Nature's Bounty

Food is all around us FREE! It's time to learn all you can about Nature's bounty in the surrounding areas of
where you live.

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Walnuts Are Drugs Says FDA

What’s next? As I peruse the news every morning on the web I find some interesting articles. This one shocked me. Here's an excerpt from New American News:

Seen any walnuts in your medicine cabinet lately? According to the Food and Drug Administration, that is precisely where you should find them. Because Diamond Foods made truthful claims about the health benefits of consuming walnuts that the FDA didn’t approve, it sent the company a letter declaring, “Your walnut products are drugs” — and “new drugs” at that — and, therefore, “they may not legally be marketed … in the United States without an approved new drug application.” The agency even threatened Diamond with “seizure” if it failed to comply.

Diamond’s transgression was to make “financial investments to educate the public and supply them with walnuts,” as William Faloon of Life Extension magazine put it. 


On its website and packaging, the company stated that the omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts have been shown to have certain health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. These claims, Faloon notes, are well supported by scientific research: “Life Extension has published 57 articles that describe the health benefits of walnuts”; and “The US National Library of Medicine database contains no fewer than 35 peer-reviewed published papers supporting a claim that ingesting walnuts improves vascular health and may reduce heart attack risk.”

This evidence was apparently not good enough for the FDA, which told Diamond that its walnuts were “misbranded” because the “product bears health claims that are not authorized by the FDA.”

The FDA’s letter continues: “We have determined that your walnut products are promoted for conditions that cause them to be drugs because these products are intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.” Furthermore, the products are also “misbranded” because they “are offered for conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners; therefore, adequate directions for use cannot be written so that a layperson can use these drugs safely for their intended purposes.” Who knew you had to have directions to eat walnuts?

“The FDA’s language,” Faloon writes, “resembles that of an out-of-control police state where tyranny [reigns] over rationality.” He adds:

This kind of bureaucratic tyranny sends a strong signal to the food industry not to innovate in a way that informs the public about foods that protect against disease. While consumers increasingly reach for healthier dietary choices, the federal government wants to deny food companies the ability to convey findings from scientific studies about their products.

Walnuts aren’t the only food whose health benefits the FDA has tried to suppress. Producers of pomegranate juice and green tea, among others, have felt the bureaucrats’ wrath whenever they have suggested that their products are good for people.

Read more here.

For centuries, the nutrient and health benefits of eating certain foods have been touted. People have learned through experience what foods can help certain health challenges and passed that information down through the ages. When I say "what's next," are oranges, lemons, and limes which have been known for eons as a prevention for scurvy (good grief, even Columbus knew that) be deemed a "drug"?

I know it sounds absurd, but is that what it's coming to? You have to stop and think about all this and wonder what other God-given foods, if the secret is out and the knowledge about their benefits that has been shared with the public, will be given the same “drug” label as walnuts are now so classified. Heaven forbid anyone makes any claim about any natural food from God's green earth or it could possibly go under the category of a "drug" in the future.

Ironically the article states that “Frito-Lay is permitted to make all kinds of claims about its fat-laden, fried products, including that Lay’s potato chips are ‘heart healthy.’” The article points out that lobbyists from big companies put in big dollars.

Could all this be the reason why experts believe that this generation will most likely be the first generation to see children dying before their parents because of diet especially when Lay’s potato chips are "heart healthy"?

Be forewarned of changes in the marketplace when a commercialized, processed food product is said to healthy and food found in nature be deemed potentially harmful.

Wishing a great day-Be happy,

Stephen

Our Food Choices: Are They really Yours to Make?

The subject of raw milk is a very controversial subject... However, we want to report on what is going on around the world regarding food and health, then you can decide for yourself:

“If we are not even free anymore to decide something as basic as what we wish to eat or drink, how much freedom do we really have left?” asked Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) in his May 16 Texas Straight Talk.

Paul was referring to the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the interstate sale of raw milk — milk that has not been pasteurized. The FDA believes raw milk is unsafe because it “can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous foodborne illnesses.” The agency also claims that raw milk is no more healthful than pasteurized milk.

Many experts disagree. Dr. Joseph Mercola, for instance, argues that

Raw (unpasteurized) milk contains enzymes and bacteria [that] have been shown to strengthen your immune system, develop healthy bacteria in your intestines and reduce the risks of everything from respiratory disease to obesity. Pasteurization destroys both good and bad bacteria.

A Daily Finance article cited by Mercola addresses the issue of safety:

On occasion, people do get sick from raw milk. But the number of people sickened by raw milk compared to other foods does not seem to warrant the FDA’s focused, expensive campaign….

No government regulations of interstate commerce in peanuts, kale, or cantaloupes have been suggested, despite the much greater number of people sickened by consuming these foods.

The FDA instituted the interstate milk sales ban in 1987 but didn’t really begin enforcing it seriously until 2006. Then, in typical ham-handed government fashion, it went overboard, not merely issuing warnings or levying fines (which would have been bad enough) but engaging in sting operations and armed raids of dairy farmers and their willing customers.

Last year, for example, Los Angeles police officers, FBI agents, FDA agents, and even one Canadian bureaucrat, guns at the ready, raided Rawesome Foods in Venice, California. The store’s crime: selling raw milk, which might contain dangerous bacteria, to people who knew full well what they were purchasing. If the enemy is bacteria, then “why,” asked one Rawesome member, “do you need guns?” Read further HERE

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/07/20/the-war-over-raw-milk-a-battle-heats-up/

Keep informed,
Stephen

Your Milk on Drugs - Just Say No: Videos on Milk and Genetically Engineered RBGH

Monsanto seems to leave its mark on every part of the food industry. This is an interesting video on milk-something that is a staple of every, average American home. Thought you'd find it interesting.

According to this film by Jeffrey Smith, it has been found that dairy products from cows treated with Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST) may sharply increase cancer risk and other diseases, especially in children. Already banned in most industrialized nations, it was approved in the US on the backs of fired whistleblowers, manipulated research, and a corporate takeover at the FDA. This film includes footage prepared for a Fox TV station—canceled after a letter from Monsanto's attorney threatened "dire consequences."

Part 1

Part 2

Have a great day,

Stephen

“Any scientist who tells you they know that GMOs are safe and not to worry about it, is either ignorant of the history of science or is deliberately lying. Nobody knows what the long-term effect will be.” – Geneticist, David Suzuki, giving the 2008 Commonwealth Lecture in London

http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/bqymJ

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The Movie FRESH... Our Food and You

Here's a movie trailer from the documentary Fresh that we wanted to share with you.

FRESH Synopsis

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

Here are three more clips. The first clip is about a farmer in Missouri.

Russ Kremer, the President of the Missouri Farmers' Union and of Ozark Mountain Pork Coop discusses the danger of concentrating animals in feedlots . . .

Will Allen, 6ft 7" former professional basketball player, is now one of the most influential leaders of the food security and urban farming movement. His farm and not-for-profit, Growing Power, have trained and inspired people in every corner of the US to start growing food sustainably. This man and his organization go beyond growing food. They provide a platform for people to share knowledge and form relationships in order to develop alternatives to the industrial food system.Growing Power

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." -- the Dalai Lama

Joel Salatin writes in his website that he is "in the redemption business: healing the land,land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture." And if you visited his farm, you'd know he means it & lives it! He produces beef, chicken, eggs, turkey, rabbits, and forestry product. Yet, Joel calls himself a grass-farmer, for it is the grass that transform the sun into energy that his animals can then feed on. By closely observing nature, Joel created a rotational grazing system that not only allows the land to heal but also allows the animals to behave the way the were meant to -- as in expressing their "chicken-ness" or "pig-ness", as Joel would say. Polyface Farms

Our food supply is a subject that affects all of us. This is a great movie. You can view more of the trailers from it HERE. Enjoy!

Hope you are enjoying your 4th of July weekend.

Have fun and be safe,

Stephen

“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” Author, and one of the first natural health promoters, Adelle Davis

Healthy Child, Healthy World: What's Invading Your Child's World?

Hello,

We received a few responses from individuals about our post on pesticides and herbicides. Some people feel it is so inconsequential if they "spray several times a year."

Your kids, your grandchildren, and your pets play on your lawn, as well, all the living things in nature that surround you. I won't reiterate here what I previously wrote on 6/17; however the thousands of chemicals that we encounter in our daily life affect everyone in some way, shape, or form. The body wasn't made to handle the onslaught.

There are a lot people who are concerned about this. Here's an interesting video. Chemicals enter our children's lives from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed through so many sources. They enter everyone's life! Watch, ponder, take action, and do what you can. Little changes made everyday by each of us can make a big difference!

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo
This is the book at a very good price.

Whatever products you are using whether it be shower gels, shampoos, hand sanitizers, cleaning products, insecticides, herbicides, etc, do your research on what's listed on the labels. Become an avid label reader. Find out what it is and what it does to your health, your children's health, and the environment. This is so important! Don't just go to the manufacturer's web sites, either. Look further.

The holiday is upon us, and Donna and I wish you a great, safe, 4th of July week-end with your family and friends...

Take care, & God bless,
Stephen

Dr. Harvey Karp

But unlike you and me, chemicals should never be considered innocent until proven guilty; in fact, we must consider them guilty until proven innocent! We must demand that industry prove a substance safe before it is allowed to be sold to millions.

Dr. Alan Greene

The food we eat, the products we put on our skin and use to clean our homes, the toys children play with and put in their mouths-- all of these and more can impact the short-term and long-term health of a child. A green pediatrician thinks about these issues.

Erin Brockovich

I'm an advocate for common sense. If an exterminator uses a chemical that makes a spider drop dead right in front of you, what's its effect on a child?

Devra Davis, PhD, MPH

What I do find alarming is the volume of information that's been withheld from us, and how much we don't know because not enough study is being done on the controversial subjects. That's what people should be alarmed about, and what has to change.

Sprouts-The All Year Garden!

Hi,

We love sprouts. We've been sprouting for over 40 years. It is the way to have fresh vegetables all year round in their most nutritious state. It's fun and really quite easy.

Below are a few photos of some harvests from last week. It only takes a few days to grow a batch of sprouts. Two were made in our dome that we have had forever. It's been very reliable in producing a lot of sprouts over the years. One was made in a large jar. We have used our dome and another layered sprouter, huge trays, and large jars all at the same time in order to make enough "crops" for our family of six children who are now 28 to 41 years of age.

Our children loved sprouts as much as we did when they were growing up. One of their favorite meals was a huge pile of sprouts on big homemade, whole grain crackers smothered in my homemade olive oil dressing, and topped with homemade yogurt. One of my sons who will be thirty this year walked into our kitchen last week, saw the sprouts being grown, and said, 'Wow, that brings back good memories." It made me feel so good.

The three pictures here are mung beans on the left, alfalfa on the right, and wheat grass in the bottom picture that was grown in a jar and then placed in the sunlight to mature. All of them are so good. We enjoy radish, sunflower seeds, lentils, watercress, mustard green, and so many other sprouts that are so delicious.

Just a couple of notes: Wheat grass can be grown in soil, in jars, or in special sprouters. Go to the banner below for those. They have a variety to choose from. If you wish to juice the mature Wheat Grass sprouts, it is best to grow in trays or the "made for Wheat Grass" sprouters on the site in order to have enough. Wheat grass juice is a powerful juice for health. You'll need a special juicer than has the capability to do so. There are wheat grass juicers on the site, also.

When you are soaking beans or seeds for sprouts, we recommend ionized water at 9.5. They will germinate much quicker, and, if you are using organic seeds or beans which we hope that you'll do, you can save that water and drink it, add it to your fresh juices or smoothies, or use in broth or soup. Don't waste it! It has nutrients and enzymes that are beneficial.

If you do not have an ionizer, do use spring water. Tap water has chemicals and chlorine, and reverse osmosis water, as well as, distilled water are too acidic for it to be beneficial for soaking and then saving that water to use. Important: Once germinated, rinse your sprouts often during the day with fresh water!

Sprouts can be enjoyed anytime of the year. You can literally have fresh greens year round, and you know for sure that they haven't been tainted by chemicals. Now there's no excuse not to eat enough raw, organic vegetables. You can get a lot of seeds at a very reasonable cost, too. There's nothing healthier or more delicious.

Sprouting is not that much work either. There are wonderful books on the subject. We have one or two in the carousel to the right, and there are more on the site below.

Begin sprouting and you'll never want to be without them. Add them to your fresh juices. Use them in your everyday meals or snack. Incorporate them into salads, chop them up and sprinkle on soups, add them to your pesto, or put them into scrambled eggs and your favorite stir-fry recipe. Use them on sandwiches instead of lettuce. You can put them into and on almost everything or just munch on them all by themselves. Sprouts are living, vitalized food full of enzymes, chlorophyl, nutrients, and fiber! They are an excellent emergency or survival food, too.

Click on the Wheat Grass Kits picture below for a wonderful source for organic, non-GMO seeds and supplies. Sprouts have gotten bad publicity of late. We have never had a problem, though, in all these years. And, we only recommend organic, Non-GMO Seeds from reputable sources. This company has a great variety from which to choose. I'll add more instructions on sprouting for you in our "Garden Life" blog in a few days. Again--Rinse them often throughout the day.

BTW: Children love to help care for the sprouts so do involve your children or grandchildren. It makes for a great family project.

Here in the US, 60% of the population doesn't eat raw vegetables everyday and most of the produce that is eaten is so adulterated with GMO seeds and chemical sprays. So growing toxin-free sprouts, with their extremely high nutritional value and anti-oxidant properties to help build a strong immune system, is a great way to instill a super healthy, lifestyle habit in your children or grandchildren. May you have fun sprouting!

Have a beautiful day,

Donna

P.S. I have to share something with you. As I mentioned before, when you go on the Wheat Grass Kits site above you'll see several sprouters. We've recently learned that the most innovative and the most recommended sprouter right now, though, is their Easy Evergreen and Microgreen Sprouter. Click on the banner above and put that term into the search bar on the web site to learn about this amazing sprouter from Europe. It has a very unique way of preventing bacteria from developing on the sprouts, and it automatically waters your sprouts through a gentle mist with fresh water, not recycled water, throughout the day! It's so cool. This makes it the perfect sprouter for those who work outside the home and can't be home to rinse their sprouts frequently during the day. The sprouter does this for you. BTW: Only this particular site has a special warranty offered for it.

Have a super day... and, write to us if you have any questions or to just say hi.