" Oil … "

I'll take you down, down to the sea,

can't you see honey, you're lookin at me,

I've got god, some answers, some disease,

but I'm just heavy on your knees

and I see love in your eyes never should've run,

never should've let you lie down on my

shoulder baby ...

OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL

OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL it's all about

~ The Kooks ~ Oil ~

***

Do you believe that Cannabis can save the world?  Yeah a pretty bold statement but potentially true.  So instead of getting stuck on the idea that it is and “illegal substance”, I’d rather focus on the nutritional value and healing properties.

The raw cannabis plant is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants ... it is a great source of complete protein, 100% vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, easy to digest and high in healthy Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Cannabis’s diversity allows its use as medicine to heal and repair  both the body and mind.  How?  It contains powerful dis-ease fighting compounds known as cannabinoids.  Of these compounds, the most frequently studied are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).

So what are “cannaboids”?

Cannabinoids is a blanket term covering a family of complex chemicals (both natural and man-made) that lock on to “cannabinoid receptors” - the protein molecules on the surface of cells.  The structure of the main active ingredient of cannabis plants (delta-9 THC) was discovered in the 60s.  Yet it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the first cannabinoid receptor was discovered along with cannabinoid-like chemicals within our bodies, known as endocannabinoids.

We have two different types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 & CB2:

CB1 ~ mostly found on cells in the nervous system (due to their location in the brain, it’s thought these receptors are responsible for the infamous “high”/psychoactive effects

CB2 ~ mostly found on cells in the immune system

Cannabinoids are biological molecules and researchers are very keen on their anti-” “ properties.  In regards to cancer, scientist have discovered that various cannabinoids have a wide range of effects in the lab, including:

• Triggering cell death, through a mechanism called apoptosis
• Stopping cells from dividing
• Preventing new blood vessels from growing into tumours
• Reducing the chances of cancer cells spreading through the body, by stopping cells from moving or invading neighbouring tissue
• Speeding up the cell’s internal ‘waste disposal machine’ – a process known as autophagy – which can lead to cell death

Thus far, the best results come from using a combination of THC and CBD, a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants that counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC.  Some may question the petri-dish results, so thankfully the first human clinical trials of cannabinoids are currently being done (in combo with chemotherapy).

There are many that still view this herb as taboo and feel there are unanswered questions around the potential for using cannabinoids to cure dis-eases ... which type of cannabinoid, what dose might be needed, or which types of cancer might respond best to them.  

Yet human testimonials go a lot further ~ just check out the following health stories:

Brave Mykala

http://www.bravemykayla.com

Corrie Yelland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDz4JXv9SMo

Cash Hyde Foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDz4JXv9SMo

Pediatric Eplilespy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciQ4ErmhO7g

Unfortunately, most of BigPharma are not interested thus far, in any of the above.  They don’t want to recognize that there has been some research suggesting that endocannabinoids can possibly suppress tumour growth.  Yet as far back as the 1980’s, cannabinoid-based drugs (including dronabinol, a synthetic THC) and nabilone, were used to help reduce nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

Hence, with all the data, research and information out there, it is up to us to decide what is right for us.  Do you homework and consult with experts.  In some instances, medicinal marijuana can be legally issued depending on your condition.  

Make an educated decision about your health and 

take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live 

♋

"I Don't Know ..."

" I don't know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don't know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When we think it will all become clear
'Cause I’m being taken over by fear"

~ Lilly Allen ~ I Don't Know ~

***

Over the past year I have had various conversations with family and friends regarding certain foods and if they are "good" or "bad".  And I started to believe that food is not necessarily bad, it's just that we have bad behaviours when it comes to food.  This is assuming we are talking about wholesome, natural, organic food.  When we start to look at genetically modified foods, well then it's a whole different ballgame.  And one food in particular has got my attention ~ SOY.  And what I have found is that when it comes to Soy, it's not as healthy as we all once thought.

You see Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty.  At this time, the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen in their soil.  Soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari within the Asian cuisine.  Asians consume soy foods in small amounts per day as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.  But have you noticed that soy is now found in most of the products we buy ... from protein shakes, to bakery goods to energy bars.  Soy whats wrong with Soy then?

1. Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.  Cancer patients are being warned to avoid foods rich in soy because they can accelerate the growth of tumours. 
2. Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
3. Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause. Soy will destroy your thyroid. Many foods are goitrogenic (thyroid suppressing), but soy is king of them all. Goitrogens work by preventing your thyroid from getting the necessary amount of iodine. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.
4. A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
5. Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals.
6. The soybean also contains hemaglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.
7. Soy contain protease inhibitors, which as the name suggests, inhibit the action of proteases (including trypsin). Protease are enzymes that are involved in the process of dismantling proteins for use by the body. Studies show that soy contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function.
8. Soybeans contain very high levels of phytate and their are numerous reports of reduced bioavailablity of various metals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc. This has particular significance for vegetarians and infants fed soy-formulas. Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D.
9. The soybean plant has the ability to absorb manganese from the soil and concentrate it to an extent that soy-based infant formulas can contain as much as 200 times the level of manganese found in natural breast milk.  In babies, excess manganese that cannot be metabolised is stored in body organs.  Around eight percent of the excess manganese in the diet is stored in the brain in close proximity to the dopamine-bearing neurons responsible, in part, for adolescent neurological development.
10. The implications are that the one in eight infants raised on soy formula during the first six months of life may be at risk of brain and behavioural disorders that do not become evident until adolescence.
11. Vitamin B 12 deficiency has been recognized as a serious result of soy consumption for many years.
12. Soy is deficient in Vitamin B1.
13. Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to TVP products to mask their strong “beany” taste, and impart the flavor of meat.  MSG, (also called free glutamic acid), a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing. Many soy products have extra MSG added as well.
14. Fragile soy proteins are exposed to high temperatures during processing in order to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein, making them unsuitable for human digestion.
15. The GMO Compass database records that as of 2008, 92% of soy crops in the U.S. are genetically modified varieties. GMOs are continually shown in independent studies to cause serious harm in the human body, a frightening prospect when considering that soy derivatives are found in virtually every processed food product

For some vegans, SOY has become a prefix for almost every other item in their diets—from soy milk and soy ice cream to soy nuts and soy burgers. Yet after reading the long list above, why take the risk?  And since there are so many other options to choose from, we realize that one doesn't need any soy to follow a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet.