Happy Autumn. Hard to believe that the Fall is here already as the seasons continue to turn. I have a few articles of interest for you this month. We’ll take a look at the Fall season and how we can best nurture our body’s natural rhythms through our selection of food. I’d also like to introduce you to a reliable site for drug safety information – www.drugwatch.com. And, an interesting position being taken by Organic Valley – they are against the sale of raw milk. What’s interesting to me is that both the conventional dairies and even Organic Valley don’t get it. The people who are buying raw milk are not going to switch and buy from them. So, that only makes me less likely to purchase other products from Organic Valley.
And, another reminder of the many workshops I am offering this month in Thiensville and Hartford, Wisconsin and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Workshops include: Nutrition Boot Camp, The Five Tibetans, Stress Management, and others. For full information and registration please go to the respective web sites:
HeartSpace, Thiensville, WI http://www.blogger.com/goog_1926746502
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Copper Tree Wellness, Hartford, WI http://www.coppertreewellnessstudio.com/Workshops-temp.asp
Field of Yoga, Cedar Falls, IA https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/asp/home.asp?studioid=8947
One last item – stay tuned for an exciting announcement of the latest and greatest book from Ann Louise Gittleman. You’ll be hearing about that next Tuesday. Also look for an article in the Wall Street Journal on that day as well.
Foods for Fall
The Fall season is here. The ancient wisdom of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine) tells us that each season has its own rhythm and character related to the temperature and weather changes along with the variations in daylight they bring. All of these factors impact our health and vitality as the body responds to the changing of the seasons.
Each season has specific organs to be detoxified, rebuilt, and nurtured during that season. In the fall it is the lungs and the large intestine, in the winter the adrenals and kidneys, in the spring the liver and gallbladder, and in summer the heart and small intestines. In addition each season has specific foods, teas and herbs to support the body during that time. As we move from season to season over the next year I’ll devote one article to each season.
To learn how to support your body during the Fall click here: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/foods-for-autumn-nutrition-ideas-for.html
Reliable Drug Safety Information
DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide. DrugWatch.com includes up-to-date information about prescription and over-the-counter medications and includes details about associated drug side effects to aid in the protection of patients and consumers.
The resources available on DrugWatch.com are provided to offer visitors free and accurate information to aid in the understanding of various medications and conditions. The content on the site may help consumers formulate questions for medical professionals and alert the public about important information regarding potentially dangerous side effects associated with certain medications. By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions, and potential side effects on the site, patients have access to valuable knowledge that could enhance their ability to voice concerns with their doctor and improve their quality of care.
Go to http://www.drugwatch.com/
Organic Valley Opposes Raw Milk Sales
This is an e-mail that I received from the Weston Price Foundation about this issue. Please go to my blog to read it. http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/weston-price-foundation-info-organic.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Protein: Are You Eating Enough or How to Cows Get So Big and Not Eat Meat?
The inspiration for this article comes from two absolute truths: One – you learn something new every day; and two – if you don’t know the answer it is best to say so rather than make something up! Recently I was asked a great question during a Nutrition Boot Camp workshop. I was discussing the importance of eating animal protein. I was asked if it is so important how do cows and other animals that don’t eat meat grow so large. I had never really thought about it, so it provided an excellent learning opportunity.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
How do we get protein? It comes from both animal and plant sources. Animal sources include meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. Plant sources include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When we consume a “protein” it is broken down in our body to amino acids. Believe it or not, depending on what book you read you will get a different number for how many amino acids there actually are! But, for discussion purposes here we’ll use the number 23 with nine of them being classified as “essential”. Anytime you hear the word “essential” in nutrition means you have to eat it (your body does not make it). Animal proteins are considered complete proteins meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant proteins are not, which is why you hear the famous “rice and beans” combination to provide a complete protein. People and animals that do not eat meat are therefore dependent upon getting the right mix of incomplete proteins from plant sources and mixing them together properly to build essential amino acids.
Now comes the big question – how do cows or other animals get complete proteins? Particularly since unlike humans they don’t have access to the Internet and all other kinds of sources to tell them exactly what foods to eat in what combinations so they can get the exact nutrients they need!
I did some research and found out some interesting facts. First, I came across a very succinct answer at www.everything2.com. Here’s a summary:
“Grass it mostly cellulose. And cows, like us, can't digest cellulose. So where do cows get all their nutrients? Cows have four separate stomach compartments. The rumen (one of the compartments) serves as a fermentation vat where microorganisms, such as bacteria and protozoa, break down the feed (hay, water, saliva, etc.) These microbes break down the cellulose into energy sources that the cow can digest (volatile fatty acids), and build protein, which again, the cow can digest. The rumen is quite huge (about 160 liters), and in an average cow, there are about 100 times as many bacteria as there are humans on earth.”
Then I found another interesting fact. In nature grasses are not cleaned and purified. What do I mean by that? They contain small bugs, grubs, larvae, etc. that the animals consume along with the grass! These small bugs are complete proteins! So, many of these so called “herbivores” (plant only eating animals) may in fact be eating small animals on the plants!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
First, a little background. What is protein? It is one of the six core nutrients that we humans require for life (the others being fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water). Protein is the structural basis of our body. It builds and repairs tissues and cells. It makes our hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. As you can see, protein is pretty important stuff! And remember, our body is essentially one big chemical factory and these processes go on continuously. Therefore, we need a constant supply of protein which is why I recommend to my clients that they consume protein with each meal and that it is approximately 30-35% of their diet. One of the factors I believe behind all the chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease is that most people do not consume enough healthy protein. In fact, if you do the math of the government recommended 2000 calorie diet, it comes out to approximately 60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 10% protein. If you’d like to read more about the connection between high carbohydrate diets and disease I strongly recommend Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories.
How do we get protein? It comes from both animal and plant sources. Animal sources include meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. Plant sources include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When we consume a “protein” it is broken down in our body to amino acids. Believe it or not, depending on what book you read you will get a different number for how many amino acids there actually are! But, for discussion purposes here we’ll use the number 23 with nine of them being classified as “essential”. Anytime you hear the word “essential” in nutrition means you have to eat it (your body does not make it). Animal proteins are considered complete proteins meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant proteins are not, which is why you hear the famous “rice and beans” combination to provide a complete protein. People and animals that do not eat meat are therefore dependent upon getting the right mix of incomplete proteins from plant sources and mixing them together properly to build essential amino acids.
Now comes the big question – how do cows or other animals get complete proteins? Particularly since unlike humans they don’t have access to the Internet and all other kinds of sources to tell them exactly what foods to eat in what combinations so they can get the exact nutrients they need!
I did some research and found out some interesting facts. First, I came across a very succinct answer at www.everything2.com. Here’s a summary:
“Grass it mostly cellulose. And cows, like us, can't digest cellulose. So where do cows get all their nutrients? Cows have four separate stomach compartments. The rumen (one of the compartments) serves as a fermentation vat where microorganisms, such as bacteria and protozoa, break down the feed (hay, water, saliva, etc.) These microbes break down the cellulose into energy sources that the cow can digest (volatile fatty acids), and build protein, which again, the cow can digest. The rumen is quite huge (about 160 liters), and in an average cow, there are about 100 times as many bacteria as there are humans on earth.”
Then I found another interesting fact. In nature grasses are not cleaned and purified. What do I mean by that? They contain small bugs, grubs, larvae, etc. that the animals consume along with the grass! These small bugs are complete proteins! So, many of these so called “herbivores” (plant only eating animals) may in fact be eating small animals on the plants!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Positive Results from Earthing in One Night!
Earthing? What’s that? I’m guessing that is what you are saying to yourself. Let me explain what I believe may be the latest and greatest breakthrough in natural health!
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
Here’s the longer description from amazon.com:
How many electronic innovations have you dialed, watched, surfed, charged, listed to, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged in today?
Consider your typical day: If you’re like most people, it probably starts in front of your coffee maker and toaster, ends as you set the alarm on your cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between.
We’re being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can’t sip a cup of coffee at our local cafe without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.
But we don’t have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electromagnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them. From where you place your sofa to when you use your cell phone to what you eat for dinner, Zapped is packed with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electropollution.
As she examines modern life room by room, device by device, Gittleman reveals a master plan for detoxifying your surroundings and protecting yourself and your family. We don’t need to abandon our homes—or even give up our PDAs—to be healthier and happier. Based on the latest scientific data, case studies, and Gittleman’s years of clinical practice, Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can’t live without.
Yesterday I received my much anticipated copy of best selling nutrition author Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The title pretty much tells it all. The short of it is that we are being exposed to increasing amounts of electromagnetic fields which disturb our body’s natural energy. The results for some people have become toxicity, fatigue, irritability, weakness, and diseases that no doctor can explain.
One of the solutions is a new concept called “Earthing” developed by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Clinton Ober, and Martin Zucker. Along with my copy of Zapped I received one of the Earthing devices – the Earthing Universal Mat. This mat has several different ways to use it. I chose to sleep on it. Prior to going to bad my lower back was quite sore and I must admit the first part of my sleep was not very sound. I awoke around 2:00, but then something happened. I had a very interesting dream featuring a spiritual leader massaging my lower back with special healing energy and when I awoke in the morning my back felt great! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I look forward to continue to explore this device and getting some additional ones!
To learn more about the book and the Earthing devices, follow this link: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/?a=1003.
Here’s the longer description from amazon.com:
How many electronic innovations have you dialed, watched, surfed, charged, listed to, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged in today?
Consider your typical day: If you’re like most people, it probably starts in front of your coffee maker and toaster, ends as you set the alarm on your cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between.
We’re being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can’t sip a cup of coffee at our local cafe without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.
But we don’t have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electromagnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them. From where you place your sofa to when you use your cell phone to what you eat for dinner, Zapped is packed with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electropollution.
As she examines modern life room by room, device by device, Gittleman reveals a master plan for detoxifying your surroundings and protecting yourself and your family. We don’t need to abandon our homes—or even give up our PDAs—to be healthier and happier. Based on the latest scientific data, case studies, and Gittleman’s years of clinical practice, Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can’t live without.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Chronic Pelvic Pain
I attended a very fascinating conference over the weekend. The event was hosted by the International Pelvic Pain Society in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout the 4-day event, a common thread linked many common pain syndromes of the anatomic structures below the umbilicus and above the upper thighs. Such ailments include chronic pelvic pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Interstitial Cystitis (IC) and other bladder pain syndromes, dyspareunia (pain with intercourse), vulvar pain, vaginal itching/pain, hip pain, fibromyalgia, postoperative pain, back pain, endometriosis.Twenty percent of women suffer from chronic pelvic pain (CPP). The typical patient with CPP doesn't look "sick", is frequently embarrassed by her symptoms, fears she will not be taken seriously by her doctor and has difficulty speaking to loved ones about her symptoms. Sufferers of CPP frequently experience alienation, hopelessness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, sleeplessness, narcotic addiction concerns, sexual dysfunction, loss of relationships and loss of employment.
Women who seek medical advice for CPP are often discouraged as so many are told, "There is nothing else in there that could hurt - everything we have looked at is normal." The pelvic muscles, ligaments and nerves of the pelvis are the common denominators in CPP - regardless of the etiology.
The basics of the chronic pain cycle: (1) recurrent activation of the afferent nerves from the source of pain to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord; (2) prolonged release of neurotransmitters in the dorsal horn including substance P; (3) upregulated inflammatory response and release of other neurotransmitters in the dorsal horn; (4)resultant loss of sensitivy or hypersensitivity of the tissue pain source with expansion of the receptive field; (5) prolonged exposure to painful stimuli eventually causes centralization of the pain (i.e. communication with the brain) and local upregulation of pain fiber generation and inflammation resulting in hypersensitivity to pain and organ dysfunction (6) resulting in muscular contraction, other tissue changes and ultimate end-organ dysfunction.
The goals of chronic pain management consist of removal of the noxious stimulant if still present, and modulating the neurological and immune response (i.e. neuromodulation) to an insult. Examples of neuromodulation include biofeedback, drugs with neurotropic and psychotropic effects (oral and topical), soft tissue manipulation and utilization of neurostimulatory devices that stimulate including TENS units, acupuncture and sacral nerve stimulation. The suggested treatments vary according to the type and source of pain. Research indicates that peripheral pain is best treated with topical applications whereas visceral (organ e.g. bladder) pain is best treated with dorsal horn nerve activation.
Little was mentioned regarding complementary and alternative therapies for CPP other than hypnosis for IBS and acupuncture for IC. Lifestyle modification has proven beneficial for those with chronic inflammatory conditions, including CPP. Such alterations in every-day behaviors serve most people well, such as following an anti-inflammatory diet, consuming anti-inflammatory supplements, smoking cessation and limiting exposure to other environmental toxins. Because the efficacy of hypnosis in treating IBS has proven to be helpful, presumably other mind-body approaches should be consider (e.g. mindfulness meditation, Tai-chi, Yoga, guided imagery, art therapy, music therapy, aromatherapy, etc.) Energy therapies should also be considered as acupuncture has already proven helpful. It is important that these treatment modalities be subject to scientific inquiry in reference to treatment of CPP.
Congratulations and thanks to those scientists who continue to pursue additional knowledge. My learning has just begun.
Resources:
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Dirty Baker's Dozen - Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic
The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 50 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 89,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2008 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. The 49 fruits and vegetables analyzed in the guide are the top 49 most consumed fruits and vegetables, as reported by the USDA, with a minimum of 100 pesticide tests between 2000 and 2009. Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.
The most recent results had a surprising shift in one particular food moving from the "good" to the "bad" - domestically produced blueberries! This caught me by surprise as I've been distributing the old list for the past several years and always speaking highly of blueberries. For some reason, they are now finding high levels of pesticide contamination on them. Now, here's where it gets more confusing. The testing agencies do not test wild blueberries! These have been what I've been advising my clients to eat. Now, I'm not so sure. From what I read elsewhere, they do use some pesticides on them. A brand I recommend, Wyman's from Maine, does use them. The question is, what stays on the fruit?
Here's the latest information:
I recommend you buy the following organic - there are 13 listed here (the Baker's Dozen):
Vegetables highest in pesticides: celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale, potatoes, lettuce.
Fruits highest in pesticides: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, cherries, imported grapes.
These are up to you:
Vegetables lowest in pesticides: onions, corn (frozen), peas (frozen), asparagus, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower.
Fruits lowest in pesticides: avocado, pineapple, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, honeydew, plums, cranberries, bananas, tomatoes.
The most recent results had a surprising shift in one particular food moving from the "good" to the "bad" - domestically produced blueberries! This caught me by surprise as I've been distributing the old list for the past several years and always speaking highly of blueberries. For some reason, they are now finding high levels of pesticide contamination on them. Now, here's where it gets more confusing. The testing agencies do not test wild blueberries! These have been what I've been advising my clients to eat. Now, I'm not so sure. From what I read elsewhere, they do use some pesticides on them. A brand I recommend, Wyman's from Maine, does use them. The question is, what stays on the fruit?
Here's the latest information:
I recommend you buy the following organic - there are 13 listed here (the Baker's Dozen):
Vegetables highest in pesticides: celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale, potatoes, lettuce.
Fruits highest in pesticides: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, cherries, imported grapes.
These are up to you:
Vegetables lowest in pesticides: onions, corn (frozen), peas (frozen), asparagus, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower.
Fruits lowest in pesticides: avocado, pineapple, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, honeydew, plums, cranberries, bananas, tomatoes.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Are You Zapped
The following is courtesy of HSI-Alert! It is a promotion for the latest and greatest book from Ann Louise Gittleman called Zapped. It explores the effects of electromagnetic fields on your health and vitality. How do I know it is a great book? I was part of the review process, so trust me, it is fascinating reading.
Since there is no use in recreating the wheel, here's what HSI-Alert had to say:
_________________________________________________
Whether you know it or not, you've been zapped.
Recluses who live in remote outposts with no electricity or wireless devices, they're not zapped. But the rest of us--we're all getting thoroughly zapped with electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by the numerous electrical and wireless devices in our homes, offices, schoolrooms, cars, restaurants, stores--just about everywhere.
And according to HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., this constant EMF immersion is nothing less than electropollution. As Ann Louise puts it, "Your body responds to it as though it were a cloud of toxic chemicals."
But there's good news here too.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Through ceilings and walls
-----------------------------------------------------------
I just got off the phone with Ann Louise. We talked about her newest book, "Zapped," which she describes as a handbook for recognizing EMF sources. More importantly, "Zapped" offers hundreds of invaluable tips on how to significantly reduce your electropollution exposure.
For instance: If you live in a two-story house and you have a ceiling fan downstairs, the fan's EMF filters up into the room above. So be sure you don't run that fan at night if the room above is a bedroom.
Your refrigerator also generates a very powerful EMF. So if there's a couch or an easy chair on the other side of the wall behind your refrigerator, anyone sitting there is cocooned in a powerful electromagnetic aura.
With just these two insights, you can immediately imagine the many ways your appliances fill your home with EMFs.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wild & wireless
-----------------------------------------------------------
Of course, "Zapped" also closely examines the effects of our wireless world--multifunction cell phones, laptops, iPads, and all the other wonderful gadgets that bring new layers of electropollution to our daily rituals.
Especially the cell phone.
As I mentioned earlier this year, a series of international studies called Interphone, coordinated by the World Health Organization, revealed a very troubling link between heavy cell use and giloma, the type of brain tumor that ended Senator Kennedy's life.
Other studies have shown that extended cell use among young people sharply increases their risk of developing malignant brain tumors.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
Here are three essential steps Ann Louise offers in "Zapped"...
1) After dialing a number, hold the phone away from your head while the call connects--this is when the signal (and the EMF) is strongest
2) Don't sleep near your cordless phone charger--it emits radio frequency power even when it's not in use
3) Keep the calls you make from cars, elevators, trains, etc. to a minimum--enclosed spaces increase EMF power
If you've been an HSI member for a while, you know Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and the author of many books on health and healing, including "The Fat Flush Plan," a New York Times bestseller. No surprise, then, that she caps off her many excellent EMF avoidance tips with suggestions for foods and supplements that can help "zap-proof" your world.
For more info go to http://www.areyouzapped.com/
Since there is no use in recreating the wheel, here's what HSI-Alert had to say:
_________________________________________________
Whether you know it or not, you've been zapped.
Recluses who live in remote outposts with no electricity or wireless devices, they're not zapped. But the rest of us--we're all getting thoroughly zapped with electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by the numerous electrical and wireless devices in our homes, offices, schoolrooms, cars, restaurants, stores--just about everywhere.
And according to HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., this constant EMF immersion is nothing less than electropollution. As Ann Louise puts it, "Your body responds to it as though it were a cloud of toxic chemicals."
But there's good news here too.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Through ceilings and walls
-----------------------------------------------------------
I just got off the phone with Ann Louise. We talked about her newest book, "Zapped," which she describes as a handbook for recognizing EMF sources. More importantly, "Zapped" offers hundreds of invaluable tips on how to significantly reduce your electropollution exposure.
For instance: If you live in a two-story house and you have a ceiling fan downstairs, the fan's EMF filters up into the room above. So be sure you don't run that fan at night if the room above is a bedroom.
Your refrigerator also generates a very powerful EMF. So if there's a couch or an easy chair on the other side of the wall behind your refrigerator, anyone sitting there is cocooned in a powerful electromagnetic aura.
With just these two insights, you can immediately imagine the many ways your appliances fill your home with EMFs.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wild & wireless
-----------------------------------------------------------
Of course, "Zapped" also closely examines the effects of our wireless world--multifunction cell phones, laptops, iPads, and all the other wonderful gadgets that bring new layers of electropollution to our daily rituals.
Especially the cell phone.
As I mentioned earlier this year, a series of international studies called Interphone, coordinated by the World Health Organization, revealed a very troubling link between heavy cell use and giloma, the type of brain tumor that ended Senator Kennedy's life.
Other studies have shown that extended cell use among young people sharply increases their risk of developing malignant brain tumors.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
Here are three essential steps Ann Louise offers in "Zapped"...
1) After dialing a number, hold the phone away from your head while the call connects--this is when the signal (and the EMF) is strongest
2) Don't sleep near your cordless phone charger--it emits radio frequency power even when it's not in use
3) Keep the calls you make from cars, elevators, trains, etc. to a minimum--enclosed spaces increase EMF power
If you've been an HSI member for a while, you know Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and the author of many books on health and healing, including "The Fat Flush Plan," a New York Times bestseller. No surprise, then, that she caps off her many excellent EMF avoidance tips with suggestions for foods and supplements that can help "zap-proof" your world.
For more info go to http://www.areyouzapped.com/
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Weston Price Foundation Info - Organic Valley is Against Raw Milk!!
This is an e-mail that I received from the Weston Price Foundation:
INFORMATION UPDATE
ORGANIC VALLEYS ANTI-RAW MILK POLICY
Dear Members,
As many of you may have already heard, the CROPP cooperative, producer of dairy products and other foodstuffs under the Organic Valley (OV) and Organic Prairie labels, voted at their May 13 board meeting to prohibit any of the CROPP farmer members from selling raw milk as a side business. The vote was a close onefour in favor, three againstreflecting the division of opinion among the CROPP board members themselves. After the Board vote, the cooperative took the decision to their Dairy Executive Committee (DEC) for further discussion and another vote. The result was a split, 20 votes in favor and 20 against. This policy is to take effect January 1, 2011.
We at WAPF did not immediately publicize this new policy, instead writing privately to CROPP CEO George Siemon and the members of the board, urging them to reconsider and take the issue back to the board for further discussion and another vote. In our letter, we addressed some of what we felt were misguided issues that led to the cooperatives anti-raw milk stance, such as potential liability to CROPP and marketplace competition, pointing out that these were grossly inflated and not legitimate concerns; we noted the potential downside to CROPPs reputation as a supporter of family farms; and, most importantly, we pointed out that the new policy would impose severe economic hardship on many farmers, farmers the co-op was founded to protect. (For a discussion and rebuttal of CROPPs concerns about raw milk, see below.)
Many of CROPPs farmers have high levels of debt, and they have, over the past few years, faced new financial burdens with lower pay prices and quotas that CROPP had in place for the past yearin some cases amounting to a 30 percent reduction in income. Their financial situation is recovering somewhat now, but many are challenged to make up for past losses.
Many of their farmers had active raw milk businesses established before they even joined the cooperative, many operating in states where the enterprise is unquestionably legal. Others developed raw milk customers after their incomes droppedallowing these farms to remain solvent. The new policy will force these farmers to choose between remaining a CROPP member or selling raw milk exclusively, either of which will likely lead to severe financial stress or even bankruptcy and possible loss of the family farm.
Despite our grave concerns, I received a response from George Siemon dated June 21, 2010, stating that the anti-raw milk policy would remain in effect. In the letter, Siemon insisted that CROPP is not against raw milk, and that we are standing on the same side of the river in supporting organic and local food, agricultural reform and corporate reform.
Is that true? CROPP did indeed start small, as a local cooperative of just a few dozen vegetable farmers, the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool. The co-ops seven dairy producers soon branched out from produce to include cheese and eventually other dairy products. Unfortunately, in so doing, they opted for the industrial model. Instead of producing what consumers were asking fordairy products as natural as possible, such as low-temperature, non-homogenized milkCROPP chose to market ultra-high temperature (UHT), homogenized industrial-style milk and cream. (UHT processing takes milk to 230 degrees F, way above the boiling point, thereby killing every enzyme and immune-supporting factor in the milk.) When they branched out into eggs, they chose the industrial organic confinement model, instead of pastured poultry, something their grass-based farmers were perfectly positioned to do. Their raw cheese is actually heated to above 150 degrees. They also sell an Organic Valley brand of soy milk.
We then further delayed making any announcement about the OV decision because we were working behind the scenes with representatives of the co-op, and hoping that OV would reconsider. However, at their most recent board meeting, the board voted 7-0 that raw milk sales by their producers must not exceed 1 percent of their volume, and must be limited to family, friends and neighbors. While some board members have insisted that this anti-raw milk policy will not be enforced, we hear from others in the organization that OV is planning to strenuously enforce the policy.
In any event, for the average OV farmer, 1 percent is probably about three to six gallons per day, so the updated policy merely puts a gloss on the original anti-raw milk stance. The new policy will mean that thousands of consumers who need raw milk for their own and their childrens health will no longer be able to obtain it.
Ironically, the $12 billion dairy industry giant, Dean Foods, which owns the Horizon Organic label, the largest conventional and organic dairy producer in the United States, has specifically stated that its farmers are free to sell or provide raw milk on the side. Dean Foods/Horizon the good guys and Organic Valley hurting family farmersthis picture seems upside down.
This isn't the first time CROPP seems to have lost its bearings. A couple of years ago, the management opted to buy some of their milk from a 7200-cow industrial dairy located in an arid part of Texas, until some of their farmer-members found out and put an end to the lunacyboth their farmers and consumers saw the move as a violation of trust. Organic Valley has always represented itself as being pro-family farmertheir management shouldn't need to be reminded that a 7200-cow dairy is not a family farm!
Just as in the case of buying from factory farms, we hope CROPP farmer leadership will come to their senses and rescind their destructive anti-raw milk policy.
The unfortunate decision by the CROPP board should galvanize all of us to renew our efforts to purchase as much of our food as possible directly from local farmers; if your only choice for dairy foods and eggs is the local health food store or cooperative, make a point of purchasing from the local dairy producers listed in our Shopping Guide. Farmer-friendly brands such as Natural by Nature and farmstead dairy producers such as Traders Point Creamery, among many others, are highly rated in The Cornucopia Institute's organic dairy scorecard (ratings of all 120 organic brands www.cornucopia.org) and deserve our food dollars. Another good choice is to purchase raw grass-fed butter from one of our many advertisers in Wise Traditions and have it shipped to you.
If the farm family you get your raw milk from faces the dilemma of choosing between CROPP and direct raw milk sales, please express your support for them and do everything you can to help them choose the latter. You can help them build their customer base, reduce their expenses by offering help on the farm, and even provide the funding and financial advice they may desperately need to make the transition. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund can help assist with advice and model cow-share and herd-share agreements.
If you feel betrayed by a cooperative that you had always considered to be an ally, you can also visit their website, www.organicvalley.coop, and let them know how you feel. Maybe if they hear from enough of us, they will realize the damage they are doing to their brands reputation. Please consider forwarding this message to your friends and family members who might also want to convey their feelings to Organic Valley management.
Above all, lets all make the pledge to vote with our pocketbooks in support of small farmers and artisan producers instead of large commercial dairy interests that put their profits before the interests of the hard-working farmers who produce their milk and other commodities.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation
---------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS ON OV MANAGEMENT OBJECTIONS TO RAW MILK SALES BY THEIR MEMBERS
The following is a brief analysis of some of the rationale Organic Valley management and board members used in making their decision to ban and then severely limit the amount of raw milk their members could sell.
LEGAL LIABILITY
The Board articulated concerns about Organic Valley being sued if one of their farmers, selling raw milk, ran into legal trouble. This concern is dubious at best. Farmer-members of the cooperative are independent businesses. Until their truck picks up member milk, Organic Valley has no legal responsibility for it, or for unrelated sales of other milk.
MARKETPLACE FALLOUT
The Board expressed concern that if one of the Organic Valley members selling raw milk ran into trouble, and was the subject of widespread publicity, some of that manure flying around could stick on the Organic Valley label.
However, most intelligent consumers are able to discern the difference between locally distributed raw milk and Organic Valley products on the store shelves.
To mitigate this risk, without harming farmer-members who are engaged in raw milk commerce, it was suggested suggest that the co-op could:
1. Require any member that sells raw milk to immediately take down their Organic Valley sign and not wear any clothing items embroidered with the OV logo.
2. Prohibit any member that sells raw milk from discussing Organic Valley in any regard with their customers, the public or news media. Nothing should be done to overtly or covertly identify them as an Organic Valley member-supplier. If a problem were to occur, it is unlikely the news media would be interested in where the wholesale portion of the farms milk was being shipped to (and then pasteurized).
COMPETITIVE FACTORS
Raw milk sales are booming all around the country.
Consumers are going to continue to seek out raw milk. Whatever market share raw milk achieves, as the marketplace matures, will be accomplished whether or not Organic Valley implements its raw milk ban. The ban might retard growth, temporarily, but the growth will recover as non-OV farmers fill in the gaps.
However, in the meantime, this new co-op rule stands to economically injure many of its members. Many of these families operate in states where selling raw milk is unquestionably legal.
Consumers who drink raw milk are not going back to drinking OVs ultrapasteurized fluid milk. From a competitive standpoint they are buying a different product than Organic Valley is selling. Depending on how the coverage of this issue escalates, it could bring heightened attention to the fact that most of Organic Valley milk is ultrapasteurized.
DISRUPTIONS TO SUPPLY
The co-op has been concerned that sometimes their trucks show up at a farm that also sells raw milk, and the bulk tank is empty. This is obviously a waste of time, money and diesel fuel. Furthermore, the cooperative makes production plans, let's say to fill up a cheese vat with milk, and if the farmer has instead sold it to raw milk customers, it throws a real monkey wrench into their production plans. This is the one concern of the cooperative that seems legitimate.
However, a workable solution could be crafted by requiring raw milk producers to make a commitment in terms of overall volume, or percentage volume of their dairy herd, to the cooperative. They would need to contractually fulfill that commitment before they could divert milk to raw milk sales.
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
Implementing these suggestions, or variations thereof, would be a viable alternative to the present prohibition on raw milk sales. Everyone would win. Farmers would maintain their income, consumers could choose between pasteurized and raw milk, and the cooperatives interest would be protected.
INFORMATION UPDATE
ORGANIC VALLEYS ANTI-RAW MILK POLICY
Dear Members,
As many of you may have already heard, the CROPP cooperative, producer of dairy products and other foodstuffs under the Organic Valley (OV) and Organic Prairie labels, voted at their May 13 board meeting to prohibit any of the CROPP farmer members from selling raw milk as a side business. The vote was a close onefour in favor, three againstreflecting the division of opinion among the CROPP board members themselves. After the Board vote, the cooperative took the decision to their Dairy Executive Committee (DEC) for further discussion and another vote. The result was a split, 20 votes in favor and 20 against. This policy is to take effect January 1, 2011.
We at WAPF did not immediately publicize this new policy, instead writing privately to CROPP CEO George Siemon and the members of the board, urging them to reconsider and take the issue back to the board for further discussion and another vote. In our letter, we addressed some of what we felt were misguided issues that led to the cooperatives anti-raw milk stance, such as potential liability to CROPP and marketplace competition, pointing out that these were grossly inflated and not legitimate concerns; we noted the potential downside to CROPPs reputation as a supporter of family farms; and, most importantly, we pointed out that the new policy would impose severe economic hardship on many farmers, farmers the co-op was founded to protect. (For a discussion and rebuttal of CROPPs concerns about raw milk, see below.)
Many of CROPPs farmers have high levels of debt, and they have, over the past few years, faced new financial burdens with lower pay prices and quotas that CROPP had in place for the past yearin some cases amounting to a 30 percent reduction in income. Their financial situation is recovering somewhat now, but many are challenged to make up for past losses.
Many of their farmers had active raw milk businesses established before they even joined the cooperative, many operating in states where the enterprise is unquestionably legal. Others developed raw milk customers after their incomes droppedallowing these farms to remain solvent. The new policy will force these farmers to choose between remaining a CROPP member or selling raw milk exclusively, either of which will likely lead to severe financial stress or even bankruptcy and possible loss of the family farm.
Despite our grave concerns, I received a response from George Siemon dated June 21, 2010, stating that the anti-raw milk policy would remain in effect. In the letter, Siemon insisted that CROPP is not against raw milk, and that we are standing on the same side of the river in supporting organic and local food, agricultural reform and corporate reform.
Is that true? CROPP did indeed start small, as a local cooperative of just a few dozen vegetable farmers, the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool. The co-ops seven dairy producers soon branched out from produce to include cheese and eventually other dairy products. Unfortunately, in so doing, they opted for the industrial model. Instead of producing what consumers were asking fordairy products as natural as possible, such as low-temperature, non-homogenized milkCROPP chose to market ultra-high temperature (UHT), homogenized industrial-style milk and cream. (UHT processing takes milk to 230 degrees F, way above the boiling point, thereby killing every enzyme and immune-supporting factor in the milk.) When they branched out into eggs, they chose the industrial organic confinement model, instead of pastured poultry, something their grass-based farmers were perfectly positioned to do. Their raw cheese is actually heated to above 150 degrees. They also sell an Organic Valley brand of soy milk.
We then further delayed making any announcement about the OV decision because we were working behind the scenes with representatives of the co-op, and hoping that OV would reconsider. However, at their most recent board meeting, the board voted 7-0 that raw milk sales by their producers must not exceed 1 percent of their volume, and must be limited to family, friends and neighbors. While some board members have insisted that this anti-raw milk policy will not be enforced, we hear from others in the organization that OV is planning to strenuously enforce the policy.
In any event, for the average OV farmer, 1 percent is probably about three to six gallons per day, so the updated policy merely puts a gloss on the original anti-raw milk stance. The new policy will mean that thousands of consumers who need raw milk for their own and their childrens health will no longer be able to obtain it.
Ironically, the $12 billion dairy industry giant, Dean Foods, which owns the Horizon Organic label, the largest conventional and organic dairy producer in the United States, has specifically stated that its farmers are free to sell or provide raw milk on the side. Dean Foods/Horizon the good guys and Organic Valley hurting family farmersthis picture seems upside down.
This isn't the first time CROPP seems to have lost its bearings. A couple of years ago, the management opted to buy some of their milk from a 7200-cow industrial dairy located in an arid part of Texas, until some of their farmer-members found out and put an end to the lunacyboth their farmers and consumers saw the move as a violation of trust. Organic Valley has always represented itself as being pro-family farmertheir management shouldn't need to be reminded that a 7200-cow dairy is not a family farm!
Just as in the case of buying from factory farms, we hope CROPP farmer leadership will come to their senses and rescind their destructive anti-raw milk policy.
The unfortunate decision by the CROPP board should galvanize all of us to renew our efforts to purchase as much of our food as possible directly from local farmers; if your only choice for dairy foods and eggs is the local health food store or cooperative, make a point of purchasing from the local dairy producers listed in our Shopping Guide. Farmer-friendly brands such as Natural by Nature and farmstead dairy producers such as Traders Point Creamery, among many others, are highly rated in The Cornucopia Institute's organic dairy scorecard (ratings of all 120 organic brands www.cornucopia.org) and deserve our food dollars. Another good choice is to purchase raw grass-fed butter from one of our many advertisers in Wise Traditions and have it shipped to you.
If the farm family you get your raw milk from faces the dilemma of choosing between CROPP and direct raw milk sales, please express your support for them and do everything you can to help them choose the latter. You can help them build their customer base, reduce their expenses by offering help on the farm, and even provide the funding and financial advice they may desperately need to make the transition. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund can help assist with advice and model cow-share and herd-share agreements.
If you feel betrayed by a cooperative that you had always considered to be an ally, you can also visit their website, www.organicvalley.coop, and let them know how you feel. Maybe if they hear from enough of us, they will realize the damage they are doing to their brands reputation. Please consider forwarding this message to your friends and family members who might also want to convey their feelings to Organic Valley management.
Above all, lets all make the pledge to vote with our pocketbooks in support of small farmers and artisan producers instead of large commercial dairy interests that put their profits before the interests of the hard-working farmers who produce their milk and other commodities.
Sincerely yours,
Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation
---------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS ON OV MANAGEMENT OBJECTIONS TO RAW MILK SALES BY THEIR MEMBERS
The following is a brief analysis of some of the rationale Organic Valley management and board members used in making their decision to ban and then severely limit the amount of raw milk their members could sell.
LEGAL LIABILITY
The Board articulated concerns about Organic Valley being sued if one of their farmers, selling raw milk, ran into legal trouble. This concern is dubious at best. Farmer-members of the cooperative are independent businesses. Until their truck picks up member milk, Organic Valley has no legal responsibility for it, or for unrelated sales of other milk.
MARKETPLACE FALLOUT
The Board expressed concern that if one of the Organic Valley members selling raw milk ran into trouble, and was the subject of widespread publicity, some of that manure flying around could stick on the Organic Valley label.
However, most intelligent consumers are able to discern the difference between locally distributed raw milk and Organic Valley products on the store shelves.
To mitigate this risk, without harming farmer-members who are engaged in raw milk commerce, it was suggested suggest that the co-op could:
1. Require any member that sells raw milk to immediately take down their Organic Valley sign and not wear any clothing items embroidered with the OV logo.
2. Prohibit any member that sells raw milk from discussing Organic Valley in any regard with their customers, the public or news media. Nothing should be done to overtly or covertly identify them as an Organic Valley member-supplier. If a problem were to occur, it is unlikely the news media would be interested in where the wholesale portion of the farms milk was being shipped to (and then pasteurized).
COMPETITIVE FACTORS
Raw milk sales are booming all around the country.
Consumers are going to continue to seek out raw milk. Whatever market share raw milk achieves, as the marketplace matures, will be accomplished whether or not Organic Valley implements its raw milk ban. The ban might retard growth, temporarily, but the growth will recover as non-OV farmers fill in the gaps.
However, in the meantime, this new co-op rule stands to economically injure many of its members. Many of these families operate in states where selling raw milk is unquestionably legal.
Consumers who drink raw milk are not going back to drinking OVs ultrapasteurized fluid milk. From a competitive standpoint they are buying a different product than Organic Valley is selling. Depending on how the coverage of this issue escalates, it could bring heightened attention to the fact that most of Organic Valley milk is ultrapasteurized.
DISRUPTIONS TO SUPPLY
The co-op has been concerned that sometimes their trucks show up at a farm that also sells raw milk, and the bulk tank is empty. This is obviously a waste of time, money and diesel fuel. Furthermore, the cooperative makes production plans, let's say to fill up a cheese vat with milk, and if the farmer has instead sold it to raw milk customers, it throws a real monkey wrench into their production plans. This is the one concern of the cooperative that seems legitimate.
However, a workable solution could be crafted by requiring raw milk producers to make a commitment in terms of overall volume, or percentage volume of their dairy herd, to the cooperative. They would need to contractually fulfill that commitment before they could divert milk to raw milk sales.
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
Implementing these suggestions, or variations thereof, would be a viable alternative to the present prohibition on raw milk sales. Everyone would win. Farmers would maintain their income, consumers could choose between pasteurized and raw milk, and the cooperatives interest would be protected.
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