Support for Haiti - What If Foundation

With the recent tragic events unfolding after the massive earthquake, it is heart wrenching to see the pictures and stories of devastation. The people of Haiti have been in need long before this devastating earthquake and the What If Foundation has been feeding families in Port-au-Prince since 2000. Before the earthquake, the What If Foundation provided nutritious meals to as many as 1,500 children and 200 adults five days a week so they already have the contacts and organization in place to help the community and families.

As we have all seen, the need for food, medicine and supplies is urgent and I would encourage you to consider partnering with an organization like the What If Foundation to help. No amount is too small - every little bit will help! If you are unable to help financially, please help by sharing this information with your friends & family, pray for the families in Haiti and for the volunteers who are providing relief. Join the What If Foundation Cause on Facebook and ask your friends to join as well.



Click Here to make a donation to the What If Foundation's Earthquake Relief fund.

Nena Baker Interview about chemicals on Grit.tv

After taking a break over the holidays, I am catching up on green/health news and ran across an interview on Grit.tv which I feel is important to share. Grit.tv interviewed Nena Baker, an investigative journalist, and the author of The Body Toxic, which reveals the hazards of chemicals in everyday products we may not even be aware of (and that chemical companies would like to keep secret). With increased consumer awareness and the work of Nena and others like her, I hope 2010 brings meaning full safe chemical legislation. Please share this video and recommend The Body Toxic to those you care about.

Merry Christmas!

This is one of my favorite times of the year… When we take a break from our normal routines and focus on our families, friends and our faith. It is also a time to reflect on all the wonderful things that are going on in our lives, and to be grateful. I have been very blessed with my family and friends and I appreciate the opportunity to share with each of you through my blog and thank you for sharing with me.

Learn to Be Thankful for What You Already Have by Jim Rohn

Is thankfulness a survival skill? Perhaps most of you would respond with, “No, Jim, thankfulness is not a key to survival,” and I would tend to agree with you. Most of us have probably already solved the necessary problems of survival, gone beyond that and are now working to achieve our desires. But let me give you this key phrase, “Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.” I believe one of the greatest and perhaps one of the simplest lessons we can learn in life is to be thankful for what we have already received and accomplished.

Both the years and the experiences have brought me to where I stand today, but it is the thankfulness that opened the windows of opportunities, of blessings, of unique experiences to flow my way. My gratitude starts with my parents who raised me, gave me an incredible foundation that has lasted me all of these years and continues with the mentors that I’ve met along the way who absolutely changed and revolutionized my life, my income, my bank account, my future. I am also very thankful for the people, the associations, the ideas, the chance to work and labor, and to produce results; all of that has brought me to this place, to this weekend. I’m grateful for it all.
What a unique opportunity each one of you here has, so many of us; representing different countries, nations and cultures, to appreciate the uniqueness of our own experiences that has brought us all here, together, for these three days to learn new skills and sharpen old ones. For the countries we represent, we have freedom and liberty. These are extraordinary times, about 11 years ago the walls came tumbling down, in Germany, and it started a wave of democracy and freedom like the world has never seen. We as a country and as a world have so much to be thankful for. Always start with thanksgiving; be thankful for what you already have and see the miracles that come from this one simple act.

Now thankfulness is just the beginning; next, you’ve got to challenge yourself to produce. Produce more ideas than you need for yourself so you can share and give your ideas away. That is called fruitfulness and abundance. Here’s what I think fruitfulness and abundance mean: to go to work on producing more than you need or yourself so you can begin blessing others, blessing your nation and blessing your enterprise. Once abundance starts to come, once someone becomes incredibly productive, it’s amazing what the numbers turn out to be. But to begin this incredible process of blessing, it often starts with the act of thanksgiving and gratitude, being thankful for what you already have and for what you’ve already done. Begin the act of thanksgiving today, and watch the miracles flow your way.

Is Our Tap Water Safe?

This week, I ran across two sources that are raising concerns and asking "Is Our Tap Water Safe"?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has announced new drinking water research and a searchable guide to help us with answers. EWG has the only nationwide database of drinking water test results. The information is so important -- and unique -- that The New York Times asked to use it in reporting its current series on what's wrong with America's drinking water.

Charles Duhigg of The New York Times also revealed unsettling news about the nation’s water supply: Here is a portion of the article and some surprising things found in tap water. Click here for full report.

"It’s not as clean as you might think. An analysis of federal data from the last five years revealed that more than 20 percent of the nation’s water-treatment systems have broken provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the standards enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The result? As many as 19 million Americans are sickened each year."

Here are nine unexpected things the EPA found in our water:

Arsenic - A naturally occurring element found in soil and minerals, arsenic is used as a pesticide and wood sealant. Ingesting high levels of arsenic, Madame Bovary can tell you, is deadly. At lower levels, over longer periods of time, it can darken skin and spur corns and warts. A carcinogen, arsenic can increase the risk of skin, liver, bladder and lung cancers.

Uranium - The element Iran insists on enriching despite howls from the U.S. and other Western nations, it is also used in helicopters, airplanes, armor, fertilizer and household items like certain microwaves. After it's mined and processed, some of it is released back into the environment in waste material, called mill tailings. Large amounts of uranium can lead to kidney disease and cancer, though naturally occurring uranium is much less radioactive.

Radium - This radioactive metal has been used to treat cancer, for scientific research and in instrument calibration. Everyone is exposed to low levels of the substance, but higher levels are found near uranium mines, coal-burning industries and sometimes in drinking water that comes from wells. Radium can cause anemia and cataracts. At high levels, it is a carcinogen, causing increased bone, liver and breast cancer.

Tetrachloroethylene - Used in dry cleaning and for metal degreasing, this chemical usually evaporates when it meets water, soil or air, but high exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea and unconsciousness. Women who are exposed to high levels of tetrachloroethylene may have menstrual problems and even spontaneous abortions. It is also believed to be a carcinogen.

Lead - Houses built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes than newer ones. Because hot water dissolves lead more easily, people who live with older plumbing should never drink hot water from the tap. Kids who drink lead-tainted water above the legal limits are at risk for physical and mental development problems. In adults, lead can lead to high blood pressure and kidney trouble.

Prozac, Birth Control, Makeup, Shampoo Along with deceased goldfish and incriminating evidence, it turns out Americans like to flush their drugs and personal care products down the toilet, too. These substances leave the toilet (or bathtub and shower) and end up in our waterways. In fact, most of the waterways the EPA tested had pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in them."

To learn more, go to the EWG's online guide . You can find out what is in your tap water (my zip code wasn't updated yet), consider water filtration at home and find out what the government is and isn't doing about water safety.

Consumer Reports: Two Thirds of Chicken's Carry Bacteria

A new study by Consumer Reports shows that two thirds of store-bought chicken was contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria. These numbers are actually better than two years ago when eight out of 10 chickens were found to contain pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter. Consumer Report will publish the new study in their January 2010 issue.

Here is an excerpt from Consumer Reports' article...

"Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. For our latest analysis, we had an outside lab test 382 chickens bought last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet- and natural-food stores, and mass merchandisers in 22 states. We tested three top brands—Foster Farms, Perdue, and Tyson—as well as 30 nonorganic store brands, nine organic store brands, and nine organic name brands. Five of the organic brands were labeled "air-chilled" (a slaughterhouse process in which carcasses are refrigerated and may be misted, rather than dunked in cold chlorinated water).

Among our findings:

Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens. That's double the percentage of clean birds we found in our 2007 report but far less than the 51 percent in our 2003 report.

Among the cleanest overall were air-chilled broilers. About 40 percent harbored one or both pathogens. Eight Bell & Evans organic broilers, which are air chilled, were free of both, but our sample was too small to determine that all Bell & Evans broilers would be.

Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it's possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. But as our tests showed, banishing one bug doesn't mean banishing both: 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.

The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue's: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.
Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.

Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics."

This again shows the importance of cooking chicken to 165º F and making sure that raw juices do not come in contact with other food. It also makes a strong case for organic with the organic chicken found with considerably less bacteria than traditional store brands. Here are some quick tips when cooking chicken... try to minimize exposure on surfaces, label and seperate cutting boards for meat vs. produce and use hot water and a natural safe disinfectant to clean all surfaces.

Food Inc. Encore Showing at the Farm

If you weren't able to make it to Food, Inc., or if you loved it and want to see it again and invite a friend...

GO TO THE FARM FOR AN ENCORE SHOWING!

• Trader's Point Creamery
• Friday, December 4th, 8:30 pm
• Movie Night on the Farm - Food Inc.
• absolutely free!

With the recent video release, Food Inc. is back and has many in Indy talking about it again. Trader's Point Creamery is the perfect example of real local, organic food and it is appropriate that they are hosting Food Inc. at their farm. I am looking forward to making Friday a fun family night and hope to take home Trader's Point Creamery's egg nog I have heard so much about.

"You know, I don’t even talk about in the film [Food Inc.] whether GMOs are good for us or bad for us. But what I find so amazing is Monsanto saying we can’t feed the world without [their genetically modified seeds], but then they’ll do everything possible to stop you from knowing they’re in your food…. Shouldn’t your product speak for itself?"

Robert Kenner, director of Food Inc.

Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner Tips

Thanksgiving Dinner and "healthy"... three words that are usually not paired together. How many of us remember huge Thanksgiving dinners with traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and pies, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potatoe pie. I remember eating so much (because it was all so good) and then feeling so full that all I wanted to do was take a nap.

Although we will be having Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends and all pitching in, I am hoping to make a few healthy changes this year...

First, consider supporting locally grown food. We will receive a wonderful assortment of locally grown organic produce from Farm Fresh Delivery. Farm Fresh Delivery is like a year-round farmer's market delivered direct to our door. It is a great way to support local farmers and it is very convenient. You can also look for locally or regionally grown food in your local grocery or visit Gatewoods Farm, located on Route 216 in Noblesville, for local produce and amish baked goods.

Second, consider adding a healthy twist to traditional recipes by swapping a few simple ingredients. Here are a couple suggestions I found...

* substitute skim milk or butter milk (butter milk has probiotics for healthy digestion).
* substitute 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread in stuffing recipes. Or consider quinoa, which is not only a complete protein but also an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that’s often deficient in people with hypertension.
* a lighter version of sweet potatoe casserole... substitute pecons for the topping instead of marshmallows.

Here is a healthy alternative to store bought pie crusts

Pecan Nut Crust from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups ground pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar (I recommend raw sugar)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1. Stir together ground nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix in melted butter.
2. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, deep-dish style, pie pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Place pie crust on a cookie sheet, and position on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully, as nut crusts burn easily; they DON'T have to turn black to taste burnt! Cool completely before filling.


Click here for a complete Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner meal plan with recipes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!