Linda L. Isaacs, MD, PC
Individualized Nutritional Protocols
Food Quality and Office Announcements |
The recently published book Real Food, Fake Food by Larry Olmstead details depressing information about the quality of many of the foods available today. Unless you raise your food
yourself, you are dependent on the honesty of the person that sells it to you and of all the vendors in the supply chain. Any food that is expensive and easily faked will attract unscrupulous people who profit from fraud. The book reviews many different types of food, and it is well worth reading. However, I want to pass along suggestions in three specific areas: fish, olive oil and honey.
Fraud is apparently rife in the fish industry, with widespread substitution of cheaper for more expensive fish, fish high in mercury for fish low in mercury, and farmed for wild fish and shrimp. Any method of fish farming is very destructive to the environment, and because the fish are fed a diet that is not what a free-swimming fish would eat, the nutritional value is
diminished. Farmed fish are sometimes fed foods containing industrial chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides.
Your best approach for purchasing fish is to shop at some of the larger retailers such as Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, or Whole Foods. These chain stores
have enormous leverage over their suppliers, so the fish is more likely to be what they say it is – though you will still need to read labels to be sure it is what you want. You are less likely to be sold a fraudulent fish if you purchase a whole fish rather than a filet, as filets look much alike. Most fishmongers will filet the fish for you.
There are also third party certification programs such as the Marine Stewardship Council for wild fish, or the “Alaska Seafood” seal, which requires chain of custody from catch to retail. Alaska has some of the best regulations in the world regarding seafood, and farm fishing is illegal there, so fish from Alaska is typically of excellent quality. Vital Choice is one purveyor of Alaskan fish that
ships throughout the USA.
Published reports also suggest that fish, especially sushi, in all but the most expensive restaurants will be poor quality or even fraudulent. The
restauranteur may not be aware of the fraud, since substitution occurs higher in the delivery chain.
Olive oil is another food that is frequently poor quality or fraudulent. According to
the book Fake Food, Real Food, the phrase “extra virgin” does not guarantee quality, but its absence means the oil is definitely inferior. And the phrase “first cold pressed” apparently has no contemporary significance, since with modern technology most oil is not pressed but rather spun out via centrifugation. The California Olive Oil Council is a third-party certification program that promises higher standards for oils made there. Chile and Australia are also good sources. Finally, olive oil is fairly stable in the bottle but perishable once opened, so try to purchase a size that you will use within six weeks.
Honey naturally contains the pollen that bees collect, but some honey producers filter out the pollen because doing so helps keep the product in a liquid state. Unscrupulous producers or resellers then blend it with such undesirable additives as high-fructose corn syrup or beet sugar. Honey, according to one report, is the third most faked food in the world. And the word
“organic” does have a legal meaning for honey, but since bees roam freely to collect pollen, it is not surprising that small amounts of the herbicide glyphosate have been found in organic honey. It is not essential for you to eat honey at all, but if you do, the best place to get it is from a local beekeeper, at a farmer’s market or small gourmet store. Honey made by bees foraging in your area will contain local pollens, and for some people with seasonal allergies, eating this consistently can
help the body become more tolerant of these substances.
On another note, for my patients, I have made some minor modifications to the Liver Flush protocol that I believe will make it
slightly easier while equally effective. Call the office to get the new directions. This offer is limited to those who have come into our office in the past.
The office will be closed on Monday, January 16 as it is Martin Luther King Day in the USA. Also, I wanted to
mention that I will be out of town from January 19-24, 2017, visiting my mother. Current patients can reach me during this time by calling the office or answering service as usual, but if at all possible please call about routine matters before or after these dates.
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