The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF), a California-based pro-pesticide, big agriculture group, has gone on the attack. It makes the bizarre charge that Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides has influenced people to eat fewer vegetables.

In fact, conventional produce consumption is flat — but demand for organic fruits and vegetables is booming.

The EWG was shocked when the California Department of Food and Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture handed $180,000 of our taxpayer money to this front group — specifically to counter “claims by activist groups about unsafe levels of pesticides.”

If you think financing attacks on non-profit food safety watchdog groups like EWG is an outrageous way to spend your tax dollars, the USDA needs to hear from you today. Nearly 55,000 EWG supporters have already signed, but the USDA still hasn’t released their data on pesticide residues on produce.

Fill out the form on the petition at http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1906 to add your signature.

(Source: http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1906)

Excerpted from Dr. Mark Cochran’s “The pH System- Special Edition pH Weight Loss System Included” . . .

12 Foods/Substances to Avoid (Education Principle #8):

1. Pork- “The other white meat” is full of colorings, preservatives, nitrates, and salt.  This is a very stimulatory food and is difficult for the body to digest. (FGB Recommendation: There are an amazing amount of tasty, organic alternatives to pork nowadays.  For barbeque, use organic beef instead or pork.  Try Applewood Farms’ frozen turkey sausages for a great alternative to pork sausage.  Learn more about the dangers of pork and check out the sausage by Applewood Farms at http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/tasty-healthy-alternative-to-eating-pork.html)

2. Shellfish- Most of these are bottom feeders.  They consume anything that dies in the ocean and becomes debris, as well as the many toxic chemicals being dumped into waters (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, industrial run-off, petroleum products).  Shrimp may be an exception because they swim and feed on plankton.  (FGB: The Institute of Ecolonomics, http://www.ecolonomics.org/mainsite/?page_id=45, in Loveland, Colorado is currently doing research and development on growing sustainable, indoor, organic commericial shrimp.)

3. Margarine Products- Margarine is a man-made “food.”  New studies now show that margarine can raise your blood cholesterol and increase vascular and cardiac stress.  Peanut butter (commercially made) falls in this category, along with cooking products like Crisco.  Real butter is actually a much better food than margarine. (FGB recommendation: Extra virgin, organic coconut oil often works even better than organic butter for many things.  For example, we prefer coconut oil over butter for our grilled cheese sandwiches.  Visit this link to learn more about coconut oil: http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/coconut-oil-the-forgotten-critical-super-food.html.)

4. Artificial Sweeteners- Nutrasweet/Equal/Aspartame/Splenda, etc., are toxic to your nervous system.  (Also, beware, of Nutrasweet’s new name “AminoSweet”.) In 1988, 80% of complaints the FDA received were due to artificial sweeteners.  Even certain brain tumors can be a side effect. (FGB: Stick with organic stevia, it comes in non-bitter form now.  Or, use raw, organic honey for optimal health.)

5. Junk Foods- Empty-calorie foods that cause your body to “steal” vitamins, minerals, and enzymes from elsewhere in your system in order to digest them.  Soft drinks are very acidic and will make your system very acidic. (FGB: If you must indulge, you can find “healthy junk food” that doesn’t contain dangerous artificial preservatives and junk sweeteners, etc. in health food stores.  Make sure to still read the ingredients carefully though.  Canola oil, a known brain toxin, for example, is in a lot of products, even in health food stores.)

6. Mayonnaise- Is almost all fat and preservatives.  Use organic if you do use mayonnaise. (FGB Recommendation: Use Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise by Follow your Heart.  It’s so delicious and creamy that you’ll never miss the other stuff you used to use.  You can find this in most health food stores.)

7. Caffeine- Is a stimulant.  Just 2 cups per day increases your chance of disease by 50%.  Cut down and then cut it out.  If you drink 10 cups, eliminate 1 cup and drink 9 until your body is used to that and so forth.  This may prevent you from suffering from headaches and other symptoms of withdrawal.  The more outside stimulation your body receives, the less internal regulation and the less energy you have.

8. Chlorine and Fluoride- These lock up alkalizing minerals in the body. (FGB Recommendation: Get a home water purification system, etc. that filters out fluoride and chlorine.  Also, buy fluoride-free toothpaste.)

9. MSG- Very stimulatory, addictive, and allergy producing.  This is an inorganic salt that the body cannot break down.  Be sure to check labels- MSG is in a lot of processed foods! (FGB: If you enjoy eating Chinese food, start frequenting restaurants that advertise being “msg-free” and/or ask for “no msg” in your food.)

10. Calcium- It’s best to get your calcium from the vegetable world, especially from greens.  Sure, milk has a lot of calcium, but it also has a lot of protein and phosphorus which has a negative effect on calcium in the body.  And, studies indicate the people who drink the most milk have the most instances of osteoporosis. (FGB: The best sources of calcium are: Dried herbs, such as dried savory; parmesan cheese; sesame seeds; almonds; flax seed; raw turnip greens; dandelion greens; kale; mustard greens; brazil nuts and herring.  Make sure to buy organic.)

11. Alcohol Products- Alcohol is one of the very few substances that can be absorbed directly into the blood stream from the stomach.  Water is the only other substance.  Drink water instead. (FGB: We recommend alkalizing Vollara water, http://www.myvollara.com/feelgoodbuzz, or Essentia bottled water.)

12. Aluminum- If you are cooking in aluminum pans or foil, the aluminum is absorbing into your food.  Studies indicate that aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.  Aluminum is also in most deodorants. (FGB: It took us a while to find a natural, aluminum-free deoderant combination that actually works!  You can buy this combination separately in health food stores, like Whole Foods: “Roll-On Deoderant” by Herbal Magic and “Papaya Fusion Spray Mist” by Naturally Fresh Deoderant Crystal.)

(To read more about Dr. Mark Cochran’s pH balance system, see our April, 2011 post: http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/how-is-ph-balance-connected-to-healing-healthy-living-and-disease-prevention.html)

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.  ~Vicki Baum

In spite of the success of “Dancing with the Stars, Americans aren’t really known for being dancers.  In fact, many women in the U.S. enjoy dancing, but are hard pressed to find male dancing partners.  Unfortunately, often times, men who dance don’t get a lot of support from their male friends either.  And, if they are able to overcome the flack, learning to lead a woman with confidence and grace on the dance floor is no easy task!  Whether you dance or don’t or enjoy dancing or not, maybe the latest research will inspire you to give it a try.

Got stress or depression?, try Dancing:

• According to a University of Derby study, at the end of nine weeks, depressed patients experienced a significant increase in mood due to an increase in endorphins from the exercise, more forced concentration needed to perform and social interaction.
• A German study discovered that tango dancers had lower stress levels and higher testosterone levels.
• A University of New England study found that tango dancers had lower depression levels similar to the levels of meditators.  (It appears that the extreme focus required in dancing interrupts negative thought patterns which lead to anxiety and depression.)

(Excerpted from http://www.amenclinics.com/blog/4974/%e2%80%9ccome-on-and-dance-with-me%e2%80%9d-how-two-stepping-can-keep-you-healthy-and-happy/)

Other Health Benefits of Dancing:

• Brain health: According to neurofeedback practitioners, as we age, we tend to decline in mental sharpness, lose the harmony between the left and right hemispheres of our brain and put ourselves at greater risk for things like Alzheimer’s Disease simply because we become more specialized in our activities and adopt more repetitive daily routines that don’t challenge the brain as much.  Dancing, however, can do wonders for putting the left and right hemispheres of the brain back into balance.  In fact, a 2003 New York study found that ballroom dancing was the only form of exercise that could match the benefits of doing crossword puzzles for warding off dementia.
• Heart Health: A 2006 study done in Italy found that heart patients who engaged in ballroom dancing got better aerobic exercise than they did with other forms of aerobic exercise like cycling.
• Fitness: A University of Hertfordshire report confirmed that members of the Royal Ballet scored higher in seven out of ten areas of fitness than a squad of national and international British swimmers.
• Aging: A 2010 study from Strathclyde University on older women who were Scottish country dancers reported that they were more fit, stronger and agile that their peers who engaged in exercise such as swimming, walking and fitness classes.
• Social Benefits: You’ll meet more people dancing, than in any other single activity on the face of the planet.  (It’s great for existing couples too, regardless of whether or not they want to meet more people.)

(Excerpted in part from http://www.salsacrazy.com/salsanews/2008/03/10/the-seven-amazing-and-crazy-benefits-to-dance-salsa-dancing-in-particular and Wikipedia.)

Finally, did you know that you don’t even need a partner to experience the benefits of couples dancing?  If you don’t know where to find dancing in your area, we recommend doing some Google searches for things like “partner dancing”, “dancing studios”, “ballroom dancing” or even ”Contra dancing” in your area.  (Most of these places offer low cost lessons of some sort and often get single dancers who come without a partner, so no there really is no excuse not to give it a try!)

In case you need more incentive to make the switch to eating whole grains, research now shows that eating whole grains reduces body fat! . . .

Here’s a great reason to switch completely from refined flour products to whole grains: In a new study by the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University, adults who ate three servings of whole grains a day while also eating less than one serving a day of commercially enriched flour products had less of a type of fat tissue that is thought to play a key role in triggering diseases.  The fat is known as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, which surrounds internal organs.

The researchers examined 2,834 participants, ages 32 to 83, and VAT volume was approximately 10 percent lower in the healthy eating group.  However, lead study author Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., explains that, “Whole grain consumption did not appear to improve VAT volume if refined grain intake exceeded four or more servings per day.  This result infers that it is important to make substitutions in the diet, rather than simply adding whole grain foods.  (For example, choosing to cook with brown rice instead of white, or making a sandwich with whole grain bread instead of white bread.)”

(Source: May, 2011 issue of Denver/Boulder Mile High Natural Awakenings Magazine)

More on Whole Grains:

Whole grain flours are made from the whole kernels of grains – both the inside part of the grain and the outer covering called the husk. (Refined white flours are made from wheat that has had the husk removed; this gives a lighter texture and taste to baked goods but removes a some of the nutrition and fiber. Most flour is enriched with some vitamins and minerals, but doesn’t have the fiber of whole wheat or other whole grain flours.)

When grocery shopping and reading labels, look for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” without any regular refined flour (flour or wheat flour that doesn’t have 100% whole grain right in front of it). And double check the claims on the front of the package. Some food manufacturers state “made with whole grains” but contain a lot of refined flour, or state the product has a specific number of grams of whole grain rather than grams of fiber, which is what you’re looking for.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Whole grains are rich in fiber, which may help with weight management and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and constipation.
• Eating grains fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development.

Nutrient Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
• Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber; most refined (processed) grains contain little fiber.
• B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate) play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system.
• Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
• Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia.
• Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.

What are the Best Whole Grains to Eat?:

Since you’re trying to do the best thing for your body by eating whole grains anyway, why not do one even better and choose alkalizing whole grains (that also happen to be mostly gluten-free)?  Alkaline whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, kamut (not gluten-free), millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats, spelt (not gluten-free) and wild rice. (You’re eating whole grains when you eat oatmeal, popcorn and buckwheat pancakes.)

You can even “kick it up a notch” further by selecting (alkalizing) sprouted whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats and wild rice grains and breads! (For more info. on sprouted foods, see our FGB post: http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html).

(Excerpted in part from: http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/whole_grains.htm)

Alkaline Diet Refresher:

For more on the importance of alkalizing foods and acid/alkaline (pH) balance, please see our previous FGB posts (http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/how-is-ph-balance-connected-to-healing-healthy-living-and-disease-prevention.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-magic-of-alkaline-water-for-amazing-health-and-healing.html). Basically, all foods that we digest release an alkaline ash (bicarbonate) or an acid ash into blood and tissues of the body depending on the mineral compounds that the foods contain.

Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, in “Green Leaves of Barley” commented that acidosis destroys bones, and to keep the blood ph level (7.35 – 7.45) out of the acid range (ph below 7.0), the body has the tendency to steal alkalizing minerals from them. Research has confirmed that unless our body is slightly alkaline, healing from various acidosis would not be possible. Thus, our body must buffer the acid and borrow the minerals we can get from alkaline foods.

As the body tries to restore equilibrium, maintaining the correct acidity-alkalinity balance in the blood is important to achieve wholesome wellness. As the consequence of an acidic diet, the body’s ability to absorb enough nutrients and minerals decreases and makes us more susceptible to various types of diseases. Therefore, proponents and other nutritionists are suggesting an alkaline diet for its wide-ranging health claims.

(Excerpted from http://thealkalinefoods.com.)

Stay tuned for future FGB posts about gluten-free grains, grain allergies, the great debate about whether or not we even need grains at all and more!

We could all use a good therapist now and then.  Unfortunately, therapy costs can be prohibitive for many people. Luckily, there are books like “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and it’s all small stuff” by Richard Carlson, PH.D.

According to Carlson, in this book, he shares “very specific strategies– things you can start doing today– that will help you respond to life more gracefully.  The strategies you are going to read about are the ones that have proven themselves to be the most successful by clients and readers of mine over the years. They also represent the way I like to approach my own life: the path of least resistance.  Each strategy is simple, yet powerful, and will act as a navigational guide to point you in the direction of greater perspective and more relaxed living.  You’ll find that many of the strategies will apply not only to isolated events but to many of life’s most difficult challenges.

When you “don’t sweat the small stuff,” your life won’t be perfect, but you will learn to accept what life has to offer with far less resistance.  As we learn in the Zen philosophy, when you learn to “let go” of problems instead of resisting with all your might, your life will begin to flow.  You will, as the serenity prayer suggests, ‘Change the things that can be changed, accept those that cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference.’  I’m confident that if you give these strategies a try, you will learn the two rules of harmony.  #1) Don’t sweat the small stuff, and #2) It’s all small stuff.  As you incorporate these ideas into your life you will begin to create a more peaceful and loving you.”

Here are some of the topics in Carlson’s book:

• Don’t sweat the small stuff
• Make peace with imperfection
• Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people can’t be superachievers
• Be aware of the snowball effect of your thinking
• Develop your compassion
• Remind yourself that when you die, your “in basket” won’t be empty
• Don’t interrupt others or finish their sentences
• Do something nice for someone else– and don’t tell anyone about it
• Let others have the glory
• Lower your tolerance to stress
• Seek first to understand
• See the innocence
• Understand the statement, “Wherever you go, there you are”
• Lighten up
• Cut yourself some slack
• Look for the extraordinary in the ordinary

If you really want to get something big out of this book and become a more relaxed, gentle, fun person, we suggest making a book group out of it! (For tips on starting a book group, contact us at Feel Good Buzz: feelgoodbuzz@gmail.com)