Genetically Modified Salmon has a Fighting Chance!

Although there continues to be a growing concern with Genetically Modified foods among many food advocate groups it seems the common public are not so up to date with what's been going on.  

It's apparent that the US gov't believes that because they were voted in "by" the people they can make decisions "for" the people.  Is this what you want?

Ask yourself:

• Should Genetically Modified salmon be a cause for concern? 
• Does it really make a difference how our food is grown? 
• If the FDA says it's ok then it's safe, right? 
• Of course there are valid studies to prove the safety of GM salmon and other GM foods, isn't there?
• Why all the fuss?

Find out in this article how GM salmon is being pushed for FDA approval and who's saying what about it. 

Here's to a healthy plate and may it always be full!

~Lisa

Cantelope Recall - CDC advises not to eat cantelope from Chamberlain Farms

On August 22, 2012, the FDA announced a recall of cantelopes by Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc., Owensville Indiana.


If you have cantelope at your house, be sure check its origin.  The CDC advises not to eat any cantelope from Chamberlain Farms and to throw it away (or take it back to the store and get your money back).      On August 22, 2012, Chamberlain Farms announced they believe their cantelope is the source of a miltistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection.  The CDC has reported this outbreak and advises not to eat your cantelope.

The following states have been affected.  The number next to each state indicates the amount of people who have fallen ill, they believe, from the affected cantelope:  Alabama (13), Arkansas (3), California (2), Georgia (3), Illinois (21), Indiana (18), Iowa (7), Kentucky (56), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (6), Minnesota (4), Mississippi (5), Missouri (12), New Jersey (2), North Carolina (3), Ohio (4), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (4).

So far and prayerfully no more, out of the 178 ill people, 62 two of them have been hospitalized. In Kentucky there were two deaths reported.

It's always best to play it safe so use gloves when removing the cantelope and clean up any areas which it may have touched, especially in the fridge, on the counter top and even in your sink.

The Beautiful Truth

Is there really a cure for cancer and other diseases?  Does mainstream medicine have all the answers?  Is the American Cancer Society really interested in finding a cure for cancer?

The Beautiful Truth is a “must see” documentary featuring a teenage boy who uncovers what lies beneath.



You don’t need to have an open mind. You just need to be willing to see the truth and accept it for what it really is.

Thank you, Rich for finding this movie!

Raw Dairy: A letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Dear Mr. Hennes,

My husband came across an article on Channel 6 Action News today regarding two people from PA (where I live) who became ill from the consumption of raw milk. After reading the article and hearing so many lies about raw milk and dairy, I would like to state some thought and facts.

My family has been consuming raw milk and dairy for the past seven years now.  I am lactose intolerant.  There is a tremendous difference when I drink pasteurized milk versus raw milk.  I do not get bloated and doubled-over in pain from drinking raw milk though I did from pasteurized milk.  I would say there's something to be said for that.  But the FDA states in the article link above that raw milk does not help the lactose intolerant person.  I'm living proof that it does.  Where do your facts come from?

I’m very familiar with the campaign against raw milk and raw dairy, but could there some truth to the claims that there is BIG money in the pasteurization and homogenization of dairy? What is really driving the campaign against raw dairy? Isn’t this the same type of “campaigning” that took place between tropical oils (specifically coconut/palm oils) and soybean oil?

The soybean industry created a smear campaign, using scare tactics to convince consumers that coconut and palm oils would clog their arteries and cause heart disease. Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say that it’s actually homogenization that causes clogged arteries and heart disease? After all, homogenization requires milk to be put through a sieve which breaks down the fat globules into such miniscule “uniform” fat particles making them small enough to enter our bloodstream. This is why the fat doesn’t come together and rise to the top of the milk (consumers seem to prefer that uniform look or that which has the appearance of being pure and healthy like white flour and white sugar).

Milk that has not been homogenized has naturally occurring fat globules that are not uniform in size and are too big to enter the bloodstream causing them to be eliminated as waste. And speaking of accuracy, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say that coconut oil is one of THE most healthy foods on this planet? At 76 degrees F coconut oil is a clear liquid. If our body temperature is 98.6 degrees F I can’t see how it could possibly clog our arteries, can you? I can personally vouch for how nutritious coconut oil is. A drastic change in my diet which included extra virgin organic coconut oil healed my thyroid after taking Synthroid for eleven years. Synthroid hasn’t been part of my diet in over six years now!  And my cholesterol levels are very good.

Is it true that in 2003 the FDA reported that compared to raw milk, deli meats contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes caused many more illnesses than raw milk? If so, why hasn’t the public been warned that deli meats are "inherently dangerous and should not be consumed," just like the FDA advises about raw milk?

Following is an excerpt from an article on the FDA website entitled, "Listeria monocytogenes Risk Assessment: Interpretive Summary."   "While outbreak investigations provide valuable information about potential modes of L. monocytogenes transmission, they do not always identify the contaminated food source."  So why does all the focus go towards raw milk and dairy?  Please review Summary Table 4 in the above Risk Assessment article link where "Deli Meats" top the list for highest risk for Listeria contamination!

While it’s not impossible for an illness to occur from raw milk, I can’t help but wonder why raw milk and dairy consumption are polarized and take the headlines like they do. These cases are so few and far between, unlike, say, medical mistakes.

The Abstract below (highlighted in yellow and green) was taken from page 13 of 136 of the Institute of Medicine’s article called “Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care” dated September 22, 2011. It is reported that ten years prior there was an alarming rate of medical errors. If this is true, why doesn’t this make the headlines? I haven’t noticed many warnings, if any, from the FDA/government even though we are all potential victims to man-made medical errors which, by the way, are rampant. Highlighted in green below is a claim that even though our government/country has attempted to address these problems in healthcare, progress is slow due to greed and egos (that’s my interpretation). I understand human nature is what it is, but who is taking the initiative to hold these people accountable? And why aren’t these dangers being headlined and broadcasted in the news media? Is it because that’s all covered under the so-called “patient rights” when we are required to sign our lives away prior to treatment of any kind by a doctor/hospital so that they are NOT able to be held liable? Could it be that it’s the doctors and hospitals who are being protected and consumers are being duped and left out in the cold? What a sad state of our union.  Just for the record, I don’t rely on doctors and hospitals for my health and wellness. I take responsibility for that. Shouldn’t we all and shouldn’t we be teaching  children to do the same?  I think so.  But instead what are we teaching children here in the United States of America?  Evolution as though it were fact, homosexual lifestyle as though it were normal and premarital sex is condoned as though it were no different than going to the nurse for an aspirin?  We teach tolerance to everyone and everything except to the One who created us, who sustains us, and who gave His life for us.

ABSTRACT
Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine reported alarming data on the scope and impact of medical errors in the US and called for national efforts to address this problem. While efforts to improve patient safety have proliferated during the past decade, progress toward improvement has been frustratingly slow. Some of this lack of progress may be attributable to the persistence of a medical ethos, institutionalized in the hierarchical structure of academic medicine and healthcare organizations, that discourages teamwork and transparency and undermines the establishment of clear systems of accountability for safe care.

“Pasteurized for your safety” is the little catch phrase spelled out on lids and containers of all kinds of beverage and food products that make consumers feel, oh I don’t know, special? Important? Cared for? Loved? That is your motive for including that phrase, isn’t it? Because when some feels special, important, cared for and loved, they, in return will TRUST whoever their affections are directed at. This is a tactic used everywhere for personal and business gain. It uses and abuses people.  It’s wrong and just plain dirty. The reason for pasteurization is for pure profit. Pasteurization allows beverages and food to stay on shelves longer and that’s the bottom line. It might be convenient to consumers because people are now so accustomed to their busy lifestyle, but that doesn't negate the fact that the FDA and the government is certainly not thinking of our safety first!  Allow us to drink and eat pure and healthy foods which clearly nourish our bodies.

I know that raw dairy is legal in PA, for which I am grateful, but it’s not legal in many states and it’s not legal to cross over a state line with which, in all honesty, is absurd. Alcohol, which is legal all over and sold in many states in the supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations etc. is much more lethal and kills many more people directly and indirectly than raw milk ever has and ever will, yet I don’t see that going away any time soon or at all. Why is that? Is it because there’s too much money being made from it? Listen, I’m not asking for something that is dangerous here. Those who work for the FDA and those in our government should open their eyes and stop making money and greed your bottom line. Once you stop that then you’ll be free to see the truth and understand it.

I would like to ask that the FDA/government allow organic farmers to farm without interference from the government or from the Monsanto monopoly schemes. Put a stop to Monsanto's frivolous lawsuits against innocent farmers who believe that organic and true sustainable farming methods are not only better for our environment but also for consumers. Put an end to Monsanto's insatiable appetite for destroying farmers' land and livelihood (and stop them from clogging up our judicial system).

Why is it that we, the people, are being deprived of our inherent right to eat what God has provided to nourish our bodies which He created, yet those with appetites to destroy what is right and true and good have their fill? If the FDA would stop approving processed “junk”foods and drugs that attribute to poor health and even death then people would have to take responsibility for their own lives. This county needs to wake up to the call that’s been sounding out for many, many years.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. I hope you seek the truth and work to make a difference for the people, not for lobbyists, food and drug manufacturers, the government or for yourself unless it’s first for the people!

I’ve had my say. Now I would like to hear your response.  Again, thank you.

Differing views on raw milk:
On The Safety of Raw Milk (with a word about pasteurization) - FDA
Rebuttal to the FDA's power point presentation - Weston Price Foundation

Sincerely yours,


Lisa Small
Wellness Blog

Revised:  3/9/2012

"Reworking," "reconditioning" and "reprocessing" food just doesn't sound right

Snokist in Washington state, a huge supplier of processed fruit and babyfood, was caught using moldy apples in their applesauce AFTER being warned by the FDA.  And guess who this applesauce is supplied to?  According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Snokist is or was (we don't know which at this point) supplying SCHOOLS nationwide through federal "nutrition" programs.  Nutrition?  Do they really know what that word means?  

The words "rework," "recondition" and "reprocess" jumped out at me while reading the article.  These words have nothing to do with nutrition.  What Snokist produces is "DEAD" food, to say the least.

As you read the article and the quotes of those who work at Snokist you'll get the idea that they truly don't care about producing quality food.  Their concern is the bottom line - profit, which is the name of the game for most, if not all, food manufacturing companies.  The fact that Snokist has been warned by the FDA and still continued to use moldy apples just goes to prove who they're looking out for, and it's not our children.

This is why each of us must take responsibility for ourselves and for our children.  We can't allow the government or companies to determine what is good for us.  Unfortunately there is too much corruption and greed.  We need to wake up and understand that we DO have a choice in the matter.  But that choice requires more of our attention and time.  In order to stop this malarkey, we simply must make wise decisions and recognize that we should not give authority over to others to decide what is best for us.  One way to do that is to have your child bring his or her lunch to school EVERY school day.  But first make sure you have healthy foods on hand for them to take.   And I don't mean Lunchables and prepackaged foods which come from manufacturing companies like Snokist who are only in it for profit.  Make your own "lunchables" with fresh organic fruits and vegetables, and just as important, make changes to your own diet.  Children learn more from what they see than what hear.  And decide not to buy junk foods and sodas.  This way they're not easily accessible.  But much more, please don't let your children eat the slop that our government is allowing these companies to provide at very low costs, because you surely do get what you pay for!  Like my cousin Michele recently said to me in an email that she heard from someone else - "You either pay now or pay later."

Check out Jamie Oliver's website and read about his quest for the food revolution in schools!

Would love to hear your comments, questions and concerns.

Meat Glue holds it together

Here's a new one.  Meat glue.  I've never heard of it until today and I have to say I'm not surprised.  It just goes to show how important it is for all of us to be more interested in what's not being reported on the news than what is.  From what I read, the FDA recognizes meat glue as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe).  As with most everything else, just follow the money trail.

Now, I'm completely on board with those who want to be creative and use scraps so as not to waste anything.  However I'm not on board when deceit is involved.  Are you really getting what you’re paying for or are you spending your hard earned money on meats that aren’t really what you think they are?

Of course, it's no suprise that those who profit from meat glue will tell us that it's safe and has no negative side effects.  But if they weren't profitting from it, would they use it?  It's doubtful.  Why would they waste time on something that wouldn't enhance and increase profits?   

Here are some questions you should be asking yourself and your butcher:

1. Where do you buy your meats?
2. Do you know where the meat comes from?
3. Do you know how the animals live and what they’re fed, i.e. Do they live in tight spaces/cages or do they live in their natural environment where they have access to the outside with sunshine.  Are theyfed a proper diet like grass?  
4. Do you even know what they should be fed and how they should live?
5. Do you know if the animals were given hormones and antibiotics (it is unlawful in the United States for farmers to inject chickens we will eat with hormones). 

If you don’t think these are important questions to ask, think again. Just because your parents or grandparents had no need or reason to ask these questions of their butcher many years ago, the fact is, we have the need and many reasons to ask today. Managed sick care is big business and it just keeps on growing.

Advances in technology can be a good thing if used properly and for our good.  But when it has been taken beyond the scope of truth in order to deceive those who support it, that's where we, as consumers, must take a step back and question it.  I hope you will do just that.    


What is meat glue is and why is it dangerous and deceptive? Find out in this video and article.

Vermont Soap's Ingredient of the Month

TRICLOSAN

Vermont Soap's "Ingredient of the Month" is antimicrobial chemicals and in particular one called "TRICLOSAN." 

Triclosan can be found in hygiene products, cosmetics, household products, countertops, kitchenware and textiles (this includes clothing).  Oh, and stuffed animals too!  This antimicrobrial chemical is being reported and touted as safe by the FDA however animal studies concluded that triclosan is a chemical we should avoid for a number of reasons.   

Congressman Edward Markey has petitioned the government for Triclosan to be banned in the US.  It's already banned and limited in other countries.  The FDA is apparently still investigating the effects of triclosan on humans and should be coming out with a decision sometime this spring, 2011.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also conducted a triclosan study with 2517 people, seven years and older, to find out if traces of triclosan would be found.  Seventy-five (75%) of the children and adults tested had various concentration levels of triclosan in their blood.

Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, a staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, tells WebMD that triclosan can lead to "altered behavior, learning disabilities and infertility. "

Most of us have heard that the over use of antibiotics can cause bacteria to become resistant to them (superbugs).  It's no different with antimicobial chemicals like triclosan.  The concern is that super bugs can develop due to overuse of antimicrobial chemicals rendering triclosan and other microbial chemicals ineffective.  This means that scientists will have to develop even stronger chemicals to fight off the effects of the superbugs.  Why won't we learn from the antibiotic/bacteria/superbug debacle? 

Check out the Triclosan Fact Sheet for more details about products with triclosan.  

Be sure to read the labels before you make a purchase,

and beware of triclosan! 
__________________________________________

Vermont Soap Company sells organic and chemical-free soaps and household cleaners online.  My family has been using their household cleaner, Liquid Sunshine!  We love it!

EGG RECALL - Infected with Salmonella

The egg recall is big news at the moment.  So far I haven't heard of any recalls on the east coast.  But that doesn't mean infected eggs haven't made their way to our part of the country.  According to Dr. Mercola, investigations continue in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, so be careful and check your eggs before eating them.  From the FDA website: 

Shell eggs under the August 13, 2010 recall are packaged under the brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. Shell eggs are packed in 6-egg cartons, 12-egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, and loose eggs with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. 

Recalled shell eggs affected by the expanded recall are packaged under the brand names: Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast. Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg, 12-egg, and18-egg cartons, and loose eggs for institutional use and repackaging) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942.

Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton or printed on the case label. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1720 223.

When we buy food from a supermarket or restaurant do we really know where it's coming from?  When my mom was young in season food, such as fruits and vegetables, was purchased from farmers who would drive through their neighborhood.  Yes, they bought directly from the farmer, no middleman involved.  Of course, they also had stores but not supermarkets like we have today where you can buy all your food in one place.  Back then, there were no factory farms and no big conglomerates who monopolized the food industry.  Food was much more pure and less processed, not that they didn't have processed foods then.  But even the prepared foods in restaurants were much healthier than they are today because pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones and antibiotics were not readily available.  Today food manufacturers who have no qualms in using the harmful items listed above are making major profits as are the pharmaceutical companies.  One produces foods that are easy, convenient and artificially tantalizing to our pallets while the other capitalizes on our ill health due to all processed and unhealthy foods being produced, purchased and consumed.  It's no wonder our immune systems are so weak that they succumb to the effects of things like salmonella poisoning.

The important thing to understand about Salmonella is that it can be fatal to young children, those who are elderly and those with weakened immune systems.  So what does that tell us?  That it's not as much of a threat to those whose immune systems are strong and functioning properly.  Children are more susceptible because their immune systems are not fully matured.  Many elderly people have weakened immune systems due to the natural aging process however, it's obvious many have much weaker immune systems than they should.  Keeping your immune system strong at any age is the key to good physical, emotional and spiritual health.  Without it, you'll be subject to all sorts of diseases and illnesses.  Isn't that reason enough to be committed to making sure you and your family have healthy immune systems?

For more information about the egg recall visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO5gnZplJt8&NR=1
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/organic-eggs-easy-greening.html