Category Archives: Sulfites

Are Organic Foods Really Worth It?

Category : Allergies , Diseases , News , Nitrites , Sulfites

When buying healthy foods, are the organic foods really important for your health? What makes organic foods so-called superior? Under USDA guidelines, organic means the food has not been contaminated with any man-made chemicals. The organic farmers are also conservative in their growing methods, thus diligent in their watering and conserving the soil for future generations.

The organic farmers also avoid ionizing radiation—the process of applying radiation to raw meat, poultry and produce. Conventional farming uses radiation in meats to kill pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms. In produce, it is used to kill spoilage-causing bacteria, thus giving it a longer shelf-life. The organic farmers abstain from the radiation usage, instead following very strict sanitation and hygiene practices as well as climate control, which is also providing refrigeration.

What is the difference between organic and non-organic you may ask? There are many; flavor, taste, nutrients and even the way the produce looks and smells. We do know it is pricier and that is due to the fact of expensive farming practices and is more labor intensive.

So, what are the advantages? The biggest; in my opinion, are the health benefits. The chemicals and pesticides used on non-organic are to boost production; but have been proven to cause a number of diseases and create greater health risks. Pesticides and herbicides are hormone disruptors as well as toxic to the nervous and immune systems. Consuming naturally grown organics, boosts your immune system and prevents premature aging.

The nutrients, organics are a grade higher than conventional foods. The organics has more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and micronutrients because of the sustainable farming practice. For example: 21% more iron, 27% more Vitamin C, 29% more magnesium, 13% more phosphorus than conventional vegetables. Also there is an important factor, organic foods, on the average contain 25% less mercury and 29% less lead than conventional foods—both of these metals are toxic to the nervous and immune systems.

The taste as well as the smell of the organic produce is far superior, because they have a more concentrated retained flavor. which explodes in your mouth wonderful flavors which enhance the taste buds. Test it out yourself, buy one of each …Experiment!
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I am concerned about children who consume pesticides and other toxins in food. So, feeding them healthy chemical-free food is best for them and all future generations. While organic cost more, your body’s health is worth the expense.

Pamper your health,
Marie


My Bout With Sulfites

Category : News , Sulfites

Dear  Readers,

When you go to the allergist to receive allergy shots you will be asked to wait for at least one hour to make sure you do not get a rise of histamines due to the allergen vaccine. Years ago, for me this was the norm. If you leave early you may be at risk for any serious reactions. If something were to happen you could be treated immediately by the office staff.

My reaction to sulfites was extreme sleepiness, although I was ignorant of what was going on with me at that time. I was taking an anatomy/physiology class and the class was studying histamines and the symptoms of a massive release from the mast cells due to allergens. I explained to my professor my extreme sleepiness and how I could barely make it through the morning. This had been going on for some time. We investigated the what, why, how, etc. It was always in the morning after my Raisin Bran for breakfast. He explained to me that there were possible sulfites on the raisins and that I was having an allergic reaction. But if I went home to sleep like I wanted to; he said that the histamine levels were high and I could fall asleep and possibly not wake up. So in order to combat that (I wasn’t ready to die yet.) I stopped eating all raisins and dried fruit until I found out that organics don’t have sulfites or any preservatives. I was able to enjoy dried fruit again.

We have to be pro-active and READ LABLES, keep ourselves educated about the foods we consume and what the preservatives can do to our bodies.

From a trustworthy source,
Marie


Foods Containing Sulfites

Category : News , Sulfites

FOODS CONTAINING SULFITES:

ALL dried fruit, (including prunes) READ LABELS
organic does not contain sulfites.
Bottled lemon juice (non-frozen)
Bottled lime juice (non-frozen)
Wine (especially non-alcoholic)
Molasses
Sauerkraut (and its juices)
Grape juices (all including the sparkling juices)
Pickled cocktail onions

SULFITES ARE ADDED TO:

Baked products and pastries, especially those containing dried fruit
Beers and Wines (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
Cereal products (Cornmeal, crackers, and muesli)
Ciders
Condiments, (catsup, mustard, vinegar, pickles)
Fish, seafood, shrimps
Noodles and rice mixes
Processed fruit product fillings (jams, jellies, marmalades, fruit syrups
and sugar syrups)
Processed potatoes (e.g. French fries)
Sauces, salad dressings, packaged soup
Soy products
Tomato products (e.g. pastes and pulps)


Sulfites

Category : News , Sulfites

My Dear Readers,

Sulfites are considered as a preservative and antioxidants, as well as an additive. They are used to keep dried fruits like apricots from turning brown, and increasing the shelf life, preserve color and inhibit microbial growth of a variety of other foods. These additives have been tested and yet the scientists claim they have not yet been scientifically proven to cause severe or even deadly reactions in some people. Or so they say!

When sulfites are consumed your liver transforms these to sulfates. However, for people with sulfite intolerance or sensitivity, this transformation doesn’t take place properly, or will happen very slowly. When the sulfites arrives in the liver, it blocks the function of glutathione located there. Glutathione aids processes, such as the breakdown of alcohol by the liver. But now it means you will suffer more from the effects of the toxic side effects.

What is happening with these toxins within the body is due to the overload of histamines put out by the body’s immune system. They are on full alert to rid of the toxins that were ingested and considered as poisons. With this allergic reaction the immune systems becomes hypersensitive and the mast cells release histamines in inordinate amounts. Which then causes the visible symptoms of a localized reaction, including runny nose, watery eyes, constriction of the bronchi and tissue swellings. Histamines also contributes to anaphylaxis, a severe, immediate and often fatal response to exposure to a previously encountered antigen. The activity can be blocked by various chemical drugs, like antihistamines. It’s best to avoid these preservatives and additives or you may take a poison to counteract another poison.

The brain is the ultimate security system , it scans the entire body through its army of microbes, cells, and organs. But the number one big flaw, it tries to save the human organism from near death, it has limited energy. This is evident when the body is suffering from histamine intolerance. To combat the presence of histamine, the brain focuses all of its energy and resources on the task at hand, this leaves the other parts of the body ‘stranded’, due to the energy spent you might feel like you are unable to regain consciousness. Histamine intolerance can led to a sudden feeling of exhaustion. This problem roots in the brain’s expenditure of energy to deal with over abundant histamines within the blood. This excess can wreak havoc in the body, starting with the brain, the histamine has the ability to inhibit every neurotransmitter. Any unbalance in the chemical makeup of your brain is bound to cause unwanted effects such as brain fog, fatigue, and perhaps anxiety. There are many more reactions that may take place because that I have not written here for lack of space. But the point is the human body does not take well to these additives, please READ LABELS and avoid them Science is trying to determine what we will eat, and most people think if it’s in the grocery stores it must be safe to eat…IT IS NOT SAFE! Don’t take the chance with your own health or with your families health.

Marie