Rebel With a Fork Blog

Archive for March, 2010

Back in the 60s and 70s, it became apparent that we were not going to be able to feed the world population with the current state of food production.

You couldn’t grow enough crops fast enough.

You couldn’t produce enough meat, beef, chicken, pork, and fish fast enough.

And even if you could, using the then current methods, it would cost too much.

Enter – Lab Created Food and commercial agriculture.

You could actually manufacture food in a plant, making food fast, easy and cheap.

Commercial farming increased the availability of everything from meat to vegetables at a much faster rate.

There were a couple of problems.

First, no one would touch the fake stuff. Only very poor people ate it because it was cheap. It had a horrible stigma.

Enter – Big Time Marketing

Marketing geniuses were able to produce slick ads that would make your mouth water. And these foods were cheap, and easy to prepare. What more could a working mother want? Most people overlooked the fact that it didn’t taste that great and just sort of got used to eating it.

Then the next problem -

Everyone starting gaining weight. These foods were making people fat at an alarming rate.

Enter – the ‘Big’ industry

Clothing manufacturers scrambled and the ‘big’ industry was born.

Then the next problem -

These fake foods are not natural. They are not what you were designed to eat. They don’t contain the natural nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Diseases that were considered ‘old people’ diseases started affecting younger people. Diseases that were barely heard of started becoming common. And there was a big rash of new conditions that we never dealt with before.

Enter Big Pharma

They will develop a cure for everything. Except all the money you saved on cheap food will now be spent on prescription drugs.

Everything from ADD, depression, bi-polar, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and many more diseases have rapidly increased since the advent of these fake foods.

They blame it on things like fat, bacon, butter, eggs, meat, and carbs, but everyone ate all this stuff before. So what gives?

At this point its a very tangled web.

Many crops are grown from GMO seed. That means that the chemicals you used to be able to wash off are now bred into the plant.

These GMO foods are used in manufactured foods because they’re abundant and cheap.

These GMO foods are fed to the meat supply – which is unnatural for them as well. They grow fatter quicker too. Which is good for industry. You love it when you get those big huge chicken breasts for a song, don’t you?

But the meat supply is getting sicker too, so they add antibiotics to the feed.

So, it’s not enough that Doctors over-prescribe antibiotics, now you get them in your meat too.

Now we have anti-biotic resistant diseases.

Now the problem is – the original problem was never solved. We cannot feed the world population using natural methods.

And for the first time in many, many years, the life expectancy is going down. Your children will live a shorter lifespan than you.

The truth is, not that many people are very concerned. They will continue to eat the cheap garbage. And hopefully those of us that choose to eat natural good foods will still be able to do so.

Login and exercise your right to eat good food!

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• Paula Goldman: A Month Without Monsanto? (huffingtonpost.com)

The American Academy of Family Physicians has agreed to partner with Coke on a campaign about the dangers of soda consumption.

Huh?

“Coca-Cola, like other sodas, causes enormous suffering and premature death by increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, gout, and cavities,” said Walter Willett of Harvard University. “[The academy] should be a loud critic of these products and practices, but by signing with Coke their voice has almost surely been muzzled.”

Are they really going to come out with all guns blazing and tell the truth about the dangers of soda consumption, or will it be a soft message like ‘you know, soda isn’t that bad if you don’t overdo it…’

That my friends, is exactly why I do not sell out to advertisers at Rebel With a Fork.

Now to be fair, for any business to keep it’s door open – there has to be money to pay the bills. But don’t you think that if you have spnsors, they should deliver the same message that you are? Are there any ethics left in business?  Am I just a dinosaur? Do you have to sell out to stay alive?

The real truth is that its up to you. You vote with every dollar you spend.

When you started reading labels and avoiding corn syrup, the market responded and started pulling corn syrup out of their products like mad men.

You started avoiding high sodium foods, and the market is responding by cutting sodium. Not enough, but its a start.

People are waking up to the dangers of GMOs. This one needs some fast action before all of the crops are contaminated and owned by Monsanto. We won’t be able to undo this one easily…

But the point is -

When it comes to the safety of the food you eat, you cannot trust a commercial entity. They are going to do whatever they can to increase profits. That’s what they are in business to do – make profits. As long as you keep buying it, they’ll keep doing it.

The only way to be sure of what’s in your food is to make it yourself. I know that sounds like a horrible death sentence, but it’s really not that hard – and it tastes so much better!

And by default, you’ll lose weight, look better, and feel great.

OK, enough preaching, right?

Did you get your free copy of the Skinny Living Handbook?  Get more info and pick up your copy here >>>

If you haven’t tried some new recipes this week, isn’t this a good time to start? You’re gonna want to look and feel great for summer, and have tons of energy to get out and do the things you love to do, right?

If you haven’t gone through the Jumpstart section, go ahead and get started!

Login now >>>

Related articles by Zemanta

• Family doctors group loses members over Coke deal (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Harvard nutrition expert offers family physician group no-cost alternative to funding from Coca-Cola (scienceblog.com)

 

There was a girl in a forum I visited today who is trying to lose weight, but loves pizza and burgers, and … And she wanted to know how she could ever lose weight. I thought I would share my response with you too.

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I was a size 10, growing into a size 12. Now I’m a size 2. I eat pizza, and burgers, and cake, and donuts. There are 5 major things you MUST do.

1. All food needs to be freshly prepared. No packaged, frozen or boxed foods. Pizza must be from a real pizzeria. And not every day. You have to use some common sense.

2. No Pop! Especially not diet.

3. Get your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

4. Eat all day. Many people pat themselves on the back for not eating all day, then gorge themselves at night when you’re not going to do anything to burn off those calories.

5. Get some exercise. Once you drop the weight, that will be the only way to have any shape – unless you like the stick look.

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Of course, there are other fine points, but realistically – if you follow these 5 simple points, the weight will drop off. It doesn’t really need to be any more complicated than that.

What to cook? How to cook? I know, a lot of people don’t know the fine art of cooking. Don’t be scared of that. Find some great fast, simple, healthy cooking ideas here >>>

Shocking! It is predicted that our children will have a 10 year shorter lifespan.

Are you willing to let that happen?

Lets speed up the change! Login and and pick a new recipe to try – and tell  your friends about this important site!

Eat Well! It will save your life, and your kids life.

The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (S 3002) is being withdrawn.

See, we can still make a difference!

We still have to keep on our toes. There’s the food safety act, and GMOs. Oh yeah, and health care reform.

Login and start your own health care reform!

 

First Lady Michelle Obama has launched her healthy kids initiative called Lets Move. Its past time for everyone to get on this bandwagon.

 She is pushing for -

Parents to make healthier meals

Schools to provide healthier meals

Increased opportunities for physical activity

Increased availability of healthy food in poorer neighborhoods

She admits that as busy professional parents, that they often fell into the fast foods trap. Luckily, she had a caring pediatrician that pointed out that she may want to make some changes.

As parents, we have the ultimate responsibility for our children’s health and well being.  

But too many parents throw up their hands in despair, claiming that their child won’t eat vegetables. They will. You just have to find the ones they will eat. My daughter was very particular. She only liked vegetables raw. Which is great. No cooking required! She pretty much only liked broccoli and carrots for the longest time. So, guess what we ate almost every day?

I thought she was really weird, but I found that a lot of kids are the same way. They love finger foods. Neighborhood kids always ate fruits and vegetables at my house.

There are tons of ways to make healthy eating more interesting – and it isn’t difficult. Just log in to the members area and pick up your fast start guide and start on your new healthy lifestyle today.

 OK, maybe you don’t eat alfalfa. But the animals you eat do.

And Maybe we’re all just alarmists and GMO foods won’t hurt our health. Maybe. But by the time we determine that – Monsanto will have claim to every crop on earth.

 Imagine for a moment that you’re a struggling farmer. You don’t buy seeds from Monsanto. You want nothing to do with Monsanto seeds. You diligently save your seeds to plant next year.

Suddenly thugs show up at your door claiming that you have Monsanto crops that you have planted illegally.

You can spend millions and try to fight this corporate Mafia. But for most – you’ll end up paying them royalties, and having to buy their seeds and fertilizers every year forever more.

The practice of saving seeds will soon be a moot point. Most plants are being bred to not produce seeds. That solves that problem, doesn’t it?

Slowly and surely, all crops will be contaminated by GMO pollen as it drifts in the wind – or otherwise mysteriously appears in your crops. The way the law is currently set up – Monsanto owns the patent, and therefore you owe them for these crops growing on YOUR land, even thought you want nothing to do with them. This is worldwide – not just USA.

As a consumer, all of the food you eat will contain GMOs. Once we reach the point of no return, it will be impossible to avoid. If any of you are trying to avoid the GMO products for Lent, you have found out just how difficult it is. GMO crops are in every commercially produced food, with the exception of organics – so far. Soon there will not be a vegetable, or grain, or fruit that is not genetically modified.

How comfortable do you feel with a giant chemical corporation controlling the world’s food?

If any of this bothers you, I urge you to file your comments if you have not already done so – and let your voice be heard.

Here is the most recent release about the Comment Deadline –

Keep organics safe from GMOs!

Tell the USDA that you care
about about organic contamination, reject Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa!

Dear Carole,

Everything you thought you knew about organics is about to change. If the USDA and Monsanto get their way, organic integrity is about to go the way of the dinosaur.

Once again, the organic industry is under assault. This time the USDA is determined to let Monsanto ride roughshod over common sense environmental rules that would protect organic farmers from having their crops contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds.

Tell Secretary Vilsack that Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa cannot be allowed to undermine the organic industry. Comments are due by close of business on Wednesday, March 3rd. So please ACT TODAY:

http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/111?akid=88.97349.R8eBNU&t=6

During the Bush administration, Monsanto illegally won USDA approval for its GMO alfalfa by convincing USDA regulators to bypass a mandatory environmental review.¹ In 2007, a court reversed this decision, ordering the USDA to complete the legally required environmental impact statement (EIS).

Shockingly, the Obama Administration’s recent review would approve Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa.

The draft USDA EIS was issued in December 2009 and is poised to allow Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa on the market, despite the fact that the USDA admits that these seeds will contaminate organic feed that organic dairy farmers rely on to produce organic milk.²

According to the CEO of the largest farmer-owned organic dairy coop in the U.S., GMO alfalfa “threatens the very fabric of the organic industry.”³ We can’t allow this to happen.

Despite massive public outcry in the past, the USDA’s environmental review went so far as to say that U.S. organic consumers don’t care about GMO contamination.

Tell Secretary Vilsack that you care about organic contamination and that you want him to stand up for the organic industry and organic consumers.

http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/111?akid=88.97349.R8eBNU&t=8

Thanks for all you do,

Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team

Help support our work: If you’d like to see Food Democracy Now!’s grassroots work continue, please consider donating what you can, whether it’s $5 or $50. Every bit helps!. We appreciate your support!

Sources:

1. Farmers Sue USDA Over Modified Alfalfa Crop, The New Standard, March 3, 2006
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/108?akid=88.97349.R8eBNU&t=11

2. Roundup Ready® Alfalfa Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/109?akid=88.97349.R8eBNU&t=13

3. USDA stance on GM alfalfa threatens “fabric of organic industry”, The Organic & Non-GMO Report, February, 2010
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/110?akid=88.97349.R8eBNU&t=15

Take a stand for organics, tell the USDA to reject Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa

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• Suit Seeks to Bar Genetically Modified Sugar Beets (abcnews.go.com)
• Stop Monsanto’s GMO Contamination (grantlawrence.blogspot.com)
• Research Shows Monsanto Corn Causes Organ Damage in Mammals (organicjar.com)

Please spread the word!