Fizzy Math: Tax Soda to Pay for Health Care and Prevention

by Michael F. Jacobson
May 29, 2009
Huffington Post


...We all need food, but no one needs soda. Soda is basically liquid candy, providing empty excess calories without needed nutrients. (The same is true for "fruit drinks" with little juice, so-called "energy drinks" like Red Bull, "sports drinks" like Gatorade, or gimmicky products like VitaminWater.) Besides promoting obesity and disease, soft drinks displace real foods with redeeming health-promoting properties...

“Omnivore’s Dilemma” Author Michael Pollan’s New Advice on Buying Food: “Don’t Buy Any Food You’ve Ever Seen Advertised”

DemocracyNow!
May 14, 2009

Michael Pollan is one of the nation’s leading writers and thinkers in this country on the issue of food. He is author of several books about food, including The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and his latest, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. In light of what he calls the processed food industry’s co-option of “sustainability” and its vast spending on marketing, Pollan advises to be wary of any food that’s advertised.

Expel GE Hormones from School Milk!

Center for Food Safety

The food kids eat today will have a lasting impact on their health. Unfortunately much of the food kids eat today is produced with harmful chemicals, genetically engineered ingredients, and artificial hormones. We've got a great opportunity to affect what kind of milk is in the National School Lunch Program. Can you take action now to get better milk into school lunches?

Roughly 15 percent of all dairies (mostly large dairies) in the United States inject their cows with an artificial, genetically engineered growth hormone called recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) that increases cows’ milk production. Besides the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH, which necessitates increased use of antibiotics, there are ongoing questions about links to cancer in humans.

Most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned rBGH. But here in the United States , we’re giving it to our most vulnerable citizens—our children! It is possible that at least 84 million gallons of milk from artificial hormone-treated cows were distributed through the school nutrition programs in fiscal year 2005-2006 – or about one out of five pints of milk offered in school cafeterias nationwide.

The good news is this spring we have a great chance to bring milk free from artificial, genetically engineered hormones into our schools as Congress takes up legislation on the National School Lunch Program.

We are asking Congress to clarify that schools do have the option to purchase milk from cows that are not treated with artificial growth hormones. With nearly 430 million gallons of milk distributed through national school milk programs, we have to take action now to get artificial hormones out of our school milk!

Take the first step in expelling the hormones from school milk by signing our petition. Click on the title above, please!

Try No Dig Gardening for Your Backyard Vegetables

by Warren McLaren
TreeHugger

There are many ways to implement a no-dig garden. What follows is just one method...

Mother's Day Brunch

by Annie Bell Muzaurieta
The Daily Green

You've bought a bouquet of organic flowers and told Mom you love her. But how can you really show the woman you owe her? With a homemade Mother's Day brunch, of course. Let Mom know you care by preparing a Mother's Day menu with some of these delicious recipes. And don't forget to clean up!

Asparagus, Jack and Feta Cheese Frittata Recipe
Baked Maple-Cinnamon French Toast with Fresh Strawberries Recipe
Challah French Toast Recipe
Sprouted French Toast with Peaches and Cashews Recipe
Grilled Fruit Kebabs with Crunchy Yogurt Dip Recipe
Asparagus Omelet Recipe
Wheat Berry Pancakes and Quick Berry Syrup Recipe
Pineapple Coffee Cake Recipe
Fresh Herbal Tea Recipe

The “NAFTA Flu”: Critics Say Swine Flu Has Roots in Forcing Poor Countries to Accept Western Agribusiness

DemocracyNow!
April 29, 2009

As the US reports its first known death from the global swine flu, the World Health Organization has raised its pandemic threat level. Several countries around the world have banned the import of US and Mexican pork products. We speak to professor and author Robert Wallace, who says the swine flu is partly the outcome of neoliberal policies that forced poorer countries to open their markets to poorly regulated Western agribusiness giants.