"To what do you attribute the growing prevalence of food allergies, gluten intolerances and autoimmune disorders?"

I was asked this question and here is my answer:
I believe that babies’ immune systems may not be developing properly because mothers' immune systems have become unknowingly compromised from a lifetime of ingesting foreign substances like high fructose corn syrup, over-hybridized wheat, refined sugar, ultra-pasteurized and canned foods, and industrially farmed meat, milk and produce.

I also believe that many of us raised on highly processed foods have sustained intestinal and immune system damage. Many people from my generation, age 50-ish have experienced diseases in young adulthood like candida, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and gluten allergy but because they were “new” diseases had to wait years for accurate diagnoses. The resulting damage from years without proper attention can take years to repair.

Subsequent generations are showing a disturbing amount of diagnoses of ADD, ADHD, autism and signs of extreme food allergies almost from birth, which I believe is from mother's compromised systems. (I imagine the American diet would take its toll on fathers’ sperm, as well) Most mothers do their best to create healthy children by receiving prenatal care, eating well, exercising and take supplements. However, I think we are seeing the slow and steady results of a civilization that is so large and has so many mouths to feed that it cuts corners in order to create the volume of food we need, hence the substandard food from feedlots, the ultra-pasteurization of many foods to increase shelf life in the market, and the marketing of junk food that is spawned from the creation of food substances that are unrecognizable to the digestive system such as high fructose
corn syrup, additives, preservatives and trans fats.

Through highly focused advertising the pharmaceutical business fosters the belief
that one can best manage one’s health through pharmaceuticals. If, over a lifetime. one learns that the only way one can maintain health is with drugs and surgery it will become the only path to healing. Many people subscribe to this belief and may eventually build a mental block around other possibilities of healing. It becomes easy to stay within this belief cycle and raise children within the cycle thus continuing the potential ill health for future generations.

There is so much we can do to move towards healthy living. One thing that is easy and economical to make is lacto-fermented Sauerkraut. Lacto-fermentation is the old fashioned fermentation technique used for centuries to create “medicinal food”. The fermentation process fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria and yeast known as probiotics, resulting in a food that “cleans out” the digestive system while boosting all the bodily systems. A few tablespoons of sauerkraut also helps to digest an entire meal using enzymes that grow during the fermentation period.

All that is needed for a month’s supply of sauerkraut is a medium cabbage, water, salt , a quart canning jar and a stove.

I have long thought that those of us that develop these new diseases, are the canaries in the coal mine. We have become the barometers for global public health. We are the first generation exhibiting the diseases resulting from a toxic and unnatural approach to food. With the current growing swell of celiac and autoimmune diagnoses it has become obvious we will not be the last. Let us do what we can to improve the health of ourselves and our families so we can get back on the path to good health!!

Break up sinus congestion with fermented tonics!

Just wanted to pass along a couple of home remedies that use the fermented tonics, kombucha and water kefir.


Kombucha Tea: During cold season I will keep some kombucha tea in the refrigerator with a 1 inch hunk each of ginger and horseradish roots steeping in it. These will stay fresh in the tea for about 7-10 days, then they should be replaced with new pieces. When I'm ready for my tonic I pour out some kombucha tea,add a generous squeeze of lemon, a little olive oil and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It seems better to sip it slowly to let it do its work.

Water Kefir: I pour out some water kefir, add a generous squeeze of lemon and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of Vitamin C powder and sip it slowly.

Water can be added to both of these tonics if they are too intense.