I am David Gaines

One nutrient the doctors have stressed for my mom to be careful of is potassium. Naturally as the doctors said this, it meant nothing to me. I had no idea what potassium did for or to the body, where to get it from and even if I should pay any attention to it for myself considering I’m a fairly healthy person.

So, this is what I learned about the little big word:

Potassium reduces the risk stroke. It reduces blood pressure, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, and helps maintain normal heart and artery function. This nutrient also helps in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins.

Potassium is an essential mineral micronutrient in human nutrition; it assists in muscle contraction and in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in body cells. Potassium is also important in sending nerve impulses as well as releasing energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates during metabolism.

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Asked the other day what my favorite vegetable was, I responded lettuce. “That doesn’t count,” I was informed. “Pick something that has nutrients, taste, a purpose…”

I like lettuce! And the FDA does count a big bowl of leafy lettuce as a serving on the food pyramid for fruits and vegetables. Just to get an idea of what kind of nutritional value lettuce might have, I scoured the internet, and what I found was quite alarming.

Apparently the Environmental Working Group [EWG], a watchdog organization based here in Washington, DC, issued a warning a few years ago about the levels of rocket fuel in lettuce. Obviously lettuce isn’t soaked in it, but there apparently has been studies to show levels of a chemical called perchlorate in lettuce (and milk). I had to look it up on the FDA’s website, and sure enough, they not only talk about perchlorate, the site addresses the amounts of it in lettuce, milk and drinking water.

The stuff is from a few years ago, so before I went to fix me bowl of 100% pure Iceberg lettuce drowning in Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy French salad dressing, I visited EWG’s website to see if there was anything more up-to-date about it. Looks like it’s only gotten worse, and as they fight to make the government do something about it, we keep eating rocket fuel.

In my quest to eat healthier, I’ve started paying more attention to what’s being put in the foods. It was years ago I visited the website Krafty.org, but I wanted to refresh my memory of why I was suspect of Kraft foods. And it didn’t take long.

One interest statistic from the site is that 99% of American households have a Kraft Foods Inc. product. One of my friends a while ago could’ve sworn she didn’t have anything Kraft. Nosiree. Not her. Nope. No chance in hell.

Here’s a list of undercover Kraft Foods Inc. products:
•  Oscar Mayer
•  DiGiorno Pizza
•  Tombstone Frozen Pizza
•  Boca (Meat Alternative)
•  Lunchables
•  Louis Rich meats
•  Breakstone’s, Knudsen and Light n’ Lively cottage cheeses
•  Philadelphia and Back to Nature cream cheeses
•  Athenos hummus
•  Handi-Snacks
•  Cheez Whiz
•  Oven Fry and Shake ‘n Bake
•  Cream of Wheat
•  Grey Poupon
•  Bull’s Eye and CarbWell BBQ sauces
•  Calumet
•  Jell-O
•  Minute (rices)
•  Claussen (my favorite pickles)
•  All Post cereals
•  Miracle Whip
•  Everything Nabisco like Chips Ahoy and SnackWell’s
•  Ritz, Wheat Thins, Triscuits, Honey Maid, Cheese Nips, etc.
•  Comet ice cream cones
•  Newton’s (like Fig Newtons)
•  Toblerone
•  Planter’s (snack nuts)
•  Maxwell Housem, Sanka, Maxim, General Foods International, etc.
•  Kool-Aid
•  Capri Sun, Tang, Crystal Light, Country Time, etc.

Even the dog is sucked into the Kraft Foods family with Kraft’s Milk-Bone brand! Don’t believe me? That Kraft owns all these favorite brands under one roof? Check out their site.

Honey has always been one of those food items I never thought about, unless, of course, I had a honey over.

But then I ran across this article about the benefits of honey and I just might use it for eating purposes as well. Researchers have discovered that honey has just “as many antioxidants – which combat the free radicals which can damage cells – as spinach, apples, oranges or strawberries.”

Also, you can mix honey up with other stuff and use it as a beauty aid. You an use it as a mouthwash. It can even be used for treating acne and chapped lips. And I thought all honey was good for was…

During a recent trip to the hospital, the doctor told my mom she is now able to eat anything she well wishes to eat. Four weeks after her kidney transplant, the kidney has finally “woken up,” and is ready to begin its second life as my mom begins the return of food choice freedom.

One thing the doctor mentioned was she should begin eating more foods with magnesium in it. The benefits of magnesium are:

Magnesium helps to keep the nerves relaxed. It is necessary for all muscular activity. It is an activator of most of the enzyme systems involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. It is necessary for the activation of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme involved in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Magnesium also helps in the utilization of vitamins B and E. It functions with other minerals such as calcium, sodium, and potassium in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. Adequate levels of magnesium are necessary for normal neuromuscular contractions. This mineral is also involved in the production of lecithin. It prevents the building up of cholesterol and consequent artherosclerosis.

Magnesium promotes a healthier cardiovascular system and thus helps prevent heart attacks. It aids in fighting depression. It helps to prevent calcium deposits in kidneys and gallstones. It also provides relief from indigestion.

The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 350 mg for men and 300 mg for women. Children should maintain a level of 150-200 mg and infants around 40-60 mg. Some foods rich in magnesium include:
•   Pumpkin seeds – 150 mg in 1 ounce
•   Peanuts – 130 mg in about 1/2 cup
•   Tofu, raw, regular – 125 mg in 1/2 cup
•   Broccoli, cooked – 120 mg in 2 large stalks
•   Spinach, cooked – 79 mg in 1/2 cup

Other magnesium sources include soybeans, canned tomato paste, sweet potato, all types of nuts and seeds, peanut butter, many types of beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans and so forth.

To learn more, and just about everything there is to know about magnesium, check out Magnesium-Deficiency Catastrophe – The Magnesium Website.

The farmers grow Genetically modified corn. The corn gets sprayed with herbicides that it is resistant to. The herbicide sits inactive in the corn. You buy the corn, cook it up and eat it. The herbicide becomes active inside your body. That’s not good.

Now think about this: “There are no required safety tests for HT crops in the US – if the biotech companies declare them fit for human consumption, the FDA has no further questions.“