Friday, January 28, 2011

GMO Alfalfa Officially Is Almost Here

"If you eat meat or dairy, you indirectly consume alfalfa. It is a leading source of hay for cattle"

THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY. MONSANTO WINs AGAIN ... we have to figure out a way to stop this from happening

Genetifically Modified Alfalfa Officially On The Way - Barry Estabrook - Food - The Atlantic

On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) had approved the unrestricted planting of genetically modified alfalfa sold by Monsanto Co. and Forge Genetics, despite protests from organic groups and public health advocates and comments from nearly 250,000 citizens asking the department to keep this GMO genie in its bottle. With this announcement, the Obama administration showed whose side it is on in the battle between proponents of sustainable, organic agriculture and the big businesses that profit from conventional, chemical agriculture. Big Ag won. It wasn't even close.
"This is very disappointing," said Will Fantle, co-director of the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute, an organic and small-farm watchdog group that is a plaintiff in a lawsuit brought against the USDA claiming that it did not take the required legal steps before originally approving GM alfalfa in 2007. "Tens of thousands of people spoke out against this contamination," Fantle said. "They were completely ignored. It looks like the biotech industry has all the political power."
Widespread application of Roundup, Monsanto's trade name for the weed-killing chemical called glyphosate, has already led to the proliferation of "superweeds" that have mutated and can survive applications of the chemical. Currently, Australia ranks first in the world for weed resistance to herbicides. Speaking to a farmers' group in January, Stephen Powles, a renowned resistance expert at the University of Western Australia, warned that the United States might overtake his country if present trends continue.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Milk is Bad M'Kay

"Osteoporosis is caused by a number of things, one of the most important being too much dietary protein."

Science 1986;233(4763)

"'Hormones found in cow's milk include: Estradiol, Estriol, Progesterone, Testosterone, 17-Ketosteroids, Corticosterone, Vitamin D, insulin-like growth factor, growth hormone, prolactin, oxytocin...'

Journal of Endocrine Reviews, 14(6) 1992"

"Dairy products may play a major role in the development of ALLERGIES, asthma, sleep difficulties, and migraine headaches."

Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 1983;19(9):806-809 Pediatrics 1989;84(4):595-603

Florida researcher, Robert Cade, M.D., and his colleagues have identified a milk protein, casomorphin, as the probable cause of attention deficit disorder and autism. They found Beta-casomorphin-7 in high concentrations in the blood and urine of patients with either schizophrenia or autism.

(AUTISM, 1999, 3)

Milk has been called "liquid meat." The average American eats five ounces of animal protein each day in the form of red meat and chicken. At the same time, the average American consumes nearly six times that amount (29.2 ounces) per day of milk and dairy products.

Deborah Sellmeyer's brilliant work is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Sellmeyer may be reached by EMAIL: dsellmeyer@psg.ucsf.edu


Read More @ http://www.notmilk.com/

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Attack of the Mutant Bed Bug!!!

Its like a bad horror movie, but worse. Its real!
(NaturalNews) Bedbugs are coming back with a vengeance, and a new study out of Ohio State University says that pesticides and insecticides are at least jointly responsible for spawning a new breed of mutant bedbugs that is genetically-resistant to the very chemicals commonly used to eradicate it.

Pesticide resistance is hardly a new phenomenon, as it has been known for years that genetically-modified (GM) crops and the pesticides used to cultivate them are responsible for the emergence of pesticide-resistant "superweeds". And the same is true for the overuse of antibiotics, which have led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs".

But now the scourge of modern chemical interventions has actual bugs to grow resistant, and made them stronger than ever at evading efforts to eliminate them.

YIKES!!!

Wanna learn more: Pesticides give rise to mutant bed bugs

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Message from Dr. Campbell

If you had a friend who had been a smoker all of his or her life and looked to you for advice, would you tell them to cut down to only two cigarettes a day or would you tell them to quit smoking all together? Moderation—even with the best intentions—sometimes makes it more difficult to succeed. Why should you try a totally plant-based diet? Because it can stop the development of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The epidemic of chronic, degenerative diseases like these that are sweeping the world can be stopped and reversed with a plant-based diet. The solution lies in the choices we make about what we put on our plates.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)

For more than 40 years, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. Dr. Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has more than 70 years of peer-reviewed research and has authored more than 300 research papers. Dr. Campbell has also co-authored with his son, Thomas M. Campbell II, M.D., the best-selling book The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Village on a Diet

I have admittedly become a fan of this show. As with Biggest Loser, I find myself more interested in the people and their stories and background than their weight loss. I feel for them, I want to see them succeed. And while I have defeated my weight demons (for the most part), there was a day when this little 5'0 gal was pushing 170 lbs. I was not so TINY then.

So I get it, I know where they are coming from. Plus there is no cash carrot dangling in front of them. They have to want to do this for themselves.

I bring this all up because I have been following this VOAD review column and find it interesting that the author chooses to pick apart the people and attack the production of the show.

Its only episode 3 and he is making noise about various things, like the fact that food and diet choices are only now being addressed (again, its EPISODE 3, not 12) and that the participants are being told to overhaul their diets in full and start from scratch. He complains that there is "No discussion of calories, just the same old, "servings". Ummmm, why on earth is that an issue? Screw calories, these people need to learn to eat right and learn to eat less. 10 oz of steak is too much for ANYONE (no steak at all would be preferable of course), let alone an obese 23 yr old mother.

Sure, the CBC is out to make profitable TV. Is that any sort of secret?

Get over it. Watch the show and be entertained, get emotional and maybe even get inspired to get off your ass and move.

Weighty Matters: Village on a Diet episode 3 recap: Nobody yelled!

And if you want to read more abot the show and its the LIVE RIGHT NOW program, here you go:

CBC Winter Season Focuses on Canadians' Health

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Compassion in a Purse

Inspiring compassionate funky fashion. Does it get any better?

A Handbag Empire Built on Compassion

Inder Bedi has often told the story of how he built his handbag empire.

The 37-year-old founder of Matt & Nat vegan accessories was asked at age 18 by a Hare Krishna priest to go vegetarian for 30 days:

"And it changed my whole life," he says.

Almost 20 years later, Bedi's Via Vegan company is thriving, although he won't provide numbers. His faux leather bags, belts and wallets under the Matt & Nat label (www.mattandnat.com) are sold in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Italy, Germany, France and elsewhere -- in perhaps thousands of shops, Bedi allowed.

"It's not about the numbers. It's about the people that we touch. I meet someone who says, 'I love what you guys stand for."

Dead Cows are Dead Cows

"No matter how you slice it, eating beef will never be the greenest thing you do in a day."

A great start to a great article.

All dead cows are not created equal

And when your done, you may want to read this:

Daily Red Meat Raises Chances Of Dying Early

19th Annual Wellness Show

I love attending these kinds of events. They are always so interesting and educational .. and full of samples and FREEBIES! And who doesn't love a good freebie?


Choices presents the 19th Annual Wellness Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada Place. Designed to bring holistic living to the forefront, the Wellness Show features exhibits and guest speakers for all
ages. With upwards of 300 exhibitors, there is sure to be something for everyone at one of Canada’s largest health and wellness showcases. This year, the public has a number of engaging lectures and workshops to
choose from including the following:
• Two cooking demonstrations, focusing on buy local, eat fresh, will take place at the Celebrity Cooking Stage, featuring Choices' Chef, Antonio Cerullo and the winner of our Health Appetizer Contest.
• A talk on Eating Well with Diabetes featuring Choices' Dietitian, Nicole Fetterly, RD.
• A talk on Iron, It's in Your Blood, Or is it? featuring Dr. Cathy Carlson-Rink, ND, RM, Canada’s first naturopathic physician and certified midwife. (I will be at this one for sure!)
General admission tickets for the Wellness Show are $12.50, seniors and students are $10, children 6–15 years are $5, children 5 and under are free. Three-Day Passes available for $27. Tickets now available online at www.thewellnesshsow.com or may be purchased at the door. 

Don't Stress Over Organic

I have often wondered which items are best bought organic. This is mainly because I simply cannot afford to have a fully organic diet at this point (but dreams can come true). I do my best to keep as organic and clean as possible by shopping at the weekly farmers markets and making as many organic choices as I can while grocery shopping, but sometimes I wonder ...

Which items are best when choosing organic and where can I back off a bit?

So when I came across this it really helped med set my priorities. Now its not an organic minefield for me when shopping. Phew!

Organic produce is great — if it’s available and affordable. But what if your grocery store doesn’t have the organic produce you need? Or what if it’s too expensive?

In these cases, it’s important to know which “conventional” fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues, and which have the least.

We call these two groups “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean Fifteen”.

Most contaminated: THE DIRTY DOZEN

FRUITS:
Peaches
Apples
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Imported grapes
Pears

VEGETABLES:
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Kale
Lettuce
Carrots

Least Contaminated: THE CLEAN FIFTEEN

FRUITS:
Avocados
Pineapples
Mangoes
Kiwi
Papayas
Watermelon
Grapefruit

VEGETABLES:
Onions
Sweet corn
Asparagus
Sweet peas
Cabbage
Eggplant
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Sweet potatoes

To download a PDF guide, or an iPhone application with the above list, visit: www.foodnews.org

What if you don’t mind springing for organic produce, but the items you need aren’t available? For example, suppose you want to make an organic peach pie, but organic peaches aren’t available locally.

Here’s one solution: plan your menu based on the organic produce that IS available.

For example, peaches aren’t in season in November — but pumpkins are. If you can buy organic pumpkins, you might consider making pumpkin pie instead. Then when peaches are in season again — next summer — you can buy organic peaches again.

If organic produce is readily available – but too expensive – you can save money by buying conventional avocados, onions, and other items from the CLEAN 15 list.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Here Come the Bride ...

Gotcha!

Nope, note me, but that don't mean that other fabulous vegan gals and dudes can't have fancy schmancy weddings too!

Offbeat Bride | vegan wedding

Monday, January 10, 2011

My Daddy Makes Me Proud

While I was back home over the holidays my Dad gave me a wicked gift: The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss and Help You Feel Great by Dr. Neal Barnard.

I started flipping through it immediately and was tossing out quotes here and there. A few times my Dad showed some interest in what I was saying so I ran with it and started talking about all the health benefits of a plant based, vegan diet. See, my Dad suffers from Type II Diabetes and has been struggling to get it under control for some time now. Over a few days I talked more and more about it, cooked him a few things from the book and by the end of my visit my Dad had committed not only to going more veg, we had gone grocery shopping and stocked his kitchen with yummy, vegan friendly foods AND he had signed up for the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart program. I WAS SHOCKED AND SO SO SO HAPPY!

So on January 3rd, Dad kicked animal products to the curb. I got a few text messages and emails that week asking about foods and substitutes and it made my heart sing each time they pop up on my BB.

Today I sent out a congrats email to him on his first week vegan and his reply brought tears to my eyes:

Feeling good. Stayed at L's for dinner last night. They had roast beef dinner - I had all the veggies and no gravy. Keeping my protein up with Soy shakes/kale/chick peas etc. Tacos for dinner tonight with no meat. Different. Blood sugar is down to the perfect zone.

I don't know how to explain how I feel right now. I am overwhelmed with happiness and love for my Dad. I knew that this change would have positive effects but I wasn't sure if it would happen fast enough for him to stick with it.

I hope that if he reads this he can see just how proud I am of him making this step and how amazing it is to see him start this journey.

xoxoxoxoxox

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

2011 - The Year of the Food Sensitivity

Well, well, well. It would appear that today is the start of a new Me. And not just because its January 2011.

After a hour long session with my new and amazingly fantastic new Naturopath and a very thorough food sensitvity and digestion analysis, it is now the case that I am no longer able to enjoy the following:

  • Wheat
  • Spelt
  • Gluten
  • Potatoes (but yams are OK!)
  • Peanuts, peanut butter (no worries with almonds and cashews and almond/cashew butters - phew!)
  • Corn on the cob, frozen corn, popcorn, corn oil, corn nuts (mind me while I mourn the loss of my huge movie popcorn love-ins)
  • Red Wine and all other alcohols (no big deal, really! I am "on the wagon" for 2011 anyway)
  • Caramel
  • Chocolate (Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!)
  • Coffee (Again, no big deal, I prefer green and herbal teas)
  • Sugar (meh, I have been living without it for years as it is)
  • MSG
  • Soy Sauce (Braggs only now)
  • Tofu (none, whatsoever, this will be a tricky one)
  • Soy Milk (no issues with this. I'll just alternate between enriched almond and rice milks)
  • ALL FAKE MEATS (Again, nothing huge really as they didn't factor into my diet much any ways and they do contain nasty sodium nitrate and sodium nitrites, but I did just cook my first and very yummy Tofurkey for Christmas so I am glad I got that in when I did)

Poor P. He was just getting used to organic vegan shopping and now I am tossing all this at him (me, I am not so fussed other than the wine and chocolate!)

After a month off these foods we will start testing them in smaller doses to see if I have developed a tolerance for them and if so, then it should be OK in small amounts. But if not, they are out for good.

And if my acne clears up (as I have been promised) then I don't care what I have to ditch, it will be worth all the emotional relief and stress. Being almost 32 and having suffered with acne for over half my life has taken a toll on me like nothing else. It is time for it to come to an end.

So off to the kitchen and cookbooks I go.

Its a new year and a new adventure!

Canucks Take on Their Bad Eating Habits

As a proud Canadian Gal I also found this little gem on cbc.ca interesting.

It would appear that even thought we as a nation are still overwrought with health issues and engaged in a never ending battle of the bulge we are keen and eager to do something about it.

It would appear that we are now eating the equivalent of an ENTIRE extra meal per day in calories as opposed to just 30 years ago. Jebus, that a whole heck of a lot of food! No while I may have been surprised by that information, I was not however surprised to that most of those calories are coming from sugar and salt.

Its sad to realize that most people just don't know the facts and are simply uneducated in food science and therefore unable to make good, healthy choices. But that is not to say that they dont want to know, want to be educated and want to make the right choices. They just havent been given the tools

For example, how many people think chocolate milk is "good for you"? Lots! But the reality is far from it

"People believe chocolate milk is a very healthy beverage, but yet chocolate milk has double the calories, double the sugar of Coca-Cola, drop per drop," he said.

YIKES!

So now it is time for everyone to take responsibility and be accountable for their own food and heath education and get on track. Its the start of a new year, a new decade. Start it right!


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/12/31/con-live-right-now-portions.html#ixzz1A8PnYM3K

New View of Obesity

A very interesting article today on cbc.ca regading the outlook and reality of today's growing overweight and obesity issues/

Its a stright forward slap in the face kind of article and this is why I like it. Its time to stop pulling punches and to be honest about diet, health and exercise.

Here are some of the highlights from Dr. Arya Sharma of the University of Alberta

On YoYo Dieting:
"The minute you go on a diet, the minute you start losing weight the first thing that happens is your body says, 'OK we're going to shut down the furnace, there's not enough fuel coming in, we're not going to be shifting to fourth gear anymore,' and it happens automatically," he said.

On Stereotypes:
"We keep hammering home the stereotype of the fat, lazy slobs who are eating fast food all the time who are not moving, not exercising or not taking care of themselves, making poor choices, when there's very little science that actually backs this up."

On Exercise:
"'There's a million benefits of exercise. It does everything including improving depression, preventing cancer; it'll do a million things for you. The one thing it does not do is help you lose weight.'"

Read the full article here: CBC News - Health - Doctor urges new view of obesity