September 2011
98 posts
Slumcrop Millionaires: Monsanto Faces Biopiracy...
For the first time in history, a country is accusing a company of stealing indigenous plants in order to attempt to create a genetically modified version. While no formal charges have been filed yet, India is claiming that a pending lawsuit would prove that ‘biopiracy’ has been committed by the world’s largest seed company, Monsanto. http://dlvr.it/nmS81
7 Reasons Kale Is the New Beef
Like the saying goes, the only constant is change. We may resist it all we want, but Time and its inevitable evolution of everything in its path is unaffected by our attempts to stop it. The resulting trajectory of humanity’s nascent ascent appears to be positioning itself to sweep us into progressive new times, especially where our food choices are concerned, as nearly 7 billion people...
France Moving Towards Mandatory Labeling of BPA...
While controversy continues to surround the safety of BPA (bisphenol-A), the widely used chemical compound found in a variety of polycarbonate plastics, France’s ecology minister, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, announced she’s seeking labeling requirements for any food containers that contain BPA sold in France. http://dlvr.it/nd3RG
The Worst Fat on Earth Is Only Partially...
First we thought it was cholesterol… wrong. Then we thought it was saturated fat… wrong. Now, we understand the real culprit clogging our arteries, messing with our cholesterol levels and contributing to worldwide heart disease to be: Trans-fats. These not-quite-fully saturated fats are inside much of our processed foods—from donuts and burgers to popcorn and pretzels, to the even unsuspected...
These Top 5 Nuts Are NUT-ritious
Why not go nutty over nuts? Chock full of heart-healthy fats (the kind that lower that bad “LDL” cholesterol) and other nutrients, those nuts you like to munch on are a superfood that’s super good for you.
A bowl of mixed nuts offers oodles of equally scrumptious varieties to choose from, but before you grab a handful you might want to consider how nuts match up—nutrition wise—to each other....
1 Core Strengthening Exercise to Be Reckoned With
I love yoga. But sit ups… not so much. In fact, I used to fancy myself too good for gym-like ab exercises and if a yoga teacher ever weaved them into class, I would say to myself, “this is not yoga” and proceed to not do them. That was, until I found out how important a strong core is to a powerful, graceful yoga practice… and life in general. And also, gave up the...
5 Cold-Happy Foods to Grow This Fall
Those bountiful summer harvests are long over… or so you thought. Just because the weather has turned cool doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. You can still get homegrown, nutritious veggies in the fall by planting a few varieties that love chilly temperatures.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/nNcqm
How to Eat Locally & Seasonally – During the...
In late summer, I unpack my warm wardrobe in preparation for cold weather. I unroll wool socks, rummage for scarves and start stocking caps while I wax poetic on summer, and reluctantly accept farmers market season is almost over.
While you peruse the pumpkin and squash laden hay bails during your local farmers markets’ last hurrahs, start to mull over how you’ll get fresh, organic produce...
Are Monsanto’s Days Numbered? 50+ Organizations...
A document signed by more than 50 civil society organizations (CSOs) is asking the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development scheduled to take place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012, to ban the use of genetically modified foods. http://dlvr.it/nMc02
Apples or Twinkies: Could Farm Subsidy Cuts...
According to a recent report published by the California Public Interest Research Group titled “Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food,” between 1995 and 2010 nearly $17 billion worth of federal subsidies supported the corn and soy industries—primarily the production of genetically modified high fructose corn syrup and soy oil—ingredients...
Two Big Reasons We Could Do Without Another...
Chick-fil-A, the nation’s largest chicken-only fast food chain, has been expanding in recent years, and Angelinos have been pretty pumped about the chain’s newest location in our sunny city. Aside from the fact that fast food in general has nutritionally compromised food and a great knack for disregarding animal welfare, there are two additional reasons I believe this town could do without...
Herinals, Diva Cups and Glad Rags? Eco Feminine...
Being alive in the 21st century is complicated. But being a woman navigating these unprecedented times can often seem like a cruel joke (especially if you haven’t mastered the stiletto). Technology has streamlined our world, but when it comes to goings on _down there_, ladies, do you often feel stuck in the dark ages? Well, no more. Check out these eco—and user—friendly upgrades.
READ...
7 Sneaky Energy Stealers
It’s 8:00 pm and you feel like you have been run over by a Mack truck. You had a decent amount of sleep the night before, ate pretty well and don’t have a cold, so what gives? Why are you so exhausted at the end of the day?
Watch out for these sneaky energy stealers that can steal away your zest and drive!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/nDHlx
Coconut Palm Sugar: Sweet or Hype?
Sugar: Delicious but devilish, no? And alternative sweeteners can be even worse, what with all the chemicals and processing. It would be nice to cut sugar alltogether, but at this point, let’s be honest: We are sugar addicts! For those of you who’ve cut the stuff completely, more power to ya. But, for the rest of us, how about a more natural, nutritious and sustainable sweetener?...
The Trash Test: Can You Go A Week Without Making...
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American creates about 1,600 pounds of trash per year. That’s nearly half a trillion pounds of garbage turning our Purple Mountain Majesties into Festering Piles of Filth _every year!_ Recycling is not enough… we can do more, and it’s easier than you think to reframe the problem of waste, making choices that support a...
Pesticides and Bacteria Cause More Than a Dozen...
Three Peruvian children between the ages of six and ten died earlier this month and 50 more became seriously ill after eating food donated by a school nutrition program that was contaminated with high levels of a toxic pesticide. http://dlvr.it/n59Rm
HFCS ‘Corn Sugar’ Rebrand Continues As Corn...
Despite urgings from the FDA to the corn industry to discontinue using the term “corn sugar” in place of “high fructose corn syrup,” at least two corn industry websites (cornsugar.com and sweetsurprise.com) are still using the term. http://dlvr.it/mz5KF
An Exercise in Self-Discipline
Self-control is like a muscle: the more regularly you use it, the stronger it gets — in every area of life. In one study, psychologists Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng had participants start and stick to a regular exercise plan. Two months later, the exercising participants were performing better on other self-control tests in the lab.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/mz5Jz
Monsanto Wins $84,456 from Indiana Farmer Accused...
Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Bowman violated Monsanto’s restriction that forbids growers who use its licensed Roundup Ready seeds to extend them beyond a single growing season, found the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. http://dlvr.it/mqLyF
4 Thrifty Tips to Decorate an Ugly Apartment
Renting an apartment (or buying a new house for you homeowners) always comes with decorating… challenges. After the boxes are moved in and the initial thrill of having a new place ebbs, you might start to notice some issues with your new pad. Not leaky faucets or dirty blinds, I’m talking it looks like night time at noon in your living room and, “What is with that funk-ified ceiling fan?”
As...
Yogurt During Pregnancy Linked to Asthma and...
New research coming out of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston showed that women who regularly ate low-fat yogurt during pregnancy had an increased chance of their children developing asthma and hay fever than those women who did not consume yogurt. http://dlvr.it/mlwXd
New Mobile App Makes Healthy Eating Fun Munchin'...
Robert Fulghum reminded us with his 1988 best-selling book, _All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten_, that yes, as a matter of fact, naps are very (very, very) good things, sharing is fun and it’s always important to say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, even if it was an accident. If we can remember the great lessons about playing fair, being aware of wonder and why...
The Lowdown: Is Beer A Healthy Drink?
It’s likely that when you’re asked whether you’d like red or white, you go for the dark shade of wine because its health benefits are so praised. But next time someone offers you the choice between wine or beer, don’t rule out the latter. Though red vin gets a lot of attention, it turns out beer has a few advantages of its own when had in moderation. To help you decide...
From Play-Doh to Play-Dough: Make Your Own
Every child loves Play-Dough, and more adults should give it a second squeeze, as the soft, pliable dough works well as a stress reliever and as therapy for overworked hands. Inexpensive and non-toxic, this imagination-promoting toy can inspire whole new worlds of dough and keep children entertained for hours.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/mkt2W
Naturally… GMO Foods Labeled ‘Natural’ Land...
The late comedian George Carlin once elucidated the word “natural”: “Everything is natural. Everything in the universe is part of nature. Polyester, pesticides, oil slicks, and whoopee cushions. Nature is not just trees and flowers. It’s everything. Human beings are part of nature. And if a human being invents something, that’s part of nature, too.” http://dlvr.it/mZHcW
Can Dogs Smell Cancer?
Dogs have held a special place in the hearts of humans for tens of thousands of years. As one of the first domesticated animals, they have practically evolved alongside us, guarding our homes in exchange for tasty morsels, a pat on the head and a warm place to sleep.
As it turns out, dogs are guarding more than our homes – they are also guarding our health.
READ THE REST…...
Think Outside the Box, Especially When it Comes to...
Cake mixes, which were first introduced in the 1930s, didn’t really catch on until after World War II. And even then, despite stereotypes of the apron-clad ’50s housewife juggling taking care of kiddos and cleaning the house with just enough time to whip together instant baking creations, cake mixes actually weren’t popular at first.
Simply adding water to a dry mix wasn’t enough to...
Fat-Burning Underwear Coming to a Store Near You
If getting regular exercise and eating sensibly are just too difficult (as they often seem), you could probably use a hand in reaching your weight goals. I’ve got great news for you: There’s a product on the market that will make all of your scale anxieties melt away. It’s not another protein shake, energy pill or fad diet—no, this product comes to us from Japan, where inventors are hard at...
Is City the New Country? Urban Farms Take Over...
While the Obama Administration just announced plans to make major cuts affecting the nation’s farmers in the new deficit reduction proposal “Living Within Our Means and Investing in the Future,” farming is showing no signs of slowing down—especially in American cities. http://dlvr.it/mTD1N
Cures in A Cup? Busting Those Old Wives' Tales
From backseats to off the bow, I have had my fair share of motion sickness. The blue shade of skin is nothing compared to that dreaded feeling of nausea that I think we can all agree, is the worst! As the symptoms set it, my parents always reached for the ginger ale, as did their parents before them. Well, when (if) I become a parent, will I grab for the same thing?
From ginger ale to...
4 Tips to Keep Your Potted Mums Thriving This Fall
Cheerful mums, with their autumnal hues, hardy character and abundance of blooms, are easily the showoff superstars of a fall garden.
And for those among us who prefer less labor-intensive gardening, all you need to plant these flowers are a few containers. These robust babies will produce blooms (and bunches of them) for weeks, even in finicky weather. While resilient, these happy blossoms...
6 Simple Ways to Upcycle Seeming Junk
Junk drawers. We’ve all got ‘em. Don’t let these tiny caves of forgotten things be the bane of your existence, though. Open the drawer, take a deep breath and confidently state these five words: “What can I upcycle today?”
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/mPrVh
Dear American Farmers, You Cost Too Much! Love,...
American farmers were delivered grim news this week as President Obama revealed his deficit reduction proposal, “Living Within Our Means and Investing in the Future,” which includes reforms for agriculture subsidies and direct payments to farmers estimated to save American taxpayers some $33 billion annually. http://dlvr.it/mJfdt
You Say Tomato, I Say Pomato: Err, Hybrid Fruits?
It’s given us such strange fruits like the pomato, the blood lime and the pluot: Hybridization. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the act of cross-pollinating plants to make a new plant has given us many of our familiar, everyday fruits and vegetables.
So what is this strange hybridization, and how safe (or dangerous) is it for us to eat?
READ THE REST…...
Colloidal Silver and Gold: Philosopher's Stone or...
If you spend any sleepless nights watching late night television (are you a writer, too?), then you’ve probably seen those cheesy commercials offering to buy your unwanted gold. Such a concept would have been preposterous to our ancestors for a number of reasons, one of which may not be what you think. Called the elixir of life or the philosopher’s stone, the belief that precious...
Eco Fashion: Wear No New Clothes
My sister is a thrift shop junkie. And I tell you, her fashionista status is not hurting for it. In fact, intense thrifters have a knack for style, and it doesn’t matter whether they shop Stella McCarthy, Gap or Salvation Army. If you have good taste, this dose of green living is for you. Because the fashion industry - innately - ain’t green at all.
READ THE REST…...
Harvard Experts Challenge USDA’s ‘MyPlate’ with...
While the USDA received kudos for its updated food ‘pyramid’—now named MyPlate—released in June 2011, Harvard health experts have expounded on the recommendations to create the even healthier set of guidelines named “Healthy Eating Plate.” http://dlvr.it/m9m56
4 Foods for A Dinner That Amps Your Sex Drive
Food can be physically suggestive, have arousing aromas, be sensuously supple and entice all sorts of sexual urges to the surface. Serve up these succulent aphrodisiacs with a dinner menu that will amp up your (and your partner’s) sex drive. By the end of the meal, you’ll be begging for seconds, and I don’t mean of the food…
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/m75Gj
5 Ways to Create a Vintage-Style Kitchen, Without...
Instead of modernizing your kitchen, why not vintage-ize it? Returning a kitchen to its retro roots doesn’t mean it has to emulate your grandmother’s old-fashioned style. With a few decorating additions, your kitchen can look kitschy-cute, not outdated.
Through reusing items from the past and tweeking what you already own, these five budget-friendly tips will get your kitchen on its way to...
‘Harmful Chemicals Equal American Jobs’ Say Major...
Major chemical companies have been seeking to block the addition of several new categories of chemicals proposed under the Toxic Substances Control Act by the EPA that the agency says could be a threat to humans and the environment. http://dlvr.it/lys8q
The American Diet: 53 Gallons of Soda, 42 Pounds...
The average American eats. A lot. As a new infographic points out, per year, food intake per person can amount to some 200 pounds of meat, 85 pounds of fat, 415 pounds of vegetables, 31 pounds of cheese, 53 gallons of soda and 42 pounds of high fructose corn syrup. http://dlvr.it/lw5Jz
The Cat’s Meow: 4 Sustainable Kitty Litter...
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_Heeeeere_ kitty-kitty. You know that clay cat litter we’ve poured in your box for what seems like forever and a day? We’re finally giving it the heave-ho once and for all. Oh, _sure _you know why. All those chemicals. All that tracking throughout the house. All those airborne particulates. You want another reason? Let’s just put it this way – your cat box filler has a carbon footprint the...
Forget the Bleach! 3 All-Natural Cleaners to Use...
There’s no denying: Bleach definitely seems like it does a good job of getting things clean. But, on the other hand, who wants to breathe in all of those harsh fumes? And what’s ‘clean’ about that? I know I’d rather avoid having poisonous chemicals, especially around my kids. The good news is: Mama Nature has got us covered. Who needs bleach when you can use these...
Kids Won't Eat Their Veggies? 5 Easy Ways to Sneak...
We all know that veggies (and lots of them!) are key to a healthy diet. So it’s frustrating to cook a healthy dinner, including plenty of fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables, and watch our kids disdainfully push the veggies to the edges of the plate and refuse to eat them. At times like these, it pays to be a little bit sneaky. Here are five easy ways to sneak veggies into your kids’...
Hate to Burst Your Bubble But... 9 Reasons to Stop...
Long before there were homeroom teachers to make us spit it out, humans have been chewing barks, grasses and resins to remove plaque and freshen breath. But that icy burst of bubbly flavor and extra whitening power marketed at us today by the $30 billion chewing gum industry is not even close to the natural plants our ancestors used. In fact, the overwhelming majority of gums are filled with...
Urban Foraging in Los Angeles Come Autumn
The streets of Los Angeles may look grimy, cracked and dotted with cramped murals from block to block, but for the hungry Angelino looking a bit deeper, there is food to be found on these streets. Wholesome, delicious, untamed food. As a novice city forager-in-training, I’ve recently gotten turned on in a big way to the hidden bounty of fruits, herbs and greens growing everywhere in this...
Psst! 6 Dark Secrets Your Spice Rack May Be Hiding
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down while making dessert all the more appealing, but _spices_ deserve the real credit for being true culinary superstars capable of imparting basic raw ingredients such as vegetables, grains and meat with a riot of crowd-pleasing flavor. Those diminutive little glass jars cluttering our kitchen countertops may seem like an afterthought in modern...
Top 5 Healthy Salads at Sit-Down Chain Restaurants
True or false: Salads are the healthiest item on a restaurant menu. Before you go right for true, keep in mind that chefs are aiming to make their food flavorful and exciting, not necessarily low in calories or fat. You’d be shocked to learn how quickly you can pack on the pounds after eating a few salads. Some contain well over 1,000 calories! But we’ve got your back — here...
Mobile Market to Hit D.C. ‘Food Deserts’ with...
Washington D.C. area neighborhoods considered “food deserts” will soon have access to fresh fruits and vegetables via a converted school bus “Mobile Market” courtesy of a local non-profit group comprised of nine restaurants. The Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s market on wheels will bring healthy food options to communities where a majority of the people living...
Let Them Eat Junk: Fast Food Chains Now Accepting...
California, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are the first four states now accepting food stamps at several leading fast food restaurant chains. http://dlvr.it/lgBz8
