Monthly Archives: December 2012

Peanut Butter Risks And Alternatives

by Miraallergies, FDA, nutsFDA, nuts, peanut butter

The FDA is out to lunch - with yet another case of food poisoning in the news it's clear that those charged with keeping our food supply safe are not doing their job. The scariest part of this is that in the face of budgetary cuts there are talks of allowing food producers more leeway to self-monitor. This is putting the fox in charge of the hen house. If true sanctions and consequences were put into place there might be more attention paid to the safety of the food products.

Salmonella Contamination

Fortunately that is happening in at least one situation. Sunland Inc, the company responsible for manufacturing salmonella-laden peanut butter in the recent outbreak has been closed. Articles that I have seen indicate that the company was surprised by this move and thought they would be able to re-open by the end of the year. But after reading the conditions there and the continual disregard for food safety it is good to know that they will not be allowed to continue until they can prove (not just say but prove via inspection) that they have cleaned up their act. I hope this trend of requiring manufacturers to truly be responsible, and not just say they're following the rules, continues.

I was so upset to read this latest article from the Consumer's Union. Apparently PCA, the company responsible for the salmonella-contaminated peanut butter that has killed a number of people and sickened many more has declared bankruptcy. This effectively removes them from any legal due process being brought against them. The worst part is that they knew and ignored the fact that their product was contaminated as reported here.

The best that we can hope for at this point is that there are no further illnesses or deaths and that this will bring about much-needed changes to our food supply system.

Rat Feces

And salmonella isn't the only thing found in peanut butter. Although this article is two years old it mentions rat feces. I was not able to find specific mention of rat feces allowed in peanut butter (assuming that is part of what the FDA lists as "objectionable matter contributed by rodents") but did find mention of rodent hairs at 1 or more per 100 grams of product being considered an "aesthetic" (their word not mine) defect and possibly actionable. Also found in peanut butter? Neurotoxic chemicals. Peanuts are a highly pesticide residue contaminated crop; this makes choosing organic an important factor for those who choose to eat peanuts and peanut products.

I found it interesting to note that the article also did a side by side taste-test comparison of various peanut butters. All of them were jarred, most had oil residue floating on the top, and sounded very unappealing from both a taste and visual perspective. While the article didn't list the ingredients I'm sure that most of them have added fat (thus the extra oil floating at the top), sugar, and salt. None of which is really needed for peanut butter.

Other Challenges

Over the years peanut butter has increasingly gotten a bad rap, primarily due to allergies. It's a popular legume though and that makes it difficult to tell people that they should avoid peanuts. That bad rap, however, is not undeserved. Part of the health challenge is that peanuts are a highly inflammatory legume. They also tend to be high in carcinogenic aflatoxins and are frequently contaminated by the aspergillis fungus.

Additionally many health issues, from migraines to candida overgrowth to intestinal disorders are negatively impacted by consumption of peanuts and peanut products. So while we consider them delicious they should be severely reduced or eliminated from the diet.

It turns out peanut butter used to be considered a health food and was actually only sold regionally. Over time this has changed and we now ship the stuff all over the world. Except for the grind-your-own variety of course.

Healthy Alternatives

At my local grocery store there is a grind-your-own peanut butter machine. At $3.99 per pound for organic, unsalted peanuts they sell a relatively creamy, good tasting, fresh smelling product. Of course there is no way to know if anything has gotten into the peanuts in the machine; this means trusting the grocery store to clean it thoroughly on a regular and frequent basis.

For those who can have nuts, a healthier choice might be almonds, and almond butter, which is the most alkaline of nuts and has a much lower allergenic profile.

Want to know what's really in your food? Get a copy of The Pantry Principle to learn more.

Christmas Tree Facts

by Miraenvironment, holidays

The winter holidays are here. Decorations are going up. The wreaths, the lights, the garlands, lots, and lots of tinsel. And let's not forget the tree. The Christmas tree, centerpiece of the holiday celebration. With ornaments and bows up top, presents and goodies below. The primary symbol of the holiday gathering for many families all across the country. And every year there is a dilemma; people struggle with the choice for their tree. Fresh or artificial?

There are a small percentage who use living trees, brought inside in a tub or burlap. They often plant their tree in the yard after the season. For them there is not usually a dilemma as they will continue to purchase and plant living trees. For everyone else there's a choice to be made year after year.

Live cut or artificial? With tens of millions of trees sold every year that decision has an amazing impact.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), a live Christmas tree outweighs an artificial one due to its many environmental and economic benefits. It goes without saying that our personal environmental stance would include a live cut tree which does not expose you to pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Environmentally friendly, fresh cut trees are a sustainable resource.
The trees help clean the air, protect the soil, and provide wildlife habitat.
Planting of natural Christmas trees increases the greenery on the planet. The Christmas tree growers plant one to three new seedlings for every tree that is harvested during the season.
The trees are biodegradable; that means they can be reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes. Nothing is wasted even when these trees are discarded or disposed. By contrast, an artificial tree may contain lead and non-bio-degradable plastics.
The industry employs more than 100,000 Americans.

Learn how to care for your fresh cut tree at the NCTA so it will last all season long.

Christmas Tree Facts - An Infographic by CouponRefund.com

Christmas Tree Facts by CouponRefund.com

photo: Lotus Head

Top Ten Reasons To Buy Grass Fed Beef

by Mirameat

Grass-fed beef is different from the majority of beef products we find in our grocery stores. Free range, pasture raised beef is only raised on grass, not grain. What's the big deal about cattle eating grass and not grain? There are many reasons pasture raised grass-fed beef is better than factory feedlot grain-fed beef.

First, let's step back and take a brief look at our history. For ages, man has existed as hunter gatherers. They ate what they found, foraging for food and hunting animals. The animals they hunted lived off of grass, unless it was some kind of predator, such as a lion. So animals from the wild existed on the native grasses and plants of their surroundings. Their biological makeup evolved around their environment and they were well suited to digesting and processing plant matter; they were very happy doing just that, eating grass all day. We as hunters were very happing eating the foraging animals. As time went on we domesticated animals as a food source and planted crops. This allowed us to stay put in one place and not have to constantly be on the move hunting and foraging. For many years, the diet of those domesticated animals was still primarily grass. Things were good, but fast forward to today.

Now we have in many instances cattle packed into feedlots and fed grains, mainly genetically modified corn. Their highly evolved digestive tract was never meant to thrive with just grains, and certainly they were never designed to live in confined areas – shoulder to shoulder at a trough. But that is what we have today. What has suffered is the quality of life for the cattle. More importantly we find that quality of the meat available nowadays is poorer in nutrition and can have a negative effect on our health. This leads into the top 10 reasons why grass-fed beef is superior to conventional grain-fed beef.

Grass-fed cattle are usually free-range, and raised in open pastures, not in unsanitary feedlots. Disease is not an issue on the open range whereas in the feedlot disease can spread quickly. As a result, there is no need for antibiotics; the animals are healthier with better immune systems.
Grass-fed beef commonly does not contain synthetic hormones. This is a result of the rancher knowing they are raising quality meat and not wanting to taint their product.
The cattle are raised in a natural setting and not fed corn or grains. In today's world the majority of animal feed has been genetically modified. Believe it or not, but research published in 2012 from Caen University in France show that animals fed a lifetime of GMO's (genetically modified organisms) in this case corn, have a much higher rate of cancer and tumors, and have a shortened life span — this can't be good for us to eat.
The beef has a higher amount of vitamins and minerals. A study done by USDA and Clemson University researchers in 2009 proves this among many other facts listed below. One example is Vitamin E. Grass-fed beef usually has up to 7 or 8 mcg/gram of Vitamin E compared to 1 to 2 mcg/gram in grain-fed beef.
Grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats which has been linked to heart disease.
Grass-fed beef has higher levels of in beta-carotene.
Grass-fed beef is higher in thiamin and riboflavin (Vitamin B's).
Grass-fed beef has a higher mineral content including calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Grass-fed beef is a better source for Conjugated Lineolic Acid (CLA). CLA has been proven to improve the immune system and has also been connected with reducing the risk of obesity, cancer and diabetes.
Grass-fed beef provides higher amounts of Omega 3 fats. These fatty acids are essential for brain function and optimal health. Studies show that grass-fed beef contains up to 7 times the amount of Omega 3s compared to conventional grain-fed beef.

And while grass-fed beef is a healthier, better choice than its grain-fed counterparts, there is also a difference in taste. The key here is eating premium grass-fed beef which tastes delicious, in this way we get beef that tastes great and is healthier for us at the same time.

Rich Coffman is a blogger on the front range of Colorado. His favorite source of grass fed beef is Teton Waters Ranch where they raise their cattle on the native grasslands of Idaho next to the Teton Mountains.