Whole Food And More: 6/1/08

Feeling Depressed? Eat Some Spinach...

Have you ever heard that eating green foods are good for your mood? Or that you may be depressed because you are not eating enough Lima beans or spinach? Well my mom never knew the medical literature is amazing in it's agreement that a folic acid (folate) deficiency, which by the way is widespread in the U.S., is related to psychiatric disorders, like depression and also dementia and schizophrenia. Folic acid is a B vitamin first isolated from green leafy veggies. It's also heavily concentrated in legumes. The fact that folic acid can act as an antidepressant is no secret to scientists.

Dr. Young from McGill University notes that patients with various levels of depression have much higher rates of folic acid deficiency that the general public. Also, psychiatric patients with low folic acid are more severely disturbed. There are good reasons why a lack of the vitamin can cause depression, he says. Folic acid deficiency causes serotonin levels in the brain to sink.

People purposely deprived of folic acid in tests have lapsed into sleeplessness, forgetfulness and irritability after five months, when folic acid was added back into the diet, the symptoms mostly disappeared in two days.

In a double-blind study 75 patients with depression who were on the drug lithium were given 200 micrograms of folic acid a day (equal to about 3/4 cup of spinach) to half the group for a year. The others got a placebo. Those getting the folic acid had a dramatic relief form depression.

Dr. Young suggests that 200 to 500 micrograms of folic acid a day may help fight depression in certain people. That amount is easily found in food.

Resources:
Folate and depression—a neglected problem
Folate and depression

For foods high in folic acid.

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Full Disclaimer, There may be affiliate links on this page. In some cases, I will be compensated if you decide to purchase a product based on my recommendation. In some cases, I receive free product for review purposes. I only include those links for products and services that I use myself. I work hard with researching in addition to trying-testing all the products-services before publishing to my visitors.

These Foods May Work Like Aspirin

Aspirin in your food? Absolutely. Certain foods, mainly fruits, have aspirin-like activity. Here's the proof: When people who are sensitive to aspirin eat such foods, they have reactions similar to those caused by taking aspirin. Because of this, allergists warn aspirin-sensitive people to stay away from foods heavy in salicylates, the stuff aspirin is made of.

The presence of this natural drug might be one more reason certain plant foods guard against cardiovascular disease and cancer, say experts. Salicylates have anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. They also may affect prostaglandins in ways that retard the growth of tumors.

Foods extremely high in natural aspirin (salicylates)

Blueberries - Cherries - Dried Currants - Curry Powder - Dried Dates
Gherkins (small pickles) - Licorice - Paprika - Prunes - Raspberries

Food moderately high in salicylates
Almonds - Apples (granny smith) - Oranges - Peppers (sweet and hot)
Persimmons - Pineapple - Tea

Generally fruits contain considerable amounts of salicylates; vegetables do not.

Resource: Food your miracle medicine, Jean Carper pg 471-473

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Recall of "Astro Pops" and "Missile Pops" Cherry Pineapple Frozen Novelty Pops in Arizona, Nevada and California due to Safety Hazard

Matterhorn Group Inc is recalling certain date coded product of their:
Rainbow Glacier "Astro Pops" water ice frozen novelty pops,
Cherry Pineapple Swirl 3.5 oz size 12 count bag pack, with tag closure
"Best by JUN 03-09"
"Best by JUN 04-09"
"Best by JUN 05-09"
sold through the Wal-Mart stores located in California and Arizona,
Sunnyside Farms "Missile Pops" Cherry Pineapple in 3.5 oz. size 12 count bag packages, with tag closure of
"Best By JUN 02-09",
"Best by JUN 03-09", and
"Best by JUN 04-09" sold through the California stores of grocery retailers Save Mart and Raley’s, and Vitafreze Frozen Astronot Pops 3.5 oz size 12 count bag packages, with tag closure of "Best By JUN 02-09" sold in California.

The products are being recalled because they may contain pieces of hard plastic. Only the noted product date codes listed are affected.

The small pieces of non-toxic hard plastic were from a part of the processing equipment which broke during the manufacturing process. The majority of the possibly affected product was retrieved from the distribution system before any release to retail stores. However, there were a small number of cases which were shipped to above mentioned locations.

There have been no reports of injury. People who bite into or swallow a fragment could possibly be injured, prompting this precautionary recall. Young children are particularly at risk of a choking hazard. Although the company believes the problem is very isolated, we are taking this measure to ensure the safety of our consumers.

Consumers in AZ and CA who have purchased the above indicated products should return them to their retailer where purchased for a full refund. For questions and inquiries, consumers may contact them at 1-888-264-0898.

FDA

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July 4th Grilling Tip - High Heat Makes Meat A Cancer Risk.

July 4th is almost here and BBQ grills will be out everywhere. I don't eat much meat anymore but when I did, it had to be burned. I couldn't stand to see any pink and thought well-done was the safest, no e-coli etc. Little I knew about cooking meat - now I know the higher heat and "burning it to well-done" releases cancer causing chemicals! I've never been a big meat eater - never liked it - rarely cook it - so I have an excuse for not knowing "well-done" is bad. Also find Greener Grilling Help in this post.

How do you like your steak or burger?

Research has shown that cooking certain meats at high temperatures creates chemicals that are not present in uncooked meats. A few of these chemicals may increase cancer risk. For example, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are the carcinogenic chemicals formed from the cooking of muscle meats such as beef, pork, fowl, and fish. HCAs form when amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and creatine (a chemical found in muscles) react at high cooking temperatures.

Researchers have identified 17 different HCAs resulting from the cooking of muscle meats that may pose human cancer risk.

Research conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as well as by Japanese and European scientists indicates that heterocyclic amines are created within muscle meats during most types of high temperature cooking.

Studies have looked at the relationship associated with methods of cooking meat and the development of specific types of cancer.

One study conducted by researchers from NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics found a link between individuals with stomach cancer and the consumption of cooked meats.

* The researchers assessed the diets and cooking habits of 176 people diagnosed with stomach cancer and 503 people without cancer.
* The researchers found that those who ate their beef medium-well or well-done had more than three times the risk of stomach cancer than those who ate their beef rare or medium-rare.
* They also found that people who ate beef four or more times a week had more than twice the risk of stomach cancer than those consuming beef less frequently.

Additional studies have shown that an increased risk of developing colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer is associated with high intakes of well-done, fried, or barbecued meats.

Four factors influence HCA formation: type of food, cooking method, temperature, and time. HCAs are found in cooked muscle meats; other sources of protein (milk, eggs, tofu, and organ meats such as liver) have very little or no HCA content naturally or when cooked.

Temperature is the most important factor in the formation of HCAs. Frying, broiling, and barbecuing produce the largest amounts of HCAs because the meats are cooked at very high temperatures. One study conducted by researchers showed a threefold increase in the content of HCAs when the cooking temperature was increased from 200° to 250°C (392° to 482°F).

Oven roasting and baking are done at lower temperatures, so lower levels of HCAs are likely to form, however, gravy made from meat drippings does contain substantial amounts of HCAs. Stewing, boiling, or poaching are done at or below 100°C (212°F); cooking at this low temperature creates negligible amounts of the chemicals. Foods cooked a long time (“well-done” instead of “medium”) by other methods will also form slightly more of the chemicals. Resource

Don't under cook meat. Pathogens like Salmonella, e. coli and Campylobacter can survive even in browned meat. For ground beef and all cuts of pork, cook to 160 degrees F; for beef steaks and chops, 145 F; for poultry thigh and breasts, 170 F and for whole birds, 180 F. Use a thermometer!

Soy burgers and vegetables are also healthy grilling choices.

When grilling beef, chicken or pork look for organic meat free of hormones and antibiotics. Organic also means the animal was raised on a vegetarian diet. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," is caused by cows being fed cow by-products.

Even sports arena concession stands are responding to the demand for organic meat. Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals are trying out organic hot dogs and bratwurst.

When grilling seafood, avoid sword-fish and tuna, which are more likely to carry mercury. Choose wild caught salmon and other healthy choices.

Greener Grilling Tips

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These 8 "Healthy" Foods Are Fakes...

Foods are found in grocers everywhere that claim to be healthy. If you read the front package it seems like real fruit, or whole grains but we have to think twice about foods that make health claims and read the ingredients - not just the BIG BOLD things on the front of the package.

Look at this list of these Fraud Foods, the ones that lead us to believe we are eating healthy.

1 Smucker’s Simply Fruit
All varieties of Smucker’s Simply Fruit contain more fruit syrup than actual fruit. And the syrup doesn’t even come from the fruit in the products’ names, but from (cheaper) apple, pineapple, or pear juice concentrate.

2 Multigrain Tostitos
A one-ounce (8 chips) serving of Multigrain Tostitos has more sugar (1 gram) than any of its “Four Wholesome Grains.”

3 Kellogg’s Special K Fruit & Yogurt

The company touts that the “ cereal combines the crunch of whole grain goodness, the smooth creaminess of yogurt and the sweet taste of berries….” Yet there is more refined rice than whole grain wheat, no berries (just dyed apple pieces), and no yogurt (just yogurt powder that is usually heat treated, killing any beneficial bacteria) in the cereal.

4 Sara Lee Fruits of the Forest Deep Dish Pie

Pie is no health food, but Sara Lee’s looks like an exception. With photos of luscious apples, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, the pie seems like a virtual cocktail of vitamin-packed fruits, “simmered in their own juices” to cut down on the added sugar. But Fruits of the Forest has more partially hydrogenated oil and sugar than any fruit except apples. The upshot: Each serving (1/9 of a pie) has 340 calories, 4 -1/2 grams of saturated fat, and 4 grams of trans! That’s half a day’s bad fat.

5 Kellogg’s Eggo Nutri- Grain Pancakes

The box boasts that these pancakes are “Made with Whole Wheat and Whole Grain,” but they consist primarily of white flour.

6 Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Juice Treats
The packaging is decorated with pictures of oranges, grapes, cherries, peaches,

and pineapples. Yet the leading ingredients are corn syrup and sugar – and the only “fruit” they contain is nutritionally poor white grape juice concentrate. These snacks are more candy than fruit juice!

7 Enviga

Coca-Cola/Nestle claims that their new drink’s combination of caffeine and an antioxidant extracted from green tea will cause people to burn more calories than the drink provides and help them control their weight. In fact, one in five people drinking Enviga burn fewer, not more, calories and long-term studies on the ingredients in Enviga show no consistent effect on weight.

8 DanActive “immunity” dairy drink
This Dannon product claims to help “strengthen your body's defenses.” But the only study Dannon did to see if drinking DanActive kept people from getting sick found that it didn’t! Source cspinet.org

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* 8 Healthy Foods Are "Fake" Thank You FOX.com for featuring Whole Food And More!

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Women Who Eat Whole Foods Live Longer-Study

I put a lot of thought into what I eat and feed my family. I'm not a health nut - at least not yet. I'm just a wife and mom who wants to be around for my family for a really long time. Now I have some proof that what I eat does make a difference in health and dying too soon.

A newly released study has linked what women eat to their risk of dying from certain diseases.

Harvard's School of Public Health studied over 72,000 women for 18 years to see whether eating habits played a part in dying from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. What they found is not surprising, but it does add credibility to all those health nuts who say we need to eat better in order to live better. Here's what they found...

Women who ate a "prudent diet" including lots of veggies, fruits, legumes, and whole grains had 28% lower risk of dying from heart disease and 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, diabetes, and stroke.

Women who ate a "Western diet" including more meat, processed, refined, and sugary foods, had 22% higher risk of dying from heart disease and 21% higher risk of dying from all of the causes combined.

It is the long-term dietary patterns that make the difference, not just adding or subtracting a single type of food now and then. This is good news for those of us who are working on making lifestyle changes and great motivation to keep up the good work!

Go to Sue's blog to read more Thanks Sue for sharing this!
Visit Sue~Health Nut Wannabe for more helpful tips on food and health.

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Recall of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water

This announces a product recall for the one-gallon Nestlé Pure Life Purified Drinking Water sold ONLY in Shop-Rite stores in the five Northeast states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. This affects ONLY the one-gallon size.

Fewer than 150 one-gallon bottles of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water are implicated, produced in a short timeframe on May 5, 2008 between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The product date code is printed on the shoulder of one-gallon bottles. The code is:

First line…………050508126WF024
Second line……... Starts with the numbers "08"
For example: 0801BB05/2010

The product in question may contain a diluted form of a common food grade cleaning compound that results in a bitter or sour taste. This could pose a potential health concern if ingested in large quantities over an extended period of time and should not be consumed or used in preparing infant formulas or other foods or beverages. No illnesses have been reported.

To further assure consumers, Shop-Rite, as of Monday, June 23rd, has removed any remaining affected product from their stores and warehouses.

Consumers who possess this product or have questions should contact the company at a toll free number 866-599-8980 available 24 hours a day. This same toll-free number is also printed on the front of all product labels for the one-gallon size.

Contact:
Nestlé Pure Life
866-599-8980

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Do We Fear Buying Fresh From Farmers?

Today I'm sharing a great article from LocalHarvest about the "fear" some people have about buying fresh straight from the farm. This is a nationwide problem but if we would think about the latest tomato salmonella outbreak, which is really safer, the grocery store food or fresh from the farm? Read what LocalHarvest has to say.

LocalHarvest - Changing With The Times
Welcome to the LocalHarvest newsletter. What a month! Things are different. You feel it too, right? With gas prices soaring, Iowa flooding, salmonella striking tomatoes, and a global food crisis threatening, it seems to us that America is finally, slowly waking up. The world is not what it seemed to be. Change feels inevitable in ways it didn't even a few months ago. The question now is not so much whether the collective we is going to change, but how - with what frame of mind. As we alter our consumption patterns, food and otherwise, we must be aware of how we approach change. We can be anxious or relaxed, defensive or curious, fearful or joyful. The differences are vast and vital.

Many of us live lives that are overly determined by convenience. Day to day decisions are made as if expediency and ease were our highest values. So habituated are we to these conveniences, so dependent on our luxuries (chocolate, coffee, bananas), that the idea of going without them actually makes us feel afraid. But fear - of scarcity, of change - is a terrible master. It makes us forget our own creativity and adaptability. We mistake the way it is for the way it has to be.

In that mindset, there is no way to discover something that might be better. Last month LocalHarvest was featured on a radio program out of Sacramento. The host started with the usual questions about how to define 'local' and how the website works. Once the conversation turned to actually buying local food, though, it became personal and he was stumped. Northern California offers astounding agricultural abundance, but this fellow could not see his way to buying this extraordinary produce directly from a farmer. He was used to shopping at Safeway, and the idea of deviating from the safe way (ironic, isn't it?) made him tense. Shopping at a farmers market requires too much trust, he said, plus it's an extra trip and the veggies would sit in the frig drawer and rot anyway. Hmmm...

That interview stands out as an example of the kind of thinking we as a nation need to leave behind. If we greet every new idea with excuses that aim to defend our old ways, we will be lost. The future belongs to those who can walk lightly, willing to shift as needed, alert for the next ingenuity. If we let ourselves be afraid of this rapidly changing economy, it would be easy to lose site of the great beauty and new opportunities that surround us. If we keep ourselves relaxed and open, we will find ourselves reveling in the great gifts of this life: the beauty of nature, the comforting joy of friendship, the spark of creativity, and the civility of true community. And then we will be fearless.

© 1999-2008 LocalHarvest, Inc.
Your use of this site constitutes your acceptance of our
Legal Restrictions and Terms of Use

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Featured on Reuters.com

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Do Vegetarians Have Stronger Immune System?

Rev up your immune system by eating all kinds of fruits and veggies. Plant foods contain a vast amount of compounds that can boost immunity, including vitamin C and beta carotene.

A study at the German Cancer Research Center compared the blood of male vegetarians and meat eaters. They found that vegetarians' white cells were twice as deadly against tumor cells as those of carnivores. This means vegetarians needed only half as many white cells to do the same job as meat eaters did. Why vegetarians' white cells are more deadly is not clear. Researchers speculated they may yield greater armies of natural killer cells or more feroious (natural killer) NK cells.

Not surprisingly, the vegetarians also had much higher levels of carotene in their blood. Beta carotene from fruits and veggies is a documented friend of your immune system.

Eat spinach and carrots and other fruits and veggies rich in beta carotene. Studies show carotene boosts immune defenses against both bacterial and viral infections, as well as cancer. Garlic is also great to stimulate immune function. Don't forgot the yogurt, shiitake mushrooms, and foods rich in Zinc.

Foods that may lower immunity:
Polyunsaturated oils; corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oils, refined sugar.

Vegetarians may have stronger immunity against infection but there must be a balance of adequate protein. Dr. Heidi Dulay Holistic Weight Loss Expert recently spoke about being vegan for years and she started getting lots of colds. Her doctor found she was not getting enough protein. Plant foods are very healthful but don't forget the balance.

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How Real Is Your Food? Today's Quiz

"Food-like substances" is what Omnivore's Dilemma author Michael Pollan calls most of what we eat. All the stuff that comes in the fancy wrappers and boxes. The stuff sold in the center aisles of your local food market.

Even food that was once real (from animals and plants) has lost most of its health-giving value.

Big food must give everything shelf-life and a glam job. So they mix in chemicals, preservatives and additives. They refine it. They top it off with fake sugars, fake fats and fake flavors to make it taste like the real thing. Then they tout the synthetic vitamins they added back in, after processing out the real thing.

It's not real food anymore. That's why you're hungry an hour later.

Here's todays "How real is your food?" question:

How can you tell if your chicken broth is more than yellow, artificially flavored, warm water?

One cooking aficionado said he threw out his broth when he saw what we now know is the sign of health-giving chicken broth . He didn't know. He was mortified.
60-second video tells all: (If it gives you a "no longer available" message try again a little later. They are inundated, I guess.)

Excerpted from the Real Fast Food for Paupers videos here.

Thanks Kim for taping this and sharing - How real is your food? We (I) need all the help we (I) can get!

Visit Dr. Heidi Dulay's Holistic Weight Loss Site, Little Spa. This is for people who have tried many diets without success and are ready to try something natural.

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Best Suntan - Eat More Of These Foods

It's summer time (finally for some of us) and with the sun comes more skin exposed. I spend a lot of time in the sun because I work with animals outdoors everyday. I have very white skin that burned easily even with sunscreen. That was until I changed my daily diet and started eating healthy. I still spend most of my days in the sun but seldom burn. Think food, like I did and maybe you can reduce the odds of sunburn and have a healthy glow from a healthy dose of sun.

How to tan with less risk of sunburn…
The most important thing is to have healthy skin before sun exposure. Start from the inside to make glowing skin you are proud to show off. Start eating right a long time before you will get sun exposure. Go to the kitchen for the best skin care products year round. There's even new research that shows a diet high in beta carotene (vitamin A) helps prevent sunburn so eat those apricots, carrots and mangoes.
If you have dry skin do use a good natural body lotion – dry flaky skin will not tan well.

-- Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts.
-- Eat quality protein from vegetable sources.
-- Increase your intake of raw foods.
-- Eat foods rich in Beta Carotene because it helps dry skin and new research shows it helps prevent sunburn.
-- Drink at least 2 quarts of quality water every day to keep the skin well hydrated.

Here's a good diet to make healthy skin that tans safer and easier:

These are the best nutrients to help dry skin and make healthy skin.

Vitamin A (beta-carotene from food, not a synthetic form)
Apricots – Peaches – Sweet Potatoes – Carrots – Spinach – Pumpkin – Cantaloupe – Mango – Broccoli – Kale

Vitamin E (again, the natural source from food)
Sunflower seeds – Walnuts – Almonds – Hazelnuts- Cashews – Peanuts – Brazil Nuts – Pecans - Wheat germ – Dried soybeans – Rice bran – Wheat bran – Lima beans – Oils with vitamin E – Wheat germ – soybean – corn – sunflower – safflower – sesame – peanut

Vitamin C (from food)
Camu berry - guava fruit – red and green sweet pepper – cantaloupe- papaya – strawberries – Brussels sprouts – kiwi fruit – orange – tomatoes – broccoli – cauliflower – grapefruit

Zinc
Oysters – crab meat – calf's liver – turkey, dark meat – beef – pumpkin and squash seeds

Selenium
Brazil nuts – puffed wheat – tuna – sunflower seeds – oysters – chicken liver – whole grain wheat flour – clams

Sulfur
Garlic – onions – eggs – asparagus

Omega 3 fatty acids - best help for dry skin
Cod liver oil (Carlsen's is a good brand) 2 tsp per day maintenance dose. 3-4 tsp therapeutic dose.
Flax seed oil (Barlean's lignan rich) - 2-3 tablespoons per day if you don't do anything else for omega-3
Hemp seed oil
Ocean fish: sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel. Must be wild, not farmed.
Flax seeds
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Grassfed beef and game

Vitamin B-5
Eat foods rich in pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), such as raw milk - cheese - natural plain yogurt - leafy green vegetables - nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Pantothenic acid is needed to convert fats and oils used by the skin.

New research shows eating tomatoes can protect against sunburn. Eating tomatoes or the other foods here will not make you invincible in the sun, but it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreens, shade and clothing.

Researchers found that eating foods high in Beta-Carotene does help to protect skin against sunburn. It doesn't work instantly like a sunscreen. You have to eat these foods for a long period of time. Don't throw out the sunscreen – do eat foods high in beta carotene as added protection.

Nutrition makes all the difference when it comes to sun exposure.

Keep in mind that it takes a little bit of time for this nutrition to work its way into the tissues of your skin. So if you haven't been engaging in good nutrition but you want sunlight, don't make the mistake of jumping out into the sun right away. Give yourself a couple of weeks following high-density nutritional diet first (and think about adding whole food-based supplements, not the cheap chemical multivitamins sold at retail). It's important that you don't make the mistake of relying on isolated vitamins; eat whole food concentrates if you want to boost your antioxidant count, which will help protect you from sunburn.

Now the hard part -- Don't eat these foods:

Avoid fried foods, animal fats, and heat-processed vegetable oils. Use cold- pressed oils only. Heating oils leads to the production of free radicals, which have a destructive effect on the skin.

Do not drink soft drinks or eat sugar, chocolate, potato chips, or other junk foods.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. These substances have a diuretic effect, causing the body and skin cells to lose fluids and essential minerals.

Sunburns are no fun and not healthy. Eat the right foods along with a good natural sunscreen and you can enjoy the long hot days of summer - safer.

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PETCO Storing Food In Filthy Conditions FDA Report

FDA Requests Seizure of Animal Food Products at PETCO Distribution Center

Today, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Ill., pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Chicago.

U.S. Marshals seized all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination. The seized products violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because it was alleged in a case filed by the United States Attorney that they were being held under unsanitary conditions. (The Act uses the term "insanitary" to describe such conditions).

During an FDA inspection of a PETCO distribution center in April, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found. The FDA inspected the facility again in May and found continuing and widespread infestation.

"We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company's failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility," said Margaret O'K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well."

The distribution center in Joliet, Ill., provides pet food products and supplies to PETCO retail stores in 16 states including Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

FDA has no reports of pet illness or death associated with consumption of animal food distributed by PETCO, and does not have evidence that the food is unsafe for animals. However, the seized products were in permeable packages and held under conditions that could affect the food's integrity and quality.

As a precaution, consumers who have handled products originating from the PETCO distribution center should thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap. Any surfaces that came in contact with the packages should be washed as well. Consumers are further advised as a precaution to thoroughly wash products sold in cans and glass containers from PETCO in the 16 affected states.

If a pet has become ill after eating these food products, pet owners should contact their veterinarian and report illnesses to FDA state consumer complaint coordinators.
FDA Report

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Healthy Pet Food

World's Most Expensive Burger

How much would you pay for a fast food meal? Burger King has introduced "The Burger" at one England location, once a week for a mere $200! What's the catch, well all the proceeds go to the Help A London Child charity. Great cause but couldn't the money just be donated without promoting fast food to an already unfit over junk food eating world.

The fine (expensive) ingredients of 'The Burger' include Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.

Eight of The Burgers were sold by lunchtime the first day. So for $800 a month you can get four Burger King fast food meals - will you have enough change left for a drink and fries? Oh, they will give you glass of wine to wash it down.

Is this one more marketing ploy for Burger King? What else could it be?

Read more here

Feel free to tell your opinion in the comments.

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Minerals - Where They Come From Matters

What are vitamins and minerals, or a better question would be where do these minerals come from? Of course we know real food has more vitamins and minerals than we are even aware of so where do the ingredients in vitamin supplements come from?

We've heard all our lives that we need our daily dose of vitamins and minerals. For many of us that means popping a once-per-day pill that promises to give us all we need to be healthy. The truth is, many of those pills go right through us without ever being absorbed into our bodies. The other problem is that the source of the minerals in our pills may make a difference in whether or not the minerals are even capable of helping us nutritionally.

Why does it matter where the minerals come from? Well, the most absorbable forms of essential minerals come from food that we eat, rather than from a synthetically "mined" source because that's how the digestive system recognizes minerals. You wouldn't just go out and pick up a hunk of iron from the ground and munch on it, would you? Or toss it in the blender with your favorite smoothie? Bad for your teeth. Not to mention the flavor factor...eeewwww. But that's what some vitamin manufacturers do, in a sense.

I think Sue (she wrote this post) has touched on something most people never considered. Thank you Sue for sharing this.
Read more from Sue here

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We Are Bombarded With Fast Food Ads

Why do we eat so much fast food? Some people say it tastes better than healthy food, it's convenient and always available, it's cheap compared to buying groceries, no one has time to cook and my favorite reason; We are bombarded with TV ads for fast food!

TV ads for fast food is a huge contributing factor in our eating choices. Don't believe me? I'll share what is going on in St. Paul Minnesota right now. The first Sonic fast food drive-in opened a week ago. Sonic is brand new for Minnesota – not for me because I grew up in Texas where there's a Sonic in every town.

This Sonic was featured on the news because of the long lines and traffic cops needed to manage all the cars. People were waiting up to three hours to finally taste this fast food. Lines of cars were unbelievable – and people did it all with smiles on their face. Why?

Why did all the customers wait so long and go through so much for this "fast food"?
TV advertising in Minnesota for Sonic for 3 years prior to the big opening! Talk about a marketing plot. Why did they start bombarding us with their Sonic ads years before Minnesotans could eat there?

Pick which answer you think:
1. To get our anticipation up
2. Make Sonic a household name
3. Make us want something we don't and can't have
4. Tease us with the variety of food they offer
5. Make sure the opening was grand and news worthy

All the above and much more is correct.

When Krispy Kreme doughnuts opened in Minnesota people reacted much the same way waiting in long lines etc. Where's Krispy Kreme donuts now? Not here. See they didn't start bombarding us with TV ads three years before they opened. Would that have made a difference? Who knows but Sonic is not taking any chances. They want to make the upper Midwest love their food. I can imagine the number of ads we will see.

Of course Sonic is not the same as other fast food chains — servers deliver food on roller skates, and you drive-in and eat in your car.

We do have some responsibility for what we eat of course, but being bombarded by fast-food ads all the time doesn’t help. They do have some responsibility in this.

Eating well and eating healthy CAN be the same thing. Preparing good foods starts at home. We need to start there. The “fast” foods that we think we are addicted to, needs to be a treat, or a rare thing. Fruits & vegetables are the key. And just so you know, it’s been 6 months since I had any fast food, my last Burger King meal did not go down easy and the way I felt the next day will help keep me on my "no fast food bandwagon."

For the Sonic and fast food lovers out there – don't take this message personal – it's your choice what and where to eat. I for one used to love Sonic foods – I grew up with it but that was before I really put thought into food and health. Having a child also made me change my ways with food. If you aren't thinking about eating healthy to stay healthy I will not try to convince you otherwise – it's your choice.

Thanks for reading Whole Food And More blog!

For When You Just Can't Eat Right,
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Dr. Heidi Dulay's Fast REAL Food: Chicken Broth

Here's a super easy chicken broth that anyone can make, even people who don't like to cook, like me. I do cook real food but I don't put cooking high on my favorites list. Dr. Heidi Dulay has shared her "chicken back broth" recipe with us. She used this simple - healthy - quick recipe during one of her courses she taught last month. She also explains how to release the natural source of calcium from the chicken, best salts to use, and what to do with the chicken fats. Of course she uses happy chickens!

Fast REAL Food for Paupers: chicken back broth demo Part I:

Fast REAL Food for Paupers: chicken back broth Part 2:

I'm excited to make this soon and can't wait for Dr. Heidi to give more healthful tips. Thank you Kim Klaver for taping these tips from Dr. Heidi, and sharing with us.

Thank you for reading Whole Food And More blog!

For When You Just Can't Eat Right,
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Okra Is High In Folate (Folic Acid) an Important Vitamin For Preventing Birth Defects

Okra is higher in folate, a natural vitamin B, than even spinach and if you are planning to get pregnant, now is the time to make sure you get enough folate in your diet. Odds of infant neural tube defects can be slashed with folate. To keep your fetus safe, you must get at least .4 milligrams of folate before you get pregnant. There is no time to act afterwards because the defect occurs in the first 28 days after conception, before most women know they are pregnant.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food.
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in most supplements and added to fortified foods.

Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.

Anti-Birth Defect Diet:
A daily .4 milligram dose of folate found to prevent neural tube birth defects can be obtained in an ordinary diet. For example, eating all the following in a day would meet the requirement:

1 cup orange juice (.07 milligrams)
1/3 cup All-Bran cereal (.1 milligrams)
1/2 cup cooked spinach (.13 milligrams)
1/2 cup cooked dried beans (.12 milligrams)

Foods high in folate:
Chicken livers, simmered:1/2 cup..... ......539 micrograms
Bulgur, cooked: 2/3 cup.............. ..............158 micrograms
Okra, frozen, cooked:1/2 cup......... ..........134 micrograms
More about Okra
Orange juice, fresh or canned:1 cup.........136 micrograms
Spinach, fresh, cooked: 1/2 cup ...............130 micrograms
White Beans, cooked: 1/2 cup ..................120 micrograms
Red kidney beans, cooked;1/2 cup ..........114 micrograms
Orange juice, frozen, diluted: 1 cup..........109 micrograms
Soybeans, cooked: 1/2 cup ......................100 micrograms
Wheat germ: 1 ounce ...............................100 micrograms
Asparagus, fresh, cooked: 1/2 cup .............88 micrograms
Turnip greens, fresh, cooked: 1/2 cup......85 micrograms
Avocado, Florida: 1/2 fruit ........................81 micrograms
Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked: 1/2 cup..79 micrograms
Lima beans, dry, cooked:1/2 cup ...............78 micrograms
Chickpeas, cooked: 1/2 cup ........................70 micrograms
Sunflower seeds: 1 ounce ...........................65 micrograms
Oranges: 1 cup ............................................54 micrograms
Broccoli, fresh, cooked: 1/2 cup ................53 micrograms
Mustard Greens, fresh cooked: 1/2 cup .....51 micrograms
Beets, fresh, cooked: 1/2 cup .......................45 micrograms
Raspberries, frozen; 1/2 cup .......................33 micrograms

As you can see from this list of foods with natural folate it is possible to get all you need from food, but it's still a good idea to take a multi vitamin to fill any gaps. Be cautious when choosing multi vitamins even when taking one prescribed by your doctor. Most of these will have synthetic ingredients, not the ingredients found from whole foods you eat. If you don't know the difference in synthetic and whole food nutrients (ingredients) read this article, How Safe Are Prenatal Vitamins?

References
Herbert V. Folic Acid. In: Shils M, Olson J, Shike M, Ross AC, ed. Nutrition in Health and Disease. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Kamen B. Folate and antifolate pharmacology. Semin Oncol 1997;24:S18-30-S18-39. [PubMed abstract]
Fenech M, Aitken C, Rinaldi J. Folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine status and DNA damage in young Australian adults. Carcinogenesis 1998;19:1163-71. [PubMed abstract]
Zittoun J. Anemias due to disorder of folate, vitamin B12 and transcobalamin metabolism. Rev Prat 1993;43:1358-63. [PubMed abstract]
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate.asp#h9
Food your miracle medicine, Jean Carper, foods high in folic acid, page 490.

More about infant birth defects .

Thank you for reading Whole Food And More blog!

SuperFruit - Meet Camu Berry

Natural News - There's a lot of attention focused on superfoods these days. People are interested in foods that can give them high-density nutrition, protect them from chronic disease, and even help reverse disease. One of the best (but little-known) superfoods is actually a superfruit, and like many superfruits, it comes from the rainforest regions of our planet. This one in particular comes from Peru; it's one of the most nutrient-dense foods and offers considerable disease-prevention benefits. It contains high-density nutrition. This superfruit is called camu camu, or the camu berry.

The camu berry is best known for its unusually high vitamin C content.
Vitamin C, as you may know, has many uses for preventing chronic disease. Natural ( not synthetic) vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents free radical damage to the DNA of the cells throughout your body, which helps in the prevention of cancer and heart disease (among other health problems).

Vitamin C also helps prevent colds and even the flu. It is a huge immune system booster and an all-around power-packed vitamin -- but only in its full-spectrum natural form. There's no food on the planet with a higher concentration of vitamin C than the camu berry.

How high a concentration?
Consider this: oranges are generally known for their high vitamin C content. However, oranges often only have around 1,000 ppm of vitamin C. Sometimes they can have as high as 3,000 or 4,000, but that's unusual, especially given the way they are commercially grown today.

The camu berry can have concentrations as high as 50,000 ppm or about 2 g of vitamin C per 100 g of fruit. That means that the camu berry provides 50 times more vitamin C than an orange (on an ounce-for-ounce basis).

So what exactly does vitamin C do for your body? Straight to the Natural News source for more about vitamin C and this SuperFruit = Camu Camu: The Natural Vitamin C Powerhouse For Peak Mental Function and Nervous System Protection

In addition to the high vitamin C content it contains the amino acids valine, leucine and serine, and is also rich in flavonoids.

More about this SuperFruit here.

Whole Food Nation knew about the camu camu fruit and put it in their supplement.

Thanks for reading Whole Food And More blog!

Why Did We Start Pasteurizing Milk? Don't Blame It On The Cow...

I've been using raw dairy products for about 8 months and I'm still sifting through the pros and cons of raw verses pasteurized. The first con I hear about raw milk is that it's unsafe to drink because of the bacteria that kills or makes people sick. I thought this was a feedlot hygiene problem. This is a way bacteria gets into milk because the cows are living in their own waste and there's not a lot of concern about it because the milk will be Pasteurized to get rid of bacteria. The problem starts before "hygiene."

I just watched a new video that tells why the need for milk to be pasteurized and why it's still being pasteurized today. It was very surprising to me. If you can't wait to view Dr. Heidi's video later in this article, here's a direct link:
Raw Milk 2

I can't believe raw milk is actually outlawed in some states. It just doesn't make sense to me how RAW MILK can be banned but other products known to cause death are still legal, think cigarettes and alcohol. Please read this story The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized: Inside the raw-milk underground By Nathanael Johnson. It's a lengthy article but well worth the read!

Some of you read this first post I did from Dr. Heidi Dulay about raw milk with a short video taken during a class she's doing.

Credit goes to Kim Klaver for the filming of Dr. Heidi's courses. Kim tells why she decided to make the films public.

Kim said "I made these from Dr. Heidi's course, which I filmed. The raw milk topic comprised perhaps 30 minutes of her 20 hour program.

I was so appalled when I heard the milk stories that I decided to make mini video clips so you could see the kinds of things that drive one person's vision of health. And how to get it back with little things - like adding raw milk into your diet. Regular pasteurized milk is like synthetic vitamins - no nutritive value. So why drink it at all?

Spreading this around might give someone pause before they reach for the next gallon of boiled (pasteurized), nutritionally empty, milk."

Dr. Heidi first blew us away when she gave the secret for the Kenyan runners eating raw dairy and winning so many races. Then she was kind enough to share tidbits from her classes this past Spring. We have two videos about Raw Milk. Everything you see in these videos are part of a 20-hour University course in nutrition given by Dr. Heidi Dulay in California this spring.

Part One: Raw Milk Secrets
Direct Link: Raw Milk Secrets

In Part Two Dr. Heidi explains why milk had to be pasteurized in the first place. Then think about what Elsie has to say, it's so easy to understand, at least now.

Part Two Video: Raw Milk 2
Direct Link

Think about Elsie, the sad cow's life story. It is not her fault that her milk has to be pasteurized to make it safe to drink...

Is it starting to make sense as to why dairy is still being pasteurized? Do you see why many people are going back to natural milk from pastured cows instead of pasteurized milk?

Stay tuned later this week for Part Three on Raw Milk from Dr. Heidi Dulay.

Where can you find raw milk? Try here... Wouldn't it be great if we had the right to choose the food we wanted to buy and consume, like raw milk? What a concept...

Dr. Heidi Dulay used her years of knowledge about nutrition when she designed this Whole Food Multi because she knows food is the natural healer. This multivitamin is not to replace eating healthy. It is for people who take a multivitamin and want to make sure it's from whole foods and more.

Thanks for reading Whole Food And More blog!

For info about how to trade your synthetic multivitamin for a 30-day supply of the one Dr. Heidi created, click the vitamin picture in the upper left corner of this blog.

If A Vitamin Label Says "Whole Foods" Is That What's In It? Think Again...

When I see brands like Whole Foods I think of something healthy made from whole foods. After all it says "Whole Foods" on the package. I was surprised today when I opened a package for the multivitamin trade program and saw "Whole Foods Daily Multivitamin." I've placed dozens of orders since this trade program started and I expect to get store brand multis and lots of One A Day multis. Since I was clear that anyone could trade any brand of "synthetic" multi for a whole food multi I was ready to return this "whole foods daily" to the sender. I can't let people trade their whole food multis for ours so I was prepared to send it back with a note saying they were already using a whole food multi. That's until I looked at the Supplement Facts.

I was surprised and disappointed to see every ingredient was synthetic. I expected more from a grass roots Whole Foods company. I have nothing against this company, in fact they are pioneers in offering organic foods and helping the "clean – real food" movement. Back to this multivitamin, there's no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, that's a good thing – but it makes little difference in the rest of the ingredients.

A little science – just a tiny bit so if you are not into knowing the

science behind products, like me, this will be short.

Synthetic ingredients are made in a laboratory from isolated chemicals that mirror their counterparts found in nature but are not from real food.

Natural vitamin and mineral supplements are made from real food sources, specifically vegetables, fruits, herbs, seaweeds and spices.

Here's a little quiz for you. Read the following ingredients to see if you know the vitamin and what food the vitamin comes from. The answers are below but don't cheat!

Pyridoxine HCL
Beta carotene
Calcium ascorbate
d-alpha tocopherol
calcium-D-pantothenate

Yes these and the other 19 synthetic vitamins/minerals are in these multis and most other vitamins sold in the U.S.

Now the food ingredients and vitamin from the food from a whole food multivitamin: (same order as the synthetic ones above)

Spinach (B 6)
Carrots (*Vitamin A -beta carotene) *The natural beta carotene from carrots is converted to Vitamin A in your body
Oranges (Vitamin C)
Broccoli (Vitamin E)
Cauliflower (B 5)

Wasn't that an easy science lesson? You don't need to know the names of the synthetic ingredients. Look for vitamins with food listed and leave the science out of it.

In case you want to know why synthetic supplements are not good for you I've included the following from the actual source:
Balch, James and Balch, Phyllis, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2nd Ed., Avery Publishing Group, New York, 1997.
Shayne, PhD, Vic, Symptoms of Vitamin B Deficiency and Why Vitamin Pills Are Not Enough, 2005.

"For years synthetic vitamins have been sold and marketed as the “magic bullet” for all health conditions. The problem is that vitamins, when not still contained in their original food (oranges, bananas, spinach, broccoli, etc.) are merely chemicals. Our bodies do not recognize synthetic vitamins as nutrients, because they don’t work the same way as whole foods for these simple reasons:

1. Foods contain not just vitamins, but the co-factors (synergists) and helper nutrients that allow vitamins to work.

2. Foods are never found in high potency, so you won't suffer any toxic side effects that have been proven to exist with synthetic vitamin pills. The most recent example of vitamin toxicity was the report about vitamin E being toxic. Real foods never deliver toxic doses of vitamins.

3. Vitamins are just a small part of what our bodies require for health and healing. It is very often that it is the other food properties that help us while the vitamins are secondary.

For these reasons, and more, synthetic vitamin pills, despite their use and overuse, are lacking the properties of real nutrition, which can only come from eating nature’s real, whole, raw foods. The ONLY supplement that someone should take, therefore, is a whole food formula WITHOUT any isolated (singular vitamin). In order to know whether your vitamin and mineral supplement comes from whole foods, you have to carefully read the labels. Instead of just names of vitamins and minerals on a label, you should be looking for the names of foods and herbs on the label, such as kale, dandelion, kelp, ginger, cinnamon, apples, carrots and broccoli."

I think that tells it pretty simple, it's the Food that our body needs, not isolated chemicals that are being flushed away or worst, causing harm.

If you still need help figuring out if your vitamins are safe there's a free report, Are Your Vitamins Safe?
This free report has studies done on people taking synthetic vitamins and the outcome was not encouraging for vitamin users.

The synthetic multivitamin program is still open for people who take synthetic multis and are concerned about the benefits and safety. More here for people who care about their vitamins.

Thanks for reading Whole Food And More!

To learn more about the synthetic multivitamin trade program click vitamin image in upper left corner of this blog.

Vitamin Doesn't Work As Claimed Because It Doesn't Dissolve - Study

This new study shows a popular vitamin supplement aimed at diabetics is not as effective as most advertisements for it claim because it does not dissolve.

The study published in the journal BioMed Central found that benfotiamine -- a synthetic derivative of the vitamin B1 -- does not actually dissolve and penetrate cell membranes as well as often claimed.

Vitamin B1, or thiamine, plays a key role in keeping cells healthy, and previous research has shown that diabetics have less of it in their blood.

Simple lab tests showed that benfotiamine as sold to consumers was not lipid-soluble -- which means it did not dissolve in organic solvents and oils to boost health by working quickly.

"It did not dissolve so it can't work its way through the membranes," Bettendorff said in a telephone interview. Reuters

Did you see this article about pills not dissolving in your body and ending up in the septic tanks?

This is one thing that is wrong with any synthetic pills.

Here's another view on pills stuck in a colon - 100's of pills in colon.

Still want to take synthetic vitamins? There are whole food multivitamins - yes they will dissolve because they are not "chemicals." Find them at Whole Foods and Health Food Stores but beware- read the ingredients. Just because it comes from Whole Foods Market or a health store is no guarantee it's Whole Food Vitamins. I know this because I just had a lady trade her "Whole Foods" brand of multivitamin for this one from WFN. Every ingredient in her multi was synthetic.

Helpful links about vitamins:
Are Vitamins Safe?
Reports about vitamins being harmful

Photo belongs to Kim Klaver

Did You Know Green Tea Can Help Prevent Tooth Decay?

Green tea can help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

--The free radical-inhibiting property of tea is more potent than that of vitamin E.

--The polyphenols in tea, especially the catechins, are powerful antioxidants that help ward off diabetes and cancer.

A study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that black, green and oolong teas increased insulin activity by about fifteen-fold in tests using fat cells from rats.

There have been a handful of studies, mostly conducted in Japan, that have shown promising results in reducing body fat when green tea or green tea catchins were consumed. However, the amount of catchins used in these studies would be equal to more than 10 cups of green tea per day! Green tea may be a useful tool for achieving a healthy weight, but it is certainly not the entire solution.

Though too much caffeine is a concern for bone health, a study found that older women who drank tea had a greater bone density than those who didn't.

Here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
cancer - such as oral, skin digestive, ovarian and lung cancers
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
cardiovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function

You don’t have to suffer from major illnesses to benefit from green tea, it can be drunk to help with aches and pains such as joint pain and headaches. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols, which are believed to be the ingredients that give us all of these wonderful health benefits.

The polyphenols are found in the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, which is then ground up and made into our green tea. It’s believed that polyphenols prevent cancer cells from developing, without the risk of damaging any tissues in the process.

Compounds found in green tea may help ward off the neurological damage that can come with the breathing disorder sleep apnea, a new animal study hints.
In the new study, Dr. David Gozal and colleagues at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky looked at whether green tea compounds called catechin polyphenols could help shield the brain from this oxygen deprivation.

Catechin polyphenols act as antioxidants, which means they help neutralize cell-damaging particles called oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of metabolism, but in excess they lead to a state known as oxidative stress. Full story on Reuters

Resources: 101 FOODS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE; David Grotto, RD, LDN , pg 324 -
Reuters.com
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

For When You Just Can't Eat Right,
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Liquimax Complete Nutrition Multivitamin RECALL

Leiner Health Products Inc. ("Leiner" or "the Company") today announced that it is recalling its 32 ounce plastic bottles of Liquimax Complete Nutrition Multivitamin Formula, labeled with UPC Code 7497052290, 7497023607, or 7497023696 because the product may contain undeclared fish (not shellfish), tree nuts (almonds, pecans and/or walnuts), and wheat.

People who have allergies to fish, tree nuts and/or wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

The recalled Liquimax Multivitamin was distributed nationwide in retail stores.

The Company has been made aware of the presence of these allergens after receiving consumer reports of an allergic reaction. The Company is aggressively investigating the situation, and currently believes a certain number of bottles of the product contain the listed allergens. Further, the Company has consulted with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") and the agency is aware of the Company's actions.

Consumers allergic to the above listed allergens are advised not to consume the product and are asked to call 1-800-533-8482 for a full refund. This number can be contacted 24 hours a day with representatives available Monday through

Friday between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm (EDT).

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report/hcp.htm
Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm.
Mail to MedWatch 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
Fax: 1-800-FDA-0178

FDA

Safe Whole Food Multivitmains

How To Contact FDA About Bad Food-Drugs-Cosmetics-Pet Food

With the latest tomato salmonella outbreaks and many other food-drug-pet food recalls this year I wanted to share information on how to contact the FDA.

Tips for Reporting
1. Report what happened as soon as possible after you discover a problem. Be prepared with the following information:

names, addresses, and phone numbers of people affected
your name, postal and e-mail address, and phone number
name, address, and phone number of doctor or hospital if emergency treatment was provided
product codes or identifying marks on the label or container
name and address of store where product was bought and date of purchase
name and address of company on the product label

2. Do not discard the product packaging and labeling. They provide codes, numbers, and dates that will help FDA trace the product back to the plant.

3. In addition to reporting to FDA, the agency recommends reporting the problem to the manufacturer and to the store where the product was purchased.

4. When in doubt about how to report a problem, call your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator listed at www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

FDA Guide For Making Reports

If you have a complaint about a product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency wants to hear about it.

FDA offers a number of ways to report a complaint. Two of the main reporting systems available to consumers are the Consumer Complaint Reporting system and MedWatch.

1. Consumer Complaint Reporting
FDA's Consumer Complaint Coordinators (CCC's) located in FDA offices throughout the United States and Puerto Rico will listen, document your complaint about an FDA-regulated product, and follow up as necessary. Consumers should report problems to the CCC for their geographic region. (See the accompanying list of CCC's. The list is also on FDA's Web site at www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.)

Some examples of complaints that your CCC wants to hear about are
food-related illnesses, especially when a specific food is suspected
allergic reactions when a person has a known allergy to a food ingredient not identified on the product label
problems related to infant formula
problems related to baby food
swollen or leaking canned goods
suspected product tampering
adverse events after taking dietary supplements
problems related to prescription or over-the-counter medications
problems related to pet food and treats

Reporting Problems Can Spur Action
If a person reports an illness or injury that appears likely to be caused by an FDA-regulated product, FDA acts immediately. Depending on the seriousness of the problem, an FDA investigator may visit the person who made the complaint, collect product samples, and initiate inspections.

"Just a few complaints can make a difference," says Joan Trankle, FDA's National CCC. For example:

CCC's in different parts of the country received three reports of allergic reactions to a type of soymilk. FDA followed up with an inspection of the soymilk company. The product did not declare the allergenic substance, milk protein, on the label, and the company recalled the product.

CCC's received two complaints in one week about skin burns after use of an adhesive patch that generates heat to relieve muscle and joint pain. "When that second complaint arrived, we sprang into action," says Trankle. "We contacted the firm and, based on our follow-up, the firm recalled the product."

Complaints of a less serious nature, or those that appear to be isolated incidents, are monitored and the information is used during a future inspection of a company to help FDA identify problem areas in a production plant. The complaints are also discussed with company management during these inspections.

FDA

FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators / Regions and Telephone Numbers
(as of April 30, 2008)

Alabama 866-289-3399
Alaska 425-483-4949
Arizona 949-608-3530
Arkansas 214-253-5200, ext 5233
California (Northern) 510-337-6741
California (Southern) 949-608-3530
Colorado 303-236-3044
Connecticut 781-596-7700
Delaware 215-597-9064
District of Columbia 410-779-5713
Florida 866-337-6272
Georgia 404-253-1169
Hawaii 510-337-6741
Idaho 425-483-4949
Illinois 312-353-7840
Indiana 313-393-8100
Iowa 913-752-2440
Kansas 913-752-2440
Kentucky 513-679-2700, ext 124
Louisiana 866-289-3399
Maine 781-596-7700
Massachusetts 781-596-7700
Michigan 313-393-8100
Minnesota 612-758-7221
Mississippi 866-289-3399
Missouri 913-752-2440
Montana 425-483-4949
Nebraska 913-752-2440
Nevada 510-337-6741
New Hampshire 781-596-7700
New Jersey 973-331-4917
New Mexico 303-236-3044
New York 866-446-9055
North Carolina 404-253-1169
North Dakota 612-758-7221
Ohio 513-679-2700, ext 124
Oklahoma 214-253-5200, ext 5233
Oregon 425-483-4949
Pennsylvania 215-597-9064
Rhode Island 781-596-7700
South Carolina 404-253-1169
South Dakota 612-758-7221
Tennessee 866-289-3399
Texas 214-253-5200, ext 5233
Utah 303-236-3044
Vermont 781-596-7700
Virginia 410-779-5713
Washington 425-483-4949
West Virginia 410-779-5713
Wisconsin 612-758-7221
Wyoming 303-236-3044
Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands 800-332-0127

Full information on reporting all FDA regulated products at FDA Website

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Foods To Stop Fever Blisters (Herpes Virus)

Most people suffer a form of herpes virus at some point. Most commonly a cold sore "fever blister" or genital blisters but can be shingles or an infection called Epstein-Barr disease. You may be able to control outbreaks by what you eat. The virus lies dormant in 90% of us, diet may well determine whether the virus becomes reactivated and explodes into herpes symptoms.

Dr. Griffiths, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and an infectious disease specialist has tested the food that cause herpes outbreaks.

The three worst food to eat if you are prone to herpes:
* Chocolate
* Nuts
* Gelatin (Jell-O)

Dr. Griffith explains:
Molecules of what you eat end up in your cells. If you feed the herpes virus enough of the right stuff, it may grow ferociously, prodding the body to make cold sores, genital blisters and other symptoms. You can stave the virus so it can't cause much trouble. Dr. Griffith says, "In the 1950's it was discovered that amino acids in food can stifle or encourage the growth of herpes virus. Adding the amino acid arginine to the herpes virus in cell cultures made it grow like crazy. Adding the amino acid lysine halted the growth. One theory is that lysine wraps a protective coat around the cell, barring the virus from penetrating. If that's the case, doesn't it make sense to feed the herpes virus a diet low in the growth-stimulant arginine and rich in the growth-inhibitor lysine?

For over 20 years Dr. Griffith has been telling herpes patients to eat these lysine rich foods:
Milk
Soybeans
Meat, including beef and pork
More Here
You can also take a lysine supplement.

It's not just the amount but the balance between arginine and lysine in foods. The following foods have a high ratio of arginine to lysine and tend to stimulate herpes virus growth;
Avoid:
Almonds - Cashews - Brazil Nuts - Hazelnuts - Peanuts - Walnuts - Pecans - Chocolate - Gelatin

Restrict if you eat lots of these:
Coconut - Barley - Corn - Oats - Wheat - Pasta - Brussels Sprouts

Not everyone gets herpes from eating the above foods. Nor does cutting out the above foods curb all herpes attacks. Experiment with these foods and see if they contribute to herpes flareups. If you don't have a herpes reaction from these foods, don't worry about not eating them as they are probably not at fault.

Diet changes don't work for everyone but you may be one who gets some relief so it's worth trying.

Resource: Food your miracle medicine, Jean Carper, pages-360-365

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Tomato Salmonellosis Outbreak Expanded - 145 Cases Reported

The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warning to consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw, red tomatoes.

The following types of tomatoes listed below are NOT likely to be the source of this outbreak.
cherry tomatoes
grape tomatoes
tomatoes sold with the vine still attached
tomatoes grown at home

Also, FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following areas that HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTBREAK:
Arkansas -California - Georgia - Hawaii - North Carolina - South Carolina - Tennessee -Texas - Belgium -Canada - Dominican Republic -Guatemala -Israel -Netherlands -Puerto Rico

Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for that information.

Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.

Restaurants, grocery stores, and food service operators have been advised by the FDA not to offer for sale or service raw red plum, Roma, or red tomatoes and products made from these types of tomatoes unless they are from one of the areas listed above.

Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon form of Salmonella. At least 23 hospitalizations have been reported.

FDA traceback review, in addition to production and distribution pattern information, has indicated that tomatoes from the following sources are not associated with the outbreak:
Arkansas
California
Georgia
Hawaii
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico
FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators offer only fresh and fresh cut red Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes and food products made from these tomatoes for sale or service from the sources listed above.
FDA further recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators continue to offer cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, from any source.

FDA Source

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Raw Milk Secret - From Dr. Heidi Dulay

Many of my regular readers know about Dr. Heidi Dulay, teacher and the creater of a whole food multi. Dr. Heidi first blew us away when she gave the secret for the Kenyan runners winning so many races, it was a food they ate. I just found the first of what I hope to be many videos from one of Dr. Heidi's classes. This is a short clip on Raw Milk. Before watching the video you might want to read this story The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized: Inside the raw-milk underground By Nathanael Johnson. It's a lengthy article but well worth the read!

Kim Klaver filmed this and was kind enough to allow me to show it on our blog, thank you Kim .

Kim writes, "This is a two minute-eight second video: Raw Milk Secret. It was part of a 20-hour University course in nutrition given by Dr. Heidi Dulay in California this spring.

This is my first attempt at video shooting and editing, so I know it's not perfect.

But this is really about little things I didn't know about everyday health - until I learned them in this course.

Here's something I believed about raw milk, like most everyone else...

Only it was wrong. The movie takes a few minutes to download, so be patient. If it hiccups, it is still downloading. OK?

I am planning a little series of these to introduce Dr. Heidi to those who've decided to take charge of their health. They're mostly things I thought I knew about everyday health, but didn't.
I'll include some whole-food fast food suggestions, quick cooking demos for busy people, plus how to shop and spot the least toxic but best tasting products for you and your family.

There's more to getting your health back than popping pills, even if it IS the whole food multi she designed, the Pops."

As Dr. Heidi and Kim Klaver continue to work together, I'll keep you informed when new videos are ready. How fun this is for me and I'm learning something...

Eat These Fruits And Veggies To Prevent Cancer

My last post was asking if you are getting enough fruits and veggies to prevent cancer. The question should be are you getting enough of the right ones to prevent cancer. The National Cancer Institute says about one third of all cancers are linked to diet. Here's the first post about cancer and foods.

Let's look at how food can help save you from cancer. Full-fledged cancer is a long time happening. That means you have years in which to literally starve or feed potential cancer. Two to three decades are typical and four to five decades not unusual from the time a single cell suffers genetic changes until a tumor appears.

What you eat may interfere with that cancer process at many stages. Wandering cancer cells need the right conditions in which to attach and grow. Food agents can foster a hostile or a favorable environment. The right foods eaten after cancer is diagnosed may help prolong your life.

Ever since scientist started probing a cancer-diet connection in the 1970's, the antidote to cancer has been coming up "fruits and vegetables," consistently and relentlessly. "The more fruits and vegetables people eat, the less likely they are to get cancer," states Dr. Peter Greenwald, Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the National Cancer Institute.

Choose the darkest green veggies because they have many different antioxidants, including beta carotene and folic acid as well as lutein. The darker green they are the more cancer-inhibiting carotenoids they have. Also the deeper orange colored fruits are higher in beta carotene.

The tomato has lycopene which is twice as powerful as beta carotene at "quenching singlet oxygen," a toxic oxygen that can trigger cancer in cells.
Lycopene is also highly concentrated in watermelon and there's a smidgen in apricots.

Best fruit and vegetable bets against various cancers:
Lung cancer: carrots and green leafy vegetables
Colon cancer: carrots and cruciferous veggies; Spinach - Kale - Dark Green Lettuce - Broccoli - Brussels Sprouts - Cauliflower - more here
Esophageal, oral and pharyngeal cancers: All fruits
Laryngeal cancer: All fruits and veggies
Stomach cancer: Fruit in general, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, celery, squash - especially raw vegetables.
Pancreatic cancer: Fruits and veggies
Bladder cancer: Vegetables, specifically carrots and fruits
Thyroid cancer: Cruciferous veggies

Really all fruits and veggies can build the beta carotene in your blood along with making sure you have high levels of folic acid (found in green veggies) and lycopene (a tomato compound.) Research has shown people with high levels of all these are much less likely to get cancer, in particular of the lung, cervix and pancreas.

Let me say there are not many fruits or veggies that don't help prevent cancer except maybe oranges and pears.

Here's a list of fruits and veggies known to prevent, slow or reduce tumor growth:
Asparagus - Avocado - Apples - Berries of all kind - Broccoli - Celery - Cabbage - Cauliflower - Cranberries - Garlic - Ginger - Gigi berries (wolf berries) Grapefruit - Grapes - Eggplant - Kale - Kiwi - Lemons - Limes - Mango - Honey - Olives (oil) - Onion - Passion Fruit - Pineapple - Plums - Pomegranate - Potatoes - Pumpkin - Sweet Potato - Tomato - Horseradish - Mint - Parsley - Bell Peppers - Rosemary - Soybeans - Spinach - Watermelon - Corn - Carrots - Turmeric (curcumin)- Banana

These fruits and veggies have unique compounds such as, antioxidants, beta carotene, cartenoid, and phytochemicals. Scientist don't even know all the things in plants that help to block cancer.

Today's possibility may be tomorrow's probability and there's certainly no downside to eating healthy foods. Amazingly, research suggests that eating only an extra single carrot, a half cup of dark yellow-orange or dark green vegetables, a piece of fruit daily, or even more than once a week, could mean the difference between getting and not getting lung cancer. In fact, such a tiny amount appears to cut your odds of lung cancer by half or even more. Study after study on all continents show that people who have diets deficient in fruits and vegetables are at increased risk of lung cancer, even if you have never smoked.

Nobody really knows the best anticancer dose of fruits and vegetable, but at least two fruits and three vegetables a day of various kinds are a goal to aim for. Adding more fruits and vegetables to a typical diet is likely to cut your chances of cancer.

So try to add more fruits and veggies to your diet everyday. Use fruits in a breakfast drink and add a variety of veggies to salads, like I do. I love to make a salad and see how colorful it ends up. Cranberries are one of my favorite things to top on my salad. Experiment with fruits and veggies to see which ones agree with you the most.

Resources:
Food your miracle medicine, Jean Carper pages 203-267,
101 Foods that could save your life, David Grotto, RD,LDN

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