The Food and Drug Administration has issued a regulation allowing spinach and lettuce to be irradiated.
Yes, you read that right…
Beginning Friday June 21, spinach and lettuce sold in the United States may now be irradiated!
In case you are wondering, this is a very harmful practice that has implications reaching far and wide.
What exactly is going on? The FDA issued the food-irradiation rule yesterday in the wake of recent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks, such as the 2006 E. coli outbreak that pulled fresh spinach off store shelves.
This seems like a good thing and food manufacturers are very happy about this ruling as is Big Pharma (pharmaceutical companies) whom will make a ton of money off of a sickened population.
Let’s Put this Into Perspective:
The FDA issued the ruling due to the 2006 E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach.
First, the spinach outbreak was more than 2 years ago.
Second, only 200 people became ill from the outbreak with no reported cases since then.
200 sick people may seem like alot until you understand that more than 55 million people become sick and more than 3,000 people die every year due to contaminated meat; beef, chicken, fish, and pork.
That is not a typo. 55 million people get food poisoning every year and more than 3,000 of these people die due to meat contamination.
Every year! Year after year after year…
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Meat is already being irradiated. However, more than 300 million pounds of beef have been recalled this year due to contamination.
In other words, food irradiation doesn’t work.
Here’s another little known fact: The FDA allowed the radiation of commercial meat and produce many years ago.
The new ruling for spinach and lettuce allows higher levels of radiation that are believed to kill viruses.
Why is Food Irradiation harmful?
The following is an excerpt from my book, Better Living With Whole Foods
IRRADIATION
Irradiation of commercial produce and meats has been approved by the FDA. The reasoning behind this harmful practice is to kill harmful bacteria and other unwelcome pests. In reality, food irradiation gives food manufacturers the ability to extend the shelf life of produce so that it can be stored for weeks on trucks, ships, or trains until it reaches your supermarket.
WHAT DOES FOODIRRADIATION DO?
Irradiation of produce has been shown to deplete their vital nutrient stores, especially vitamin A, B-complex, C, and beta-carotene. Beneficial bacteria are also destroyed which indicate when food is spoiled. For instance, although they appear fresh, commercially grown apples on supermarket shelves will often have a mushy feel and taste bland. These apples look fresh, but they are actually spoiled and depleted of their vital nutrients.
A quote from Public Citizen regarding irradiation of produce:
“We, along with thousands of other consumers, opposed these regulations from the time they were originally proposed during the Clinton administration because of their effects on food, farmers and health,” said a Public Citizen spokesman. “Until the irradiation of food is shown to be safe, this technology should not be used to ‘treat’ imported fruits and vegetables or any other food, for that matter. APHIS acknowledged receiving thousands of comments from citizens who raised safety concerns, but the agency apparently chose to ignore them.”
– Source: Public Citizen (www.publiccitizen.org)
Food irradiation is a real concern which not only affects our produce, but also our meat products, including beef, chicken, fish, and pork.
Effects of Irradiation on Food
The long-term health consequences of eating irradiated food are still unknown. Irradiation creates a complex series of reactions that literally rip apart the molecular structure of the food. This process creates known carcinogens like benzene and other toxic chemicals including toluene.v Also, irradiation byproducts called 2-ACBs, which do not occur naturally in any food, have been linked to cancer development in rats vii and genetic damage in human cells.viii Other serious health problems have been observed in animals fed irradiated foods, including premature death, mutations, stillbirths, organ damage and nutritional deficiencies.
Why Should You Be Worried About This?
Irrdiation of food kills beneficial nutrients including the thousands of cancer fifghting phytonutrients. This fact alone is cause for great concern. However, there are implications that are of much greater concern…
This is just the beginning stages of mandatory irradiation of all foods.
Today, it’s spinach and lettuce. Tomorrow, it’s tomatoes and peppers. And on and on, until there is mandatory irradiation of all food sold to the public.
Question to Ponder:
Did you get to vote on this subject?
Did the FDA give you any choice in the matter?
Did the FDA give us any warning?
The answer to all of these questions is NO!!!
This ruling is very upsetting to me. And, it should upset you too. Especially if you have children.
What happened to our freedom of choice? If you haven’t noticed, when it comes to our food, our freedom of choice is dimnishing at a rapid rate.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Buy organic fresh produce. As of the writing of this post it was illegal to irradiate produce and label it as organic.
Buy your produce directly from local farmers at Farmer’s Markets and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture)
Grow your own produce.
Lastly, raise your voice. Let your government representatives know that you are vehemently opposed to irradiation of your food supply.
What do you think about irradiation of our food supply?
I would like to hear what you have to say about this matter.
Fighting the Good Fight,
Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Whole Foods Evangelist
My Fit Life
P.S. Check back with this post. I will be adding information in the coming days.
In response to a recent post, Alkalinity, Vibrant Health, & Whole Foods, I have had a few readers request a listing of foods that are alkaline forming in your body.
If you haven’t read the original post, click here and it will open up in a new window. I highly encourage you to read it.
Okay, now that we’re all on the same page, I would like to clarify a few things:
Sickness, Disease, Cancer, & Premature Death Flourish in an Acid Environment: Sickness and disease flourish in our modern society. This is directly related to the acidic (toxic) environments that we live in both outside and inside of our bodies.
Yes, that’s right, External toxins, such as pollution, pesticides, herbicides, flouride, chlorine, and all of the many thousands of environmental toxins that pollute the land we live on and the air breathe… all of these factors create an acidic (toxic) environment inside of your body.
But it doesn’t stop there. Pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, recreational drugs, processed foods, fast foods, refined sugar and flour, coffee, artificial sweeteners and a number of other foods are acid forming in your body too.
Isn’t It Just As Dangerous To Become Too Alkaline? Yes, it is. But, I have never met a person who was too alkaline. And, I’m positive that you haven’t either.
It is impossible to create a completely alkaline environment in todays modern world. We are exposed to toxins from the minute we are born.
Also, there are “healthy foods” that are acid forming in your body as well.
Here’s What You Need To Do: You need to add Alkaline forming foods to your diet and limit the amounts of Acid forming foods in your diet.
Acid Forming Foods: In addition to the foods mentioned above…
beef, chicken, fish, pork, grains, and most cooked foods are acid forming in your body.
Alkaline Forming Foods:
Vegetables, fruits, beans, raw seeds and nuts (especially if they are sprouted).
This is why it is highly recommended that you eat your fruits and veggies.
As you can see, it is very difficult to become too alkaline and very easy to become too acidic.
I have found a cool web page that has some good lists of Acid Forming & Alkaline Forming foods.
Disclaimer: The above mentioned web page does not belong to me. I do not recommend or endorse any products that they may or may not sell.
Shameless Plug: If you are interested in increasing your levels of health and wellness through beneficial whole foods, I highly recommend that you get a copy of my book, “Better Living With Whole Foods.”
The book is a culmination of my 21 years of experience, education, trial, and error in the field of health and fitness. It is your complete reference for healthy living in the 21st century that you will refer to again and again.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Committed to your success,
Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Whole Foods Evangelist
My Fit Life
Animal cloning is one of the most recent in an ever growing list of concerns in our food supply.
FDA Alert:
FDA announced on Thursday December 28th, 2006 preliminary approval of milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring to enter the human food supply. Despite public outcry, FDA has not recommended these products be labeled if approved.
In other words, in the near future, the meat and dairy products found on the shelves of your local grocery stores may come from that of cloned animals. To make matters worse, these meat and dairy products will not be labeled as such.
Can you believe that?
The FDA is not requiring food manufacturers to label whether or not their meats come from cloned animals! Isn’t that a shame?
Nobody knows the effect that consuming cloned animal products will have on our health and well being… not the FDA or anyone else. The consequences could be severe. This is further proof that the FDA does not have our best interests at heart and why you need to be as informed as you possibly can when it comes to the food that you and your loved ones will be eating.
BTW: This is one of the many reasons why I stopped eating meat 6 years ago.
Tell the FDA: Keep Animal Clones Out of Our Food!
According to the Center for Food Safety:
“Animal cloning is a new technology with potentially severe risks for food safety. Defects in clones are common, and cloning scientists warn that even small imbalances in clones could lead to hidden food safety problems in clones’ milk or meat. There are few studies on the risks of food from clones, and no long-term food safety studies have been done.
Further, the pregnancy complications in cloning cause unnecessary suffering for host mothers, and clones commonly develop with severe deformities and health problems, such as grossly oversized calves, enlarged tongues, squashed faces, intestinal blockages, immune deficiencies, diabetes, high rates of heart and lung damage, kidney failure and brain abnormalities.
Opinion polls show that the majority of Americans do not want food from animal clones and that they are opposed to cloning on moral or ethical grounds.”
Today, we are discussing the concept of alkalinity and how it coincides with your health and well being.
From time to time you will hear me mention foods that are alkaline forming and foods that are acid forming to your body. I have found that it is best to eat foods that are alkaline forming. The reason for this is that your body functions at its optimal level when it is slightly alkaline. But first…
Let’s take a look at the acid alkaline pH scale:
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic. Anything above seven is alkaline or basic.
Your blood pH is slightly alkaline. It has a pH of between 7.35 and 7.45. If it deviates from this range you will die. If you eat acid forming foods and drink acid forming drinks, such as soft drinks or processed foods, your body will have to use its mineral stores to keep your blood alkaline. These mineral stores and other nutrient stores are part of your body’s defense mechanism. If you rob your body of these vital nutrient stores, you will be more susceptible to sickness disease, cancer and, ultimately, premature death.
Here’s where it gets tricky:
When your body is at an imbalance, you do not drop dead right then and there. On the contrary, your body is very resilient. If your body is forced to live in an acidic environment you will develop warning signs, such as dry skin, inflammatory responses, diabetes, lupus, and hypertension, just to name a few. These are all warning signs. These are signs that you need to take charge of your health by eating alkaline forming foods and exercising effectively.
FIT FACT
An alkaline rich environment has been shown to carry as much as 20% more oxygen in your blood cells. Cancer cells cannot live in an oxygen rich environment. In other words, cancer cells die when they are introduced into an alkaline rich environment. And, you guessed it, cancer cells thrive when they are introduced into an acidic environment.
There is much debate over this, but I have found that when people eat foods and drink water that promotes alkalinity in their bodies, they are much healthier. They look healthier, they have more energy, they appear more vibrant, and they do not get sick easily, if at all. People whose bodies are more alkaline tend to have that special glow. I personally do everything I can to keep my body alkaline and I do not get sick.
I will repeat that last sentence one more time: I do everything I can to keep my body in an alkaline state an I do not get sick… ever!
Here’s the point:
Eating a diet rich in whole foods from beneficial sources is your key to vibrant health and wellness.
It’s not just about looking good or weighing less.
There are a number of ways to lose weight and have a smaller waist, but most of them are unhealthy.
Achieving vibrant health through alkaline whole foods and moderate exercise is about looking better, feeling better, and living better than you ever imagined possible… free of sickness and disease.
It’s about feeding your body in a way that it is functioning at optimal levels from the inside out.
It’s about having appreciation and respect for yourself and the environment in which you live.
Weight loss and a better appearance, one that you can be proud of, are merely side effects of leading a healthy vibrant life.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this subject. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Hidden fats, along with processed sugar and flour, are the major culprits in America’s battle with obesity.
In a recent post, “Sex, Lies, and Fat-Free Ice Cream,” I showed you how food manufacturers are able to legally hide fats and sugars in supposed low-fat and non-fat foods.
However, I feel that is imperative that you know exactly what these hidden fats are and exactly how they are hidden in the foods that you buy for youself and your loved ones.
BEWARE THE HIDDEN FATS
The fat that we are most familiar with is the triglyceride, which has 9 calories per gram. This is the only fat that the FDA requires food manufacturers to report, in fat grams, on food labels. However, there are also other forms of hidden fats that you will see listed on ingredients lists. These fats are monoglycerides, diglycerides, and soy lecithin. There are more, but these are the most common.
Let me break it down for you:
A triglyceride is a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids attached.
A diglyceride is a glycerol molecule with two fatty acids attached.
A monoglyceride is a glycerol molecule with one fatty acid attached.
Mono and diglycerides are fats just like triglycerides and also have 9 calories per gram. Also, mono and diglycerides are treated by the body in the same way as triglycerides. However, due to an FDA loophole these other fats do not have to be included on the nutrient facts section of food labels.
Soy lecithin is a highly processed emulsifier that holds the “other” fats together. Soy lecithin itself is a fat which also has 9 calories per gram. This fat does not have to be included on the nutrient facts section of food labels either.
Let me make this perfectly clear: The nutrient facts section of a food label is the place where grams of fat, protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients are listed. Food manufacturers do not have to list the fat grams on their label that come from monoglycerides, diglycerides, and soy lecithin; they are only required to list the fat grams from the triglycerides. However, food manufacturers are required to list these hidden fats in their ingredients list.
Note: Many of the so called low fat and non fat products on grocery store shelves will contain these hidden fats in their ingredients. This is one of the reasons low fat diets do not work.
But don’t take my word for it. Let’s take a look at the ingredients list from our previous post of Skinny Cow Ice Cream.
As you can see, Skinny Cow ice cream not only contains these hidden fats, but they are listed more than once on its ingredients list. Isn’t that a shame?!!
I hope that you are now starting to understand that the FDA and the big corporations do not have your best interests at heart. You have to take your health and fitness into your own hands. Study and put into use the principles in Better Living With Whole Foods for your own health and the health of the ones that you love.
Let me know your thoughts on this subject.
I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Today, a doctor at the wellness center that I work out of asked me to evaluate a package of the Skinny Cow Low-Fat Ice Cream Sandwich.
The front of the package sounds good:
97% Fat Free
140 Calories Per Serving
3 Grams of Fiber
0 Grams of Trans Fat
4 Fl Oz
Okay, let’s stop right here.
When I first read this I immediately had a few red flags come up.
First off, whenever you see a product, especially ice cream or pastries, that say low fat or 97% fat free, there is almost always a ton of chemicals, sugars, and hidden fats added.
However, the proof is in the pudding…
So, let’s turn over the package and look at the nutrition facts and ingredients list.
Nutrition Facts:
Total Fat: 1.5 grams
Total Carb: 30g
Protein: 4g
Total: 35.5 grams
To the average “weight loss victim” this sounds good.
But let’s examine this a little further.
The front of the package states that the ice cream sandwich is 4 ounces.
4 ounces = 112 grams
112 grams - 35.5 grams = 76.5
Okay, here’s the deal:
The nutrition facts section gives nutrition information for only 35.5 grams of food, but the ice cream sandwich actually contains 112 grams of food.
What happened to the other 76.5 grams of food that are not accounted for?
You guessed it… hidden fats, hidden sugars, and chemical preservatives!
Don’t believe me? Read on to discover the TRUTH.
Note: I’ll let you in on a little secret. I never look at the Nutrition Facts section of packaged foods. The only thing I look at is the list of ingredients.
Why? There are too many FDA loopholes that allow food manufacturers to lie on the Nutrition Facts section of a food label. However, food manufacturers are required to list all of a foods ingredients in its Ingredient List.
Watch the following video to get an explanation of what these ingredients actually are and what they mean to your diet and weight loss goals:
After reading this post and watching this video, it is easy to see that this product and products like it do nothing more than sabotage your weight loss and fitness goals.
This is deceptive marketing at its finest.
Poor unsuspecting dieters eat this stuff on a daily basis thinking that they are eating a “healthy” ice cream.
One of the things that really gets me is the fact that some of the biggest fitness and weight loss “gurus” recommend and approve Skinny Cow ice cream as a healthy alternative to regular ice cream.
In conclusion, Skinny Cow ice cream is extremely harmful to you. It will sabotage your weight loss and diet goals.
Avoid Skinny Cow ice cream like the plague.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this subject.
I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Committed to your success,
Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Whole Foods Evangelist
My Fit Life
In a recent post titled Cafe Femenino, I mentioned the importance of purchaisng coffee that is Fair Trade and organic.
As promised, this post discusses why this is true and how you can make a difference in the world… one cup at a time.
The following excerpt was taken from the book, Better Living With Whole Foods:
There are a couple of things to look for when selecting coffee, tea, or yerba mate:
• Shade Grown
• Organic
• Fair trade
Coffee is grown in tropical climates; most of it is grown on small farms. Historically, these small coffee farmers have been treated unfairly:
Shade Grown: Coffee farmers have been forced to cut back the trees on their farms in order to increase their yields. These trees are more commonly called rain forest. As you probably know, the destruction of rain forest is a hot topic today.
In other words, shade grown coffee helps preserve tropical rainforests, which in turn helps to protect our delicate ecosystem and reduce global warming.
Organic: What you may not know is the fact that coffee grown in direct sunlight requires large amounts of pesticides. As you know, pesticides and herbicides are harmful to you. Also, since countries outside of the United States are not regulated by the FDA, they will typically use a larger amount of pesticides. These high levels of pesticides soak into the coffee beans which in turn get transferred into your body.
Fair Trade: Here’s the problem: 70% of the coffee grown in the world is produced by small rural farmers. Their farms are typically five acres or less. Rural farmers in other parts of the world do not realize the dramatic effect commercially grown coffee, tea, and cacao has on consumers and the environment. Many of these farmers and their workers have been kept in poverty by large corporations. Fair Trade certification was established in order to stop the exploitation of these farmers, workers, and the environment.
Fair Trade is much more than a fair price! Fair Trade principles include:
• Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
• Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
• Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
• Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
• Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
• Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrichemicals and GMO’s are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.
Fair Trade Certification has been available since 1999, but it’s just now beginning to gain public awareness. I consider it a moral obligation to support the Fair Trade initiative. Fair Trade Certification offers a simple way for conscious consumers to know that their products were produced in a socially, environmentally, and economically responsible manner.
With Fair Trade you can make a difference. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label the next time you buy coffee, tea, or cacao.
