The Food Issue!

Thank goodness for Michael Pollan and his recent letter to the President-Elect. Please take the time to read about this extremely important issue. Michael Pollan is very well-versed on the subject of food issues, as he has written several books based upon the topic--one of which I write about in a previous blog. You can read his letter here.

Freedom At Last

Several weeks ago, I lost my new cell phone. What's ironic about this is that after having the same phone for years, I finally decided to upgrade to a newer version of my very simple Nokia. I kept my old phone for so many years because I never liked all the fancy new phone features with the flipping flaps, tiny keyboards and bazillion ring tones, but after researching the dangerous effects of cell phone usage, I decided to see what was out there.

Although I was able to find a phone with a much smaller amount of radiation emissions than most, I was still very aware that my constant cell phone usage could be harmful to my health and needed to be curtailed. I guess the "powers that be" thought so too, and decided to take my new phone right away from me.

After trying for a week to recover my lost prized possession, I finally gave up. However, during this time I began to realize a freedom that I had not experienced in years. Sadly enough, it was apparent that I had really become dependent on my phone. Admittedly, I even used to feel "lost" when I would actually leave the house without it.

Another ridiculous realization I had during these past few weeks, is that I used to think that I was so efficient in making all of my pressing phone calls while driving--because I simply could not find the time for them while I was at home. How absurd is that? Now I realize that I am much more focused while driving. Plus, I am enjoying quality time on the phone with family and friends from the comfort of my very own home.

Even though a major concern of not having my cell phone with me at all times was how my family would contact me if there was an emergency--we figured out the solution to that problem rather quickly. We reverted to the "old-fashioned" way of doing things. My son and I reviewed who to call and what to do while he is at home alone, and not to just rely on the cell phone during emergencies.

Well, it has been several weeks now since my phone and I parted ways, and the best part about not having it around (besides the health benefits) is that I feel so mysterious. As odd as this sounds, I am truly enjoying the fact that nobody really knows where I am--I am independent and free! And the best part is that now you can reach me when I am really available--at home, relaxed, and able to give you my full and undivided attention.

Bad Sugar.........The Monsanto Kind........

Consumers in Brazil can now eat Hershey’s Kisses(TM) without fear of GM ingredients. Unfortunately, that is not the case for US consumers. Several weeks ago, Hershey’s in Brazil announced that it will not use GM ingredients, including GM beet sugar, in the products it makes in Brazil, but it remains silent about its plans in the US.

US farmers planted GM sugar beet crops for the first time this year. These Roundup Ready® GM sugar beets are genetically altered to resist Monsanto’s toxic weed killer, Roundup, and its active ingredient, glyphosate. But here’s the scary part:

When the USDA first approved the planting of GM sugar beets, the EPA also increased the maximum allowable residues of glyphosate on the beet roots (from which sugar is extracted) by a staggering 5,000%! This EPA policy change was made at the request of Monsanto, producer of GM sugar beet seeds.

What this means for consumers is that the more GM ingredients permitted in our foods, the greater the likelihood that we are ingesting more toxic chemicals. What’s worse is that there will be no way to know if we’re eating GM beet sugar once it hits the market, which could happen as early as next year, because GM ingredients are NOT labeled.

In 2001, Hershey’s announced that it would not use GM beet sugar, but the company has been noticeably silent on the issue ever since. A double standard is not likely to prevail in the US, where members like you have sent more than a hundred thousand letters to food companies asking them to publicly refuse to use GM sugar in their products.

Tell Hershey’s to Kiss GM Sugar Goodbye! Write a letter to Hershey’s urging the company to publicly reject the use of GM sugar in its chocolates and other sweets.

(This Message is taken directly From the True Food Network)

How Does a Cow Fit in a Petri Dish?

I am a big fan of the scientists who spend their lives dedicated to research for the betterment of humanity. I read scientific material, listen to new discoveries explained by famous scientists on the radio, and I even obtain issues of Popular Science Magazine to enjoy in my free time. However, I recently read an article about scientists intermingling with our food, that really grosses me out.

I am already vehemently against the ways that animals are treated on the so-called "farms" of the Agri-Industry. I don't agree with the cramped living quarters, inhumane treatment and disease laden conditions in which they live. I also do not agree with the fact that these same "sick" animals end up on the plates of our nations' citizens. Yet to make matters worse, our government is in favor of taking it all one step further to create "fake" animals that will be considered nutritious and delicious fare.

With the Food and Drug Admistration ruling in January that milk and meat from cloned animals such as pigs, sheep and cows are safe to eat, the only real thing keeping them off your plate, is time.

It just so happens that the biotech industry has been diligently working for many years on cloning and growing meats such as beef and pork in petri dishes. So it won't be too long before these cloned meats hit the supermarket shelves. Plus, without any labeling restrictions in place by the FDA (they are against that sort of thing), the average consumer will not actually ever know if the meat they are eating is indeed cloned.

As it stands right now, our Government and the FDA are actually in favor of cloning animals, so it will only be a matter of time before this type of freakish activity is considered the norm. However, cloning the tastiest beef can cost upward of $14,000 a cow, which makes them way too expensive to eat according to today's prices. Although once these newly cloned animals have enough offspring for you to munch on, the prices for cloned beef will definitely become affordable.

While the average American seems to be against cloning food, they don't actually take the time to stop and think where their next meal might really be coming from. For, if they did, the fast food industry might definitely not be so popular. As a matter of fact, it might not even exist any longer. For example: what if you really knew what a hot dog was made of? Would you still eat it? Or, what if you became aware that the meal you just purchased from McDonald's didn't exactly contain all of the "healthy" ingredients you thought it did? Or, what if you found out exactly how many carcinogenic chemicals were added to your fast meal just to keep it "fresh" and looking good? Most people really don't want to think about these things. They are good at using the 'I don't want to know' mentality.

Well, that same mentality is going to move cloned beef right into your dining room. Not only that, but while the food industry waits for the cloned cows to come down in price, scientists are hard at work "improving" other ingredients you just might add to your next hamburger. These include: "cruelty free" bacon grown from the stem cells of pigs combined with water, glucose and amino acids; bacterial genes added to cheddar cheese eliminating the bitter taste that comes with the ripening process; breeding a tomato that is sweeter, yet less nutritious than those grown today so that ketchup can keep its sweet flavor; and splicing rat genes into lettuce so that it contains more vitamin C.

So when did food get so complicated? I mean, if the giant biotech industry gets its way, ordering your next hamburger may go something like this, "one charbroiled cloned-beef patty, with genetically modified cheese, lab-grown bacon, and vitamin c fortified lettuce on a protein-spiked bun." Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

There's a (Healthy) Fungus Among Us

Although I have always enjoyed eating mushrooms, I never really paid too much attention to them--except on a few occasions when trying to determine if a newly discovered fungus could be used in a culinary creation or was to be avoided like the plague.

It wasn't until the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay, that I started seeing mushrooms in a new light--I actually began to realize their deeper, more meaningful purpose on this planet.

Now, you may be asking how do mushrooms and oil spills even fit together in the same sentence? Well, I found the answer to this very interesting question as I listened to a radio talk on NPR where the show's main purpose was to educate the public about totally organic methods of the cleaning up and disposal of massive amounts of spilled oil.

This new and exciting process is executed using hair mats made from human hair in a project started by Lisa Guatier, called Matter of Trust. In the clean-up mission, volunteers use the hair mats to suck up the offending oil. Once the hair mats become saturated, they are layered in a giant tank and the mushrooms are then put to work. In this system, Oyster mushrooms are placed on the mats to grow and absorb the oil. The mushrooms take approximately 12 weeks to complete the job, converting the oily hair mats into nontoxic compost.

A national mushroom expert named Paul Stamets donated $10,000 worth of Oyster mushrooms to the clean-up effort when he heard of the project. Paul actually claims that when the mushrooms have finished cleaning up the oil, they are still edible.

Because this information completely amazes me, I decided to do my own research about the miraculous mushroom. Here are some of the interesting facts I found:

• Mushrooms are actually the fruits of fungus. The fungus itself is simply a net of threadlike fibers, called a mycelium, growing in soil, wood or decaying matter. Mushrooms on a mycelium are like apples on an apple tree.
• There are an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms.
• Most mushrooms provide a substantial amount of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, calcium and other minerals.
  
• While medicinal mushrooms have been used in China and Japan for more than 3,000 years to boost immunity and fight diseases such as cancer, only in the last decade has their power become acknowledged in the United States.
• At least three species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi.
• Harry Preuss and Sensuke Konno, Ph.D., authors of Maitake Magic, say that studies show Maitake (Grifola Frondosa) can hamper growth and spread of cancer cells, protect normal cells from environmental carcinogens, reduce side effects of and augment chemotherapy, stimulate anti-tumor and anti-microbial activity, and help to halt HIV proliferation. The National Cancer Institute declared Maitake more powerful than AZT, with no toxic side effects. Those with high blood pressure can expect a gradual decrease and Maitake also reduces blood and liver cholesterol and triglycerides, thus reducing risk of stroke and heart disease.
• According to The Medicinal Benefits of Mushrooms by William H. Lee, R.Ph., Ph.D., Reishi increases vitality, improves coronary arteries, inhibits platelet aggregation, normalizes blood pressure, relieves stress and asthma and prevents and treats certain types of cancer and other degenerative diseases. The beta-glucans found in Reishi support the body's immune system in fighting cancer cells and countering the effects of aging.
• According to Kenneth Jones in Shiitake: The Healing Mushroom , these mushrooms provide benefits for ulcers, high or low blood pressure, liver problems, allergies and autoimmune diseases. Shiitake (Lentinus Edodes) is the second most commonly produced mushroom in the world because of having both medicinal and food value. When eaten, it yields 26% protein by dry weight, carbohydrates, fiber, linoleic acid, vitamins B2, C and D, ergosterol and possesses abundant quantities of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and all the essential amino acids needed in our diet.
• Crimini and Portabello (Agaricus Bisporus) are the same mushroom, the portabello being left to grow longer and larger. These mushrooms contain a variety of B complex vitamins, are an excellent source of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin, are a very good source of thiamine, vitamin B6 and a good source of folate. Selenium, lysine, protein, zinc, copper , manganese and iron are more benefits of eating this mushroom.
• Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus Ostreatus) are a fleshy, gilled mushroom growing in shelf-like fashion on wood that are good food and have promising medicinal properties. Protein quality is nearly equal to animal derived protein. Low-fat content is mostly of the good unsaturated kind. Also contained are carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, plus minerals, especially iron. This mushroom shows activity against cancer and high cholesterol.
  

So, as simple as the mysterious mushroom may appear, it turns out that these fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of a fungus are truly a miracle of life.

Excessive Wastes and Excessive Waists

The United States is an incredible country--priding itself on the fact that its citizens are well taken care of. Sure, many of us may have reason to whine and complain about the intricacies of our daily lives, but overall, we are pampered in a way that a great majority of people in other countries will not ever have the luxury of experiencing.

It is well known that America is a country built upon globalization--promoting endless consumerism, and providing its citizens with a surplus of "in the moment" conveniences--many of which are unnecessarily wasteful. We are also a country that is continuously expanding--with concrete buildings consuming vanishing wilderness as effortless as an artist spreads paint across canvas. Yet, even though we are "gobbling up" our green lands at an alarming rate, it seems we cannot stop. For, we do this in the name of "creature comforts" and we do this to make way for food!

In my eyes, the American public is spoiled. We can drive to any nearby destination and find that which we seek to fill our grumbling bellies. Restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food chains are located on every street corner and there are an overwhelming number of options for us as consumers of food. For example, within a 1/2 mile radius of my own home, there are over 30 culinary establishments--which means that I could eat out for an entire month and not repeat a single dining experience.

What's more, is that here in America we have developed eating habits that aren't so great--we eat while driving, while watching TV, and we eat while we are working. We also use food for a variety of purposes other than its nutritional value. For example, we eat when we are celebrating, we eat when we are sad or bored, and we eat just because we are used to a schedule of breakfast, lunch and dinner time.

Most of us have become so used to the conveniences of "having our cake and eating it too” that our comfortable lifestyles are not the only thing developing--it is quite evident that our waste sizes are expanding too. Current research has found that more than 50% of Americans are overweight and 22% are obese, even though weight-loss products and services are a $34 billion-a-year industry. There are more fad diets existing in this country than there are certain species of endangered animals.

So what causes one to become overweight and/or obese?

According to the Obesity In America website, "weight gain and obesity are caused by consuming more calories than the body needs – most commonly by eating a diet high in fat and calories, being sedentary or both." Although, there are other factors that can be taken into consideration such as genetics, environment, culture, and hormonal imbalances, most cases of weight gain are simply caused by the fact that the body is taking in more calories than it expends--and in this country, it is super easy for a person to devour a large number of calories.

For example: a single meal at McDonald’s can equal or exceed the amount of calories a person actually needs for an entire 24 hour period. Since calories are the so-called equivalent of energy, and our bodies only need a certain amount each day (recommended daily allowance) for us to be productive, any excessive calories consumed have nothing else to do, but turn into fat.

As unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles continue over time, weight gain manifests itself. Unfortunately, being overweight is not only detrimental to one's self-esteem, it has also been linked with greater risk of certain illnesses--including heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

So what is a concerned person to do? Why, make some self-loving, healthy, life changing habits such as exercising regularly and consuming a plant-based diet.

The United States Department of Agriculture shows the many benefits of eating a plant-based diet which includes an abundance of vegetables, fruits and other "green" foods--all of which show evidence of protecting against:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
  
• Diabetes
  
• Hypertension
  
• Birth defects
• Cataracts
• Cancers
  

A plant-based diet can also contribute significantly to reducing obesity. Thus, not only is this type of diet good for your waist size, it is also good for the planet because it reduces the amount of excessive waste which comes with highly processed and heavily packaged foods. Plus, it provides us with the proper nutrients, vitamins and other beneficial factors that our bodies truly need.

What's more is that there are numerous studies and a wide variety of evidence proving that a fresh, lively, plant-based diet's benefits far exceed those of a highly processed, meat-based diet. So why not start today and make a change for the better--incorporate lots of fresh fruits and veggies into into your lifestyle--which will be beneficial for both you and the planet!

Stop Biotech Intimidation

In May, an article in the Chicago Tribune relayed information that the White House (led by Mr. Bush and his Monsanto pals) is attempting to bully famine stricken countries into planting Genetically Engineered (GE) crops.

This requirement comes as part of a $770 million dollar aid package that seems to justify the forcefulness in spreading untested, unregulated GE seeds--making it "a-ok." To date, there are at least 40 countries around the world that have curbed GE farming as well as the use of GE ingredients in food by requiring mandatory labeling on food packages. There are also plenty of other intelligent nations that have banned the use of GE seeds in both agriculture and food production altogether.

But why doesn't the U.S. see any problem with GE food?
It is apparent that the majority of people in America love their convenience foods so much that they just don't care how the food is made or where it comes from. However, as it is in our own country, food costs are increasing around the world in such a way that the average family is really struggling to put food on the table. Yet, it is even more complicated and disheartening in places such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Therefore, it seems that the propaganda in which GE modified crops will save the world, is something that the average person might want to believe in. However, beyond the obvious environmental and health concerns that have not been studied extensively enough, it has been demonstrated that GE crops do not significantly increase yields.

As a matter of fact, these farmers in the poorest countries who are coerced into growing GE crops are actually forced to stop saving their own seeds, pay for high priced GE seeds which are unable to be saved, and purchase toxic chemicals that aid in seed growth--all of which are patented and owned by my favorite "evil company of all time"--Monsanto--in addition to others such as DuPont, Syngenta, BASF and Bayer. The unfortunate part of this is that the farmers are not actually able to afford to continue purchasing seeds and chemicals, which often leaves them worse off because they become dependent on these major corporations for their crop production. (Monsanto actually has a patented Suicide Gene, which makes it impossible for seed saving.)

On a global scale, currently, the root cause of hunger has much to do with "free-trade" agreements and the current market conditions. It has less to do with crop yields and patented hybrid crops which are not actually guaranteed to be drought resistant. Therefore, struggling countries need to be able to gain control over their own food supply to feed their own people, and not have a majority of it exported or controlled by giant Agri-businesses.

If you feel moved to take action today, please urge your Congresspersons to reject the Bush Administration's $150 million allocation for "Big Biotech" by signing the petition at Organic Consumers Website.

If you want to read more.......go here