I didn’t want to display anything cruel, but the cruelty of this confined space doesn’t compare to the physical abuse.

I want to shed some light on an  appalling trend in legislation, that has emerged in the last 12 months: Ag-Gag bills.  I’m hoping that with a catchy name, people will listen and lobbyists won’t have a fighting chance of getting more of these nonsense bills passed.

Basically, Ag-Gag is a term for any proposed bill that criminalizes people who takes photos on factory farm practices.  As many of us know (particularly if you’ve seen some of the more popular food documentaries these days), many factory farm workers aren’t there because they love the animals.  Some images and videos have been taken that show farm worker burning the ankles of horses with chemicals, kicking chickens and leaving their rotting corpses next to laying hens, or punching pigs.

Whistleblowers who have exposed some of these practices at factory farms have come under fire in states that are home to huge factory farms.  And as you know, in states where business relies on agriculture, there’s a lot of Big Ag lobbyists throwing money at legislators to incentives passing certain bills – which is exactly what happened last year in Iowa.  Utah and Missouri soon followed suit.

Here’s why this matters:

1. Ag-gag bills create distrust for farmers, with the industry, and the entire food system.  No one is going to report crimes for fear of being persecuted.  And while some people may argue that those factory farms are privately owned and they have a right to privacy, if they’re allowing someone at their farm, shouldn’t we have the freedom to expose them for cruel abuse?!
2. Rather than going after the whistleblowers, why aren’t legislative efforts aimed to improving standards for farm conditions and imposing harsher penalties?  Oh, right, because this is America and in this country, our legislators are swayed by corporations flaunting money rather than their constituents.

I, for one, do not want to be misinformed about where my food is coming from nor do I want well-intentioned deterred from informing me.  At least I know I’m not the only one.

Think of the last time you were hungry.  A time when your stomach ached with emptiness and growled for food.  It had been hours since you last ate anything substantial and the hollowness inside was pulsing up, your head is starting to hurt.  You start to feel defeated, starving, and want to go on the search for something to put in your stomach.  But you can’t, maybe because you’re in a long meeting, on your long commute home, or just at the end of a long workday.  The headache sets in and you can feel the pulsing of your heartbeat in your temples.  Now, you’re not only hungry, but you’re hangry (the anger that sets in when you’re very hungry).  You’re irritable, annoyed, and your fuse is getting shorter and shorter.  You can’t think of anything except food.

Now imagine you feel like that every minute of every day.

That’s one example of how it feels to be poor.  Hangry is such an appropriate term, though obviously one created by higher-income people.  How do I know that?  Because when you’re poor and you can’t afford enough food, you’re not hangry, that’s simply a feeling you carry through life.

As we all (probably) know, health disparities in the U.S. disproportionately effect low-income minority populations.  Maybe you’re someone who has experienced that or maybe you haven’t – either way, staying healthy comes down to a few key things:

Here are 10 Alternative Steps for Staying Healthy

1. Don’t be poor. If you can, stop. If you can’t, try not to be poor for long.
2. Don’t have poor parents.
3. Own a car.
4. Don’t work in a stressful, low paid manual job.
5. Don’t live in damp, low quality housing.
6. Be able to afford to go on a foreign holiday and sunbathe.
7. Practice not losing your job and don’t become unemployed.
8. Take up all benefits you are entitled to, if you are unemployed, retired or sick or disabled.
9. Don’t live next to a busy major road or near a polluting factory.
10. Learn how to fill in the complex housing benefit/asylum application forms before you become homeless and destitute.

Source: Raphael and Rieder, Community Action for Heart Health: Equity not Exercise

I hope you see where I’m going with this…as easy as it is for us middle and upper class folk to stay healthy and we marvel “well, no one needs to have a gym membership to exercise” – think again, because that’s not the only factor.

Tilapia tank at FarmedHere in Chicago

TRUTH:  It’s official – vertical farming won’t save our food system right now.  But it could in the future.  This week, the country’s largest vertical, aquaponic (soil-free) farm opened in Chicago, IL.  The process by which FarmedHere is growing plants (using the excrement of tilapia to create mineral-rich water that is cycled through stacked plant beds) has been used for years at NYC’s Food and Finance High School, but it hasn’t be done on as large a scale, as FarmedHere has created.

Their goal?  Produce 1 million pounds of chemical (including herbicide and pesticide) free leafy greens.  They’re creating 200 jobs in their newest facility (they already have 2) and their produce will retail at local stores such as Green Grocery (and maybe Trader Joe’s).

So what’s the total energy and environmental impact?  It’s not yet the most efficient process.  Overall, vertical farming’s….

• Pros – less pesticide, herbicide, insecticide use, can produce a lot of food indoors (using greenhouse-style windows), can produce more food in urban areas (reducing transportation costs)
• Cons – costly to build, much more energy intense if using grow lights indoors (which still need to be used with greenhouses if you want to produce food on a large scale

But how much energy can using a few light bulbs use when you have a greenhouse, you ask?  A lot. The Economist reports that Thanet Earth, a 90-hectare facility that opened in Kent, Britian in 2008, provides 15% of the British salad crop but requires its own mini-power station to provide 15 hours of light daily during the winter.

BOTTOM LINE: Don’t jump off the top of the vertical farm yet.  As we find more renewable energy sources, the energy cost of vertical farming can be reduced and we can continue to keep pesticide, herbicide and insecticide use low.  For now, vertical farming can be great for in-home, small scale use and great for education in classrooms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. The Economist: Vertical Farming: Does it really stack up?
   
2. The Wall Street Journal: The Future of Agriculture May Be Up
   

This is where gluten content is key.  Gluten is a sticky, stretchy protein that helps create structure and substance in baked goods.  So, for bread a high gluten content is desirable, for pastries (which should be delicate), a low gluten content is desirable.

TRUTH

So what’s the science based perspective?  Here are the basics:

• Natural detox mainly happens in the liver (though other systems are involved too)
• There are 2 phases to detoxification:
  • Functionalization phase.  Enzymes partially breakdown of fat soluble toxins that result in free radicals
  • Conjugation phase.  The free radicals are enzymatically converted into water soluble toxins that can be excreted in waste (urine, bile, and feces)
• If one phase is lagging, the whole system is off

Now that you have the science, here’s what it means:  enzymes need the help of certain vitamins and minerals to breakdown toxins efficiently.  Here is a list of food and nutrition related factors that can help:

1. Fruits and vegetables – phytochemicals, anti-oxidants
2. Cruciferous vegetables (i.e. cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale) – anti-oxidants
3. Turmeric – curcumin (the main compound that gives it the yellow color) – anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory
4. Green tea – flavanols (especially catechins), anti-oxidants
5. Fiber – fiber binds toxins and carry them out of the gut and reduces the contact of harmful compounds with the intestine
6. Probiotics (i.e. yogurt and fermented foods, like Kombucha) – beneficial bacteria inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that produce toxins
7. Foods with sulfur (eggs, garlic, onions) – sulfur helps the body produce glutathione (an antioxidant critical in both phases)

BOTTOM LINE:  There’s no cure-all, instant detox to remedy poor eating habits.  Water and a healthy diet are all you need to naturally (and continually) detox your system.  Make healthy choices and your body will have the ability to compensate for your indulgences!  And no, the Raw Food Diet doesn’t do it either…

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. Time Magazine: Detox, Schmeetox
   
2. Medical News Today: Debunking the Detox Myth
   

Original image credit: Oceana
Correct answers are : 1. Right is cod (left=escolar). 2. Right is grouper (Left= perch). 3. Left is swordfish (Right= mako shark). 4. Left is red snapper (right= rockfish). 5. Right is Wild Atlantic salmon (left= farmed).

TRUTH:  This isn’t completely a myth but because there’s a 1 in 3 chance that your tuna is actually tuna.  From over 1,000 samples collected over the last couple years, a seafood conservation group, Oceana, has used DNA testing to prove that only about one third of the samples taken were properly labeled.  The most commonly mislabeled fish: Tuna and Red Snapper.

What you think is White Tuna is more likely Escolar (aka Snake Mackerel), which has been known to cause diarrhea.  Fish labeled Snapper is more likely tilefish, tilapia, perch or about 10 other species as well.

Who are the greatest offenders?  Sushi restaurants mislabeled 74% of their fish, restaurants mislabeled about 38% and grocery stores only mislabeled about 18%.  Here are a few more startling facts by city:

• In Boston, only about 18% of fish overall was mislabeled and nearly half of the grocery stores mislabeled fish.
• In Seattle, only 18% of fish overall was mislabeled and every snapper sample checked was mislabeled.
• In New York City, 39% of fish was mislabeled and every sushi vendor checked sold mislabeled fish.
• In Austin, 49% of fish overall was mislabeled and every sushi sample checked was mislabeled.

Hopefully, at this point, you’re wondering what fish is properly labeled.  Great question!  Salmon, Sole, and Cod were the fish most likely to be properly labeled.

BOTTOM LINE:  I hate to say is but depending on where you live determines how likely it is that your sushi order is correct.  Yet it’s unlikely that you’re getting the correct fish no matter where you are.  Not only does this have moral and ethical implications but it also has health implications.  For instance, tilefish (commonly substituted for snapper) has one of the highest levels of mercury of all fish, and pregnant women are advised to completely avoid it.

What can you do?

1. Buy the whole fish – and know what the fish you’re purchasing is supposed to look like!
2. Ask questions of your fishmonger – like where the fish is caught, etc.
3. Purchase directly from fisherman – clearly, this only works if you live near a coast.  If not, purchase from more reputable, ecologically and environmentally sustainable store.  Those markets with policies about fish purchasing (like Whole Foods) may be more likely to properly label.
4. Be a smart shopper – if a price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. NPR: One in Three Fish Sold at Restaurants and Grocer Stores is Mislabeled
2. Oceana Study Reveals Seafood Fraud Nationwide.  Full report or Highlights

TRUTH

In any case, I’m not here to judge the enjoyment of said shot.  I’m here to let you know that this isn’t the case!  The argument seems to be that picklebacks, loaded with salt, help your body retain water (thus preventing dehydration, thus protecting our bodies against the dreaded hangover headache).  Not true, readers!

Where did this myth come from?  It has been shown that pickle juice can help treat  exercise-induced cramping.  More specifically, when you sweat a lot, you lose sodium and potassium in your sweat.  So, you’re dehydrated and your electrolyte balance is off, making you prone to cramping.  In that case, pickle juice helps because it replaces lost electrolytes and helps hydration.

So what’s the difference?  When you’re drinking, your hangover is not caused by excessive loss of water and salt so packing more salt in won’t actually help you.  Plus, given the fact that you’re only doing a shot of it, it’s not providing adequate hydration.

BOTTOM LINE:  After a night of drinking, have some water before you go to bed.  The salty bar snacks were plenty of salt.  And buy some better whiskey to sip and enjoy!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. New York Times blog: Pickle juice after exercise
   
2. The Times Magazine:  Got Your Pickleback
   

Coconut Crusted Chicken with a Curry Broth

Serves 8

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• ¾ teaspoon turmeric (for the chicken coating) + ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon madras curry powder (for the chicken coating) + 1 teaspoon for the sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 13.5 fl oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 32 ounces (4 cups) chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cumin

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a cookie sheet or roasting pan lightly with olive oil.  In a wide bowl or on a large plate, combine the first 8 ingredients (up to the salt and pepper); mix well.  In a wide bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the coconut milk and the buttermilk; stir to combine.  Dredge each chicken breast in the wet ingredients, then in the dry mixture and place on the cookie sheet.  If you have extra coconut flakes, feel free to dredge the chicken breasts a second time.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the shallots and cook until translucent (about 6 minutes).  Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Finally, add the remaining coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ginger, and cumin.  Bring to a simmer and reduce to about half.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

356 calories ∣ 173 calories from fat ∣ 20 g fat ∣ 17 g saturated fat ∣ 13 g carbs ∣ 3 g fiber ∣ 33 g protein ∣ Good source of vitamin B6 ∣ Niacin ∣ Manganese

*To balance the fat content of this meal, serve with a whole grain (like quinoa, prepared with chicken stock) and steamed mustard greens.  Add the sauce for flavor.

*Don’t be scared by the saturated fat content; coconut is one of a few plant foods with saturated fat, but there is building evidence that this type of saturated fat is fine to consume in moderation.

TRUTH

So, there are 2 important points to make here:

1. Cutting carbs is not the most effective means of cutting calories.  Carbs contain 4 calories per gram while fats contain 9 calories per gram.  So, to cut the most calories, cut the fat.
2. Cutting carbs isn’t effective because your exercise regimen will suffer.  Since carbs are the main source of fuel for the body, you’re much less efficient if you’re carbohydrate deprived.

BOTTOM LINE:  If you want to lose weight, you should cut calories from every category – carbohydrates, fats and proteins (it’s all about balance).  Always exercise when you’re well hydrated and have had a small, carbohydrate-based snack to fuel your workout (unless you’re working out after a meal).  Despite  the popularity of the Atkins diet, it’s not necessarily the best way to lose weight – especially given its emphasis on a high fat intake.

Plus, all of the most beneficial, plant based foods contain carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. Livestrong: 4 Important Benefits of Carbohydrates
   
2. Mayo Clinic: How carbs fit into a healthy diet 
   

TRUTH

First, I think we can all agree that prolonged cardio exercise requires carbohydrates for energy.  So, with that in mind, here are a couple good suggestions:

1. Bananas (with water) are as effective as sports drinks.  If you’re a competitive cyclist or a cyclist for exercise, bananas were shown to be as effective as Gatorade in providing the energy required.  The only draw back: tolerance.  The extra fiber resulted in test subjects feeling more full and bloated.  This could be a good thing: fiber promotes a slow, steady update of carbohydrates however (as always) you should test the theory before using it in any race.
2. Raisins are just as effective as sports chews.   Sports chews also have less fiber (just like the banana/Gatorade study), but the fiber in raisins was a non-issue for the runners in the raisin study.

BOTTOM LINE:  Whole foods can provide just as much energy as the supplements commonly consumed.  However, industries stand to gain less if people turn to whole foods rather than supplements.  These two studies were both conducted by Dole and the California Raisin Board (respectively), not the supplement industry.

Just as someone weight training and building muscle can get more BCAA’s from a piece of chicken than the standard amount provided by a supplement, endurance athletes can get enough energy for exercise from whole foods.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. Medical Daily: Bananas are just as good as sports drinks
   
2. One Green Planet: Raisins as effective as sports chews for fueling workouts
   

How To Cook Everything app

I’m an iphone user and I have very few apps on my phone, mostly because I’m so overwhelmed with the choices that I can’t decide.  I need someone to tell me which I should use.  While I may not know the best games or media apps, I can form my own opinions about the food apps!  Here are my picks for the best Apps, depending on your interests:

Best Weight Loss App: Lose It!

Best Pre and Post Workout Nutrition App: Smoothie Selector

Best Grocery Store/Food Shopping App: Non-GMO Project Shopping Guide

Most Informative Food App: How to Cook Everything

Best Local/Organic Guide: Harvest

Best Seafood Sustainability App: Seafood Watch

Best Local Food App: Locavore

Best Wine App: Drync Wine

Up and Coming App: Speakeasy Cocktails – right now only available for the ipad, but prohibition style drinks, made to your tastes are gaining mainstream popularity.  Soon, this app will teach you everything you need to know.

TRUTH

Released at the end of 2012, researchers found that herbicide use has increased by 572 million pounds in the last 15 years for GM soy and only a moderate decrease (about 123 million pounds) in herbicides used on GM cotton.  So, ultimately, there’s been a huge net increase.  I’m certainly not a mathematician, but I don’t like those numbers.

How is that possible?  Well, simple:  genetic modification doesn’t make a crop resistant to all pests, weeds, and insects, but rather it makes the crop resistant to the pesticide, allowing the plant to be sprayed at will without killing it.  In addition, species evolve – some weeds have become genetically resistant to herbicides, requiring greater quantities and different types to be sprayed (insects are becoming resistant, too).

Big Ag argues that the author of this study failed to take into account the yield of these crops; since the yield was higher than non-GM crops, the amount used per pound of food produced demonstrates a decrease in pesticide/herbicide use.  I understand that viewpoint but disagree with it because ultimately, the increase is more damaging to the environment – regardless of the yield.

BOTTOM LINE: While the results of this study seem counterintuitive, the numbers don’t lie.  I’ve always said that one study does not provide enough evidence to generalize across the board and this study is no different.  However, the results are scary and, if nothing else, more research needs to be done before we begin planting GM crops everywhere.  If all of this evidence turns out to be the result of poorly designed studies, I’ll have no problem gnawing on a GM corncob; but the verdict is still out and the evidence continues to mount against Big Ag.

FOR MORE INFORMATON:

1. Reuters: Pesticide Use Ramping up as GMO technology backfires: study
   
2. The rebuttal: Big Picture Agriculture: An evaluation of Benbrook’s Pesticide Use Study and Evolving Super Weeds
   

Very importantly:  I did not find a good way to wrap these  – I tried a variety of methods (i.e. wrap in parchment and twist the sides, wrap in plastic wrap and tie with twine, among others).  My advice: purchase candy wrappers online.  Seriously.  It’s the most attractive presentation and if you end up leaving it in one large container in your fridge, you will eat massive amounts and end up with a stomach ache (for the record, I generally have much better self-control).

Spiced Apple Cider Soft Caramels

Makes about 150 individual caramels

• 10 cups apple cider
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups sugar
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 1 ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into pats
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teapsoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Vegetable oil for brushing

1. In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the apple cider stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup (about 1 hour).
2. In the meantime, in a medium pot, bring the condensed milk and heavy cream to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and keep the mixture warm.  Also, line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and brush with oil.  Don’t skimp on the oil because, if you do, the caramel will stick.
3. Once the apple cider reduces, add the sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and spices.  Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves.  Add the butter, a few diced pats at a time, stirring constantly, until it is all added and combined.  Reduce the heat to low.
4. Slowly add the milk/cream mixture to the apple mixture, stirring constantly, until incorporated.  Cook the mixture until it reaches 245° on a thermometer (ideally a candy thermometer but I didn’t use one) about 45 minutes.
5. Stir the caramel into the foil-covered pan, let it cool and then refrigerate it overnight (or up to 2 weeks).
6. I used spoonfuls of the mixture and shaped it into balls with my hands; however, once the caramel reaches room temperature, it softens, so don’t spend too much time shaping it!  Use a teaspoon to create small, 1 bite servings and wrap each individually.

Resolving to travel and explore new places more frequently in the upcoming year is a popular resolution.  As you might expect, I would suggest eating locally when doing so but let’s add another layer: eating the most commonly produced foods from a region.  Local is local is local, so why bother, you ask?  Simply not true.  Though local is important, regions become known for having soil and climate particularly conducive to growing, raising or harvesting particular foods.  So, don’t just eat what’s locally available, eat what’s locally cherished.

There are, of course, many more local foods than those on this list – check out your local farmers market to determine which foods are seasonally available.  But you can use this post as an informal U.S. food travel guide for speciality items – and please share any particularly delicious dishes (and where you had them) in the comment section below!

•  Alabama – blackberries, peaches
• Alaska – seafood (extra points and 50 gold stars to AK for fishing the greatest amount of seafood in the country yet having zero overfished species)
• Arizona – cantaloupe, honeydew
• Arkansas – rice, tomatoes
• California – top cash crop (interestingly) is marijuana; for consumption: grapes (including wine and table grapes), almonds
• Colorado – wheat, dried beans, barley, and sunflowers
• Connecticut – apples, peaches, pears
• Delaware – wheat, potatoes
• Florida – citrus
• Georgia – peaches, Vidalia onions
• Hawaii – pineapples, macadamia nuts, coffee
• Idaho – potatoes (you knew that), huckleberries
• Illinois – pumpkins and oats
• Indiana – corn (for grain), peppermint
• Iowa – hogs/pig products
• Kansas – beef (breed: original home in 1873 to Scotland’s Angus cattle)
• Kentucky – soybeans, wheat, bourbon
• Louisiana – blue crab
• Maine – lobster, sea scallops
• Maryland – soft shell crab
• Massachusetts – cranberries, apples
• Michigan – blueberries, cucumbers, dried beans
• Minnesota – turkeys and green peas
• Mississippi – long grain rice, catfish
• Missouri – soybeans, wheat; home of the first self-rising flour for pancakes (by Aunt Jemima, yes THE Aunt Jemima in 1889)
• Montana – wheat, barley, cherries
• Nebraska – popcorn, Omaha steaks
• Nevada – pine nuts, mustard, and grasshoppers (chocolate covered, anyone?)
• New Hampshire – yogurt (Stonyfield Farm)
• New Jersey – eggplant, red beets
• New Mexico – pecans (extra points and 50 gold stars to NM for their sustainability and water conservation efforts)
• New York – Chobani yogurt
• North Carolina – peanuts, sweet potatoes (interestingly, neither of these are native North American plans)
• North Dakota – wheat, sunflowers, and barley
• Ohio – soybeans, apples, oats
• Oklahoma – wheat, peanuts, rye
• Oregon – hazelnuts
• Pennsylvania – mushrooms
• Rhode Island – snails and clams
• South Carolina – corn, wheat and peaches
• South Dakota – bison
• Tennessee – ramps and prawns
• Texas – beef (cattle breeds: Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis, Texas Longhorn)
• Utah – tart cherries, wheat
• Vermont – maple syrup (maple anything, really), Ben and Jerry’s ice cream
• Virginia – ham and peanuts
• Washington – apples, pears, cherries, mint and hops
• West Virginia – buckwheat, venison
• Wisconsin – cheese, cranberries
• Wyoming – elk, lamb

* For regions that are known for processed crops (i.e. wheat or corn), look for local wheatberries or fresh corn products (i.e. tortillas or muffins).

Left: Sprouting asparagus spears, Right: uncut spears growing into bushes

TRUTH: I think every news media outlet has publicized the supposed benefits of eating asparagus as a hangover remedy in the past couple weeks.  Well, readers, it’s only a couple weeks old but I’m busting this one.  If you haven’t heard or read the news lately, a team of researchers at a Korean University found that extract from the shoots and leaves of the asparagus plant contain amino acids that may help accelerate the metabolism of alcohol.  Except, there are some very important distinctions to note about this study:

1. They used asparagus extract; concentrated amounts of the asparagus, in larger quantity than you’d eat.
2. The leaves have significantly more amino acids than the shoots (about 5x as much).  And, since we eat the shoots (not the leaves), to cure a hang over would require a lot of shoots.

Where can you get asparagus leaves, you ask?  You can’t.  They’re discarded at the time of harvest.  If you shop at a year round farmers market, you might be able to ask your farmer to save some of the leaves (it’s an early spring veggie), but it’s unlikely they have any leaves.  Check out the image above, the asparagus spear is the stem of the plant, so the leaves don’t grow before the stem (spear) is cut and sold.

BOTTOM LINE:  Eating a serving of asparagus to cure an anticipated or actual hangover is not physiologically feasible.  Though, if you tried this on New Years Day and it worked, you benefited from the power of the placebo effect.  As you might remember, this skewed information is dangerously similar to the touted benefits of red wine.

To prevent a hangover, you shouldn’t drink.  However, if you want to risk it, remember to drink lots of water and get lots of sleep.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. Daily News: Asparagus may be an effective hangover helper; veggie shown to help metabolize alcohol
2. NBC News: Eat Asparagus, and more questionable ways to ease your hangover

The House’s version (passed in July) is conservative and continues to reward commodity farmers (i.e. those growing corn, wheat, soy, cotton).  It also significantly cuts the food stamp budget.

The Senate’s more liberal plan makes modest cuts to the food stamp program, tightened income and ownership rules  (so the wealthiest farmers don’t receive unnecessary subsidies), and funds some programs that help local agriculture and small farmers.

The Senate has the right idea, but it doesn’t quite go far enough to make a difference.  The main issue at this point is the no-strings-attached crop insurance program that will dole out about $25 billion to farmers post-2012 drought season – and the major beneficiaries are wealthy, private companies.

What are we doing right?  Well, we’re starting to think about a more environmentally sound, sustainable system.  For one, the Senate is requiring that farmers agree to conservation guidelines.  Though these guidelines aren’t very strict, but a step in the right direction is still a step forward.

Here are a few other working ideas for spending billions instead of giving aid to farmers who don’t need it:

1. Subsidize local farmers. Check out the Venezuelan efforts.
2. Create a board.  In Rwanda’s Agricultural Board is responsible for finding ways to improve services to farmers.  It helps adapts policies and services that target farmers and consumers.  We should follow suit and figure out what will help farmers and consumers most.
3. Protect vital food system workers.  Aka the bees.  There’s a class of pesticide banned in many European countries because it kills the bees.  No bees = no pollination = no food.
4. Subsidize farmers that practice organic vegetable farming (which will lower the cost of said veggies).  India is already making waves with their novel program that provides a 75% subsidy to those who take up organic farming.  In addition to penalizing the bad, let’s incentivize the good!
5. Start banning GM Crops!  I’m proud of US District Court Judge Jeffrey White, who ruled that the USDA did not properly review the ecological impacts of GM beets and banned them from Arizona and Oregon.  The cost of pesicide/insecticide damage, health risks, and agricultural run-off costs are too great not to do this.  However, California’s Prop 37, which proposed a mandatory labeling of GM foods was defeated, setting back GM labeling laws in the US.  In Europe, they’re already labeling GM foods, the origins of meat, and highlighting allergens.

Any or all of these ideas could improve our food system and our health.  Plus, most of these ideas cost a lot less than $45 billion.  What ideas do you have?

The diversity of plant species extends well beyond what we see in supermarkets. Yet, Agribusiness has removed nearly all diversity from our supermarket shelves.

If you know me personally, you know that Peru (and Machu Picchu) are on the top of my list of places I want to travel.  If not, maybe you’ve read other posts on my blog that aim to raise awareness about global food issues, particularly in the Americas.  Not that other places aren’t beautiful, as I can name 50 locales to which I’d love to travel, but small countries in South America are making great waves – and this week, I’m celebrating Peru.

Last week, while we were stuffing our faces with stuffing (likely made from GMO wheat in the bread), corn bread (likely made from GMO corn), or gravy (made with fillers from GMO soybeans), Peru’s ban on genetically modified seed went into effect.

This all stemmed from research conducted by the Peruvian Association of Consumers and Users that found that about 77% of foods on supermarket shelves contained GM ingredients – some of which are labeled an some aren’t.

The previous government administration was pro-GMO but the change in administration opened a window of opportunity.  It also helped that Peru is one of the world’s largest exporters of organic foods (totaling about $3 billion).

Anyway, the new law is now in effect and there are (of course) some kinks that need to be worked out, but here are some highlights of the new law:

• It prohibits the importation, production and use of GMO foods in the country
• Violating the law may cost up to $14 million
• It protects Peru’s highly varied native plant species (which would have been effectively destroyed by the use of GM seeds)

What can Americans take away from this?  In a country who relies on food as their largest export, and whose supermarkets are just as laden as ours with foods containing GM ingredients, the demands of the people are heard, despite the influence of AgriBusiness.  When their power and influence is less, as it is in Peru, policies are based on the heath and needs of the people, rather than logrolling business interests.   I dream of a world in which our government operates solely to meet the needs and best interests of the people.

Over 100 farmers markets in NYC accept food stamps (EBT).

TRUTH: Recently inspired by a facebook post from a woman I admire (and am proud to call a friend) and in the wake of President Obama’s re-election, I want to provide some information about food stamp (SNAP) recipients.

Obama has been dubbed the ‘food stamp president’, given the increase in the number of recipients since he was elected in 2008.  You know what else happened in 2008?  The financial crash.  My point: you cannot necessarily attribute the increase in persons applying for food stamps with a liberal, democratic president.  In fact, the last major drop we saw in food stamp use was during Clinton’s presidency so, party politics has nothing to do with it.

Food Stamps are an entitlement program, which means that anyone who applies and is eligible will receive benefits.  Aka, if the crash happened during Bush’s administration, we would have also seen a significant increase.

Here are some facts from the most recent, USDA Executive Summary for 2011

1. Most food stamp recipients are children and the elderly.  In fact, 45% were under the age of 18.
2. 41% of households receiving food stamps have income.
3. Of food stamp households on food stamps, only 8% receive cash welfare assistance.
4. The average monthly benefit was only $281.  Only 4% of households received the max benefit of $668 (reserved only for a family of 4).
5. Almost 80% of recipients live in metropolitan areas, where the cost of living is higher.
6. To be an eligible individual under 60 years old in 2012, you (but remember most participants are children):
   • Make $9.08 per hour or less; or have a net income less than $23,000 (for a family of four)
   • Have less than $2,000 saved
   • Can’t have a car worth more than $4,650

BOTTOM LINE:  Some people who work, full time, are still unable to make enough money to live above the poverty line.  Forgetting the outliers, the majority of persons on food stamps are children, the elderly and people with jobs.  They’re not looking for a handout so much as they are trying to feed their families.

Maybe you believe the eligibility requirements should be more tightly regulated – and if so, good for you for having looked into it enough to know the in’s and out’s of the program.  But this election, social media made clear to me that the term ‘handout’ is being thrown around all too often by those who haven’t done their research.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
2. International Business Times: Why Conservatives are Wrong about Food Stamps

TRUTH

Depending on the drink, it may contain one or more of these other classes of ingredients:

• Stimulants– they stimulate the central nervous system but all are dangerous in large quantities
  • Example: Ephedrine, caffeine
• Amino Acids– The research on their effectiveness varies
  • Examples: taurine, carnitine
• B-Vitamins– Help with turning carbs, fat and protein into energy in our bodies; if you get enough B vitamins in your diet, supplementation is complete unnecessary
  • Examples: B-Complex (the whole group of B vitamins), Inositol
• “Natural” Additives– a variety of plants, roots and extracts that claim to improve performance.  Research is not conclusive.
  • Example: ginseng, ginkgo balboa, guarana seed

Basically, none of these categories of ingredients give you energy (except sugar, which gives you energy because it has calories, but that’s it).

Recently, the FDA has begun examining energy drinks more closely because 13 people have died shortly after consuming them.  That does not mean that the drinks are responsible, but we just don’t have enough information yet and there’s clearly a link though the jury is still out on causality.

BOTTOM LINE: Some of these ingredients may help stimulate your neurological system or speed up the rate that you use energy but that’s not always a good thing.  Chances are you’re going to “crash” afterward and a small snack would have been a better option.  If you choose to consume energy drinks, do so in moderation (no more than 16 ounces per day).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

1. Mayo Clinic: Can energy drinks really boost a person’s energy?
   
2. CNN: FDA Investigates deaths preliminarily linked to energy shots
   

Here are the nutritional claims on the package (including the back), in no particular order:

1. Free of: gluten, lactose.  True, as confirmed by the ingredient list.
2. Vegan.  Again, true, as confirmed by the ingredient list.
3. Kosher.  Always true if the package claims it but ‘kosher’ does not mean that a food is necessarily healthy or organic.
4. Source of Omega 3 & 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Don’t be deceived by the claim.  They’re not actually claiming that it’s a good or great source.   The cereal may have negligible amounts, but the fact that they list out the entire title of “Omega 3 & 6 poly..” makes it sound official.
5. Source of calcium and protein.  (See number 6).  Yes, it contains some calcium and protein.
6. 8 Full servings per bag. Though not a nutritional claim, it’s interesting that the Dragon’s include this because it sparked me to check the serving size.  2 tablespoons.  130 calories is a lot for 2 tablespoons of food, these dragons must really know what they’re doing.
7. “All natural ingredients” (as claimed on the ingredient list).  This claim is not, in and of itself, enough to deduce that the ingredients are organic.  However, their ingredient list also claims “No GMO” and says “organic” before every ingredient.  You can believe then, that their “all natural” claim does, in fact mean “all natural”.
8. High in: Iron, dietary fiber. This claim is not true.  In order to substantiate it, I turned to the label and looked at the Daily Value column.   In general:
   • 5% of the DV means a food is “low” in a particular nutrient,
   • 5-20% is “moderate”
   • 20% or more is “high”

   This cereal has only 10% DV Iron and 16% DV Fiber.  So, it is moderate in both iron and fiber.

    

   I like it (not the taste, the claims).  I’ve actually never tasted it so I can neither confirm nor deny if it’s the world’s most amazing breakfast cereal.  Though its high in calories, the serving directions suggests that it absorbs liquid, so 130 calories might not be exorbitant.

   However, I like it because their claims are all reasonable and they have an updated organic certificate on their website.  They seem to be transparent, and clearly, they believe in their product.

   Has anyone tried Holy Crap Cereal?!

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