Lentil Mash and Kale Salad

  • 4 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 1-1/2 c. organic White Onion, chopped

  • 1/4 c. organic California Basmati Rice

  • 1-1/2 c. hot Green Tea (or boiled Water)

  • 3 c. Sprouted Organic Lentils (or parboiled Regular Lentils)

  • 1 tsp. Pink Sea Salt (or to taste)

Cumin for garnish is optional.

Heat olive oil in a 1 quart pot over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden. Add tea or water and salt. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Add lentils and rice, cover and simmer for 20 minutes if using sprouted lentils (35 minutes if using regular lentils). Stir occasionally so bottom does not stick to pot.

You may need to add a little more water if it looks too dry.  The consistency should be like thick oatmeal. You may use the back of a large spoon to mash some of the lentils for a creamier texture.

Taste, and adjust salt. Sprinkle lightly with cumin if desired.

Accompany the lentils with my Kale salad.

Kale, Tomato and Parsley Salad

  • 3 c. organic Kale, chopped

  • 1 organic Tomato, diced

  • 2 organic Green Onions, chopped

  • 1 c. chopped organic Parsley

  • 1/4 c. chopped organic Mint

  • Juice of 2 Lemons

  • 1/2 tsp. Cumin

  • 3 Tbs. extra virgin Olive Oil

  • 1 tsp. Pink Sea Salt

Mix it all together.

Vidalia Onion Vegan Casserole

It's time to replace the old adage about "An Apple a Day" - with a new one - "An Onion a Day"

While it may not win you more friends, it will relieve inflammatory bowel conditions and boost immune function, break down certain cancer-causing compounds, reduce the body’s absorption of cholesterol, AND also fight fungus!

In Georgia, where

Vidalia onions are cultivated, the mortality rates from stomach cancer are about half the average for the United States. Also, the Chinese rank among the largest population of onion lovers, and guess what?  Their risk of getting stomach cancer is 40 percent lower than it is for people who shy away from them. So let's add onions to our recipes with generous abandon.

Roasted dinner

Tofu and Vidalia Onion Casserole

Preheat oven to 350ºF, 175ºC.

  • 16 oz. Firm organic Tofu, cubed

  • 1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Cold-pressed organic Coconut Oil (to coat casserole)

  • 3 organic Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4"

  • 4 c. organic Vidalia Onions, chopped

  • 3 c. organic Portobello Mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 c. Almond Milk

  • 2 Tbs. Brown Rice Flour

  • 1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

  • Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Paprika, to taste

  • Dash of Cayenne, opt.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Over medium heat, lightly sauté Tofu in oil and drain on paper towel.

Grease a 2-quart casserole with coconut oil.

Mix milk, rice flour, Worcestershire sauce together.

Layer sliced potatoes, onions, mushrooms. Top with milk mixture and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve with whole grains, quinoa, or wild rice Pilaf (1/4 c. serving)

~ To Your Health!

♥

Gratitude... Each Moment's Lining

If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal — that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself.

Read More

The Secrets of Sage

Salvis Officinalis, comes from the Latin salvare, meaning to 'save' or 'cure'.

There is a proverb in an old Italian manuscript that states: 'Why should he die who has sage in his garden?'

We have the English to thank for the idea of smothering sage in onions and adding it to breads and sausage for stuffing! Who knew.

The English also drank sage tea long before black tea became the choice for this afternoon tradition. I found it very tasty.

The Secret?

Several scientific studies show that Sage brightens your mood, rejuvenates your concentration, and sharpens your memory.  Perhaps that's why a sage is thus named?

Sage extract has also been valuable in alleviating or preventing:

  • Age-related Memory Loss
  • Alzheimer's
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes and
  • Ulcers

Sage is native to the Mediterranean.  This aromatic plant is easy to grow in many temperate climates, and will attract bees with its lavender flowers.

Clary Sage is the sweet and milder variety, Greek is stronger.  Dried Sage is usually Dalmatian Sage native to Croatia, and is sold rubbed, crushed or powdered.

In Cooking:

Sage goes well in gravies, butters, stuffing, meatloaf, scones, polenta, on pizza, and with fatty fish.. like Salmon.

Sage Tea.jpg

As a Tea:

Place 6 - 7 leaves in 9 oz of water and simmer for 15 minutes.

Storage:

Sage will keep for up to a year kept in an airtight container, and stored in a dark, dry place.

Lime Coconut Cream for Citrus Almond Cake

Make 1 recipe of the Almond Citrus Cake, and bake in a 9" Spring-form pan.

While it cools, make the topping.

Lime Coconut Cream

  • 1 15oz. can Coconut Cream (not milk)

  • 1-1/2 Tbs. Lime juice or 1 tsp. organic Lime zest (optional)

  • 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla extract (2 tsp. if you don't use Lime)

  • 2 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup

  • 1/4 c. toasted Cashews or Hazelnuts, crushed

Refrigerate can of Coconut Cream upside-down, for at least 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to use... flip can back upright, and open. Any liquid should be floating on top. Drain the liquid carefully using the lid, so you don't lose any cream.

  1. In a dry metal bowl, beat cream with mixer for about 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and holds soft peaks.

  2. Add the lime juice and extract and beat another minute.

  3. Add maple syrup and beat again, until the consistency is what you desire.

  4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.  The cream will thicken considerable when chilled.

  5. Spread on cake and garnish with nuts and/or fruit of your choice.

If you have leftover cream:

  1. Use to top fresh fruit, or in cocoa, or oatmeal

  2. Mix in chopped fruit and chocolate chips and freeze for a summer treat!

The Calcium Paradox... Explained

For years women, children and the elderly have been advised to increase their intake of Calcium through supplements and dairy foods.

That statement was not accompanied by a warning that unless you provide your body with the mechanism to transport that calcium to your bones, it will make calcium deposits anywhere.

Calcium buildup in soft tissues can cause medical problems. Calcium can accumulate in the arterial plaque that develops after an injury to the vessel wall.

Normal deposition of calcium occurs in only two places: bone and teeth. Abnormal deposits of calcium occurs in multiple tissues including:

  1. the inner lining of the arteries where atherosclerotic plaque accrues;

  2. the middle muscle layer of arteries (smooth muscle calcification);

  3. the heart valves, especially the aortic valve causing aortic stenosis

To The Rescue!

Vitamin K2 (Mk-7) appears to be the most important factor in steering calcium into the bone and away from heart valves and the arterial system.

Vitamin K is absolutely essential for regulating calcium balance in the body. A deficiency of vitamin K status causes brittle bones and a vascular system that hardens to a state of poor functionality.

A substantial volume of studies shows that insufficient vitamin K2 accelerates arterial calcification.1 A new study shows that restoring vitamin K2 reverses arterial calcification.2

Based on several studies published in 2008, vitamins K2 and K3 have also emerged as intriguing agents in both cancer prevention and treatment.

Vitamin K2 has been shown to induce apoptosis (cell destruction) in leukemia cells in vitro.3

In nature, vitamin K is found in two forms: vitamin K1, which occurs in leafy green vegetables; and vitamin K2, which exists in organ meats, egg yolks, dairy products, and particularly in fermented products such as cheese and curd.

While some ingested K1 is converted to K2 in the body, significant benefits occur when vitamin K2 itself is supplemented. 4

Recommend this video.

References:

1. Beulens JW, Bots ML, Atsma F, et al. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Jul 19.

2. Schurgers LJ , Spronk HM , Soute BA, Schiffers PM, DeMey JG, Vermeer C . Regression of warfarin-induced medial elastocalcinosis by high intake of vitamin K in rats. Blood. 2007 Apr 1;109(7):2823-31. 

3. Tsujioka T, Miura Y, Otsuki T, et al. The mechanisms of vitamin K2-induced apoptosis of myeloma cells. Haematologica. 2006 May;91(5):613-9.

4. Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004 Nov;134(11):3100-5.

 ~ Be Well.

♥

The Problem With Diets

First watch this short video...

What Diet? 

whatever you are eating now means You are already on a diet. But What is it?

Is the food you eat every day supporting what your cells need to do their job of keeping you alive and healthy? OR are your food choices slowly and silently robbing your cells and organs of the very nutrition they need to function?

We think we’re ok on a diet that includes processed food, sugar, regular alcohol consumption, empty carb calories, fast food, etc… because we have no symptoms.
Symptoms will show up, give them time… the storm is already brewing, it just hasn’t come to shore yet. Ignoring this reality is why we are consistently caught by surprise when we are “suddenly” diagnosed with an imbalance or disease.

The deterioration of our immune system or physical functions happens slowly, over time. Don’t kid yourself, that you are fine just because you don’t ‘feel’ anything and the routine blood tests (which barely cover all the necessary information to asses the body’s health status) look pretty good.

You have only 2 choices… eating living, organic nutritious foods or not. If not, you cannot be surprised if 5 - 10 years down the road your doctor has bad news. Whether we want to experience a healthy life after 60, or take our chances to purely please our palate is really up to each of us.

Don’t go on a “DIET” for a few months thinking that will have any lasting effect, instead live a Lifestyle that supports wellness for the rest of your life.

Liver and Kidney Problems Linked to GMO Food?

Genetically engineered food has yet to be proven safe.

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) admitted in court that it had reached "no dispositive scientific findings" about the risks of genetically engineered foods.

There is no scientific consensus about the risks of eating genetically engineered food, according to a statement last year signed by nearly 300 scientists.

The scientists agree that "Concerns about risks are well-founded" and that a "substantial number" of "animal feeding studies and reviews of such studies...found toxic effects and signs of toxicity" in animals fed genetically engineered food, compared with controls.

"Some of the studies give serious cause for concern," the scientists write.

>> Genetically engineered crops have led to increased use of pesticides.

>> Mutating weed resistance is requiring the Monsantos to sell even more powerful herbicides. 

>> The Big 6 chemical and seed companies are working diligently to monopolize the food system at the expense of consumers, farmers and smaller seed companies.

>> Industry is spending lavishly against the food movement.

~~~~~     The above excerpt is from a recent article written by consumer advocate Ralph Nader. 

It is well worth 5 minutes to read it, and to forward, blog or tweet about it.

Every State needs to fight for our right to know what's in the food we eat and feed our children.

~ Be Well.

Sun, Sunscreen and Your Skin - the Low Down

Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases their annual guide to sunscreens,1 and this year's data again shows that you must be very cautious when choosing sunscreen to apply to your skin.

Woman In Pool

LOOK OUT FOR THESE

1. Oxybenzone This is one of the most troublesome ingredients found in the majority of sunscreens.Oxybenzone is believed to cause hormone disruptions and cell damage that may provoke cancer.

2. Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A palmitate) Sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol, and retinyl palmitate.

3. Fragrance Beware of products that contain synthetic fragrance, as this term describes any number of harmful chemicals that do not have to be listed individually on the label.

WHAT TO CHOOSE

  • Avoid Spray Sunscreens

  • Protects Against Both UVA and UVB Rays: SPF only protects against UVB rays, which are the rays within the ultraviolet spectrum that allow your body to produce vitamin D in your skin.  But the most dangerous rays are the UVA rays. Make sure your sunscreen protects against both.

  • Avoid Sunscreen Towelettes or Powders: Dubious protection

  • Avoid Spray Sunscreens: Contain toxic particles that can be inhaled

Does Your Sunscreen Offer UVA Protection?

Even a sunscreen that claims to be "broad spectrum" may not provide adequate UVA protection. As EWG reported:5

"After a 34-year process of reviewing sunscreen safety and efficacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has implemented enforceable rules on sunscreen marketing and UVA protection. The FDA allows American sunscreen makers to claim their products are 'broad spectrum,' even though many offer much poorer UVA protection than sunscreens sold in other countries.

Based on the products in our 2014 database, EWG estimates that about half of all beach and sport sunscreens could not be sold in Europe because they provide inadequate UVA protection."

So, look for a sunscreen that contains the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Use Sunscreen When Absolutely Necessary

If you work in the outdoors, are planning a trip outdoors, or if you need to protect sensitive areas of your face (like around your eyes), safe sunscreen is certainly recommended. But if you apply sunscreen every time you're out in the sun, you'll block your body's ability to produce vitamin D.

Optimizing your vitamin D levels may reduce your risk of as many as 16 different types of cancer, including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and skin cancers.

Studies show melanoma mortality actually decreases after UV exposure. Moderate exposure to sunlight, particularly UVB, is protective against melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) due to the vitamin D your body produces.

>>  That being said, you NEVER want to BURN!

5 Top Sunshine Tips

Spend some time outdoors in the sun regularly, but do so with some commonsense precautions:

Expose your skin to sunlight for short periods dailyIf you're in the sun for longer periods, cover up with clothing, a hat or shadeShield your face from the sun daily using a safe sunscreen or a hat.Consider the use of an "internal sunscreen" like astaxanthin to offer additional protection.Consume a healthy diet full of natural antioxidants. Fresh, raw, unprocessed foods deliver the nutrients that your body needs to maintain a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 oils in your skin, which is your first line of defense against sunburn.Thanks to Dr. Mercola for a comprehensive look at Sun, Sunscreens and Skin diseases.

What do Your Teeth Have to do With Cancer?

If you have amalgam fillings or a root canal - don't wait to have them removed.

98% of Breast Cancer occurrences have a dental association

When I lived overseas as a teenager, I had to have a root canal. I was so terrified of shots in my gums, that I refused the anesthetic.  The Dentist did the best he could with topical Novocaine and pain meds.  Not surprisingly that root canal had to be revisited 20 years later.  And after I developed breast cancer, 15 years after that, and heard about this connection, I realized my root canal was on the same side of my body as the breast that had cancer. 

Also, amalgam fillings : the silver fillings made from a mixture of mercury, silver, tin and copper, build up toxicity over time.  Mercury is a known carcinogen, and copper is the metal that allows cancer cells to establish new blood supplies!

Below is an excerpt from an article published by the Independent Cancer Research Foundation.  To read the full version, click here, or go to //www.new-cancer-treatments.org/Articles/RootCanals.html

The Relationship Between Root Canals and Cancer

When a person in the United States has a toothache, due to an infection in the tooth, rather than cure the infection with 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide, dentists almost always kill the tooth. They will typically drill out the insides of the tooth and fill the tooth with metal rods.

This is called a "root canal." Root canals are a safe haven for microbes. Because no blood reaches the inside of the tooth, the immune system cannot kill any microbes inside the dead tooth.

Microbes do not originate in the root canals, rather they originate elsewhere in the body (such as were cancer cells form). The microbes thrive and some of them hide from the immune system inside the root canals.

These microbes, and other toxins from inside the tooth, periodically come out of the tooth and cause reinfections. It is impossible to cure more than 200 diseases unless all of the root canal teeth are removed properly because even if you killed the microbes of the disease, microbes hiding in the root canals can come out and reinfect the person.

The American Dental Association has known about this for decades.

Root canals are a major cause of the immune system being suppressed and they are a major cause of cancer:

  • "Dr. Thomas Rau, who runs the Paracelsus Clinic (cancer clinic since 1958) in Switzerland recently checked the records of the last 150 breast cancer patients treated in his clinic. He found that 147 of them (98%) had one or more root canal teeth on the same meridian as the original breast cancer tumor. His clinic has a biological dentist section where all cancer patients, on reporting in, have their mouth cleaned up first -- especially all root canal teeth removed.

  • There are about 24 million root canals done in the U.S. alone every year. They were proven deadly disease agents in 1925 in a study by Dr. Weston Price and 60 prominent researchers. That study has been suppressed ever since by the ADA and the American Association of Endodontists (AAE).

  • Read the book "Root Canal Cover-Up" by George Meinig, DDS, FACD for the full story. Dr. Meinig was an endodontist for 50 years. He helped found the AAE in 1943. His book is a mea culpa (apology) to the thousands of patients whose health he ruined doing root canal fillings.

What is interesting about this quote is that 100% of the breast cancer patients had root canals, or other infections, on the same acupuncture meridian.

Since the microbes do not originate in the root canal, what this implies is that breast cancer cannot form without the assistance of the metals and microbes coming from the root canals.

~~

What You Can Do

The ideal solution is the have the root canals AND all dental amalgam removed from the body, followed instantly by heavy chelation therapy (e.g. chlorella, zeolites, etc.).

But don't go to your local dentist to have this done or things might get worse. In other words, if the root canal is not done by the right kind of dentist, the net result may be that nothing is accomplished or things have been made worse.

There is a specialized type of dentist called a "biological dentist" or a "holistic dentist."

These dentists are sometimes persecuted by the corrupt American Dental Association, so do not expect to find one in the local telephone book. They can be hard to find locally. Internet search engines may be the best way to find a local holistic or biological dentist.

In the San Francisco East Bay Area, there is a holistic dentist in Alamo.  Conduct your own search.  Even if you find one 30 miles away, it's well worth the trip for your future wellness.  And be firm about asking for non-amalgam fillings in your children's teeth.

Health Warning : Adya Clarity Detox Liquid

Adya Clarity detox liquid contains Aluminum, Sulfuric acid

TUCSON, Ariz. (March 25, 2013) - The non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (www.ConsumerWellness.org) has issued a consumer health warning over Adya Clarity, a "detox" product that was seized by the FDA in 2012 and tested at over 1200ppm aluminum.

The product is currently being marketed through a series of highly deceptive webinars that claim almost magical powers for the product. In reality, the product is primarily made of metals dissolved in sulfuric acid, and it was imported into the United States using the description "battery acid" on import documents.

Adya Clarity's two most prominent metals are aluminum and iron. The manufacturer of Adya Clarity intentionally and deliberately refused to list aluminum on the label, instead listing beneficial trace elements such as magnesium.

Here's the chemical breakdown of Adya Clarity, as tested by the FDA after they seized the product:

• Aluminum average 1040 ppm • Iron average 1070 ppm • Sulfuric acid average .927 % • Lead .012 ppm • Arsenic .027 ppm

The marketing of Adya Clarity is based on a parlor trick of pouring an acidic liquid containing dissolved metals into a glass of water, which is more alkaline.

Promoters of Adya Clarity, which include Matt Bakos and Kacper Postawski, claim that when the product is consumed internally, it pulls metals out of your body. In reality, the product introduces potentially toxic levels of non-organic iron and aluminum into your body.

~

Adya Clarity response: Label to be modified for full transparency, no internal use marketing without clinical proof (updated)

Learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com/034006_Adya_Clarity_Raw_Food_World.html#ixzz33zoqvqEU

My Italian Sauce with Spinach

This sauce can be used to top pasta, baked sweet potatoes, wild rice or organic polenta rounds. Omit the beef for vegan version.

  • 3 Tbs. organic Olive Oil

  • 1 small organic red Onion, diced

  • 4 cloves fresh organic Garlic, minced

  • ½ lb. ground pastured lean Beef

  • 3 c. thinly sliced organic Spinach (measure after slicing)

  • 2 tsp. fresh Thyme, chopped or 1 tsp. dried

  • ½ tsp. Oregano

  • 1 tsp. Sea Salt

  • ½ tsp. Black Pepper

  • ¼ tsp. Cayenne

  • 3 c. diced organic Tomatoes with juices (or 2 c. tomato sauce and omit water)

  • ½ c. hot Water

Heat oil in a saute pan on medium for 1 minute. Add onions and garlic. Turn heat down to medium and stir onions until light brown in color. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.

Add spinach, herbs and seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and water. Bring back to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

~ Buon Apetito! ♥

Collusion Between Government and Multi-national Firms re: GMO Foods

any doubt that NO ONE is looking after Consumer Health?

Would you agree that most products not in fresh grocery isles contain ingredients that are making us a sicker nation than ever before?

The U.K. Daily Mail has published a report revealing  - emails between civil servants and the GM industry as they worked together on a media strategy to win over consumers skeptical about so-called Frankenstein Food (genetically modified).

Don't be fooled that this isn't common practice in the U.S.  Monsanto, and other corporations selling you food contaminated with toxic ingredients, own the politicians who make decisions about what you eat and what you are led to believe is ok to consume.

Details of the emails have been made public after Freedom of Information requests by lobby group GeneWatch, which said the public would be shocked at the level of collaboration.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has pushed for faster approval of new crops and lobbying for public support.

Significantly, he decided to lobby the EU to allow biotech crops to be planted in Britain even if they are banned elsewhere.

...Often these exchanges coincided with major announcements by ministers which shifted Government policy to support GM, despite clear opposition among consumers."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2621058/Secret-emails-reveal-ministers-plotted-GM-lobbyists-Documents-two-worked-campaign-win-sceptical-consumers.html#ixzz313tSDtqj

PLEASE Stand up for your right to know what's in your food.

STOP buying GMO foods and produce tainted with pesticides and antibiotics!

Pink Coconut-Banana Cream Squares with Chocolate Chips

Natural, vegetable-derived food coloring is thankfully now available, but using actual fruit and veggie juice is even better. I save the liquid after cooking beets for a pink dessert. Use strong flavors to mask the beet taste.

This treat is super simple and actually good for you.

Pink Coconut-Banana Cream Squares

  • 1 can Coconut Cream (not milk), refrigerated overnight

  • 1 organic Banana, mashed

  • 2 - 3 Tbs. liquid from boiling organic Beets

  • 2 Tbs. Psyllium Husk (don't skip this, if unavailable use freshly ground flax seeds)

  • 1 Tbs. Chicory Root Powder (or Coconut Palm Sugar)

  • 1-1/2 tsp. Orange Blossom Water (in ethnic section of market)

  • 1/2 c. Dark Chocolate Chips (or Carob chips for Vegan)

  • Blueberries and/or Raspberries for topping

Drain liquid from coconut cream. Place cream in mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 6 - 7 minutes.

Add mashed banana, and the rest of the ingredients. Beat for 2 more minutes until well mixed. Stir in Chocolate chips.
Pour into round remekins or a rectangular glass dish. (I don't recommend using metal pans for this dessert.)

Top with berries and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with more berries if desired.

Cheers! ♥

Broccoli-Carrot Slaw

Broccoli - Carrot Slaw

Lemon juice dresses one of my all-time favorite salads that I invented to get the kids to eat Broccoli! It also gets apple cider vinegar in their diet (wonderful health benefits).

Broccoli_Carrot Slaw

Recipe

  • 6 c. organic Broccoli Slaw, or 4 cups chopped up organic Broccoli and 2 c. shredded carrots

  • 1 c. organic Parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

  • 2 medium organic Garlic cloves, mashed in mortar and pestle with 1/2 tsp. Pink Sea Salt

  • 4 Tbs. Vegenaise

  • 1-1/2 Tbs. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1 Tbs. Lemon Juice

  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

  • 1/2 tsp. Celery Seed (or you can add 1/2 c. fresh Celery, chopped

Combine veggies in a large bowl. 

In a small bowl whisk dressing ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour over veggies and toss to coat.

Note:  This is a light dressing, not meant to look like the thicker Slaw dressing we're used to. ~ Bon Apetit! ♥

Soon Even 'ORGANIC' Won't Mean Anything

Many of us don't have time to follow every issue we're concerned about...

That's what emboldens policymakers and lobbyists to push their agendas through.. if no one objects, no one is accountable.

It's one of the prime reasons our 'food' is in the state it's in today...processed, full of synthetic additives, non-organic, and nutrition-devoid.

__________

Takeover of Organic Standards by Corporate Food Industry

Champions of organic food brought the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting to a halt on Tuesday as they raised their voices against what they see as the takeover of the organic standards by the corporate food industry.

The NOSB—an advisory board to the USDA  and designed to represent farmers, consumers and other advocates of organic food—is charged with overseeing organic standards and presenting recommendations to the federal government.

In recent years, however, critics charge the quality and integrity of the national organic standards set by the NOSB have been eroded by the influence of a large agricultural interests and powerful corporations in the food industry.

In order to delay the opening of a four-day meeting in San Antonio, Texas, demonstrators stood at the front of the conference room displaying a banner which read: "Safeguard Organic Standards."

Sunset Process

Tuesday's protest, organized by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), was held to draw attention to what the group is calling the "last straw" in the corporate-backed erosion of organic standards: a recent change to what is known as the "sunset process," which determines the synthetic ingredients that are permitted in organic foods.

Mark A. Kastel, co-director of The Cornucopia Institute stated,  "agribusiness" and corporate food companies "had their minions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture" change the rules in order to push "gimmicky synthetics and nutraceuticals in organic food."

One protester, Alexis Baden-Mayer, the political director for OCA, refused to disperse and was eventually placed under arrest and carried out.

Synthetics in Organic Food!

A recent Consumer Reports survey found that 7 out of 10 Americans want as few non-organic ingredients approved for organic food as possible,

  "People don't have time to follow the wonky policy decisions, so it's easy for standards to be eroded without them knowing about it."

The 'sunset process' required that non-organic food materials approved by the NOSB for use in organic foods—such as sausage casings from factory-farmed animals, synthetic vitamins, and the antibiotic streptomycin—must be reviewed every five years.

Unless re-approved by a two-third majority vote, the items would be dropped from the list.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_29914.cfm

Please get involved to protect our children's world and health!