If you haven’t watched Jamie Oliver’s keynote address at the recent TED conference, you need to.  The speech was an all-out assault on the food that Americans eat and how it is literally killing our population.

It is a shame that we have to have someone who isn’t even a U.S. citizen give us a wake-up call but that is the dire situation we are in with our food system. The truth is that our government is failing us and not acting in our best interest when it comes to health.

One of the great things about doing this blog is that I get to publicize organizations who are working diligently to reverse this severe crisis we now face. One such group is called RootDown LA.

RootDown LA, a project of Community Partners, is a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles whose purpose is simple: to get kids reconnected to real, whole foods that are not processed nor laden with chemicals. Read more »

While there are many great organizations in the country that promote organic food and work to protect organic food regulations in Washington D.C., the two most prominent ones are the Organic Consumers Association and the Organic Trade Association.

As you can tell from their names, one focuses on consumers and the other focuses on the trade.

Last year, however, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) embarked on its first nationwide consumer awareness and education campaign.  As part of this outreach, the OTA just launched a program called “Organic. It’s Worth it in Schools.”

This initiative is calling on teachers, parents, students, educators and others to vote for their favorite school to win an organic garden complete with seeds, soil and expert gardening support; or a fully stocked vending machine, which can feature organic items like milk, fruit, cheese, yogurt and snacks. Read more »

For many people, organic milk is the first organic food product that they will buy.

This is largely because milk serves as an important source of nutrition for kids.  It, therefore, begs the question “what exactly is my child drinking?”

Not all milk is created equal

Hormonal milk contains a genetically engineered hormone called Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), which is produced by companies such as Monsanto and Elanco.

rBST is injected into approximately 20% of all U.S. dairy cows in order to increase milk production, and industry studies by consultants report that this hormone is safe for both the cows and consumers.

Yet, Dr. Samuel Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and an international leading authority on the causes and prevention of cancer, says these studies were not only paid for by Monsanto and others but that that these claims are “blatantly false.”

Dr. Epstein, an author of several books including “What’s In Your Milk”, warns that:

– rBST makes cows sick. Monsanto has been forced to admit to about 20 toxic effects, including mastitis, on the label of Posilac, the rBST product that when administered to cows makes them produce more milk.  Monsanto’s Posilac product was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008. Read more »

I believe it is intellectually dishonest to say that organic food and non-organic food have the same nutritional value.

Soil quality directly impacts nutritional levels, and I find it impossible to believe that soil, which has been ravaged by toxic chemicals and mono-cropping, cannot suffer any nutritional consequences as a result.

The French government has come to a similar conclusion, albeit from a more empirical perspective.

A recent report by the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) has found that organic foods are better for you and contain fewer pesticides and nitrates, which have been linked to a range of health problems including diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Read more »

Each year the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, puts out a list called the “Dirty Dozen”.

What is this list?  It is a list of the most chemically-treated fruits and vegetables.

EWG research “has found that the people who eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables consume an average of 10 pesticides a day.  Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily.”

In case you are shopping and can’t remember what is on the list, the basic rule of thumb is this: buy organic fruits or vegetables that have nothing to be peeled off before eating. Read more »

Don’t let the packaging mislead you. This product isn’t just for kids. I eat it!!!

The taste is rich, smooth, and, yes, pretty awesome. It also contains nutrients that are important for babies’ development.

The other thing that I love about this product is that the nutritional information/label is in both English and Spanish.

With the U.S. Hispanic population growing at a very, very fast rate, it is fantastic to see an organic brand recognize this and make important health information bi-lingual.

Sold nationwide. To find a store near you, click HERE.

I discovered this ice cream at the 2009 Natural Products Expo East in Boston and was blown away by it.  For so long, I had been looking for a dairy-free, soy-free and coconut-based ice cream and finally found it.

This dark chocolate flavor rocks and so does the vanilla island.  100% vegan.

Sold nationwide, click HERE to find a location near you.