Raw Chef Dan

FLUORIDE IN YOUR DRINKING WATER

OCA HEALTH NEWS OF THE WEEK:
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF FLUORIDE IN YOUR DRINKING WATER                      
This quick Fluoride Action Network video shows us some of the major concerns of fluoride in drinking water. Check out the warning label on your toothpaste tube. It notes that the amount of fluoride in a single brushing (.25 mg) should not be swallowed, and if so, the label says you should contact a Poison Control Center. Interestingly, that's the same amount that's in an average glass of tap water. Learn more and watch: http://alerts.organicconsumers.org/trk/click?ref=zqtbkk3um_1-116x322ax3191615&

Cracking Down on Organic Food Fraud

Organic foods are a $16 billion a year business, and some are concerned that Department of Agriculture standards and independent third-party verification may be insufficient to prevent fraud.

But Spanish scientists have developed a method of using "nitrogen isotopic discrimination" to determine if non-organic, synthetic fertilizers were used on plants. Since organic fertilizers have nitrogen isotopes that differ from synthetic fertilizers, it is possible to distinguish produce grown using the two different methods.

USDA organic standards are widely considered to be trustworthy, because independent third-party assessors check on farm practices. The USDA recently cracked down on at least one large dairy that let its standards lapse.

Sources:

• The Daily Green February 5, 2008

• Journal of Environmental Quality January 4, 2008; 37:182-185 (Free Full Text Article)

Don't Put Your Hot Dinks in Plastic Cups

he amount of dangerous bisphenol A (BPA) that leaches from plastic bottles into the drinks they contain is most dependent on the liquid's temperature, according to new research. When both new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling hot water, BPA was released 55 times more rapidly.

Plastic Bottles Release Potentially Harmful Chemicals (Bisphenol A) After Contact With Hot Liquids ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2008)

When it comes to Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure from polycarbonate plastic bottles, it's not whether the container is new or old but the liquid's temperature that has the most impact on how much BPA is released, according to University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists.

Scott Belcher, PhD, and his team found when the same new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling hot water, BPA, an environmental estrogen, was released 55 times more rapidly than before exposure to hot water.

"Previous studies have shown that if you repeatedly scrub, dish-wash and boil polycarbonate baby bottles, they release BPA. That tells us that BPA can migrate from various polycarbonate plastics," explains Belcher, UC associate professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics and corresponding study author. "But we wanted to know if 'normal' use caused increased release from something that we all use, and to identify what was the most important factor that impacts release."

Vaccine Companies Investigated for Manslaughter

A formal investigation has been launched by French authorities against two managers from drug companies GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur. A second investigation for manslaughter has also been opened against Sanofi Pasteur MSD.

The investigations are in response to allegations that the companies failed to fully disclose side effects from an anti-hepatitis B drug used between 1994 and 1998.

During this time, close to two-thirds of the French population, and almost all newborn babies, received a hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccination campaign was halted after concerns rose over the shot’s side effects.

Thirty plaintiffs, including the families of five people who died after the vaccination, have launched a civil action in the case against the drug companies.

Sources:

• Reuters February 1, 2008

Click "Continue reading" for more amazing information on the dangers of vaccination and your rights,

My absence explained

Hy folks. Sorry for the temporary MIA on my part. I have had a number of projects on my lap and simply been a overwhelmed. I am still in process with many of them and may not be able to post as much as I have in the past (at least for now). Please visit often as things will appear on my blog as I come across them. Also many of my older post are still very much so valid and informative. Spend time in the archive and discover many many great things there.
Peace and Gratitude RCD.

Fun Video on Super Foods

Going Green - putting more green into your diet

I have been a vegetarian now for 20 something years. I have gone through several stages of adding and eliminating fish, alcohol, tofu, seitan and tempeh. Before my introduction to Raw Foods back in 1996 I pursued what I now call the “Meatless Diet”. Vegetation was scarce in my daily food intake. As is for most vegetarians the concept was as follows: don’t eat anything that is or contain animal products and seek out things that simulate meat or fish based meals or even more correctly, stimulate me in the same way as meat or fish focused meals do. It wasn't until I was introduced to Raw Foods did I consider meals comprised of primarily vegetable and if I did it was heavy filler “meat substitutes” like potato, carrots, beats, rice and beans… heavy filler, filling, balky satiating foods. What I didn't realize was that all I really filled up on was starch, starch, starch and more starch. bread, pasta, hummus, falafel, pizza, mock this, mock that, served with the above list. WOW, how healthy can that be? NOT! I wasn’t eating meat but I wasn’t eating food ether. 

I would have been better off having a steak. AND guess what folks. Vegetarians and non vegetarians alike fill their stomachs primarily with starch. This tip is not about starch so I won’t go into how starch is processed in the body and what is dose to our well being but let’s just say it’s not what you’re looking for in a food source. Upon my discovery of the Raw Food diet (not the consciousness just yet) I found a new replacement i.e. nuts and seeds.

read the rest of this and more Tip OF The Week here.
http://www.rawchefdan.com/recipestore/tip_of_the_week/tipoftheweek07%20w4%2007.html

Are Lipstick Chemicals Changing Your Cup Size?

                                                                                                        

Found this In Dr Mercola's site today. though you might like to know!

In less than a decade, the average bra size in Britain has increased from a 34B to a 36C. A quarter of all bras sold are a D cup or above, which is double the number sold three years ago, and the range of standard bra sizes now end at K instead of G.

There are a number of reasons for the increase, including obesity and environmental factors. One possible cause is the increased presence of xeno-estrogens, chemicals which mimic the effect of estrogen and are fat-soluble, which means they store themselves in your body. Xeno-estrogens are found in many places, including cosmetics such as lipstick.

The female breast contains cells called estrogen receptors which are stimulated by the presence of estrogen (or xeno-estrogens) into producing more mammary tissue. It is possible that stimulating these cells artificially after menopause, when natural estrogen levels drop, could contribute to breast cancer.

Sources:

• Daily Mail January 21, 2008

Beware New Credit Card Scam

 New Credit Card Scam:  

 This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading  By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.  

The scam works like this: Caller: "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA My Badge number is 12460.  Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify.  This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank).  Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?"   

When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account.  This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards.  Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"  

You say "yes".  The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation.  If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number.  The caller then gives you a 6 digit number.  "Do you need me to read it again?" 

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card".  He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers".  ; There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card.  These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card.  The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him.  After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card.  Do you have any other questions?"  After you say No, the c aller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.  

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number.  But it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase will be charged to your card.  

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.  Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.  The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card!  If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit.  However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.  

 
A friend of mine said "What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam.  This time I didn't let him finish.  I hung up!  We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA.  The police said they are taking several of these reports daily!  They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening".

Please pass this on to all your family and friends.  By informing each other, we protect each other.

Are local Food Really Local

In Michael L. Holton's newsletter column last month, He began to explore what local food systems and purchasing locally does for rural economies. This complex topic opens up a number of questions, and they start with the simplest one: why local foods?

If we were to remain short-sighted and not look at the long-term impacts, it would seem to make sense that in our global economy, corporate models of food systems would fill the needs of our population. Mechanized and industrial food systems have resulted in low prices, sometimes referred to as “cheap food.” With cheap food, the true cost of production can be masked by government subsidies, price supports, and tax breaks. So, why would we want to return to local food systems?

E.F. Schumacher, a noted economist, pioneered much of the work in dealing with local economic development. In his book, Small is Beautiful, Schumacher asks why we would allow outside forces to dictate what only we understand and know in our local climate. His argument against mechanized and global economic growth is that it does not hold accountability. Distance, whether measured in miles or relationships, disables accountability.

Local food systems incorporate community gardens, food coops, community-supported agriculture (CSA), farmers markets, and other seed savers groups. Local foods are not necessarily measured in distance, although it can be one measure for some. Local foods take into account ecology, distance, economy, stewardship, and relationships.

Read the rest of Michael L. Holton's Column here:http://www.cfra.org/node/1038