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Monsanto, facing criticism in the US and abroad.
If by chance you haven’t seen the documentary Food, Inc., do yourself a favor and rent it asap. It’s an eye-opening look at (among other food-related issues) the way Monsanto has its hands in almost all of the country’s soil and in the dealings of the United States government. In the film, family farmers detail the intimidation tactics Monsanto uses to try to drive them out of business, including suing poor farmers who can’t afford to face a megacorporation in court because a bit of Monsanto pollen is blown into their crop by the wind. (Monsanto denies the charge.) Continue reading »
How safe are your veggies?
Need more reasons to shell out the extra bucks for organic produce?
A trio of new studies appears to prove that eating organic really is the smart choice. Turns out, being exposed to pesticides in the womb can lower a child’s IQ.
The exposure doesn’t even have to be that high. These studies track normal levels of pesticides in women, and compared the development of their children as they grew up. Those with the highest pesticide exposure in utero scored lower on IQ tests, even after other factors like maternal education and home environment were taken into account.
Before the recession, Corbyn Hightower was making six figures at her high powered sales job. Then her position was eliminated, leading to a spiral that left her family of five living below the poverty level. They found a cheaper, less comfortable home. They sold their car, and became the only people in their suburban town to use bicycles as transportation instead of recreation. They went from eating “the world’s most rarified smoothie out of acai and goji berries, frozen wheatgrass juice, hemp seeds, a three-dollar organic peach, and raw cacao nibs” to food stamps and dumpster diving.
In this economy, way too many of us are living without a financial cushion. Which makes Hightower’s story incredibly chilling. What stands between here and there, and what would it take to wash it away? But there is inspiration here. In Corbyn Hightower’s self-assured voice, it’s possible to see how a family could survive, even thrive, under the kinds of circumstances we try to pretend could never happen to us—and maybe feel more confident that should we find ourselves in the same bad boat, we might be able to handle it, too.
“Peering through a bag of rejected broccoli from the garbage for signs of brown or yellow patches is something I couldn’t have imagined doing just a few short years ago…
UK study points in favor of organic. For now.
Organic milk can cost twice as much as conventional, sometimes even more. But a lot of parents think the extra expense is worth it — fewer harmful chemicals and a health-boosting bonus of good fatty acids. It’s like salmon in a glass!
But the research goes back and forth. No, there’s no difference. Yes, it’s better than nothing. Only during the summer. Well, if you can’t make every glass organic, you might as well not make any.
A new study out of the U.K. pulls the pendulum in favor of organic dairy whenever you can. Continue reading »
Is this the answer to the childhood obesity epidemic?
George Ball, chairman and CEO of the garden company Burpee, wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal the other day outlining why he believes the childhood obesity epidemic can be solved, in part, by introducing children to vegetable gardening. Ball cites research saying that kids who grow vegetables alongside their parents eat them regularly and with gusto. He’s calling on Americans to make 2011 “The Year of the Vegetable,” saying: “I am optimistic that 2011 will represent the beginning of a nutritional revolution in this country.”
Mr. Ball is in the business of selling seeds. Not that that makes the message he’s sending any less credible or important. But, I decided that I’d like to hear from a mom who’s started a veritable vegetable revolution of her own. Continue reading »
Dunkin Donuts nutrition doesn't compete with 'clean eating'.
My kids still think McDonald’s is a gas station, but they are totally on to doughnuts. Dunkin Donuts to be exact. While Dunkin Donuts is the nutritional equivalent of trash, it’s also delicious. Healthy snacks have a hard time competing. Who wants a carrot stick when there’s a box of Munchkins on the table?
In 2011, lots of us have resolved to turn over a new leaf with our family diets. No more suger. No more trans fats. No more preservatives and artificial flavorings. In short, no more Dunkin Donuts.
If we give up this delicious snack, though, what will we eat instead? Is it carrot sticks from here on out?
Double-check your cilantro.
Your pre-New Year’s pledge to stop eating garbage and cook with fresh ingredients should include a little caution when it comes to sprinkling parsley, cilantro and sprouts on your post-gluttony lunches. Cases of all three of these are a part of two different and unrelated recalls due to the presence of salmonella.
A Texas distributor of cilantro and parsley, J&D Produce, Inc., has issued a precautionary voluntary recall of 7,000 cases of its cilantro and curly parsley. The recalled products are sold under the Little Bear label and were packed between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. Continue reading »
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