Protect Our Drinking Water From Fracking

I got this important message today and wanted to make sure all my readers were aware of yet another way our water is being made unsafe!

From Environmental Working Group:

"The oil and gas industry says it's safe. Environmental Working Group wants more science. You have probably heard about it. It's called hydraulic fracturing or fracking -- whatever the name, let's make sure we can call it safe."

"The oil and gas industry claims that hydraulic fracturing has never contaminated drinking water wells. EWG's recent study, Cracks in the Façade, uncovered documents showing that in 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that fracking could -- and did -- contaminate a water well used by a West Virginia family."

"Still, industry insists that this controversial drilling technique is safe -- even though the EPA also concluded that the incident in West Virginia was representative of contamination from oil and gas drilling."

"Click here to stand with EWG and tell EPA officials they have a responsibility to look into fracking and make sure the oil and gas companies aren't harming our water supply -- and us."

"Fracking is escalating as drilling companies seek to exploit gas deposits trapped in untapped shale formations. But scientific understanding of the technology's hazards hasn't kept up with the expansion of drilling. We need the EPA to step up and protect our drinking water and land by intensifying its investigations of the potential risks to air, water and the environment."

"Fracking injects a mix of water, sand and chemicals into underground shale formations under high pressure to free embedded deposits of oil and gas. It has been associated with drinking water contamination and property damage across the nation, from Pennsylvania to Wyoming, but the industry has always denied that the process can contaminate groundwater."

"Yet EWG's investigation turned up a long-forgotten EPA report that said that in 1982, Kaiser Gas Co. drilled and hydraulically fractured a natural gas well on private property in Jackson County, W. Va. In a 1987 report to Congress, the EPA concluded that the process had contaminated the landowner's well. The EPA called this contamination "illustrative" of the types of pollution associated with natural gas and oil drilling. The EPA might have included other examples of groundwater pollution from fracking, but the agency's investigation was hampered by confidentiality agreements between industry and affected landowners."

"For almost 25 years neither the industry nor the EPA itself has mentioned this study or followed up with more research to determine how fracking fluid might seep into well water. That's too long to leave our drinking water at risk."

Click here to join EWG in demanding that the EPA conduct research into fracking's hazards. We must keep our water safe.

"Thank you for standing up for safe drinking water. Together, we can make sure that the EPA determines the true risks of fracking and protects our drinking water."

Sincerely,

Ken Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

Beyond Organic Healthy Food

Hemp Protein For Flexitarians or Vegetarians

I've been a flexitarian most of my life. I eat mostly veggies and fruits, rarely eat meats.  I knew I needed protein but still couldn't make myself eat meat. I've never liked the taste of meat and can't stand how the animals are not treated humanely in the feed lots....  I learned we can get protein from eggs, yogurt, quinoa, almonds and almond butter, beans, lentils and legumes, along with cheese and milk and more foods. But I still felt too tired to walk through our little Mall of America and felt it was because I wasn't eating enough protein.

I tried a hemp blueberry granola type snack.  I had already read up on the protein in hemp.  It was worth a shot for me since this food was raw whole food.

The hemp blueberry snack was not dry and crunchy like most granola I've had. It was moist, loose and fresh. I use it for a snack but it always fills me up so it's a great appetite curber also :)  It's called Pulse and along with hemp it has raw fruits, grains and much more. See the brochure here.

Pulse is one of the most innovative raw hemp foods I've found.  I was willing to try it when I read it was "raw."  The key ingredient is hemp seed, which is packed with large quantities of all ten essential amino acids, the perfect balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (along with Omega-9), and significant quantities of fiber, critical minerals, and antioxidants.

Also in Pulse are several kinds of nuts, seeds, grains, and fruits, all of which are extremely good for you. There are no artificial chemicals or preservatives at all, this is a 100% raw food.

Versative Hemp Pulse

Hemp for Food
Hemp seeds are drug-free and extremely nutritious. They can be eaten whole, pressed into edible oil like soybeans, or ground into flour for baking. They are one of the best sources of vegetable protein. Hemp seed has the second highest amount of protein of any food (soy being the highest). Hemp seed protein closely resembles the protein found in the human blood, making it easier to digest than soy protein. They contain a full complement of essential amino acids, essential fatty-acids (EFA'S), and have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and dissolve plaque in coronary arteries. As a supplement to the diet, these oils can reduce the risk of heart disease.

I've really liked the Pulse and found if I don't eat some daily I need an afternoon nap. Naps are not good for me because I need every minute of the day for my son, husband, work, dogs, gardens, hiking - you get the point, right? I have to think it's the hemp protein working for me. Will it help you? I have no idea because we are all unique, but it's a food not a stimulant or drug so it's sure to do no harm.

Hemp Seed is Nature’s Perfect High Protein Food
• Hemp protein is the gift of the vegetable world. No where else in nature can someone get a more complete protein source from one place.
• Hemp seeds contain up to 36% protein.
• The protein in hemp seed is comprised of approximately 65% of Edestin and can be found only in hemp seed protein.
• Edestin aids digestion, is low in phosphorus and is considered the backbone of human cellular DNA.
Read more...

Read more about Versativa Pulse Hemp here.
Other Hemp health Versativa products, watch this video and read more.



For info contact me robin@hempandmore.org

Beyond Organic Healthy Food

Atlanta Oriental Food Recalls Cut Napa Kimchi Because Of Possible Listeria Monocytogenes

Atlanta Oriental Food Wholesale Company of Atlanta, GA, is recalling its 1 gallon plastic containers of Cut Napa Kimchi and 5 gallon buckets of Cut Napa Kimchi because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.


The recalled Kimchi was distributed at Buford Highway Farmers Market in Doraville, Georgia as well as in five gallon buckets to companies in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

The product comes in a 1 gallon, clear plastic package and a 5 gallon bucket marked with lot # 56090959 on the side of the containers.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the company revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in 1 gallon containers of Cut Napa Kimchi

The production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue to investigate the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased 1 gallon containers and 5 gallon buckets of Cut Napa Kimchi with lot # 56090959 are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Tristan Thompson, Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 6 pm at 404-379-3333.

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Beyond Organic Healthy Food

Strawberry Recall August 2011

Fresh Strawberries From Washington County Farm Implicated In E. coli O157 Outbreak In NW Oregon

Oregon Public Health officials have identified fresh strawberries from a Newberg farm as the source of a cluster of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections that sickened at least 10 people last month, including one person who died.

The strawberries were produced last month by Jaquith Strawberry Farm located at 23135 SW Jaquith Road in Newberg. Jaquith finished its strawberry season in late July, and its strawberries are no longer on the market. Jaquith sold its strawberries to buyers who then resold them at roadside stands and farmer’s markets.
Health officials are urging consumers who may have purchased strawberries grown on this farm to throw them out. Strawberries that have been frozen or made into uncooked jam are of particular concern. Cooking kills E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.

“If you have any strawberries from this producer—frozen, in uncooked jam, or any uncooked form—throw them out,” says Paul Cieslak, M.D., from Oregon Public Health Division. He says people who have eaten the strawberries, but remain well need take no action. The incubation period for E. coli O157:H7 is typically two to seven days.

None of the following have been implicated in this outbreak:

• Berries other than strawberries.
• Strawberries sold since Aug. 1.
• Strawberries sold south of Benton County or east of Multnomah County.
• Strawberries sold in supermarkets.
• Strawberries picked at Jaquith Strawberry Farm’s U-pick field.

Ten people have confirmed E. coli O157:H7 infection caused by a single strain. They include residents of Washington, Clatsop, and Multnomah Counties. Six other people in northwest Oregon also have recently developed E. coli O157:H7 infection and appear to be part of this outbreak.

Of the confirmed cases, four have been hospitalized, and one elderly woman in Washington County died from kidney failure associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection. There were twelve females and four males among the cases, and their ages ranged from 4 to 85. They fell ill between July 10 and July 29.

Cieslak, manager of the Oregon Public Health’s communicable disease section, said his team has been working with county public health officials and the Oregon Department of Agriculture on tracking the infection cases. When a potential outbreak is investigated, public health officials ask those who’ve been sickened, family members and health care providers a slate of questions to find common exposures and “trace back” to the source.

“If someone gets sick, we ask questions about everything from what they’ve eaten, to whether they’ve been to common gatherings, to whether they’ve been swimming in a particular place, and then out of this we try to find commonalities,” he said. “The commonality among these cases has been strawberries at roadside stands and farmer’s markets supplied by this one farm last month.”

E. coli is a common inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract and is usually harmless. But E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of the bacterium carried by some animals, that can contaminate food and water, and that produces toxins that can cause mild to severe intestinal illness, including severe cramps and diarrhea that is often bloody. Some patients develop complications that require hospitalization. About 5 percent of infected persons, especially young children and the elderly, suffer serious and potentially fatal kidney damage.
Antibiotics are not recommended for treatment of E. coli O157:H7 infection, and they may actually make kidney failure more likely. People infected with E. coli O157 should rest and drink plenty of fluids to reduce fatigue and dehydration.

Public health officials emphasize that fruits and vegetables are still important to a healthy diet; at least five servings per day are recommended. However, people need to take the following precautions with any uncooked produce:

1. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them.
2. Keep fruits and vegetables and other raw food separated from cooked food
3. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after handling raw foods, as well as before eating, after using the toilet, and after changing diapers.

Beyond Organic Healthy Food