Category: Food

Fee Writes

Milk Companies Are Just Getting Desperate

In the last post Messing with DNA, I talked about cows being messed about with in order to drop their temperature. Well, it appears that the poor cow is going to be subjected to more tampering.

This time it’s about the milk and I really don’t know quite where to start. There are so many dairy products out there, that I’m just glad I don’t have it because I wouldn’t know where to begin choosing which milk would be right for me.

However, I recently learned about a new product that’s been launched that has me shaking my head with scepticism…. which meant, I felt the need to blog.

Currently, there has been quite a dramatic drop in the consumer purchase of dairy which is effectively creating a downturn in the dairy industry. This appears to be happening worldwide.

So dairy companies are trying to come up with ways to increase market share and this latest thing just cracked me up!
“Sleep-boosting dark milk” coming from a New Zealand company. Something that’s not too new as scientists in Finland have been working on this and it’s also now available in Britain.

It appears that if you milk the cows after sunset and before sunrise, the milk produces a higher level of the hormone melatonin which is known to help regulate sleep.
Oh, the shed has to be dark as well.

This melatonin found in the milk after dark can be upwards of 10 times higher than that found in day time milk.

So let’s see. Our choice of different kinds of milk here in New Zealand are:

Fat-free
Added calcium
Added protein
Lactose-free
Help you to sleep
Organic
Full cream

That covers a vast array of consumers, doesn’t it?

My feeling is that milk is no longer “straight from the cow”. It is bastardised until it’s pretty much unrecognisable, all for the health of the consumers … well, that’s what they want you to think. What I think is that it’s all for the profit.

And, one last thing ….. what about the poor cows having to be milked in the dark? Spare a thought for them!

Fee Writes

Food | Laugh! | Random | WTF

New Label for Foodies – Pegan

Funniest thing I’ve heard in awhile.

So any ideas what a Pegan might be? To give you a clue, other labels can include Pescetarian – those who only eat fish and no other animal – or Fruitarians who eat only raw fruit and seeds.

So a new label has come into being originating from Dr. Mark Hyman and it’s the joining of Paleo and Vegan diets.

Whoa! Didn’t think you’d be able to join those two together as I thought that Paleo needed meat, but apparently not. Go figure!

Vegan and Paleo are very similar as both focus on real, whole, fresh food that is sustainably raised.

Both shun dairy.
Paleos do not eat legumes or grains – Vegans do.
Paleos do eat meat – Vegans don’t.

However, Dr Hyman suggests that for the grains, stick to small portions of low glycemic grains like black rice or quinoa.
Beans are great, but again, stick to small amounts – about 1 cup a day is ample – (more than I’d eat.)

Although he’s not against eating sustainably raised, clean meat, whereas vegans won’t touch it, he does concede that meat does put pressure on the planet, which it does.

He goes on to to say eggs no longer have the impact on cholesterol as once thought, so they’re fine. Again a no no for the Vegans and I will debate that about the cholesterol!!!

Then he adds that fish, even though you should worry about the mercury that is now abounding through all fish, eat fat rich fish such as sardines or wild salmon to get omega 3. He fails to tell you that for omega 3 you can get eat flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seed, mustard oil, seaweed, beans (mungo beans the best) and the list goes on.

Just as an aside: Wild rice should be a staple for all vegetarians and vegans. One cup cooked delivers lots of iron, protein, fiber, magnesium, zinc, and manganese. You’ll also get 156mg Omega 3 while only taking in 195mg of Omega 6.

Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Back to Dr Hyman.

He says

“…Looking at the research it is easy to get confused. Vegan diet studies show they help with weight loss, reverse diabetes and lower cholesterol. Paleo diets seem to do the same thing….”

From what I can glean from his ideas, he’s saying that a vegan diet is fabulous, but if you don’t want to go vegan then a little bit of Paleo added to it works too = Pegan.

All the above has been written from a dietary point of view only …. being vegan encompasses more than just diet and, even if you go vegan for health reasons, you’ll soon discover just how much the animals and planet are benefiting from your choice.

Personally I will stick with being vegan.

Fee Writes

Environment | Food

Should There Be a Law To Make Growers Use Sprays?

I came across this today which really saddened me: French Organic Farmer Refuses to Spray (update – article no longer available)

Basically it said that an organic and biodynamic winemaker, Emmanuel Giboulot, had appeared before a judge for not treating his vineyard with a chemical spray as a preventive measure against a bacterial vine disease. He could face up to 6 months in jail for this. He has already been fined 1,000EU for putting his neighbors’ vineyards at risk.

He argues that the pesticide is harmful to beneficial insects and animals, and may not even be effective at preventing the vine disease. He says “I don’t want to undo decades of work applying a treatment where the effects on the health of the vines, and the public, are as yet unproved.”

Now I’m not disputing the fact that this disease is devastating to the vineyards in France (or anywhere else for that matter), but, as of date, this grower has not had the disease, in fact his vines are perfectly healthy and, as he does his own preventative measures, I doubt if he’ll ever have the disease ….. (his grapes, not him) .

My brain doesn’t get the logic of France’s law to use pesticides to control this disease when it’s obvious that it doesn’t work anyway.

Which leads me to believe that, once again, big business has used (abused), its power to get more people to buy its product in order to gain more profit.

The court will be making its final verdict on April 7th – that’s when we’ll see what happens to Emmanuel Giboulot.

I’ll, hopefully, get the result and update this post. Let’s hope Emmanuel is strong enough to withstand the pressure.

UPDATE 8 April 2014: The final verdict has now been announced. Emmanuel Giboulot has been ordered to pay pay a €500 (a fine of €1,000, with €500 suspended.) – he is going to appeal. More Info

Fee Writes

Food | Health | Random

Calcium Rich – Health Poor?

It’s taken a couple of years but I finally got around to registering with a Doctor. The reason I’ve changed is because I shifted towns and now live too far away from the previous medical center that I used to go to.

So I picked a center close by and made an appointment to go in to interview the new Doctor. Silly me, I had a wild hope that this guy would be somewhat knowledgeable with the vegan lifestyle.

It wasn’t that he opposed my food choice, but he did admit to not knowing a lot about nutrition. He asked the usual questions about where I get specific vitamins (at least he didn’t ask about protein), then went on to say that the chances were that I’d be lacking in calcium …. the much needed mineral for bones.

He supplied me with a list of all the calcium rich foods which, naturally, had dairy products right at the top.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to argue the point that if dairy was the best source then how come the rate of osteoporosis has increased in the Western world?

Studies have found that “Osteoporosis is, in fact, a disease caused by a number of things, the most important of which is excess dietary animal protein”. Now I’m not a scientist, I’m not a trained nutritionist but I do have the power of deduction and when I learn that people who live in countries that have no or very little animal products yet have no sign of osteoporosis and are able to live healthier lives than we do, my logical brain does have to wonder why.

1964 – 2013

The meat and dairy industry have hoodwinked us for generations into believing that we must consume animal products in order to be healthy. If you take a look at food pyramids put out by “respected” sources like the Heart Foundation you’ll see that, yes, they put vegetables at the top of the list, but they also have animal products including dairy designated to quarter of the plate.

I’m not against dairy, but in this day and age the dairy that is supplied to us is no longer true (unless you buy raw milk), as it is messed about with so much at the treatment plant that it is nothing like the milk that comes directly from the cow. It’s for this reason, (along with animal welfare and environment), that I have chosen to no longer consume dairy.

So the next time I see this Doctor I just might bring up the topic of dairy, calcium and osteoporosis.

Oh, and his comment about not knowing much about nutrition? Very common in Doctors – I wonder why they still take the Hippocratic Oath as Hippocrates says: “Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

UPDATE: Have had the results back from the blood tests that the doctor wanted me to have … you know, “just like to check that you’re not lacking in certain areas”. Well, what’d know – all perfect, in fact, more than perfect! Iron higher than a healthy meat eater …. calcium high – duh, of course it is. hahaha – love it!

Fee Writes

Food | Random

The Moon’s Not Made Of Cheese – It’s Green

Laugh! Geez did I have a real “laugh out loud” moment when I read the headlines “NASA plans to farm greens on the moon” – are they saying that greens are far more important than cows or sheep or pigs…..????

No, I realise that’s not what they’re saying that at all – it will be easier to “farm” vegetables than farm animals. But I do find it very interesting that they hold the “greens” in such high esteem as to want to actually grow them on the moon (or in space). The reason being is that, according to this article: Tossed In Space the scientists are really working hard to make food from the new technology of 3D-printing.

I don’t have a problem with 3D-printing especially when it comes to tools etc that may be needed in space. But food? No, no, please don’t go there! I find this quite alarming especially for highly trained, fit and skilled astronauts – the last thing they need is cardboard food!!!

So here’s hoping they get the vegetables to grow …. then we can have Vegan astronauts – what wonderful role models they will be then!

Category: Food

Milk Companies Are Just Getting Desperate

New Label for Foodies – Pegan

Should There Be a Law To Make Growers Use Sprays?

Calcium Rich – Health Poor?

The Moon’s Not Made Of Cheese – It’s Green

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