Even Rats Prefer Organic Food!

Photo: lab rat from Health Freedom Alliance newsletter

Can you believe it?! Even rats prefer ORGANIC food! This newsflash comes from the latest Health Freedom Alliance newsletter:

“The next time you find yourself in a debate about which tastes better (organic or non organic foods – if it’s still debatable), you can mention that even rats prefer organic food. In a study involving organic wheat production, researchers gave lab rats the choice between organic and non organic wheat. The rats preferred the former. Because of similar chemical compositions between the wheat, the researchers found it remarkable that the rats could tell the difference. Furthermore the rodents were much more apt at telling the difference than humans were. Assuming the rats did not over-hear which meal they were getting, how did they know the difference? The answer appears to be phytochemicals.

These are chemicals made naturally by plants to defend themselves against attack from insects. Most of the aromas and many flavors from vegetables, spices and herbs come from these chemicals which smell and taste pleasant to us but not to insects. And the theory goes: less pesticides for organic plants means more phytochemicals, which equals tastier food. Or so say the rats.”

[To read more, see "Even Rats Prefer Organic Food."]

What’s “Organic Wine”?

Photo: organic wine illustration

If only organic labelling were so easy! In Canada organic wine is a “wine that has been produced from organically grown grapes, but no legal international definition exists. Organic wines are not nessarily sulfate-free, but they have no added sulfates.“  [For more information, see Wines of Canada.]

In the US organic wine is defined as “a wine made from organically grown grapes without any added sulfites”. By this unfortunate restriction, the vast majority of what you and I have been calling organic wines can now only be referred to as “wines made from organic grapes.” [For more from the "Organic Wine Company" (in the South of France), check out "What is an Organic Wine."]

So, “depends on where you are” is the short answer to “What’s Organic Wine?” But, one thing is sure. Organic wines are more and more in demand.  The sommelier at Vancouver’s Yew Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel says,

“Customers aren’t just asking for any glass of wine. They want something that doesn’t just taste good, but actually does some good, too. Increasingly, they are looking for a buttery Chardonnay or spicy Syrah that’s also organic, biodynamic or, at the very least, sustainably produced.”

[To read FULL ARTICLE, see "Winemakers get back to their roots" in the National Post.]

 

Goin’ Bananas!

Photo: an organic banana artistically displayed

Ever wonder where the expression “goin’ bananas” originated? A professor at CCNY (Community College of New York) has an answer for you.  Here’s what he told  his “Physiological Psych” class about “bananas.”  The expression “goin’ bananas” is from the effects bananas have on the brain.

According to the professor: “Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.”

Energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. Bananas can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions:

1–Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

2–Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

3–Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

4–Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

5–Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Organic or not, bananas have some surprising uses!  But, “never put your banana in the refrigerator!!!” 

Organic “Bait and Switch”

Photo: illustration from Health Freedom Alliance newsletter alert

Organic is so popular these days that even when a food company giant like Dean (which produces Silk Soy Milk) “switches” from organic to “conventional” sources, no one is notified–neither grocers or consumers. Here’s a “head’s up” from Health Freedom Alliance action network about this “not really organic” soy milk:

“Food company giant Dean Foods got caught trying to fool customers into thinking the Silk brand soy milk they produced was organic. At one point up until early 2009 the milk was made with organic soybeans. But then Dean Foods switched to conventional soybeans which most of the time are grown with pesticides. But somehow they forgot to mention this to anyone. They kept the same bar codes on the milk cartons and kept the label the same, only quietly switching the word “organic” with “natural.” And of course they kept the price the same.

Many retailers and consumers never noticed the bait-and-switch tactic, so they kept buying Silk, thinking it was still organic. The shift on the product label from “organic” to “natural” wasn’t well understood by consumers, either. Many consumers continue to think that the term “natural” is basically the same as “organic,” when in fact they are almost opposites. The term “natural” is entirely unregulated, and almost anything can be claimed to be “natural” even when it’s sprayed with pesticides or treated with other chemicals.”

[To read FULL ARTICLE, see "Food Company Pulls Bait and Switch On Organic Milk."]  The Chicago Tribune also ran an article this week about Dean Foods’ “Bait and Switch” tactics.  [To read that article, see "Silk Soy Milk Switcheroo."]

Organic Art?

Photo: food sculpture by artist and chef, Jimmy Zhang (San Francisco)

“Where’s the butter?” is obviously not the first thought that comes to mind for artist Jimmy Zhang, when he looks at a loaf of bread.  [To see more of these sculptures, see "Jimmy Zhang's Food Sculpture."]