Eating a byproduct of gasoline in non-organic soy products

Soy protein isolate

To make soy protein isolate, the soybeans are put into a tub of hexane, a petroleum solvent similar to gasoline.  

Hexane is used because it is a cheap way to separate the oil from protein in soybeans. 

Soy protein isolate is found in non-organic soy oil and soy protein ingredients.  For example, it is found in non-organic veggie burgers, meat alternatives, protein powder, and nutrition bars.

It is NOT in organic foods.

Chemical hexane has been classified as a neurotoxin by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Fish Facts

1. Fishing has wiped out 90% of large fish, including swordfish, cod, marlin, and sharks.

2.       40% of Chilean Sea Bass is caught illegally

3.       These fish species are overfished:  red snapper, skate, halibut, monkfish, and bluefish tuna.

4.       ¾ of shrimp come from Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and China.  In these countries, the shrimp are given antibiotics and pesticides.

5.       Avoid long-lived predator fish (sharks, swordfish, Chilean sea bass, tuna) which tend to have the highest levels of mercury

6.       If the fish has lived a long life, it is full of mercury.   

Avoid these:  shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.

7.       If the fish has lived a short life, it is lower in mercury.  Enjoy these:   canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

8.       Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna.

9.       Shrimp lovers put your senses to the test. 

10.   If the shrimp tastes soapy or very salty, it may have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP).  STPP prevents drying and is poisonous to our nerves.

11.   If the shrimp tastes grainy, it may have been treated with caustic borax.  Caustic borax is used to prevent discoloration.

12.   If the flesh looks yellow, then the shrimp started to go bad before it was frozen

13.   If the shrimp smells like ammonia, it already has started to rot.

14.   If fish smells, it’s not fresh. 

15.   If the shrimp smells like seawater, it’s safe!

16.   From other countries, avoid farmed shrimp, tuna, salmon, and other fish that are fattened with other fish, they tend to have higher levels of dioxins and other pollutants.

17.   Favor tilapia, carp, catfish, and other species that are fed vegetables, rather than animal protein.

18.   In North America and Europe, opt for domestically farmed seafood.  Standards on additives, water quality, and environmental impact tend to be higher.

19.   Look for Marine Stewardship Council logo (MSC-certified seal).

20.   Look for the color-coded rating system for fish.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch developed a system to label seafood:  green Best Choice, yellow Good Alternative and red Avoid.    See chart on the next page.

21.   It’s best to buy fish that are labeled "wild fish" or “wild caught”. 

The Chicken on a Healthy Farm

Facts about the Chicken

• Heart Beat is 280-315 beats per minute
• The color of the shell has no relevance to nutritional value
• Lay 1-2 eggs per day
• Diet affects yolk color
• Pale yolk----lives in crowded conditions, lacks good diet
• Darker yellow yolk---eats great diet
• A fresh egg will keep for 5-6 weeks in a cool, dark place

Changing the Way We Eat

This series on Tedx Manhattan is so interesting...check it out.

http://www.tedxmanhattan.org/webcast-session-1
http://www.tedxmanhattan.org/webcast-session-2
http://www.tedxmanhattan.org/webcast-session-3

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2049255,00.html?artId=2049255?contType=article?chn=sciHealth

http://tedxmanhattan.org/

TEDxManhattan Webcast still online!

Chicago Dinning Guide

http://www.environmentalnutritionsolutions.com/Dining_Guides_files/Chicago%20Good%20Food%20Dining%20Guide.Sept2008.pdf

Plug In

Cell phones, cellular changes, and cancer.

A cell phone review:

• Cell phones emit radio waves, which is a form of radiation.
• In 2005, 208 million people used cell phones.  
• A cell phone's main source of radio waves is through it's antenna.  Sometimes the antenna is in the handset, which is held against your head while on the phone.  The closer the antenna is to the head, the greater exposure to radio waves or radiation.  
• Your level of exposure depends on: 
• how long the call lasts
• the amount of cell phone traffic at that time
• how close or far you are from a cellular base
• quality of cellular transmission
• size of the handset
• how far the antenna is extended
• if a hands-free devise is used
• Cell phones and Cancer
• Some studies show no link
• "a Swedish study that examined similar populations and found a slightly elevated risk of acoustic neuroma in long-term cell phone users but not in short-term users"
• Until the research is finalized....protect yourself
  
  
  Decrease your Exposure...
  
  Take these simple step
  
  
  1.  Use the cell phone for short conversations
  2.  When a land line is available, use it.
  3.  Use a hands-free device
  4.  Do not put the cell phone on a belt or in a pocket
  
  

Sources:  National Cancer Institute and President's Cancer Panel

Afternoon Snacks

I'm compiling a list of afternoon snacks.  What are some of your favorite snacks?
This is what I have so far:

Mid-afternoon Snacks

1.       Banana + peanut butter + sliced almonds

2.      Trail mix

3.      Banana chips

4.      Hummus + pita bread or pita chips

5.      Fruit salad

6.      Treat (brownie, chocolate chip cookie, dark chocolate, etc.)

7.      Wasa cracker + hummus + veggies

8.      Almonds

9.      Dried fruit

10.  Dark chocolate

Culinary Mindfulness

From NPR's health blog:

A Psychoanalyst Calls For Eating With 'Culinary Mindfulness'

by Eliza Barclay

We've heard it before: most Americans have a pretty big problem with food.
We eat too much of it, and a lot of the stuff we eat is junk. It's everywhere we turn, tempting and distracting us. Our overindulgence is even altering our brains.
But Todd Essig, a psychoanalyst at the William Alanson White Institute and a psychiatry professor at New York Medical College, has found a positive spin on what food can do for mental health.
  In an article published this week on a Psychology Today blog, Essig makes the case that local food, eaten mindfully, can fundamentally improve your life.
Our tendencies to overeat, and eat junk food "deprive ourselves and our intimates of the many psychological satisfactions and pleasures that can come from eating sustainably," Essig writes.
What we need to do, he says, is "derive as much meaningful gratification as possible from our calories (which is not to be confused with consuming as much food as possible)." And local food seems one path to that kind of feel-good experience.

The case for local food is familiar: it's fresh and seasonal, it supports the local economy, it burns fewer fossil fuels in transportation, and it's more likely to be organic or pesticide-free.

Even Wal-Mart is looking to get in on the action, with its push in 2008 to buy more local food, and its most recent promise to stock more fresh fruits and veggies.
But now Essig is giving us another reason: buying food from local farmers and producers (presumably at a farmer's market) is a way to socialize and make connections. It's also a lovely sensual experience — a place to soak up rich colors, smells and tastes of fresh food.
And the social aspect of eating well is perhaps the most likely way to get psychological benefits from food, Essig suggests.

We know that feeling loved and having a 'good feed' have gone together since infancy. And today, even in the midst of our modern hustle-and-bustle, the intimacy families and friends (and even strangers) can find at the table can provide life with deep warmth and profound pleasure.

Of course, being a locavore is easier said than done. In the depths of winter of the northern latitudes, for example, it's hard to stock a fridge with many local foods beyond root vegetables and hothouse herbs. And we at Shots are loathe to admit that we often scarf our lunches in front of the computer, which doesn't evoke much warmth or pleasure.
But Essig's call for "culinary mindfulness" is one possible guiding tonic to Americans' fraught relationship with food these days.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/26/133243471/a-psychoanalyst-calls-for-eating-with-culinary-mindfulness?sc=emaf

Lavender

Lavender-

calming, increases overall health and mood

How to use lavender?

Potatoes with lavender

10 red potatoes or 2 large potatoes
1 whole garlic
2 TBSP of lavender
salt, ground pepper
4 TBSP olive or vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potatoes and slice into lengthwise wedges.
Dice the garlic.
Mix all the potatoes, lavender, and garlic with olive oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes. 
Roast for 45 minutes stirring 1/2 way through. 

Lavender Lemonade:

1 quart lemonade
1 TBSP dried lavender
1 cup of boiling water
thin lemon slices
Pour the boiling water over the lavender and let steep for about 20 minutes.  Strain and add to the iced cold lemonade.  Garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of lavender.