Our Tainted Meat Supply

I want to share with you this important article about our meat supply published by the Environmental Working Group.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, they are the leading environmental health research and watchdog organization.   Their mission is to “see that Americans get straight facts, unfiltered and unspun, so they can make healthier choices and enjoy a cleaner environment.”  They offer extensive consumer guides to safe cosmetics, healthy cleaning products, pesticides in produce and safe sunscreens, to name a few.

Below is a portion of their report.

Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets

For the PDF version of this report, click here.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now common in the meat aisles of American supermarkets. These so-called superbugs can trigger foodborne illness and infections that are hard to treat.

An analysis by the Environmental Working Group has determined that government tests of raw supermarket meat published last February 5 detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria in:

These little-noticed tests, the most recent in a series conducted by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, a joint project of the federal Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that supermarket meat samples collected in 2011 harbored significant amounts of the superbug versions of salmonella and Campylobacter, which together cause 3.6 million cases of food poisoning a year.

Moreover, the researchers found that some 53 percent of raw chicken samples collected in 2011 were tainted with an antibiotic-resistant form of Escherichia coli, or E. coli, a microbe that normally inhabits feces. Certain strains of E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. The extent of antibiotic-resistant E. coli on chicken is alarming because bacteria readily share antibiotic-resistance genes.

Not surprisingly, superbugs spawned by antibiotic misuse — and now pervasive in the meat Americans buy — have become a direct source of foodborne illness. Even more ominously, antibiotic misuse threatens to make important antibiotics ineffective in treating human disease. In the past, people who became ill because of contact with harmful microbes on raw meat usually recovered quickly when treated with antibiotics. But today, the chances are increasing that a person can suffer serious illness, complications or death because of a bacterial infection that doctors must struggle to control.

The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses special dangers to young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

This is scary stuff!  I’m not suggesting you have to become vegetarian to avoid these foodborne illnesses – after all vegetables can be contaminated too, especially when coming from long distances. (It is a good idea to go meatless a couple of days a week at least!)  Instead, be a smart meat consumer and opt for organic or grass-fed, grass- finished meats.  They are usually raised without unnecessary antibiotics and in a more humane and sanitary environment.  Ask your butcher or supermarket how the meat was raised and buy local meat when you can.  And always make sure you meat is cooked thoroughly.

Information compiled from ewg.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate with a “Green” Thanksgiving!

As we give thanks this Thanksgiving, why not make it a “green” one?  Try the ideas below.

Image by Ilrena Flickr.com

• For your holiday dinner, support local farmers who grow organic produce. The average food travels 1500 miles from farm to plate, consuming large quantities of fossil fuels and generating major CO2 emissions. Local food by contrast is usually transported 100 – 200 miles, has fewer pesticides and can be picked when ripe.  It is obviously fresher and better.  Farm stands and supermarkets have an abundance of local winter squash, carrots, potatoes, greens, herbs, apples, and pumpkin. Don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bags.

• Try a locally grown, free range organic turkey available at local farms and Whole Foods.  Fresh turkeys are unbelievably moist and delicious and not treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.  You won’t believe the difference.  For the vegetarians at your table, try a Tofurkey (available from Trader Joe’s).  It come with its own vegetarian gravy and is really good!  If possible, use organic cranberries for your cranberry sauce – cranberries are a heavily sprayed crop.

• Add freshly baked local artisan bread and rolls.

• Consider serving organic wine along with your meal. Organic wine is made from certified organically grown grapes, meaning grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Conventionally grown grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops, and the chemical residues can end up in the wine.  Organically grown grapes are better for the soil, the plant and the wine drinker.

• China, silver and cloth napkins are obviously better for the environment than paper plates and plastic utensils.  They look better too!  If you are expecting a big crowd and need to opt for disposable, get the biodegradable and compostable plates and utensils.

• After the big feast, don’t forget to recycle cans, cartons, plastics and bottles and compost leftover kitchen waste.

With your healthy and “green” holiday feast, you won’t feel so badly about overindulging!  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Don’t Throw Away Your Coffee Grounds!

Coffee grounds, fine, wet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before you pour your coffee grounds down the disposal, read this blog and find out what you can do instead with this versatile, nutrient-rich leftover.

1. Neutralize odors in your refrigerator or freezer with dried grounds.
2. Repel insects by mounding the grounds into a protective ring around plants that will ward off ants, snails and slugs.
3. When you clean your fireplace, sprinkle damp grounds on the ashes to cut down on airborne dust.
4. Scrub hands with grounds to act as an exfoliant and eliminate food smells like fish and garlic.  Grounds are also a good cellulite reducer (see recipe below).
5. A few teaspoons placed on a thin rag can be used to clean grease and grime from dishware.
6. Steep grounds in hot water to make a natural dye for Easter eggs or fabric.
7. For a non-toxic cockroach trap, fill a can with an inch or so of wet grounds and line the neck with extra-sticky double-sided tape.  The scent draws the roaches into the trap.
8. Add some grounds to your potting soil to give plants and seedlings a nitrogen boost.  They may repel root maggots too!
9. Coffee grounds dabbed on scratches in dark wood furniture will minimize them.  Use a cotton swab to apply and add a bit of liquid; try a test area first.
10.  Coffee grounds are a nutritious addition to your compost pile!

Companies are doing interesting things with recycled coffee grounds.  Moving Comfort, an athletic gear company, uses recycled coffee grounds in a fabric called S. Cafe to absorb odors. My husband’s company, Boston Tree Preservation, has an arrangement with Boston Bean Coffee Company to recycle their spent coffee pods. The pods are fed to the worms in the worm farm;  the worm castings are then used to make a rich, nutritious compost tea which is sprayed on customers’ trees as an organic fertilizer, natural fungicide and pest deterrent.

Recipe for Coffee Ground Exfoliant

 (from livestrong.com)

 Since coffee grounds are course, they are a natural exfoliant.  They also contain caffeic acid, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects on the skin and stimulates collagen production.

Mix 1 cup warm coffee grounds with 1/2-cup sugar, then add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Rub the mixture all over your skin, especially rough areas such as elbows and feet. If you do this in the shower, put a mesh sink strainer in the drain. Otherwise, the coffee grounds could clog the drain.  You can also just use the coffee grounds to exfoliate.

Information compiled from thisoldhouse.com March 2012 and curbly.com.

GMO Foods

 ”If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”                                                   Michael Pollan

The health risks posed by GMO (genetically modified organisms) are real and dangerous.

I urge you to read more about GMO foods to understand why they are so dangerous.  Go to nongmoshopping guide for a comprehensive explanation of GMOs, as well as tips on how to avoid GMO foods when shopping or dining out.   In general, it’s safest to buy organic and certified organic foods which are less likely to contain GMOs.   Avoid at-risk ingredients like soybeans, canola, cottonseed, corn and sugar from sugar beets found in processed foods.  Always read food labels.

Download the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide app available at the app store for smartphones and Ipads to help you with your safer food choices.

To read a more detailed post on GMO foods, click here.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD LABELS

If you follow a whole foods diet and eat nothing from a box, bag or can, then you don’t need to worry about reading labels. Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma and Food Rules, simplifies the confusion about what is good for you and what isn’t with these seven words – “Eat Food. Not too much.  Mostly Plants.” (He calls processed foods “edible food like substances”.)  Realistically however, even the healthiest of eaters sometimes eats something with a label on it.  And understanding what it says is important.

Image by Betsy Wild

The fewer the ingredients listed on the label the better.  The most prominent ingredient is listed first and the least listed last. Most of the ingredients should sound like food, like organic whole wheat flour or organic short grain brown rice, instead of a name you can’t pronounce. The names of chemical additives and preservatives are long and difficult to say.   Sometimes a safe sounding name is used instead of the chemical name.  For example yeast extract is often used to hide MSG or monosodium glutamate, a flavoring for heavily processed foods to which many people have a reaction. What is worse is that there is no requirement to include the names of chemical contaminants, heavy metals, bisphenol-A, PCBs, or other toxic substances found in the food.  It’s also best to avoid foods with a lot of high fructose sugars (sugar has many names) and trans fats. Sugars and salt should be towards the end of the ingredient list.

Another concerning issue with food and food labeling is the use of genetically modified or engineered foods (GMO) – mostly soy and corn – that are in almost all processed foods.  GMO foods have insecticides built into their DNA, which supposedly are not digestible and will break down, but studies are showing otherwise. The dangers of GMO foods are numerous and there are many unknowns. Gary Hirschberg, former CEO of Stonyfield Farm yogurt has launched “Just Label It” in coalition with the Center for Food Safety, which has filed a petition with the FDA asking to require labeling of GMO foods.  Irridiated foods or those made from concentrate are labeled, so should GMO foods. More than 550,000 people have shown support of the petition.

When you next pick up a box of crackers or cookies, read the label and look for hidden unhealthy ingredients.  Notice whether it says “non-GMO”.  Is it really “All Natural”?  Be smart about the food you buy and demand proper labeling.  The health of our food system depends on it.

Information compiled from Food Rules, by Michael Pollan, http://www.naturalnews.com/, and Boston Uncommon article from the Boston Globe by Jenn Abelson, February 12, 2012.

 

A CUP OF CHICORY

Chicory is an interesting and highly nutritious vegetable.  A relative of endive, it has many culinary uses – as an addition to salads, served with dips, sautéed or blanched – but it is mainly known for its association with coffee. When the roots are dried, roasted and ground they make a delicious, coffee-like drink with a robust, roasted flavor.  Caffeine- free, it is often blended with coffee to cut down on the amount of caffeine. Because it is more water-soluble than coffee, you don’t need much, making it an inexpensive beverage.

Chicory was brought to North America from Europe in the 1700’s and often served as a coffee substitute when coffee was scarce or too expensive.  It was a favorite drink of the French in Louisiana during the Civil War and is still popular at New Orleans’ famed Café du Monde. Chicory was cultivated along the Nile for thousands of years; ancient Egyptians and Romans used it to help cleanse the blood.

Image via Wikipedia

Among its many health benefits, chicory is one of the richest sources of vitamin A, important for eye health, and contains Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. It is a natural laxative, is useful in treating liver disorders, helps lower cholesterol and is a natural sedative and anti-inflammatory for the nervous system.  Juiced with other vegetables, its nourishing properties are increased.

One of the keys to good health is variety.  No one fruit or vegetable does it all.  In fact health experts recommend the rainbow method, where the goal is to eat something of all colors most days.  So, as I sip my delicious cup of chicory, I know I am getting different nutritional benefits than from my usual cup of green tea.

Vary your morning routine and try a cup of chicory.  Drink it with milk, mix it with coffee or cocoa or try it plain, you’ll be surprised!  ♥

Information compiled from http://www.cafedumonde.com, http://www.coffeetea.about.com, www.theepicentre.com

 

“GREEN” WASHING YOUR DISHES!

Image from National Archief's Photostream Flickr.com

It took my husband and me a long time to work out the “greener” way to do the dishes (Old habits die hard.).  If you think about the number of dishes we do per day, week, month, year, you realize just how much water is consumed.  And most of us don’t do the dishes correctly.  Do you keep the water running as you rinse your dishes and load them into the dishwasher?  You’ll save a lot of money and conserve water simply by turning off the water as you load.   Do you rinse the dishes so thoroughly before putting them into the dishwasher that they are practically clean?  (That’s what my husband does.) The energy efficient dishwashers of today really don’t require much rinsing. They also use less water and energy.  You may want to consider upgrading if your dishwasher is over 10 years old.  Do you rinse dishes that really don’t need it?  Why rinse a water or juice glass – just put it in the dishwasher.  Do you reach for a new glass every time you get a drink?  Keep the same water glass or coffee mug throughout the day to cut back on the number of dishes you use.  The fewer dishes, the less there is to wash and the more water you save.  Do you run the dishwasher after every meal, even when it is not full? Master the art of loading the dishwasher efficiently and run it only when full.  Do you throw away the water you’ve cooked your vegetables in?  Why not recycle it and water your plants with it – they’ll thrive on the nutrition from the vegetables.

When hand washing your dishes, do it the old fashioned way.  If you have a double sink (if not, use a large pan), fill one with soapy water, one with clean.  Put the dirty dishes in the soapy side and then rinse in the other sink.  Many people hand wash each dish separately leaving the water running!

Lastly, always fix a leaky faucet.  Leaks waste more water than you think.

There are many common sense things you can do to conserve water and energy when washing the dishes.  Look at it as a game.  It will make you feel good, especially when you see your reduced water bill!

Some information compiled from http://www.howtodothings.com/how-to-wash-dishes-without-wasting-water.

 

 

AUTUMN AND THE HARVEST

Image by Tony Libby

Autumn’s crisp blue sky and the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges of the trees make it a special time of year.  Fall is also harvest time when the growing season ends and mature crops are gathered.  The cranberry harvests on Cape Cod are a sight to behold. CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and Farmer’s Markets are winding down and farmers put their fields to bed and get some much-needed rest from the busy season.

This year, think about eating locally as much as possible throughout the fall and winter.  Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the Farmer’s Markets, mostly root vegetables, apples and cranberries in New England,  and store them in your basement or cold storage area.

Canning and freezing are great ways to extend the life of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you have a garden, you probably already know how to make and can fresh tomato sauce, applesauce, jellies and jams with the abundance of summer fruits. Herbs freeze well too, so gather some before the first frost. “Fresh” herbs are a welcome surprise to winter dishes.

Eating locally all yearlong is getting easier with winter CSAs and winter Farmer’s Markets.  Many communities now offer them.

Eating organic food grown locally is important for many reasons – its fresher, more nutritious, supports local farmers and requires less oil because it is not transported far and grown organically.  As Barbara Kingsolver says in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, (a wonderful book about her family’s experience eating only seasonal and local food for one year – I highly recommend it.),  “If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. …  Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast.”

Celebrate autumn and the harvest this year and enjoy great food all year long.

GINGER, SO MUCH MORE THAN A SPICE!

Continuing my “So much more than” series, ginger is the wonder herb for this tip. Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for many ailments for centuries. Chinese sailors chewed gingerroot for seasickness, Roman doctors used it during military marches, Greek philosophers used it for digestive health, and King Henry VIII thought it would protect against the plague.

Its benefits are numerous and I encourage you to do more research or consult a naturopath if you see an ailment you have listed below.  Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and painkiller useful in preventing and treating migraines and menstrual cramps and can aid in arthritis relief.  It is good for digestion and effective in treating motion sickness, nausea and run-of-the-mill upset stomachs. I’ve chewed crystallized ginger for years to treat a mild stomachache and its results are almost immediate.  Ginger’s nearly dozen anti-viral compounds, along with its components that reduce pain and fever and suppress coughing, make it an important remedy for treating a cold.  Make a tasty cup of hot tea using fresh gingerroot to feel better.

Ginger is also loaded with anti-fungal compounds, ranking second among all herbs, and is useful in treating fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot. Ginger also helps with circulation and can help prevent heart disease and strokes as well as reduce blood pressure.  It can aid in preventing cataracts and a ginger compress can relieve toothaches.  Ginger is a strong antioxidant and several new studies have shown that it may help with preventing certain cancers.

Ginger comes in different forms – fresh, powdered, crystallized, and dried.  Fresh ginger is more active than dried and crystallized is next best. Some people think the varieties grown in Africa or India are more potent than the Jamaican variety, so ask your grocer where the ginger comes from. Ginger can be used as a tea, as a marinade for meats, and of course as a spice in baking. And dark chocolate covered ginger is a healthful and decadent treat!

Start incorporating this amazing and delicious spice into your diet and your medicine cabinet – you’ll be glad you did.

Information compiled from:   http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-ginger.html, http://www.boost-immune-system-naturally.com/health-benefits-of-ginger.html, The Green Pharmacy, by James A. Duke, PhD and The Doctor’s Book of Food Remedies, by Selene Yeager and the Editors of Prevention.

 

HONEY, SO MUCH MORE THAN A SWEETENER!

Honey is an excellent sugar substitute, but it is so much more!  Honey heals the body inside and  out.  Doctors have been using honey for centuries, but with the introduction of antibiotics, its usage has declined.

Image by Peter Wild

Honey is a natural antiseptic and promotes healing of minor cuts, scrapes and skin wounds.  Its natural sugar (fructose) absorbs the moisture in the wound and draws out the pus, making it hard for bacteria to grow.  As it dries it forms a natural bandage.  Propolis found in some honeys also kills bacteria.  I applied it to my kids’ scrapes and cuts and it not only healed the wounds, but seemed to eliminate scarring as well.

Honey’s antimicrobial benefits are effective for treating sore throats, colds and laryngitis.  Mix it with hot lemon juice and water to coat your throat and larynx.  Its antibacterial properties can help improve digestion, and its high content of natural fructose can relieve constipation and diarrhea.  Just don’t consume too much!

Studies have shown that manuka honey, a medical grade honey with the most active ingredients, kills the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers and is effective in treating acid reflux and heartburn.  Manuka honey comes from a flowering shrub in New Zealand and can be purchased online at http://www.manukahoneyusa.com.

Honey is also high in antioxidants, particularly dark honey from buckwheat, promoting anti-carcinogenic properties.  Due to its natural source of carbohydrates, honey is an energy boost and helps combat muscle fatigue when exercising.

If you have allergies, try eating local honey.  Bees gather the pollen from local plants and the honey produced can help prevent seasonal allergies.

Since honey is gentle on the stomach, some people use it to help cure a hangover.  The fructose speeds up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver.

Honey has the ability to attract water and is good for your skin, even sensitive skin. You can use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin and hair!  And don’t forget the age-old remedy of warm milk and honey before bed for relaxation.

This is a good time of year to buy local honey at Farmer’s Markets.  Shop for raw honey since high heat destroys some of the protective compounds.  The next time you need to treat a wound or a cold, use the honey in your kitchen.  A couple of teaspoons a day of this wonder food will help you maintain optimum good health and fight disease.

Note:  Honey should not be consumed by children under two years of age.

Information compiled from The Doctor’s Book of Food Remedies,  The Green Pharmacy by James A. Duke, Ph.D.   http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/health-benefits-of-honey.html, http://www.bees-online.com/HealthBenefitsOfHoney.htm