In the small intestine, there are many villi and microvilli.  They look like tiny hairy protrusions extending from the lining.  

These villi and microvilli (also called brush border) create a much larger surface area for the purpose of absorption, and the cells are linked closely  together forming tight junctions.

See this short video of the villi in the small intestine.

In a healthy person, these tightly linked junctions will provide for absorption of nutrients that have been broken down into the smallest of components, but will keep out larger molecules. 

When the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed or irritated, these junctions will loosen up, allowing for larger molecules to pass through.  It can even be a good substance, such as broccoli, but when broccoli is not broken down into the tiniest of particles for digestion, and the junctions are loose, allowing for larger molecules to penetrate, then broccoli is seen as a foreign substance.   When these large substances are able to pass through the intestinal lining, they enter the blood stream and an antibody response is created by our immune system, alerting our white blood cells to spring to action.  Once this battle is taking place in the blood stream, then inflammation and disease can show up any where in the body.  It can become rheumatoid arthritis, for example.  And to add to this trouble, a person can become malnourished over time, if inflammation continues in the GI lining, preventing even the good nutrients from entering. 

So the term "leaky gut" pretty much describes the situation.  Here's a good example:  When I brew coffee, I use a filter to catch the grinds.  If I use a food colander with bigger holes, the grinds will go through, and I do not like to drink coffee grinds.  It's the same way with "leaky gut."  Large particles are penetrating the intestinal lining and entering the blood stream.  Another name for leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability.

Of surprise to me, I learned that surgery and tube feeding in the hospital can also create a similar condition to Leaky Gut, since bacteria can get through the blood stream.

Leaky Gut has been associated with the following problems:  allergies, celiac disease, Cohn’s disease, HIV, and mal-absorption syndromes.  It is also linked to autoimmune disease such as AIDS, ankylosing spondylitis (chronic inflammatory disease of the spine), asthma, atopy, autism, bronchitis, eczema, food and environmental sensitivities, other allergic disorders, psoriasis, Reiter’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and skin irritations.  

Leaky Gut has no single cause but may be attributed to chronic stress, poor food choices, alcohol, NSAIDs (aspirin, Advil, Motrin, etc.), food sensitivities, poisons in the environment, candida, or chemotherapy drugs.

Now that we have all found ourselves in one or more of the previous listed problems, what can we do about it?  

My heart's desire is to help others with their health problems.  Hopefully upon graduation from school, I will be able to begin to direct someone in the right path.  Most textbooks say to work with your health professional for treatment; maybe I will be that person soon.

To repair Leaky Gut, try the 4 R approach: 

• Remove the cause
• Replace with beneficial enzymes and nutrients
• Reinoculate with beneficial bacteria (probiotics and prebiotics)
• Repair the intestinal wall

Remove: Take a look at what may be the cause of "leaky gut."  What kind of food choices do you make?  Are you eating a diet of whole foods, or is it mostly refined or processed foods?  Try to eat organic if possible to avoid toxins in foods.  Are you under stress?  The body will gear up for emergencies or possible danger (fight or flight), but did you know that stress from meeting deadlines, or working with an impossible co-worker, will also put the body in the same kind of stress.  Stress is something we must all deal with.  Exercise can be a stress reliever, but it can also be a stress inducer if the body is pushed too hard.  Remember that it is not so much that we are under stress, but how we respond to it that matters most.   If you think you have food sensitivities or allergies, then eliminate certain foods from the diet and see how your body reacts after reintroduction of the foods after 3 or 4 weeks.  if your body reacts in a bad way, then you probably do have a sensitivity or allergy to it. 

Replace:   Use digestive enzymes or bitters with meals to help digest the food.  In between meals take proteolytic enzymes to help immune fuction.  Try mucilaginous herbs such as slippery elm (can be in tea form), fenugreek, peppermint and marshmallow (tea form).  Flaxseeds are very mucilaginous.  They can be ground in a coffee grinder and added to foods or just soak them in water for several hours and drink as is.  I grind 2 tablespoons every morning and add a small amount of organic unsweetened applesauce, a little unsweetened almond milk, and a little liquid stevia if more sweet taste is preferred.  Supportive foods include:  cabbage juice, bone and vegetable broths, fresh vegetable juices (not storebought since pasteurization kills the enzymes).  Focus on eating a whole foods diet.

Reinoculate:  Fermented foods and probiotic supplements

Repair:  Aloe vera juice is very soothing and cooling.  It promotes cell regeneration and repair.  Glutamine is alkalizing to the body and is indicated by many health professionals as the top repair supplement.  The cells of the small intestine depend on glutamine as their main fuel for maintenance and repair.  Start with 1-30 grams daily and keep watch.  Too much can constipate, so you want to find your range and take that daily.  Quercetin (Perque Pain Guard brand or Repair Guard brand) - 500 - 3,000 mg daily.  Quercetin can help with allergies as it prevents histamine release.

There are other supplements.  If interested, contact me.

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition

Sources:
Total Body Tune-up by Michael Murray
Digestive Wellness by Liz Lipski
Hawthorn University NC-3 Lectures

Digestion - A process that most of us take for granted.  Did you know that the food you ingest is basically outside the body contained in a tube that is about 20-30 feet long from entrance to exit points?  Unless the food is absorbed, the nutrients will never become a part of the body and there will be no benefit.   If food cannot be broken down into very, very minute particles, then the best diet would be of little value.  

So where does it start, and what can we do to assure that what we eat will be absorbed into the body?  

It all starts with your brain and your sense of smell.  Think about your favorite food right now, prepared just the way you like it.  Think about how it smells and imagine taking a bite of it right now.  Doesn't that send a wake-up call to your salivary glands?  Your body is gearing up for the arrival of this food.  Enzymes are released in the mouth stomach to start the chemical break-down.   

The enzymes that are released from the salivary glands are enzymes (amylase) designed to break down starches (carbohydrates) and enzymes(lingual liapase) designed to break down fats.  While carbohydrates and fats begin their digestion in the mouth, protein does not begin to digest until it reaches the stomach.  In the mouth is the first chance for carbohydrate digestion, and the only chance until the food reaches the small intestine.  Next time you eat some carbohydrates, try to chew your food until it is nothing but mush, and you will see that the breakdown is taking place in your mouth, since the food will taste sweeter the more you chew.

Not only is there a chemical break-down taking place, but a mechanical break-down of food begins with our teeth and tongue to grind the food down into smaller pieces and it works hand in hand with the chemical break-down.  I think there are a lot of people who scarf their food down so fast that they do not give enough time for chemical and mechanical break-down to take place, which puts an increased burden on the stomach to break food down and reduce it to a liquid.  The food will have to stay longer in the stomach because it was not chewed well, and this can produce fermentation, which causes gas and bloating.  This slows down the digestive process.  It would benefit us all to make a conscious effort to think about our food when we eat and take care to properly chew our food, allowing amylase (the digestive enzyme secreted from saliva glands) to work on the carbohydrates, in the mouth and in the top part of the stomach.   The amylase is destroyed as the food gets lower into the stomach because of the hydrochloric acid.   Remember, carbohydrate break-down will not happen again until the food reaches the small intestine.  

 In the mouth, saliva is a necessary factor in taste sensation, because some food components must first be dissolved before they can be detected by taste buds.  We are missing the joy of really tasting the goodness of our foods when we eat with haste.  Saliva consists of water, mucus, digestive enzymes, and antibacterial agents and is needed to moisten our food to aid in swallowing.  

Good health requires good digestion.   Without good digestion, it is very difficult to maintain good health.  Poor digestion brings on symptoms, and symptoms turn in to disease states.  Digestion is not optimum unless food can be broken down into the smallest available particles and then absorbed mostly in the small intestine.  Work with your body to break down nutrients, first by taking the time to chew your foods. 

I have been trying to work on this myself.  Sometimes I can really focus and chew each bite, and then there are other times that I forget about it totally and realize that I just ate my food in haste.  It takes practice, but I believe that this is one giant step we can take in enhancing our health.

For other posts in this series please see About Nutrition

Credits:  Hawthorn University NC-3 Lecture "In the Mouth" 
              Nutritional Sciences, 3rd Edition, McGuire and Beerman

It was my pleasure to be the guest speaker today in the high school Research Writing Class at Lakeview Christian School in Auburn, Alabama.  Their teacher (Mrs. S.) has assigned a research writing paper, and the students will be choosing a topic in the field of nutrition.  She invited me to share some information with her students about what I have been learning at Hawthorn University.  Sharing information about nutrition is my cup of tea, and my future goal is to be able to help people, one on one, working with them to come up with a plan that meets their specific given needs.  The first thing that I did was to take a picture of the class.  Just look at these smiling students, eager to learn!

Knowing how to research is a skill that we all need to learn, especially in the area of nutrition, because it continues to reveal new findings and our understanding about the relationship between diet and health is continually changing.  How did I wind up in the field of nutrition?  What kind of things do I post on my website?  How can we evaluate information sources?  These are a few of the questions that I answered in the class. Before break, I presented a demonstration, putting several chemicals into a glass of water, and I described the effects of these chemicals on the body.  Then the students were asked if they would like to drink the water.  I had no volunteers.  If these chemicals are so bad for us, how did they get approval in the first place?  With limited time, and I know I ran over my allotment (please forgive, Mrs. S.), I was able to share with the students the process of just how one of these chemicals finally did get FDA approval.  It wasn't commendatory.

After a break, the students sampled several homemade treats made without added chemicals and preservatives and they were placed in groups of three.  Their assignment was to write an advertisement about the product and give it a name.  Warning:  Goofiness ahead :) This group was advertising "Gummy Buddies."  

Wouldn't you say they were just acting a wee bit like teen-agers?  With their ad, this group is sure to sell you some of "Debbie's Fine Granola" made with sprouted grains, sweetened with honey and sucanat.

This group used their charm to win you over to "Cool Kefir" on a hot summer day.

Maybe this group would convince you to eat "Aunt Susan's Sourdough Bread."  It's the healthiest bread in town!

How about "Party Pleasing Popcorn" made with heart-healthy coconut oil and vitamin rich butter?

Thank you students, I look forward to hearing more about your research writing assignment.   I had fun and I hope you did too.  

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Have you ever thought about the concept of "whole foods" and what it could mean to your health?

I'm pretty sure this post will be elementary to many, but being elementary does not make it any less important.  In fact, I would say that even though the topic of whole foods can be well understood, it is doubtful that most of us live by a "whole foods" diet.

It is estimated that 90% of the food budget is spent on processed or refined foods, which offer very little nutritional value, and contain ingredients that even rob us of our stored nutrients.  

Here's a simple explanation of what a whole food is:  It will be one that is as close to its natural state as possible; it will look as it does in nature, unprocessed and unadulterated, and will almost always be found in the perimeter of your grocery store.  It is perishable and has a short shelf life; it does not contain additives, colorings, or preservatives.  It's real food, not from a box or packet.  

Still have questions?  Simply put, it is the foods that God created for us to eat (plants and animals) - the food your great grandparents ate.  So if in doubt, ask yourself if this would be a food your great grandparents would recognize. 

It may surprise you that the major causes of death in the U.S. during the early 1900s were infectious diseases, whereas the leading causes of death now are chronic degenerative diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.  Fortunately, though they are among the most common, they are also among the most preventable.

Adopting  a "whole foods" diet, getting plenty of sleep and staying active, can prevent or control the devastating effects of these diseases.

So here is your challenge.  Try it for one week - eat whole foods, see how you feel, and then hopefully you will adopt this way of eating for life.  At least try to eat whole foods 85% of the time.  For a long life, eat foods with a short shelf life.

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition

Resources:  Hawthorn University lectures and Nutritional Sciences by McGuire and Beerman, 3rd edition.

It's on most major news feeds and it was the subject of a recent Dr. Oz show.  I'm talking about BVO, or Brominated Vegetable Oil.  It can be found in sports drinks and in certain soft drinks like Fanta, Mountain Dew, Squirt, Sunkist,  Fresca and Gatorade.  BVO is used to keep the liquid emulsified, otherwise, it would separate out, look gross, and you wouldn't want to buy it.  BVO makes the liquid look cloudy and not see-through clear.  So if you hold your drink up to light and it is cloudy, chances are it contains BVO.  

BVO is in the same chemical family as flame-retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).

What are the concerns of BVO?  See this quote from Dr. Oz:

"Researchers link brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to organ damage, neurological issues, and even birth defects. Studies have found that brominated flame-retardants (BVO’s cousins) build up in human tissues, including breast milk. Animal and some human studies have linked these substances to neurological impairment, reduced fertility, changes in thyroid hormones, and early onset puberty. Up until the 1940s, bromide salts were used for medicinal purposes until it was discovered that they could cause psychological symptoms and mental disorders in patients and they were pulled off the market." 

In response to a recent petition by a teen to get BVO removed from Gatorade, PepsiCo, makers of Gatorade, will start removing BVO from their product, as per their announcement a few weeks ago (Jan. 2013), but does not plan to remove it from Mountain Dew.  The new non BVO Gatorade will be on the shelves in the next few months, this according to the Chicago Tribune.  I do not know what other companies will do.

It's banned in many other countries already, and while no long term studies have been done, I personally, would not want to keep on drinking this until definitive conclusions have been made.  How much toxin are we willing to allow in our bodies?  We are bombarded by toxins daily.  I think it would benefit us to avoid them when we can.  The FDA originally deemed BVO as safe, but in the 1970s, they called for more testing, which has not been done.  

In 12 ounces of Gatorade, it has 80 calories, 160 mg of sodium, and 21 grams of sugar.  Perhaps the sugar should be of greater concern than the BVO.  

Alternatives:  coconut water, a little lemon or apple cider vinegar with a pinch of sea salt in water, seltzer water or a little fruit juice mixed into water.  My personal favorite:  A glass of filtered water with a teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar, pinch of sea salt, and two drops of lemon essential oil (make sure the essential oil you can be ingested- doTerra brand lemon essential oil can be ingested.)

We all like bargains, don't we?  I'm going to tell you how to get one when it comes to foods.

What is nutrient-richness?  It is the amount of nutrients a food contains divided by the number of calories it also contains.  

Example:  One Medium Orange with 69.7 mg. vitamin C  = 1.13
                                                61.6 calories

So that comes to 1.13 mg. of vitamin C delivered to your body for every calorie in the orange.  

I'd say that's a pretty good bargain!  It didn't cost you many calories to get your dose of vitamin C, and by the way, the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C is about what is contained in one orange.

Now let's contrast that with a cup of french fries.      One Cup French Fries with 17.3 mg. vitamin C = .13  
                                                                                                                    136.2 calories

So that comes to .13 mg. of vitamin C delivered to your body for every calorie in the french fries.

To get the same dose of vitamin C from the french fries as you do from the orange, you would have to eat 4 servings, with a cost of 544 calories, as opposed to the one orange, with only 61 calories.  

So, want a bargain?  Shop for and eat foods that are nutrient-rich, and that won't cost you an arm or a leg for calories, or in this case, maybe your heart.

For other posts in these series see About Nutrition

I compiled this post by using my required software in my studies at Hawthorn University.  The concept of nutrient-richness came from my textbook:  World's Healthiest Foods by George Meteljan.                                                                           

Want to get rid of those nasty contaminants in your drinking water but you don't want to re-do your plumbing system?  Are you tired of refilling those small water filter pitchers?  I have the solution for you.  It's the Berkey Water Filter.  I can recommend it, because I have it myself.  One of the main reasons I like the Berkey is because of the optional fluoride/arsenic filters.  Other reasons include no plumbing hookups or electricity, it's free standing, plus it's convenient and most economical.  And most of all, it removes viruses, pathogenic bacteria cysts and parasites, trihalomethanes, radiologicals, VOCs, and heavy metals. 

 I have a friend who is a missionary over in Africa and when I saw that they were using a British Berkefeld water filter, that just really sold me on these as well.  British Berkefeld is the German made model of the Berkey.

In the picture you can see that my Berkey is filtering crystal clear water from red food dye colored water.  How impressive is that!  Just think of the small contaminants that it can trap.

The two black Berkey filters will filter 6,000 gallons (3,000 per filter) of water before needing to be replaced and the two fluoride/arsenic filters together will do 1,000 gallons of water, meaning that the fluoride/arsenic filters need to be replaced more often than the black filters.  

In this picture you can see that I have attached the white fluoride filters to the underside of the black Berkey filters.  The water first passes through the black filters and then down into the fluoride/arsenic filters.  This particular Berkey, called the Berkey Light, will hold 2.75 gallons of purified water.  There are many other sizes in the stainless options if preferred, but this particular "see through" (Berkey Light) version only comes in this one size.

One exceptionally cool feature of the Berkey Light is that it comes with optional night lighting in the base of the stand.  I like the see-through ability that also comes with this filter.  A Berkey Sight Spigot can be purchased for the stainless steel versions, since obviously we can't see through stainless steel,  but by purchasing a sight spigot the water level will be easily visible at all times.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about these filters and if purchased, I will also help you with any questions about set-up.

Please see the different sizes below and please feel free to CONTACT ME with your questions.  The Berkey comparison video below will explain the differences in more detail along with giving the dimensions of each filter.

Note:  These filtering systems can be installed using 2 filters or 4 filters (exception:  Imperial can accommodate up to 6 filters and the Crown up to 8 filters).  If you purchase the system with 2 black filters then you will need 2 fluoride/arsenic filters (if you want to use fluoride/arsenic filters).  If you purchase 4 black filters, then you will need 4 fluoride/arsenic filters, etc.  There needs to be a matching number of fluoride/arsenic filters to black filter elements.  The advantage of purchasing 4 or more filters over 2 filters is that the filtering time will be faster and the filters will not need to be replaced as often.   If you purchase the 2 filters instead of the 4 or more filters, then at any time in the future, you can still add additional filters, since the system comes with plugs to plug up the unused holes.

If you have purchased your Berkey and want to see a good video of how to install, 
I recommend this one.  These short videos include how to prime and install your black filters and your white PF-2 Filters.  
Also there is a video of how to do the red food coloring test.

Continuing my series on "About Nutrition," What I am learning in school: 

An apple, is an apple, is an apple, right?  At least that's what I thought in the not too distant past.  But oh, not so!  Read on to find out what makes one apple, or any garden crop for that matter, more nutritious than others.

Soil – The more nutrients in the soil, the more nutrients in the plant, and thus the more nutrients in us.   Conventional farming adds three fertilizers (nutrients) to the soil, nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium.  These three are chosen because they make foods grow strong, have hearty stalks, appear very green and healthy, but they are devoid of all the rest of the nutrients.  We have over 60 different vitamins and minerals that the body needs.  When only three are added back into the soil, what about the rest of the body’s needs for the nutrients?  Organic farmed food is usually grown in soil that is very rich with a full spectrum of nutrients from organic matter.
(Hawthorn University NC-1 Lecture – Chemical Free and Organic)

Maturity at Time of Harvest – Some vegetables and fruits are shipped long distances so they must be picked prematurely, in order to get the produce to the consumer before over ripening.  Phytochemicals are substances in plants that prevent cancers and other diseases.  These beneficial substances are formed as the fruits and vegetables ripen on the vine.  When produce is picked before it is ripe, it may be deficient in these important phytochemicals.  
(Hawthorn University NC-1 Lecture – Seasonal Foods)

Length of Time After Harvest– Once harvested, foods begin to lose nutrient value.  That’s why having a personal garden is best, so food can be picked at the perfect time, and eaten with optimum nutrition.  Here is a scenario that happens most times.  The food is picked prematurely, it is sprayed with chemicals to keep it fresh, it travels many, many miles, it is purchased and taken home, placed in the refrigerator, and then many days later, we will eat it.  Many days have past since harvest and many nutrients have been lost.  
(Hawthorn University NC – 1 Lecture – Fresh Foods)

Irradiation - Irradiation is a process in which food is passed under gamma rays that come from radioactive cobalt.  The energy kills a number of harmful bacteria, fungi, and parasites on the food and it preserves the food, giving it a longer shelf life and potentially sterilizes that food.  Is that a good thing?  One of the side effects of this is nutrient depletion.  A number of both water and fat-soluble nutrients, particularly the B vitamins and vitamins A, C, and E, as well as some unsaturated fats, are depleted by irradiation.  
Hawthorn University NC -1 Lecture – Irradiation and Pesticides

Food Preparation Method – Overcooking of certain vegetables can deplete water-soluble vitamins.  Processed foods often have nutrient losses in the 50-80% range.  When it comes to cooking methods, steaming is  the best method for retaining flavor and nutrients in foods.
Mateljan, George. 2007. The World’s Healthiest Foods. (1st Edition)

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition

Thank you also to my students:  LuAnn Tudela, Emma Galarraga, Richard Farmer, Susan Ledbetter, Jan Garrett, Valeria Zegarelli, David Hall, Jr.,  and Rob Meadows.

One of the books that I am required to have in my studies at Hawthorn University, is "The World's Healthiest Foods."  I love this book because the author takes a deep look at the top 100 most nutritious foods.  He breaks down each food and lists its nutritional analysis.  Certain foods contain certain nutrients in quantities unique to each food.

 I am amazed at God's creation and how He has supplied the many nutrients into each food.  He knew that our bodies would require these nutrients and so He gave us what we needed.  

Unfortunately, we have traded His food for man's "so called" foods that are nothing more than a long list of chemicals that we cannot pronounce, nor can our bodies digest.  These chemicals get stored in our soft tissues because they cannot be metabolized or eliminated, and in doing so, this storing of toxins requires that certain nutrients be pulled from our bodies just to be able to handle them.  In essence, it robs and depletes us of our nutrients.  Have you ever cleaned house and had some items that you just didn't have a spot for, so you walk around trying to find where to store them, using your energy to do so.  This is what happens in the body.  The body doesn't know what to do with them.  These toxins require something from the body just to store them in the tissues, and eventually these toxins will cause disease and degeneration on top of depletion of nutrition.  

Every God created food (whole foods) has its own set of nutrients and our bodies require a diverse range of nutrients, so it just makes sense to branch out and eat a wide variety of foods.  Don't just eat the same thing every day because same food = same nutrition.  If your habit is to eat the same thing all the time, consider branching out and trying new foods. 

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition 

In the world of additive and preservative free eaters, there are few ready made snacks available.  We are left to make our own if we intend to avoid ingredients that were not intended to be eaten.  For this post, I share my homemade crackers.  The recipe comes from my friend, Peggy, owner of To Your Health Sprouted Flour Company.  For a variety of cracker flavors, check out her post of recipes.

Here's the basic recipe; I hope that you will give it a try.  I changed it a bit, adding more fat.  This makes a lot of crackers, and if this is your first time to try, maybe you want to cut the recipe in half.

5 cups organic sprouted flour (I have used spelt, red and white wheat - they all work well)
1 16 oz. container of Erivan Yogurt (any plain yogurt, buttermilk, or milk kefir will do)
2 sticks butter, melted (grass-fed is best)
1/2 cup Expeller pressed (without coconut flavor) coconut oil or good quality lard, melted with the butter
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoon sea salt  (I added much more.  I like salty crackers - just taste the dough and you'll know how much to add)

Put everything in a bowl.  A machine can be used, but I just mixed by spoon until too stiff then I mixed by hand. 
Mix well and take about 1/4 of the dough and roll out onto a baking stone (I wish I had more than one stone. a flat stone is best with no lip, so as to not interfere with cutting).  Roll thin - about 1/8 inch or less.  Use a pizza wheel cutter to score before baking.  Bake at most any degree in the oven.  Set on convection if you have it.  The hotter the oven the shorter the baking time.  I baked at 350 for about 20 minutes and I have also baked at 200 for about 5 hours or more.  You want to bake til crisp, but not brown.  Take a cracker out of the oven and let cool.  If crisp, then take out the whole batch.  If not, keep baking.  A dehydrator can be used lined with parchment paper.  

Enjoy!  We did tonight - topped with pieces of cheese.  These crackers are really good!  They tend to mellow out the next day and are even better.

You do not want to overbake (brown), because if we didn't have enough to be concerned about with all the additives added to our foods, there's another evil called acrylamide, which is produced naturally with high heat, especially in the presence of starchy foods.  For more on acrylamide see the Dr. Oz article or the FDA article.

Want to know something interesting about Earth Fare and BPA?

The following was taken from the Environmental Working Group's Website.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is an industrial chemical used to make two common synthetics:

• Polycarbonate, a clear, rigid, shatter-resistant plastic found in a wide variety of consumer products, including food and drink containers.
• Epoxy resins, used in industrial adhesives and high-performance coatings. Epoxy coating lines most of the 131 billion food and beverage cans made in the U.S. annually.

BPA is a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the endocrine system, even in small amounts. It has been linked to a wide variety of ills, including infertility, breast and reproductive system cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, behavioral changes in children and resistance to chemotherapy treatments.

EWG's test of major retailers' store receipts conducted in 2010, found that 40 percent were coated with BPA. The chemical can rub off on hands or food items. Some may be absorbed through the skin.

BPA can be found in canned foods, plastics, and store receipts.  See EWG for more information

How to limit exposure to BPA in receipts

• Say no to receipts when possible
• Keep receipts in an envelope.
• Never give a child a receipt to hold or play with.
• Wash your hands before preparing and eating food after handling receipts.
• Do not recycle receipts and other thermal paper. BPA residues will contaminate recycled paper.

Since I shop at Earth Fare regularly, I was curious to know if their store receipts contained BPA, so I sent them an email asking about this.  Here is their reply:
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your email and interest in Earth Fare! I am pleased to let you know, the receipt paper we use is BPA free. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Hope you have a great week.

Kind regards,
Jamie Farabollini
Front End Specialist
Earth Fare the healthy supermarket

I am student at Hawthorn University in Nutrition Consultation.  My assignment sometimes includes preparing, eating and critiquing a recipe.  Included in this 3 credit hour course is a recipe by The Inner Cook – Rebecca Katz's, Emerald City Soup.  I adapted it for my small family size by cutting the ingredients in half as I have it listed here.  I also added a can of Coconut Milk which really made it outstanding. For crunch, I added corn tortillas.  (I use Green Mountain Gringo organic).   I am excited to share it with you:

Emerald City Soup

(Use organic ingredients if possible.)

1    Bunch Broccoli, washed and cut into pieces
2    Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1    Small Onion, chopped
1    Clove Garlic, minced 
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
      Kale, cut into pieces (I used about 4 leaves)
4   Cups Broth (Vegetable, Chicken or Beef)* see note below
1   Tablespoon Lemon Juice
     Sea Salt to taste
1   Can Coconut Milk (unsweetened and not the Lite version)

Blanch broccoli in hot water for 30 seconds.  Drain in colander and immediately immerse in a bowl of ice water to retain its bright color.

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium and saute’ onion with a pinch of salt until translucent.  Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute’ for 30 seconds more.  Add the chopped kale with another pinch of salt and cook one minute until the kale turns bring green.  Immediately remove from heat.

In a blender, blend half of the broccoli, Broth, and Kale mixture until smooth.  When the color changes from pale green to vivid emerald, that’s your cue to turn off the blender.  Pour into a pot, and blend the second half, adding it to the pot as well. 

Add the lemon juice, salt and can of coconut milk.  

Stir and heat the soup very slowly over low heat.  If not salty enough, salt to taste.  Serve immediately in colorful bowls or soup mugs and top with tortillas and extra red pepper flakes if desired.

If it needs to made in advance, heat it slowly, or it will lose its emerald green color and turn muddy.

Serves 3

Emerald City Soup does not freeze well, as it will not retain its vibrant green color.  The soup can, however, be kept for 1 or 2 days in the refrigerator.

Note about Broth:  Homemade broth is much better than buying store bought broth that is loaded with neurotoxic MSG. Bone broth contains many minerals the body can use.  Simply put a chicken in a crock pot.  Debone the chicken when done, and place the bones back in the crockpot with the broth, adding more water and a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (this will help dissolve the minerals in the bone.  Slowly cook for a day or two until bones are soft and crumbly (the bones will be soft enough for the family pet to enjoy).  Strain and store in jars or containers and freeze for use in recipes such as Emerald City Soup.  Once cooled in jars, the fat will collect at the top.  This can be removed once chilled in the refrigerator.  

This no bake, grain free cereal substitute, is a favorite at my house.  We just love it for a "no time to cook" breakfast, or night time "all in one bowl" meal.  This is perfect for those who must avoid grains also.  

There is a recipe but any ingredient can be substituted and amounts can be increased or decreased.  

The only equipment needed is a food processor, and a nice 7-cup size is one that I find perfectly suited for this job, and most jobs in the kitchen - not too big nor too small.

Eleven Students enjoyed the educational accommodations and the generosity of Earth Fare for two hours as they learned how to make the most nutritious and versatile milk kefir, and how to preserve their fruits and vegetables with lacto-fermentation.  

This class is very intensive for me and most of the time I forget to take pictures as was the case for this class.  Being that I have no pictures of my students, I would at least like to mention their names here:  LuAnn Tudela, Emma Galarraga, Yvonne Williams, Kristin Vordenbaum, Susan Ledbetter, Sally Dumas, June Dean, Wendy Hansen, Kalli Kenney, Jenni Hunt, and Amanda Davis.  LuAnn and Emma traveled from Atlanta to be present for this class.  Wow!  I'm humbled.

I would like to thank Brooke Peace, Community Relations Manager, at Earth Fare, and for the freebies given to the class.  Everyone received free totes, organic raisins, sea salt 
and a coupon for $5 off.  They also took home a pint of gingered carrots and the milk kefir
                                               grains.

The class opened with prayer, thanking God for His amazing creation of food to nourish our bodies.  Everyone sampled many products made from milk kefir and whey, then we had a discussion of how to make kefir and care for the grains.

I made a very nutritious Coconut Kefir Lime Cooler (non-alcoholic) and challenged the class to figure out how I made it look so green.  Everyone really liked this vitamin and enzyme rich power packed drink.   

After the taste samples and the milk kefir discussion, the class  was directed to start work on their take home project - Lacto-Fermented Raisin Gingered Carrots.  Earth Fare provided large bowls for each student and I had brought grated carrots for them to put in their bowls, along with the other ingredients to make this project.  

Lacto-fermented products require whey, which is derived from milk kefir.  There are many ways to extract whey from milk kefir, yogurt, or clabbered milk.

I enjoyed this class and it was a lot of fun as we all learned about the microscopic world of bacteria and yeasts and the many benefits that it imparts to our health, namely our immune system.  

Thank you, class :) 

Some people do not like the tart taste of lacto-fermented products, but this recipe will is milder and liked by even the most hard to please taste buds. 

Lacto-Fermented Gingered Raisin Carrots  -  Makes 1 Pint

1       Bag Organic Baby Carrots (use 12 ounces) grated in a food processor
2       Teaspoons Freshly Grated Ginger Root or less to taste
1/2    Cup Organic Raisins
1       Teaspoons Celtic Sea Salt
3       Tablespoons Whey

Put all in a bowl and pound or mash with a spoon or mallet to draw the juice out of the carrots.  Then press into a wide mouth pint sized canning jar for an air tight seal leaving one inch of space at the top.  Leave on counter for about 3 days.  If you do not have an airlock lid as shown in the picture, then you will need to burp the jar about twice per day.  Store in refrigerator after 3 days.  
If you do not have the time to grate fresh ginger, there is a brand that is organic and minced in a small jar.  
Check out these fermentation tools and supplies

Nutrition in a glass!  It's packed with vitamins and enzymes, quick to make, and oh so good!  Can you guess why it's so green?  Your kids will never know.   No need to wonder long, here's the recipe:

In a blender add:    (2-3 Servings)

1   Handful Fresh Organic Spinach Leaves
1   Quart Milk Kefir or Plain Yogurt (unsweetned)
1   Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
2   Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1   Dropper Full of Sweet Leaf Brand Liquid Stevia
1   Teaspoon Vanilla Flavoring
5   Drops of lime essential oil  

Blend until smooth and chill.  Can't wait to chill?, then add a few ice cubes to the blender.  If you don't have the oil, then use fresh squeezed lime juice.  Adjust any ingredient to your taste.

Anything with lime in it should be green - eye appealing, right?  Spinach to the rescue, and it certainly adds some green vegetable to our diet, which lacks in this area.

Enjoy!  I know you will.
Check out these Milk Kefir tools and supplies.