Nutrition

A few years ago, the Center for Science in the Public Interest broke the news on the true calorie and fat content of movie theater popcorn. Based on their own nutritional analysis, they found that a medium popcorn at the movies contains 1,200 calories and 60 grams of fat. This is the amount of calories and fat that many people should consume in a whole day. Many experts began recommending that people bring their own microwave (i.e. calorie controlled) popcorn to the movie theater instead. Although this may be a better choice in terms of fat and calorie content, unfortunately microwave popcorn contains chemicals that may be equally as dangerous to your health.

You may have heard about Ashton Kutcher’s health scare back in January, which landed him in the hospital just two days prior to the first days of shooting for the movie of Steve Jobs life, “Jobs” in which he stars.

The star found himself suffering with severe stomach pains which were attributed to a problem with his pancreas. The cause?  An all fruit diet, the fruitarian diet, that Kutcher went on modeled after a very common eating regime of Steve Jobs himself.

Kutcher stated to US Weekly,

“I went to the hospital like two days before we started shooting the movie. I was like doubled over in pain and my pancreas levels were completely out of whack. It was really terrifying… considering everything.”

What Kutcher may mean by ‘considering everything’ is that Jobs followed an all fruit diet, and that he died from pancreatic cancer. According to Walter Issacson’s biography, “Steve Jobs,” Jobs began extreme dieting, such as the all fruit diet, his freshman year in college. (Read more about Steve Jobs and his pancreatic treatment plan here http://www.draxe.com/steve-jobs-twenty-year-battle-with-pancreatic-cancer/.)

And while the all fruit diet and others are intended as a way to detox the body, many doctors and nutritionists alike are concerned about the impact following an all fruit diet may have on your health; especially if one of these diets is followed long term.

According to Melissa Moore, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, when fruit is the only food consumed, you miss out on a lot of essential nutrients.

One of those important nutrients is protein. Proteins are molecules made up of smaller molecules which are amino acids. Proteins are used to build virtually everything in the body from skin, hair and nails to the hemoglobin in your blood which is made of protein.

Proteins can be found in meats from land animals as well as fish and fowl; also nuts, seeds, beans and dairy products. There are also whole grains containing proteins; brown riche, whole wheat, quinoa, and barley. There are also a few vegetables that can be sources of protein such as avocado and sprouts.

Another major concern of all fruit diets are the good fats missing from the consumer’s diet. Good fats are essential for many bodily functions including maintaining proper hormone levels and brain functions.

These much need fats can be found in fish, nuts, oils, seeds and avocados.

But proteins and good fats aren’t the only nutrients the body can be depleted of when on the fruitarian (or any other extreme) diet.  Other essential nutrients the body can suffer from going without are bone building calcium, vitamins B and D-12 as well as iron and zinc

The reasons for partaking in extreme dieting are usually to either lose weight or detox the body. Healthy eating, as I’ve outlined in my book “The Real Food Diet Cookbook,” is the best way to reach or maintain a healthy body weight. It’s vital to eat a balanced diet and not eliminate any one type of food or stick just to eating one type of food such as the fruitarian diet that both Ashton Kutcher and Steve Jobs ate.

Lessons Learned

1. Both Steve Jobs and Ashton Kutcher engaged in all fruit, otherwise known as fruitarian, diets.
2. Ashton Kutcher fell ill with pancreatic issues associated with his all fruit diet.
3. All fruit diets deplete the body of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
4. Proteins and fats are two important nutrients the body goes without in all fruit diets
5. It’s essential to eat a balanced diet, such as the one outlined in my book, “The Real Food Diet Cookbook.”

Sources:

• http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/29/health/steve-jobs-all-fruit-diet
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/ashton-kutcher-fruit-diet-steve-jobs-pancreas-hospitalized_n_2566289.html
• http://drbenkim.com/articles-fruit.html
• http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/11/all-fruit-diet.aspx

This is going to be a major disappointment for some of you.  That really healthy olive oil you thought you were purchasing at the store may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.  You probably never thought that expensive bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil might be laced with GMO soybean oil and herb flavors so it tastes more like real olive oil right?

Americans spend more than $700 million a year on olive oil, but most of that may be waste because of olive oil fraud.
According to Tom Mueller, the investigative author of Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, 70 percent of the extra virgin olive oil sold worldwide is watered down with other oils and enhancers making them far from virgin.

The Paleo (Paleolithic) diet is one of the most popular diet’s in America today.  The Paleo Diet, also known as the cave-man diet or hunter gatherer diet is based on the idea that before modern agriculture (Paleolithic era 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C.) the human body evolved and adapted to eating a diet consisting of wild plants and animals.

Many Crossfit athletes are now following the paleo diet to get stronger, leaner, faster, and improve recovery time.

by Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon

Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats as part of a meal slow down absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat- soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes.

If you’re an athlete looking for natural ways to improve your performance, you’re probably already aware of the many profound benefits of juicing. I know a lot of people and athletes are looking for a natural energy boost to give them an extra edge as well.
What if I told you that the answer to your quest for improvement may be found right in the garden. Most people are familiar with the main benefit of beetroot which is reducing blood pressure (According to research by the American Heart Association), but new research is showing that beetroot can provide even more benefits (more on that later). Echinacea, on the other hand, has long been a known treatment in herbal medicine for the common cold, flu, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections and many others. But did you know these two foods can also help improve your athletic performance?

Have you heard the notion that everything’s fine in moderation?
Well, that’s simply not true! If what you’re having in moderation is processed, bleached and highly sugared food, then no moderation this or moderation that will help you out.

What you’re actually doing is slowly, but surely poisoning your body. The foods to avoid immediately are fast food, soda, candy, processed snacks and bleached flour! Of course the list goes on, but these are at the top.
A diet with these foods has the potential to lead you down 1 of 2 roads. The first path is something we hear about all the time, obesity. In fact, 1/3 of American’s today are obese or morbidly obese. One other path these foods can lead to is heart disease, something 1 in 5 American’s suffer from today!

But, I have good news!
You have the power to change your life and your health. Eating healthy can actually taste amazing. With all the free healthy recipe resources available like pinterest, my free recipes online along with the thousands of gluten free recipe blogs, there’s really no excuse for not eating and enjoying healthy meals.

I know it can be overwhelming at first. That’s why I wanted to share with you some of the most dangerous foods that you should stop eating today!

6 foods to stop eating today

1. Fried food.
Let’s be honest, for a lot of people-fried food tastes good. However, what if I told you that the price of that flavor could be equal to cancer. A great deal of research has found correlations between fried food (most especially meats) and cancer. A recent 2010 study concluded that consuming fried meats could double the chance of a person developing bladder cancer! Not only that, eating a lot of fried foods has also been shown to increase chances of asthma.

2. Fast food.
The harsh reality about fast food is this: there is so little “food” that is actually in there that it’s a wonder why they call it food in the first place! Food is supposed to nourish our bodies, but fast food doesn’t carries the opposite effect. Fast food is extremely high in calories, fat, and sodium!

What’s more, claims that fast foods supposedly use GMOs  (genetically modified foods)or genetically modified organisms to source their food are on the rise, and for good reason. GMOs are foods that are derived from animals or plants that have been changed or altered genetically. There are many specific methods used to create GMOs but they often include mutagenesis or mutation breeding, where an organism can be exposed to radiation or chemicals to create the results desired. Simply put, stay away!

3. Frozen Foods.
Fast food is not alone in being empty of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Frozen foods hold that title too. Like fast food, very little of what’s in frozen foods is actually food. Most of the things that make up frozen food are preservatives and extenders. While frozen food may hold you over until your next meal, it doesn’t give your body anything substantial. It doesn’t have vitamins, nutrients and minerals and like fast food, is high in sodium, fat and calories!

4. Soda.
Take spoons of sugar, add in some carbonated water and food coloring, add more sugar and what you get is basically a simple version of soda. Soda is simply a recipe for disaster. Flavor is a high price to pay for what you get from consuming it. Sodium benzoate, a common ingredient found in most sodas has been linked to allergies, asthma and eczema. Phosphoric acid, another soda ingredient, has been found to contribute to osteoporosis and tooth decay, as well as kidney problems. High fructose corn syrup, the soda sweetener has been connected to metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. I recommend that you stick to good old filtered water!

5. Products with white flour.
What’s so bad about white flour? It’s actually one of the most dangerous processed foods that you can eat. White flour is the result of taking something wholesome and nourishing and refining it into something that the body doesn’t recognize. It’s then loaded with chemicals, deodorizers and bleaching agents, all chemicals that I’d never want anywhere near my body.

Consuming white flour is actually very taxing to our pancreas. Diabetes, obesity and an overall increased storage of fat have all been linked to the consumption of white flour products.

6. Baked Goods.

Most commercially prepared baked goods contain the same toxins as the 5 types of foods mentioned above. Baked goods are rich in margarines, vegetable oils, white flour, refined sugar, preservatives, extenders and additives.

Getting Started

It’s as easy as replacing your breakfast. Instead of a coffee and muffin, do a berry smoothie with Raw Protein. You’ve already changed 1/3 of your diet. To get my cookbook with over 130 healthy recipes, click here.

Make dramatic changes to what you eat and you’ll be surprised how your body will start to feel and function better, how you can sleep better and actually have more energy!

Have a healthy recipe blog you love?

Share it in the comments below!

Sources: bbc.co, nih.gov

Childhood Obesity Tied to School Lunches

It’s no secret that portion sizes have increased over the last 60 years. The CDC just released a shocking graph showing just how much that increase has been.

Another shocker: chocolate bars today are about 1,233% larger compared to the early 1900’s. It’s no wonder why the country is suffering from an overweight and obesity epidemic- one that was unheard of only 3 decades ago!

Going on a purely raw diet may sound a bit extreme, but if you look at the food most people tend to eat all the time, you’ll realize that adding raw food to your diet may be beneficial to your body and overall health. We’ve been taught that cooked food is easier for the body to digest, but recent studies have disproven this. In fact, some recent studies show that cooked food is actually more difficult to digest than raw food. There’s several variations and definitions when talking about Vegetarianism, here are the most common:

Vegetarian – Diet consists of plant-based foods and includes eggs and dairy.

Vegan – Abstain from ALL animal products and consume only plant-based foods (NO meat, fish, eggs, or dairy).

Pescetarian – Diet includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, dairy, and fish (No poultry, beef, or red meat).

The Raw Vegan Diet

A raw vegan food diet consists of raw foods that have not been heated over 46º C or 115º F. When you decide to go on a raw vegan food diet, you’re only allowed to eat the following:

• All kinds of raw fruits and vegetables
• Sprouts
• Nuts and seeds
• Roots and root vegetables (squashes included)
• Fresh Herbs
• Raw Spices
• Seaweeds
• Sprouted Whole Grains
• Soaked Legumes

All other types of food must be eliminated while being on the raw vegan diet. However, you can drink fresh and fruit vegetable juices. There are other kinds of food that are allowed in limited amounts, just as long as they have not been heated over 115º F. Examples of such food are:

• Cold pressed oils
• Raw nut butters
• Raw nut milks
• Unprocessed olives
• Fermented food like miso and kimchi
• Pure maple syrup
• Dried fruits and vegetables
• Vinegars and food that has been cured by vinegar
• Raw cocoa / dark chocolate

Benefits of a Raw Vegan Diet

1. More enzymes- Alissa Cohen, author of Living in Live Food states that when we cook our food over 112-118º F , we lose most of the vital enzyme content. When cooked over a certain temperature, the enzymes found in food become destabilized. Enzymes are important because they are needed to break down the food into smaller nutritional units that the body can handle.   While the pancreas and other cells make enzymes in the body, raw foods provide more enzymes for the body to use. In a diet of purely cooked foods, the pancreas and other organs are overworked, because there is no external enzyme source. As a result, they become exhausted
2. Avoid the by-products of cooked food – when meat is cooked at high temperatures HCA’s (chemical compounds) can be created that may be carcinogenic. The higher the cooking temperature, the more toxins are created. Not only that, some nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are destroyed or altered. Eating too much cooked food creates waste in the body that cannot even be used, which in turn, may have a clogging effect on the body.
3. Raw foods contain Biophotons or “sun stored energy”. Biophotons can control important processes in our body. The more biophotons we consume the more we’ll tend to have higher levels of energy and improved mood.

Disadvantages of a Raw Vegan Diet

Switching to a raw vegan diet is considered a healthy move by many, but it may not be all it’s cracked up to be, below are the downsides to having a completely vegan diet:

1. Lack of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle and are important for cellular health and proper metabolism.
2. Low levels of vitamin B12.  You can only get vitamin B12 in substantial amounts by consuming meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
3. Phytic acid. There are grains, beans and legumes such as raw soybeans, lentils and mung beans that may contain trypsin inhibitors. These inhibitors can block key digestive enzymes.  Also, grains can contain phytic acid that can keep you from digesting calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.  However, soaking and sprouting your grains and legumes can greatly reduce phytic acid.
4. Potential Inability to put on muscle. This may be due to the lack of certain vitamins that we normally get from meat and fish.
5. Over consume Carbohydrates. One of the most common trends I’ve found from working with hundreds of vegans and vegetarians is that they tend to over consume carbohydrates and sugars.  Eating too many carbs can cause Candida and yeast overgrowth along with weight grain. There are some vegans who have created a better balance but this is far from the majority.
6. Fatigue and Low Energy. Again, due to the lack of certain vitamins that we normally get from meat and fish.

Is Vegan Healthy?

I believe it’s possible to be healthy as a Vegan, but it’s not ideal.  As a vegetarian or pescetarian you’re able to get plenty of amino acids and vitamin B12 without supplementation so I prefer those approaches.

If you are a Vegan I strongly suggest you supplement with vitamin B12 and consume plant based protein powder daily (like RAW Protein) and get plenty of nuts, seeds, mushrooms, beans, seaweed and higher protein grains like quinoa in your diet.

I believe many people choose a vegan diet because there’s so much improper treatment of animals today.  While I totally agree that this is sad and common, there are companies who abide by Organic and Biblically based standards today so you can feel good about your source.

So…Raw, Vegan, or Vegetarian?

My diet is 70/30. I personally consume about 70% raw plant based foods but also about 30% of my diet is organic grass-fed beef, organic pastured dairy, wild caught fish (wild caught salmon is my favorite), and free-range organic poultry and eggs. I’ve tried a number of diets including vegetarian, vegan, and pescetarian and have found I really feel the best following this ratio. I call this ratio the Healing Food Diet and have also found this to have the best results with my patients, as well. Here’s the new, updated Healing Food Shopping List so you can have an extensive food guide to follow. If it’s on the list, it’s good to go.

Your thoughts:

1. Do you follow a Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, or Healing food diet?

2. If so, why?

Sources:

1. Educational Nutritional Research Seminar by R. Neil Voss, 2004, American Fork, UT
2. Food and Healing, by Annemarie Colbin, 1986, Ballantine Books, div. of Random House, New York, N.Y.
3. HEALTH FOOD JUNKIES, Orthorexia Nervosa: Overcoming the Obsession with Healthful Eating, By Dr. Steven Bratman and David Knight, 2000, Broadway Books, a division of Random House.
4. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with Mary Enig, 1999, 2000, NewTrends Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C.
5. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Weston A. Price, DDS, Keats Publishing, Los Angeles, CA, available from The Weston A. Price Foundation, www.westonaprice.org
6. Raw Food–One of Your Keys to Outstanding Health by Wes Peterson.
7. The Untold Story of Milk, Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Foods, by Ron Schmid, ND, 2003, NewTrends Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C.
8. Traditional Foods are Your Best Medicine, by Ronald F. Schmid, ND, 1997, Healing Arts Press, div. of Inner Traditions International, Rochester, VT.
9. http://www.naturalnews.com/025042_food_raw_vegan.html

I’ve written before about the dangers of farmed fish. Most people agree that eating fish is a healthier option for us. And the truth is, it really is! Fish is a low fat, high protein food that has a range of health benefits. However, given what we know of fish and its sources today, I need to clarify the myth that all fish is healthy.

Fish may not always be good for you. Fish can either be incredibly healthy or detrimental to our health, depending on where it’s sourced. There’s a world of difference between fish caught in the wild, and farm bred or farm-raised fish.

If you’re drinking conventional milk, you must stop! Why? Because it’s dangerous for your health.

High-Temp Pasteurization – Milk is heated to 161º for 31 seconds in order to sterilize the milk. The problem is that this also kills enzymes, much of the healthy microorganisms, and more importantly it denatures the proteins. Essentially, high-temp pasteurization kills the milk and makes it much more difficult for your body to digest. This can typically lead to inflammatory bowel disease, among others. I personally don’t drink pasteurized milk and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Because of the organic boom, specifically in the last few years, many mega corporations have moved to acquire smaller companies that promise organic products. After all, if “organic” is the buzz word that millions of people are buying into, it’s only natural that these guys want their share of the profit pie too. Dozens of supposedly organic companies fall under the umbrella of these mega corporations. Here are a few examples, see if you recognize any of them:

Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Popeye was right for choosing this powerhouse as his energy source, except for one mistake, he ate it from a can! Fresh, organic spinach is significantly more nutrient dense and actually has a fewer amount of environmental toxins compared to the canned stuff. Most people enjoy the flavor and texture of fresh, organic spinach rather than the canned alternative. Make sure to pump up your body with spinach on a regular basis.

Spinach is native to ancient Persia (Iranian regions). Arab traders carried spinach into India and China. Traders also brought this green leafy vegetable to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and ultimately to the US. Today, there are three primary varieties of spinach available on the market. Typically the most popular is baby spinach, but you could also go for smooth-leaf or savoy (has curly leaves).

This is a guest post written by Dr. David Jockers

Clean water and fresh squeezed lemon is one of the most well tested energy boosters around. Most people in America rely on caffeinated beverages like coffee to get aroused in the morning. These adrenal stimulants produce dirty energy in the form of blood sugar swings and oxidative stress. Water with lemon produces clean energy by hydrating and oxygenating the body to extraordinary energy and mental clarity.

After sleeping through the night the bodily tissues are dehydrated and need clean, pure water to filter out toxins and improve energy production in the cells. Most individuals turn to stimulants like coffee in the morning to give them a jump start. Unfortunately, coffee is a diuretic that depletes your body of water reserves and essential minerals and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium & magnesium.

People feel energized by coffee due to the effects of caffeine on the adrenal glands. Coffee stimulates these organs to pump out instant energy hormones epinephrine and nor-epinephrine. These hormones stimulate the body to breakdown stored sugar and release it into the bloodstream. This process causes abnormal blood sugar that increases oxidative stress, free radical formation and overall tissue damage.

This is called dirty energy because it produces a rampant amount of damage to the body in order to activate energy formation. Clean energy produces cellular energy without an excessive load of oxidative stress.

Food as Bio-electrical Energy

The food and beverages we eat provide electrically charged molecules that initiate energy production in our body. An ion is part of a molecule that carries an electrical charge. Positively charged ions are called “cations,” while negatively charged ions are called “anions.”

Most of the food we put into our bodies comes in a cationic form, while our natural digestive processes (hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, saliva) are anionic. Lemon is one of the only anionic foods on the planet. This means that it carries a very strong negative charge and is extremely electrically active.

Fresh lemon helps oxygenate the body and maximizes enzyme function. Lemon is known to stimulate the liver’s natural enzymes. This assists the liver in the process of dumping toxins like uric acid and of liquefying congested bile ducts.

Citric Acid Cleanses the System

Citric acid can also play a very important role in chelating out abnormal calcium stones. It has a unique ability to form soluble complexes with calcium that many have used to eliminate pancreatic stones and kidney stones. This mechanism can also help prevent calcium deposits from building up in the arteries that promote cardiovascular disease.

Clean water with lemon provides the body with hydration, anti-oxidants and electrolytes. Lemon is a rich source of the immune boosting vitamin C. It also has good quantities of electrolytes such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Lemon is a tremendous source of citrus bioflavonoid anti-oxidant phytonutrients that have been given the label Vitamin P.

Vitamin P consists of the flavonoid glycosides hesperetin and naringenin among others. Studies have shown that vitamin P enhances the anti-oxidant capability of vitamin C. These bioflavonoids also improve capillary permeability and overall blood flow. This is especially important for oxygenating tissues and maintaining normal blood pressure. These anti-oxidants have also been shown to reduce swelling, venous backup and edema.

Upon rising take 1 full lemon and squeeze it into 16-32 oz of fresh clean water and drink. Be sure to eat out the membranous parts of the lemon where the majority of the pectin fiber and citrus bioflavonoids are located. Stevia can be added to form sugar-free lemonade. Apple cider vinegar and various herbs can be used to boost enzymatic and anti-oxidant potential.

Sources: quantumbalancing.com, nutrition-and-you.com, naturalnews.com

About the author:

Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals

In 2007, researchers published a groundbreaking article in the Planta Medica journal about a certain enzyme being found to be far more effective than the traditional chemo-agent used in the treatment of cancer. That enzyme was bromelain, and its main natural source is pineapple.

In tests treating cancer in animals, bromelain was found to be more effective than 5-fluoracil (5-FU) when compared to an untreated control group. 5-FU has been used in the treatment of cancer for over 40 years, but its main problem is that it kills or irreversibly damages healthy cells and tissue as well as cancerous ones. Bromelain was not only found to be more effective but was also many times safer than 5-FU.

Natural compounds, such as bromelain have selective cytotoxity and they are able to kill cancerous cells in a self-disassembly process called apoptosis while leaving healthy cells unharmed. No FDA approved cancer-treating drug on the market can yet emulate this process as chemo-toxic agents such as 5-FU do not behave like natural compounds.

What is Bromelain?
Bromelain is a protease enzyme that is found in the stem and fruit of pineapples. This natural extract has been found to speed healing, acts as an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and helps dissipate bruising. Applied topically, it aids the healing of cuts, burns, insect bites and other skin problems.

Bromelain has been used for decades to fight inflammation naturally. It is useful for those suffering from arthritis and can speed up healing associated with surgical procedures. It is very useful for treating sporting injuries including sprains and can help counter pain as it acts as an analgesic.

For digestion, bromelain is a powerful aid to breaking down proteins into peptides and amino acids. It can ease the symptoms of ulcerative colitis and helps the general digestive processes. Studies conducted in Japan showed that taking bromelain helped those who had a wheat allergy.

Another powerful use of bromelain is that it fights blood clotting and is nature’s answer to those taking an aspirin a day to lower the risk of heart attack. Bromelain has been shown to stop blood platelets from sticking together or building up along the walls of blood vessels – both known causes of heart attacks or strokes. More information about bromelain as an anti-coagulant can be found on the draxe.com report [here].

The discovery of bromelain’s efficacy in the treatment of cancer may yet make it an even more important natural medicine.

Why Pineapples will Never be Used to Treat Cancer in Mainstream Medicine
It is a sad fact of life that medicine research is ruled by profits. It does not benefit Big Pharma to plough money into developing a natural substance, such as bromelain in pineapples, as the resulting therapy would be non-patentable. Even if the treatment is found to be safe and affordable, these complementary treatments are of no interest to medical giants. Unless the government decides to back research and development into such research, bromelain will never become part of the conventional medical establishment. However, there is nothing to prevent individuals from using freely available open research and reports to discover possible natural cancer treatments such as bromelain so that they can make their own informed decisions about their treatment.

Another reason why eating lots of fresh juicy pineapples will not effectively provide a sufficient dose of treatment is that most of the bromelain is found in the core and stem of the pineapple. These are the parts of the fruit that are the most inedible, so these enzymes are used to make homeopathic supplements of bromelain instead.

Bromelain supplements can be found in many forms, including tablets, capsules, powders and topical creams. Taking between 80 and 320mg a day is considered a safe and effective dose.  My favorite source of Bromelain is found in Wobenzym by Garden of Life. In the meantime, there is no reason not to enjoy a sweet juicy pineapple in your diet alongside a bromelain supplement. Pineapples are packed with other vitamins and nutrients to ensure a wholesome healthy lifestyle.

According to Dr. Ron Fessenden, M.D., M.P.H. the average American consumes over 150 pounds of refined sugar, plus an additional 62 pounds of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In comparison, we consume just one pound of honey per year. Instead, Dr. Fessenden recommends that increasing the intake of pure “raw” honey and drastically reducing the refined sugars and HFCS would reap enormous health benefits.