November 2011
99 posts
The Return of Agent Orange? 2,4-D Steps in Where...
Monsanto’s Roundup—the glyphosate-based pesticide—is currently the most heavily used weed killer in the country, but its efficacy is waning as farmers across the nation are reporting Roundup-resistant ‘superweeds’ and pesticide resistant insects taking hold in their fields and leaving farmers with no option but to return to controversial chemicals like 2,4-D, also known as...
October 2011
91 posts
Food as Activism: Can What We Eat (or Don't Eat)...
You might say we could have seen this day coming some 11,000 years ago when farming first took root in civilization: A day when competition between growers out-paced the importance of the health of the whole community; a day when the market was no longer about truly feeding the masses but more about feeding the profits of elite insular corporate agendas. We’ve arrived at a time where most...
Every Woman Deserves Multiple Orgasms
In the movies, it’s always so simple: Every female (including virgins coupled with other virgins) reaches orgasm in a matter of seconds, the “Big O” dropping hard after only a dozen meager thrusts, some heavy panting and a few gasps – and round two is just around the corner.
In reality, the female orgasm can be elusive – at first. But for women who are willing to really get to know their...
No Pretending! Ellen to Open Vegan Restaurant in...
If you’re looking for one more reason to visit Los Angeles (or remind yourself why you pay ridiculous rent to live here) besides trying to grab a seat at a taping of the Ellen show, plan to head up to the San Fernando Valley for a bite at her soon-to-be-open vegan restaurant. Along with wife Portia de Rossi, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and producer Steve Bing, Degeneres’ new...
In Utero BPA Exposure Significantly More Damaging...
A new study published in the recent issue of the journal_ Pediatrics _concluded that girls exposed to BPA (bisphenol-A) while in utero showed a greater risk of exhibiting behaviors including hyperactivity, anxiousness, aggressiveness and depression than boys. http://dlvr.it/sxzMH
3 Easy-to-Make DIY Candle Holders
Our blanket snuggling modes amp up to high as nights get colder and days become shorter. Now, you already know that spicy beeswax and soy candles are perfect snuggle inducers; much better (and greener) than everyday lighting (or paraffin wax). Make those room warming candles a tad more eye-catching by creating your own DIY candle holders. And no, creating a candle holder isn’t difficult...
Nature’s Path Donates Half A Million to Support...
Leading organic cereal manufacturer, Nature’s Path, has made a significant contribution—$500,000—to the Center for Food Safety’s campaign for mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods. http://dlvr.it/sqP1H
4 Fall-to-Winter Decorating Ideas Using Pinecones
As the season changes to fall, displays of pumpkins, gourds and dry grasses start popping up on porch steps, mantles and dining room tables. While these autumn decorating favorites offer a classic look, why not change up the décor this year? Use pinecones instead.
You don’t have to limit your pinecone decorating to winter displays. They do double duty! Those easy-to-find beauties can vamp up...
Biotech Takes Flight: Meet the Genetically...
Dengue fever—a brutal virus that infects as many as 100 million people each year—has an unusual new enemy designed to stop the spread of the disease: genetically modified mosquitoes. http://dlvr.it/skhZR
Just in Time: Green Fest Comes to Los Angeles
As the Occupy Wall Street movement’s momentum shows no sign of slowing down, “alternatives” seem to be on everyone’s mind these days. From alternative economic models to how we grow and raise our food to how we regard our fellow Earthlings, like a wise man once said, the times, they are a-changin’. And, we might add, _fast._
If you happen to live in the Los...
OA Halloween Roundup
If you’ve been perusing our articles this week (and last), you’ve undoubtedly heard: Halloween is-a comin’! With just a few days left until we take to the streets in our ghoulish garb, we thought we’d give you all of our Halloween articles in one place. After all, there’s no reason why this holiday can’t be organically frightful with healthier sweets,...
Say Sayonara to Onion Sobbing with KitchenAid's...
I love to cook and I love to eat real, delicious food. I work from home and I make at least three meals a day in my kitchen. Delicious food, cooking and writing about it is a way of life for me. When the opportunity arose to review KitchenAid’s new 13-Cup Food Processor I was ecstatic. KitchenAid has a fabulous reputation for quality products and this food processor has the first and only...
Seedy Business: Monsanto’s All Up in Your Salad?
Monsanto, the world’s largest seed manufacturer known for its sprawling genetically modified crops such as corn, cotton, soy and canola, is now setting its sights on your salad bowl, with seeds for commonly grown produce items its newest focus. http://dlvr.it/sSC8c
5 Ways to Eat Your Halloween Pumpkin Carvings
As foods go, raw pumpkins aren’t the most appetizing. Even the Native Americans vacillated between eating them and weaving their tough flesh into floor mats. So it’s no wonder that the modern world has found a more entertaining use for this jolly squash. By all means, carve a pumpkin for Halloween! But as you do, don’t discard the guts and weird pieces. Like Cinderella’s...
Megadosing: Can Massive Amounts of Vitamin C...
Dr. Linus Pauling—the two-time Nobel Prize winning PhD—was harshly criticized for claiming that the practice of orthomolecular therapy (‘megadosing’) with certain nutrients held the power to cure common ailments (such as lots of vitamin C to kick a cold or flu in the matter of a few hours) and more significant illnesses, such as cancer, without the use of aggressive radiation or...
15 Tips and Tricks to Carving the Perfect Pumpkin
It’s time to get into the ghastly ghouly spirit of Halloween — and there’s really no better way to do it than to carve your own jack-o-lantern. Pumpkin carving isn’t just for kids: It can be an art, and can create some pretty charming decorations. Whether you’re an experienced gourd sculptor or still at elementary-school level, there are a few tricks that can...
Chia: Superfood or Weird Sprouted Pet Thing?
Ch-ch-ch-chia! Remember Chia Pets? They rose to kitschy fame in the 1980s as the quintessential ‘keep it cheap’ interoffice Christmas present. From frogs and hippos to modern versions such as Chia SpongeBob and Bart Simpson, the classic gift is still a holiday favorite. But did you ever wonder what was actually sprouting in those things? Turns out that the chia seed is one of the...
Ever Smell A Panda? Bamboo Purifies Air and So...
More than just the primary food source for China’s giant pandas, bamboo is the fastest growing grass (yes, it’s a grass). It can grow nearly 40 inches in a 24-hour period, and because of its fast growth cycle, it’s also a versatile, super strong and sustainable alternative to wood and textiles (like old growth forests and GMO cotton). And long before Glade or Febreze tried to...
Nutrition Fiction: Can Label Standardization Make...
In efforts to make nutritional food choices more accessible, supermarket nutrition labels are the target of the Institute of Medicine, a medical watchdog group calling for a standardization system that would promote clearer front-of-package labeling. http://dlvr.it/s8Wqn
Backyard Escargot: Would You Eat Snails from Your...
If your garden is besieged with snails, you’ve probably joked once or twice about making escargot. They’re a delicacy, right? But joking about eating snails is one thing. Actually doing it… that’s weird, right?
Miss Snail Pail, aka Colleen Flanigan, disagrees. “I can’t believe people poison and waste this food source.”
READ THE REST…...
Discover 7 foods that can reverse wrinkles! -...
Did you know that you can reverse signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles by simply changing what you eat? Watch this video to discover 7 foods that can reverse those wrinkles!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/s5rRY
Trader Joe’s Firm on Refusal to Support Fair Wages...
Trader Joe’s, the Monrovia, CA grocery store chain has come under fire for its lack of support of the Fair Food Program, a campaign initiated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) of Florida that supports more than 30,000 workers that are responsible for picking nearly one third of all the tomatoes eaten in America. http://dlvr.it/s1k9V
Halloween Candy: Is It the Devil?
Once upon a time, there was a little girl whose parents wouldn’t let her go trick-or-treating on Halloween. While all the other kids in the neighborhood were out filling their plastic jack-o-lanterns full of candy corn, chocolate bars and ghost-shaped taffy, this little girl was sequestered indoors where she and her sister read pamphlets on razor blades hidden inside of apples.
READ THE...
Rid the Wrinkles with These 7 Superfoods!...
One day, it just happened. Sometime during the dark of night, crows crept in while you were sleeping and left their feet at the corner of your eyes and you woke in a panic, diving into the world of toxic chemical retinol creams, laser treatments and praying to the gods of good lighting. And while thinning skin is inevitable for us all, what we eat can drastically improve the health and tone of...
Cooking with Organic Authority: Live and...
We are finally doing it. After seeing how many of you were interested in participating in a virtual cooking lesson with Organic Authority, we have finally put one together! Our first lesson is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th at 12 pm PST/3 pm EST. It’s live. It’s interactive. And it is 100% _FREE_!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/rz89W
Bait and Switch: Farm Subsidies for Big-Ag in...
In the wake of major proposed recent farm budget cuts as part of the Obama administration’s new deficit reduction program (“Living Within Our Means and Investing in the Future”) that will pull more than $33 billion in agriculture subsidies from the nations’ farmers, lawmakers and farm lobbyists are attempting to route that same money under a new name right back to the...
DIY Your Furniture, Eco Shabby Chic Style
Taking a cue from vintage style, the shabby chic look lets the age and imperfections of furniture shine in all its worn glory. Instead of fretting over a nick in the leg of a chair or the faded paint on a dresser, the point of this decorating look is for furniture to show off a little wear and tear.
You’ve probably seen elements of this trendy style in stores—vintage-inspired bedspreads,...
Excuse Moi? French Law Bans Vegetarianism in...
All meals served in France’s public and private schools must include animal products declares a new government order issued on October 2nd, 2011 according to the European Vegetarian and Animal News Alliance. http://dlvr.it/rqbNh
Vanishing of the Bees: A Documentary, A Message
Honey bees are incredible animals. Their biology sounds like something out of a Cronenberg film: A single queen bee watches over her hive of thousands, while the female worker bees are all born into specific roles—maid, grocer, farmer, guard, nanny, chef, carpenter—and the “drone” males will simply mate with the queen and die. They communicate to eachother by dancing, and they travel the...
5 Tips for an Energy-Efficient, Warm Autumn Home
It’s nearing the end of October, and even in Los Angeles the nights have begun to get quite nippy. Without even realizing it, we’re switching on the heat to stay cozy when the temps dip down. But you don’t have to wait until winter’s first snow to think about keeping warm inside. Here are five great ways to keep warm right now, as well as save on energy and heating bills. Bonus: If you start...
$1.2 Million to Double Food Stamp Value at Farmers...
Major funding from Kaiser Permanente—the integrated managed care consortium with nearly 9 million members—will enable the nonprofit Wholesome Wave to expand its double coupon incentive programs in as many as 30 farmers markets nationwide. http://dlvr.it/rh6Zc
GMO Cotton Found Growing Wild in Mexico
Transgenic cotton has been found growing in the wild in Mexico by researchers studying the gene flow of wild cotton populations, cites a new report published in the October edition of the journal Molecular Ecology. http://dlvr.it/rZwzn
Invisible Monsters: 5 of The Most Common...
“Eat Organic!” It’s the mantra of those seeking alternatives to the commercially-grown, genetically-modified and pesticide-sprayed crops dominating the U.S. food supply. Not only is it almost impossible to completely avoid eating non-organic foods, but pesticides and herbicides are so widely used that they’re found in the air and water—and in virtually every human on...
Ecstasy Kills Cancer
It may sound like a hoax, but it’s true: Recent studies show that a modified form of ecstasy kills 100% of blood cancer cells. While patient application is still a long way away, in test tube studies, the modified ecstasy killed all of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma cells (as reported by the BBC).
Your doctor probably won’t be telling you to take two hits of ecstasy anytime soon, but this...
Watch Out for Pinkwashing this Breast Cancer...
Pink - it’s all we’re seeing this month. From pink ribbons to pink packaging, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is loud and proud, as it should be. We’re all for bringing attention to this very widespread disease, but the last time we walked through the cosmetics aisle, we couldn’t help but notice a little something called pinkwashing. We think that companies who tout...
Satisfy Your Kid's Sweet Tooth with Healthy...
The healthiest of health nuts love Halloween candy. It’s fun and conjures thoughts of childhood, crazy costumes and pumpkin carving. All those warm and fuzzies fly out the window once you read almost any traditional candy’s nutritional label, though. Hydrogenated fats? Check. High fructose corn syrup? Check. Not all Halloween candy packs an unhealthy punch, though. The following...
7 Foods You Didn't Know Contained Sugar
Finding healthy foods for yourself and your family can easily turn into a full-time job, as grocery shopping and cooking can take hours out of your week. Having staples to stock in the kitchen is a great way to save time, but unfortunately some favorites aren’t as good for you as they seem. Check out the ingredient lists and you’ll be shocked to discover that many products labeled...
FDA Oversight Approved Cancer-Causing Fish Post BP...
A new study published in the journal _Environmental Health Perspectives_ by researches from the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) includes some shocking information in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The research concludes that the FDA underestimated the cancer risk possible from eating seafood where cancer-causing contaminants may have accumulated....
Local vs. Fair Trade: Which Way to Go
In the mighty plight to live a lighter life, planet wise, things aren’t always as easy as ditch the plastic bags. Like when it comes to buying locally versus buying fair trade. I recently stood at my health food store with two bars of dark chocolate, one fair trade and the other local. Which is better, I wondered. Let’s take a gander.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/rFtdG
A Real Pip: How To Store Seeds for Next Year's...
Harvest season may be winding down, but your garden can keep on giving into next year. In fact, now’s the perfect time to gather and save seeds from your best crops, to sow next spring and to use as winter spices. Small though they may be, those little pods hold a bounty of possibility.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/rCNJw
Target Sets Sustainable Fish Goals for All Stores...
Target, the nation’s second largest retailer, has recently announced plans to begin selling only sustainable and traceably sourced fish by 2015 in all of its 1,762 stores in a partnership with the nonprofit marine conservation group FishWise designed to help the retailer achieve its sustainability goals. http://dlvr.it/r9M88
GMO AquAdvantage Salmon One Step Closer to...
The country’s first genetically engineered animal product could soon be approved forsale and distribution without any labeling requirements as the FDA has completed its evaluation on the environmental impact of AquaBounty’s AquAdvantage salmon and deemed it safe for human consumption. http://dlvr.it/r76qH
The 2nd Annual Organic Authority Pumpkin Carving...
It’s that time again! Halloween, where age has no meaning, and people of all kinds come together to dress up, eat tons of candy and feel that wondrous childlike nostalgia. And, of course, one of the most revered and passed down traditions of this holiday is the carving of pumpkins. Welcome back Organic Authority’s Pumpkin Carving Contest!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/r76nz
5 Foods Every Healthy Woman Wants
Nutrition is as complex and confusing as the bodies we aim to nurture. No one diet is perfect for everyone, yet certain foods are known to provide a host of benefits for most of us. And as women, we have even more specialized nutritional needs that change throughout our lives: iron, calcium, folic acid, to name a few. Here’s a list of foods women especially, regardless of age, can be sure...
Don’t Call It Chicken: The Burger King Spicy...
Burger King’s Spicy Chick’n Crisp Sandwich is so cheap (at $1 on Burger King value menus across the nation), they couldn’t even afford the “E” in chicken… Or is the missing letter due to the fact that Burger King can’t legally call the food substance it’s serving “chicken” because it contains so many byproducts?
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/r3ss1
Say What? There's Wood Pulp in My Food?
Want a side of lumber with your dinner? That’s what you may be munching on if cellulose is on the ingredient list of your foods.
Food producers use this factory-made additive, crafted from miniscule pieces of wood pulp or other plant fibers, in processed foods all the time. Cellulose coats shredded cheese to keep it from clumping. It boosts the fiber content in white bread. It thickens...
The End of Heartburn, Gas and Bloating
It’s forgivable when babies do it, entertaining when a dog does it, but gas is awkward for the rest of us (even when we blame the dog). Thing is though, it happens. So what are “normal” levels of gas, bloating and heartburn, and how do we make changes to keep them at a minimum? Read on…
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/qw1PN
Get Creative! 5 Easy, Inexpensive DIY Decorating...
As it cools down, you may start to spend a little more time indoors… a great time to get crafty we say! A little imagination and a bit of time - and not much else - are all you need to bring out your inner designer. It’s not difficult to get creative on the cheap, and you’ll end up with a few new, fun and festive decorations. Here are five ideas to get the idea bank rolling....
Kiss Chocolate Kisses Goodbye? Global Warming...
Climate change is likely to cause chocolate to melt—not only in your hands, but right out of production—according to a new study released by scientists at CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture) titled “Predicting the Impact of Climate Change on the Cocoa-Growing Regions in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.” http://dlvr.it/qqGFN
5 Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants
As everything turns brown outside, are you looking for a little greenery in your life? Lush houseplants can revitalize your home as the season changes to fall and then on to winter. Plus, for all you notorious plant killers, many plants that grow well indoors don’t require a lot of TLC. Hey, not all of us can be gardening-savvy. Or maybe your green thumbs are just twitching to grow something....
