Food scientists are shedding light on items
loaded with toxins and chemicals–and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and
supersized health.
Clean eating means choosing fruits,
vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal
processing. Often they’re organic, and rarely (if ever) should they
contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today’s food
producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our
health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at
food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering
what’s safe–or not–to eat. We asked them a simple question: “What foods
do you avoid?” Their answers don’t necessarily make up a “banned foods”
list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better
health–and peace of mind.
1. The Endocrinologist Won’t Eat: Canned Tomatoes
Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a
synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from
reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes
BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s
body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes
chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA
per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to
impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near
canned tomatoes.”
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass
bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae
and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like
Trader Joe’s and Pomi.
Budget tip: If your recipe allows,
substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta
sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to
adjust the recipe.
2. The Farmer Won’t Eat: Corn-Fed Beef
Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.
The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today
feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals
faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower
prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent
comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson
University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is
higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid
(CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory
omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart
disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that
does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty
grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually
labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your
butcher.
Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because
processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a
local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer
near you, search eatwild.com.
3. The Toxicologist Won’t Eat: Microwave Popcorn
Olga Naidenko, is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.
The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the
lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked
to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In
animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic
cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to
vaporize–and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for
years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers
worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers
in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to
phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags
of popcorn will be sold between now and then.
The solution: Pop
natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings,
you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable
flakes, or soup mix.
Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap
4. The Farm Director Won’t Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes
Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and
fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes–the nation’s
most popular vegetable–they’re treated with fungicides during the
growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous
vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated
yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a
conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,”
says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also
owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with
potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes
they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for
themselves without all the chemicals.”
The solution: Buy
organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove
chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.
5. The Fisheries Expert Won’t Eat: Farmed Salmon
Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the
Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the
journal Science on contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature
didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry
litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is
lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens,
PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and
DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from
Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You could eat
one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk
of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got
broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also
linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the
benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the
high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When
you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says
fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for
wild Atlantic salmon.
Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.
6. The Cancer Researcher Won’t Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial Hormones
Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon
division of the American Cancer Society.
The problem: Milk
producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth
hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production.
But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It
also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth
factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to
breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH,
it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human
digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk
protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s
not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits
North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”
The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without
artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free
products.
Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart’s Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.
7. The Organic-Foods Expert Won’t Eat: Conventional Apples
Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the
Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic
foods.
The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in
pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually
grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains
its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to
pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these
residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common
sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like
apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And
increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden
of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Top Ten GMO's to avoid
As California remains the proverbial battlefield for GMO labeling, an increased interest is growing over ways to actually start avoiding GMOs
in your daily life. By far the best tip, which may not be applicable at
all times, is to stick to high quality organic sources. Preferably 100%
organic or locally grown by organic-based farmers. This certainly is not
always an option, so I’ve compiled a quick ‘cheat sheet’ of the top
genetically modified crops and substances that you can remember when
avoiding GMOs in your daily life.
Produce items like yellow squash and papaya are considered by many worldwide to be health foods, however chances are that these food items among about 8 others I will be discussing today are heavily modified. Keep in mind that Monsanto is continually on a mission to dominate virtually 100% of the food supply, having already conquered upwards of 90% conservatively of staple crops like soybeans and corn.
A number of non-organic food products actually do exist that are free of GMOs, but it is important to learn the deceptive marketing tricks used by fake ‘health conscious’ brands who wish only to trick you into purchasing their GMO-laden garbage. As it was revealed back in October of 2011, many ‘eco-friendly’ brands are actually sporting the presence of GMOs within their products. Even products that have a “Non-GMO” label on their package! That’s right, it’s vitally important that the Non-GMO product sticker states that it is “verified” by the Non-GMO project or another source. Otherwise, it has been found to be a worthless claim.
Is it any wonder then that many of these ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘natural’ producers like Kashi have actually dished out millions of dollars to fight against GMO labeling in California? It becomes increasingly more clear which companies simply do not care about your health when you examine who owns them at the highest level. Kashi, for example is owned by Kellogg. You can actually view the chart on our site that shows which mega corporations own many phony ‘natural’ entities.
Top List for Avoiding GMOs
Outside of avoiding these companies and doing your best to purchase organic produce that starts with the number 9 on the PLU code sticker (the sticker on fruits and vegetables), here are 10 foods that are the most likely to contain GMOs that you should avoid when not consuming an organic source:
1. Corn
2. Soy
3. Sugar
4. Papayas
5. Aspartame (yes, aspartame is genetically modified! It was revealed back in the 90s in a little-known report).
6. Canola
7. Zucchini
8. Yellow squash
9. Dairy (more than 1/3 of non-organic dairy products in the United States still contain Monsanto’s genetically engineered hormone known as rBGH. Made from cloned DNA, the hormone is currently banned in over 27 countries).
10. Cotton (in the form of cotton oil).
Until proper legislation is enacted to label or ban GMOs entirely, it’s important to protect yourself and your family on a daily basis from the effects of genetically altered food staples.
Produce items like yellow squash and papaya are considered by many worldwide to be health foods, however chances are that these food items among about 8 others I will be discussing today are heavily modified. Keep in mind that Monsanto is continually on a mission to dominate virtually 100% of the food supply, having already conquered upwards of 90% conservatively of staple crops like soybeans and corn.
A number of non-organic food products actually do exist that are free of GMOs, but it is important to learn the deceptive marketing tricks used by fake ‘health conscious’ brands who wish only to trick you into purchasing their GMO-laden garbage. As it was revealed back in October of 2011, many ‘eco-friendly’ brands are actually sporting the presence of GMOs within their products. Even products that have a “Non-GMO” label on their package! That’s right, it’s vitally important that the Non-GMO product sticker states that it is “verified” by the Non-GMO project or another source. Otherwise, it has been found to be a worthless claim.
Is it any wonder then that many of these ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘natural’ producers like Kashi have actually dished out millions of dollars to fight against GMO labeling in California? It becomes increasingly more clear which companies simply do not care about your health when you examine who owns them at the highest level. Kashi, for example is owned by Kellogg. You can actually view the chart on our site that shows which mega corporations own many phony ‘natural’ entities.
Top List for Avoiding GMOs
Outside of avoiding these companies and doing your best to purchase organic produce that starts with the number 9 on the PLU code sticker (the sticker on fruits and vegetables), here are 10 foods that are the most likely to contain GMOs that you should avoid when not consuming an organic source:
1. Corn
2. Soy
3. Sugar
4. Papayas
5. Aspartame (yes, aspartame is genetically modified! It was revealed back in the 90s in a little-known report).
6. Canola
7. Zucchini
8. Yellow squash
9. Dairy (more than 1/3 of non-organic dairy products in the United States still contain Monsanto’s genetically engineered hormone known as rBGH. Made from cloned DNA, the hormone is currently banned in over 27 countries).
10. Cotton (in the form of cotton oil).
Until proper legislation is enacted to label or ban GMOs entirely, it’s important to protect yourself and your family on a daily basis from the effects of genetically altered food staples.
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