Tag: υγεία

organic food

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its newest Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides on Monday, which is Earth Day. And apples top its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues for the third year in a row. 
More on Shine: Another Reason to Eat Organic

Other changes from the 2012 findings: cherry tomatoes and hot peppers are newcomers this year. Blueberries and lettuce, meanwhile, dropped off the Dirty Dozen list. The environmental watchdog group uses data compiled by the USDA, based on pre-washed samples of 48 types of conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables, to produce its findings.
More on Yahoo!: Colle Farmers Market Reacts to Organic Farming Boom in Russia

“I think most Americans would be very surprised about how prevalent pesticide residue is,” EWG senior analyst Sonya Lunder told Yahoo! Shine, noting that pesticides were still seen on 67 percent of the samples, which were all either washed or peeled before being tested.

Among the top three worst offenders—apples, strawberries and grapes—nearly every sample had pesticides on it, Lunder said, with one grape alone showing traces of 15 pesticides.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Services acknowledges that scientists do not have a full understanding of the health risks associated with exposure to pesticide residues through food, soil, water, or air. Still, notes EWG, various U.S. and international government agencies have linked pesticides to a slew of health risks, including cancer, hormone disruption, brain and nervous system toxicity and irritation to the skin, eyes and lungs.

Dirty Dozen 2013:

Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Hot peppers

Additionally, the EWG added a “plus” category for the second year, noting two items—domestically-grown summer squash, plus kale and collards—that, though they didn’t meet Dirty Dozen standards, were commonly contaminated with exceptionally toxic pesticides. These organophosphates, dangerous to the nervous system, were phased out of agricultural use in the 1970s and ’80s, but still linger on many farm fields.

Still, there’s also good news, as the guide includes the “Clean Fifteen”—fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides, offering hopeful solutions for anyone not in the position to find or pay for more expensive organics. Many of these safest options have naturally protective coatings, such as corn, which tops that list once again this year, and papaya, which is a newcomer. Watermelon, sadly, dropped off the clean list from 2012.

“The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure,” notes the EWG report, stressing that “eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.”

Clean Fifteen 2013:

Corn
Onions
Pineapple
Avocados
Cabbage
Sweet peas (frozen, since they’re more readily available)
Papayas
Mangoes
Asparagus
Eggplant
Kiwi
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Sweet potatoes
Mushrooms

The consumer list, Lunder said, “shows the real difference you can make in your purchasing habits, even if you’re only buying conventional.”
Related:
The Bottom Line: Is Organic Food Really Any Healthier?
6 Tips for Finding Cheap Organic Food
Is Organic Food Healthier? New Study Fuels the Debate

Raw foodism (or rawism) is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet.
Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).[1]

Early proponents include St. Louis Estes, Edmund Bordeaux Szekely, Johnny Lovewisdom, Ann Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas (co-founders of the Hippocrates Health Institute), Arnold Ehret (author and advocate of fasting), Aris Latham (of Sunfired Foods, Inc., known as the godfather of raw food), Arshavir Ter Hovannessian[41] and Norman W. Walker (who advocated the consumption of vegetable juices).
Notable contemporary proponents include several chefs, published authors and lecturers, such as Dr. Douglas Graham, Rene Oswald, Matthew Kenney, Tonya Zavasta, Alissa Cohen, Aris Latham, Aajonus Vonderplanitz, and Elijah Joy, as well as representatives from rawfood producing companies, such as Natural Balance Food‘s founder, Jamie Combs.
Celebrity proponents include Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Ben Vereen and Carol Alt. Woody Harrelson has published books on raw food, starred in a raw food film, created a raw food website[42] and also opened O2, a raw food restaurant and bar. Model and actress Carol Alt includes raw animal products in her diet; she has written several books on her version of the raw diet and lifestyle.
Interest in the “Raw Foods Movement” continues to grow today[43] and is especially prevalent in Australia and the western United States,[44] like California.[45] In Europe, it has remained a novelty, although a few restaurants have opened in the UK,[10] Germany,[46] and other large cities.[47] Numerous all-raw cookbooks have been published.[48]
Supercharge Me! 30 Days Raw is a feature-length documentary film about the raw foods diet, made by Jenna Norwood, a former public relations consultant turned independent filmmaker, health educator and raw food chef.[49] In the film, inspired by Morgan Spurlock‘s Super Size Me, Jenna ate only raw foods for thirty days, to document the effect it would have on her health.

Richard Wrangham, a primate researcher and professor of anthropology, has suggested that eating cooked food is more “natural” for the human digestive system, because he thinks that the human digestive system may have evolved to deal with cooked foods.[130][131] Wrangham thinks that cooking explains the increase in hominid brain sizes, smaller digestive tract, smaller teeth and jaws and decrease in sexual dimorphism that occurred roughly 1.8 million years ago.[130][131] Most other anthropologists oppose Wrangham,[132] stating that archeological evidence suggests that cooking fires began in earnest only c.250,000 years ago, when ancient hearths, earth ovens, burnt animal bones, and flint appear across Europe and the Middle East. Two million years ago, the only sign of fire is burnt earth with human remains, which most other anthropologists consider to be mere coincidence rather than evidence of intentional fire.[133] The mainstream view among anthropologists is that the increases in human brain-size occurred well before the advent of cooking, due to a shift away from the consumption of nuts and berries to the consumption of meat.[134][135]

Basa/Pangas

El panga (Basa), es un nuevo pescado asiático que encontramos en las cadenas de supermercados, sobre todo en forma de filetes, a precio muy barato. El panga es un pescado de piscicultura intensiva / industrial en Vietnam , más exactamente en el delta del río Mekong y está invadiendo el mercado debido a su precio.

PARECE UN FILETE HERMOSO, GORDITO Y MUY ECONOMICO.

Esto es lo que hay que saber sobre el panga:

El río Mekong es uno de los ríos con mayor contaminación del planeta. Los pangas están infectados con elevados niveles de venenos y bacterias (arsénico de los residuos industriales, tóxicos y peligrosos subproductos, del creciente sector industrial), metales contaminantes, fenoles policlorados (PCB) o DDT y sus (DDTs), clorato, compuestos relacionados (CHLs), hexaclorociloxano, isómeros (HCHs) y hexaclorobenceno (HCB). No hay nada natural en los pangas.

Son alimentados con peces muertos, restos de huesos y con una harina de América del sur, la mandioca y residuos de soya y grano.

Obviamente, este tipo de alimentación no saludable no tiene nada que ver con la alimentación en un ambiente natural.

Es lo más parecido a la alimentación de las vacas locas (vacas, que fueron alimentadas con residuos de vacas, ¿se acuerdan?).

La alimentación de los pangas está completamente fuera de toda reglamentación Sanitaria. El panga crece 4 veces más rápido que en la naturaleza en su estado natural. Además los pangas son inyectados con (PEE), algunos científicos descubrieron que si se inyectase a las hembras panga con las hormonas femeninas derivados del deshidratado de orina de mujeres embarazadas, la hembra panga produciría sus huevas muy rápidamente y en gran cantidad, lo que no ocurriría en ambiente natural (una panga pasa así a producir 500.000 huevas de una vez). Básicamente son peces con hormonas inyectables, (producidas por una empresa farmacéutica china) para acelerar el proceso de crecimiento y reproducción. Al comprar pangas, estamos colaborando con empresas gigantes sin escrúpulos y especuladoras, que no se preocupan de la salud y el bienestar de los seres humanos. Este comercio está siendo aceptado por grandes cadenas comerciales que venden al público en general, sabiendo que están vendiendo productos contaminados. Nota: Debido a la prodigiosa cantidad de pangas disponibles, éstos acabarán en otros alimentos: surimi(aquellas barritas con pasta de pescado), pescado en lata y probablemente en algunos alimentos para animales (perros y gatos).

Panga is the common South African name for Pterogymnus laniarius, a small, ocean-dwelling fish, native to the southeast Atlantic Ocean and southwest Indian Ocean. Alternatively called “torpedo scads“, they are cold-blooded with white flesh. Their scales are generally pink in color with whitish underbelly and blue-green stripes running laterally along their sides.
Over the course of its life, a panga will undergo periodic sex-changes with as much as 30% of the population being hermaphroditic at a time. Despite the presence of both sex organs, it is thought unlikely that both are simultaneously active. Panga are slow to reach sexual maturity, with a minimum population doubling time of 4.5–14 years.
In other countries, the name panga may refer to a different species. In Indonesia, it refers to Megalaspis cordyla, in Spain, the Netherlands and Poland it refers to Pangasius hypophthalmus, and in Kenya it refers to Trichiurus lepturus.

Many are snatching up the fish at supermarkets as they are very cheap. The
fish looks good but read the article and you will be shocked. This product is
from Vietnam.

Do you eat this frozen fish called BASA? ( Pangasius, Vietnamese River Cobbler,
White Catfish, Gray Sole )

Industrially farmed in Vietnam along the Mekong River, BASA or Pangas or
whatever they’re calling it, has only been recently introduced to the French
market. However, in a very short amount of time, it has grown in popularity
in France. They are very, very affordable (cheap), are sold in filets with no
bones and they have a neutral flavor and texture; many would compare it to
cod and sole, only much cheaper. But as tasty as some people may find it,
there’s, in fact, something hugely unsavory about it. I hope the information
provided here will serve as very important information for you and your future
choices. Here’s why it is better left in the shops and not on your dinner
plates:

1. BASAS or Pangas are teeming with high levels of poisons and bacteria.
(industrial effluents, arsenic, and toxic and hazardous by-products of the
growing industrial sector, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its
metabolites (DDTs), metal contaminants, chlordane-related compounds
(CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene
(HCB) ).

The reason is that the Mekong River is one of the most polluted rivers on the
planet and this is where basa/pangas are farmed and industries along the
river dump chemicals and industrial waste directly into it. Avoid eating them
because they contain high amounts of contamination. Regardless of Reports
and recommendations against selling them, supermarkets still sell them,
knowing full well that they are contaminated.

2. They freeze Basa/Pangas in contaminated river water.

3. BASA/Pangas are raised in Vietnam .. Pangas are fed food that comes
from Peru ( more on that below ), their hormones ( which are injected into
the female Pangas ) come from China . ( More about that below ) and finally,
they are transported from Vietnam to other countries

4. There’s nothing natural about Basa/Pangas – They’re fed dead fish
remnants and bones, dried and ground into a flour (from South America),
manioc ( cassava ) and residue from soy and grains. This kind of nourishment
doesn’t even remotely resemble what they eat in nature. But what it does
resemble is the method of feeding mad cows ( cows were fed cows,
remember? ). What they feed basa/pangas is completely unregulated so
there are most likely other dangerous substances and hormones thrown into
the mix. The basa/pangas grow 4 times faster than in nature, so it makes
you wonder what exactly is in their food? Your guess is as good as mine.

5. Basa/Pangas are injected with Hormones Derived from Urine. They inject
female Basa/Pangas with hormones made from the dehydrated urine of
pregnant women, the female Pangas grow much quicker and produce eggs
faster ( one Basa/Panga can lay approximately 500,000 eggs at one time ).
Essentially, they’re injecting fish with hormones ( they come all of the way
from a pharmaceutical company in China ) to speed up the process of growth
and reproduction. That isn’t good. And also consider the rest of the reasons
to NOT eat BASA.

6. You get what you pay for – and then some. Don’t be lured in by insanely
cheap price of Basa/Pangas. Is it worth risking your health and the health of
your family?

7. Buying Basa/Pangas supports unscrupulous, greedy corporations and food
conglomerates that don’t care about the health and well-being of human
beings. They are only concerned about selling as many basa/pangas as
possible to unsuspecting consumers. These corporations only care about
making more money at whatever cost to the public..

8. Basa/Pangas WILL make you sick – If you don’t get ill with vomiting,
diarrhea and effects from severe food poisoning, congratulations, you have
an iron stomach! But you’re still ingesting POISON not “Poisson”.

Final important note: Because of the prodigious amount of availability of
Basa/Pangas, be warned that they will certainly find their way into other
foods like imitation crab sticks, fish sticks, fish terrines, and probably in some
pet food too. Just check the Ingredient List to see if Basa is one of the
ingredients. Good Luck.

You have been warned !!!

Why are we allowing this product to be imported? 

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

Published on Mar 5, 2013
SIGN THIS PETITION NOW: http://change.org/kraftyellow Hi – This is Lisa Leake from http://100daysofrealfood.com and Vani Hari from http://foodbabe.com

We recently discovered that several American food products contain harmful additives that are not used — and in some cases banned — in other countries. One of those products is an iconic staple that almost every American, us included, has had at one time or another: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US contains the artificial food dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These dyes are not in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in other countries, including the UK, because they are considered harmful overseas and were removed due to consumer outcry. It’s time we demand the same here in the US!

We are petitioning Kraft to remove all artificial food dyes from their line of macaroni and cheese products.

Kraft, which is an American company by the way, has already removed this unnecessary – yet potentially harmful – additive from their products overseas but still serves it up to their fellow Americans. Here are the reasons we are asking Kraft to remove Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from their entire line of Macaroni and Cheese:

Artificial food dyes…

– Are man-made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum (a crude oil product, which also happens to be used in gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar).

– Require a warning label in other countries outside the US.

– Have been banned in countries like Norway and Austria (and are being phased out in the UK).

– Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 specifically are contaminated with known carcinogens (a.k.a. an agent directly involved in causing cancer).

– Cause an increase in hyperactivity in children.

– Have a negative impact on children’s ability to learn.

– Have been linked to long-term health problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and migraines.

– Add absolutely no value to the foods we are eating and are used solely for aesthetic purposes.

– To prove this last point we personally tested both the US and UK versions of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and found little difference in color and virtually no difference in taste (see for yourself in the video below).

So please…

1. Go to our petition page and sign your name – http://change.org/kraftyellow

2. Share our petition with your family and friends

We both grew up eating this product – Lisa used to feed it to her kids years ago – and it’s available at almost every grocery store across the country. Our kids deserve the same as our friends overseas!

Kraft Foods is the largest food company headquartered in the United States. If Kraft changes their Macaroni and Cheese, we know this could inspire other food companies across the US to finally eliminate dangerous artificial food dyes once and for all.

Join us and demand this change by signing this petition now.

Thank you for all your support – together we can make a difference.

http://change.org/kraftyellow

The potential health effects of artificial colors such as cochineal, a food dye derived from crushed insects.

The effects of artificial colors on impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity among young children.

soda pop

Very possibly, you’re regularly drinking something that has some similarities to methamphetamine and crack cocaine, not to mention Drano and battery acid. The culprit? That would be soda. A new report out from the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) found that overindulging in a different kind of coke habit (as in Coke) could horribly damage your teeth and gums—to the extent that your mouth would look a lot like a meth addict’s.
The AGD’s report was a case study comparing dental damage to three people: The first was a meth user; the second had previously used cocaine for a long time; and the third drank a boatload of diet soda—to the tune of two liters of the soda every day for three to five years. All three said they had poor oral hygiene and didn’t see a dentist regularly. Each substance—whether an illegal drug or soda—contained acid that caused dramatic erosion of each person’s teeth.
Though the report was just a case study of three people, Jeffrey M. Cole, D.D.S., president of the AGD, told TakePart that this finding indicates that “the effects of diet soda can be as harmful to the teeth as illegal drug use, such as methamphetamines and crack cocaine.” Specifically, the citric acid in soda is to blame, says Dr. Cole. “The pH of most soda is in the same vicinity as vinegar.” And sugary sodas are a double whammy to your mouth: “The bacteria in plaque metabolize sugars into acid, so technically those sodas with sugar, once metabolized by the bacterial plaque, would add to the acid environment,” he adds. So while soda with sugar is a bit worse, “they are both bad,” he says, for the health of your teeth and gums.

In a press release about the case study, lead study author Mohamed A. Bassiouny, D.M.D., Ph.D., noted that in all three cases “each person experienced severe tooth erosion caused by the high acid levels present in their ‘drug’ of choice—meth, crack, or soda.” The case study was published in the journal General Dentistry.

If you have to have your soda fix, there’s a better way to do it, says Dr. Cole. “It is best to drink the diet soda in its entirety to reduce the acid attack and then to rinse the mouth with water,” he explains. “What is bad is to sip the soda all day long, which keeps the acid attack constant. It is also best to drink the diet soda with meals, as the chewing action increases saliva flow. Saliva helps to normalize the acid levels in the mouth.”

It’s especially bad to sip soda all day long, which keeps the acid attack on teeth constant.
You can also chew sugarless gum, recommends AGD spokesperson Eugene Antenucci, D.D.S. (The AGD also runs the KnowYourTeeth website, which has information on how to take care of your teeth and gums. ) “The best advice is to visit the dentist twice a year” even if you don’t have insurance, says Dr. Cole. “Dental disease is highly preventable, and in this case prevention is truly the best medicine,” he says, adding that dentists are seeing what he calls an “alarming increase in periodontal (gum) disease in young adults.” Smoking and poor oral hygiene make even young adults prone to dental problems.
If you don’t have dental insurance, you’re not alone. The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is helping to bring dental benefits to children, but not to all adults. The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that nearly 18 million adults will get some dental coverage through healthcare reform, but the ADA estimates that this will amount to more or better coverage for only about five percent more adults.  Only about 51 percent of adults ages 19 to 34 had private dental benefits in 2010—a drop from over 57 percent in 2000.

healthy, wholesome, unprocessed foods

What is an anti-inflammation diet?

The anti-inflammation diet is comprised of healthy, wholesome, unprocessed foods.

Anti-inflammatory fats are a cornerstone of this diet. Lamphere recommends foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as wild salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, flaxseed, hempseed and walnuts. In addition, other anti-inflammatory fats include extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil and walnut oil.

Fruits and vegetables are high in inflammation-reducing antioxidants. “Fruits and vegetables high antioxidants are important, especially onions, garlic, peppers and dark leafy greens,” says Lamphere. She adds, “These are high in inflammation-fighting carotenoids, vitamin K and vitamin E.”

Herbs and spices include compounds to fight inflammation. Lamphere explains, “Turmeric, oregano, rosemary, ginger and green tea contain bioflavonoids and polyphenols that reduce inflammation and limit free radical production.”

She adds, “Some of the most potent anti-inflammatory vegetables are peppers and the spices derived from them, such as cayenne pepper. All chili peppers include capsaicin (the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it has), which is a potent inhibitor of substance P, a neuropeptide associated with inflammatory processes.”

Include healthy proteins that are anti-inflammatory. “There is a difference in the saturated fat and omega-3 fat content in grain-fed versus grass-fed beef, with the latter being a more healthful choice for an anti-inflammation diet.” She adds, “In addition, organic pasteurized eggs have a better anti-inflammatory fatty acid profile than factory-farmed eggs.” Choose your proteins wisely and aim to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.

What foods are pro-inflammatory?

The standard American diet is a culprit in inflammatory conditions.

Unhealthy fats promote inflammation.”Most people eating a Western diet high in processed food or fast food consume a lot of omega-6 fats – and not enough of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats – and it is this imbalance between the two that promotes inflammation [in the body].”

Omega-6 fats are found in corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut and soybean oils. “[These fats] are inflammatory because they are metabolized into hormone-like compounds that actually promote inflammation,” says Lamphere.

Have you ever wondered why trans fat is unhealthy? Lamphere explains, “Another fat that is highly inflammatory in trans fat. This fat is found in processed or fast foods, especially those that are fried.” She warns, “It is best to avoid trans fat entirely.”

Refined carbohydrates are pro-inflammatory. Refined flour, sugar and foods high on the glycemic index exacerbate inflammatory conditions. Lamphere warns, “These foods elevate insulin and glucose levels, which raise levels of pro-inflammatory messengers.”

Food allergies or sensitivities can play a role in inflammation. “Many people are intolerant to the proteins in wheat and dairy, and this can initiate an inflammatory cascade that starts in the gut but can have far-reaching [systemic] effects,” says Lamphere.

Tips to start an anti-inflammatory diet

Lamphere recommends the anti-inflammatory diet for people with inflammatory conditions as well as healthy people who are looking for a healthy diet. Here are her tips to incorporate the anti-inflammatory diet into your healthy lifestyle.

  • Reduce your unhealthy fat intake

Eliminate the oils high in omega-6 (see above) as well as margarine, deep-fried foods and any foods that contain trans fat. Reduce your intake of foods high in saturated fat.

  • Increase your intake of monounsaturated oils

Include more extra-virgin olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, fish oil, walnut and walnut oil, flax and flaxseed oil, and hempseed and hempseed oil.

  • Cut the unhealthy carbs

Eliminate refined flours, sugars and other foods that are high on the glycemic index.

  • Include plenty of fruits and vegetables

The produce with high antioxidant content is best. Blueberries, strawberries, and dark leafy greens are excellent choices for an anti-inflammatory diet.

  • Eat more anti-inflammatory herbs and spices

Kick up your dishes with ginger, turmeric, cayenne, garlic and onions.

  • Eliminate foods that cause sensitivities

Avoid foods that you are intolerant of or that result in sensitivities and allergies. If you are not sure which foods are causing you problems, Lamphere recommends trying an elimination diet.

  • Reduce your stress

Though this is not food-related, per se, reducing your stress can promote anti-inflammation. There is also a good chance that once you start eating anti-inflammatory foods, you will feel better and be able to deal more effectively with daily stressors, too.

What you eat can affect how you feel, especially if you suffer from inflammatory illnesses. Give the anti-inflammatory diet a try – you have nothing to lose and only health and healing to gain.

For more information on the anti-inflammatory diet, contact Karen Lamphere at www.WholeFoodsNutrition.com.

Fruit Diet

In this interview, Dr. Gabriel Cousens discusses his personal and clinical experience on a 100% fruit diet based on his 40 years working as an MD and 28+ years as plant based only.

Doctor Sir Gabriel Cousens M.D., M.D.(H), D.D. (Doctor of Divinity), Diplomate of American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, Diplomate Ayurveda, visionary mystic, physician of the soul, and founder and director of The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center and Tree of Life Foundation, is a leading author, world renowned spiritual teacher, expert in raw and living foods nutrition, and researcher on the healing of diabetes naturally, depression, manic depression, and some forms of psychosis (see mental wellness program).

Music courtesy of Beth Martens www.bethmartens.com

For more info please visit http://www.thecoolvegetarian.com