Maqui berry is a berry that is found in the southernmost region of South America, known as Patagonia. This area includes Argentina and Chile and is one of the most fertile regions in the whole world. It is probably because this land is so fertile that the Macqui berry which grows there is one of the greatest tasting fruits you will ever encounter. But I am not telling you about the Maqui berry just because it tastes good. This amazing berry is probably going to become the greatest and most effective weight loss supplement in the world!

The Maqui berry, just like the Acai berry, first started to gained notability in the West after it was briefly mentioned by Rachael Ray during one of her shows. She did not say much about the Maqui berry except “what an incredible fruit it was”. But since that day, the Maqui berry has gradually increased in popularity within the health and fitness market and is particularly well-known to dieters and weight watchers.

If the word Maqui berry is new to you, then you may be wondering, What on earth is it and what does it do? Read the rest of this entry »

Cod liver oil is a popular supplement which has been used by families across the generations as a way to improve their health. It can help reduce depression, augment the immune system and promote better blood circulation. The reason it is so healthy is because it is rich in four sources of essential nutrients, which are the omega 3s DHA and EPA, vitamin A and vitamin D.

Omega 3 DHA – This is a kind of fatty acid that is important for maintaining the health of the nervous system and promoting excellent sight. The skin, hair, bones and teeth all develop better when it there are sufficient levels of it within the body. Additionally, research has also linked it with both the prevention of depression, and the alleviation of symptoms associated with it.

Omega 3 EPA – The main benefits of this fatty acid are that it improves the body’s cardiovascular system and reduces inflammation. A secondary benefit is the slowing of the onset of arthritis. Elderly people especially need this fatty acid as part of their dietary intake, though it is still recommended for younger people too. Read the rest of this entry »

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Have you ever felt like losing weight is an impossible task? You know that exercise and a proper diet are very important, but your lifestyle is just too busy to get to the gym and take the time to prepare a healthy meal.

If you have felt this way, you are not alone. I have bought numerous gym memberships in my lifetime, only to see them go to waste due to my busy life getting in the way. I have started many diets, only to see them fall by the wayside because a quick trip to McDonald’s is much faster and more convenient than taking the time to prepare a healthy meal.

The sad fact of the matter is that our busy North American lifestyle is not conducive to healthy eating and exercise. We need to learn how to easily lose weight at home so that we can rapidly burn off our unwanted fat.

The plan that worked for me came in three parts: Exercise, quick healthy foods, and vitamins. Read the rest of this entry »

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Many mothers today are very well informed when it comes to raising healthy babies - from breastfeeding to preparing the right kinds of food. However, remember that raising healthy children starts when you begin learning about the right foods to eat when pregnant.

Nutrition during pregnancy has a very large bearing on the health of your child. Insufficient nutrients may lead to unfortunate cases of congenital defects and diseases, which are usually very hard to correct.

It is therefore very important that you know about the right foods to eat when pregnant, which will in turn ensure that you maintain a healthy pregnancy diet.

Simply put, your pregnancy diet must include a variety of foods from the four basic food groups: proteins, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.

Specifically, you need at least Read the rest of this entry »

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According to researchers, about 20 million Americans suffer from some sort of mood disorder. And even the most cheerful of us sometimes have down days, experience grief, or maybe just get overwhelmed by circumstances such as overwork.

What if you could stir up an instant mood-elevating drink when you need one? One with natural ingredients that are actually good for you? Apparently now you can.

A new mood drink product called MoodBoost comes in foil packets that you mix up in water for a quick mood adjustment. Ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbal extracts—with no artificial sweeteners and no caffeine.

The mood drink includes ingredients that have been associated with raising the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that help alleviate seasonal mood swings, control stress, and simply make people feel better.

This is especially interesting, because extensive medical research in Europe, where herbs are often prescribed by medical doctors, has shown that St. John’s wort, one of the ingredients in MoodBoost, is a natural antidepressant that is as effective in alleviating depression as antidepressant drugs, but without the side effects of prescription drugs.

Additional important ingredients include 5-HTP, vitamin D, Rhodiola rosea, vitamin B12, L-tyrosine, L-glutamine, magnesium, and zinc. Other medical research has shown that many people do not have enough vitamin B-12, vitamin D, and certain amino acids, such as L-tyrosine and L-glutamine.

What about the taste? The manufacturer has added tropical flavors, so the drink may actually taste good. And anyway, if you are depressed, it would be well worth mixing the powder into a small glass (or bottle) of water and chugging it down. I plan to give it a try.

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Recent medical research on vitamin D has shown amazing results. As we mentioned in an earlier post, vitamin D helps prevent so many serious diseases that some are calling it the “new wonder drug.”

And now it turns out that children actually need twice as much vitamin D as had been previously recommended. Instead of 200 units, they need 400.

Doctors have now found that vitamin D in the higher dosages prevents not only rickets and other diseases in children that have been known for generations. It has now been discovered that high-enough dosages of vitamin D also prevent diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other deadly conditions. And unlike prescriptions drugs, vitamin D it is cheap and completely safe.

Furthermore, researchers say, the amount of vitamin D that children and teenagers need to be healthy is far too much to get just from food. Children (and adults) need to take vitamin D supplements to stay healthy.

For years we have been told that soy is the new wonder food. Better for us than meat, milk, and a host of other foods.

The Dark Side of Soy

Authors Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, PhD, have investigated the available medical research findings and discovered that we have been dangerously, horrifyingly wrong. Soy is bad for us! And very, very bad for our babies!

You can read their complete article “Soy, the Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food at http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html. Meanwhile, here is a quick summary.

Even a Little Bit Hurts

New research shows that eating soy even a couple of times a week can suppress the thyroid, causing Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in younger people. In very sensitive people, even the small amount of soy flour that is in bread can cause problems.

Medical research shows that if you are taking thyroid medication, even a tiny bit of soy can cancel it out. Soy has long been known to cause thyroid enlargement in women and children. If medical researchers knew that, why were we not told?

How Much Is Too Much Soy?

If you think you never eat soy products, think again. Soy is in much of our food. Start reading labels in the grocery store, and try to find a loaf of bread that does not contain soy flour. Good luck!

Here are some of the common foods that contain soy, typical quantities, and how many milligrams of soy each contains:

Bread with added soy flour, 2 slices 4 mg
Meatless chicken nuggets, 1/2 cup 15 mg
Soy hot dog 15 mg
Soymilk, 8-ounce glass 20 mg
Miso, 1/4 cup 21 mg
Tofu, 1/2 cup 28 mg
Soy cheese, 1/2 cup 31 mg
Soymilk skin or film , cooked, 1/2 cup 51 mg
Tempeh, cooked, 1/2 cup 53 mg
Soybean chips , 1/2 cup 54 mg
Revival soy-based meal replacement, 1 serving 160 mg

Is it Alzheimer’s, or Is it Soy?

Symptoms of severely low thyroid include mental symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease, such as memory loss, confusion, slowness, paranoid depression and even hallucinations. Other symptoms of low thyroid (hypothyroidism) include fatigue, loss of hair, difficulties at menopause, digestive problems, constipation, infertility, brittle bones, and heart disease.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies Caused by Soy

Part of the problem with soy is caused by phytoestrogens, plant substances that mimic estrogen. But there are other problems. One is phytic acid which blocks the absorption of zinc. You need zinc for your brain to work properly.

And there is more: Modern processed soy foods have high levels of MSG, fluoride and aluminum, which are toxic to the nervous system. And food processing creates at least two kinds of carcinogens: lysinealanines and nitrosamines.

Soy products also contain certain enzymes that make it difficult to absorb protein and that irritate the digestive tract.

Even rats that were fed soy protein isolates (which are in many foods) became deficient in vitamins E, K, D and B12 and in the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc and many others.

Asians Actually Do Not Eat Much Soy

Soy enthusiasts say that soy is a staple food in Asia, but that is not true. Asians use soy only as a condiment.

People in China average only two teaspoons of soy a day. People in Japan average about 1/4 cup of soy a day, but they also eat large quantities of seaweed, which is very high in iodine. That somewhat protects them from the negative effects of soy.

But that is not the worst. Americans often eat much more soy than Asians, because it is hidden in so many foods. It is even in baby formula. At the rate at which many Americans eat soy, it can cause hormone disruption in women and developmental problems in children.

Bad for Babies

Even worse, infants who are given only soy-based baby formula are taking in 4 to 11 more soy than most adults in proportion to their body weigth. Babies who are fed soy-based formula have been found to have 13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula.

In fact, a New Zealand toxicologist, Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, estimates that a baby that is fed only soy formula is getting the equivalent in phytoestrogen of five birth control pills per day—or more.

Are you wondering if Asians give their babies soy-based baby formula? Well, they don’t. They use cow milk or buffalo milk instead.

What We Thought We Knew Was Wrong

For awhile, researchers thought that premature development of menstuation and sex characteristics in children was caused by meat. Well, the evidence is in. The actual culprit seems to be soy-based baby formula.

New research links soy baby formula learning disabilities, extreme emotional behavior, depression, asthma, immune system problems, pituitary insufficiency, thyroid disorders and irritable bowel syndrome.

News of Soy Effects Repressed by Researchers?

But here is what is really scary: Some researchers have suppressed the negative findings about soy because they were assured by the soy industry that soy was perfectly safe!

What to Do if You Are Hurt by Soy Products

Consumer groups in Canada and New Zealand are working to ban soy infant formula. The law firm of Johnston Lawrence in New Zealand is collecting the names of victims for a class action lawsuit in New Zealand. They will then follow up in the US.

If you believe your child has been hurt by soy infant formula, or if you have suffered thyroid problems from ingesting soy, write to PO Box 1213, DX SP 20004, Wellington, New Zealand or roger@johnlaw.co.nz and tell them your story.

In America the Weston A. Price Foundation is working to have soy baby formula taken off the market. If you think your child may have been harmed by soy baby formula, write to the following congressmen, and send a copy of the letter to the Weston A. Price Foundation:

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
United States Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
328A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT)
Senate Subcommittee on Health Care of the Finance Committee
Caucus of Complementary and Alternative Health Care
219 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Dan Burton (R-IN)
Chairman, House Committee on Government Reform
Caucus of Complementary and Alternative Health Care
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Caucus of Complementary and Alternative Health Care
U.S. House of Representatives
1730 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Weston A. Price Foundation
PMB 106-380 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Reference Sources

www.csa.com/hottopics/thyroid/oview.html
soyonlineservice.co.nz
www.westonaprice.org

Who Are Sally Fallon and Mary Enig?

Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, with Mary G. Enig, PhD (NewTrends Publishing 877-707-1776). She is the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org) and founder of A Campaign for Real Milk (www.realmilk.com).

Mary Enig, PhD is the author of Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol (Bethesda Press 301-680-8600). She is President of the Maryland Nutritionists Association and Vice President of the Weston A Price Foundation, Washington, DC.