Central Wisconsin Raw Food Meetup Potluck: Meet Angela Cook

Attending the first Central Wisconsin Raw Food Meetup potluck

February 10, 2010, was a culinary explosion to the palate and a gift to the soul.

I’m the first one to dish up some amazing raw eats. Mmmm…

Check out more photos from the potluck below

and learn why Angela Cook wanted to start this Raw Food Meetup group.

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Q&A with

Angela Cook,

Organizer of the Central Wisconsin Raw Food Meetup

Celeste: Angela, congratulations on a successful first potluck! What inspired you to start the Central Wisconsin Raw Food Meetup group?

Angela: Thank you Celeste and I’m so glad that you were able to join me! My inspiration came from my own need. I have been interested in Raw Food for about a decade. I began by juicing and eating more fruits and veggies. Then, as I learned more about it, I decided to eat around 90% Raw, as an experiment really. I’d been reading all of these amazing stories of weight loss and healing that people had experienced. I wanted to see it for myself.

For two years I stayed between 75% and 90% Raw. It was amazing. I looked and felt my very best consuming mostly Living Foods.

Then I moved up here to the Northwoods! With limited restaurant choices and cold long winters….I slipped into ‘SAD’ as it’s called (Standard American Diet). I gained weight, suffered from seasonal depression, fatigue, and developed high blood pressure. Initially, I went along with the typical protocol ~ medication, cut out the salt, exercise etc…but it didn’t work. So, I’ve tried to eat whole and organic over the last year, but it’s just not enough for me. I knew in my heart what I needed to do and that is eat mostly LIVING FOOD! I’m inspired by others and I love the camaraderie of like minded people (accountability is good too!) So, I decided to start the Pot Luck!

Celeste: What are the steps to becoming part of your ever expanding raw food group?

Angela: Click here to sign up and RSVP to the upcoming potluck.

Note: Click on “Calendar” (left hand side) on Angela’s profile to see when the next potluck will be (March 19).

Celeste: If I know nothing about raw foods, can I still attend your potlucks and if so, how do I prepare for one?

Angela: Everything you read about health encourages you to up your intake of fruits and veggies. For some this can seem boring…same pieces of fruit….same salads etc. Joining this potluck will help you learn all of the amazing ways you can use living foods to create delicious dishes! If you know nothing about preparing raw dishes, you can google “Raw Recipes” and there are LOTS! If it seems like too much information…just bring a bowl of organic fruit, raw nuts or dates.

Celeste: How can being a part of your raw food group tremendously impact my life?

Angela: Hearing stories of how eating Raw has helped people, being inspired to think out of the box when it comes to eating and preparing foods, experiencing how good you feel after eating there, as opposed to that heavy cooked meal at your last get together! As you eat less processed food and more raw, you will see the weight come off and the brain fog lift ~ what’s not to love about that!

Celeste: Share something about yourself that would surprise us.

Angela: I just registered to become a Certified Zumba Instructor! I’m 42, mother of 6 and a Grandma of 2…what am I doing!!! I’ll tell you ~ I am finally getting off my duff and striving for those things that are in my heart to do!

Celeste: Would you like to add anything else?

Angela: Two things: 1) It’s never too late to be all that God has created you to be! 2) Thank you Celeste, you are an amazing woman and you inspire me!

Don’t miss out on the March potluck.

Be sure to sign up here to attend!

Green Your Life with Beans!

It's never too late to incorporate beans into your daily diet.

Beans = superfood!

Health Benefits of Black Beans

Below is my recipe for the spicy bean & rice dish shown above.
Instead of a sandwich for lunch, eat beans and rice instead!

Spicy Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (8 0z) dried black beans
• 4 oz can diced Jalapeno peppers
• 14.5 oz can Chili Ready Tomatoes
• dribble of Cayenne Hot Sauce
• 1 Onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 Cans Beef Broth
• Lundberg Long Grain Brown Rice Gluten Free (get $5 off when you use Code CEL445 at iherb.com)
  

How to Make:

• Wash and sort dried beans. Place beans in bowl and cover with cold water plus a few extra inches (I use a large glass canister with cover on my counter). Soak beans for 8 hours.
  
• Rinse beans again, discard water.
  
• Put beans in crockpot and cover with fresh water plus a few extra inches of water.
  
• Cook on LOW in crock for 10-11 hours or until beans are almost cooked.
• Add Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, and hot sauce and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours longer, or until beans are tender.
• Cook Lundberg rice. I replace the water with Beef Broth and this gives it a delicious taste. I like to make 8-10 servings of rice at a time to last throughout the week. Which is=2 cups of rice PLUS 4 cups of Beef Broth. Read directions on package. This rice takes atleast 50 minutes.
  

My Liquid Breakfast. Are YOU a calorie counter?

I whip up this quick liquid breakfast almost daily. It packs a powerful punch to start the day! Normally, it's a banana blueberry smoothie but since the raspberries were ripe on our bushes in our yard, I picked them fresh and made a banana raspberry drink. YUM!

I've never been a calorie counter but I was curious to know how many calories were required to maintain my current weight. I can't believe I've never looked this up before! If you are looking to lose a few pounds OR curious how many calories it takes to maintain your current weight, look here.

My morning smoothie consists of 362 calories. Compare this with a McDonald's Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit which has 440 calories, I think I'll stick with my healthy breakfast smoothie. To maintain my current weight, I have 1,349 calories left today. OMgosh! I'm counting calories!

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana (average size, 108 calories)
  
• 1/2 Cup 100% Juice (60 calories)
  
• 1 Cup Raspberries (64 calories)
• 1/2 Cup Organic Stoneyfield Fat Free Vanilla yogurt (90 calories)
• 1 tablespoon Flax Seed (4o calories)
  
• Ice cubes

Nutrition: The Super Foods that keep you Healthy

Author: Vitanet® Health Foods

Get ready to experience a volume of information of the healthiest foods in the world. Here is a list of the top ten super foods that most health experts agree on. You should tell everyone you know about these foods and enjoy them at your next meal. From fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, this power-packed nutritional inventory will take you into the best years of your life and beyond.

Fruits

1. Cantaloupe
   Only a quarter of cantaloupe provides almost all the vitamin A needed in one day. Since the beta-carotene in a cantaloupe converts to vitamin A, you get both nutrients at once. These vision-strengthening nutrients may help reduce the risk of developing cataracts. Like an orange, cantaloupe is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps our immune system. It is also is a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, niacin, and potassium, which helps maintain good blood sugar levels and metabolism. This pale orange power fruit may help reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

2. Blueberries
   These mildly sweet (and sometimes tangy) berries offer a high capacity to destroy free radicals that can cause cancer. Low in calories, they offer antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, which enhance the effects of vitamin C. These antioxidants may help prevent cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

Vegetables

3: Tomatoes

Tomatoes help us fight against heart disease and cancers such as colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and cancer of the pancreas. Tomatoes are also good sources of vitamin C, A, and K. In a 2004 study, it was found that tomato juice alone can help reduce blood clotting.

Fresh, organic tomatoes deliver three times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid lycopene. Even organic ketchup is better for you than regular ketchup! Look for tomato pastes and sauces that contain the whole tomato (including peels) because you will absorb 75% more lycopene and almost two times the amount of beta-carotene.

4: Sweet Potatoes

As an excellent source of vitamin A, C, and manganese, sweet potatoes are also a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. Those who are smokers or prone to second-hand smoke may benefit greatly from this root vegetable that helps protect us against emphysema.

For a unique dessert, cube a cooked sweet potato and slice a banana. Then lightly pour maple syrup over the top and add a dash or two of cinnamon. Add chopped walnuts for an even healthier kick.

5: Spinach and Kale
A cancer-fighter and cardio-helper, spinach and kale top the list as far as green leafy vegetables are concerned. Much like broccoli, they provide an excellent source of vitamin A and C. Kale is a surprisingly good source of calcium at 25% per cup, boiled. Vitamin K is abundantly found in spinach as well, with almost 200% of the Daily Value available, to help reduce bone loss.

Whole Grains

6: Whole Grain Bread, Pasta and Brown Rice

Whether it's bread or pasta, the first thing to check for when purchasing whole grain bread and pasta is to make sure it is 100% whole grain. Remember to check the list of ingredients on the package. For example, look for the exact phrase "whole wheat flour" as one of the first ingredients listed in whole wheat bread. If it's not listed as such, then it's not whole grain. Wheat bran is a cancer-fighting grain that also helps us regulate our bowel movements.

Brown rice is also a better choice than refined grain (white rice) for the same reason as choosing whole wheat bread. Whole wheat flour or brown rice that turns into white flour or white rice actually destroys between 50-90% of vitamin B3, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids we need. Even when processed white flour or white rice is "enriched," it is not in the same form as the original unprocessed kind. In fact, 11 nutrients are actually lost and are not replaced during the "enrichment" process!

Nuts

7: Walnuts

These nuts are packed with omega-3 fats, which is one of the "good" fats. A quarter cup of walnuts would take care of about 90% of the omega-3s needed in one day. Walnuts provide many health benefits including cardiovascular protection, better cognitive function, anti-inflammatory advantages relating to asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. They can even help against cancer and also support the immune system.

Beans and Legumes

8: Black Beans and Lentils

While black beans are a good source of fiber that can lower cholesterol, so are lentils. The high fiber content in both black beans and lentils helps to maintain blood sugar levels. Also a fat-free, high quality protein with additional minerals and B-vitamins, black beans and lentils fill you up and don't expand your waistline.

A complete, one-stop source of using a variety of beans and lentils comes easy when you can find a bag of 15-bean mix (includes black beans, lentils, navy, pinto, red, kidney, etc.) at the grocery store. Consider making a delicious soup with the addition of tomatoes, onions, garlic and your favorite spices with this bean mixture.

Dairy

9: Skim Milk and Yogurt

Skim milk (or low-fat) helps to promote strong bones, offering an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K. These nutrients help protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals, bone loss, migraine headaches, premenstrual symptoms, and childhood obesity. Recent studies also show that overweight adults lose weight, especially around the midsection, when consuming low-fat dairy such as skim milk and yogurt.

Yogurt also includes the essential nutrients such as phosphorous and vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin B5, zinc, potassium, and protein. Yogurt's live bacterial cultures also provide a wealth of health benefits that may help us live longer and strengthen our immune system.

Seafood

10: Salmon

Salmon is high in protein, low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fats (the essential fatty acids that are also found in those walnuts mentioned earlier). Salmon is a heart-healthy food and is recommended to eat at least twice a week. When choosing salmon, it's best to stay away from farm raised and select wild instead. Research studies show that farmed salmon may cause cancer because it may carry high levels of carcinogenic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Other

Green Tea and "Power" Water

Although not food per say, the health benefits of these beverages are worthy of mentioning.

Green tea has beneficial phytonutrients and lower levels of caffeine than all other teas. The more research studying green tea, the more health benefits are found. A cancer fighter as well, green tea has antioxidant effects that lower risks of bacterial or viral infections to cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis.

Water packed with vitamins and/or naturally sweetened fruit are also the newest trend. Some offer a full day's supply of vitamin C while others promise no artificial sweeteners with a full, fruity taste.

As you can see, the top ten super foods are worth every bite (or sip). Now that you know which foods can help save your life, what's more important than investing in your health?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/nutrition-the-super-foods-that-keep-you-healthy-25861.html

About the Author:
This article was written by VitaNet® Health Foods at http://vitanetonline.com/. VitaNet strives to bring you the highest quality vitamins and herbs available on the market today. Browse our wide selection of discount supplements, vitamins and herbs that are always in stock. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to http://vitanetonline.com/.

Are Egg Whites or Whole Eggs Healthier For You?

Author: Michael Geary

It's not uncommon for the majority of people to think that egg whites are healthier for you than whole eggs. I'm going to show you here why that is a major false belief, and why whole eggs are MUCH better for you than egg whites.

I was on a vacation recently with some friends & one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the entire group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was preparing a large batch of eggs.

Unfortunately, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing the egg yolks out down the drain. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and his reply was something of the sort...

"because I thought the egg yolks were horrible for you... all of the nasty fat and cholesterol is in the yolks I thought".

And I replied something like, "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused the majority of society is about nutrition. In a world full of food marketing misinformation and deception, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the yolk is actually the HEALTHIEST portion of the egg!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating the egg whites, you are basically throwing out the most nutrient dense, vitamin and mineral loaded, antioxidant-rich portion of the egg. The egg yolks contain so many trace minerals, B-vitamins, vitamin A, choline, folate, lutein, & other powerful important nutrients... it is not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition when compared to the egg yolk.

Even the protein in egg whites is not as powerful and bioavailable without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more useful to your body. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are chock full of omega-3 fatty acids.

The egg yolks contain more than 90% of the phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron, thiamin, B6, B12, folate, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the egg yolks contain the entire amount of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the typical objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...

"But Mike... I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof, and they are high in fat"

No, this is FALSE thinking!

First of all, when you eat a food that is high dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has many important functions in your body.

And here is where it gets even more interesting...

There are indications in scientific studies that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease... but high cholesterol is NOT. Cholesterol is attacking the wrong problem... The real problem is the underlying internal inflammation that is signaling your body to deposit cholesterol as a healing agent. Attacking the root cause of the internal inflammation (smoking, stress, poor diet of refined sugars, trans fats, etc) is the real solution to heart disease... not trying to lower cholesterol.

And the fat argument is simply ridiculous... despite the popular erroneous belief, the fats in free range eggs are good for you and will actually help make you leaner via appetite control and hormonal balance.

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites. Egg whites are basically just a processed food since you've messed up what nature intended.

Also, your normal super-market eggs from mass factory farms just do not compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people do not realize that there i s a major difference because they have never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had thin weak shells and pale yellow yolks.

On the other hand, the eggs from the healthier free range chickens from the local farm had deep orange colored yolks and strong thick shells indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids, and just a healthier egg in general.

So the next time a well-meaning but misinformed health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior, you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you understand the REAL deal about the nutritional supremacy of egg yolks.

One more interesting tidbit about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts versus groups of people that ate bagel or cereal based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight and had more body fat.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied (from the healthy fats and quality protein) compared to the cereal & bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and more frequent food cravings.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/are-egg-whites-or-whole-eggs-healthier-for-you-357536.html

About the Author:

If you have stubborn belly fat, learn several proven techniques to get rid of it at Lose Your Belly Fat Fast, Abs Diet Tips

Attention Skiers - learn the most effective way to prepare your body for skiing at Best Skiing Workouts, Skier Exercises for Legs & Core

Diet: Is Meat Really Good for Us? What Happens When We Eat Meat? Find Out.

Author: Patrick Hamouy

Meat

When we look at our diet and what is good and bad for us, it is always beneficial to look at the way our ancestors used to eat. What has been eaten for 100,000s of years has determined the ability of our body to digest certain food. It will take another few thousand years (at best) before our body is able to digest the junk food some people ingest nowadays.

Prior to the Second World War, meat was expensive and most people only ate it on special occasions or at weekends (if they could afford it). Nowadays, some people eat meat several times a week. Sometimes, several times a day. Mr Richard McDonald and Ray Kroc have probably killed more people than were killed during the Second World War by introducing their fast food restaurants.

Should we really eat meat?

To answer this question, let's consider the following facts:

* Our teeth tell us that we should not eat much meat. Our molars and premolars are for grinding and crushing. Carnivores have teeth that are sharp and pointed, made to tear the flesh of other animals.

* Our saliva contains ptyalin and is alkaline for the digestion of starches. Carnivore's saliva is acid for the digestion of animal food.

* Our digestive system is 30 feet (10 metres) in length to allow the slow absorption of all the nutrients we eat. A carnivore's digestive system is short (only about 3 times the length of their trunk), meat does not get a chance to stagnate and stick to the walls.

* A carnivore's stomach generates ten times as much hydrochloric acid as ours does for the digestion of meat.

* The digestion of meat generates Uric acid. Our liver cannot easily eliminate Uric acid. A carnivore's liver can eliminate ten to fifteen times more Uric acid than ours can.

Where will I get my protein?

This is a standard question when I tell people to cut down or entirely give meat. First, we must learn that we do not just absorb protein from meat. In order for our body to create protein from meat, it must first break the animal protein down into amino acids and then manufacture human protein with these. This procedure is very tiring on the body and extremely inefficient.

Where do you think horses, elephants, cows, sheep etc.. get their protein from? Yes, you've got it: from the grass, vegetation and all the plants they eat.

Secondly, let's clear the misconception about the importance of protein in our diet. The information originates from tests that were conducted on rats. Rats need up to eleven times as much protein as we need in our diet as is illustrated by analysing rat mother's milk. So relax, you are not going to die from a lack of protein if you stop eating meat.

One of my main Macrobiotic teacher, Denny Waxman, used to tell us that the body manufactures protein from just about any food and that we could not be lacking protein unless we stopped eating or were malnourished. This is confirmed by research done in 1957 (Rose, W. "The amino acid requirements of adult man" - Nutritional abstracts and reviews) confirming that nearly all the complex carbohydrates, such as those in whole grains, beans or potatoes, have amino acid profile adequate for human protein needs.

On the subject of protein, it is interesting to learn that in Macrobiotic, we are also told that cancers feed on protein and that we always restrict the amount of protein in a cancer patient's diet.

Some will argue that fat is necessary because it is a source of linoleic acid. As this acid is also contained in brown rice, the body will get an ample supply by following the diet described in this book and this will not be a problem.

Where else can I get protein from?

If you are still worried about your protein intake, the following food has a high content of easily absorbed amino acid suitable for the production of human protein: Peas, lentils, chick peas, kidney beans, fish, tofu, green grapes, iceberg lettuce, collards and kale.

What is the effect of meat on the body?

These days meat is usually frozen, overcooked and as such stripped of all its goodness. It gives an immediate burst of energy and strength. This is OK in colder and Polar Regions if you do not mix the meat with sweet (Yin) food, otherwise it is deadly.

An excess of meat will cause problems of accumulation of matter: clogged vessels and organs, putrefaction and infection. As soon as the animal is killed, meat starts to putrefy. This process is nowadays controlled by the use of freezing that allows us to eat animals killed several days, weeks, months or years (as recent TV programs informed us).

Putrefaction resumes when the meat is unfrozen i.e. just before you start eating it. To properly digest meat takes 3 to 5 days and as much as two weeks in the elderly. This is compared with a proper digestion time of one to one and half day for non-meat eaters.

Should you eat meat on a regular basis, your intestines are never clear and the meat putrefies in your digestive track. Putrefaction produces toxins and amines that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and large intestines, destroys bacterial cultures (especially those that synthesise vitamin B complex) and causes degeneration of the villi of the small intestine.

Saturated fatty acid accumulates in and around vital organs and blood vessels, often leading to cysts, tumours, and hardening of the arteries. Saturated fat also raises the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Over a period of several years, putrefied meat is going to adhere to the lining of your intestines and cause various problems such as IBS, stomach cramps, prolapsed colons, haemorrhoids, constipation, diverticulosis, appendicitis, varicose veins, atherosclerosis and colon cancer etc...

To compensate for eating meat, the body needs more oxygen in the bloodstream. The breathing rate rises after eating animal food making it difficult to maintain a calm mind. Thinking becomes defensive, suspicious, rigid and sometimes aggressive. A very analytical view is often the result.

It makes the muscles slack and the joints stiff. Daily consumption of meat and dairy food, is at the core of our excessive protein intake, which has been associated with de-hydration and heat-stroke in athletes, fatal exacerbation of kidney and liver malfunctions, increased acidity of body fluids, infant deaths, premature ageing, heart disease, and cancer. A high protein intake creates toxic by-products in the form of unused nitrogen; excreting these can seriously overtax the kidneys, unless large amounts of water are taker to flush them out.

The saturated fat content of meat will then start circulating in your blood stream and start coating your arteries and eventually various organs eventually leading to the development of serious disease such as cancer or heart problems.

In the United states these days, 2 out of every 3 person suffers some form of serious problems related to that very high intake of fat.

"The average American & European intestine carries within it over 5 pounds of putrid, half digested red meat, plus another 5-10 pounds of foul toxic mucous waste impacted of years in the folds of the colon and small intestines."

When the actor John Wayne died, an autopsy revealed that his intestines had grown to 12" (30 cms) in diameter with only a small opening in the middle to allow the digestive process to painfully carry on.

What else is in the meat I eat?

This is one of the problems. Nowadays, the meat that you buy contains a lot of chemicals that you end up eating when you consume your favorite dish:

Antibiotics and steroids in the feed to prevent infections and increase weight quickly. This has had the effect of causing the development of new disease breeding bacteria, resistant to many form of antibiotics and causing a threat to human life.

Sex hormones such as androgens, progestogens and estrogens to promote faster growth. The long term effects associated with the consumption of these are:

Obesity, infertility, diabetes, dwarfism, gigantism, kidney disease, hypertension, precocious puberty, hypoglycaemia, masculinisation of females, feminisation of males and cancer.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/diet-is-meat-really-good-for-us-what-happens-when-we-eat-meat-find-out-223357.html

About the Author:
Patrick Hamouy teaches Reiki Healing, Indian Head Massage, Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT), Anatomy & Physiology, Oriental Diagnosis & Psychic Development. He sees customers for consultations.in Macrobiotic, Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT) and Removal of toxic products from the home environment Full information on his web site at: http://www.therapies.com

Seven Reasons Why Kids Should Drink Organic Milk

From: SOURCE: Organic Valley Family of Farms
http://www.organicvalley.com
From: Source: Dr. Greene
http://www.drgreene.com
From: SOURCE: Organic Consumers Association
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/seven052505.cfm

LA FARGE, Wis., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Organic milk, produced without synthetic chemicals, hormones or antibiotics, is the best choice for kids And families, according to Dr. Alan Greene, one of the nation's leading pediatricians. Sought after for the wealth of information he gives parents At DrGreene.com, Greene is a pediatrician at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, father of four and author of McGraw-Hill's "From First Kicks to First Steps."

In recognition of June Dairy Month, Dr. Greene is offering the following seven reasons why families who drink milk should choose organic:

1. Produced without antibiotics. "Antibiotic overuse is a major public health problem. One of the main places where antibiotics are used today is in agriculture. Organic milk comes from organic cows that have not been treated with antibiotics, so it doesn't contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance."

2. Produced without synthetic hormones. "Hormones are powerful. Even trace amounts can cause dramatic changes in living beings. When you choose organic milk, you know that added synthetic hormones are not stimulating the cows' milk production."

3. Produced without harmful pesticides. "Agricultural pesticides are now widespread. They can even be measured in raindrops falling from the sky, fog rolling over the hills, 'fresh' snow, and in water we drink. Organic agriculture reduces pesticide exposure because it comes from organic cows that are fed food grown without chemical pesticides."

4. High in Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs). "CLAs are important 'good fats' that have been linked to decreased heart disease and diabetes. In fact, in the May 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health reported low-fat dairy products, including milk, might lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in men.

"Milk made from cows who pasture has higher CLA content. Since many organic farmers rely upon pasturing and give their cows fresh green grass whenever weather permits, organic milk often has a high CLA content."

5. Excellent source of calcium. "Most of America's school children are failing to get the calcium they need each day for their growing bodies. Kids 4-8 years old need 800 mg per day. Kids 9-18 need 1,300 mg of calcium per day. Organic milk contains about 300 mg per eight-ounce glass and is one great way to help kids get the calcium they need. Organically flavored milks, such as chocolate and strawberry, are popular options for kids, too"

6. Organic milk is wholesome. "Organic milk is a natural, whole food beverage - unlike most beverages promoted for kids that are packed full of artificial chemical ingredients. Many of them contain high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and/or artificial chemical dyes."

7. It's the right thing to do. "Unlike factory cows, organic cows must have access to open air. Organic cows from some dairy farms are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture when it is in season. This kind of farming is kind to animals, supportive of wildlife, healthy for rural communities, respectful of our air, water and soil, and healthy for children."

"Parents need to practice the precautionary principle when it comes to the foods they feed their families," advised Greene. "This is especially true when it comes to eating higher on the food chain where pesticides and other toxins are stored in fatty tissue. By choosing organic milk, butter, and cheese, however, families can avoid this exposure."

About Alan Greene, M.D.

Dr. Alan Greene, a practicing pediatrician, father of four, and spokesperson for Organic Valley Family of Farms, has devoted himself to freely giving real answers to parents' real questions. His answers combine cutting edge science and practical wisdom with warm empathy and a deep respect for parents, children and the environment. Dr. Greene's Web site, http://www.DrGreene.com , was selected in July 2004 by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best health sites. He is also the Pediatric Expert for Yahoo! and for ParentsAction.org. Dr. Greene teaches at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and is an attending pediatrician at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. He is a senior fellow at the University of California San Francisco's Center for the Health Profession and is a board member of the Organic Center for Education and Promotion.

Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley is one of America's leading national organic brands and is the largest independent and farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative in the United States. Organized in 1988, the cooperative represents nearly 700 farmers in 20 states. It owes its success to staying independent and true to its mission: keeping small and mid-sized farmers farming.

As stewards of the earth who use nature as their teacher, Organic Valley farmers produce more than 130 delicious organic products. Look for their organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce, juice and meats in food cooperatives, natural foods stores and supermarkets throughout the country. For further information, contact Organic Valley at 1-888-444-MILK or visit http://www.organicvalley.coop .

SOURCE Organic Valley Family of Farms
Web Site:
http://www.organicvalley.com
http://www.drgreene.com