Big Noise and Big Wind

As the WIND bandwagon rolls along we wonder just what it is doing, going green or going greenbacks?

Keep up with the  real issues from our coverage of this important issue on Natural Health News -

Oregon County Tells Wind Farm To Quiet Down

WIND WATCH

Don’t be tricked by the great Cape Wind masquerade

2 of many posts from Natural Health News

More Problems with Wind Power
Oct 17, 2010
Have we yet to hear from the like of Google and others in the wind power controversy anything about sustainability to agriculture and aqua culture and this close relationship to their investing plans? Not sure they define green as I do.
Health Risks and Industrial Wind Turbines
Jan 24, 2009
UPDATE: 28 April, 2010 - Wind farm off Cape Cod approved Perhaps Barry is ignorant of the risks of wind turbines. SAVE OUR SOUND announces law suits to be filed ORIGINAL POST 1/24/09 Dr. Magda Havas Ph.D., Associate Professor of ...

Nuts About Nuts

It’s not just fall leaves that intrigue me this time of year.  I’m crazy about nuts too – specifically acorns - but I’ll pick up other nuts like hickory and pecan as well.  Wherever I am, I look for nuts this time of year for a variety of reasons.  First, I like to see how different they are.  Second, I like to try and figure out what kind they are.  And third, I like to take a few home to see if I can grow them!

Mostly I collect acorns in my neighborhood and the rural area that surrounds it.  It’s become a habit during my walks to look out for them in the fall.  This area has a rich collection of oaks – Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata), White Oak (Quercus alba), Post Oak (Quercus stellata), Water Oak (Quercus nigra), Red Oak (Quercus rubra) and Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) can all be found.  This year was such a “fruitful” year that I decided to photograph some of the ones I found.

Here are White Oak (Q. alba) acorns – always plump and glossy with a tendency to sprout quickly on the ground.  Note that the one with the holes is not viable.

These are Post Oak (Q. stellata) acorns – plucked right off a low hanging branch on the tree!

And these are Southern Red Oak (Q. falcata) acorns, more petite, not glossy, with a cap that has overlapping scales.

These are Scarlet Oak acorns with the overlapping scales similar to Quercus falcata above, but bigger overall in size and with distinctive rings around the endpoint (which helps to distinguish it from Quercus rubra).

Other places that I have found different acorns recently were Black Oak (Quercus velutina) and Scarlet Oak at the Georgia Botanical Society’s meeting at Pickett’s Mill Battlefield (State Park) in Dallas, GA, and also I found Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana or Q. prinus) at a rescue site in Canton, GA, and Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii) at a rescue site in Covington, GA.

Pictured here are Black oak (Q. velutina) acorns - note the slightly fringed look to the cap:

 

And what I believe to be Red oak (Q. rubra) acorns found on a rescue site in Canton:

 

The Swamp Chestnut Oak (Q. michauxii) acorns were HUGE – I could not believe how big they are.  Here is a picture of the biggest one (but the other ones were not much smaller) next to a quarter for perspective.

 

There is a lot more that I could say about oaks, but I’ve already said it before.  I’m no expert, but even I can explain some of the basics.  Here’s a link to an article I did in January 2010 for the newsletter of the Georgia Native Plant Society:

Red vs. White 

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!!

And if you still haven't carved your pumpkin, make sure to roast the pumpkin seeds. Take the seeds out and clean them in a colander. Get all the slimy bits off. Then dry them and toss them with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Spread the seeds out on a baking pan and roast in a 400 degree oven. When you start to smell toasty nuts run like hell to your oven and take them out--you only have a minute. Or you can just keep your eyes on them. I, maybe possibly, forgot about them until we were half done eating dinner. But fortunately my husband is athletic, so they were taken out in time. Let them cool and enjoy. Way better than what you'd get in the store!!

Enjoy!

Does Pancreatic Cancer Lurk for Years in Your Body?

Our organization, CHI ( Creating Health Institute ) offer the nutritional based method developed for pancreatic and liver cancer in the 1960s by Dr William Kelley.  This topic is of importance to me more now because a dear friend of many years is now faced with her husband's recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Lethal pancreatic cancer 'grows for decades'

Pancreatic cancer may lurk in the body for many years before patients fall ill, US scientists say.Research hints at earlier opportunities to spot and treat the disease, which is fatal in 95% of cases.

Genetic analysis of tumours by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Johns Hopkins University suggested the first mutations may happen 20 years before they become lethal.
UK survival rates for the disease have not improved in the past 40 years.
The disease is often aggressive and unresponsive to treatment by the time it is diagnosed.
The study, published by the Nature journal, found that tumours appear to be slow growing.
InsightThey looked at tissue samples, both from the "primary" tumours in the pancreas, and from other parts of the body to which the cancer had spread, called "metastatic" tumours.
The DNA in every gene of these tumours was sequenced, looking for signs of mutations - points at which the genetic code has changed.
On average each metastatic tumour had 61 cancer-related mutations. Two-thirds of these had been present in the original pancreatic tumour.

It means that there is a window of opportunity for early detection of pancreatic cancer”

Dr Bert Vogelstein Howard Hughes Medical Institute

 

Because such genetic mutations occur at a relatively steady rate, this accumulation of mutations offers an insight into just how long the cancer had been developing and growing at each stage.

Using this "molecular clock", the researchers estimated that on average, it took 11.7 years for a single gene mutation in a pancreas cell to become a "mature" pancreatic tumour.
From this point, an average of another 6.8 years elapsed before cells from the pancreatic tumour formed a tumour in another organ.
However, once this stage had been reached, less than three years passed before the patient died.
So, from start to finish, the development of the disease took more than 20 years on average.
Researcher Dr Bert Vogelstein said that there had been two theories about why pancreatic tumours were so lethal - either that they were highly aggressive from the start, or that they were so advanced at the time of diagnosis, that little could be done.
He said: "We were surprised and pleased to discover that this second theory is correct, at least for a major fraction of tumours.
"It means that there is a window of opportunity for early detection of pancreatic cancer."
'Early diagnosis need'Dr Elizabeth Rapley, from the UK's Institute of Cancer Research, said that the findings also helped explain just why the disease was so hard to treat once it had spread around the body.
She said: "It showed that the genetic code changed as it spreads to other organs. This could mean that developing effective treatments for patients with advanced disease will be challenging."
The Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund welcomed the findings, but said that research was underfunded in the UK.
Chief executive Maggie Blanks said: "Survival rates have not improved in the past 40 years and whilst the disease is the UK's fifth biggest cause of cancer death, it receives less than 2% of overall research funding.
"I'm particularly pleased that the study underlines the need for early diagnosis as there is nothing currently available."

SOURCE

top 4 of 28 related Natural Health News posts

Natural Health News: Black Cumin and Pancreatic Cancer

Apr 22, 2009

The herb also inhibited the activation and synthesis of NF-kappaB, a transcription factor that has been implicated in inflammation-associated cancer. Activation of NF-kappaB has been observed in pancreatic cancer and may be a factor in ...

Fourteen Articles on Natural Health News Related to Pancreatic ...

Mar 30, 2010

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Higher methionine intake is apparently associated with a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk, according to a report in the January issue of Gastroenterology. Impaired methyl group metabolism may contribute to ...

Soft Drinks and Pancreatic Cancer

Feb 09, 2010

Monday Feb 8,2010 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer, an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday. ...

Natural Health News: Enjoy Your Holiday, GMO FREE

Jul 01, 2010

Of 190000 adults studied for seven years, those eating the most processed meat such as deli meats and hot dogs had a 68 percent greater risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. (4) Pancreatic cancer is especially ...

Malaria Effort Not Working

I have to wonder if the way we are dong things, the way we are thinking about things, and the way we are trying to solve problems might be why we aren't getting different results!

Have we hears that the Gates funded experiment to inject mosquitoes with vaccine has or is making a difference?  And of couse we know that Gate himeself has spoken in favor of vaccines for population control.

BBC News/HEALTH

29 October

Experts say efforts to beat malaria may backfire

By Neil Bowdler Science reporter, BBC News

The mosquito is responsible for carrying the malaria parasite from human to human

Efforts to eradicate malaria in some countries may be counter-productive, an international team of researchers suggest.

In the Lancet, they suggest some countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, may be better pursuing a policy of controlling the disease.
They also criticise the World Health Organization (WHO) for not providing adequate direction.
But a WHO spokesman said beating malaria must remain the ultimate goal.
'Noble' goal The Lancet looks at the feasibility of eradicating malaria from the map, in the same way smallpox was conquered.
As the report points out, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation set the world such a target in 2007, an aim which was then endorsed by the WHO's Director-General Margaret Chan.
The Lancet concludes such a goal, while noble, "could lead to dangerous swings in funding and political commitment, in malaria and elsewhere".

Malaria facts

• Largely preventable and curable
• In 2008 caused a million deaths - mostly African children
• About 2,000 return to the UK with malaria every year
• Only 12% of these become seriously ill
• Symptoms can take up to a year to appear

And the WHO is accused of failing "to rise to their responsibilities to give the malaria community essential direction".

The series of articles instead urges a pragmatic approach in which efforts and resources are concentrated on shrinking the global area where malaria still prevails.
It suggests some countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, may be better pursuing a policy of controlling the disease rather than one of eradication.
The report's authors include Professor Richard Feacham of University of California's Global Health Group and researchers from the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Saving lives In an editorial accompanying the series, the Lancet's editor-in-chief Dr Richard Horton and executive editor Dr Pamela Das, argue control may save more lives.
"If existing control efforts were indeed scaled up, by 2015, 1.14 million children's lives could be saved in sub-Saharan Africa alone. This finding is important. The quest for elimination must not distract existing good malaria control work," they write.
They also conclude that "malaria will only be truly eradicable when an effective vaccine is fully available".

Premature efforts at elimination, before countries are ready, will be counterproductive”

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spokeswoman

 

Responding to the report in a statement, Robert Newman, director of the WHO's Global Malaria Programme, said the ultimate goal had to be eradication

"WHO has always supported - and will always continue to support - endemic countries in their efforts to control and eliminate malaria," he writes.
"It is entirely feasible to eliminate malaria from countries and regions where the intensity of transmission is low to moderate, and where health systems are strong.
"Eliminating malaria from countries where the intensity of transmission is high and stable, such as in tropical Africa, will require more potent tools and stronger health systems than are available today."
Shrinking map Malaria is caused by five species of a parasite that can be carried from human to human by mosquitoes.
Over the last 150 years, the portion of the world where malaria is still endemic has shrunk, but the disease is still endemic in 99 countries.
However 32 of these countries, most of them on the edges of the endemic zone, are attempting to eradicate the disease, while the rest are trying to reduce infections and deaths though control measures.

But switching from a policy of controlling the disease to one of eradication brings with it problems and risks, according to the report.
The authors point out that malaria and mosquitoes do not respect national borders and that both parasite and insect may develop resistance to existing drugs.
They also warn switching funds from control to eradication may negatively impact upon measures which have been shown to reduce infection and mortality.
A spokeswoman for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said: "Malaria eradication is a long-term goal.
"We believe that the WHO will play an important role in helping countries decide when they are ready to undertake elimination and what conditions and capabilities need to be in place for them to do so.
"High-level, sustained control will be essential before elimination can be attempted, and premature efforts at elimination, before countries are ready, will be counterproductive."

SOURCE

Another report that's relative -


top 4 of 30 Natural Health News posts about malaria

Natural Health News: More on Herbs for Health: cancer, malaria

Jul 08, 2010

The herb, artemisinin, or sweet wormwood, is an ancient Chinese medicinal herb already commonly used to treat malaria worldwide. Because its effect in the body is relatively brief, it is often used in a pharmaceutical combination with ...

Malaria: Get to something that works

Apr 19, 2010

LONDON – Health groups have spent more than a billion dollars and bought millions of bednets to fight malaria, and 20 African countries have increased their bednet coverage at least fivefold, new research says. ...

Natural Health News: Malaria Resistant to Drugs

Dec 12, 2009

ABUJA (AFP) – A rise in insecticide resistant mosquitoes has become the latest threat to combating malaria in Nigeria, where roughly up to 300000 people die each year from the killer disease, experts have warned. ...

Supplements 'reduce malaria toll'

Feb 08, 2008

UPDATE: Stephen Fisher, a missionary in Zambia is very successful using iodine to treat people with malaria. He used 20 drops of Iodine in a half glass of water given 4 or 5 times during the first day and then decreased the dose to 10 ...

The Chemical Unknowns

Only a tiny fraction of the compounds around us have been tested for safety

For as long as I know, in household, garden, personal, food, medicine, and cleaning products have never been tested for the combination of different ingredients.

The look into the chemical soup in cosmetics and personal care products has been a long time effort that truly became well knwon in the past few years.

Now this interesting "short" from Scientific American makes a salient point.

Learn more here and here 

Experts guesstimate that about 50,000 chemicals are used in U.S. consumer products and industrial processes. Why the uncertainty? The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act does not require chemicals to be registered or proven safe before use. Because the Environmental Protection Agency must show, after the fact, that a substance is dangerous, it has managed to require testing of only about 300 substances that have been in circulation for decades. It has restricted applications of five.

The House Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 and the Senate Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 would require manufacturers to prove that existing and new chemicals meet specific safety criteria. Stricter scrutiny in Europe and Canada suggests that “10 to 30 percent of U.S. chemicals would need some additional level of control,” says Richard Denison, a molecular biochemist at the Environmental Defense Fund. That would be 5,000 to 15,000 chemicals, not five. 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-great-chemical-unknown

A Great Book for Women's Health

You'll find many of my natural health suggestions included in 

The Woman's Book of Healing Herbs.

Homemade Mustard

I just love homemade salad dressings that are made with whole grain mustard. And while I have found a dijon mustard that is additive free, I could not find a whole grain mustard in the same category. Sigh. I guess I'll have to make one.

My biggest issue with most of the homemade condiment recipes is that they are fresh and go bad quickly. Mayo, mustard, ketchup, all of them last for about a week. Whereas a bottle of store bought mustard can last for 6 months, or maybe longer. (Perhaps they don't last that long, but I have never had any trouble with them) I sure don't want to be making mustard every other week every time I make a salad. The whole point of this is to make life better, right?Eat better, feel better? Not slaving in a kicthen for an hour for every sandwich.

So I looked for a recipe in Nourishing Traditions, my go-to guide book now. And guess what I found. A recipe for lacto-fermented mustard. Now before you say "Ewwww That's Gross!" lacto-fermented really just means preserved, like yogurt is preserved milk. I saved the whey from my post How to Make Cream Cheese or Quark, and it keeps for several months in the fridge. So I used a tablespoon or so from that. This mustard will keep for several months in the fridge.

MUSTARD (This is for a half recipe, from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)

3/4 cup (6 oz) of ground mustard

1/4 cup of filtered water

1 tablespoon whey

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cloves of garlic (optional)

1/2 tablespoon honey (optional)

1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until well blended, adding more water if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Place in a right sized jar. The top of the mustard should be at least one inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

I, of course, aletered the recipe because I didn't have everything. (C'mon, you know your read this blog expressly for the hilarious stories of my screwed up overconfident cookery) I had a jar of mustard seeds, but no ground mustard. If you had a spice grinder that was clean that would work to grind your mustard seeds. But I was going for whole grain mustard, so I put my seeds in a mortar and pestle and crushed them. And crushed them and crushed them. And I tried to convince Thing 1 that he should crush some of them too, but he didn't fall for it. So I did some more crushing on my own. But I gave up after a while, because I am lazy, and my arm started hurting.

I then followed the recipe as directed and let the mix sit on the counter top for three days. It sat in the fridge for a couple more days, but that was just because I wasn't home. But the first full day I was at home, I made a sandwich and you know? The stuff really tastes like mustard, which I know is a dumb thing to say. But it has that sour kind of taste but instead of getting it from vinegar like store bought mustards, it got from the whey and the fermentation process. I liked the crunch of the whole grains. The following day I used the mustard in salad dressing. Since it keeps for a couple months, I could make room for this in my already packed cooking schedule. Next time, I am going to add a splash of white wine. That was really the only flavor missing. Yummmmm.

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays at The Food Renegade!

Peanuts and Lectins and Aflatoxins, Oh My!

When I started this blog one of the first things I did was to replace my vegetable oil (read-soybean oil) with peanut oil. Peanut oil has been around a long time, plus peanuts are an oily food, it only makes sense that one could easily make oil. Easy to make equals less processing.

Then I noticed that Sally Fallon recommends eating peanut oil only occasionally. Okay, that was fine, I moved on to beef tallow and coconut oil and ate fewer thing requiring vegetable oils in general. But I continued to eat peanuts which, as you probably already know, are not nuts at all but legumes or beans. I never gave this truth much thought. I eat beans and consider them good for me. So who the heck cares that peanuts are legumes? Then I met the paleo people. They of course don't eat beans and legumes because of their high lectin content. Lectins are 'antinutrients' that inhibit your ability to absorb the protein stores that are found in beans and legumes. They are called antinutrients because they limit your ability to digest the actual nutrients that are available in your foods, so I get it. I mean if you are unable to digest, absorb and utilise a food, who gives a flying fork if it is high in protein?? Traditional bean preparation has been to soak dried beans, change the water out every couple of hours and then discard the soaking liquid. I have done this for years because I wanted to reduce the cooking time of my dried beans. But it turns out that soaking also reduces the lectin content of the beans. Don't you just love that much of proper food preparation is instinctual? Fermentation also is a good way to pre-digest some of those lectin beasties. So always soak your dried beans for a minimum of 24 hours and better if you soak for 2-3 days until they start to sprout. Always throw out the soaking liquid. And if you use canned beans, always throw out the liquid they are canned in and wash them thoroughly before adding them to your dish. This doesn't get rid of ALL the lectins, but it's good enough for me. The paleo people feel strongly that beans and legumes would not have been part of paleolithic man's diet because one needs to cook them. Therefore beans and legumes are not paleo. And lastly, soaking beans much longer or until they sprout allows the bean to "come life" and much of the starch converts to proteins as the bean prepares to grow into a plant. Remember that sprout craze 20 years ago? There you go, that's the science behind it. You can sprout any beans or seeds or non-irradiated nuts, including wheat. I have started only buying sprouted breads and all the boys (both the little ones and the big one) love it. They don't even realize that I changed it up on them.

But back to peanuts. Now you can start to see why it is significant to identify peanuts as legumes rather than a nut. Biologically they are vastly different than nuts. They aren't even brothers or cousins.

Then a couple weeks ago I was discussing all this with a like minded colleague. I respect this friend's opinion because she is dairy, gluten and refined sugar free. (My hero!) She said that she no longer eats peanuts because of the carcinogens. Wha-wha-what???? Carcinogens? Seriously? She sent me some sources and information and what I read really shocked me!

It turns out that there is this nasty little mold, called Aspergillus flavus, that gets into peanuts and other stored seed kernels (like corn or wheat) and creates these toxins which are carcinogens, which is called aflatoxins. (And yes, I am well aware that that last website was for a veterinarian, like animals, but the info is still pretty good.) Not all peanuts have them but those that have been stored have a higher likelihood of being infested. It is apparently pretty common. One website I found said that in a recent study all major brands of peanut butter contained some level of aflatoxins above the believed safe level. The health food store peanut butter which is 'grind your own' contained the highest levels of aflatoxins, undoubtedly because they were stored longer in open containers that allowed air flow. Yikes! Many folks feel like roasting kills the mold, but others are not as sure. If a commercial peanut butter still contains some traces, likely a commercial high heat roasting and refining process is not killing the mold in entirety.

Fortunately Dr Weil at his website tells us not to lose our heads. Aflatoxins create the risk for liver cancer. And since adolescents generally consume high amounts of peanut butter you'd think that there would be a ton of kids out there with liver cancer. But there haven't been any liver cancer epidemics reported in the under 12 set. Nevertheless, perhaps we don't know all there is to know about peanuts and their oil. Not to mention that many schools and public places have forbidden the use of peanut products due to severe allergy concerns. So, I think we will probably just steer clear. My Things like almond butter (I prefer it) so why don't I just use that? Almonds are not at risk for aflatoxin contamination. I have also heard that sunflower seed butter is approved because it is not a peanut nor a tree nut, another common allergy. I have never eaten 'sun butter'.

Peanuts likely do not present a grave health problem for you. But they are not as safe as some other foods. I liken it to mercury levels in tuna. You know you shouldn't be eating 3 pounds of tuna every week, so use the same caution with peanuts. But the paleo people get a plus one for using their instincts about food to guide them to healthy diet.

Hyland's Teething Tablets recalled; parents react | children's content from New Hope 360

Hyland's Teething Tablets recalled; parents react children's content from New Hope 360

Does your pet really need treats?

I'm happy to have among my colleagues and friends a few of the best holistic veterinarians. 

I rely on them when I get some information regarding our animal companions, when I can't find reliable information in other venues.

I count on this because for as long as I can remember, and as long as I've been an herbalist and natural health professional, I include pet health concerns.

I had a pet treat nutrition quandary recently because some one sent me some recipes for pet treats, one of which I questioned right away.

Another one I though was sort of 'ok' because it had carrots, something I give my dog on a daily basis in his home cooked stew. The other ingredient I thought offered too much sugar, it was mashed banana. 

I have had two dogs that liked banana, but not too often, and not over ripe or mashed and used to disguise a healthy chewy.

Another thing that piqued my interest was that these recipes were frozen and I wondered about the risk of chipping or breaking teeth.

The cat treat was made from canned, water-pack tuna.  I shy away from tuna for mercury level concerns, and for cats I've always learned it causes them to lose their needed vitamin E.  Today too you have to consider that some "water-pack" fish may be in broth made from soy.  So there's the issue of GMO soy and what it might do to your pet's health. And now maybe its GMO fish we need to watch for.

The recipe for this cat treat used pureed baby food meat, and the source article even suggested using ham or ham flavor along with chicken or beef.  I'm not too sure ham or non-organic baby food would be good for cats or babies; there wasn't that caveat for organic or too much sodium from the recipe writer.

I use plain carrots, the organic minis, for my dog.  He's small and has an overbite.  He handles these pretty well, but likes them just every so often.

My cat likes few things as treats.  He is never too interested unless it is a bit of raw beef or liver.

So I guess on my best thoughts and Dr Rick's best advice, we'll skip these at our house.

But if you'd like our well tested, yummy biscuit recipe, make a donation and we'll send you "Kip's Cookies" you can make at home from all organic ingredients.

FDA Set to OK Genetically Altered Fish as Food

Best get ready to sharpen your radar and know how to get answers about the seafood you buy -

FDA Set to OK Genetically Altered Fish as Food

By Martha Lynn Craver
October 27, 2010

A fast growing genetically engineered salmon is a good bet for approval by the Food and Drug Administration. It would be the first genetically modified animal sold as food. Dubbed “Frankenfish” by opponents, the new version of Atlantic salmon was developed by AquaBounty Technologies. It grows almost twice as fast as farm-raised salmon, thanks to one growth hormone gene from a chinook salmon and another from an eel, the ocean pout. The application has been pending before the agency for well over 10 years.

A congressional effort to ban the fish will fail, although it’s a fair bet that lawmakers will give the FDA the authority to require a label identifying the produce as genetically modified. “Approval of genetically modified salmon, the first such hybrid to be considered for human consumption, is unprecedented, risky and a threat to the survival of wild species,” says Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, whose state has a thriving salmon industry.

Also likely to be on the table: Broadening the mission of regulators to ensure they consider environmental risks before granting future approvals -- not just whether the food is safe and whether animals are harmed by the genetic manipulation.

A push to add greater public input to the approval process is also a good bet. The current procedure is similar to that for new drugs, with limited public participation. “The current process is confidential. It’s not transparent or participatory,” says Gregory Jaffe of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Next up: The Enviropig -- a porker genetically altered to make the manure it produces less polluting, with phosphorus levels 30% to 65% lower than normal. It’s being developed by scientists at the University of Guelph in Canada. Also in the works from Hematech Inc. are cattle that are not susceptible to mad cow disease. The animals lack a protein that mutates, so they don’t get the disease and can’t pass it on.
This page printed from: http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/fda-set-to-ok-genetically-altered-fish-as-food.html

Also on Natural Health News
 

What You Are Not Hearing About GMO Franken-Fish

Sep 27, 2010

You've probably heard that the FDA is considering whether to approve the first-ever genetically-engineered fish [1]. Developed by a Massachusetts-based company called AquaBounty Technologies [2], this new supersalmon is basically an ...

Natural Health News: GMO Salmon Coming to a Table Near You

Sep 19, 2010

In a step that may move genetically engineered meat and fish closer to the American dinner table, an FDA advisory committee will vote Monday on whether to approve preliminary findings that a modified salmon is as safe as an ordinary ...

CSA Week 21

Only ONE MORE WEEK LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am terribly sad about this.

This was a small CSA week. We got a bunch of kale, a bunch of arugula, one butternut squash, three Italian eggplants, two celeriac roots, a bag of red onions, 2 red(dish) tomatoes and two green tomatoes, two green peppers, a head of lettuce, and a turnip. Huh? One turnip? I will blame that on DH. I manned the kids while he chose the veggies. He asked me about a hundred questions...What kind of butternut do you want? What do you look for in an eggplant? Do you want daikons or turnips? I mean!! Just pick something!! They're vegetables!! Ok, I am over it. I don't want to be mean.

There is a slight chill in the air. There is a crisp smell on the wind. I came out of the subway tonight and it was dark. And we haven't even had daylight savings time yet. Honestly I am worried about fall vegetables. I have been dabbling in fall vegetables all while eating carrots and broccoli, both of which are still technically local for me (even if not EVERY one I have eaten has been local). But now, my kids' favorite stuff is disappearing from my refrigerator and all I have is this stuff that takes a really long time to cook. I am getting really nervous. Are my kids gonna hate me? Am I gonna be able to get dinner on the table on a weeknight? Am I gonna buy all non-local vegetables all winter?

Safety Alert: Voluntary Recall

Safety Alert: Voluntary Recall - October 26, 2010 

Actavis Announces a Voluntary Recall of Transdermal Fentanyl 25 mcg

Actavis, a generic drug manufacturer, issued a voluntary recall of 18 lots of their 25 mcg Fentanyl patch on October 21, 2010. One lot was found to be defective, causing the medication to release too quickly into the bloodstream. This lot, along with 17 others, has been recalled. According to Actavis, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and wholesale and retail pharmacies have been notified.
For a listing of the affected lots, visit the Actavis website: http://www.actavis.us/en/Fentanyl_Recall.htm
Regretfully, the company has failed to require the public to return their affected lots. As of October 25, the company’s website states, “Consumers are not being asked to return any product as this issue does not pose a threat of a serious injury or death.” Rapid absorption could lead to unintentional side effects such as increased sedation, nausea, vomiting and slowed breathing. The American Pain Foundation strongly urges Actavis to reconsider its first advisory and extend the recall to consumers.
Individuals who have these lots in their possession should:

• Contact Actavis and demand a consumer recall and proper replacement. According to the FDA press release, Actavis has operators available to help customers, health professionals and consumers with the following information:
  •  Medical Issue/Adverse Event/Product Questions
    1-877-422-7452 (24 hours/day, 7 days/week)
  • Return/Reimbursement Questions
    1-888-896-4562 (24 hours/day, 7 days/week)

• Contact the FDA and report your experience. Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax. Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm 
• Contact the pharmacy where this medication was filled and report that you are in possession of an affected lot.
• Notify the health care provider who writes your pain medicine prescriptions and ask for guidance. 
• Notify you insurance provider should a new prescription be written, so that it will be covered. 

Traveling, Part Two

Leg Three: Houston



I would have to say that today was the best of all the days. I made the smartest choices and ate the least. I think it might be because it was the only day I was traveling alone. The other days I didn’t want to push my weird food views onto others, or embarrass anyone with a really complicated order.



Breakfast was at the hotel: oatmeal with one table spoon of brown sugar, a banana and a cup of coffee with 2% milk. I swear no one but Starbucks as whole milk! I flew to Houston and did my work there and grabbed lunch when I got back to the airport.







The airport was, just as I expected, a mecca of fast food. I walked up and down the terminal trying to find something good. I didn’t want to eat French fries because I knew they would be fried in veg oil, but then I found a place, Papa’s Burgers (apparently the best burger in TEXAS, that is according to their sign) that would substitute a salad for the fries. I said Okay. I didn’t want to eat the white flour bun, so I ordered, one hamburger topped with avocado and tomato, no bun, with a side salad. For my dressing I ordered oil and vinegar. You should always safely assume that all commercial restaurant salad dressing is made with soybean oil or some other polyunsaturated oil. I definitely got the “health nut” look from my waitress and she was very confused by all the requests. And you should have seen the oil and vinegar shakers! Almost nothing came out. Apparently anyone who orders oil and vinegar does not actually want to have any on their salad.





On the plane I chose just water and cashews. I was really thrilled. I did have a little refined sugar with my oatmeal that morning but other than that, no overeating and no white flour. I fortunately returned home in time for dinner. Whew! What a trip!



Conclusions:







· I noticed that food was either super high fat and processed (like sausage, hamburgers or fast food) or low-fat or fat free foods like 0% yogurt. I eat a diet that is filled with healthy fats, but I also don’t go overboard. It was actually hard to find food that I considered to be minimally processed that also had healthy fats in moderate amounts. Does everyone eat this way? Is everyone either sick to their stomach or starving?



· Americans do not drink whole milk. I am convinced of it. What a shame. I literally could not get access to any milk with a fat content greater than 2% milk. I have switched the whole family over to whole milk because I truly believe it is better for me. Whole milk tends to be less processed because the dairy doesn’t have to do anything much to it.





· If you ask for something, like real milk vs non-dairy creamer, people are happy to give it to you as long as they have it. So don’t be afraid to speak up.





· I definitely made choices because I was afraid that my colleagues and friends would judge me or that they would feel judged because I was doing something different than they were. Many of the “off plan” foods I chose on this trip I did so because of who was with me. Jeez. That’s a whole blog post unto itself! We have to get over this, I am just not sure where to start.





· I really overate because I had so many restaurant meals. Most of my meals were 50%larger than I normally would have had. Shucks. I find it hard to say no, I am a plate cleaner. Next time I travel I will try to eat better and cleaner, so that I can clean my plate rather than having to stop or waste food. I think I would be happier that way.





I am soooooooo glad to be home!

The Healthy Side of Maple Syrup

I use maple sugar granules because I am allergic to cane sugar. I have also used B grade maple syrup for years as it has the reputation of a healthy sweetener over many years.

I like it on sweet potatoes, my pumpkin pancakes, and on vanila ice cream served with warm waffles,  or as in the past - a split warm doughnut.

Now a new report tells us more - 

Maple syrup reduces cancer, diabetes risk 2011 article

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2010 (UPI) -- Maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in several cancers and help reduce the risk of diabetes, U.S. researchers found. 
Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island found 13 new antioxidant compounds that were not known to exist in syrup until now. Several of these antioxidants newly identified in maple syrup are reported to have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties.
Maple syrup contains substantial quantities of abscisic acid, a phytohormone known to stimulate insulin release through pancreatic cells and to increase sensitivity of fat cells to insulin, which makes it a potent weapon against metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Seeram presented his findings on Canadian maple syrup at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco.
A second study by researchers at the Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi suggests maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate and lungs and to a lesser extent in the breast, colon and brain more effectively than blueberries, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots. 
The study is published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc.

Pumpkin Possibilities

Pumpkins are really yummy and really healthy.  Just think of all the fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium,  and manganese. Its also a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamin, copper, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, niacin and copper. 

Good for keeping your lungs healthy thos cold and flu season but also as listed in World's Healthiest Foods website, pumpkin (and other winter squash) 

are phytonutrient rich

Although not as potent as root vegetables like burdock, garlic or onion, winter squash have been found to have anti-cancer type effects. Phytonutrient research on squash is still limited, but some lab studies have shown vegetable juices obtained from squash to be equal to juices made from leeks, pumpkin, and radish in their ability to prevent cell mutations (cancer-like changes). 

I have some plans for a pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin soup, and perhaps even a healthy mix to make up some Halloween cakes for hungry goblins.

These aren't my original recipes but one's I think I will enjoy, and hope you will too -

Smoothie - I use a vanilla whey protein base shake formula to which I plan to add about half a cup of pumpkin puree and some organic pumpkin pie spice.  I never add the ice when I make smoothies, just filtered water or another juice.  Sometimes I add organic milk so I vary the recipe from time to time.  I do not use soy milk or almond milk because of allergy.  If I use other than real milk - like rice milk - I make my own to avoid all the additives.

Soup -  I love Black Beans so when I saw this recipe I thought it was right up my flavor palette.  I make a black bean-pumpkin stew in the winter that has a hearty Southwest flavor and kick. You could sprinkle this with a little chili powder or cayenne to "turn it up a notch"!

• 3 cans Organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can Organic Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Organic Cumin
• 1 teaspoon or less Celtic Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Organic Peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 pound cooked diced ham (delete for non-meat eaters)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions: In a food processor or blender coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.
In a 6 quart heavy kettle cook onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in butter over medium heat, stirring until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean puree. Mix in broth, pumpkin and red wine until combined and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Just before serving, add ham and vinegar and simmer, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds (and shredded cheese, optional).

Garnish:

Toast Organic Raw Shelled Pumpkin Seeds sprinkled with Celtic Salt in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes, turning once.

Servings: 9 servings total
Calories 300, Fat 10 grams, Protein 16 grams, Sodium 1058 mg, Carbohydrates 34 grams, Fiber 10 grams

Choco-Pumpkin Muffins -
This is an easy one and it makes the chocolate cake much healthier.
You'll need one 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree and one 18.25 ounce Devil's Food cake mix.  Mix the two together BUT DO NOT ADD ANY OTHER INGREDIENTS
Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  Pour in batter. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.  Makes 12.
You might like to add pumpkin puree to your favorite pancake mix too.
PHOTO

Better Eat Your Broccoli

How much broccoli needed for anti-cancer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Three to five servings a week of broccoli is enough to have an anti-cancer effect, U.S. researchers suggest. 

Elizabeth Jeffery, Michael Miller and Ren-Hau Lai of the University of Illinois say they found sulforaphane -- the cancer-fighting agent in broccoli -- can be released from its parent compound glucoraphanin by bacteria in the lower gut and absorbed into the body.

"This discovery raises the possibility that we will be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli's cancer-preventive power," the researchers say in a statement. 

The researchers proved it by injecting glucoraphanin into the ligated lower gut of rats and demonstrated that sulforaphane is present in blood from the mesenteric vein, which flows from the gut to the liver.

"The presence of sulforaphane in measurable amounts shows that it's being converted in the lower intestine and is available for absorption in the body," Jeffery says. 

Sulforaphane is an extremely potent cancer-fighting agent, Jeffrey says. 

"Less than one daily serving of broccoli is enough to have an anti-cancer effect," Jeffrey says. "With many of the other bioactive foods you hear about, vast amounts are required for a measurable outcome."

The findings are scheduled to be published in the November issue of the journal Food & Function.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Traveling, Part One

Last week I took a three day business trip. I have stated in my piece “I am a Practical Real Food Person” that I would not stress out about processed foods that I come in contact with outside the home. I don’t travel excessively, so uber-processed foods do not make up even a significant minority of the foods I eat. But as I also stated in “The Downside of Eating Clean”, traditional foods in the SAD (Standard American Diet) have been upsetting my stomach recently. So I admit it, I have to give up them up. French fries or other items fried in polyunsaturated oils (vegetable oils) in particular are the worst offenders. So I set up a goal for myself, travel away from home for three days, and eat real food the whole time. Here is how I did.

Leg One: New Orleans

I arrived at La Guardia at 6:30am with nothing but a cup of coffee in my belly. My first challenge, get breakfast at an airport. This was kind of challenging. I went to CIBO Express because they had cold items much like a grocery store. I knew that any “breakfast sandwiches” would have meat of questionable quality and the rolls would all be white flour-heatburn for sure. So at CIBO I found a container of Greek Yogurt and some fresh strawberries. I also got a liter of water and some nuts for the day to snack on. There was a large selection of yogurts including traditional yogurt and several Greek varieties. My biggest issues: all the traditional varieties and all but one of the Greek varieties all had some type of added sugar. And sadly the only plain yogurt was completely fat free. I don’t get that. If you eat a fat free breakfast, how do you expect to make It until lunch? You will be starving in 2 hours because fat keeps you full. I ate the berries and yogurt but was starving when I got off the plane.

One the plane I said no to the peanuts and pretzels (didn’t they stop serving peanuts on planes due to allergy concerns?) but I did ask for a cup of coffee. When she gave me the cream for my coffee, I didn’t read the label before I plunked it in my coffee. *Gasp* It was non-dairy creamer, or as it should be called, milk -flavored-partially-hydrogenated-water. Great, 2 hours in and I have already consumed my first non-food.

Lunch was at a little Mexican place that was similar to Chipotle only locally owned and not part of a big chain. I chose a salad with what was called Chicken “Tinga” which was chicken in an oily red sauce. There was definitely veg oil in there. The salad was all iceberg lettuce, which I rarely ever see in New York anymore. But there were good slow cooked pinto beans, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. There were probably stabilizers in the sour cream. But it was full fat, so likely it was less processed…likely…. My trepidation with this lunch was the fried flour tortilla “bowl”. I knew it would be fried in veg oil. I started out convincing myself that I wouldn’t eat it. But quickly I realized that I was way too hungry. So I ate it.

My colleague and I had a little snack at about 4pm. It would be a cultural crime to say no to this…

But there is a lot of questionable food here. Refined powdered sugar, refined and probably enriched white flour, copious amounts of vegetable oil. Almost nothing about this snack is acceptable in my mind. But, hey, this is New Orleans. And if you can’t enjoy life by experiencing the local culture while you are traveling, then what the heck are you living for? Besides my colleague had never been to New Orleans before and I thought it was important that she go to Café Du Mond.

Dinner was amazing and still very New Orleans. We dined at a place in the French Quarter called Galatoire’s. I am pleased to say that this place was all real food. And it was authentic, and decadent. Everything was amazing. We tried the turtle soup (I have had better), and dinner was Crabmeat Sardou, which was a beautiful pool of freshly creamed spinach topped with a house poached artichoke heart topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and smothered in hollandaise. Don’t you just love the French Paradox? I was completely happy with this meal. And so was my tummy.

Leg Two: Dallas

The following morning my colleague and I were off to Dallas. I was a little smarter this time around. When I ordered coffee at the airport I saw that there were only little creamer cups of half and half. But the H & H also contained 5 different stabilizers and preservatives. I asked the woman behind the counter if she had any milk and she provided me with a bottle of 2% milk. Nice! I also ordered scrambled eggs. I passed on all the breads and baked goods and sugar as well as the highly processed bacon and sausage, which they had tray after tray of. The eggs tasted real (as opposed to powdered) and I swear I saw butter in the bottom of my bowl. That’s a good sign. They definitely aren’t grass fed, but overall it was a decent choice.

We had lunch in a little chain café and I had an amazing salad of romaine lettuce, goat cheese, fresh apples and dried apples, thinly sliced red onion and these candied slivered almonds that were just ridiculous. I know there was sugar on the dried apples, in the dressing and on the candied almonds. The salad had a very sweet taste to it, so there you go, another day eating refined sugar. It wasn’t obvious from reading the menu that there would be so much sugar.

I had an apple for a snack and then went to dinner with a colleague. She took me to a great place called Bolsa, which tends toward organic and market fresh ingredients (they even say so in their menu. After an amazing bruchetta tasting (white flour in the bread) I had a ridiculous dish of scallops and potatoes bathed in a pool of cream and onion and fresh corn. It was ridiculous, and all real food! Dessert however, was another story: Raspberry Croissant Bread pudding with a sour plum sauce. Not overly processed, but it did have sugar and white flour. If you live anywhere near Dallas, please do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant. The night was about 75 degrees with a light breeze, so sitting outside made the food and the company all the better.

Only problem, I really overate. Everything was seriously good!

Tomorrow, I wrap up my trip in Houston and I draw spome conclusions about traveling and eating, which is always hard for me.

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) News

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) News

In Season

While there are some native plants that have multi-season interest (Hydrangea quercifolia is one in my area), most plants have one good season of interest. 

Now is the time to appreciate the “in season” plants of Fall.  These plants get hardly more than a passing glance all year until their showy fruits or leaves appear.  Consider the modest “Hearts a Bustin’” shrub (Euonymus americanus) that has flowers so insignificant that some people swear they don’t bloom!  Come fall, however, the fruits from those tiny flowers look like something from outer space: textured raspberry-colored pods open up to reveal bright red M&M looking fruits that dangle by threads.  

Let me start with grasses and work my way up – I recently saw the amazingly showy flowers of Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) at Sweetwater Creek State Park and of course many people are now familiar with Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) which I think is one of the “poster children” for native plants – people are crazy about it.  Switchgrass cultivars are more available at nurseries now – look for Panicum virgatum in a variety of sizes and even colors.  Little bluestem cultivar Schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Blues' is also winning some fans.

Most people already know about Goldenrod (Solidago) which has a variety of species, including some very well behaved ones.  Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' makes a fantastic display, and I like to mix it with blue ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) and Salvia greggii to make all the colors pop.  Of course the many species of Asters catch attention now too – often covered with small daisy-like flowers in white and purple.

Native vines with eye catching fall color include the much despised poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).  If it wasn’t so irritating, I know people would be cultivating it – it can be gorgeous.  You can get similar colors, however, from Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) which has beautiful blue berries when grown in sun.  Keep your eyes peeled for stunning examples of both these vines growing up trees on roadsides.

 

Stunning native shrubs include the Sumacs such as the Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) in my yard and the very showy Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina).  Native viburnums in general have great color, and I find the glossy leaves of Viburnum nudum almost without equal when they turn burgundy.  Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – shown above - and Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) are two rather well known natives that are promoted in nurseries for their fall color.

I once attended a lecture by a self-professed “dendrologist” (there’s a new word - it means one who studies woody plants) who exhorted the audience to look not just at the pretty forbs in the forest floor but to also “look up” to see the great woody plants that create the canopy and the mid-layers of the community.  And during the spring and summer, I do that for I appreciate trees and shrubs very much.  But come fall, my eyes are back on the ground – marveling in the variety of leaves that start to carpet the ground, a dazzling combination of shapes and colors.  Given that now is a great time to plant trees, here are some of the native trees available in most nurseries that can have spectacular fall color:

Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) – shown here, Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Red Maple (try Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ for predictably good color), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), even Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) can have outstanding burgundy leaves.  Look a little harder and find Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), a summer blooming tree with fall colors in a range of red/orange/pink hues.  Be sure to mix in some evergreen trees to provide a foil for those deciduous trees: native eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Wax myrtle (Myrica or Morella cerifera), American holly (Ilex opaca) or Foster/Savannah hollies (Ilex x attenuata) to name a few.

Come next fall, you’ll be enjoying the decisions you made THIS fall!  If you need help finding a nursery that carries a good selection of native trees, check out the resource page on the Georgia Native Plant Society’s website: Sources for Native Plants