The swine flu (H1N1) remains a hot topic in the news although lately the focus is not so much the flu itself, but rather the swine flu vaccine or more accurately the hesitation of parents to have their kids vaccinated.
I for one am happy to hear parents are very leery about the safety of this vaccine despite what the government is saying. I am not a believer in vaccinations period and I'm sure others feel the same way, but this mass reluctance to simply obey the government because "they know best and would never put you or your family's health at risk" is about something different.
This is about something different though, this is bigger than the vaccine or any vaccine for that matter.
This is about a countries distrust in its government when it comes actively taking a role in the health and wellness of its people.
This is about a country whose government has failed time and time again as it tries to regulate and oversee a poorly run food industry, leading to contaminated food in the stores and on your dinner table and you in the emergency room.
This is about a country whose drug suppliers (the major pharmaceutical companies) seem to have way to much political power and influence.
This is about a countries "Microsoft" approach to approving the sale of prescription drugs as if it was the next sub-par full-of-holes operating system; get it out there safe or not and deal with the consequences (in reality casualties) as they come.
This is about a country whose people are finally saying we don't feel our government has our best interest at heart when it comes to our health and that of our families.
I think this skepticism is a long time coming and necessary things are ever going to change.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Healthy Holidays
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time to start planning that healthy organic feast.
Even if you're not hosting this year you're most likely a guest of someone who is, and that usually means you're bringing something along. Assuming you're not taking the easy way out with that go-to bottle of cheap wine and store bought pumpkin pie, then this is your chance to shock everyone with something homemade tasty and healthy all wrapped into one.
So if it's a side dish you managed to volunteer for then how about homemade ORGANIC mashed potatoes, or homemade ORGANIC butternut squash, or even homemade ORGANIC cranberry sauce. All of these are a Thanksgiving must-haves and any one of them would truly win over even the pickiest of eaters.
Maybe it's a dessert you were able to reserve, why not make that homemade pumpkin pie an ORGANIC one... or those oatmeal raisin cookies for that matter.
Even if all you were trusted with was a lowly bottle of wine, why not make it a bottle of ORGANIC wine.
Trust me, especially on a day when health is usually the last thing on someone's mind, be the one who stands out in the crowd and goes that extra mile. Whatever you make will surely be a hit and when people start complementing you, you can say "And it was ORGANIC".
Even if you're not hosting this year you're most likely a guest of someone who is, and that usually means you're bringing something along. Assuming you're not taking the easy way out with that go-to bottle of cheap wine and store bought pumpkin pie, then this is your chance to shock everyone with something homemade tasty and healthy all wrapped into one.
So if it's a side dish you managed to volunteer for then how about homemade ORGANIC mashed potatoes, or homemade ORGANIC butternut squash, or even homemade ORGANIC cranberry sauce. All of these are a Thanksgiving must-haves and any one of them would truly win over even the pickiest of eaters.
Maybe it's a dessert you were able to reserve, why not make that homemade pumpkin pie an ORGANIC one... or those oatmeal raisin cookies for that matter.
Even if all you were trusted with was a lowly bottle of wine, why not make it a bottle of ORGANIC wine.
Trust me, especially on a day when health is usually the last thing on someone's mind, be the one who stands out in the crowd and goes that extra mile. Whatever you make will surely be a hit and when people start complementing you, you can say "And it was ORGANIC".
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Simply a Better Bird
My wife and I had a "pre-Thanksgiving" Thanksgiving dinner-for-two last night with a 3.5lb bird (chicken not turkey) that we bought from a local Organic Free-Grazing Farm.
Hands down it was the best bird we had ever had!
Now I don't want to give all the credit away because bragging aside I think my wife and I are pretty darn good cooks, but the bird has to get most of the credit here. It's one thing when you're talking about some fancy creative chicken dish that one of us whipped together, but when you're simply talking about a few fresh seasonings (onion, garlic, paprika...) a bird, and a Crockpot well let's just say it's all about the bird.
Are they more expensive than what you buy in the store?
Yes, but there's really no comparison so why shouldn't they be. It's not simply the quality "taste wise" although for some I'm sure that would be enough, but the truth is you're paying for a much healthier happier (yes happier) bird. These birds spend their days grazing the fields eating all that nature intended them to, as opposed to being fed grain and never stepping foot on grass. That means an omega-3 rich and toxin/pesticide/herbicide/drug free diet and a stress free life.
And since you are what you eat, literally...
Of course there's always the "other of chickens"; birds crammed together in some building, beaks clipped, fed diets consisting of corn and other grains (high in omega-6) that were probably sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals prior to harvesting, not to mention the colorful assortment drugs they're probably given to keep them healthy up until slaughter. Even if you're buying an advertised organic free-grazed bird at your local grocery store remember this, to be given the label "free-grazed" the animal only needs access to grass, they never actually have to step foot on it.
So if you want the real deal, go to the source and see for yourself.
Hands down it was the best bird we had ever had!
Now I don't want to give all the credit away because bragging aside I think my wife and I are pretty darn good cooks, but the bird has to get most of the credit here. It's one thing when you're talking about some fancy creative chicken dish that one of us whipped together, but when you're simply talking about a few fresh seasonings (onion, garlic, paprika...) a bird, and a Crockpot well let's just say it's all about the bird.
Are they more expensive than what you buy in the store?
Yes, but there's really no comparison so why shouldn't they be. It's not simply the quality "taste wise" although for some I'm sure that would be enough, but the truth is you're paying for a much healthier happier (yes happier) bird. These birds spend their days grazing the fields eating all that nature intended them to, as opposed to being fed grain and never stepping foot on grass. That means an omega-3 rich and toxin/pesticide/herbicide/drug free diet and a stress free life.
And since you are what you eat, literally...
Of course there's always the "other of chickens"; birds crammed together in some building, beaks clipped, fed diets consisting of corn and other grains (high in omega-6) that were probably sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals prior to harvesting, not to mention the colorful assortment drugs they're probably given to keep them healthy up until slaughter. Even if you're buying an advertised organic free-grazed bird at your local grocery store remember this, to be given the label "free-grazed" the animal only needs access to grass, they never actually have to step foot on it.
So if you want the real deal, go to the source and see for yourself.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Local Organic Farmers
I've written about this topic numerous times, but truthfully I feel it can't be written about enough. I feel very strongly about supporting Local Organic Farmers for many reasons, and I believe at least one of them can appeal to just about everyone.
Maybe it appeals to the "save and preserve mother earth" type, since true organic farming, free of chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides, is the only true way to reap the bounty of the land while giving back and at the same time never harming the environment.
Or maybe it appeals to the animal rights activist in you, since organic free grazed animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs...) are often animal welfare certified. This means that the animal being farmed is given the best possible life for as long as it's on this planet. Sure you can argue that the animal is still eventually being slaughtered, but I would argue that these animals are "farm" animals. In other words, in this ever growing urban sprawling land in which we live in, if there were no farms then most if not all these animals would probably cease to exist. So if the choice is feed lots overcrowded with cows standing in their own feces, or chickens packed together so tightly they actually have to have their beaks removed so they don't peck and harm the other chickens around them strictly out of boredom, or the pigs packed together so tightly they have to have their tails clipped for the same reason, and none of these animals ever stepping foot on grass... if the choice is between this or organic free grazed animal welfare certified local farms, well it's really a no brainer.
Or maybe this topic appeals to the "pro-community" side of you, encouraging and even supporting businesses in your area.
And even if none of these reasons appeal to you then maybe for selfish reasons alone you realize the importance of organic farming and free grazed animals to YOUR HEALTH!
Support this for your own reasons, but support it none the less.
Maybe it appeals to the "save and preserve mother earth" type, since true organic farming, free of chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides, is the only true way to reap the bounty of the land while giving back and at the same time never harming the environment.
Or maybe it appeals to the animal rights activist in you, since organic free grazed animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs...) are often animal welfare certified. This means that the animal being farmed is given the best possible life for as long as it's on this planet. Sure you can argue that the animal is still eventually being slaughtered, but I would argue that these animals are "farm" animals. In other words, in this ever growing urban sprawling land in which we live in, if there were no farms then most if not all these animals would probably cease to exist. So if the choice is feed lots overcrowded with cows standing in their own feces, or chickens packed together so tightly they actually have to have their beaks removed so they don't peck and harm the other chickens around them strictly out of boredom, or the pigs packed together so tightly they have to have their tails clipped for the same reason, and none of these animals ever stepping foot on grass... if the choice is between this or organic free grazed animal welfare certified local farms, well it's really a no brainer.
Or maybe this topic appeals to the "pro-community" side of you, encouraging and even supporting businesses in your area.
And even if none of these reasons appeal to you then maybe for selfish reasons alone you realize the importance of organic farming and free grazed animals to YOUR HEALTH!
Support this for your own reasons, but support it none the less.
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