Look What's in your Food

With the increasing cost of foodstuffs, random recalls of so many products, and all the bad news about what's coming out of China, people are becoming more and more concerned with what's in their food.

For someone just learning about eating natural, a trip to the grocery can be overwhelming.  Flip over any given canned good, or processed product and read the label. Ouch! What is all that stuff?


Food is expensive, and prices aren't getting any better. What's the harm in that 2 for $3.00 chip special, or those canned soups on sale for 79 cents each? Only your life! It's totally worth your health to buy whole foods and make dinner from scratch. Done carefully,  your grocery bill can still stay with in the range of your budget. Sure eating more natural takes a little more time, but isn't the health of your family and the good example that will be set for your children surely be worth it?


Following is an article I copied from Natural News. It lists some common ingredients found on food labels and what they are all about. Next trip to the store, see how many things you recognize on the labels of the things you buy.


I taught my daughter, years ago when we 'went natural' about a lot of these things. I turned her loose in the cereal isle, and told her, find any cereal without these thing in it, and I will buy it for you. The first trip took well over 3 hours. WOW! What an exersize in patience, she was only 6 or 7.

What's Really in Your Food?

(NaturalNews) Ever wonder what's really in the food sold at grocery stores around the world? People keep asking me, "What ingredients should I avoid?" So I put together a short list that covers all the most toxic and disease-promoting ingredients in the food supply. These are the substances causing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and leading to tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs across America (and around the world).

If you want to stay healthy and out of the hospital,read ingredients labelsand make sure you avoid all these ingredients:

Acrylamides- Toxic, cancer-causing chemicals formed in foods whencarbohydratesare exposed to high heat (baking, frying, grilling). They're present in everything from bread crusts to snack chips, and because they aren't intentional ingredients, acrylamides do NOT have to be listed on labels.

Aspartame- Chemical sweetener that causes neurological disorders, seizures, blurred vision and migraine headaches. (http://www.naturalnews.com/030918_a...)

Autolyzed Proteins- Highly processed form of protein containingfree glutamateand used to mimic the taste-enhancer chemical MSG.

BPA (Bisphenol-A)- A hormone mimicking chemical found in nearly all food packaging plastics. Active in justparts per billion, BPA promotes cancer, infertility and hormone disorders. It also "feminizes" males, promoting male breast growth and hormone disruption (http://www.naturalnews.com/032860_B...).

Casein- Milk proteins. Hilariously, this is widely used in "soy cheese" products that claim to be alternatives to cow's milk. Nearly all of them are made with cow's milk proteins.

Corn Syrup- Just another name for High Fructose Corn Syrup (see below). Frequently used ininfant formulaproducts (http://www.naturalnews.com/029863_S...).

Food Colors- FD&C Red #40, for example, is linked to behavioral disorders in children. Nearly all artificial food colors are derived frompetroleum, and many are contaminated withaluminum.

Genetically Modified Ingredients- Not currently listed on the label because the GMO industry (Monsanto and DuPont) absolutely does not want people to know which foods contain GMOs. Nearly all conventionally grown corn, soy and cotton are GMOs. They're linked to severe infertility problems and may even cause the bacteria in your body to produce and release apesticidein your own gut. If you're not eating organic corn, you're definitely eating GMO corn. (http://www.naturalnews.com/026426_G...) Learn more atwww.ResponsibleTechnology.orgor watch myGMO music video(hilarious) atwww.NaturalNews.com/NoGMO

High Fructose Corn Syrup- A highly processed liquid sugar extracted with the chemical solventglutaraldehydeand frequently contaminated with mercury (http://www.naturalnews.com/032948_h...). It's also linked to diabetes, obesity and mood disorders. Used in thousands of grocery items, including things you wouldn't suspect like pizza sauce and salad dressings.

Homogenized Milk- The fats in the milk are artificially modified to change them into smaller molecules that stayin suspensionin the milk liquid (so the milk fat doesn't separate) (http://www.naturalnews.com/022967_m...). While it makes milk look better on the shelf, it's also blamed for promoting heart disease and may contribute to milk allergies.Raw milkis healthier, which is why the government had outlawed it (http://www.naturalnews.com/029322_r...).

Hydrochloride- When you seeanythinghydrochloride, such as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride or Thiamin Hydrochloride, those arechemical forms of B vitaminsthat companies add to their products to be able to claim higher RDA values of vitamins. But these are synthetic, chemical forms of vitamins, not real vitamins from foods or plants. Nutritionally, they are near-useless and may actually be bad for you. Also watch out forniacinamideandcyanocobalamin(synthetic vitamin B-12). (http://www.naturalnews.com/032766_c...)

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein- A highly processed form of (usually) soy protein that's processed to bring out the free glutamate (MSG). Use as a taste enhancer.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils- Oils that are modified using a chemical catalyst to make them stable at room temperature. This createstrans fatty acidsand greatly increases the risk of blocked arteries (http://www.naturalnews.com/027445_f...). It also promotes what I call "sludge blood," which is thick, viscous blood that's hard to pump. This is usually diagnosed by doctors as "high blood pressure" and (stupidly) treated with blood-thinning medications that are technically the same chemicals asrat poison(warfarin) (http://www.naturalnews.com/023149_d...).

Phosphoric Acid- The acid used in sodas to dissolve the carbon dioxide and add to the overall fizzy-ness of the soda. Phosphoric acid will eat steel nails. It's also used by stone masons to etch rocks. The military uses it to clean the rust off battleships. In absolutely destroys tooth enamel (http://www.naturalnews.com/021774.html). Search Google Images for "Mountain Dew Mouth" to see photos of teeth rotted out by phosphoric acid:http://www.google.com/search?q=moun...

Propylene Glycol- A liquid used in the automotive industry to winterize RVs. It's also used to make thefake blueberriesyou see in blueberry muffins, bagels and breads. (Combined with artificial colors and corn syrup.) See shocking "Fake Blueberries" video at:http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7...

Sodium (Salt)- The processed white salt lacking in trace minerals. In the holistic nutrition industry, we call it "death salt" because it promotes disease and death. Real salt, on the other hand, such as "dirty" sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, is loaded with the trace minerals that prevent disease, such as selenium (cancer), chromium (diabetes) and zinc (infectious disease). Much like with bread and sugar,white saltis terrible for your health. And don't be fooled by claims of "sea salt" in grocery stores. All salt came from the sea if you go far back enough in geologic time, so they can slap the "sea salt" claim on ANY salt!

Sodium Nitrite- A cancer-causing red coloring chemical added to bacon, hot dogs, sausage, beef jerky, ham, lunch meats, pepperoni and nearly all processed meats. Strongly linked to brain tumors, pancreatic cancers and colon cancers (http://www.naturalnews.com/007024.html). The USDA once tried to ban it from the food supply but was out-maneuvered by the meat industry, which now dominates USDA regulations. Sodium nitrite is a complete poison used to make meats look fresh. Countless children die of cancer each year from sodium nitrite-induced cancers.

Soy Protein- The No. 1 protein source used in "protein bars," including many bars widely consumed by bodybuilders. Soy protein is the "junk protein" of the food industry. It's made from genetically modified soybeans (often grown in China) and then subjected tohexane, a chemical solvent (http://www.naturalnews.com/026303_s...) that can literally explode.

Sucralose- An artificial chemical sweetener sold asSplenda. The sucralose molecule contains achlorineatom (http://www.naturalnews.com/027491_a...). Researchers have repeatedly found that artificial sweetenersmake people fatby actually promoting weight gain (http://www.naturalnews.com/024543_h...).

Sugar- The bleached, nutritionally-deficient byproduct of cane processing. During sugar cane processing, nearly all the minerals and vitamins end up in theblackstrap molassesthat's usually fed to farm animals. (Blackstrap molasses is actually the "good" part of sugar cane juice.) Molasses is often fed to farm animals because every rancher knows that farm animals need good nutrition to stay alive. Amazingly, conventional doctors don't yet realize this about humans, and they continue to claim that eating sugar is perfectly fine for you. Sugar promotes diabetes, obesity, mood disorders and nutritional deficiencies.

Textured Vegetable Protein- Usually made ofsoy proteinwhich is extracted from genetically modified soybeans and then processed usinghexane, an explosive chemical solvent (see Soy Protein, above). Widely used in vegetarian foods such as "veggie burgers" (most of which also contain MSG or Yeast Extract, by the way).

Yeast Extract- Hidden form of MSG that containsfree glutamateand is used in many "natural" food products to claim "No MSG!" Yeast extract contains up to 14% free glutamate. You'll find it in thousands of grocery store products, from soups to snack chips. I even once spotted it used on fresh meat!

Food label tricks Here's a trick food companies frequently used to pack more sugar into their products without making sugar look like the first ingredient:

Ingredient labels, you see, must list the most prominent ingredients first, and some consumers might freak out of they saw a box of cereal that said, "Sugar, whole grain wheat, corn" and so on. Instead, the company uses 3 or 4 different forms of sugar to distribute them farther down the label, like this:

"Whole grain wheat, sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids..."

This way, the first ingredients looks like "whole grain wheat" when, in reality, the cereal might beover fifty percent sugars!

How to buy honest food• Shop are your local farmer's market, food co-op or CSA.

• In the USA, look for the USDA Organic label on foods. This is a legitimate claim to being certified organic. It's one of the few programs run by the USDA that actually has integrity.

• Read the ingredients labels! If you see names of chemicals you can't pronounce, don't buy it.

• Buy more unprocessed food ingredients and make your own meals rather than buying ready-to-eat, processed foods, which are almost universally formulated with disease-promoting ingredients.

• GROW some of your own food! The best food you can ever eat is food from your own garden.

Learn more:http://www.NaturalNews.com/033162_food_ingredients_chemicals.html#ixzz1TVU0k9aY

CDL for Tractor Operation?!? WHAT!!

The following article clearly exhibits one more reason why the government should keep their nose out of small farm business. Do they not realize how many children drive the small old school tractors? My child can, yes she can, and I know many other children that do. When you are running a small farm, the ability for everyone to help is essential. What will it be next, a license to catch hay out of the back the the machine the tractor is hauling?

Do they not realize how many wives drives these things? I can totally understand their concern for those big million dollar monsters that pull the huge harvest equipment, but the 'population' of those is but a fraction compared to the small family tractor. We have one about twice the size of a go-cart. 

Will go carts be next?

New rules could mean less help, higher costs for family farm

Posted: Jul 27, 2011 5:48 PM

Video Gallery

Outrage over proposed new federal rules for farmers 2:47

enlarge picture

by Mark Wiggins

WACO - For many in rural Central Texas, it's one of their most enduring memories of childhood:  Their first time behind the wheel of the family tractor.

The time-honored initiation into working the family farm could one day be a thing of the past, with discussions underway in Washington to require operators of farm equipment to have a commercial driver's license, or CDL.

Ned Meister's work in agriculture began similarly at the age of ten.  Meeting with News Channel 25 Wednesday at the Texas Farm Bureau, Meister explained the critical role of family on the farm.

"The vast majority of our farms are family farms, operators of equipment are usually family members, and if [those changes] were to take place, that would eliminate some of the family participation in the farm operation."

On his farm just outside the town of McGregor, Rodney Schmalriede grew up helping his father.  His son has grown up the same way, and with farmers facing tougher times than ever, Schmalriede is glad for the help.

"Right now I've got my young son, he's 11 years old -- can drive that tractor like a pro -- and my dad who will be 80 this year," explains Schmalriede, "And I've got to have their help."

Concerned with the amount of farm equipment making short hops between fields and down public roadways, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering whether or not to classify agricultural machines like tractors as "commercial vehicles," requiring a CDL to operate. 

The requirements would subject farmers to the same rules governing truck drivers, requiring them to keep logs and limit their hours.

Farmers also fear the prospect of replacing family help with expensive professional drivers, something that could end up costing everyone -- if it doesn't break the bank. 

"When you consider salaries and benefits and all the other things that go with hiring people that otherwise would have been doing by your family, well it's just a more expensive proposal," says Meister.

As public hearings on the issue are expected to continue, many like Schmalriede see it as more evidence of a meddling government interfering with the lives of rural America.

"I think they're idiots," says Schmalriede.  "All we see in the news all the time is some idiot decision that they've made again.  I think half the problem that this country's in right now is because of all the regulations they're trying to put on everything."

Many others shake their heads at what they see as a bureaucracy that seems out of touch.

"We have lost our understanding of rural life and agriculture," explains Meister.  "I'm not saying that anything's malicious at all, but they just don't understand."

Where have I been?

I have to laugh, because we have been SO busy here on the farm, I almost forgot I had a blog. Between planting the garden, trips out of town, babies being born and outrageous weather, there sure is a lot to do!

The garden is in full swing, it is HOT HOT HOT! And life goes on. There is an increasing overshadow of doom coming from the radio, the tv stations and the feel of the general public. Government spending is out of control, the US is in the middle of a war no one wants, and the value of the dollar is declining rapidly. People are out of work, the political scene is crazy, and the price of land keeps on climbing. What's a person to do? Life isn't all happy-go-lucky, fulfill the American dream anymore. It's truly sad. Corporations are taking over, Wal-mart is saturated with shoddy Chinese made products, and the local food business is booming.

I will be changing the direction of this blog over the course of the next few weeks. I am going to start including articles and instructions on self sufficiency, safety, self protection and stories of whats really going on in this country. I will also keep on with info on the farm. I look forward to getting back to the blog and hope everyone else does too.
Happy heatwave!

More about Dandelions

This is a piece of information I copied from another website. Since it was an informative page, I didn't think he would mind.

Dandelion Nutritional Value

The nutritional content of the Dandelion plant is exceptional. The entire plant is usable from the root all the way up to the beautiful flower, including the stems and leaves.

I especially like the tea produced by roasting the roots, but the leaves and flowers have that distinct pungent flavor as do the ilk of healthy vegetables like collards, spinach, chards, etc. If you think about calcium and phosphor when eating the Dandelion, you'll understand why it has the flavor it does. You are tasting health. The Dandelion has, in addition to fiber, the following particularly good concentration of:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Phosphorous
• Calcium

More specifically, look at this chart on percentages and other information (Serving of 55grams):

• Calories: 25 (from fat 3)
• Total fat: 0 grams or 1%
• Saturated fats: 0%
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 42mg
• Carbohydrates: 5grams
• Dietary Fiber: 2grams
• Sugars: 0grams
• Protein: 1gram

and

• Vitamin A: 112%
• Vitamin C: 32%
• Calcium: 10%
• Iron: 9%

It makes me wonder that if early sailors had known of this plant, would they have been inflicted with scurvy? For one thing, they'd not had to carry limes only, but could have had dried Dandelions which would store well and as far as I know, would retain at least some of the vitamin C. However, I'll need to research that concept to see if the C actually is retained or is it lost during drying. I don't see why it would be lost because drying is not the same as cooking. The roots are roasted to create the tea, but the leaves and flowers are easily dried and stored for reconstituting later when placed in soups, stir fry, or crumpled over salads. I would not cook them into the soup, but instead, place them in the soups once the soups is already cooked and allow the dried Dandies to absorb the juices of the soup. Toss in a few earth worms for protein and mmm mmm good! OK, maybe I'm not ready for earth worms, but in a pinch, if stranded somewhere, I could probably do it since they would be cooked and I'd hardly notice them mixed in with all the other wild herbs and flowers like Horse Tail, and Lambs Quarter.

Are you one of those People that Poison your Dandelions?

STOP!

You are killing food. Dandelions are good for a surprising variety of things. For one, if you have dandelions, your soil is right for growing most vegetables.

They are extremely nutritious for any livestock that eats grass.

Though I have never done it, the roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The early greens fall in to the bitter greens category and can be eaten in salad, or steamed as a vegetable.

You can make wine and dye from the blossoms too!

I cut blossoms this year for egg fritters.

First, simply pick the flower off the stem.

So many flowers to choose from!

Wash the flowers, then stir in beaten egg, along with any seasonings you might want, such as garlic powder, or salt or onion powder.  Chopped fresh onions or peppers would be good also.

Roll them in flour, then fry.

Bad picture, sorry!

This was the first time I made them ever. The second time I did it, I made them in to an omelet form, added salt and pepper, and cheese. It was a total experiment the day I decided to do it. Surprisingly they were very good! We thought they would be gross, but they were not. Since then, I've picked more, rolled them in egg, and put them in plastic bags for freezing so we can have some later on in the year, or over winter when they are done growing. That too is an experiment.

Isn't Spring Great?

Spring is so awesome because of the flowers!

This is the apple tree in front of our house. It smells SO good, and it's so pretty!

I don't care for mowing the lawn..Part 2

In the interest of self-sufficiency, and of course, my quest to avoid mowing the lawn more than absolutely necessary, I have decided to begin turning the most of the lawn into garden space. 

More food, less lawn, mom's happy.

I began with raised beds. I pulled the wooden squares from the other part of the garden and put them on the lawn, in between the fruit trees.  I used cardboard and paper feed sacks straight on the grass, under the squares. Then I had them filled with some topsoil I had from 2 years ago.

I planted beets, carrots, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, and spinach in them. I covered them with hay, then laid a piece of old field fence over the top to keep the chickens from scratching them up. 

The grass in between, I will simply cover with spoiled hay as I get it.  On the right, center, is one of the rabbit tractors. I ran out of topsoil, so I decide to use them to help prepare the next spots. I am moving them over a little at a time, and letting them in place long enough to eat the grass down to the dirt.

This is a spot they ate totally away. In the rear, after the rabbits were done, I dug a single hole in the sod, each a foot apart and planted a seed potato. Then I mulched with spoiled bedding hay 8 inches deep, with a small depression left where each potato was planted. Strangely, the chickens really haven't bothered this one.

In the front, the black plastic is in place to warm the dirt in preparation for sweet potatoes.

This is the finished square the rabbits were just starting in the first photo. It took them 3 days to clear it.  Chris was starting to till for me, but the tiller decided to take a break (the machine, not him).  So the center isn't tilled at all.

This is the back edge in the square in the previous photo.  I planted 100 bush bean plants.  It's still a tad cold for beans, but I am tired of waiting. Call it an experiment. I covered them with old glass patio doors I got out of someone's trash. I hope they will keep the soil warm enough to prevent the seeds from rotting. Beans tend to do that it cold, wet soil.