Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cod and Biscuits!

Tonight's dinner: poached cod with fresh asparagus and thyme... with homemade buttermilk biscuits. Lectin free goodness!!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Almost Famous...

So, the application I helped write made the nightly news in Hawaii:

Soldier Evaluation for Life Fitness from David Cain on Vimeo.

Celiac Disease

Great explanation of the mechanism behind gluten intolerance:

Simply irresponsible...

A website dedicated to increasing awareness around Crohn's Disease and not one single mention of Gluten anywhere on the site. I am simply appalled: http://www.crohnsandme.com/

I would not recommend this site to anyone needing information on Crohn's Disorder.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

What Would Jesus Duodenum?


Think about it... the 'body' of Jesus Christ in communion is gluten. A potent lectin capable of producing toxic effects on individuals with certain genetic and/or environmental dispositions.

"Pastors and the faithful are reminded that for bread to be valid matter for the Eucharist, it must be made solely of wheat; contain enough gluten to effect the confection of bread; be free of foreign materials and unaffected by any preparation or baking methods which would alter its nature."*

The answer?

Gluten Free Host, of course!

* Quote from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/innews/1103.shtml

The sickest animal on the planet...

"While wheat was the engine of civilization’s expansion and was glorified as a “necessary food,” both in the physical (staff of life) and spiritual sense (the body of Christ), those suffering from celiac disease are living testimony to the lesser known dark side of wheat. A study of celiac disease may help unlock the mystery of why modern man, who dines daily at the table of wheat, is the sickest animal yet to have arisen on this strange planet of ours."

Continue reading "The sickest animal on the planet"...




What, me worry?

A world renowned expert on lectins lost his job when he warned the world about the dangers of Genetically Modified Foods:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arpad_Pusztai

Arpad found that rats fed on genetically modified potatoes had unusual changes to their gut tissue when compared with rats fed on non modified potatoes. The potatoes were altered by inserting a gene taken from snowdrop plants, that caused the potatoes to express a certain characteristic.

Anyone care to guess as to the nature of this gene expression?

Yep, the modification caused the potatoes to express the snowdrop lectin.

Are you scared yet? No? Ok, consider this:

Many lectins are powerful allergens, and prohevein, the principal allergen of rubber latex, is one. It has been engineered into transgenic tomatoes for its fungistatic properties, so we should expect an outbreak of tomato allergy in the near future among latex sensitive individuals.

How about now?

Lectin Free Burger and "Fries"


Here is a great recipe for that all American favorite: Burger and Fries... but without all the harmful lectins!! Start with a pattie of ground turkey, grilled, broiled or fried in olive oil. Add this to gluten free bread. Server with onion, mustard, and pickles. Banana sauce makes an excellent ketchup substitute! Also shown: basmati rice with wheat-free tamari, sweet potato chips from Trader Joes, steamed squash and steamed brocolli!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Clumping Disorder

I propose that we classify a new form of disease I am calling 'Cain Syndrome' or 'Clumping Disorder'. The mechanism of this disorder have their origins in a class of chemical compounds commonly called lectins. Simply put, lectins are proteins that bind to sugars on cell walls.

For example, some viruses use lectins to attach themselves to the cells of the host organism during infection. Another example is Ricin, a chemical known to the general public for it's role in bioterrorism. But few know that it's toxicity results from a potent lectin:

http://www.glycoforum.gr.jp/science/word/lectin/LEA08E.html

Several notable people have developed dietary theories based on the biochemical processes of lectins:

http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=2009

These investigations due a decent job of alerting people to the harmful nature of these chemicals, but the true extent of the damage caused by these compounds has never been fully researched.

I am proposing that these chemicals are contributing to a nationwide health problem, effecting approximately 50% of the population. And in all likelihood, contributing to the symptoms associated with diabetes, MS, lupus, epilepsy, etc.

You are probably thinking to yourself: "Aren't the causes of these diseases genetic?". To which I would say: "Yes, but if everyone smoked cigarettes, then lung cancer would be genetic!". In other words, it is very probable that a large percentage of the population has a genetic predisposition for this disorder, that would otherwise not be expressed were it not for their diet!

A good example is Crohn's Disease. This is almost certainly an advanced form of Gluten Intolerance, which has a genetic marker that can be verified. But if an individual with this marker does not eat gluten, then harmful protein and antigens are not produced, and therefore no disease occurs. See how simple this is!

We need to look closely at these diseases and disorders from the point of view of a Unified Theory of Health: genome --> molecular expression --> illness --> microbial interaction --> and back to genome.

Inflammation: A basic way in which the body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response.

More information: In technical terms, the inflammatory response directs immune system components to the site of injury or infection and is manifest by increased blood supply and vascular permeability which, in technical terms, allows chemotactic peptides, neutrophils, and mononuclear cells to leave the intravascular compartment. Microorganisms are engulfed by phagocytic cells (e.g., neutrophils and macrophages) in an attempt to contain the infection in a small-tissue space. The response includes attraction of phagocytes in a chemotactic gradient of microbial products, movement of the phagocyte to the inflammatory site and contact with the organism, phagocytosis (ingestion) of the organism, development of an oxidative burst directed toward the organism, fusion of the phagosome and lysosome with degranulation of lysosomal contents, and death and degradation of the organism. When quantitative or qualitative defects in neutrophil function result in infection, the infection usually is prolonged and recurrent and responds slowly to antimicrobial agents. Staphylococci, gram-negative organisms, and fungi are the usual pathogens responsible for these infections.

Lectin free Pezole!

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled
* 2 tbs cumin
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tbs olive oil
* 1/2 tsp black pepper
* 1 tbs salt
* 1/4 tsp oregano
* 4 cups canned white hominy
* 3-5 cups pork broth, from cooking pork shoulder
* salt



1. Prepare the onion, peel the garlic, chop the onion, peel and chop the 2 garlic cloves, drain and rinse hominy.
2. Place the meat in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water.
3. Add 1/2 chopped onion, the 2 cloves peeled garlic, black pepper, cumin, and oregano.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skim off any foam that rises, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Remove meat and broth, reserving both.
6. Saute the remaining chopped onion and garlic in oil until translucent.
7. Add the remaining spices, stir for a minute.
8. Cut the reserved pork into 1 inch cubes and add to the pan.
9. Stir in the canned hominy, pork broth.
10. Cook at a simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes until the meat and hominy are tender.
11. If necessary, cook for up to an additional 60 minutes until the onions are well blended into the broth.
12. Garnishes:lots of lime/lemon wedges, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage, corn tortillas.

Monday, May 25, 2009

What doesn't kill you, will only make you sicker.

Whether you are ready to admit it or not, you need to know that you are part of a medical experiment. There is no need to determine if this experiment is intentional or not, you simply need to know that it is happening... every day.

Let's take a look at an example: Let's say you join your friends for a day at the local ski resort. Rather than packing a lunch, you choose to eat at the ski lodge. In general, this amounts to 2 options: the restaurant, or the cafe/cafeteria. The former offers the expected fare: salads, specials, meat dishes, pasta, baked potatoes, etc. While the latter offers the obligatory burgers, pizza, chili fries, corn dogs, candy bars, etc.

For the sake of this post, we will ignore the "hidden" foods: hydrogenated oils, MSG, aluminum, artificial flavors/colors. We will simply address the choices offered to you, or lack thereof.

How do you think these establishments decided on the food choices they offer? Public demand? Somehow I find that very unlikely? More likely it depends on what is most available from the wholesale distributors: wheat products, nuts, nightshades, etc. Then how do the distributors decide on what they will offer? By what is most readily available from producers? Farmers? And what goes into the decision making process of the farmers and growers? Government incentive? Pricing models?

Now, I am not crying 'CONSPIRACY!'. I am just hoping that you will stop and think about what decisions are behind the food that this country eats. What if everyone stopped buying the food offered at these establishments? What if the public used their dollars to bargain for better choices?

Think about this next time you are deciding where to eat dinner...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

What are Lectins?

Lectins are a class of proteins that are specific to certain sugar binding sites in the body, namely the lungs, mucous membranes, and the digestive tract. Most people are familiar with Ricin, which has been in the news recently for its role and use as a weapon bioterrorism. Ricin is simply a very potent lectin.

But lectins are found in many common foods, with less potency than Ricin, but with destructive effects on the tissues of the body. Lectins are produced by plants as a protective mechanism against pest such as insects, or microbial infestation. For example, Raw black beans contain enough lectins to kill rats in a week.

Lectin toxins in food are found in:
  • Grains containing gluten, especially wheat and wheat germ, oats, rye, barley.
  • Legumes (all dried beans, including soy and PEANUTS and the products made from them)
  • Plants in the Nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.
Some dairy is suspected to contain lectins, but only if cows were fed grains instead of grass. If you drink alot of milk, dry and purchase organic milk/cheese/etc from free ranging, grass fed cattle.

Diet recommendations: COMPLETELY eliminate grains containing gluten (wheat, barley,
and rye), peanuts, soybeans, and nightshades (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes) for at least 2 weeks, and see if you notice any changes in your symptoms.

Also, if you can find a local health food grocery, see if they can order some Bladderwrack capsules for you. Bladderwrack is a type of seaweed that contains a chemical that binds to lectins before they can do any damage to your body. You can also order it online through Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ov9b7z

Some good substitues: exchange rice and corn for glutenous grains. Exchange sweet potatoes and yams for white potatoes. Exchange cashew or almond butter for peanut butter. Eat plain grilled meats, with no hot spice. Try Thai restaurants for pad thai with no peanuts, or sushi, or a hambuger with no fries, but a salad instead. And if you drink alcohol, try white wine or good tequila instead of beer or other liquors.