Raw Foods Help Control Weight
Written by Wayne Gendel
The Impossible-To-Be-Overweight Diet Wayne Gendel Naturally Savvy Raw Food Health
Have you ever seen an overweight wild animal?
Of all living things on Earth, only humans and domesticated animals can be overweight, and the number one factor for a shortened lifespan is carrying excess weight. Wild animals do not become overweight because they eat the diet nature intended for them.
If you eat 80 percent of your food fresh and raw, it is virtually impossible to be overweight.
The natural human diet is made up of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds. People who eat this along with small amounts of meat, fish and dairy are more likely to stay thin and healthy to a ripe old age.
Cultures like ours that sacrifice fresh veggies for large amounts of meat, fish and dairy become overweight. The old adage “everything in moderation” does not work because most of us have the “everything” at every meal.
In addition to excess fat and protein, we also load up on large amounts of unnatural, man-made foods, including processed cheese, boxed cereals, white flour, refined sugar and corn syrup. These foods are usually classified as high glycemic, which means they send blood sugar skyrocketing, making the body store more fat than it would with healthier, low glycemic natural foods.
To top that off, many of our foods are now genetically modified. Genetically modified (GM) foods have to be considered "substantially equivalent" to be deemed safe, but many researchers have questioned this standard. Some GM foods contain proteins that humans have never consumed before, and the long-term effects are unknown. Other health concerns include the potential for allergic reactions and antibiotic resistance.
So how can you tell these genetically modified (GM) foods apart from organic or traditional varieties? All produce has a four-digit code, but GM foods have a fifth digit—an eight—added to the beginning of the code as a qualifier. The best way to get the most nutrients and avoid GM foods is to buy organics, which also have a fifth digit in their codes—a nine at the beginning.
Cultures with fresh, natural diets regularly see people living vibrantly to or past 100 years old. But it is rare to see overweight people living healthily past the age of 50 or 60. So, try to add more raw fruits and vegetables to your diet. Fill up on greens before you eat your sandwich or snack on some fruit between meals.
Making 80 percent of your diet raw fruits and vegetables will help you not only live healthier, but longer—and without ever having to worry about being overweight.
Author of this article: Wayne Gendel
Click Here to see more Articles by This Author
· Proper Food Combining For Energy (27 March 2009)
· Staying Warm On Raw Foods (27 February 2009)
· Wayne Gendel (30 December 2008)
· Wayne’s Homemade Natural Toothpaste Recipes (19 December 2008)
· Toothpaste: Natural or Poison? (19 December 2008)
· Raw Food: Healthy Symptoms (19 December 2008)
· Benefits Of A Raw Food Diet (25 November 2008)
· Staying Cholesterol Healthy (28 August 2008)
· Switching to a Raw Diet (28 July 2008)
· Sunshine Is Good! (24 July 2008)
· Life Extension: How to Live Beyond 125! Part 2 (01 July 2008)
· Life Extension: How to Live to Beyond 125! Part 1 (01 July 2008)
· Living Raw Eating Like Nature Intended (01 July 2008)
· Skin Brushing for Vibrant Health (01 July 2008)
· Regenerative Sleep (01 July 2008)
· Worry Free From Cholesterol (01 July 2008)
· Sea Salt Part 2 (01 July 2008)
· Salt: Is It Good or Bad for Us? Part 1 (01 July 2008)
· Don't Panic, Eat Organic! (01 July 2008)
Showing posts with label Organic foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organic foods. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Fantastic Chicken Fajitas
Fantastic Chicken Fajitas
fajitas
Ingredients:
· 1 lb chicken breast, skinless and boneless (or 1 lb flank steak, fish or shrimp)
· Cracked black pepper to taste
· 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
· 1 white onion, peeled and sliced into thin slices
· 8 whole-wheat flour tortillas
guacamole:
· 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
· 1 ripe tomato, diced
· 1 tbsp lime juice
· Tabasco sauce to taste
· 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
tomato salsa:
· 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
· 1 red onion, diced
· 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
· 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
· 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
Fajitas: Slice the chicken into thin strips and season with cracked pepper. Sauté in non-stick pan until fully cooked. Grill or sauté the onions and peppers until cooked. Warm tortillas in the oven.
Guacamole: Mash the avocado in a mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients and mix until evenly distributed.
Tomato Salsa: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and
mix well.
To Serve: Place warm tortillas on four plates and top with chicken, vegetables, guacamole and salsa. Roll into your favorite shape.
One more quote from a brilliant lady!
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
fajitas
Ingredients:
· 1 lb chicken breast, skinless and boneless (or 1 lb flank steak, fish or shrimp)
· Cracked black pepper to taste
· 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
· 1 white onion, peeled and sliced into thin slices
· 8 whole-wheat flour tortillas
guacamole:
· 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
· 1 ripe tomato, diced
· 1 tbsp lime juice
· Tabasco sauce to taste
· 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
tomato salsa:
· 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
· 1 red onion, diced
· 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
· 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
· 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
Fajitas: Slice the chicken into thin strips and season with cracked pepper. Sauté in non-stick pan until fully cooked. Grill or sauté the onions and peppers until cooked. Warm tortillas in the oven.
Guacamole: Mash the avocado in a mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients and mix until evenly distributed.
Tomato Salsa: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and
mix well.
To Serve: Place warm tortillas on four plates and top with chicken, vegetables, guacamole and salsa. Roll into your favorite shape.
One more quote from a brilliant lady!
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Saturday, March 28, 2009
What is the difference between organic foods and Kosher foods?
Today’s Re-Powering Information - During the grocery shopping tour on Thursday night. Reyna asked 2 good questions which I did not know the answers to, so I looked them up. One was about Kosher foods and the other was about cheese.
The question was . . . What is the difference between organic foods and Kosher foods. I know about organic, but I am not as familiar with Kosher foods. Here is what I found:
Kosher food is food that meets Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut, which comes from the Hebrew word for "fit" or "proper." Any food can be called kosher food if it adheres to Jewish law, or halacha. Conversely, foods typically labeled as "Jewish" aren't necessarily kosher. Jewish foods are generally those dishes that are traditionally Jewish. Kreplach, cholent, kugel, latke, and kishka are all traditionally Jewish foods, but if they are not prepared in accordance with kashrut, they will not be kosher food.
The word "kosher" is not only used for food, however. Kosher basically means that something follows all the Jewish legal guidelines. The word has even gained a place in American slang to mean appropriate, legitimate, or proper. Instead of saying "that's not right," one might say "that's not kosher."
Kosher food laws are rather extensive. Some are derived directly from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years. What are some of the laws governing kosher food?
· According to the Torah (also known as the five books of Moses, the Old Testament, or the Pentateuch) cloven hoofed, cud-chewing mammals are kosher. Deer, sheep and goats, for example are all kosher, while pig and rabbit, for example, are not.
· Only certain birds are considered kosher in the United States. This includes chicken, duck, goose, and turkey.
· Lobster lovers might be dismayed to find that for seafood or fish to be kosher, it must have fins and easily removable scales. Shellfish generally, and lobsters, shrimp, and clams, specifically are not kosher. Fish, on the other hand, such as tuna, carp, and herring, are kosher, but only if they are prepared by a kosher fish monger with kosher cutting implements and machines. There's more. In most cases, scales must be present on the fish in order to be purchased by the consumer.
· Fish and meat cannot be served together.
· Milk and meat cannot be served together. Rabbinic law includes poultry in this prohibition, however fish is excluded. This gives rise to the popular, and kosher, bagel, lox, and cream cheese combination.
· Processed food must be prepared in the presence of a rabbi.
· Poultry and meat must be slaughtered under strict guidelines called "shechita." This means the animals are slaughtered without pain. Only those who are trained and qualified are allowed to slaughter kosher animals. Once the animal is no longer alive, another team of experts will examine the animal to be sure the animal is without illness, abnormalities or anything else that can be considered unsanitary. The lungs in particular must be pure. In addition, all blood, nerves, and most fat must be removed.
· Kosher kitchens must maintain separate sets of utensils, pots, pans, dishes, and anything else that comes in contact with food. In addition, dishes and utensils in a kosher kitchen can't be washed together. If a kitchen has two sinks, it is an ideal setup for a kosher family. If not, separate wash buckets are often used. Dishes and utensils must be dried using separate racks or dishtowels as well.
There are many other rules to be followed for anything to be considered kosher food. To make identification easier on the consumer, kosher food is often identified as such by its kashrut certification on the food's package. Kashrut certification is generally indicated by an identifiable symbol that includes the letter K, or by the word pareve, which means the food is neither dairy nor meat, but rather neutral.
End
Organic foods are not the same as kosher foods. Organic foods are raised without animal by-products, hormones, antibiotics, etc. Organic produce has no chemical pesticides or growth additives and are not genetically modified.
From reading the blogs, articles, etc.. I have gleamed that kosher foods cannot be given antibiotics, hormones and cannot be fed animal by-products. The animal must be slaughtered by kosher law which seems more humane. I do like the fact that the animals (in an organic and humane sense) must be disease free.
Kosher meats are produced in smaller batches than conventional non-kosher meats due to the labor intensiveness in making the meat kosher- removal of blood, veins, etc. If you are really looking at what type of meats to buy- look for ones that are certified kosher and organic- you can find these specialty markets on the web.
All food has some sort of food borne pest and disease that must be watched for. If you really want to know what you are eating- go to a local farm and see how the animals are cared for. It's better for the earth and national economy- meat is often butchered locally.
70% or greater of the products on grocery store shelves show some marking of kosher certification one does not keep kosher to appear more enlightened or better than those who don't. Pepsi and Coke have markings as do most cookies, crackers and processed foods.
Eat local or go cut back on meat if you are really worried about what your food is going through.
I will follow up with the cheese question on Monday. I am also researching Ph diets this weekend. Acid and Alkaline diets are in vogue now so I’ll check them out for you.
More to come. . .
Enjoy your weekend and plan to be there on Monday. I would love to see EVERYONE!!
PS – I am on my way to see the movie The Cross at Grapevine Mills. It just came out yesterday. It’s a true story / documentary. http://thecrossmovie.info/about.htm.
The question was . . . What is the difference between organic foods and Kosher foods. I know about organic, but I am not as familiar with Kosher foods. Here is what I found:
Kosher food is food that meets Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut, which comes from the Hebrew word for "fit" or "proper." Any food can be called kosher food if it adheres to Jewish law, or halacha. Conversely, foods typically labeled as "Jewish" aren't necessarily kosher. Jewish foods are generally those dishes that are traditionally Jewish. Kreplach, cholent, kugel, latke, and kishka are all traditionally Jewish foods, but if they are not prepared in accordance with kashrut, they will not be kosher food.
The word "kosher" is not only used for food, however. Kosher basically means that something follows all the Jewish legal guidelines. The word has even gained a place in American slang to mean appropriate, legitimate, or proper. Instead of saying "that's not right," one might say "that's not kosher."
Kosher food laws are rather extensive. Some are derived directly from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years. What are some of the laws governing kosher food?
· According to the Torah (also known as the five books of Moses, the Old Testament, or the Pentateuch) cloven hoofed, cud-chewing mammals are kosher. Deer, sheep and goats, for example are all kosher, while pig and rabbit, for example, are not.
· Only certain birds are considered kosher in the United States. This includes chicken, duck, goose, and turkey.
· Lobster lovers might be dismayed to find that for seafood or fish to be kosher, it must have fins and easily removable scales. Shellfish generally, and lobsters, shrimp, and clams, specifically are not kosher. Fish, on the other hand, such as tuna, carp, and herring, are kosher, but only if they are prepared by a kosher fish monger with kosher cutting implements and machines. There's more. In most cases, scales must be present on the fish in order to be purchased by the consumer.
· Fish and meat cannot be served together.
· Milk and meat cannot be served together. Rabbinic law includes poultry in this prohibition, however fish is excluded. This gives rise to the popular, and kosher, bagel, lox, and cream cheese combination.
· Processed food must be prepared in the presence of a rabbi.
· Poultry and meat must be slaughtered under strict guidelines called "shechita." This means the animals are slaughtered without pain. Only those who are trained and qualified are allowed to slaughter kosher animals. Once the animal is no longer alive, another team of experts will examine the animal to be sure the animal is without illness, abnormalities or anything else that can be considered unsanitary. The lungs in particular must be pure. In addition, all blood, nerves, and most fat must be removed.
· Kosher kitchens must maintain separate sets of utensils, pots, pans, dishes, and anything else that comes in contact with food. In addition, dishes and utensils in a kosher kitchen can't be washed together. If a kitchen has two sinks, it is an ideal setup for a kosher family. If not, separate wash buckets are often used. Dishes and utensils must be dried using separate racks or dishtowels as well.
There are many other rules to be followed for anything to be considered kosher food. To make identification easier on the consumer, kosher food is often identified as such by its kashrut certification on the food's package. Kashrut certification is generally indicated by an identifiable symbol that includes the letter K, or by the word pareve, which means the food is neither dairy nor meat, but rather neutral.
End
Organic foods are not the same as kosher foods. Organic foods are raised without animal by-products, hormones, antibiotics, etc. Organic produce has no chemical pesticides or growth additives and are not genetically modified.
From reading the blogs, articles, etc.. I have gleamed that kosher foods cannot be given antibiotics, hormones and cannot be fed animal by-products. The animal must be slaughtered by kosher law which seems more humane. I do like the fact that the animals (in an organic and humane sense) must be disease free.
Kosher meats are produced in smaller batches than conventional non-kosher meats due to the labor intensiveness in making the meat kosher- removal of blood, veins, etc. If you are really looking at what type of meats to buy- look for ones that are certified kosher and organic- you can find these specialty markets on the web.
All food has some sort of food borne pest and disease that must be watched for. If you really want to know what you are eating- go to a local farm and see how the animals are cared for. It's better for the earth and national economy- meat is often butchered locally.
70% or greater of the products on grocery store shelves show some marking of kosher certification one does not keep kosher to appear more enlightened or better than those who don't. Pepsi and Coke have markings as do most cookies, crackers and processed foods.
Eat local or go cut back on meat if you are really worried about what your food is going through.
I will follow up with the cheese question on Monday. I am also researching Ph diets this weekend. Acid and Alkaline diets are in vogue now so I’ll check them out for you.
More to come. . .
Enjoy your weekend and plan to be there on Monday. I would love to see EVERYONE!!
PS – I am on my way to see the movie The Cross at Grapevine Mills. It just came out yesterday. It’s a true story / documentary. http://thecrossmovie.info/about.htm.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Garbanzo
Here’s a recipe for a delicious salad I had this week. Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad
garbanzo
Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, preferably organic
2 cloves garlic
sea salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup minced green onion
1 medium tomato, diced
3 TBS parsley, minced
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
Optional: 1/4 cup feta cheese
1 head romaine lettuce
Directions:
Press or mince garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out its hidden health benefits.
Drain liquid from garbanzo beans and rinse under cold running water; this helps prevent intestinal gas.
Mince green onions.
Dice tomatoes.
Mince parsley
Combine all ingredients and serve over a bed of romaine lettuce.
Top with feta cheese, if desired.
Serves 2
garbanzo
Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, preferably organic
2 cloves garlic
sea salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup minced green onion
1 medium tomato, diced
3 TBS parsley, minced
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
Optional: 1/4 cup feta cheese
1 head romaine lettuce
Directions:
Press or mince garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out its hidden health benefits.
Drain liquid from garbanzo beans and rinse under cold running water; this helps prevent intestinal gas.
Mince green onions.
Dice tomatoes.
Mince parsley
Combine all ingredients and serve over a bed of romaine lettuce.
Top with feta cheese, if desired.
Serves 2
Friday, March 6, 2009
FAT LOSS and Garbanzo Bean Tuna Salad
Body weight and body fat are NOT the same thing! Which of these would you prefer: 5 pounds of fat or 5 pounds of muscle?
"I want to lose weight" is a poorly-formed goal.
"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.
And do you really want to be a "fat loser?"
Wouldn't you rather be a "fat burner"... a lean, fat burning machine!
FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.
If your body were 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?
I bet you wouldn't! And if that's true, then...
STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!
By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health. It can assist you with your fitness plan. You can get an accurate picture of what's really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.
You don't have to "throw away your scale" like many experts suggest. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror -- whichever are useful for you, the more feedback the better - but body fat is where it's at.
Garbanzo Bean Tuna Salad
If you've never tried a garbanzo bean salad, then you don't know what you're missing. Also known as "chickpeas", garbanzo beans are heart-healthy legumes that pack a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. The rest of the salad is loaded with nutrient-rich "super foods" ideal for muscle-building and fat-burning diets.
1.) Open your can of garbanzo beans, drain and rise, then add to a large mixing bowl or a large salad bowl.
2.) Next open and drain your tuna and add to the bowl. Add 4 cups of fresh, chopped spinach.
3.) Chop your tomato and onion into small cubes and add to the mix. Crush and chop 2 garlic cloves and add to bowl (alternately, you could use 1 tbsp of jarred chopped garlic).
4.) Add 2 tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (mint is optional). The salad dressing consists of 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 4 tbsp of red wine vinegar (you can add more of the vinegars as per your taste).
5.) Finish by adding a dash of black pepper and salt to taste. Mix the salad very thoroughly and serve, or place in refrigerator until chilled and then serve.
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
4 cups fresh spinach
2 6-oz cans water packed light tuna, drained
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tomato med, chopped (approx 6 oz)
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
dash black pepper
dash salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
Yield: makes 3 servings
Calories: 396
Protein: 35.7 g
Carbs: 38.6 g.
Fat: 13.2 g.
Enjoy the weekend. Rest and be your absolute best!
"I want to lose weight" is a poorly-formed goal.
"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.
And do you really want to be a "fat loser?"
Wouldn't you rather be a "fat burner"... a lean, fat burning machine!
FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.
If your body were 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?
I bet you wouldn't! And if that's true, then...
STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!
By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health. It can assist you with your fitness plan. You can get an accurate picture of what's really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.
You don't have to "throw away your scale" like many experts suggest. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror -- whichever are useful for you, the more feedback the better - but body fat is where it's at.
Garbanzo Bean Tuna Salad
If you've never tried a garbanzo bean salad, then you don't know what you're missing. Also known as "chickpeas", garbanzo beans are heart-healthy legumes that pack a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. The rest of the salad is loaded with nutrient-rich "super foods" ideal for muscle-building and fat-burning diets.
1.) Open your can of garbanzo beans, drain and rise, then add to a large mixing bowl or a large salad bowl.
2.) Next open and drain your tuna and add to the bowl. Add 4 cups of fresh, chopped spinach.
3.) Chop your tomato and onion into small cubes and add to the mix. Crush and chop 2 garlic cloves and add to bowl (alternately, you could use 1 tbsp of jarred chopped garlic).
4.) Add 2 tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (mint is optional). The salad dressing consists of 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 4 tbsp of red wine vinegar (you can add more of the vinegars as per your taste).
5.) Finish by adding a dash of black pepper and salt to taste. Mix the salad very thoroughly and serve, or place in refrigerator until chilled and then serve.
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
4 cups fresh spinach
2 6-oz cans water packed light tuna, drained
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tomato med, chopped (approx 6 oz)
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
dash black pepper
dash salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
Yield: makes 3 servings
Calories: 396
Protein: 35.7 g
Carbs: 38.6 g.
Fat: 13.2 g.
Enjoy the weekend. Rest and be your absolute best!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A landmark week for transforming our health care system
Dr Hyman, Dr Oz, Dr Weil and others are going to the senate to propose functional medicine to them as a health care solution. This can be a step in the right direction.
I especially like the line that says:
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO. Read Dr Hyman’s article below.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is a landmark week for transforming our health care system.
The Senate is having hearings on transforming health care and integrative and Functional medicine and the National Academy of Sciences is hosting an Institute of Medicine Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public http://www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine.
I am also honored to let you know that on Thursday, February 26th between 10 am and 12 pm, I will be testifying on how Functional medicine can help solve our health care crisis before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at the invitation of Senators Kennedy, Harkin and Mikulski.
You can view this testimony, along with that of Drs. Oz, Ornish and Weil online at:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html
I am not clear on whether the hearing will be streamed live or available for viewing afterward, so please check back for the recorded version if it's not streamed live.
Here is some of what I will be sharing with them.
The current medical and scientific paradigm of acute care medicine has been unable to effectively address the epidemic of chronic disease and its associated costs.
There is a new paradigm which addresses the fundamental underlying causes of chronic disease, and can form the basis for a more effective model of medical education, practice, and research that over time will generate dramatic cost savings and improved health outcomes.
There are specific initiatives and strategies based on this new paradigm that can help quickly transform our sick care system into a health care system.
Even if we get everything else right in health care reform, it won't matter unless we address the underlying causes of illness that drive both costs and the development of chronic disease. This innovative approach to chronic disease cannot only prevent but also more effectively TREAT chronic disease.
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO.
We must improve not only financing and delivery of health care, but also our fundamental scientific approach to chronic disease-an epidemic that now affects 133 million Americans and accounts for 78% of health care costs.
This way of doing medicine, or Functional medicine, is a system of personalized, patient centered care based on how our environment and lifestyle choices act on our genes to create imbalances in our core biologic systems. Those imbalances show up as the signs and symptoms we call disease.
It is best solution for our health care crisis. The solution is not our current acute care model, which though extremely effective for acute disease, leads to worse outcomes and higher costs when applied to chronic disease because it doesn't address WHY people are sick.
This new paradigm is personalized, preventive, participatory, predictive, prospective, and patient centered.
It is proactive rather than reactive.
It is based on addressing the causes of disease and optimizing biologic function in the body's core physiologic systems, not only treating the symptoms.
It based on systems biology or medicine.
That model exists today, and is called Functional Medicine.
****Key Avenues for Change: Recommendations ****
Re-tooling medical education and research to match the science of systems medicine. I recommend the establishment of a sustainably funded Institute for Lifestyle and Systems Medicine/Functional Medicine.
Creation of Functional medicine demonstration projects in federally funded community health centers, with integrated health care teams focusing on treating chronic disease and providing education about lifestyle and wellness
The establishment of a White House and/or Congressional Office for Health and Wellness to coordinate all efforts in this area.
Thanks for all your support and encouragement in this critical time.
If you want to help, please contact your congressman, Senators and the White House to advocate for this type of change and share your stories of how this has impacted you.
We all can change our health care system together!
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
I especially like the line that says:
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO. Read Dr Hyman’s article below.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is a landmark week for transforming our health care system.
The Senate is having hearings on transforming health care and integrative and Functional medicine and the National Academy of Sciences is hosting an Institute of Medicine Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public http://www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine.
I am also honored to let you know that on Thursday, February 26th between 10 am and 12 pm, I will be testifying on how Functional medicine can help solve our health care crisis before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at the invitation of Senators Kennedy, Harkin and Mikulski.
You can view this testimony, along with that of Drs. Oz, Ornish and Weil online at:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html
I am not clear on whether the hearing will be streamed live or available for viewing afterward, so please check back for the recorded version if it's not streamed live.
Here is some of what I will be sharing with them.
The current medical and scientific paradigm of acute care medicine has been unable to effectively address the epidemic of chronic disease and its associated costs.
There is a new paradigm which addresses the fundamental underlying causes of chronic disease, and can form the basis for a more effective model of medical education, practice, and research that over time will generate dramatic cost savings and improved health outcomes.
There are specific initiatives and strategies based on this new paradigm that can help quickly transform our sick care system into a health care system.
Even if we get everything else right in health care reform, it won't matter unless we address the underlying causes of illness that drive both costs and the development of chronic disease. This innovative approach to chronic disease cannot only prevent but also more effectively TREAT chronic disease.
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO.
We must improve not only financing and delivery of health care, but also our fundamental scientific approach to chronic disease-an epidemic that now affects 133 million Americans and accounts for 78% of health care costs.
This way of doing medicine, or Functional medicine, is a system of personalized, patient centered care based on how our environment and lifestyle choices act on our genes to create imbalances in our core biologic systems. Those imbalances show up as the signs and symptoms we call disease.
It is best solution for our health care crisis. The solution is not our current acute care model, which though extremely effective for acute disease, leads to worse outcomes and higher costs when applied to chronic disease because it doesn't address WHY people are sick.
This new paradigm is personalized, preventive, participatory, predictive, prospective, and patient centered.
It is proactive rather than reactive.
It is based on addressing the causes of disease and optimizing biologic function in the body's core physiologic systems, not only treating the symptoms.
It based on systems biology or medicine.
That model exists today, and is called Functional Medicine.
****Key Avenues for Change: Recommendations ****
Re-tooling medical education and research to match the science of systems medicine. I recommend the establishment of a sustainably funded Institute for Lifestyle and Systems Medicine/Functional Medicine.
Creation of Functional medicine demonstration projects in federally funded community health centers, with integrated health care teams focusing on treating chronic disease and providing education about lifestyle and wellness
The establishment of a White House and/or Congressional Office for Health and Wellness to coordinate all efforts in this area.
Thanks for all your support and encouragement in this critical time.
If you want to help, please contact your congressman, Senators and the White House to advocate for this type of change and share your stories of how this has impacted you.
We all can change our health care system together!
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Organics... regarding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens
I love to see everyone waking up each moment and seizing the day.
Tomorrow I said we would focus on back, shoulders, biceps, core and cardio. As always we plan to be outside. With the wind blowing into the building this morning and b/c we were not doing much movement, the majority choose inside. The rest of the week looks good for weather.
Today’s Re-Powering information: Gale sent me this information about Risky Foods regarding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens. I cover some of this in the Grocery Shopping Tour which is coming up Thursday Feb 25th. The boot camp site is down at the moment, but you can register later. I think you may be surprised at some of these findings. There are also additional links to foods containing mercury, articles on buying organic, etc.
Not Just HFCS and Peanut Butter: 10 Other Risky Foods
Is buying organic the answer to avoiding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens?
By Maura Judkis, U.S. News & World Report
More on this in Health & Fitness
* Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
* How Much Meat Should a Climate Change-Wary Flexitarian Eat?
* 4 Easy Ways to Be a Freegan
As if we don't have enough to be worried about already. In the midst of food safety scares from salmonella in peanut butter and mercury in high fructose corn syrup, Sprig.com has produced a list of 10 other foods that can be dangerous. Their risks range from hormones to pesticides to carcinogenic substances. How to avoid many of these risks? Buy organic.
Farmed salmon. It's high in polychlorinated biphenyls, with 11 times more dioxins than wild salmon.
Conventionally grown bell peppers. They require more pesticides than any other vegetable—with as many as 64 being found on a single sample of pepper in one study.
Non-organic strawberries. Some growers of strawberries irrigate their plants with Nutri-Sweet-laced water. The sugar substitute is a probable carcinogen.
Chilean sea bass. The fish is high in mercury, and if eaten consistently over time, can elevate the body's mercury levels to dangerous amounts.
Non-organic peaches. Pesticides easily penetrate their soft skins and permeate the fruit.
Genetically modified corn. We still don't know the long-term effects of genetically modified corn, but it's been tied to an increase in allergies for humans.
Bluefin tuna. Not only is it high in mercury, but overfishing may drive the species to extinction and affect the sea's ecosystem.
Industrially farmed chicken. Arsenic has been found in conventional chickens, as has antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Non-organic apples. When grown in humid Mid-Atlantic states, the crop uses more pesticides than California, Oregon and Washington states.
Cattle treated with rBGH. Recombinant bovine growth hormone has been traced to breast cancer and hormonal disorders.
Read more on MSN Health & Fitness:
* Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?
* Organics for the 21st Century
* Tracking Down a Salmonella Outbreak
* Seventh Salmonella Death Linked to Peanut Products
* Organics: Are They Worth It?
Tomorrow I said we would focus on back, shoulders, biceps, core and cardio. As always we plan to be outside. With the wind blowing into the building this morning and b/c we were not doing much movement, the majority choose inside. The rest of the week looks good for weather.
Today’s Re-Powering information: Gale sent me this information about Risky Foods regarding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens. I cover some of this in the Grocery Shopping Tour which is coming up Thursday Feb 25th. The boot camp site is down at the moment, but you can register later. I think you may be surprised at some of these findings. There are also additional links to foods containing mercury, articles on buying organic, etc.
Not Just HFCS and Peanut Butter: 10 Other Risky Foods
Is buying organic the answer to avoiding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens?
By Maura Judkis, U.S. News & World Report
More on this in Health & Fitness
* Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
* How Much Meat Should a Climate Change-Wary Flexitarian Eat?
* 4 Easy Ways to Be a Freegan
As if we don't have enough to be worried about already. In the midst of food safety scares from salmonella in peanut butter and mercury in high fructose corn syrup, Sprig.com has produced a list of 10 other foods that can be dangerous. Their risks range from hormones to pesticides to carcinogenic substances. How to avoid many of these risks? Buy organic.
Farmed salmon. It's high in polychlorinated biphenyls, with 11 times more dioxins than wild salmon.
Conventionally grown bell peppers. They require more pesticides than any other vegetable—with as many as 64 being found on a single sample of pepper in one study.
Non-organic strawberries. Some growers of strawberries irrigate their plants with Nutri-Sweet-laced water. The sugar substitute is a probable carcinogen.
Chilean sea bass. The fish is high in mercury, and if eaten consistently over time, can elevate the body's mercury levels to dangerous amounts.
Non-organic peaches. Pesticides easily penetrate their soft skins and permeate the fruit.
Genetically modified corn. We still don't know the long-term effects of genetically modified corn, but it's been tied to an increase in allergies for humans.
Bluefin tuna. Not only is it high in mercury, but overfishing may drive the species to extinction and affect the sea's ecosystem.
Industrially farmed chicken. Arsenic has been found in conventional chickens, as has antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Non-organic apples. When grown in humid Mid-Atlantic states, the crop uses more pesticides than California, Oregon and Washington states.
Cattle treated with rBGH. Recombinant bovine growth hormone has been traced to breast cancer and hormonal disorders.
Read more on MSN Health & Fitness:
* Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?
* Organics for the 21st Century
* Tracking Down a Salmonella Outbreak
* Seventh Salmonella Death Linked to Peanut Products
* Organics: Are They Worth It?
The Adventure Project, Foods that are Harmful
People are facing tough times from economic adversity, to career disappointment and illness.
Fear and worry take an immense toll on our well being physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. He or she who has a healthy balance has everything. We were not made to worry we are meant to take risks!
Adventure is the spark that starts everything. It’s the fire, the awareness, the awakening of the unconscious. You can’t have an unconscious, unintentional adventure. Think about the greatest time in your life. You were likely fully engaged in a multisensory way without worry, feeling fully alive. Fear is a handicap.
We can change your thinking to empower you to have faith in yourself. Risk helps you grow. Be willing to try, to lose and learn from it. Be in the present and experience adventure. Adventure is not about thrill seeking, but about soul searching.
Today you can look at popular movies like Yes Man or some of the words in the titles of President Obama’s books such as :”Dream”, “Change”, “Hope”. Everyone can have a life like of abundance, prosperity, peace, joy and blessings. We are committed to helping you find the balance.
Tammy and I believe miracles will happen from the Adventure Project. The Time is Now for you to take the leading role in your life!
> Seize the day!
End.
I love to see everyone waking up each moment and seizing the day.
Tomorrow I said we would focus on back, shoulders, biceps, core and cardio. As always we plan to be outside. With the wind blowing into the building this morning and b/c we were not doing much movement, the majority choose inside. The rest of the week looks good for weather.
Today’s Re-Powering information: Gale sent me this information about Risky Foods regarding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens. I cover some of this in the Grocery Shopping Tour which is coming up Thursday Feb 25th. The boot camp site is down at the moment, but you can register later. I think you may be surprised at some of these findings. There are also additional links to foods containing mercury, articles on buying organic, etc.
Not Just HFCS and Peanut Butter: 10 Other Risky Foods
Is buying organic the answer to avoiding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens?
By Maura Judkis, U.S. News & World Report
More on this in Health & Fitness
• Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
• How Much Meat Should a Climate Change-Wary Flexitarian Eat?
• 4 Easy Ways to Be a Freegan
As if we don't have enough to be worried about already. In the midst of food safety scares from salmonella in peanut butter and mercury in high fructose corn syrup, Sprig.com has produced a list of 10 other foods that can be dangerous. Their risks range from hormones to pesticides to carcinogenic substances. How to avoid many of these risks? Buy organic.
Farmed salmon. It's high in polychlorinated biphenyls, with 11 times more dioxins than wild salmon.
Conventionally grown bell peppers. They require more pesticides than any other vegetable—with as many as 64 being found on a single sample of pepper in one study.
Non-organic strawberries. Some growers of strawberries irrigate their plants with Nutri-Sweet-laced water. The sugar substitute is a probable carcinogen.
Chilean sea bass. The fish is high in mercury, and if eaten consistently over time, can elevate the body's mercury levels to dangerous amounts.
Non-organic peaches. Pesticides easily penetrate their soft skins and permeate the fruit.
Genetically modified corn. We still don't know the long-term effects of genetically modified corn, but it's been tied to an increase in allergies for humans.
Bluefin tuna. Not only is it high in mercury, but overfishing may drive the species to extinction and affect the sea's ecosystem.
Industrially farmed chicken. Arsenic has been found in conventional chickens, as has antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Non-organic apples. When grown in humid Mid-Atlantic states, the crop uses more pesticides than California, Oregon and Washington states.
Cattle treated with rBGH. Recombinant bovine growth hormone has been traced to breast cancer and hormonal disorders.
Read more on MSN Health & Fitness:
• Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?
• Organics for the 21st Century
• Tracking Down a Salmonella Outbreak
• Seventh Salmonella Death Linked to Peanut Products
• Organics: Are They Worth It?
End
Make the best choices possible today!
Fear and worry take an immense toll on our well being physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. He or she who has a healthy balance has everything. We were not made to worry we are meant to take risks!
Adventure is the spark that starts everything. It’s the fire, the awareness, the awakening of the unconscious. You can’t have an unconscious, unintentional adventure. Think about the greatest time in your life. You were likely fully engaged in a multisensory way without worry, feeling fully alive. Fear is a handicap.
We can change your thinking to empower you to have faith in yourself. Risk helps you grow. Be willing to try, to lose and learn from it. Be in the present and experience adventure. Adventure is not about thrill seeking, but about soul searching.
Today you can look at popular movies like Yes Man or some of the words in the titles of President Obama’s books such as :”Dream”, “Change”, “Hope”. Everyone can have a life like of abundance, prosperity, peace, joy and blessings. We are committed to helping you find the balance.
Tammy and I believe miracles will happen from the Adventure Project. The Time is Now for you to take the leading role in your life!
> Seize the day!
End.
I love to see everyone waking up each moment and seizing the day.
Tomorrow I said we would focus on back, shoulders, biceps, core and cardio. As always we plan to be outside. With the wind blowing into the building this morning and b/c we were not doing much movement, the majority choose inside. The rest of the week looks good for weather.
Today’s Re-Powering information: Gale sent me this information about Risky Foods regarding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens. I cover some of this in the Grocery Shopping Tour which is coming up Thursday Feb 25th. The boot camp site is down at the moment, but you can register later. I think you may be surprised at some of these findings. There are also additional links to foods containing mercury, articles on buying organic, etc.
Not Just HFCS and Peanut Butter: 10 Other Risky Foods
Is buying organic the answer to avoiding hormones, pesticides and carcinogens?
By Maura Judkis, U.S. News & World Report
More on this in Health & Fitness
• Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
• How Much Meat Should a Climate Change-Wary Flexitarian Eat?
• 4 Easy Ways to Be a Freegan
As if we don't have enough to be worried about already. In the midst of food safety scares from salmonella in peanut butter and mercury in high fructose corn syrup, Sprig.com has produced a list of 10 other foods that can be dangerous. Their risks range from hormones to pesticides to carcinogenic substances. How to avoid many of these risks? Buy organic.
Farmed salmon. It's high in polychlorinated biphenyls, with 11 times more dioxins than wild salmon.
Conventionally grown bell peppers. They require more pesticides than any other vegetable—with as many as 64 being found on a single sample of pepper in one study.
Non-organic strawberries. Some growers of strawberries irrigate their plants with Nutri-Sweet-laced water. The sugar substitute is a probable carcinogen.
Chilean sea bass. The fish is high in mercury, and if eaten consistently over time, can elevate the body's mercury levels to dangerous amounts.
Non-organic peaches. Pesticides easily penetrate their soft skins and permeate the fruit.
Genetically modified corn. We still don't know the long-term effects of genetically modified corn, but it's been tied to an increase in allergies for humans.
Bluefin tuna. Not only is it high in mercury, but overfishing may drive the species to extinction and affect the sea's ecosystem.
Industrially farmed chicken. Arsenic has been found in conventional chickens, as has antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Non-organic apples. When grown in humid Mid-Atlantic states, the crop uses more pesticides than California, Oregon and Washington states.
Cattle treated with rBGH. Recombinant bovine growth hormone has been traced to breast cancer and hormonal disorders.
Read more on MSN Health & Fitness:
• Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?
• Organics for the 21st Century
• Tracking Down a Salmonella Outbreak
• Seventh Salmonella Death Linked to Peanut Products
• Organics: Are They Worth It?
End
Make the best choices possible today!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Organic Labels are Not Always Honest
Today’s Re-Powering information. – Organic is one of the hot crazes now and everyone is jumping on the band wagon. Walmart and Target are now the largest distributors of organic foods. Does that make you question the quality of organics? It should! Do you know the difference between organic, certified organic, USDA organic, Made with Organic Ingredients? Those are all things I cover in the grocery shopping tour, but in case you can’t make it, here’s the scoop and I also included some of Dr. Mercola’s comments on the Organic Labeling Laws. You will get an education that includes organic labeling that you are starting to see on restaurant menu’s. Be an informed consumer!
Organic Labels are Not Always Honest
Dishes advertised as local and organic at restaurants are not infrequently frauds. They may not be all-natural, as your menu promised, and may come from a huge national vendor like Sysco rather than a family-owned farm.
As the Slow Food movement gains popularity across America, terms like "sustainable" and "artisan" are showing up on more menus. But there are no actual "truth-in-menu" laws, and even the word organic is used loosely. There's a vast difference between the term "organic," which may mean food raised without pesticides or antibiotics, and the more intensive "certified organic," which is legally regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The phrase "all-natural," only means "minimally processed" with no artificial ingredients or colors.
A restaurant can call its ingredients organic whether they're factory-farmed Chilean products grabbed from the shelves of Wal-Mart or hand delivered by a small farm after being picked that morning.
Ultimately, diners need to be aware, self-educate, and ask questions. Diners also should pay attention to their taste buds. Organic generally tastes better -- produce is more earthy and pungent, and tomatoes have higher sugar and acidity.
Sources:
• AZCentral.com August 13, 2008
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Organic food has become Big Business. According to the Organic Consumer"s Association, organic food sales hit $18 billion last year. Though still only about 2.5 percent of the U.S. agricultural market, demand for organic has grown 20 percent annually in recent years.
The end result of the rising popularity of organic -- and lately, local -- food has led not only America’s largest corporations to join in, but restaurants have had to change up their menus as well, to satisfy their customers.
I am not a fan of regularly eating out because of the major unknowns at most restaurants, and this article confirms my suspicions. However, there are times when eating out is either necessary, or meant as a special treat.
But how can you be sure you’re getting the quality you’re expecting?
Truth-In-Menu Laws: If You Say It, Serve It
Although the author of this AZCentral article claims that there are no Truth-In-Menu laws, this is not entirely correct. In fact, there is a so-called “Truth-in-Menu law,” which is meant for, and used by, restaurateurs to ensure that the information provided about menu items is accurate, and conforms to the federal regulations set forth by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). However, it seems to do little to ensure compliance when it comes to stating the truth and nothing but the truth about what’s really on your plate.
In an article written by Stephen Bart -- attorney and associate professor of law and leadership at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of Houston -- hospitality managers have the right to advertise their food and beverage products in a way that casts them in their best light, but may not misrepresent their wares.
These “accuracy in menu” laws are relatively straightforward, and their chief aim is to ensure honesty in menu claims, both in regard to the price charged and the food that is served.
Part of this includes being careful when describing food attributes, including the preparation style, ingredients, origin, portion sizes, and health benefits. However, it’s a complex area, and becoming increasingly so due to greater demands from customers to know more about their food, especially as it relates to the origin of the food being served.
The word organic is used as loosely on restaurant menus as it is on other labels. And, the phrase “all-natural” means next to nothing, although the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines the term as “minimally processed with no artificial ingredients or colors.”
As Mr. Bart points out, a good motto to help restaurants stay out of trouble would be: If you say it, serve it!
But as you all know, money usually speaks louder than integrity, no matter what business you look at, and restaurants are just as likely to “embellish” the truth about the food they serve as any major food corporation is.
If You Want Organic, There’s Only One Label That Can Assure It
There is only one organic label out there that means anything as far as organic food is concerned: the USDA Certified Organic label.
The USDA Organic seal is your BEST and only assurance of organic food quality.
As a side note, it"s also the international gold standard for personal care products that contain organic agricultural ingredients, because the ingredients in USDA certified beauty products are certified organic for food, adhering to much stricter standards as they are intended specifically for human consumption. This is why I"m very pleased to share that my new certified organic skincare and cosmetics line will be one of only five companies in the U.S. to achieve USDA Organic certification.
Farmers and growers of organic produce bearing the USDA seal have to meet the strictest standards of any organic label.
The USDA"s National Organic Program (NOP) took effect October 21, 2002, and regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced.
The labeling requirements of the NOP apply to raw, fresh products and processed products that contain organic agricultural ingredients.
In order to qualify as organic, a product must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity. Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.
Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Products labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced materials
• Products labeled simply "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, whereas
• the label "made with organic ingredients" can contain anywhere between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients
Organic products cannot be irradiated, are not allowed to contain preservatives or flavor enhancing chemicals, nor can they contain traces of heavy metals or other contaminants in excess of tolerances set by the FDA. The pesticide residue level cannot be higher than 5 percent of the maximum EPA pesticide tolerance.
For the complete National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances under the USDA organic label, see this link.
So remember, if you see anything that says it’s “organic,” it must specify “USDA Certified Organic” to be meaningful.
Is Your Restaurant Being Honest? Common Sense Guidelines for Siphoning Out the Truth
Ultimately, if you eat out you need to be aware of these issues, educate yourself, and as always, ask questions!
If you see heirloom tomatoes in January, or fresh citrus on the menu in August, it’s simply not reasonable to believe it’s a local product as it’s the wrong season for these products to grow. And, if they’re not locally-grown organics, where did they come from, and just how organic are the overseas variety?
As P.F. Chang"s research and development chef Robin Stotter said, it’s also wise to use your taste buds. The majority of people agree that organic tastes better. If you’ve ever compared a conventionally-grown tomato with an organic vine-ripened one, you’ll just KNOW the difference. The organic tomato actually has FLAVOR, whereas most conventionally-grown tomatoes just taste wet at best.
The Organic Trade Association also has a few recommendations to offer restaurant goers looking for an authentic organic experience.
By asking the few simple questions listed below, you are in a much better position to determine whether the food you are being served is indeed organic:
1. Which items, specifically, on the menu are organic?
2. Who supplies this restaurant with these organic items?
3. Is this a certified organic restaurant, or does it simply serve organic items on the menu?
Based on the answers to these questions you can choose with greater confidence, knowing that products are traceable from the farm to the consumer, so outright lying would not be in the restaurant’s best interest. And, you know that if the restaurant claims to use certified organic products, they must carry the USDA seal. If the produce is USDA Certified Organic, then you have the added assurance that there is an actual process in place for verifying that the produce was produced using organic practices.
Aside from that, I recommend switching over to home-cooked meals for the majority of your lunches and dinners. Not only will it save you lots of money, you will also know exactly what"s in the dish you"re eating, which is key when you"re trying to lose weight and maintain good health.
Related Articles:
Even Five-Star Restaurants Can't Be Trusted for Healthy Food
Fast Food Goes Organic
16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
Organic Labels are Not Always Honest
Dishes advertised as local and organic at restaurants are not infrequently frauds. They may not be all-natural, as your menu promised, and may come from a huge national vendor like Sysco rather than a family-owned farm.
As the Slow Food movement gains popularity across America, terms like "sustainable" and "artisan" are showing up on more menus. But there are no actual "truth-in-menu" laws, and even the word organic is used loosely. There's a vast difference between the term "organic," which may mean food raised without pesticides or antibiotics, and the more intensive "certified organic," which is legally regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The phrase "all-natural," only means "minimally processed" with no artificial ingredients or colors.
A restaurant can call its ingredients organic whether they're factory-farmed Chilean products grabbed from the shelves of Wal-Mart or hand delivered by a small farm after being picked that morning.
Ultimately, diners need to be aware, self-educate, and ask questions. Diners also should pay attention to their taste buds. Organic generally tastes better -- produce is more earthy and pungent, and tomatoes have higher sugar and acidity.
Sources:
• AZCentral.com August 13, 2008
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Organic food has become Big Business. According to the Organic Consumer"s Association, organic food sales hit $18 billion last year. Though still only about 2.5 percent of the U.S. agricultural market, demand for organic has grown 20 percent annually in recent years.
The end result of the rising popularity of organic -- and lately, local -- food has led not only America’s largest corporations to join in, but restaurants have had to change up their menus as well, to satisfy their customers.
I am not a fan of regularly eating out because of the major unknowns at most restaurants, and this article confirms my suspicions. However, there are times when eating out is either necessary, or meant as a special treat.
But how can you be sure you’re getting the quality you’re expecting?
Truth-In-Menu Laws: If You Say It, Serve It
Although the author of this AZCentral article claims that there are no Truth-In-Menu laws, this is not entirely correct. In fact, there is a so-called “Truth-in-Menu law,” which is meant for, and used by, restaurateurs to ensure that the information provided about menu items is accurate, and conforms to the federal regulations set forth by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). However, it seems to do little to ensure compliance when it comes to stating the truth and nothing but the truth about what’s really on your plate.
In an article written by Stephen Bart -- attorney and associate professor of law and leadership at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of Houston -- hospitality managers have the right to advertise their food and beverage products in a way that casts them in their best light, but may not misrepresent their wares.
These “accuracy in menu” laws are relatively straightforward, and their chief aim is to ensure honesty in menu claims, both in regard to the price charged and the food that is served.
Part of this includes being careful when describing food attributes, including the preparation style, ingredients, origin, portion sizes, and health benefits. However, it’s a complex area, and becoming increasingly so due to greater demands from customers to know more about their food, especially as it relates to the origin of the food being served.
The word organic is used as loosely on restaurant menus as it is on other labels. And, the phrase “all-natural” means next to nothing, although the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines the term as “minimally processed with no artificial ingredients or colors.”
As Mr. Bart points out, a good motto to help restaurants stay out of trouble would be: If you say it, serve it!
But as you all know, money usually speaks louder than integrity, no matter what business you look at, and restaurants are just as likely to “embellish” the truth about the food they serve as any major food corporation is.
If You Want Organic, There’s Only One Label That Can Assure It
There is only one organic label out there that means anything as far as organic food is concerned: the USDA Certified Organic label.
The USDA Organic seal is your BEST and only assurance of organic food quality.
As a side note, it"s also the international gold standard for personal care products that contain organic agricultural ingredients, because the ingredients in USDA certified beauty products are certified organic for food, adhering to much stricter standards as they are intended specifically for human consumption. This is why I"m very pleased to share that my new certified organic skincare and cosmetics line will be one of only five companies in the U.S. to achieve USDA Organic certification.
Farmers and growers of organic produce bearing the USDA seal have to meet the strictest standards of any organic label.
The USDA"s National Organic Program (NOP) took effect October 21, 2002, and regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced.
The labeling requirements of the NOP apply to raw, fresh products and processed products that contain organic agricultural ingredients.
In order to qualify as organic, a product must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity. Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.
Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Products labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced materials
• Products labeled simply "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, whereas
• the label "made with organic ingredients" can contain anywhere between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients
Organic products cannot be irradiated, are not allowed to contain preservatives or flavor enhancing chemicals, nor can they contain traces of heavy metals or other contaminants in excess of tolerances set by the FDA. The pesticide residue level cannot be higher than 5 percent of the maximum EPA pesticide tolerance.
For the complete National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances under the USDA organic label, see this link.
So remember, if you see anything that says it’s “organic,” it must specify “USDA Certified Organic” to be meaningful.
Is Your Restaurant Being Honest? Common Sense Guidelines for Siphoning Out the Truth
Ultimately, if you eat out you need to be aware of these issues, educate yourself, and as always, ask questions!
If you see heirloom tomatoes in January, or fresh citrus on the menu in August, it’s simply not reasonable to believe it’s a local product as it’s the wrong season for these products to grow. And, if they’re not locally-grown organics, where did they come from, and just how organic are the overseas variety?
As P.F. Chang"s research and development chef Robin Stotter said, it’s also wise to use your taste buds. The majority of people agree that organic tastes better. If you’ve ever compared a conventionally-grown tomato with an organic vine-ripened one, you’ll just KNOW the difference. The organic tomato actually has FLAVOR, whereas most conventionally-grown tomatoes just taste wet at best.
The Organic Trade Association also has a few recommendations to offer restaurant goers looking for an authentic organic experience.
By asking the few simple questions listed below, you are in a much better position to determine whether the food you are being served is indeed organic:
1. Which items, specifically, on the menu are organic?
2. Who supplies this restaurant with these organic items?
3. Is this a certified organic restaurant, or does it simply serve organic items on the menu?
Based on the answers to these questions you can choose with greater confidence, knowing that products are traceable from the farm to the consumer, so outright lying would not be in the restaurant’s best interest. And, you know that if the restaurant claims to use certified organic products, they must carry the USDA seal. If the produce is USDA Certified Organic, then you have the added assurance that there is an actual process in place for verifying that the produce was produced using organic practices.
Aside from that, I recommend switching over to home-cooked meals for the majority of your lunches and dinners. Not only will it save you lots of money, you will also know exactly what"s in the dish you"re eating, which is key when you"re trying to lose weight and maintain good health.
Related Articles:
Even Five-Star Restaurants Can't Be Trusted for Healthy Food
Fast Food Goes Organic
16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Organic Shopping for Less:
Below are some comments from Dr.Mercola on shopping for organic foods. Keep in mind that he's a little extreme for some, but he has some great and entertaining points.
I always like to remind people that paying a little more now to provide your family with high-quality food will help save you big-time later on in the form of unnecessary medical bills.
Quite simply, the better the food is that you put into your body, the healthier you will be.
Still, with food and gas prices rising the way they are, many people are having trouble affording food at all, let alone organic varieties. From 2005 to 2007, prices for healthy food jumped nearly 20 percent, compared to a 5 percent increase in the overall food price inflation.
But eating right doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive, if you know how to buy your food wisely.
How to Get the Most Bang for Your Organic Food Buck
If you need to pick and choose what you can and can’t buy organic, the tip above -- to buy organic in the things you eat most -- is a good tip, but I’ve got one that’s even better.
The most important foods to buy organic are animal, not vegetable, products. This is because animal foods tend to concentrate pesticides more -- non-organic meats have up to five times more pesticides than non-organic vegetables.
Non-organic butter, meanwhile, can have up to 20 times as many pesticides as non-organic vegetables.
So when prioritizing your purchases, look for organic meats, eggs and dairy products before anything else.
There is one exception to this rule, and this is organic milk, as it is nowhere nearly as concentrated. Additionally, the pasteurization causes far more problems than the pesticides for most people.
If you can afford to buy even more organic items, choose produce that tends to have the most pesticides. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the top 10 fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide load are:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Pears
So if you love any of the produce on this list, it would be money well spent to buy them organic. EWG actually has a great wallet guide you can download of the produce with the most and least pesticides to help you out when you’re at the store.
How to Save Even More Money … and Still Eat Healthy
The following 14 tips are the best of the best to get high-quality food on a budget:
1. Choose local foods over organic foods. Often, locally grown foods are raised according to organic standards at a more affordable price.
2. If all that’s available or affordable is fresh, conventionally grown produce, buy it, wash it well at home, and eat it.
3. Look for local farms and food coops offering raw dairy products, eggs, produce, and grass-fed meat. This will allow you to cut out the middleman and save money. Buying in large quantities, such as a side of grass-fed beef, can also save you money in the long run as long as you have room to freeze it (and you consume it before it goes bad).
4. Skip prepared or pre-cut foods, which can cost up to double the amount as the unprepared versions.
5. Plan your meals ahead of time (including cooking large batches and freezing some for later) so you don’t splurge on expensive, unhealthy fast-food at the last minute.
6. Pass on junk foods like potato chips, soda, cookies, candy, and other snacks. These are a complete waste of money, even if they’re “organic.”
7. Buy lots of fresh veggies, they’re usually less expensive than canned versions (just make sure you use them before they go bad).
8. Only buy what you need. Keep track of what’s in your pantry so you don’t double-up on foods unnecessarily.
9. Clip coupons and use them when you can (but don’t buy something unhealthy just because it’s on sale).
10. Watch the register when you check out of the grocery store. They often ring up wrong prices, at your expense.
11. Shop with a calculator so you can determine if it’s really a better deal to buy something in bulk or in a larger size.
12. Watch weekly specials, and be aware of what’s really a good price. You can often find organic produce on sale for less than conventional produce if you know what prices to watch for.
13. If you have the space, grow your own fresh veggies such as greens, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, etc.
14. Remember this rule of thumb: Fresh food is always better than frozen, but frozen is better than canned.
End.
You know my position is to buy organics when possible. That does not mean organic donuts and poptarts, but the freshest foods whenever available.
Have a wholesome day,
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
I always like to remind people that paying a little more now to provide your family with high-quality food will help save you big-time later on in the form of unnecessary medical bills.
Quite simply, the better the food is that you put into your body, the healthier you will be.
Still, with food and gas prices rising the way they are, many people are having trouble affording food at all, let alone organic varieties. From 2005 to 2007, prices for healthy food jumped nearly 20 percent, compared to a 5 percent increase in the overall food price inflation.
But eating right doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive, if you know how to buy your food wisely.
How to Get the Most Bang for Your Organic Food Buck
If you need to pick and choose what you can and can’t buy organic, the tip above -- to buy organic in the things you eat most -- is a good tip, but I’ve got one that’s even better.
The most important foods to buy organic are animal, not vegetable, products. This is because animal foods tend to concentrate pesticides more -- non-organic meats have up to five times more pesticides than non-organic vegetables.
Non-organic butter, meanwhile, can have up to 20 times as many pesticides as non-organic vegetables.
So when prioritizing your purchases, look for organic meats, eggs and dairy products before anything else.
There is one exception to this rule, and this is organic milk, as it is nowhere nearly as concentrated. Additionally, the pasteurization causes far more problems than the pesticides for most people.
If you can afford to buy even more organic items, choose produce that tends to have the most pesticides. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the top 10 fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide load are:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Pears
So if you love any of the produce on this list, it would be money well spent to buy them organic. EWG actually has a great wallet guide you can download of the produce with the most and least pesticides to help you out when you’re at the store.
How to Save Even More Money … and Still Eat Healthy
The following 14 tips are the best of the best to get high-quality food on a budget:
1. Choose local foods over organic foods. Often, locally grown foods are raised according to organic standards at a more affordable price.
2. If all that’s available or affordable is fresh, conventionally grown produce, buy it, wash it well at home, and eat it.
3. Look for local farms and food coops offering raw dairy products, eggs, produce, and grass-fed meat. This will allow you to cut out the middleman and save money. Buying in large quantities, such as a side of grass-fed beef, can also save you money in the long run as long as you have room to freeze it (and you consume it before it goes bad).
4. Skip prepared or pre-cut foods, which can cost up to double the amount as the unprepared versions.
5. Plan your meals ahead of time (including cooking large batches and freezing some for later) so you don’t splurge on expensive, unhealthy fast-food at the last minute.
6. Pass on junk foods like potato chips, soda, cookies, candy, and other snacks. These are a complete waste of money, even if they’re “organic.”
7. Buy lots of fresh veggies, they’re usually less expensive than canned versions (just make sure you use them before they go bad).
8. Only buy what you need. Keep track of what’s in your pantry so you don’t double-up on foods unnecessarily.
9. Clip coupons and use them when you can (but don’t buy something unhealthy just because it’s on sale).
10. Watch the register when you check out of the grocery store. They often ring up wrong prices, at your expense.
11. Shop with a calculator so you can determine if it’s really a better deal to buy something in bulk or in a larger size.
12. Watch weekly specials, and be aware of what’s really a good price. You can often find organic produce on sale for less than conventional produce if you know what prices to watch for.
13. If you have the space, grow your own fresh veggies such as greens, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, etc.
14. Remember this rule of thumb: Fresh food is always better than frozen, but frozen is better than canned.
End.
You know my position is to buy organics when possible. That does not mean organic donuts and poptarts, but the freshest foods whenever available.
Have a wholesome day,
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
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