DoyCave.com

…where Doy occasionally writes.

Category: Resources

  • Just so you know…

    I really hate to pop up every month or so and show you something gross. I’m not doing that here, by the way.

    I am, however, linking you to an important article about how the poultry industry is changing and how it will affect you.

    Earlier this month, while you were busy sneaking out of your empty office, hoping nobody would notice your starting the holiday weekend early, the USDA was also doing something it was hoping nobody would notice. It was green-lighting the sale of Chinese processed American chicken.  As Politico explained, “U.S. officials have given the thumbs-up to four Chinese poultry plants, paving the way for the country to send processed chicken to American markets.” But while, “at first, China will only be able to process chicken that has been slaughtered in the U.S. or other certified countries,” that should not be a comfort to fans of the McNugget, Campbell’s chicken soup, or any other processed chicken product.

    Read the entire article here at Salon.com »

  • No words.

    http://vimeo.com/57126054

    This six minute clip has no words. It doesn’t need any, however, to explain why you should be questioning what you eat.

    It’s a clip from the documentary Samsara, directed by .

    Link via trueactivist.com

  • Living In The Meatrix

    The video above was made in 2003, and describes a frightening narrative that has been tossed about lightly, mainly because the science needed to confirm the hypotheses takes time.

    Fast forward 10 years (and right upon my return from vacation, no less), and this week we have yet another peer-reviewed study out of North Carolina, reinforcing the idea that keeping animals in tight confinement, routinely feeding them antibiotics (to keep them from dying in said confinement) and then slicing them up and selling them to you and me…AS FOOD…is a bad idea.

    Specifically a bad idea because on these farms they are breeding “superbugs,” or bacteria that resist antibiotics and are presently killing some 18,000 people per year and hospitalizing another 365,000 people per year. A 2011 study revealed that Multi-Drug Resistant Staph, or MDRSA is found in 1 out of 4 random meat samples tested.

    Let me reiterate this fact: these farms are BREEDING and GROWING bacteria that can kill you. It’s sometimes in the meat they sell. And they’re asking you to buy and eat it.

    This latest study involves the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA ST398, known as “Pig MRSA,” which was first spotted in the Netherlands in 2004, where it had infected both a farmer’s pigs as well as his young daughter. Since that time, it has spread throughout Europe, but in the U.S. had been limited mainly to Iowa. This study focused on the bug in hog-farm workers in eastern North Carolina, where it’s thriving just fine, thank you.

    The study compared workers from the industrial hog farm, where they routinely use antibiotics, with hog farm workers from antibiotic-free farms. Both groups carried staph and drug-resistant staph, which was expected. However, workers from the farms using antibiotics were many times more likely to carry the “Pig MRSA” strain, specifically linked to farm drug use.

    Here’s the numbers breakdown:

    • 41 out of 99 (41.4%) industrial hog farm workers and 42 out of 105 (40%) of the antibiotics-free farm workers carried staph bacteria in their nostrils.
    • Of the 41 industrial workers with staph, 13 of them carried “Pig MRSA” strain
    • Of the 42 antibiotic-free workers with staph, only ONE of them carried “Pig MRSA” strain

    What does this mean for you, my four faithful readers?

    This isn’t one of those preference kinds of things, really. In the end, if we’re being honest, giving money to this industry ensures the ongoing breeding of microscopic killers. You want a personal account? Here’s one, from a hog farm worker in North Carolina who passed MRSA on to her husband and daughter. 

    I think in the long run, this problem can be curtailed by awareness, but in the short term, I’m not so sure. Industrial pig farming, and all industrial farming for that matter is driven by one thing: profits. The ONLY way to stop this trend is with your dollars. If it’s within your means, I suggest finding local meat dealers that can ensure a better product. Or, if your grocer has access to local meats, shop there by all means.

    Resources:

  • Get Groceries For FREE!

    Okay, so I’m not actually going to tell you how to get free groceries from the grocery store. That headline used a fair bit of hyperbole.

    However, I AM going to tell you how to get started with a garden because, for us plant-eaters, it means free food…from the EARTH!

    I asked my friend, Desmal, to answer a few questions for us today. In addition to having a gorgeous garden from which he cooks AMAZING vegetarian food, Des is an art professor at East Georgia State College and an accomplished artist and photographer, too.

    Check out his stellar photos and art projects (and buy a print, would ya?!) at desmundo.com

    What do I need to get started with a garden?
    Not much, just a hand full of pots, a patch of land, maybe some scrap lumber for a raised bed. Any of these options will allow you to start growing your own veggies right at home. In the yard, on a patio…anywhere you have access to the sun. You will also need time, patience and a love of watching your plants grow.

    Is it expensive?
    No and yes.

    I mean, you can save your own seeds which may cost you very little. If you are sowing them in your own soil and watering them with water from your own well it won’t cost you a thing.

    On the other side of that coin, it can be a really expensive path to pursue. There are plenty of companies out there willing to take your dollar for a bit of garden gadgetry or a some miraculous additive to make your garden burst with fresh veggies.

    I would recommend starting on the cheap end and if you love what you do….expand from there. Try growing peppers in a pot. You can cut the side of a milk carton for a quick planter if you don’t have any pots ready to be recycled/reclaimed.

    Take care to start with good soil. What is good soil? Judge it by color, texture and smell. You want a good dark color soil that feels a bit like a sponge and has a deep earthy smell to it. If feeling and smelling your dirt sounds like a bit much then you can head to your local garden supply store and bit up a bag of organic garden or potting soil to start with.

    How much space do I need?
    The amount of space depends on the scale of your vision. I would recommend starting small and as your plants grow…let your garden grow with it. Remember, a few pots on your patio can produce plenty of fresh veggies for summer salads. I love my 4’x4′ raised beds. They are easy to weed, as I need more space I simply build another bed. (Beware the sticker shock of buying soil/compost for a 16″ high 4’x4′ raised bed.)

    Where can I buy good, organic seed?
    I buy most of my seeds from Bakers Creek and Peaceful Valley.

    When do I plant/harvest? Is there a specific time table?
    Here in Georgia we have the option to plant early in the Spring, again in the Summer and then there is even room for a Fall planting as well. Pay attention to what you are planting because each plant will have an ideal growth/production temperature.

    We planted Lincoln Peas (first time using this variety) this Spring and we ate peas all the way up to Summer. I was shocked by how well these plants did. We are currently on our second run of Summer Squash (the seedlings broke ground yesterday.)

    Start with what you want to eat (it sounds simple enough…but stick to planting things that you like to eat. There is no reason to grow a field full of eggplant if you don’t like eating a lot of eggplant) then research what varieties will do best in your area and plant accordingly.

    How do you keep out pests and bugs?
    Time, patience and a variety of old and new techniques.

    We avoid using chemical toxins in our garden. This means I spend a lot of time picking bugs off of plants, running ants from one corner of the garden to another and constantly trying out new approaches. I don’t have a quick answer for you on this one.

    I would recommend a variety of approaches. For instance, planting marigolds in and around the garden seems to do a great job of deterring certain insects, planting plants that attract beneficial insects is another approach (we plant a lot of zinnias in and around the garden for that very reason) and falling back on some natural deterrents like coffee, cinnamon and as a last resort diatomaceous earth.

    What plants or varieties should I start with? Are there any that are easier than others?
    I find peppers to be the least troublesome of all of my plants. I find tomatoes to be the most troublesome of all of my plants. They constantly need my attention. Therefore I plant a lot of peppers, kale, carrots, and just a few tomatoes. Squash are also pretty easy so long as the squash bugs don’t find them and they get a chance to dry out between rains.

    How often should I check the plants?
    Daily.

    How often should I water them and when?
    When the soil is dry, water and water them well. You want those roots to dig deep and grow strong. Frequent light waterings will leave the roots near the surface where they become dependent on the daily shower.

    Where can I find more organic gardening resources online?
    Wow, there are so many forums out there to dig into. The seed sellers I listed above have great forums that can help but in all honesty a local old timer will be one of your best resources. They know the weather, they know the soil and they know what works in the area. Now I don’t let that stop me from trying out new/different plants but I always plant what my grandfather planted to guarantee food on the table.

    And, finally, spinach or kale? Why? Try not to be too controversial in your answer. My readers are ANIMALS!
    Kale. In our area- it just seems to grow without hassle.

    I should add that I am just a hobby gardener with little experience ‘in the field’. There is no better resource than an old timer down the street with a plot full of fresh veggies on the vine. Seek them out. I have found they are almost always happy to talk shop, share secrets and more often than not…send you home with a basket of fresh picked veggies.

    Have fun with it and weed daily.

    Working with the earth is good for the soul.

  • Don’t ever “fuggedaboutit!”

    James GandolfiniJames Gandolfini died last week of a heart attack. He was only 51.

    I didn’t know the guy, but his death rattled me. As did the sudden death of comedian Patrice Neal, who died of a stroke at only 41; the death of Rick Byargeon, 56, a pastor and former professor at New Orleans Seminary who died of melanoma; and the death of David Bartram, a professor and colleague at East Georgia College, who was 63 and had just recently been given a clean bill of health after a stress test. He went home for Christmas and died the day after, quite suddenly, of a heart attack.

    I don’t know all the factors, lifestyle choices and circumstances surrounding each of these deaths and I’m certainly not intending to speculate or cast aspersions on them at all. However, all of these deaths, and all deaths like them, constantly remind me why I live the way I do and how much further I have to go. And I hope they will serve as an Ebenezer to one of you four faithful readers, reminding you that your days aren’t promised on this earth. Why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to prolong them?

    In my last post, I talked about obesity and I shared a list of foods banned in other countries but allowed here in the United States.

    When I think about these chemicals, most of which are PROVEN to cause neurological disease and cancer (among other harmful effects), it infuriates me. It infuriates me even more when I realize that most of these foods (especially foods with harmful colors and dyes) are marketed to our CHILDREN!

    It infuriates me to think about how there is increasingly less FOOD in our food and there is little or nothing being done about it, save for this awesome guy in England.

    Our butchered cows are fed horrible diets, sometimes causing acidosis, which farmers fight with drugs, which end up in our already fat-ridden meat. Chickens are given huge amounts of hormones to make their breasts larger (which means more profit per chicken) and injected with an array of antibiotics and other meds to battle their frighteningly unsanitary living conditions. Milk cows are given growth hormones to make them produce more milk and they’re pumped beyond their limits, requiring their udders to be treated with antibiotics and ointments, all of which ends up in our milk.

    Frozen and processed foods are treated with preservatives and chemicals, many of which come from petroleum-based compounds (that’s from CRUDE OIL, people) that were never meant to be ingested. Sodium contents are higher, fat contents are MUCH higher and the foods, while not any more physically dense and filling, are more calorically dense than ever. That means we can eat less of this tripe and it’s doing MORE damage to us than ever before!

    I realize this sounds like the rant of an angry man. The rants of a hypocrite, even, as I was one addicted to the foods I attempt to vilify. I’m certainly not perfect, and I’m certainly not immune to the inherent joy one feels when eating something decadent.

    I guess I’m just tired of the deaths and the disease. I know they aren’t ALL coming from our foods, but so many of them are, and many of them are still being examined to find their source. I hate that Autism has jumped exponentially. I hate that heart disease will kill more Americans than ever before. Diabetes is absolutely ravaging men, women and now our children, too. I hate it all.

    Gandolfini played a mob boss on the show, “The Sopranos.” They were fond of using the term, “fuggedaboutit.” It’s meaning varies. It can mean anything from the literal, “forget about it,” to the more obscure, “it’s not worth mentioning because its greatness is so apparent.”

    I’m not telling you how to eat, my four faithful readers.

    I’m just asking that you tenaciously do your own research, persistently read the labels, and never…EVER…”fuggedaboutit.”

  • Obesity: Disease or Deficiency?

    Overweight Mother and Daughter

    The American Medical Association (AMA) has officially labeled obesity a disease, inadvertently causing a furious debate over one question, “Is obesity the result of purely external factors or is it simply a failure of self-governance?”

    The Facebook pundits have already weighed in on the story. Friends and others in my network have quipped, “Can we immunized for obesity now?!” “I think this is just an excuse for an unhealthy lifestyle!” “This is bull. Choice is not a disease.” “So…everyone 35 lbs. over their ideal weight will get government assistance to lose weight.” And my favorite, “Does that make a cheeseburger a ‘controlled substance?’”

    But I guess that’s Facebook for you. It’s a rush to be pithy without all the facts. Come to think of it, they probably learned that by watching 24-hour news networks. BOOM! That’s my journalism zinger for the day. Thank you, thank you….

    I’m sure it’s going to get noisy out there, but when all the armchair scientists, pundits and talking heads have exhausted their bombast, what is all of this going to mean?

    In the end, I think it’ll be good and bad. Let me explain…bad news first, I guess.

    My fear, and the fear that many doctors have shared online, is that the medical community will focus on drugs and surgery to TREAT this disease instead of focusing on PREVENTION by teaching patients sound nutritional principles based on the most current research.

    Let me say from the outset, however, that I don’t believe that the obesity epidemic is simply collective lack of willpower from the people of the world. I think there’s much more to it than that.

    Many people would assume that obesity just affects more affluent nations like ours, and among those nations, affects the middle to higher income families, due to their financial ability to access food. However, the trend is almost the opposite. Even poor countries are suffering higher obesity rates than ever before, and in the U.S., the highest rate of obesity falls upon the poor. Mississippi suffers from the highest obesity rate in the U.S. and also happens to be the state with the highest concentration of people living below the poverty line. (See an infographic here.)

    I won’t get into all the different theories about why this exists (and there are SEVERAL), but I will tell you what I believe. Weren’t you JUST DYING to know?

    I think obesity is rampant among the poor because of the QUALITY of the food they are able to access. Poorer families (I’ve learned from personal experience) rely on low-cost, quick-fix and often fast food to get them through each month. What they might NOT know is that this processed food is the WORST food for them, and even smaller amounts of it can cause larger problems down the line. Or as Jonathan CK Wells, professor of child nutrition as University College London says, “all calories are not created equal.”

    In his article for Aeon Magazine entitled, “The Obesity Era,” David Berreby, citing Professor Wells, reports, “The problem with diets that are heavy in meat, fat or sugar is not solely that they pack a lot of calories into food; it is that they alter the biochemistry of fat storage and fat expenditure, tilting the body’s system in favour of fat storage.”

    So, not only are lower income families eating food that’s bad for them now, but they’re also eating food that could possibly alter their body chemistry towards obesity in the long term. It’s honestly scary when you think about it. (See this list of foods we eat in the U.S. which are banned in other countries)

    In light of this, what are the obese to do? What are we to do? Wells suggests a global shift in our economy to allow the poorer families of the world access to BETTER food. I can’t imagine the clout necessary to bring this seemingly impossible change to fruition, but I would love to see this happen all over the world. However, learning the benefits of plant-based, whole foods nutrition, learning to garden and the like could make some small strides along the way.

    Or maybe I’m a hopeless idealist who will know nothing but crushing disappointment. Leave me alone. I can still believe in Santa Claus if I want.

    There is, however, some good news to be had here, I think.

    Now that obesity is a DISEASE, I honestly think the medical research community will put it more squarely in their crosshairs. I think obesity’s epidemic-level status has started that ball rolling, but elevating it to a disease will push it over the hill.

    I hope this research FINALLY indicts our modern food industry, the harmful chemicals it increasingly relies upon and the absolutely insane standard American diet being pushed out to people. I mean, have you SEEN MyPyramid? Does it make ANY sense to you?

    In the end, I honestly have no idea what this will mean for us, but I do know that obesity is the “gateway drug” leading to heart disease, stroke, gastrointestinal issues and cancer…just to name a few. If we EVER want to get insurance and healthcare costs under control, we must tackle this problem. It’s crushing our country in so many ways, and I hope this designation will give it the attention it deserves.

    If you’d like to read more about this, here are a few articles that offer more information:

     

  • What do the Amish have that I DON’T?!

    Amish Farmer
    Photo by Beechwood Photography

    Unsurprisingly (for those of you who know my story), I’ve been thinking about the link between nutrition and disease for awhile now.

    My change in nutrition has not only allowed me to lose 100 lbs., but it has also reduced my blood pressure (which has gone from an average 140/90 to 120/80, and often lower), it had reduced my cholesterol (with medication, it was around 220 and is now 85 TOTAL) and has reduced much of my anxiety, which I’ve previously managed on and off with medication as well.

    And though I won’t see the results for at least another year or so, I’m believing that this way of eating is repairing the damage caused by Coronary Artery Disease, a result of my previously unhealthy diet.

    So, you can imagine I was excited (and ultimately unsurprised) to find this article in the WV Oupost about the Amish, of all people.

    According to the article (and to the medical findings contained within), the Amish don’t get autism or the learning disabilities that continue to plague the rest of the U.S. Both are on the rise in America (1 case for every 100 children now), and scientists have speculated several causes, while in Amish communities, there have been three confirmed cases of autism. EVER.

    In addition, and what really excited me, is that these same Amish communities very rarely get any of the other diseases that are literally ripping through America’s population: diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

    Why?

    The article suggests it’s their diet and lifestyle that shields them from our maladies. Namely, that they aren’t exposed to ours.

    “Their diet consists of eating organic, fresh, locally-grown produce, and of course, they do not follow the established vaccination routines.”

    In addition, they don’t eat genetically modified foods (GMO’s), they don’t use our chemically-engineered medicines or our chemically-altered foods. And they’re healthier for it!

    Dr. T. Colin Campbell found the same types of results in his massive “China Study,” which studied an unprecedented number of villages and people, detailing their nutrition and disease. In those villages where residents ate more meat, fish, dairy and processed foods as part of their diet, the more cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The less meat, fish, dairy and processed foods, the less disease.

    I know this particular article is a bit preachy and gets downright “conspiracy theory” at times. I can’t really fault them for their frustrations. However, in spite of the slant, you should be asking yourself, “What do the Amish have that I don’t?”

    They have less hospital visits, for one thing.

  • How to decrease your cancer risk right now

    hot dogs on grillIt’s scary time on Eating To Live…just in time for Memorial Day, even! I’m sure it won’t be this way often, so don’t assume I’ve gone dark or anything.

    Cancer is honestly one of those things you can’t talk about without a collective hush coming over the room. It’s a plague that’s taken too many of my friends and affected too many of my family. And it’s on the rise.

    WebMD reports worldwide cancer rates are going to jump more than 75% by 2030.  In the U.S. specifically, obesity related cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer are expected to rise, and the blame is increasingly falling on our diet.

    Our food, in many cases, is killing us, and a 2007 World Cancer Research Fund review of 7,000 clinical studies says it’s LITERALLY killing us.

    The review, which I’ve only read recently, thanks to Holly Lee’s nutrition blog, essentially says that processed meat should be stricken from your diet right now in order to reduce your cancer risk.

    In fact, the study reported that every 50 gram serving (roughly 1 hot dog) eaten per day increases colorectal cancer risk by 21 percent. Yes, you read that right. As a result, the study recommends people simply avoid processed meat.

    Why processed meats?

    The two big chemical offenders here are Sodium Nitrite and Monosodium glutamate (MSG). Sodium Nitrite is a color additive used to make meats look bright red and more fresh, and MSG adds an addictive savory flavor to make even long-packaged processed meats taste good.

    Both are horrible for you and are linked to both a sharp rise in colorectal cancer risk as well as neurological disorders, obesity and other serious health conditions.

    Still not convinced?

    A separate study, published in 2005 by Hawaii University, reports that eating processed meats increases pancreatic cancer risk by 67%. That makes you almost SEVEN TIMES more likely to get pancreatic cancer, which, if you didn’t know, has a five-year survival rate of less than 5%.

    I’m not a vegan evangelist by any means. I’m on my diet out of necessity. I’ve adopted this strict diet in order to fight the Coronary Artery Disease that would otherwise have surgeons sawing open my chest. I’m sure that a vegan diet can improve your health, but I know it’s not for everyone.

    I will, however, say this. If you’ve never had a doctor give you a bad prognosis, you won’t understand the regret and the self-hatred that comes when you realize your disease is something you could’ve easily prevented. I’ve been there, and it’s a bummer of a ride.

    Because I honestly care about you four faithful readers, I hope you never take it.

    Further reading:

  • From the Horse’s Mouth!

    If you’ve ready ANYTHING on this blog, you’ve heard me gush about Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

    Just so you know, I’m not a stalker…though he hasn’t returned my five-hundred-and-eighth phone call and I’m starting to get twitchy. Anybody know where he lives?

    What were we talking about again?

    I’m a fan of Dr. Esselstyn because he’s honestly given me another option…something OTHER than bypass surgery or further stenting. One day, I hope to be free of the medications, too.

    I’m always encouraged when I hear him speak about his passion. With every appearance, I’m reminded of the growing research data he’s amassing with each new patient. With every appearance, another success story…another person given a new lease on life.

    This is a great condensed version of his research and results. I know that not all of you four faithful readers suffer from Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) the way I do, but it’s good to be armed with information. The western diet is dangerous, and I hope this encourages you to leave it behind for good…for YOUR good.

  • A Cancer Cure You’ve Never Heard Of?

    2164797Just for the record, I wasn’t sold on plant-based nutrition from the outset.

    We briefly tried to go vegan early last year. It lasted a couple of weeks before we were back to grilled chicken and burgers.

    My entry into the Esselstyn diet has honestly been one of necessity. I’m going down this road because if it will indeed reverse my heart disease, I might just get to see my grandchildren one day.

    That said, however, I’m becoming more and more convinced of the value — dare I say necessity? — of plant-based nutrition in battling America’s most debilitating diseases. The modern American diet as we know it is a sure-shot killer, and more and more people are being taken from this earth by its slow and deadly precision.

    This weekend I saw the documentary, Dying to Have Known by filmmaker Steve Kroschel (presently available on Netflix instant streaming). In this film, he specifically focuses on Gerson Therapy, an intense regimen of plant-based nutrition that is purported to CURE cancer. You read that right, by the way. Cure. Cancer.

    In the film, Kroschel talks mostly with patients, all diagnosed with various forms of cancer, some given only months to live. In each case, they claim the cancer went into remission and hasn’t come back since.

    The science behind the therapy lies with Dr. Max Gerson, who wrote about his first successes with cancer in the 1958 book, A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases and the Cure of Advanced Cancer. The therapy aims to strengthen the liver, flooding the body with antioxidants and starving and dissolving the cancer cells.

    The therapy and the man behind it are genuinely interesting. Dr. Gerson went before the senate in in July 1946, bringing with him five cancer patients healed with his plant-based therapy. He was shot down by the medical establishment, received very little press coverage, and after his death in 1959, we’re still hearing very little.

    Unfortunately, however, Kroschel’s take on the subject isn’t very thorough. He often gets in the way of the storytelling, interjecting his own feelings, questions and reflections about the subject and avoiding some of its most basic facts. Other than knowing the source of the therapy and some of its success stories (in overview), I left wanting to know more about this therapy and what it’s about. My summary above is based on internet research, not what I learned in the film.

    In short, the film is more personal essay than journalism; more reflection than reporting.

    That said, however, I would still recommend seeing it. It’s important to hear stories from real people who have made changes in their lives for the better. In this case, the changes probably saved their lives outright.

    I take the time to write these articles for you, my four faithful readers, because I genuinely want you and your families to flourish on this earth, unhindered by the toxicity and disease that plagues the citizens of this country.

    Obesity is at an all-time high. For the first time in history, our children may live shorter lives than we live. Cancer is at an all-time high. Autism affects more children than ever. Obviously, something is wrong.

    I don’t claim to have all the answers, and I certainly can’t say that spinach will save our country or our lives.

    I can, however, say that it won’t hurt. And I can definitely say you’ll be healthier as a result. I’m living proof of that.

    Check out Dying to Have Known. It’s just over and hour and can move slowly at times, but the knowledge gained within is worth your time…and your health…and just might spark your interest in learning more.

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