The Biggest Advantage to Grass Fed Meat
•Organic beef is healthier for you.
•Beef, such as Texas grass fed beef is lower in total fat.
•Natural beef contains more Omega 3 fatty acids and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which are good for your health.
•Organic raised beef livestock doesn't contain synthetic hormones.
•Grass fed cows aren't pumped full of antibiotics as with Grain-fed cows
•Pasture raised beef is healthier for the environment. By expanding grasslands, the amount of soil erosion will decrease.
•Natural meat doesn't pollute the water with antibiotics and hormones.
•Grass fed beef animals can share their biome with other animals.
•Organic grass beef animals use manure as a natural fertilizer that will be absorbed by the soil naturally.
•Grass fed cows are scientifically safe.
•Mad cow disease isn't found in natural organic beef because they eat a natural diet that doesn't contain animal proteins.
•Less E. coli is found in pasture raised beef animals because they eat a more natural diet.
•Natural meat doesn't contain hormones that have been banned in Europe due to their links to cancer.
•Grass fed meat tastes great too. Take the taste test!
What is Grass Fed or Pasture Fed Beef?
Put simply, American grass fed beef is exactly that--beef animals that are fed grass or pasture raised. Most cattle in the United States are not grass fed beef, but are instead fed grain. There isn't much to the definition itself, but there are a lot of different aspects to grass fed beef, or pasture fed beef, to understand. To truly understand what grass fed beef is, you also have to comprehend how it is different from the vast majority of the beef that Americans eat.
Five Reasons Why You Should Switch to Organic Grass Fed Beef
1. Grass Fed Beef is healthier for you and your family.
If you are already worried about the effects of meat on you or your family's health, you can stop worrying! Pasture raised beef is lower in total fat than regular beef and is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
2. There is a difference in taste between grain and pasture raised beef.
You'll probably be able to taste a difference with the first bite of a Texas grass fed beef hamburger. What you can taste is clean meat. You aren't consuming a lot of antibiotics and hormones.
3. Switching to grass fed beef can help to keep our environment clean.
All cattle eat a lot, and all cattle make a lot of waste. Did you know there are over 90 million head of cattle in the United States? The vast majority of these live in huge feed lots, and the waste has no where to go but down. It seeps into the groundwater, finds its way into the river, and pollutes the water. In fact, animal waste has already polluted many of our waterways. In addition, the corn and grains that is used to feed grain fed beef, has been sprayed with pesticides that not only get into the animal, but harm our environment.
4. American grass fed beef is more humane to the cattle.
Time is money to the average cattle rancher. Their goals are to get the cattle big and fat as fast as possible, and to make as much money as possible. How do typical ranchers speed up the process? They use grain, hormones and antibiotics liberally to move Mother Nature along.
5. Raising beef cattle on the pasture is safer meat.
Why? Because they are eating a diet that was suited for their bodies.
The Difference between Organic Grass Fed Beef Animals and Ordinary Cattle
Let's examine how cattle are raised in America. The story of a cattle raised on grain is not a pretty story, so if you are eating a hamburger from a fast food restaurant right now, you may not want to put it down.The Biggest Advantage to Grass Fed Meat
•Organic beef is healthier for you.... more
At the link you can read all about them, very informative.
I will highlight Soy protein as it is a very tricky food for Vegetarians, vegans and people that love proteins.
Excerpt:
"Textured vegetable protein (TVP)found in vegetarian "Not Meat" products and Soy protein isolate found in most processed foods.
No matter what side of the fence you sit on the great soy debate, TVP or textured vegetable protein made from de-fatted soy flour is so processed that it hardly qualifies to be called a food anymore.
It is a highly processed and unhealthy food, it is NOT a health food."
It is GMO, it absorbs aluminum and becomes carcinogen from the processing method.
Organic soy only solves part of the problem, it still remains very unhealthy.
I am glad the author mentioned High fructose corn syrup which I despise and is number one public enemy.
Also I want to emphasize the notion that diet food does not mean "diet" means "unhealthier".
Excerpt:
"Many of those are also used in products such as household cleaners, and have been linked to a number of health problems from allergies and skin sensitivity to more serious hormonal disturbances, fertility problems and even cancer.
Parabens, for example, which are designed to preserve the shelf-life of your cosmetics, are one of the most widely used preservatives in the world, and are found in shampoos, hair gels, shaving gels and body lotions. But their use is becoming increasingly controversial - a range of different studies has linked them to serious health problems including breast cancer, as well as fertility issues in men.
Research from the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine suggests that some parabens we had previously presumed to be safe, such as Methylparaben, may mutate and become toxic when exposed to sunlight, causing premature skin ageing and an increased risk of skin cancer.
If you don’t know what a Neti Pot is then your in for a great surprise, especially if you suffer from allergies or sinus infections. I created a quick fun video explaining how to use this ancient device and even invited a friend who’s never heard the word, give it a try for the first time.If you don’t know what a Neti Pot is then your in for a great surprise, especially... more
I'm starting to see these little empty non-recyclable, non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic containers everywhere. I've seen entire trash cans filled with these things at convenience stores after the morning rush... day after day.
In this day and age, you would think that Keurig and the companies associated with this product (Paul Newman's Own, Heifer, Green Mountain Coffee, Celestial Seasonings, Ghirardelli) who claim to be "organic" and/or "sustainable", would be more aware of it's impact to our environment.
You can contact these companies at the blog post above.
"The Keurig single-cup brewing system uses a special packaging for coffee, tea and hot cocoa called K-Cup portion packs or "K-Cups". Each K-Cup is an airtight, mini-brewer that locks out oxygen, light, moisture and humidity while locking in freshness and flavor. "
American Western Fruit Grower Magazine writes about Top 10 Produce's plan to "circle the wagons" to protect small growers from individually bearing the costs of compliance with anticipated traceability legislation. No traceability system has been mandated but the FDA has set a public traceability meeting for this December to address the issue.
Yes, these are real and available just in time to nip our consumer panic in the bud -- now you know exactly what to give to the greenie in your life...or not!It sure is getting chilly outside, and as the temperatures plunge, the majority of us... more
Companies Like Top 10 Produce LLC and Harvestmark are putting technology in place to read the small stickers on produce items by using mobile phones. Once Accessed, these stickers can let consumers use social media to communicate directly with the farmer or to leave reviews about the produce. Also, the sustainability of the growing practices can be considered by consumers who are interested in supporting sustainable agriculture. And, because the produce is traceable, consumers can confirm if the produce is locally grown.
Top 10 Produce only licenses independent producers and limits the amount that any single grower can label under the Top 10 label to 1 million dollars or less per year, to even the playing field between small and large farming operations.
Top 10 uses the Databar codes already used by in-store scanners and Harvestmark has 2d codes unique to Harvestmark.
If grown properly, your organic garden will produce higher quality, healthier foods '" and will be good for the environment and wildlife.
Many people have high hopes for starting their own organic garden and reaping a small harvest from it. The problem is that many don't really know what an organic garden is. Organic gardening is more than popping some seeds in the ground and letting them grow "naturally." If grown properly, your organic garden will produce higher quality, healthier foods—and will be good for the environment and wildlife. But it will take planning and work. Here's what you need to know to get a green organic thumb.
Know the facts...
Start with a small plot...
Seek advice from other organic gardeners...
Make a compost pile...
Get the best soil you can find...
Prepare to control weeds manually...
Remove insects by hand...
Get some help from the birds and bees...If grown properly, your organic garden will produce higher quality, healthier foods '"... more
"New research shows that ornamental plants can drastically reduce levels of stress and ill health and boost performance levels at work because they soak up harmful indoor air pollution.
Researchers have now identified five "super ornamental plants" which every workplace should have to clean up indoor air.
They include English ivy, waxy leaved plants and ferns.
According to a World Health Organisation report in 2002, harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year.
Excerpt:
"Dupont, Monsanto, Syngenta, and Groupe Limagrain control 75 percent of the seed marketplace and this Saturday at 9:00 am pst, Michael Olson's Food Chain Radio hosts Steve Hixson from Steve's Seed Conditioning to discuss the politics of seeds. Currently, Monsanto and Dupont are going head to head for a bigger piece of the seed profit pie.
So what exactly does such dominance mean for our nation's food chain? With four massive corporations controlling the marketplace, it undoubtedly will have repercussions for the food industry. I wrote back in
September that farmers are essentially giving up the wheel to corporate entities that research, develop, and mass produce seeds. Tracts of land planted with commercial seeds are pushing out local crop varieties and erasing the knowledge gained from 10,000 years of farming." http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/the-politics-of-seeds.php
I will always quote this, it is so true:
" Societies and economies can be destroyed by bombs. Societies can also be destroyed by locking every aspect of life like provision of food and water through an economic war.”
By Vandana Shiva
***Go to the link and click on "Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides" for a list of 47 fruits and veggies ranked from highest to lowest pesticide load***
One issue that’s come to my attention since I started thinking more about my food is the debate about organic foods — are they healthier, and is the cost worth the potential benefits?
I’d love to buy organic food all the time, but it’s just not financially possible for me right now. That said, I believe in the health risks of pesticides on foods and would like to start moving in the direction of eating foods grown without them. But if I’m going to get a bang for my buck, which foods should I buy organic in order to protect myself from ingesting the most pesticides? Are some fruits and vegetables more susceptible to absorbing pesticides than others?
One list I found that can help answer this question is the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, which ranks 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on how many pesticides they contain, often after being washed and peeled. The list was put together by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit group working on public health and the environment.***Go to the link and click on "Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides" for a list of 47... more
"Over the last century, the intensive use of chemical fertilizers has saturated the Earth’s soils, waters, and atmosphere with nitrogen. Now scientists are warning that we must move quickly to revolutionize agricultural systems and greatly reduce the amount of nitrogen we put into the planet's ecosystems."
Two more excerpts:
"Nitrogen affects more parts of the planet’s life-support systems than almost any other element, says James Galloway of the University of Virginia, who predicts: “In the worst-case scenario, we will move towards a nitrogen-saturated planet, with polluted and reduced biodiversity, increased human health risks and an even more perturbed greenhouse gas balance.”
"Today, of 175 million tons of nitrogen applied to the world’s croplands in a year, almost 50 percent is from chemical fertilizer. It has raised the “carrying capacity” of the world’s soils from 1.9 people per hectare of farmland to 4.3 — and 10 in China, where applications reach twice anything seen in Europe.
"This is a profound change to the biochemistry of life on Earth — and to our own bodies. Today, much of the nitrogen in our bodies comes not from biological sources but from giant chemical factories. We are, in a real sense, as much chemistry as biology. Vaclav Smil, the distinguished Canadian researcher into food and the environment at the University of Manitoba, calls the nitrogen fix 'an immense and dangerous experiment.' "
More at: http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2207
Nitrogen is saturating our planet, causing algae blooms, destroying sea life, dead zones, global warming, acid rain, eating the ozone layer and reducing nature's biodiversity.
Organic agriculture can answer to this.
This needs to be addressed along with global warming as they both go hand in hand.
Halloween is just another excuse to buy something pretty (and, in this case, make it into a costume). If you're going to spend money anyway, make it organic - buy Edun or Prairie Underground - or buy independent with Etsy. http://www.awakenedaesthetic.com/2009/10/can-i-just-wear-a-pretty-dress-for-halloween/Halloween is just another excuse to buy something pretty (and, in this case, make it... more
"The scientists are extremely concerned about the hazards of GMOs to biodiversity, food safety, human and animal health, and demand a moratorium on environmental releases in accordance with the precautionary principle.
They are opposed to GM crops that will intensify corporate monopoly, exacerbate inequality and prevent the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can provide food security and health around the world.
They call for a ban on patents of life-forms and living processes which threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources and violate basic human rights and dignity.
They want more support on research and development of non-corporate, sustainable agriculture that can benefit family farmers all over the world.
Previous versions of this letter were submitted to many governments and international forums including:
World Trade Organization Conference in Seattle (November 30 – Dec. 2, 1999)
UN Biosafety Protocol Meeting in Montreal (24 – 28, Jan. 2000)
UN Commission on Sustainable Development Conference on Sustainable Agriculture in New York (April 24-May 5, 2000)
UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference in Nairobi (May 16-24, 2000)
United States Congress (29 June, 2000)
Signed by 828 scientists from 84 different countries..."
More at the link above.
Excerpt from the letter:
"We urge the US Congress to reject GM crops as both hazardous and contrary to the interest of family farmers; and to support research and development of sustainable agricultural methods that can truly benefit family farmers all over the world.
We, the undersigned scientists, call for the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops and products, both commercially and in open field trials, for at least 5 years; for patents on living processes, organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes to be revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all.
1 Patents on life-forms and living processes should be banned because they threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, violate basic human rights and dignity, compromise healthcare, impede medical and scientific research and are against the welfare of animals(1). Life-forms such as organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes are discoveries and hence not patentable. Current GM techniques which exploit living processes are unreliable, uncontrollable and unpredictable, and do not qualify as inventions. Furthermore, those techniques are inherently unsafe, as are many GM organisms and products.
2. It is becoming increasingly clear that current GM crops are neither needed nor beneficial. They are a dangerous diversion preventing the essential shift to sustainable agricultural practices that can provide food security and health around the world.
3. Two simple characteristics account for the nearly 40 million hectares of GM crops planted in 1999(2). The majority (71%) are tolerant to broad-spectrum herbicides, with companies engineering plants to be tolerant to their own brand of herbicide, while most of the rest are engineered with bt-toxins to kill insect pests. A university-based survey of 8200 field trials of the most widely grown GM crops, herbicide-tolerant soya beans - revealed that they yield 6.7% less and required two to five times more herbicides than non-GM varieties(3). This has been confirmed by a more recent study in the University of Nebraska(4). Yet other problems have been identified: erratic performance, disease susceptibility(5), fruit abortion(6) and poor economic returns to farmers(7)."
More: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/list.php
Take action, add your name to the list, please do so to support this cause.
Organic, Shaken and Stirred is a must-read for anyone looking to drink greener. The book lists stores that sell organic liquors, recommends organic brands, and includes 100 yummy cocktail recipes -- Check out more at MindBodyGreen: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-167/MBG-Bookshelf-Organic-Shaken-and-Stirred.htmlOrganic, Shaken and Stirred is a must-read for anyone looking to drink greener. The... more
We limit the combined total dollar amount of item-labeled produce that any single grower can sell under our two item labels to less than $1 Million US dollars annually. This is our small effort to even the playing field between larger and smaller farms. Research shows that larger farms, particularly those with annual revenues in excess of $1 Million per year have a significant competitive advantage as compared to small family farms. Top 10 Produce LLC will invite socially conscious consumers to play a role by alerting the consumer that our brand provides a strategic advantage in favor of smaller farms, and by reminding buyers that we only license independent growers. 100% of our items have a transparency enabling barcode.
This item level barcode will be scanned by mobile phones to tell the consumer about the farmer, whether the produce is locally grown (including a map showing the location of the farm as compared to their current location based on their cell phone's GPS ), and anything else the consumer is interested to know about that produce item. Consumer reviews of fresh produce will be available to shoppers and chefs alike.
Suggestions are encouraged and welcome, so please share thoughts, concerns, criticisms and questions. We are listening carefully.We limit the combined total dollar amount of item-labeled produce that any single... more
(OrganicJar) This is a quick delicious dessert by Lisa Paris. She calls it the Parisian Love Crumble and rightfully so! Watch the video to see just how easy and delicius this recipe is.
There are only 5 ingredients and they are:
* Almonds – 1 cup
* Walnuts – 1.5 cups
* Strawberries – 2lbs
* Medjool Dates – cup
* Sea Salt – tiny pinch
ENJOY!(OrganicJar) This is a quick delicious dessert by Lisa Paris. She calls it the... more
Watch videos. (sensitive material)
I say boycott palm oil products and take action.
Here one excerpt from the article:
"Cinta, a baby orangutan found lost and alone in a vast Borneo palm oil plantation, now clings to a tree at a sanctuary for the great apes, staring intently at dozens of tourists.
She is one of the casualties of the boom in palm oil -- used extensively for biofuel and processed food like margarine -- which has seen swathes of jungle felled in Borneo, an island split between Malaysia and Indonesia."
One more excerpt:
"As well as destroying their jungle habitat, the expansion of palm oil, which now covers nearly one fifth of Sabah alone, poses other risks to the endangered species.
Orangutans that damage the palm oil fruits can be hunted down and killed, and it is quite common for young apes to be captured and kept as pets by villagers living alongside the plantations.
'They either go into the oil palm, and start eating the oil palm fruits, or get pushed into a smaller and smaller area,' said Eric Meijaard from the Indonesia-based People and Nature Consulting International.
'What quite often happens is that the oil palm concession basically will ask for these orangutans to be shot so they get rid of the problem.' "
How can we solve this?
The article does not suggest solutions, I do.
Many products carry palm oil as an ingredient, all we need to do is boycott these.
Palm oil causes deforestation and wildlife suffering and extinction.
Stop the illegal trade.
While at Organic Valley headquarters in Wisconsin, the OrganicNation.tv crew got a chance to speak with Tim LaSalle, CEO of the Rodale Institute about the way organic farming can help mitigate global climate change.
Rodale Institute research shows that organically managed soils can store (sequester) more than 1,000 pounds of carbon per acre, while non-organic systems can cause carbon loss. For consumers, this means that the simple act of buying organic products can help to reduce global climate change.
