Flora Cuisine is Obscene...

You would think from Flora's latest TV ads for its Cuisine 'liquid cooking margarine' that it is a healthy alternative. After all they claim that it has 45% less saturated fat than olive oil and is "...for heart healthy frying, roasting and baking...". 


This is just another example (in a long list of deceptive TV ads) of how people are conned into believing an untruth. In this case, Flora plays on many peoples' confusion about dietary fats. This is especially so, as Flora are trying to convince us that their product makes the unhealthy act of frying food suddenly healthy for your heart. A quick look at their website will have you believing that this is a miracle food (http://www.floracuisine.co.uk/?WT.srch=1). But does it live up to its claims? 


Just take a look at Flora Cuisine's list of ingredients:

• Sunflower Seed Oil: It is categorised as a polyunsaturated fat which protects your vital organs and helps absorb vital micronutrients. However, the act of prolonged heating (like "frying, roasting and baking") means that these fats lose their beneficial properties. As a result they can produce toxins, free radicals and cancer-causing chemicals. Doesn't sound so healthy now, does it?  

• Linseed Oil (aka flaxseed oil): Contains essential fatty acid Omega 3. Omega 3 has been shown to help  lower cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, improve brain function  and mood and  also boost immunity.This makes it sound like a perfect ingredient. The reality is that linseed oil is just like sunflower oil and should not be used for cooking - that includes 'frying, roasting, baking' - because it can also become harmful when heated to high temperatures. The safe way to consume this is by adding the linseed oil to a salad, or after cooking, and just before serving. 

• Soy Bean Lecithin: This is used as an emulsifier which holds all the ingredients together. It is derived from processed soy beans and is a mixture of phospholipids, which arenaturally occurring fatty molecules. It is most often found in  margarines,  ice cream, chocolate bars,  and peanut butter. The problem is not all sources of soy are equal. Furthermore, the biggest problem with soy bean lecithin is that when the soy beans are processed, solvents are used to de-gum the soybean oil. These solvents are very likely to contaminate the soy lecithin. Unfortunately, we don't know if Flora Cuisine contains contaminated soy lecithin. But if you really wanted to put the nail in the coffin, most soy bean sources nowadays are from Genetically Modified (GM) crops. We also don't know where Flora get their soy beans from. 

• Polysorbate 60: This is another emulsifier that is used in food preparation and also pharmaceuticals. Polysorbates are oily liquids and often used in  baked goods, imitation cream  and frozen desserts.  According to the Journal of National Cancer Institute and the Journal of Nutrition, polysorbate 60 can cause reproductive problems, organ toxicity and cancer in high doses. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims this chemical is safe for limited use in food - but don't define what limited use is. It goes without saying  that products with polysorbate 60 will never feature in the health isle of a supermarket...

• Rapeseed oil: Just like olive oil, when cold-pressed, rapeseed provides an oil that contains omegas 3, 6 and 9. These are essential fatty acids which are well-known to reduce cholesterol and maintain heart health, joint mobility and brain function. Rapeseed oil also contains heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats. This sounds great, but beware if it is the canola version. Canola oil is the genetically modified version of rapeseed oil. Shocked? Read on - it was originally used as an industrial lubricant, but later refined and sold as a 'healthy cooking oil'. In the case of FLora Cuisine, we are thankful that the label clearly states that it contains rapeseed oil and not Canola Oil. However, never mistake canola for rapeseed oil. Always read the label! 

Eat Yourself Healthy

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)  85% of adult cancers are avoidable. Of these 85%, around 1/2 in the West are due to nutritional deficiencies. A UK government report has shown how nearly 70,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year just by improving diet.

A study by professor Steven Aldana at Brigham Young University found that a combination of 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day along with a switch to a healthier diet dropped the participants’ health risks for diabetes, cancer, and heart disease dramatically in just 6 weeks (published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, March, 2005).

So here's a few healthy alternatives to add to your diet which you can combine with 5 minutes a day of intense cardio workout: 

• Avocados, are well known for their cholesterol-lowering properties and ability to maintain cardiovascular health. Phytochemicals extracted from the popular Haas avocado are able to destroy oral cancer cells as well as prevent pre-cancerous cells from developing into cancer. 
• Two tablespoons of Salba seeds contain more fibre than a serving of the constipation remedy Metamucil and delivers 3,050mg of omega-3s – that’s the equivalent of more than five flax oil capsules, or ten fish oil capsules. With its high content of chlorogenic and caffeic acid as well, Salba seeds also aids glucose metabolism and weight control among its huge list of other super health-boosting benefits.
• Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, dietary fibre, manganese and potassium. Potassium, for example, is necessary for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function so a banana a day can help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis. The potassium found in bananas may do wonders for our bone strength by counteracting the increased urinary calcium loss caused by a high-salt diet. Bananas have also long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. Also the Tryptophan found in bananas has the additional benefit of being a natural mood enhancer so can help if you suffer from PMT or depression.
• Studies have shown that ashitaba (a green leafy vegetable from Japan with a rapid growth time) “can help improve overall health as well as help treat a number of medical complaints.These include weakened immunity, bacterial or viral infections, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint or muscular pain, and Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It also promotes detoxification of the blood, liver and kidneys.
• The apple could be the greatest Super Food of them all. A compound it contains called procyanidin B-2 has been found to play a key role in inhibiting age-related problems,preventing wrinkles and promoting hair growth. Researchers have found that a flavanoid called phloridzin, which is found only in apples, may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Numerous studies have also shown that eating apples can help prevent many different kinds of cancer, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and weight gain!
• A daily intake of celery  can have a powerful effect on reducing stress hormones. It also acts as a useful diuretic (helping to rid your body of excess fluid), as well as helping to reduce the inflammation associated with conditions like arthritis. 
• Tart cherries have been found to be beneficial for helping to alleviate gout and other forms of arthritis, including both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Also, adding tart cherries to the diet may lower cholesterol, lead to less fat storage and improve antioxidant defences
• Eating oily fish as little as once a week could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s by a staggering 60 per cent. Fish oils have also been found to lower blood pressure, prevent blood platelets from clumping and dramatically lower blood fat levels. Fish oils and flaxseed oil have also been linked with a significantly lower incidence of breast cancer among many other benefits.
• If you are type 1 diabetic then adding pumpkin to your diet could help regulate your blood sugar levels, promote the regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells and boost levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood. 

May you be well and happy

May you be free from suffering

The Household Death Sentence - Bisphenol A (BPA)

I am always in shock at the stupidity of the human race. We view ourselves as the most intelligent species on this planet, yet we somehow manage to lack the necessary foresight that is required to live harmoniously with every living species on this planet - including ourselves!. For example, when you look at political decisions they are always made in hindsight – a reaction to an event. Our actions are a response to a previous mistake.

Now, I am a firm believer in correcting mistakes. However, some mistakes are more lethal than others. For example, we pollute and keep on polluting our environment until someone comes along and says “hey, you’re polluting the environment!”. Then, when only enough people say the same thing do we do anything about it.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is just such an example. It is most probably something you have never heard of, yet it is a part of our everyday lives. BPA is a chemical compound that can be found in cans, plastic containers, toys, and many other products that our scattered throughout our homes. It is mainly used in plastics and can be found in many baby bottles, plates, bowls, baby pacifiers, etc. It is also widely used as a lining in food and beverage cans. I think you get the picture that it is everywhere in our houses.

The danger of Bisphenol A has been well documented, but is vehemently denied by the industry (see www.bisphenol-a.org for their feeble attempt to dismiss the scientific studies that show the dangers of BPA). To highlight this bias, a study was conducted in 2007 that showed that among US government-funded BPA experiments on lab animals and tissues, 153 found adverse effects and only 14 did not. Furthermore, all 13 studies funded by chemical corporations using BPA reported no harm. I think that speaks for itself.

The Journal Of The American Medical Association (JAMA) have published a number of reports showing the toxicity of BPA. Their reports show that BPA concentrations are high in urine samples. Also, they showed that these high urinary concentrations of BPA are linked to increases in heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and abnormal concentrations of liver enzymes.

Researchers from Harvard University’s School of Public Health conducted research on two groups of healthy students. One group was fed freshly made soup daily for five days. The other group was fed soup from cans daily also fro five days. The results were alarming. Those in the fresh soup group had an average BPA level of 1.1 micrograms per litre in their urine. Those in the can soup groups had an incredible 20.8 micrograms per litre – after 5 days! This level would be expected from those whose occupation exposes them to high levels of BPA.

The Breast Cancer Fund conducted a study on six canned foods that were marketed to children. All six makes were positive for BPA. The highest levels were found in two of Campbells products.

1 Minute Cancer Cure

Cancer is a social problem. It is the second biggest killer after heart disease. Billions of government money is poured into pharmaceutical companies in order to combat it. And what have the pharmaceuticals come up with? After fifty years of research, they keep saying that the cure is 'just around the corner'.
The truth is the cure has been with us all along. The pharmaceuticals hide the truth because they cannot make money from the truth. The truth cannot be patented or profited from. What can we draw from this? We can conclude that pharmaceuticals place profit over people. How can I be so certain? Just look at how they run their business. They spend more on marketing than on research. They go into every corner of this planet and 'extract' indigenous knowledge of healing plants. Then they analyse these plants, find their healing chemical compounds, patent it, and make billions in the process. Are the indigenous people ever compensated for their knowledge and skill? No. Furthermore, governments pour billions into the pharmaceutical coffers and what do the public get in return? Nothing, we still have to pay exorbitant prices for our prescription drugs. The poor of this planet - all 99% of them - pay with their lives.
Pharmaceuticals are not compassionate or charitable. They even go to extreme lengths to hide the truth. On numerous occasions, they have withheld vital information in the course of their research that would be beneficial to humanity. They withheld such information because they could neither patent nor profit from such information, yet the information could cure peoples' afflictions.
As you can guess, I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals. Don't get me wrong, there are many drugs out there that can and do save lives. They are vital and are needed. It is the business model that offends me so much. So when something comes along that is beneficial to the public I like to let people know about, especially when it is cheap and simple to implement. Such an example is the 1 Minute Cancer Cure  which has circled the globe. Click on the link to find out more. Spread the word.

1 Minute Cancer Cure