodies are growing and they need the foods humans have developed on as well. Meat, organs, fruit and honey. With raw dairy supporting good strong bones. Feeding Teenagers in a Fast Food Culture Teenagers must be the worst age group to feed, with pressure from fast food advertising, and peer pressure. Good luck with this age group! Fingers crossed you have started them young with good nutrition and they now can make good food decisions on their own! There is so much more than feeding teens to support their growth. They need emotional support and “rites of passage” to find their place in the world. Building Strength in Your 20s and 30s with Ancestral Foods As you move into your 20s and 30s the body is laying down foundations like body fat, muscle and healthy systems internally. Keeping a well fed machine gives you the best opportunity for high performance, stamina, and sleep. This young body works freely. Feelings of invincibility are vivid. Staying Healthy in Middle Age Through Conscious Eating Entering ‘middle’ age can bring major physical changes. Conscious eating will become your friend!! It is key to staying with ancestral eating for health, weight and avoiding disease and common health problems that tend to creep up on humans during this time. You need to be aware that thriving is a response to feeding the body optimally. Adjusting Nutrition in Your 60s and Beyond I've found now that in my 7th decade, my food requirements have changed dramatically. The size of my meals have reduced and I'm aware that too much nutrition leads to more body fat than I'm happy with. With this awareness I’m choosing foods that sustain me throughout the day, ones I know will help with my cognition and memory and muscle growth. I also add a few fasting days a month. Preventing Muscle Loss and Cognitive Decline with Protein and Organ Meats As humans age, if we are not well nourished muscle wasting and reduction in bone density can happen. So it makes sense to feed with protein and fat. 1.6gm protein per kg of body weight. Most elderly people I know are fed the worst food. Cakes, biscuits, lots of vegetables and reduced fat and red meat. If you want your old people to thrive and live without sarcopenia and cognitive decline, encourage more red meat, bone broths and bone marrow, and of course organ meats. These are super easy if taken in capsule form. It’s Never Too Late to Start Eating Ancestrally Finally, its never too late to start changing your diet. Starting today, will give you more life and more energy.
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What Are the Nine Ancestral Tenets? A Framework for Modern Health
What Are the Nine Ancestral Tenets? During the last couple of months we have been looking at the Nine Ancestral Tenets. The ancestral tenets or principles have been part of the dialogue for ancestral living for a number of decades, primarily from the Weston A Price Foundation as well as a number of other organisations that see getting back to our primal motivations as key to our ongoing health as primates in the modern world. Researching the tenets has been a great learning experience and I've gathered more knowledge around the science and research that has been done in the field of ancestral living. I've added a couple of papers that I thought may be great nighttime reading if you're a bit geeky like me! The Tenets are: Sleep, Eat, Move, Shield, Connect, Cold, Sun, Fight and Bond. Why Are the Ancestral Tenets Essential for Modern Health? The essential nature of all the tenets are key for us to live and maintain our health and relationships in this fast paced life of ours. They are all interconnected, but we believe that the most important tenet is eat. Why Is “Eat” the Most Foundational Ancestral Principle? With an animal based diet, eating unprocessed and local seasonal foods we can create a radical health foundation that the other tenets can be supported thorough. Sleeping gets better, Being able to move freely without pain and discomfort, being able to push yourself to achieve good fitness goals, all contribute to a deeper life experience. What Does “Connect” Mean in Ancestral Living? I love Connect, this tenet is all about connecting to the wild! The wild outside and the wild within. Sitting on mountain or by the beach, tramping for days in the bush, or swimming with dolphins. These things are essential for us to really feel the bigger picture, the expanse of nature and this glorious world we are part of. How Does Cold Exposure Support Health and Resilience? I love the Cold. I used to hate it! I now know how essential it is for my health and wellbeing to get cold. The paper below has some interesting stats on cold exposure and how our bodies can thrive with regular cold exposure. Why Is Daily Sun Exposure Essential for Gut and Hormone Health? We also need the sun, to activate the fat soluble vitamins, to stimulate serotonin production and to remineralise our bodies. To help bone density and that 'good feeling'. There is also research, the paper is below, regarding sun exposure and improved gut biome diversity. We need the sun every day. Living the Ancestral Tenets This Summer The other 2 Tenets I'll cover in the next blog. In the meantime, get outside in the sun or the cold. Eat local, and Move! Sun exposure increases the gut microbiome diversity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6821880/ How important is cold exposure? https://www.athletespotential.com/uploads/2/4/7/3/24730224/cold-stress.pdf
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Everything Wrong With the Modern Diet (And Why Ancestral Eating Matters)
How Modern Life Has Pulled Us Away from Natural Living We have come such a long way from the lazy days on the farm. It seems now that the hamster wheel that is our daily life is impossible to get off but we are all searching for a respite, and a rest. Finding the answer could be the key to enabling the ‘slowdown’ and ‘breathe’. The realisation that I can step off the fast pace life, and take a breath without my life falling apart is a massive mind shift. I believe it starts with food. The Human Animal and the Need for Real Food Deeply embedded in our psyche is the animal, who needs natural foods, warmth, and company. For many years we've been pushing this animal away and numbing it down by this fast paced life, grabbing fast food, staying up late working and not resting, all the while thinking that we've “got to keep” going. Daily releasing the fight hormones that keep us running away from the tiger!! Why Returning to an Ancestral Diet Matters Getting back to an ancestral diet, one that is uncluttered with additives, one that is full of whole foods, not packed and processed for longevity on the shelf, is the first key to stepping off the wheel. The Rise of Fast Food and Processed Culture Fast foods have been part of our culture since the 70’s. KFC opened in Auckland in 1971!! And since then the large chains have been providing nutrient deficient foods to NZers!!! That's 50 years to create more disease and more self loathing than we have ever experienced. To undermine the health of an entire species. Easy to buy, mostly affordable and playing into our narrative of ‘not enough time to cook’. Modern Diet-Related Disease in New Zealand We as a nation have been afflicted with more diabetes, heart disease, gut issues, and obesity than any other time in history. We now need CHANGE. The New Movement Toward Whole-Food Living There's a new wave of healthy people, some who are thriving due to experimenting with their own food, some whose health has been so bad that they have found their own way through elimination. The ancestral diet, or getting back to basics, shows that we don't need all the additives and the processing. That we can sustain and nurture ourselves naturally, with locally sourced food its not impossible to regain our health, our birthright to radical aliveness. Are Paleo, Keto and Low-Carb Diets Just Fads? We are all familiar with these abbreviations; paleo, keto, fodmap, and we all know that the atkins diet was all about protein. These diets encourage us to look beyond the food pyramid and beyond the fast food drive through. They have been birthed from a sick and unhealthy population who need answers and a change. But are they just fads? The Truth About the Food Pyramid The food pyramid wants you to think that fads don't last and that you need 5 servings of veg a day, 50% carbs, lean meat, and no saturated fats! FYI the food pyramid is sponsored by Kelloggs, Big Food and Big Pharma!! But they are not fads, they are birthed from people pushing against the standard food narrative. Eating Local and Seasonal for Radical Health Getting back to basics and eating simply and local is a new movement, driven by thinkers who want more than to just exist. I believe it is the way to radical health. I Don't want to eat food that has traveled some distance and I don't want to eat food that is out of season!! Our inner animal wants warm slow cooked in the winter, when fruits are scarce and light meals when fruit is in season. When we can make yogurt from fresh milk and eat freshly slaughtered lamb chops!! Its simple and its simply nourishing. How to Start an Ancestral or Animal-Based Diet Starting is easy, clean out all the packaged food from your pantry, and fridge. Be ruthless! Take all the seed oils and dump them! That's all the processed oils from plants. These are not doing you any good! Remove the sugar. Start reading labels. Don't buy anything that has more than 2 ingredients! Engaging with these guidelines the food choices get interesting!! Meat, eggs, cheese, (dairy if you can) Fish, seasonal fruit. We use salt on our food. We cook in butter or tallow. The Benefits of Nutrient-Dense Animal Foods Nutrient rich foods like these can sustain you, hunger pains go and life feels bigger and more alive. Nutrients from animal foods are 100% bioavailable, this means that the body, when digesting, can use all of the food, it wastes nothing!! Liver is nature's superfood, it is dense in essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids that keep you sated and thriving. Drinking bone broth everyday provides you with enough collagen to help you recover from exercise, keeps you hair growing lustrously and keeps your skin glowing. Why You Should Try an Animal-Based Ancestral Diet So if you're feeling slow, sluggish, not thriving. If your gut health could be better, if your skin and hair are dull, I suggest you try switching to the Animal based, Ancestral way of eating. Try it for a month and see if you can transform your life.
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The Comfort Crisis: Why Challenging Yourself Improves Physical and Mental Health
Modern Life Is Making Us Too Comfortable Modern life is making us lazy. We've got too comfortable and this is not good in so many ways. We need moments that challenge us. Are We Moving Less Than Ever? I've started really noticing how many people don't take the stairs, how many people use the lime scooters in the city to avoid walking! We are really not moving as much as we did. How often I use my car when I could easily walk? We spend 95% of our time inside. Why Movement and Time Outdoors Improve Physical and Mental Health I really believe that movement changes us. Getting outside, climbing hills, up in the mountains or out in the fields, or on the beach. Choosing anything to get my head out of the digital world and my body outside. The Return of Ancient Breathing Techniques Breathing techniques are making a comeback. Wim Hof, James Nestor, Michael Easter to name a few. Hof's techniques come from ancient practice that we have lost. Learning how to breathe to sustain us, to heal us. Modalities like Kundalini Yoga are giving us the opportunities to learn ancient practices, to source inner strength and wisdom. How to Challenge Yourself and Build Mental Resilience How can you challenge yourself today? There are so many benefits to being challenged. We gain health, physical and mental. Self esteem and confidence. The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter: Why Discomfort Matters Below is an interview with Micheal Easter author of 'The Comfort Crisis'. Worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-LTVrdOPQ Why Boredom Is Good for Creativity and Mental Clarity Micheal also believes that boredom is worth sitting in, boredom, mind wandering. It's creative, we go inward, it's time for the creative mind to start working. Sitting and being uncomfortable, in the silence, in the quiet. Remove yourself from all outside media, phones, screens. This opens the opportunity for the unlimited. Simple Ways to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone Every Day So start taking the stairs if you're able to. Be more active. Learn some breathing techniques for meditation or enabling a cold plunge. It'll help you to explore outside your comfort zone. So ultimately you'll have a deeper more fulfilling experience of life.
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For the Women: Reclaiming Feminine Health Naturally
The Feminine Body: My Thoughts on Being Connected to Her Women are the most amazing creatures, from the wild creator to the graceful mother, we can embody so many different energies or archetypes and live deeply alive, resonating with our true nature. We are the lover, mother, crone, child, and SHE comes in many forms. What lights you up?? What brings you joy?? Two really poignant questions today that I'm inviting you to answer. Discovering the Wild Nature of the Feminine Women's health and wellness has been a subject that I've been interested in for many years. My search has led me to discover the wild nature of the feminine, to be truly wildly me! and I'm so happy that I'm now at this place in my life where I can just be me. Connecting to my own power and my primal life force. That which is essentially feminine, has been a journey into pleasure. A healthy body can resonate with the ecstatic, the senses alive to sights, sounds, scents and texture. This is the power of pleasure. Let your pleasure guide you. To be healthy, nutritional support is important. I created Mojo for Women for this reason. Ancestral support for women, of all ages starts here. Daily Rituals That Nourish the Feminine With a regular daily practice, what ever lights you up: Yoga, mediation, prayer, and nutrition: ancestral, local, organic, foods that nourish your body, foods that are consciously chosen to nourish you through out your cycle. You will find that feminine within. And SHE is MAGNIFICENT!!!
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Fuel Your Brain and Body: The Essential Nutrients We Need Daily
We need a certain amount of nutrients daily to keep our brain functioning. Ultra processed foods have barely any nutrients, and medications can deplete our bodies of some nutrients, so being aware of what to eat to keep our nutrition optimal is key.
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