Genetically Modified Organisms

Here is a must see video on insecticides, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and your health. This is what our world is coming to. Profits are out weighing food safety. If you don't understand GMO's or genetic insecticides, watch this 1 minute video. It is so shocking that our governments are not protecting the people consuming these foods or protecting the farmers that are being conned into buying these seed products because they are convinced that they are safe. While watching this 1 minute video, please keep in mind that the foods that we eat are broken down into the building blocks that make up all the pieces of our body. If the DNA of our body cannot break apart and/or recognized the DNA of the plants and animals that we are consumming, how do you think this will affect the basic structure of our cells and our DNA. I would also like you to consider that cancer is caused by mutations in human DNA. If we are eating the mutated and modified DNA of the foods we consume that are not ORGANIC, perhaps part of the contributing factors to the DRAMATIC increases in disease and cancer is GMO's in our food... just a thought.

Sugar: An American Staple

Sugar has become a staple in American diet. Not only is added sugar one of the main contributing factors to the obesity epidemic, but it is also responsible for the spike we are seeing in Type 2 Diabetes and people with Insulin Resistance. There is so much sugar included in food that you cannot pick up any prepackaged foods without seeing variations of this sweet ingredient on the label. BEWARE: it comes in many guises including: High Fructose Corn Syrup, corn syrup, sugar, fructose, dextrose, sucrose etc. Be ever diligent in reading labels if you are trying to cut down on your sugar intake. Pretty much anything ending in -ose is a sugar or sugar derivative. Sugar consumed in the form of whole fruits acts differently on the body than simple sugars and is NOT what I am referring to here. With that being said, I wanted to share with you this very interesting FREE video seminar on sugar consumption taught by our very own Cynthia Lair. Cynthia is responsible for single handedly pulling me into the world of nutrition and making me aware of everything I put into my mouth. She is part of the faculty at Bastyr University where she teaches many classes including my favorite class, Whole Foods Production. In this class, I not only learned how to cook with whole foods, but I also learned about GMO's (genetically modified food), and the many ways in which processed foods are created. FYI: processed foods are taken apart using many chemicals and high heat, which depletes their nutritional value rendering many of the foods we eat nutritionally deficient. This is why you see on the ingredients labels the word "Enriched". This is the way corporations put vitamins back into food after they have been destroyed through processing. Unfortunately, the vitamins added back into the food are TRADITIONALLY synthetic and do not include naturally occurring enzymes or phytonutrients. Synthetic vitamins do not act in the same way or have the same benefits of eating the whole food itself (ex. whole grain, whole wheat vs enriched white flour). I hope you take the time to watch this video and enjoy this seminar. I hope all of you learn allot that inspires you to minimize your simple sugar intake if you have not already done so.

What the Flip is an EAMP?

I love this cartoon. It is perfect for the world we live in. As I wrap up my education at Bastyr University, I have learned the value of rest, relaxation, and complete nutrition for every person in this world. Moving forward, I hope to start incorporating not only healthy recipes, but also information I have found in research that is beneficial to my patients and the world over. Look for future posts on health and nutrition, the value of exercise, and the benefits of alternative medicine.

For now, let's start with, WTFlip is an EAMP? This translates literally to East Asian Medical Practitioner. What does this mean to the world outside the Washington State Department of Health? This title is equivalent to a Nurse Pratitioner, except in the area of Eastern (Chinese) medicine, as opposed to Western Medicine. What does this mean to you, the future clients of my practice? It means that upon graduating with my Master's degree, completing my licensing requirements, and passing my boards, I will be able to treat you as a practitioner of "Eastern" medicine. My scope of practice will include: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, fire cupping, Chinese/Japanese bodywork, Chinese Nutrition, and the ability to recommend supplementation and dietary changes to my patients and clients. The Washington State Department of Health has given Acupunturists a new title because our scope of practice includes so much more than just sticking needles in people and only giving acupuncture treatments. For more information about our scope of practice and the VERY uninteresting ins and outs of the new title please visit the Washington State Department of Health. The advantage of this change is, upon graduating, I get to legally use all of the education I have payed for, and I get to address my patients and clients from a holistic stand point. To me, the foundation of health is nutrition and exercise. Everything else is an accesory we use to correct the health mistakes we have made in the past and/or should be a building block to maintain overall health of the mind, body, and spirit. Without lifestyle changes at the very heart of our life, true, long term health cannot be maintained. I look forward to elaborating on this more in the future. I am excited to be able to start using all of the knowledge and information I have gained over the past many years as a holistic health practitioner.

Bismillah.