Information From A Different Perspective
7 Foods Experts Won’t Eat
1. GMO FOODS (Any of them)
The Expert: Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception and founder of Institute for Responsible Technology
The Situation: GMO foods encourage the massive spraying of herbicides on our topsoils, polluting the ground, waterways, animals and humans. Scientific studies have shown the RoundUp Ready genes in GMO foods to transfer to our intestinal flora and the pesticide producing genes, called Bt-toxins, to be present in both unborn fetuses and their mothers. In short, GMO foods pollute our environment and out bodies. No long term health studies of GMO foods have been performed on humans. In addition to polluting our bodies with mutant DNA, eating RoundUp Ready GMO foods insures a hefty dose of herbicide given that GMO crops are even more heavily sprayed than conventional non-organic crops. The environmental, political, economic, and social damage by GMO foods is staggering. GMO foods include corn, soybeans, sugarbeets, potatoes, alfalfa, canola, potato, papaya, rice, honey, squash, rapeseed, tomatoes, sweet corn, tobacco, peas, and more in the pipeline.
The Solution: Check that all the food you purchase is non-GMO. Demand a halt to GMO foods any chance you get. Support mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Buy ORGANIC. Plant a garden
For further insights and details on the disastrous company Monsanto ( the leading company of GMO seeds), please click here
GMO Foods written by WuW contributing writer Jack Adam Weber of PoeticHealing.com
2. Canned Tomatoes
The Expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.
The Situation: 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.
3. Corn-Fed Beef
The Expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.
The Situation: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. 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.
VIDEO: Why Grass-Fed Beef? Emeril Answers
4. Microwave Popcorn
The Expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.
The Situation: 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.
5. Farmed Salmon
The Expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.
The Situation: 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 can only safely 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.
Click the below picture for a Wake Up World Only Special Offer
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
The Expert: Rick North, 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 Situation: 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% 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.
7. Conventional Apples
The Expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and co-director of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods
The Situation: 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. If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Source : First section on GMO food is written by WuW contributing writer Jack Adam Weber of poetichealing.com
All other points were sourced from Shine on Yahoo
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about 4 months ago
apples: the vast majority of nutrients of an apple are found in the skin. if you have a “conventional” apple and peel it to avoid the pesticides you are also avoiding the nutrients. so organic is really the only way to go if you can possibly afford it.
about 3 months ago
If companies really cared about the consumers, the good healthy product would be cheaper.
about 2 months ago
Really the most uninformed comment I’ve ever read. Simply wishful thinking. If a farmer goes to the trouble of producing a healthy apple that will sit in cold storage for weeks and months and not rot without resorting to the easy solution of pesticide sprays do you really think that he/she should charge LESS for that precious apple. Have you heard of mass production? Supply and demand? Are you willing to pay more taxes to subsidize organic farmers? Think!
about 2 months ago
Wishful thinking for sure but we do subsidize food in this country. Mostly corn and soy, two junk crops. What if we did subsidize organic instead? I know that would never happen but what if.
about 2 months ago
Watch the movie Food Inc and FLOW: For Love of Water… Two eye opening documentaries…
about 2 months ago
I am a beyond organic farmer and I do not want govt subsidies. The gov is the reason for upside down food products and prices in the USA. Only in the USA is food so cheap (less than 10% of our income is food) Organic would be a closer to the true food price of food and if we would pay a little more for our foods and less for our cars and phones and whatever there would be more farmers growing good food.
about 2 months ago
Well spoken. We will come to find the true price of food in the upcoming year/years.
about 2 months ago
It is true that soy and corn is heavily subsidized to feed cattle for the meat industry. It would be nice if the government stopped giving in to lobbyists and big business and started caring more about the citizens. Subsidizing organic farming would be great! It would also be great if GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS were banned from America. Unfortunately the government seems to care more about the interests of big business than our health. Hopefully one day the government will put the citizens first.
about 1 month ago
Vote for Ron Paul and our crappy government can finally change in the favor of the PEOPLE. Once he jumps into office and ends the possibility of WW3 he will be able to focus on all these other problems we have. Believe you me he wants us to have Peace and Prosperity.
about 1 month ago
Members of the government are also members of these big corporations. So of course they are going to support their own businesses. Watch Food Inc. to find out that owners of Monsanto are also members of parliament. Monsanto is the biggest corporation for producing GMO crops.
about 1 month ago
Or Fathead
about 2 months ago
Most large Agri-Business plus mega beef and pork farms are subsidized, in the US. Organic farmers and those who farm sustainably are not helped by the Government, hence the higher prices, above what it costs to farm in a humane manner.
If you want longer shelf life… you’ll most likely get a shorter health life. If you want that trade off just buy regular “food”.
I remember when there were times that certain seasonal foods were not available… now that they are, we all pay the price in more ways than one.
about 2 months ago
“The most UNINFORMED comment you’ve ever read”? Don’t be so dramatic. If the cost of an organic apple is X, the cost of pesticides and preservatives is Y, it would stand to reason that the organic apple would be less expensive to produce. Put it this way, Organic = $x.xx. Conventional = $x.xx + $y.yy.
about 2 months ago
Thats not how economics works. You have to consider it’s easier to produce the conventional apples, so you have more of them. So you can sell them for less. That’s closer to the truth.
about 2 months ago
No, it’s not that simple. You also have to figure in how long that apple is going to stay “fresh” and available for sale in the stores.
The chemicals prolong the fruit’s shelf life, thereby reducing the number of apples that must be produced, and reducing the farmer’s overall costs which more than cover the price of the pesticides.
about 2 months ago
Well, remember, people forget other associated costs. If you chose to eat conventional and not organic, you will probably be paying with you health and your life. Longer shelf life should not be a standard for any reason. We eat food to sustain ourselves not just as some convenient thing to grab and eat off our shelf at home – that has been sitting there for a long time.
about 2 months ago
True—but the same chemicals that increase shelf life and lower food production costs are playing havoc with our body chemistry, causing and exacerbating obesity and all manner of illness. The less chemicals in our bodies the better—whether in our food or our medication.
about 2 months ago
this doesn’t take into consideration the increased cost of food storage for an organic apple (cold storage costs much more than simply leaving it on a grocery shelf) which we’ll call W, the loss of crops due to pests, weather, weeds, and other outside effects that pesticides prevent which we’ll call Z. The equation ends up looking more like Conventional Apple = $x.xx +$y.yy Organic Apple = $x.xx + $w.ww + $z.zz
Organic apples cost more to grow, thus they cost more to buy. Until the buyers are willing to pay more and create a much higher demand, conventional apples will reign. My advice; Buck up and spend the extra money.
about 2 months ago
I understand the nutritional value of different foods and recommend to choose organic or locally grown (without harmful chemicals) whenever possible–especially in the case of things like apples and peppers which are heavily sprayed. However, I would disagree that the price will come down with increased demand. I have watched interest and demand for organic foods increase dramatically over the last 10 years–right along with the price of those foods. It is frustrating to recommend the purchase of these foods, only to see the price continue to go up–not down.
about 2 months ago
It’s simply, well, not that simple. If not adding pesticides produced the same amount of apples that would work out just peachy. However, WITHOUT those chemicals you have to produce MORE apples to yield the same crop output.
Crop damaging insects and other issues like preservation of that organic crop were not in your equation. These become much more prevalent without those chemicals. If I have to plant 100 organic apples to get the same chemically treated 10 in the store your math simple doesn’t work.
about 2 months ago
That isn’t sound logic. Just because organic farmers don’t use pesticides doesn’t mean they save money. Pesticides are used because they INCREASE production for LESS money. Pesticides are used to protect the crops from damage and allow for a higher yield of product. Organic farmers have to use different methods to do the same thing only their products have much shorter shelf lives…. that makes their products much more costly. That would be why most farmers stopped using these “organic” growing techniques in the past.
about 2 months ago
An organic farmer will typically have a smaller field (smaller crop/yield) vs. a conventional farmer.
An organic farmer must have organic compost and soil to grow their crops vs. a conventional farmer that can use sewer sludge and all kinds of cheap & nasty pesticides.
An organic farmer has to become certified organic and keep up that certification vs. a conventional farmer does not have that expense + may get $$$ from the government.
An organic farmer has to weed their field vs. a conventional farmer spraying the weeds and bugs.
An organic farmer rotates the crop for the most nutrients vs. a conventional farmer typically just plants in the same field over and over.
So you can see that it is not just X vs. X+Y. Organic farming costs a bit more in some instances, but is worth it for the planet and our bodies.
about 2 months ago
Ya,ya,ya, Organic (sample) apples is all the same color, size, shape & weight, just like from picture, I will say cloned . Farmers apple is just different one of each other , witch men grown natural, “healthy pesticide produce is something that growers control “. manufacturer of pesticides, warning farmers wot should do in order to protect consumer and them self .Why farmers will poisoning people? Today , people mixing very ease wot is good wot is bed, don’t let nobody to wash your brain with word :”organic”. I do think this way .
about 2 months ago
wot?
about 2 months ago
Donna, you crack me up. Tell me more.
about 2 months ago
What the ??????
about 2 months ago
Except that, sadly, pest suppression without pesticides is generally more expensive and less effective than with them in mass production, and I’d bet non-synthetic fertilizers are pricier than synthetic too. So you really end up with something more like Organic-(# of lost crops)=$x.xx + $z.zz + $n.nn, Conventional=$x.xx + $y.yy + $s.ss, where z>y & n>s. Although obviously that is still an oversimplification, and there are plenty of other costs, like getting certified organic, or producing on a smaller scale, or not having the bargaining power of a massive corporation behind you.
about 2 months ago
Unfortunately, this equation is missing the yield and labor variables. Organic raised produce requires more labor for the equivalent yield of chemically treated conventional produce.
about 2 months ago
It is cheaper to produce organic apples…but they spend extra money putting chemicals in the food…so we can get sick and spend big money on their drugs..it’s a wicked cycle…….
about 2 months ago
Have you ever grown any?
about 2 months ago
Except for the increased amount of land necessary, amount of waste due to disease, pests, etc… Organic production has it’s own costs too. Consider also that most organic producers pay more in wages than their “conventional” counterparts.
Organic tends to mean a decreased production compared to a non-organic farm. Greater production (supply) = lower costs.
about 2 months ago
Uninformed? Organic food is more expensive because the government subsidizes the farms which use the pesticides and preservatives. Why? The owners of the companies that make these chemicals are in ofice on Capitol Hill. I’m not trying to argue, I’m trying to inform. Check out the documentary “Food Inc” or watch portions of it on YouTube.
about 2 months ago
Yes, I am willing to pay taxes to encourage organic farming so that the food we eat is safe. Thank you.
about 2 months ago
She IS thinking! You’re just thinking IN the box, and based of of what people TELL you economics should be driven off of. WE create the economics. WE create the systems. if WE say organic should be cheaper, it CAN be – it’s ALL based on numbers, equations, and projections of not only supply and demand, but heart.
I think it’s time for you to get out of your stinking thinking and connect that heart of your to your head that has lost its creative thinking. As Einstein used to say, imagination is MUCH more powerful than knowledge!
And be nice!
about 2 months ago
If the “conventional” farmer had to internalize the health and environmental costs of all that spraying, *then* organic fruit would be cheaper.
Our economic system is perverse. Occupy Perverse Economics!
about 2 months ago
Ok then, let’s just think outside the box and all plant an apple tree in our garden. Ultimately, decentralizing the farming industry is the best solution.
about 2 months ago
I worked at an actual organic farm, we had our organic apples shipped in since we didn’t have land to produce everything that we supplied to the public at our farm stand. This farm is in busy, populated South Orange County, CA. Anyway, our apples were only 1.99 per pound 4 yrs ago. All of our prices were competitive with just even normal supermarkets. The truth is this: If people want to pay farmers to poison themselves, their employees (especially their employees) all of the consumers eating the food, and the soil, and the air…you get the message, they will do it. There has to be more of a motivation to switch to organic. The cancers, the birth defects, those have been proven, nothing about pesticides and fungicides is a surprise. People want cheap food. I’ll tell you what, I will NOT pay someone to poison me. You want to save a dollar today, go ahead, eat your poison and get seriously ill later in life, and probably not too much later. You have no idea what a can of worms all of these toxins are. There is no such thing as a healthy toxic apple. All of this money we are “saving” now…what a joke, Ever heard of cancer? Ever bothered to notice how many people have it now? Do you have any idea how much it costs to get sick? It’s a business. Economics. You can choose for yourself or you can go right off the cliff with the other lemmings. Organic produce does not sit in cold storage for long periods of time either, organic farmers choose to be ethically responsible, they’re not just trying to make a buck, it’s a responsibility to humanity to produce a safe, nutritious product.
about 2 months ago
“People want cheap food. I’ll tell you what, I will NOT pay someone to poison me. You want to save a dollar today, go ahead, eat your poison and get seriously ill later in life…”
It would be wonderful if all farmers were growing organic fruits and vegetables but to condemn someone who buys non-organic smacks of elitism. There are 35 million people in the US living in poverty and need to stretch their money so that they may eat. Those consumers may very well pass on organic items because to them it is a luxury that cannot be afforded.
Unless organic farming is mandated is this country the purchase of such will be divided along class lines.
about 2 months ago
Well said, it is so sad that young folks today are willing to accept the big corporate bull and they do not think of all the long term health problems that will result.
Medicine and curing problems, after we are affected by all the chemicals, has become a billion dollar business. Let’s prevent sickness and eat healthy.
No chemicals for me thank you!
about 2 months ago
Excellent response! #29 Kris. Thank you for sharing these important facts on organic. The Organic farmer is supporting a safe environment. Our planet and our bodies deserve it.
about 2 months ago
commodity agriculture is already subsidized by tax dollars, thus their ability to throw away corn and chemicals. Think!
about 2 months ago
Another way of looking at this is that if customers care about their health, they should work on finding ways to allocate a greater proportion of their budget to food. We have to make producing organic veggies and meat viable for farmers. We spend less of our overall income on food today than people did in the past, and if we insist on getting it cheap, we pay with our health.
about 1 month ago
That’s all well and good but as Jeff (#35) said, a lot of people in this country are already living at or below the poverty line and while some of them might be able to get by with fewer pairs of jeans in trade for an organic apple or two… for the most part, they can’t afford what they’re buying now, which is the cheapest, emptiest calories available. For those people, organic (which often retails at twice or three times the price of the conventional brand-name foods, and several times more than the bottom-shelf generics) is not an option even if they rearrange spending.
I’m a huge advocate for changing food habits, but we have to understand that it’s not simply poor personal choices that cause avoidance of healthier foods – it’s situations like a lack of grocery stores with healthy options in inner cities, it’s single-parent families who grew up thinking that cooking meant boiling EZ Mac because “real cooking” took too long, and it’s trouble understanding how buying produce that’s three times the price of your boxed meal can actually save you money, because budgeting and financial skills are hard to learn if you never have money to learn with.
We aren’t the ones paying with our health – the poor are paying far worse, and we’re the ones over here preaching to the choir about good food choices instead of getting out there and physically helping the people who are worse off than us get to a better and healthier place.
Go plant a community garden instead of patronizing readers here! (I’m growing my own veggies already and have plans to expand the garden to a nearby city-owned lot if I can… we live in an area where the nearest grocery store is over three miles away, over a few hills and with no sidewalks – we’re lucky to have a community farmer’s market run by a local nonprofit during the summer, but in winter you can’t get good healthy food nearby!)
about 2 months ago
Rather than blast your comment for being uninformed, let me say that I understand your sentiment. I used to work in health insurance, and people would complain to me when we denied their claims for routine physicals. “You’d think you would want me to have physicals to take care of myself! You should pay this claim!” I would calmly tell them that of course we wanted them to be healthy, and we did have plans that covered preventative care – unfortunately, the customer wasn’t enrolled in one of those plans.
My point here is that the market provides what we demand, and we get what we pay for. We have to start changing our demands in order to change the market. Eat less, eat local, eat fresh, eat seasonally. Devote more of our budget to eating healthy food, and less of it to a gas-guzzling car or to the iPhone or to any other indulgence we can reduce.
It’s all about the choices WE make, and if we change our choices, the market will have to respond. If we continue to demand all foods NOW and FAST and CHEAP, nothing will change.
about 2 months ago
Excellent comments, YoBimbo. I would just add that for people to feel compelled to make such choices they need to be informed. For instance, if the chemicals contained in produce and packaged foods were on labels, I doubt if many people would buy the poisoned foods.
about 2 months ago
I know parents who say they can’t afford to buy organic fruit for their kids while their cart has two bags of chips and a bag or two of Doritos in it! It’s all about priorities.
about 2 months ago
All great points. And I would agree that demand dictates supply, HOWEVER: the elasticity of demand is skewed by subsidies bringing prices way down for the bad stuff. So, we need to change demand of the people, but we also need to change demand based on the price of good food.
about 2 months ago
or perhaps food would cost more as a percentage of domestic product, or perhaps there would be food shortages.
about 2 months ago
Most companies, especially big agribusiness, don’t care about consumers, they only care about profits. The best way for us to eliminate the use of pesticides is to eliminate mass production of food. We need to be more concerned with buying seasonal locally grown produce direct from a neighborhood farm. I know this is not possible overnight but their are many Western countries who do this and we should follow suit. There are far too many diseases caused by mass production of foods. Not to mention colony collapse disorder (CCD) killing off bees so much so that they disappear from a region entirely. We are at a crossroads and need to start making a change now. These companies have decided disease is better for them so their families can play golf and spend time on their yacht will go on killing for profits. Meanwhile others suffer uninsured paying millions for hospital bills but buy into the illusion they are saving money on mass produced cheap food.
about 2 months ago
Why would you possible think that companies care about consumers? If consumers actually cared about their health there would be more of a market for healthy foods.
about 2 months ago
wow ignorance, greed is power, so we are mearly tools to them getting richer, nothing else.and thats how the monatary system functions and it will always
about 2 months ago
“If companies really cared about the consumers, the good healthy product would be cheaper.”
It hard to put that kind of stupid into perspective.
For one, you seem to have a complete ignorance on what production costs are. If an unhealthy item takes 50 cents to produce a serving, and a healthy choice takes 1.50 dollars to produce a serving, then the main reason that the unhealthy choice is cheaper due to production costs. Companies do not make conspiracies to poison your digestive track just for the fun of it, its because people demand food at an unreasonably low price.
Second, there are TONS of super cheap healthy alternatives. I switched from getting most my protein from meats to beans, and I am saving a shitload of money doing it. I can get a months worth of beans at the price of 5 days of ground beef.
about 2 months ago
So true….The companies HAVE a choice, make more product and quicker or consider the quality. They are approached by the lobbyists for the chemical companies to use the product. On the other side of the coin, government won’t subsidize the farmer if he doesn’t use the chemicals.
about 1 month ago
even if companies cared, the cost of organic is much higher to produce, and the yield is generally smaller. We have to get used to using more of our income to feed ourselves. If we cared enough about ourselves, we would spend a larger percentage of our income on food and maybe not get that new blouse that we don’t really need.
about 2 months ago
I buy organic when possible. I shop around to find where the best organic deals show up repeatedly. I find that some stores have frequent sales on organic apples that make them less expensive than the conventional ones so I stock up. Apples can last for weeks in the refrigerator. I do this with other organic produce as well. Shop around. I also find organic nuts…some less expensive than conventional…and make my own nut milks (love cashew milk) and don’t bother with cow’s milk. If you have never made nut milks just find a youtube video that shows step by step how to make it. Lots of alternatives to make less expensive but healthier choices.
about 2 months ago
It would be nice to think that peeling a skin off of a fruit magically fixed the poison issue. It doesn’t. Apples should never be eaten unless they are organic. I worked for an organic farm. Any thin skinned fruits, especially berries ( they are sprayed with fungicides, which are the WORST type of poisons ) should NEVER be eaten conventionally. As bad as all that already is, it’s also not okay to spray poison into the air, onto the soil too. The air carries it far, the sprayers breathe it in, and Ive read all sorts of documented cases where the sprayers children has major birth defects, no lie. Not to mention cancers acquired by the actual sprayers themselves. It’s not good enough to think peeling a piece of fruit is the solution. It’s in the soil! It’s in the air!! And it remains in the food. The food is grown in the soil with poison in it, then it’s sprayed on top of that…poison need to not be used at all, because it’s getting into the environment, then you are also eating it. Ever wonder why it seems like everyone these days has cancer? I have cancer, and Ive eaten healthy my whole life, but what does that mean anymore? It’s an epidemic and the more we pretend its not there the worse it’s going to get. Wake up people.
about 2 months ago
Sorry about your cancer, but we have a cancer, heart disease, diabetes epidemic in this country, due to our bad diet. It’s not just pesticides, it’s also the amount of animal proteins (meat and dairy) we eat. For an eye opening expose of this, and the research that backs it up, read “The China Study”. You can get healthy again.
about 2 months ago
“The China Study’ has been debunked already. That book is one persons interpretation of scientific research. Here are some other interpretations that find the complete opposite using even more information that was not addressed in “The China Study”.
http://rawfoodsos.com/the-china-study/
http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/2010/09/22/the-curious-case-of-campbells-rats-does-protein-deficiency-prevent-cancer/
http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/tag/the-china-study/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/08/chris-masterjohn-criticism-of-the-china-study.aspx
about 2 months ago
Janet, it’s not just our diets. Ever hear of SV-40? It is a known cancer-causing virus that is in all of the vaccines. This is a much bigger picture, and the victim is not always to blame.
about 2 months ago
First I am an apple farmer. And I have the following observations. 1) Every farmer in the world would be organic if they could make money at it. Farmers are not stupid. 2) nature despises the human race. She owes us nothing as we have altered(destroyed) her professed balance since the beginning of time. 3) Insects can not read. The word organic means nothing to control them. Pest control must be used. Rotation, screening, selective beneficial’s , organic chemicals, intense human labor. Something must be done to disrupt the natural order of what eats what. 4) If I were to be organic my chemical bill would be 4-5 times higher. 5) If I were to be organic my carbon footprint would be 6-7 times higher because I would have to apply organic chemicals that much more often. 6) If I were to be organic I project over 55 % of my crop would be unsellable due to insect, and fungal damage. Most organic crops are sprayed with organic chemicals. Some of these chemicals I will not allow on my farm. Lime sulfurs are extremely toxic and marginally effect. copper sulfides poison the soil and in many instances need to be applied at rates damaging to soil health. Pyrethroid Insecticides kill every insect in the field. Disrupting years of work balancing benifical insects in my orchard. I believe it is about balance not organic or not. I believe you need to know where and how your food is grown. I believe you need to know your grower. As in all things balance is the key. JOHN
about 2 months ago
This is tremendous information. You should really share this with other people, because I certainly didn’t know any of that.
about 2 months ago
Thank you John.
I am so happy that a true farmer can share the news about the troubles of organic farming. Thank you for the information based on facts. I wish people could see the waste due to imperfections on fruits and veggetables that come organically farmed. It would also be nice for people to see the number of times some organic crops are coated with chemicals. I have friends completely avoiding any conventional produce because their doctor told them it is produced without chemicals. That information is completely incorrect, and a Dr. should get his facts straight before giving advice to patients. In my opinion, everyone should spend a few years with their own garden growing the produce necessary to survive. If everyone could get their hands dirty in this way, more people would understand the basics of agriculture and food preservation.
Lastly, My favorite organic pet peeve is placing organic food into plastic bags/boxes for distribution and sale. If you truly believe in the concept of organics, no part of your food should ever touch any packaging like plastic.
about 1 month ago
Thanks John, this is great information. I was most surprised that apples made this list. But it is a business and the market adjusts with supply and demand. It is obvious that people want organic or natural products from all the comments, but hopefully people understand that it just costs more (in a lot of cases) to grow things this way.
about 1 month ago
What about washing them with vinegar/baking soda as advertised here? https://plus.google.com/u/1/b/105269967230108498699/105269967230108498699/posts/BKX6Du1TbLD
Does it really work that well? Any idea?
Thanks.
about 4 months ago
British, Irish and French beef cattle are predominantly grass-fed. In fact, corn-fed is so uncommon over here that the beef comes specifically labelled as such and costs more (because it’s been imported, normally from the USA or Argentina).
I have to ask, though – why does the USA allow milk producers to feed growth hormones to cows when almost every other industrial nation banned it 10-20 years ago?
about 3 months ago
@ Management Prawn, I ask the same thing. After much research regarding GMO’s and growth hormones our Government (who claims to care about our health while shooting us “the bird” behind their backs) I have lost trust in the government. As a health conscious mother and consumer, the amount of money we must spend to consume meat, dairy, and eggs without hormones is shameful. I often scream in my head that it is a crime our government allows the crap to house on the shelves of our grocery stores. It is time for Americans to wake up!
about 3 months ago
Simple answer to your question: $$$$$
about 3 months ago
$$$$$ Answer to why USA continues to sell food laced with pesticides, grown with hormones, petrochemical fertilizers, etc.
about 3 months ago
Yes, $$$ to agribusiness owners/shareholders. $$$ from taxpayers supporting agribusiness with farm subsidies originally designed to help small farmers, now supporting large corporations.
about 2 months ago
The FDA is made up of people who control and have huge stakes (pun..) in the industry. Watch the informing movie Food, Inc.
Also, many farmers who sell to large processing plants are also in debt to them, it reminds me of the feudal system…
about 2 months ago
In our current political climate, the FDA and USDA view their missions as promoting business as opposed to protecting consumers. They are clients of big business.
about 2 months ago
I am not sure that Food Inc gives the whole picture of the agricultural industry. I do not know a farmer (and I know a lot of them) that wouldn’t want to pass on his/her legacy on to their children if the children would want that life. We have an understanding of the land, and that we need to maintain it to continue our lifestyle and to leave a legacy for our children. While I agree there are some out there who care nothing for the environment or what production of food does to it, I would like to think that a majority of us chose to do what is right for our land, family, and end product while still making a profit for us to live on.
about 2 months ago
You point out a huge problem, Laura. There are people working very hard to get congress to produce a good farm bill that gives the financial advantage to small farmers rather than to agribusiness giants. It’s a difficult job because agribusiness giants have lots of money (some of it tax dollars given to them by our government) to flood Washington DC with lobbyists and campaign funds.
about 3 months ago
Why? Because it’s all about profit over people here. Take a look at our “health care” system for all the evidence you need.
about 3 months ago
Another point about wild caught versus farm raised salmon. Wild caught salmon is high in omega 3′s because the food chain in cold water starts with cold water algae–which is high in Omega 3′s. Krill eat the Algae, small fish eat the krill, big fish eat the smaller fish. In a fish farm where the food chain begins with chicken turds or whateveryou aren’t going to get concetrated Omega 3′s. If “some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks”–making farm raised salmon worth the risk of the carcinogens which are in it, those nutritionists should chose another line of work because they have no idea what they are talking about. Similarly, when cattle grasses on fresh grass, their meat is high in Omega 3′s. It comes from a natural diet of what the animal is supposed to eat.
about 2 months ago
Not only $$$, a HUGE part of all of the issues we’re talking about here go back to lobbyists that are rich and powerful and contribute to political campaigns so that the resulting politicians are indebted to these special interests. We need anti-lobbyists to lobby for the public interest, but the public can’t pay enough for that to compete. Lobbying should be banned, but now more than ever the Supreme Court is protecting “money as speech” so the public’s voice is being drowned out.
about 3 months ago
Big corporate farms… big money in government… out of control lobbyists… take your pick. These are the same reasons the US is the only industrialized nation without universal heathcare!
about 2 months ago
That’s the most ridiculous statement ever posted in the entire known universe. No way would I ever give up the traditional doctor/patient relationship. Universal health care effectively dynamites that concept forever. Why on Earth would any, even mildly educated human that has KNOWN freedom previously EVER voluntarily hand over his health care concerns to the gov’t? Totally uninformed thought process.
about 2 months ago
Uninformed? Take a look in the mirror. Not all universal health care systems deny their participants choices outside the program. If one can afford outside care, there are private insurance alternatives in countries like France, Germany, Japan, the UK. Universal health care takes care of the most vulnerable populations and keeps the middle-class from spiraling downward into that same population if they experience a serious illness, and in fact helps to prevent those illnesses altogether by offering people an affordable way to get preventive care. Sadly profit is the main motivator in our country and until the people demand to see their needs met through voting out the crooks who are on corporate payrolls, nothing will change.
about 2 months ago
I have to agree that universal healthcare managed by the government is a bad idea. Look at every other comment about the food situation here in the US and they all roundly condemn our govt as being too responsive to $$$ and lobbyists. Surely you can’t believe they would behave any differently in administering our healthcare. At least I currently know it is about profit and I can choose my caregiver and my health plan. I can vote with my feet. Not so when the govt. steps in – they will not have the best interest of me or you at heart.
about 2 months ago
The funny thing about some of the posts on here are saying “you can’t trust the US government with our food” yet they want the government running our healthcare…….think about it people. If they’re doing this to our food, imagine what they’re going to do to our healthcare.
about 2 months ago
I’m American living in Canada and I say thank God for our universal health system here. It’s far better than what you have in the US, and cheaper too.
What you all are really asking for is more government, not less. You need guidelines to prevent the profiteers from endangering you health. Same with health care. It was the relaxation of government regulation that led to the economic crisis. It’s still a democracy; the government is all of us. So fight for the kind of government you want and deserve, not government beholden to private interests.
about 2 months ago
Mitch,
Just the facts : The US is rated 43 or lower for health care in industrialized nations. And for the privilege of being 43 we pay 2 times more per capita than any other nation. do Americans really deserve this?? It is a fact that if you have access and can pay for deductibles ( mine is $7,000 ) your chance of surviving cancer for 5 years is 50% more than if you can not afford insurance. I say this is murder of Americans by Americans. What ever we are doing now needs to change. There is no way to justify the current system. JOHN
about 2 months ago
Universal Health care denies you the choice of doctor? Ignorant American talking. Go to Germany. Not only are there private options in Germany, you get to choose your doctor there. You get to choose your specialist. Period. Universal health care does NOT equal the UK system. There are many ways to institute a system of care where everyone is insured. Why do all Americans who are opposed to universal care think that this means you somehow can’t choose the doctors you go to? Who is responsible for this stupid myth?
about 4 months ago
just stop the meat butchery industries it s not natural your eating dead meat or cadavers ,the people look and are sick who eats dead meat
about 3 months ago
So what… we’re supposed to cut off a slice or roast as required & let the rest continue to graze till we’re hungry again? Sounds a bit mean spirited to me. Man is an omnivore. Not a herbavore, not a carnivore, but an OMNIVORE. It’s healthier these days if we raise our own, of course… Heaven only knows what’s in anything we get at the grocery store any longer…
about 3 months ago
Early humans were herbivores, not omnivores.
adopting the practice of scavenging meat led to harvesting tools, to hunting, and then to war.
meat production is killing the environment and has caused widespread disease, as keeping herds spreads disease from animals to humans.
and cooked meat is the major cause of cancer in our diet.
what a great innovation!!!
about 2 months ago
“Early humans were herbivores, not omnivores.
adopting the practice of scavenging meat led to harvesting tools, to hunting, and then to war.
meat production is killing the environment and has caused widespread disease, as keeping herds spreads disease from animals to humans.
and cooked meat is the major cause of cancer in our diet.
what a great innovation!!!”
LOL- as an anthropologist, I’m going to ask to see all of your peer-reviewed sources.
PS- eating meat is the only way we were able to support having a brain of such enormous size in an environment that was increasingly erratic. So to say that we are evolutionarily-programmed for herbivory simply because various Australopith species (many of which were not our ancestors) ate grasses (A. boisie), tubers and other vegetation 3 millions years ago is absolutely illogical. And it’s probably a big part of why Australopiths had chimp-sized brains and 3-4 foot stature for millions and millions years.
about 2 months ago
“eating meat is the only way we were able to support having a brain of such enormous size in an environment that was increasingly erratic.”
No. The “expensive tissue” hypothesis has now been discredited. http://paleovegan.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-curtains-for-expensive-tissue.html
about 3 months ago
If you choose not to eat meat that is your choice. But understand the human body evolved as an omnivore, which means we eat everything. In fact the highly evolved brain we have is largely attibuted to the use of fire to cook meat, thus allowing us to eat more protein. You sound like a fanatical Christain, you are spouting crap someone else got you to buy into.
about 2 months ago
@Bob) why does someone who is “spouting” some opinion have to be a “fanatical Christain” (sic) in your worldview? Quit the spin and stay on topic! This was a very informative piece and right on… Leave your bent perspective on Christians for another thread…
about 2 months ago
without meat, we would never have evolved to homo sapiens. Animal Meat = protein = big brains and ALL that comes with it. Meat eating is totally natural for hominids, including present day homo sapiens. We are omnivores.
Anthropologist in NC
about 1 month ago
Animal protein does not result in “big brains” or higher intelligence.
Some guy in AB
about 3 months ago
@management pawn – we have been asking that question while getting no response. Hate what they are doing to food here
about 3 months ago
The answer is grow your own veggies. I can manage all the tomatoes and potatoes my husband and I need, even in a small space. When I need “canned tomatoes” for sauce, I boil a few for a minute or two, then plunge in cold water and the skins come right off. Then into the food processor or not, as needed. And there is nothing like digging new potatoes and eating them for supper. Since I spend winters in the U.K., I eat their beef, but not the Canadian product in the summer time. Then I am a “fresh-grown vegetarian.”
about 3 months ago
gee…..growing potatoes on my 3′ by 5′ deck? rich!!! you are obviously a very wealthy person and your suggestions mean little to the 99%
about 3 months ago
Richard, there’s actually no need to be “very wealthy” to have the space/ability to grow potatoes. perhaps you should do a bit of research before being so quick to attack someone you probably know nothing personal about.
Speaking as someone who is very much NOT wealthy, who manages to grow numerous types of vegetables in limited space it can be one. Yes, your deck size is going to limit your ability to grow stuff, but it CAN be done, trust me.
about 2 months ago
Richard, check out the Square Foot Gardening books by Mel Bartholomew and the Lasagna Gardening books by Patricia Lanza at your library. They offer some practical ideas of how to grow vegetables in a “container garden” on your deck. As a thought: an unused 5 gal. paint bucket (not very expensive at your local home building store) might be a good container. It’s deep and doesn’t take up much room.
Please don’t let a lack of money discourage you from making strides to better your life (in this case, by growing your own food). Let it make you more creative in how you live! “Wealth” really has nothing to do with money.
about 2 months ago
Any suggestions for those of us who have NO outdoor space of any kind?
about 2 months ago
There’s a great article on WuW titled “eating out of the gutter,” a nifty trick used to grow one’s own food by installing gutters on side of the house and growing food in it. Check it out.
http://wakeup-world.com/2011/11/01/eating-out-of-the-gutter-literally/
Chers, Jack
about 2 months ago
Many communities dedicate tracts of land for community gardens. They usually cost nothing to participate except you must provide your own seed/plants. The land is owned by the city or an individual land owner in the community; frequently, there is water available on-site…but there may not be a hose. Come prepared with your shovel/hoe, hose/watering container, seeds/plants, and make sure you keep up on routine weeding…out of respect for your “neighboring” gardener. Have fun with this great option…it’s pretty fulfilling to grow and eat your own food!
about 3 months ago
Farmed salmon fed on poultry litter?! That creeps me out the most. Who are these bastards that get away with this shit?!
about 3 months ago
It is aggreable that we as a nation,tring to build and grow fast, have just about polluted ourselves into exstinktion. It is also called greed. Once you get someone buying your product and you need more of it then you have the search for alternitives in production takes hold and then it’s damn the torpedoes full foolerie ahead. The time to really downsize and give the knowledge back of how to grow your own and raise them chickens is at hand. The Green Acres song says it all. good bye city life give me some worms beneath my feet and a shovel to dig with, some seeds to plant and water to grow I will be just fine.
about 3 months ago
You would never think that these foods could cause so many problems. It just goes to show us that we each have to take ownership of what we put on our own tables.
about 3 months ago
April, isn’t the problem that we can’t take ownership of it because the firms that profit from this trade in poison muddy the water on the problems their products create. And the regulators are in bed with the producers and are no help. Who has time to seek out the proper info? This is a real problem and I don’t see it getting better soon.
about 3 months ago
We can take ownership of what we put on our table. We can’t all afford organic but we can be aware of what we are and are not feeding ourselves and make the best choices possible. Staying informed is one of the most important parts.
about 2 months ago
Even though I’m inclined to agree to a certain extent, these folks make mad profits only because we are so lazy. They have capitalized on the fact that our society wants stuff NOW with the least amount of effort being put forth. If we don’t demand better, healthier resources why would they go the extra mile at their expense? Having a conscience is one thing, but if we don’t care by refusing their ware, why should they? Supply and demand. . .
about 3 months ago
This world sucks for poor people!
about 3 months ago
The word “experts’ in the headline should be a major tip off right there that in a few years these same people will be saying, “Oh, we were wrong about that.” I wonder where they stand on global warming?
about 3 months ago
I enjoyed reading your comment. The algore and company will, one day, be footnotes on the story of world huxters. Hysterical nutritionists and health food nuts probably will always be among us. With me, whenever I read “scientists say or conclude or have discovered” a red flag goes up. I studied sciences and wore white lab coats. I retired. Believe me, there is fun to be had just relaxing and enjoying life.
about 2 months ago
This is a shame, to make blanket statements about changing understanding of what stuff does to our bodies. We’re clearly not giving thalidomide to mothers, or putting lead paint on baby cribs any more, for really good reason. Good luck finding any scientists with any credibility arguing those points. So it’s the places where we aren’t sure that cause most of the controversy. And “sureness” just doesn’t come instantaneously. the scientific community is MORE sure about global climate change than they were 20 years ago, but to say “there’s doubt, so why would we change” is to imply that what we need is the equivalent of blind faith, which is specifically what scientists are in the business of not having.
What does expertise mean to you then? You rely on experts all the time to keep your world functioning. You’re probably an expert in something yourself, whether it’s heart surgery or what food your spouse can’t stand.
What you’re railing against is self-important, pompous, self-proclaimed expertise. It’s expertise used for personal self-aggrandizement and advancement, not to do the things that the expertise is fitted for. This is true everywhere, not just in science. Most scientific work is done without fanfare or appearances on talk shows with people who have no idea what they’re talking about.