Ok, it’s time to get active and also activate your networks – we need to let the government know how important it is that GE foods are labelled properly. Many governments in Europe have either banned GE or implemented mandatory labelling already. The only way to completely avoid GE foods is to eat organic.We all have a right to know what we’re eating. That’s why over 30,000 people signed the ‘Our Right to Know’ petition calling on the government to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. On October 23, the federal government finally announced it would review food labelling laws in Australia and promised to take GE ingredients into consideration. We’ve managed to get the government to listen to our concerns about GE food. But will it act? We now have an important chance to make sure it does.The review has only allowed a four-week period for public submissions, which closes this Friday, November 20. Take action now by emailing a quick submission to FoodLabellingReview@health.gov.au and copy in the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Mark Butler: mark.butler.mp@aph.gov.au. Your submission doesn’t have to be long; it can be a few lines on your personal feelings on GE food and why you want it labelled.You can also help increase the pressure on the government to label GE food asking your friends and family to make a quick submission to the review.Read more about it here. Make sure you watch this fabulous video on organics, makes me warm and fuzzy! Store Wars
Broccoli Sprouts – A Superfood That I Love!
I go to the organic markets each Saturday and buy fresh 3 day old broccoli sprouts I love adding them to my salads and their taste is absolutely delicious. I am always hearing about the latest “super food” that cures everything from insomnia to cancer. The vast amount of research that I have read on broccoli sprouts is very compelling – I am convinced that the high levels of sulphoraphane are incredibly beneficial. So, go ahead and start adding this incredibly therapeutic food to your diet. This is the epitome of “food as medicine!” A new study suggests an easy way to reduce the risk of a bacteria associated with stomach cancer: eat broccoli sprouts. In a study conducted among 48 men and women from Japan, Johns Hopkins investigators found those who ate 70 grams of fresh broccoli sprouts a day significantly reduced the H. pylori in their stomachs.All of the participants tested positive for the bacteria. The researchers then randomized them to either 70 grams of broccoli sprouts per day or a similar amount of alfalfa sprouts. The subjects were retested for H. pylori at four and eight weeks. By the final follow up, the broccoli sprouts had done the trick. People who ate the alfalfa sprouts showed no change in the degree of infection.This study supports the emerging evidence that broccoli sprouts may be able to prevent cancer in humans, not just in lab animals, study author Jed Fahey, Sc.D., was quoted as saying. Broccoli sprouts are rich in Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring phytochemical that enhances the cancer-protective capacity of animal cells. According to studies by Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, sulforaphane […]
Emma’s Fast Food Dinner
Tonight I came home after a 12 hour day and then a 2 hour drive home (dont ask!) to flop on the couch and wonder what was for dinner. I really couldn’t be bothered cooking and I hadn’t organised anything in advance – a cup of tea was looking like a great option. Then I remembered my version of “Fast Food” and started to get hungry. So, I dragged my tired butt into the kitchen and made my trusty emergency dish.It is fast (10 minutes), cheap and very nutritious. So keep this one handy for when you are tired, uninspired and don’t want to eat the processed options.Ok, all you need is the following ingredients and don’t forget to use your improvisation skills!1 teaspoon of White miso paste2 tablespoons ArameFresh GingerOld vegetables in the bottom of the fridgeFrozen yellow fin tuna or salmon fillet – cut into small cubes, be careful not to cut your fingersFirst of all, put the kettle on and pour boiling water over the Arame – soak for 2 minutes. Add the miso paste to 2 cups of boiling water in a saucepan. Add ginger, the strained Arame and the firmer vegetables such as corn, carrots, potato, pumpkin or parsnip etc. Cook for 2 minutes. Add all other vegetables and the fish. Cook for 3 minutes.Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs if you have them. Voila, a highly nutritious dinner served in 10 minutes. All you need to do is ensure that you have miso paste and Arame in the pantry and some frozen fish in the freezer! You can try variants such as adding garlic, chilli, Dulse flakes, tofu or edamame beans.So, post […]
Skin Doona – Amazing Skincare line!
I have been sampling the Skin Doona range over the last week and have fallen in love with their creams. This skin care range is handmade, completely natural, full of love and extrememly high in active ingredients. The brains behind the brand, are gorgeous Jess Allen and Julie Christie. I met Jess 3 years ago in Tasmania when we both completed a manufacturing course at Pindari herb farm. Jess is a Herbalist and she showed alchemic abilities in Tasmania. I am so happy to see that her talents have hit the mainstream with the launch of Skin Doona.All my skincare is natural and organic – our skin easily absorbs chemicals and if you haven’t yet heard of sodium lauryl sulphate and its link to cancer you must have been hiding behind a rock! So, wherever possible, reduce your toxic load and keep your cosmetics and toiletries as natural as possible. Check out Cosmetics Database for all the inside information on your products.And, put your order in for beautiful Skin Doona products at their website. Let me know your favorite one – mine is the Silk Night Cream! Once again, I am passionate about supporting local, natural and sustainable products so let me know what you think of these.Emmaxxx
Acupuncture May Help Relieve Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Acupuncture and exercise may help women better handle the symptoms and risks that come with hormone imbalances caused by certain ovarian cysts, Swedish researchers report. I refer patients to an acupuncturist for many fertility issues and see wonderful results with this supportive therapy.About one in 10 women of reproductive age have polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition that can start in the teen years and cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. Small immature cysts on the ovaries disrupt hormone production, causing excessive secretion of testosterone, the male sex hormone. In addition to infertility, it can increase a woman’s odds of becoming obese and developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the study authors explained.While the syndrome’s cause remains mysterious, researchers believe it is linked to a highly active sympathetic nervous system, part of the body’s internal controls that regulate several functions one cannot willingly manage, such as how wide one’s pupils dilate.In the study, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome were separated into three groups: one group received regular electro-acupuncture, in which weak electric current is sent through the needles; another group was given heart-rate monitors and told to exercise three or more times per week; the last group was given no additional treatment or instructions. After a four-month period, women in the acupuncture and exercise groups ended up with lower sympathetic nervous system activity, though the acupuncture group received additional benefits, the researchers found.”Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation, since elevated testosterone levels are closely connected with the increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system of women,” study author Elisabet […]
Walnut-rich Diet Boosts Diabetic Heart Health
Daily consumption of walnuts, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, may improve the health of blood vessels, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease, says a new study from Yale. Supplementing the diet of middle aged diabetics with 56 grams of walnuts led to significant improvements in the function of the blood vessel lining (endothelium), and there was also a trend towards improved cholesterol levels, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.The study adds to a growing body of science supporting the health benefits, and the heart benefits in particular, of increased consumption of nuts. Previous studies have reported benefits for almonds, macadamia, and pistachios.Indeed, a recent study funded by the California Walnut Commission found that the fatty acids present in walnuts and fish oil may work in different ways to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. According to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 2009, Vol. 89, pp. 1657S-1663S), a diet supplemented with walnuts led to reductions in cholesterol levels, while a fish diet led to reductions in blood levels of triglycerides.For the new study, David Katz and his co-workers from the Yale University School of Medicine recruited 24 type-2 diabetics with an average age of 5, and randomly assigned them to a diet with or without 56 grams of walnuts for eight weeks.At the end of the intervention period, blood flow was measured using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and found to have “significantly improved” by 2.2 per cent in the walnut group, compared to 1.2 per cent in the non-supplemented group.Furthermore, blood sugar levels, and total cholesterol levels were also decreased from baseline values. However, these values did not reach significance compared to the non-walnut eating group. […]
My Favorite Superfood – Edible Sea Vegetables
My Favorite Superfood – Edible Sea Vegetables Many different cultures with well developed traditions, intuitively incorporated sea vegetables into their diets for their unique nutritional and medicinal properties. The regular use of these sea vegetables adds an extra dimension to flavor but they are also a powerhouse of nutritional energy.Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.Wakame – grows in temperate waters and is raked from the ocean floor, graded and sun dired. Wakame strips need to be soaked for approximately 10 minutes and then cut into pieces. Remember that Wakame will expand up to 7 times its size! This is the type of sea vegetable that you will find in your miso soup.Arame – is hand selected and pre cooked for 7 hours to tenderize. Most are cut into thin strips and just needs to be boiled to 5 minutes before use. Arame has a mild taste so start with this one.Kombu – is dark sea kelp that is being raked from the ocean floor and sun dried. Rinse it well and soak for 10 minutes. Kombu is great to use as a stock and invaluable for reducing the gas causing side effect of beans. Just add a strip of Kombu when cooking […]
The True Food Guide 2010 is Out Now!
I am an absolute fan of the True Food Network and wait for their guide with baited breath. They save us all the work of trying to determine what foods are GE(genetically enginered)free. So, with my trusty little guide in my hot little hand, I have been able to negotiate my shopping with ease!Australia currently has limited labelling laws for GE foods. That’s where the Truefood Guide comes in handy. The Guide rates food brands and products as Green (GE-free) and Red (may contain GE ingredients).You can browse or search for brands on the right-hand side. The Guide is also available for download or you can order a convenient wallet-sized hard copy.Buy Green – Companies and supermarkets listed as green have implemented policies and procedures throughout their supply chain to actively avoid ingredients derived from GE crops.Avoid Red – The companies and supermarkets listed in the red section of the guide may have products that contain ingredients derived form GE cropsRemember, the only way to safely avoid GE foods is to eat organic. We have yet to see any long term research on the effects of GE foods so until I am convinced that GE foods are safe, then I will be choosing to eat organic food. With love and awareness, Emma xxxPS This video is absolutely fabulous – you will actually LOL!
Maternal Folic acid & Iron linked to better baby survival
Taking folic acid and iron supplements during pregnancy may reduce infant mortality up to age 7, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Supplements of iron and folic acid reduced infant mortality by 31 per cent, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Furthermore, the supplements reduced the prevalence of low birth weight by 16 per cent and the prevalence of maternal anaemia during pregnancy and after the birth period by 50 per cent. “To our knowledge this is the first time the long-term effects of maternal iron-folic acid supplementation on childhood survival have been examined,” said lead researcher Parul Christian. “
“A reduction in mortality resulting from an intervention, such as iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, provides a new and previously unreported evidence of benefit to offspring during childhood,” added Christian.
There is a policy, but it isn’t working. About 40 per cent of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to be anaemic. Despite the existence of an international policy for antenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, women in many developing countries fail to receive the necessary micronutrients, say the researchers.
Almost 5,000 pregnant women in rural Nepal were recruited to take part in the randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Women were divided into five groups: One group received folic acid only, the second group received folic acid plus iron, the third received folic acid plus iron plus zinc, the fourth received multiple micronutrients, and the final group received vitamin A and acted as the control group.
Out of the 4,130 babies born alive, 209 died in the first 3 months and 8 were lost to follow-up. Of the 3,761 remaining, the researchers report that 150 died between the ages of 3 months […]
Maternal Folic acid&Iron linked to better baby survival
Taking folic acid and iron supplements during pregnancy may reduce infant mortality up to age 7, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Supplements of iron and folic acid reduced infant mortality by 31 per cent, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.Furthermore, the supplements reduced the prevalence of low birth weight by 16 per cent and the prevalence of maternal anaemia during pregnancy and after the birth period by 50 per cent. “To our knowledge this is the first time the long-term effects of maternal iron-folic acid supplementation on childhood survival have been examined,” said lead researcher Parul Christian. ““A reduction in mortality resulting from an intervention, such as iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, provides a new and previously unreported evidence of benefit to offspring during childhood,” added Christian.There is a policy, but it isn’t working. About 40 per cent of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to be anaemic. Despite the existence of an international policy for antenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, women in many developing countries fail to receive the necessary micronutrients, say the researchers.Almost 5,000 pregnant women in rural Nepal were recruited to take part in the randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Women were divided into five groups: One group received folic acid only, the second group received folic acid plus iron, the third received folic acid plus iron plus zinc, the fourth received multiple micronutrients, and the final group received vitamin A and acted as the control group.Out of the 4,130 babies born alive, 209 died in the first 3 months and 8 were lost to follow-up. Of the 3,761 remaining, the researchers report that 150 died between the ages of 3 months […]
