Rex says: This a great article.It is  powerful and informative when it talks about the industrialized meat the industry tries  to sell the public. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458-1,00.html

Lisa Says: This is one my sister and I ‘invented’ because the summer garden was OVERflowing. It’s so good, it’s addicting! Great way to get your lycopene.

Fresh Tomato,Vidalia and Basil Pie

Crust: (combine the following and shape into deep pie dish – OK TO DOUBLE)-
1/3 cup plus 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour (millet, brown rice, go for it !)
3 Tablespoons cold unsalted organic butter
1 Tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 ½ Tablespoons ice water plus additional if necessary
(pop in preheated oven while you chop the following ingredients)

Feta cheese
1 thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
2-3 Organic Roma Tomatoes (from the garden or locally grown)
Fresh organic basil leaves, chopped
Fresh cracked pepper

Layer the above ingredients and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Lisa Says: great article here on foods we should be eating but generally don’t because we THINK they don’t taste good (au contraire!). While at the national GreenFest in DC recently, we heard noted pediatrician Dr. Greene speak on food ‘imprinting’ which is how we got to eating the foods we do and how to get ourselves, AND KIDS, ‘retrained’ to eat tasty nutritious foods – but that’s the next post. Enjoy the article from Men’s Fitness magazine.
10 Most Hated Foods
And why you should be eating them right now

by Ryan McKee

http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/293

Children are expected to say things like, “I don’t eat eggs, ever.” Or, “Liver? Gross!” However, when adults do it they better have a severe allergy or a convincing health, political, or environmental argument to back it up. Not liking a food, no matter how it’s prepared, makes you seem like an unworldly country bumpkin. On a first date, it tells your companion that you’re unadventurous and unhealthy because your diet rarely strays far from the beaten path.

Most of us developed these food phobias during childhood, but it’s never too late to get over them. In fact, foods many people hated as children not only provide essential nutrients for adult bodies but they house a potpourri of savors, tangs, and zests. Here are the most common “ick” foods that are actually incredibly good for you—and tasty.

1. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
It’s easy to hate these mini-cabbages without even trying them. They’re the knee-jerk low-water mark for kids. The bitter taste, odd texture, and vague aroma of feet are enough to scare anyone off. However, the same qualities are attributed to fine cheeses.

Health benefits
Very high in fiber and protein, it can be a filling but low-calorie side dish. Scientists also believe the vegetable may protect against cancer because it’s rich in indole—a phytochemical—and vitamin C.

Learn to like it
Buy fresh Brussels sprouts that are still on the stalk. These will taste much better than the frozen. Slice each one down the middle and cook them in extra-virgin olive oil with freshly chopped garlic on the stove. Salt and pepper to your taste. To “gourmet-it-up,” add walnuts, shallots, grated cheese, and bacon in moderation.

2. BROCCOLI
These “mini-trees” pack a healthy dose of vitamin K that you typically find in leafy green vegetables. No wonder children view florets with contempt; they represent the antithesis of Snickers bars. However, broccoli can be a man’s best friend. Simple to prepare, it’s a filling side-dish or quick raw snack.

Health benefits
Vitamins C, K, and A are all represented in spades in broccoli. As well as being high in fiber, it has multiple anti-cancer nutrients such as diindolylmethane and selenium. The diindolylmethane is also known to fight other viruses and bacteria. In studies, men who eat a lot of broccoli generally reduce their risk of aggressive prostate cancer and heart disease.

Learn to like it
There’s no need to avoid broccoli on the appetizer tray, just dip it in hummus or add a dab of ranch dressing. You can also crumble some florets on your salad; they will make it more filling. Steam or bake them with olive oil for a quick side dish. If you decide to go more extreme, cover a casserole dish with florets. Pour three tablespoons of melted butter over it and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

3. FISH
Children find everything wrong with seafood: fishy smell and taste, texture, bone paranoia, etc. However, as an adult, not enjoying the sea’s bounty limits you from multiple ethnic cuisines. Not only that, it is the perfect protein source to help you lose weight and cut down on meat with saturated fat.

Health benefits
The American Heart Association recommends men eat fish twice a week to get enough omega-3, the fatty acids that reduce the risk of heart disease and the most common type of stroke. Some research even suggests omega-3s increase brain and visual functions and fight everything from asthma to depression. Eating fish instead of other meats can also reduce your cholesterol.

Learn to like it
Not all fish has that fishy-taste. Try halibut, tilapia, mahi-mahi, or throw a tuna steak on the grill instead of a burger. Stuffed flounder will taste like whatever you stuff it with. You can even start with something as small as a couple anchovies in your Caesar’s salad. And there’s the whole world of shellfish and mollusks too. Buy some tempura batter mix and it’s easy to make lightly breaded fish that go great with potatoes or in tacos.

4. TURNIPS
Whoever ever figured out that turnips could be eaten must have been really hungry. They don’t look the least bit appetizing. A bulbous purple root, most men wouldn’t pick one up in the grocery store and think, “Let’s have a go at this.” You wouldn’t even know where to start.

Health benefits
Turnips are a strong source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese, pantothenic acid, and copper; plus they contain thiamine, potassium, niacin, and magnesium. They’re starchy like potatoes, but with one-third the calories.

Learn to like it
Substitute turnips where you usually make potatoes. Not only will this diversify your at-home menu, it will cut down on caloric intake. You can bake, mash, and cut them into French fries. They can also be served raw on a veggie tray.

5. BEETS
Many men pass over beets on the salad bar without ever trying them. It can be hard to know what to make of them. They look like slices of canned cranberry jelly. However, their sweet taste jazzes up a salad. Canned beets even make a cheap, quick, healthy snack by themselves.

Health benefits
High in carbohydrates, they’re a quick energy source without the crash you get from processed carbs. Beets are good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, and niacin, as well as vitamins A and C. Studies also show they reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Learn to like them
Throwing a couple on a salad is an easy way to get used to the odd-looking vegetable. When you’re ready to dive in, make a beet salad. There are a variety of recipes that are tasty and will impress a female dinner guest. A great southern favorite is roasted beet salad with bacon.

6. LIVER
Just the thought of eating this internal organ will make some people gag. However, eating liver dates back centuries. Certain prehistoric tribes regarded it as the delicacy from the hunt. Medieval Europeans turned liver into everything from pastries to sausages. Get in touch with your primal man—eat liver.

Health benefits
Obviously it is a good source of protein, but it is also nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A. Patients with iron-deficiencies eat it due to its highly usable form of iron and all of the B vitamins. Many also claim it fights fatigue.

Learn to like it
Preparing liver doesn’t have to be a big event. The next time you crave a barbecued steak, substitute thinly sliced beef liver. Fry it in a pan with onions and your favorite barbecue sauce or right on the grill.

7. SPINACH
Popeye made spinach look great when he used it to beat up Bluto. However, when you popped a can and dug in, it tasted like soggy metal. While these green leaves use to primarily appear in cartoons, now they appear on most menus across the country. So ditch the can and prepare a dish that does the leafy vegetable justice.

Health benefits
Like the other vegetables profiled already, spinach’s A and C vitamins, fiber, folic acid, magnesium and other nutrients help prevent cancer, especially colon, lung, and breast cancers, and heart disease. Also the flavonoids in it reduce against age-related memory loss. But a big one in spinach is lutein, which prevents cataracts and macular degeneration.

Learn to like it
The great thing about spinach is its versatility. Throw it in omelets with cheese, turkey, or ham. Pour warm bacon vinaigrette over a bed of spinach and chopped purple onions (a little bit of bacon seems to help mask all healthy foods). Even toss raw spinach with melted margarine and heat in the microwave for a quick side dish. Want to keep it extra simple? Chop up strawberries and walnuts and sprinkle them over a bed of fresh spinach for a delicious salad.

8. AVOCADO
For those who didn’t grow up in the Southwest or California, you may find this creamy green fruit bit odd odd. However, avocados yield the culinary wonder known as guacamole, something no Mexican dish can be without.

Health benefits
Dubbed the world’s healthiest fruit for its source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, and oleic acid, a medium avocado can have 27 grams of fat. However, its monounsaturated fat helps lower cholesterol and its folate aids heart health.

Learn to like it
If guacamole hasn’t already turned you on to avocados, add a wedge to a turkey sandwich instead of cheese. Or slice a little with black beans and rice for a hot lunch. The protein will satiate your hunger longer.

9. COTTAGE CHEESE
Curdled milk chunks? Well, when one puts it like that, it’s obvious why children aren’t clamoring for this filling snack. Men don’t usually like this dairy delight as much as women, but we should.

Health benefits
High in protein and low in carbohydrates, cottage cheese is a breakfast that will stay with you. Most of its protein is casein, a slow digesting form that reduces hunger for longer periods of time. It’s also high in calcium, which is important not only for bones but maintaining normal blood pressure.

Learn to like it
If eating cottage cheese with sliced fruit doesn’t intrigue you, try adding hot sauce and salt. It’s great sweet or savory. If you’re already a fan of guacamole, add a few spoons of cottage cheese to your mix. It will make it heartier and prevent it from turning brown.

10. EGGPLANT
If the eggplant were a superhero, it would be Batman. It’s dark, mysterious, and although it doesn’t have superpowers — it’s bold and rich on different levels. Children can’t get past its spongy texture, but adults should champion its ability to adapt differently to each dish.

Health benefits
It has much of the same laundry list of nutrients these other vegetables have offered including fiber, folate, niacin, etc. On top of that, eggplants are a great source of antioxidant called phytonutrients including the potent antioxidant called nasunin, which prevents the damage of cell membranes.

Learn to like it
Eggplant’s porous flesh soaks in whatever flavors surround it and adds its own, making complex tastes: Eggplant Parmesan, ratatouille, Arabian moussaka, and many Indian dishes. It’s a vegetarian’s favorite because it’s a great substitute for meat-based dishes. It can even be grilled like a burger. Each dish is completely different so keep trying.

Lisa Says: Here is an article regarding clinical research on CT scans that Dr. Mercola references that shocked even the generally unshockable me. Rueters is reporting “15,000 will die from CT scans done in 1 year because scans have higher levels of radiation than thought, researchers say”. The suggestion is to use MRI’s, and CT scans only when absolutely necessary. Enjoy Dr. Mercola’s info below.

Will You Be one of the 15,000 That Are Killed By CT Scans Next Year?
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
December 29 2009
CT scans deliver far more radiation than has been believed, and may contribute to 29,000 new cancers each year, along with 14,500 deaths.

One study found that people may be exposed to up to four times as much radiation as estimated by earlier studies. While previous studies relied on dummies equipped with sensors, authors of the new paper studied more than 1,000 patients at four hospitals.

Based on their measurements, a patient could get as much radiation from one CT scan as 74 mammograms or 442 chest X-rays.

Young people are at highest risk from excess radiation, partly because they have many years ahead of them in which cancers could develop. Among 20-year-old women who get one coronary angiogram, a CT scan of the heart, one in 150 will develop cancer related to the procedure.

Sources:

USA Today December 14, 2009

MSNBC December 14, 2009

Dr. Mercola’s comments:
I’ve been warning about the extreme dangers of CT scans for nearly a decade now.

It’s incredible to me that even with long-standing, irrefutable proof of the connection between CT scans and a high incidence of cancer, so many of these tests are still being ordered on unsuspecting patients. Estimates are that only seven percent of patients are informed of the risks of their CT scans.

This is another example of why you must be your own advocate when you visit your doctor or other health care provider.

Arm yourself with information about the risks that accompany medical tests, treatments and prescription drugs. Become a smart consumer of your health care options, rather than an unfortunate victim of dangerous and unnecessary procedures and medications.

Why So Many Scans?

The number of CT scans doubled between 1997 and 2006, according to a study by the University of California, San Francisco.

Even more startling: According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), in 1980, three million CT scans were performed in the U.S. By 2006, the number had exceeded 62 million, including four million on children.

One reason for the increase is many doctors have purchased their own imaging equipment for their practices. This adds a financial incentive into the mix and sets the stage for overuse of the technology.

Another reason for the increase is a trend toward commercially advertised full-body CT scans to “find everything wrong with you.” Consumers with extra cash laying around (in excess of $1,000 in most cases) are being encouraged to undergo a full-body scan as a preventive measure.

Three Million Excess Cancers!!

The truth is these scans are performed by commercial enterprises, and the quality of the tests is so poor as to render the results virtually useless.

This would be less troubling if the CT scan was a harmless imaging technique. But with radiation levels 100 times what you receive from a conventional chest x-ray, this is not a test to undergo for screening purposes or “just because.”

There are circumstances in which a CT scan is truly your best option due to your condition, but whenever possible, another less dangerous scanning technology, like an MRI which does not use ionizing radiation, should be used. MRI’s do not involve the use of x-rays, but the powerful magnetic field of the scanner may present another set of health risks.

The NEJM study estimated that overuse of CT scans may cause up to three million excess cancers in the next two or three decades. David Brenner of Columbia University, lead author of the study, estimates that a third of all CT scans are medically unnecessary.

Brenner told USA Today, “Virtually anyone who presents in the emergency room with pain in the belly or a chronic headache will automatically get a CT scan. Is that justified?”

Riskier Still for Kids and Brain Scan Patients

If your child undergoes a CT scan, chances are the equipment will be calibrated for an adult. This means your child could absorb two to six times more radiation than needed to produce a clear image. This is unconscionable, and could result in radiation-induced cancer later in life.

Over 200 unsuspecting patients who underwent a specific type of CT brain scan at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles received eight to 10 times the normal dose of radiation due to an incorrectly programmed machine.

The overdose wasn’t discovered for 18 months and only came to light after a patient reported losing patches of hair following a CT scan.

On the whole, diagnostic imaging tests have increased Americans’ average radiation exposure seven times since 1980. Increased exposure leads to increased cancer risk.

The Simple Truth: Radiation Damages Your Body

X-rays and other classes of ionizing radiation, like CT scans, are a proven cause of virtually all types of mutations — especially structural chromosomal mutations. Radiation also causes genomic instability, often a characteristic of the most aggressive cancers.

Further, cells cannot correctly repair every type of complex genetic damage induced by ionizing radiation, and sometimes cells cannot repair such damage at all.

Unlike some other mutagens, ionizing radiation has access to the genetic molecules of every internal organ, if the organ is within the x-ray beam. Within such organs, even a single high-speed high-energy electron, set into motion by an x-ray photon, has a chance of inducing the types of damage that defy repair. That is why there is no risk-free dose-level when it comes to ionizing radiation.

And when such mutations are not cell-lethal, they endure and accumulate with each additional exposure to x-rays or other ionizing radiation.

Evidence strongly indicates that over half the deaths from cancer and heart disease may be x-ray-induced.

Mammography is another example of overused, risky imaging technology.

A mammogram exposes your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray. Mammography compresses your breasts tightly, which is not only painful for most women but can actually spread dangerous cancer cells, should they exist.

Updated guidelines now call for women under 50 to forego routine screening mammography. This is a small step in the right direction, however, there is a far better option.

A 100% Safe Imaging Technology

I highly recommend thermography for breast screening in particular, as well as other types of imaging.

Thermographic screening is entirely safe, non-invasive, and brilliantly simple. This technology measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates the information into anatomical images.

There is no pressure or compression of your breasts, and no radiation. This imaging system can detect signs of breast cancer up to 10 years before either a mammogram or a physical exam.

If your doctor or other health care provider recommends a CT scan, mammogram or other imaging technique as either a screening tool or to diagnose a physical complaint, I strongly encourage you to explore all your options before agreeing to be radiated.

Don’t trade your good health or a minor complaint for an increased risk of x-ray-induced cancer in the future.

Related Links:

Avoid CT Scans If At All Possible

Reconsider Having Screening Full-Body CT Scans

Thermography for Breast Cancer

Lisa Says: Mainstream is even now suggesting not to eat certain foods that we happened to change in our own lifestyle to address Rex’s cancer naturally. REST ASSURED we most certainly still eat everything on this list – just the organic, free range, wild caught or chemical free varieties. Enjoy the article from Prevention magazine.

The 7 foods experts won’t eat
* by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION, on Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:15am PST

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a “banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.

14 worst health mistakes even smart women make.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

25 ridiculously healthy foods you should be eating now.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Your nutritional guide to grocery shopping.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

14 ways to make veggies less boring.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
Delicious and easy fish recipes

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.
Don’t be fooled by these 11 health food imposters.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

Lisa Says: Here is an Associated Press article on the investigation of Monsanto and possiblr anti-trust violations. When any one entity has control over 95% of all soybeans and 80% of all corn grown in the US, it’s dangerous – just look at history. Monsanto’s involvement in the majority of our foods is unprecedented. Their push for Genetically Modified crops, which allows them to patent the seeds, is now contaminating nonGMO open air pollinated crops. Studies show that GMO crops are not sustainable, and not necessary. Europe has banned them all together because of health concerns. Remember, whenever you make a food purchase (either at a store, a Farmers Market, or a restaurant), you are voting with your wallet – one way or the other.

AP INVESTIGATION: Monsanto seed biz role revealed
By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD

The Associated Press

8:31 a.m. Monday, December 14, 2009

ST. LOUIS — Confidential contracts detailing Monsanto Co.’s business practices reveal how the world’s biggest seed developer is squeezing competitors, controlling smaller seed companies and protecting its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered crops, an Associated Press investigation has found.

With Monsanto’s patented genes being inserted into roughly 95 percent of all soybeans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the U.S., the company also is using its wide reach to control the ability of new biotech firms to get wide distribution for their products, according to a review of several Monsanto licensing agreements and dozens of interviews with seed industry participants, agriculture and legal experts.

Declining competition in the seed business could lead to price hikes that ripple out to every family’s dinner table. That’s because the corn flakes you had for breakfast, soda you drank at lunch and beef stew you ate for dinner likely were produced from crops grown with Monsanto’s patented genes.

Monsanto’s methods are spelled out in a series of confidential commercial licensing agreements obtained by the AP. The contracts, as long as 30 pages, include basic terms for the selling of engineered crops resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, along with shorter supplementary agreements that address new Monsanto traits or other contract amendments.

link to the rest of the article

http://www.ajc.com/business/ap-investigation-monsanto-seed-240072.html

Lisa Says: I am posting a great article here from Harvard Medical School on the issues with gluten, even if you don’t have ’symptoms’. Going gluten free is one of the lifestyle changes Rex and I have focused on as studies have shown the gluten and cancer connection. There are SO many alternatives out there now, it makes new food choices so much easier. Grains and flours we focus on are millet, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat. Rex says ‘when you think of GLUten, think GLUE.’

Getting out the gluten
12/08/2009 from Harvard Medical School

Celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder whose symptoms are triggered by gluten, the protein content in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt) is on the rise. That’s one reason for the rise in popularity of gluten-free food.

Celiac specialists say the disease isn’t diagnosed as often as it should be. As a result, many people suffer with it for years, often after getting other — and incorrect — diagnoses and useless treatments.

But a growing number of the people dodging gluten fall into a gray area: they don’t have celiac disease but seem to be unable to digest gluten properly. There are no tests or strict criteria for this problem, aside from simple trial and error with a gluten-free diet. Some people may be getting caught up in a food fad. But many others probably do have trouble digesting gluten or perhaps the sugars in some of these grains (like the lactose intolerance that makes it hard to digest dairy foods).

Do you have a gluten problem?

The classic and most immediately noticeable symptoms of celiac disease are, not surprisingly, gastrointestinal: bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea, sometimes with smelly stools. People who can’t digest gluten or grain sugars may have similar symptoms.

Celiac disease can severely impair the absorption of nutrients. In children, this may lead to stunted growth; in adults, the consequences include anemia (because iron isn’t being absorbed) and weaker bones (because calcium and vitamin D aren’t getting into the body). Anemia causes fatigue and malaise, but some people with celiac disease feel that way without anemia.

Doctors sometimes miss the celiac disease diagnosis because they’re looking for the classic gastrointestinal symptoms, not the vaguer ones that stem for the most part from malabsorption of nutrients.

One major difference between celiac disease and grain-related digestion problems is that when it’s just a digestion problem it typically doesn’t lead to malabsorption and nutritional deficiencies.

Women with untreated celiac disease have higher-than-normal rates of menstrual abnormalities and infertility. A large study published in 2007 found an increased risk of pancreatitis in people with celiac disease. It’s not clear whether these associations suggest a cause-and-effect relationship or if celiac disease and these conditions happen to share an underlying cause.

Grains for the gluten-challenged

We’re often too quick to depend on pills instead of first working to change our diet and exercise habits. But with celiac disease, there’s no pill, and a fairly radical change in diet is the only treatment. Drug companies have started to take some interest in the disease, and treatments that would block the absorption of gluten are being investigated, but none so far are close to gaining FDA approval.

Until you need to avoid gluten, you probably don’t realize how ubiquitous it is. Gluten is used as a thickening agent and filler in everything from ketchup to ice cream. The inactive ingredients in many medications are gluten-based. And even when gluten isn’t an ingredient, it may inadvertently get into a food because a wheat-based food was processed in the same factory, or wheat was grown in a nearby field. At home, wooden utensils and toaster ovens are gluten “hot spots.” Oats don’t contain gluten, but many people with celiac disease avoid them because of contamination problems.

The gluten-free diet has traditionally depended on starch from rice, corn, and potatoes. Food makers have also learned how to use xanthan and guar gums to replace gluten’s elasticity: a common complaint about gluten-free baked goods is that they are powdery. But these formulations can also leave diets short of fiber and B vitamins. Melinda Dennis, the nutrition coordinator at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Celiac Center, encourages patients to eat foods made with unconventional but nutritionally well-rounded substitutes, including amaranth, buckwheat (no relation to wheat), millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff. She calls them the “super six” because of their high vitamin and fiber content.

Eating out is one of the biggest issues for people with gluten problems. Vegetables get contaminated because they are steamed over pots of pasta water. Fish and chicken are floured to hold seasonings. But many restaurants are beginning to offer gluten-free items. And there are some celiac-friendly cuisines, even if they are not overtly gluten-free. Ethiopian (which uses teff), Indian, Mexican, and Thai are good possibilities.

Lisa Says: Yet another study posted here projecting the increase of those with diabetes to rise another 20 million (to 44 million) in 25 years, and ‘Medicare spending on diabetes…could exceed current projections for All Medicare costs.” Yet there is an answer, says the study’s co-author Dr. Elbert Huang, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. “The study reinforces the importance of public health efforts to prevent diabetes” by changing eating habits and exercising more. There are many balanced programs designed to assist in healthier lifestyle choices such as Dr. Neal Barnard’s Reversing Diabetes program through Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. http://www.pcrm.org/health/diabetes/. Enjoy the article and empower yourself !

chicagotribune.com
Diabetes: New cases and spending to surge over 25 years, study says
By Deborah L. Shelton
Tribune reporter
November 27, 2009

Even if the percentage of Americans who are obese stays the same, diabetes cases will nearly double in the U.S. in the next 25 years and the cost of treating the disease will almost triple, according to a new study by researchers based at the University of Chicago.

The study, published Friday in the journal Diabetes Care, found the number of people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes will climb from almost 24 million this year to about 44 million in 2034. Over the same period, annual diabetes-related treatment costs are expected to increase from $113 billion to $336 billion in 2007 dollars.

Alarmingly, Medicare spending on diabetes is expected to jump from $45 billion to $171 billion and could exceed current projections for all Medicare costs, the researchers said. Much of the increase in cases and costs will be driven by aging baby boomers, the 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1957.

“It’s a combination of the increasing numbers of people who have diabetes along with the cost of treating diabetes that gives us these frightening numbers,” said study co-author Dr. Elbert Huang, professor of medicine at the U. of C. “The study reinforces the importance of public health efforts to prevent diabetes — by transforming the way we eat and increasing the amount of exercise we do — and emphasizes the importance of finding new ways of treating diabetes efficiently.”

Huang also said the study’s findings could be considered conservative because the researchers’ estimates are based on stable obesity rates.

The number of people becoming obese has risen steadily for many years, though the authors predict that obesity levels among people who don’t have diabetes will top out in the next decade, then decline slightly, from 30 percent today to about 27 percent by 2033.

Costs related to diabetes are rising in part because the disease is striking people at younger ages, which can mean more time to develop expensive complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, amputations and end-stage kidney disease.

“The study was entirely consistent … with previous reports that the growth in diabetes is substantial and ever-increasing, and the costs of diabetes also are substantial and ever-increasing,” said Dr. David Kendall, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association.

Earlier this month, a separate team of researchers at Loyola University Health System reported that more diabetics are becoming morbidly obese. It found that one in five people with Type 2 diabetes are morbidly obese, or 100 pounds or more overweight.

About 90 percent of diabetics have Type 2, which occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin. Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to allow glucose in the food we eat to enter cells to produce energy.

Dr. Holly Kramer, lead study author and professor of preventive medicine at Loyola University Medical Center, said the two studies go hand-in-hand because obesity is the main environmental risk factor for diabetes.

The greatest growth in obesity has been among obese diabetics who are getting heavier, Kramer said. Focusing solely on overall obesity rates minimizes the magnitude of a massive public health problem, she and her colleagues wrote in their report, published online in the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications.

“When you are 100 pounds or more overweight, losing a substantial amount of weight and keeping it off is incredibly difficult,” Kramer said. “The cost of care is going to rise substantially because these people are going to have co-morbid conditions in addition to their diabetes — likely more than one — such as heart disease, end-stage kidney disease, arthritis, sleep apnea and fatty liver disease.”

Kramer and colleagues reported that about 62 percent of adults in the U.S. with Type 2 diabetes are obese and about 21 percent are morbidly obese. Among African-American adults with diabetes, 1 in 3 is morbidly obese.

Obesity is defined in terms of body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

Huang and his colleagues analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (known as NHANES) and the National Health Interview Survey regarding people ages 24 to 85. The study developed a new model of forecasting of future direct spending on diabetes and was conducted to help predict the impact of various policy scenarios as Congress debates health reform, particularly possible changes to Medicare.

Kramer and her research team worked with data from NHANES surveys completed from 1976 to 2006.

dshelton@tribune.com
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

Rex Says: new data to consider on cancer as this study shows not all cancers progress. Tests such as the PCA3 for prostate cancer can be used as a tool in determining which cancers will spread and which most likely will not.  Here is the article from the New York Times referencing info from the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Studies such as Dr. Ornish’s have also shown that lifestyle changes can reduce cancer. Of course, lifestyle is currently projected to cause up to 70% of cancers (depending on the study you read).

Cancer can reverse itself, data says

By Gina Kolata, The New York Times

Call it the arrow of cancer. Like the arrow of time, it was supposed to point in one direction. Cancers grew and worsened.

However, as a paper in The Journal of the American Medical Association noted in October, data from more than two decades of screening for breast and prostate cancer call that view into question. Besides finding tumors that would be lethal if left untreated, screening appears to be finding many small tumors that would not be a problem if they were left alone, undiscovered . They were destined to stop growing on their own, shrink or even disappear, at least in the case of some breast cancers.
“The old view is that cancer is a linear process,” said Dr. Barnett Kramer, associate director for disease prevention at the National Institutes of Health. “A cell acquired a mutation, and little by little, it acquired more and more mutations. Mutations are not supposed to revert spontaneously.”

Click here for the rest of the article

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/virginian-pilot-ledger-star-norfolk/mi_8014/is_20091101/cancer-reverse-data/ai_n41473460/

Article Copyright 2009
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Curry Butternut Squash Soup
(serves 4-6 & great for freezing)

Butter (organic or local)- 2 tablespoons
yellow onion – 2 cups finely chopped
curry powder – 5 tsp (trust me)
butternut squash – 2 med. Size (about 3#)
apples (organic or local) – 2 peeled, cored & chopped
organic chicken stock – 3 cups ( we make our own with Organic ‘Better than Bouillon’ Chicken Base)
apple juice or cider – 1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

1. melt butter and sauté onions and curry about 25 min.
2. peel squash (EASY – use a potato peeler. Hold skinny end & work towards larger end, then work back towards skinnier end. Cut off tip and bottom. Takes about 45 seconds). Scrape out seeds, chop to bite size pieces
3. after onions are tender, add chicken stock, squash & apples. Cook till tender, about 25 min
4. Transfer to food processor and puree. Return to pot.
5. add apple juice/cider and simmer till serving