SAVE THE FARMS: Follow the money!

>> Friday, November 19, 2010

FdaIt is time to stop FDA tyranny against dairy farms! I woke up this morning and was almost immediately looking for any news about the S.510 Senate bill, the "Food Safety Modernization Act". It is beyond baffling that a bill like this could be recommended in its entirety by the committee to be voted on by the Senate. But then, knowing how infrequently (if ever?) our Senators and Representatives actually read the bills they're voting on, I guess I'm not surprised.

Read more...

TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch Conference

>> Friday, November 5, 2010

Ocean Park plastic fishImage via WikipediaThe TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch conference takes place Saturday, Nov 6 from 8:30am to 6pm Pacific Time. Watch as Fake Plastic Fish joins with other fantastic names in a conference about the plastic that has invaded our oceans and our lives.  See the video after the jump (and on Saturday, the 6th, or thereafter - of course).

Read more...

Carbs won't let you go?

>> Friday, October 1, 2010

Breads and Bread rolls at a bakeryImage via WikipediaA good friend of mine asked me to look into breaking the carb addiction - a request made with pastry in-hand. I wish I had the easy answer; I still love breads and sweets myself and keep trying to find ways to put more and more veggies in my diet to crowd out the hunger for the things I've felt addicted to.

Read more...

Stevia and the Quest for a Sugar-Free Life

>> Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Stevia rebaudiana flowersImage via WikipediaA friend of mine asked me about sugars yesterday and I tried to explain my favorite replacement, stevia. This is essentially my email rewritten for the general public, and it's a quick-rundown for anyone unfamiliar with it, or perhaps a review for those who are. It’s worth reviewing the Wikipedia entry about it so that you know its history, but basically it’s unknown - or at least less widely known -  today because large sugar interests managed to get it labeled by the FDA as a dietary supplement. This essentially meant that you could eat it, and it could be sold in stores without health claims but companies couldn't use it as an ingredient for their products. Now, when people are finally starting to learn about the ways they’ve been deceived (and since the major manufacturers have come up with their own branded versions of stevia) the FDA has conveniently changed their mind about it. At least, they're not saying a distinct "yea" or "nay" about it.

Read more...

Milk Recall Affects Five States (but does it matter?)

>> Saturday, September 11, 2010

A Dairy Crest Semi-Skimmed Milk Bottle.Image via WikipediaAn upper-Northeastern dairy has voluntarily recalled 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of milk after it was discovered that a pasteurization machine failure. While it's very admirable that the dairy announced this massive recall in a precautionary measure, recalls like this - let alone the recalls such as the recent egg fiasco or other meat-related incidents that left people ill or dead - should be scaring people far, far away from the idea of purchasing food created in "factory" farms.

Read more...

Hurom Slow Juicer, a few weeks in and loving it

>> Friday, September 10, 2010

We have several juicers - four, to be exact - in our house, now. The first three that we owned were all centrifugal juicers. I've got one at work so that I can juice there as I feel, we've got an old one as a gift, from a garage sale, that we never really used, and we had our prior best one in the kitchen for nigh-daily use. It was a rather nice centrifugal one that we also received as a gift, but it had a tendency to leak. We never really figured out what caused it to leak but enough was finally enough.
Please read the follow-up review.

Read more...

How much do pharmaceuticals spend... to get your money?

>> Thursday, September 2, 2010

Going to the mailbox today I found a letter - sorry, an advertisement - addressed to my mother-in-law, who currently lives with us. Knowing she wasn't going to be opening this junk mail, I was curious to see what exactly was inside. You see, it was from Walgreens and the only thing it seemed to be advertising was the flu shot. This, of course, is not really unexpected. One can find ads for the flu shot pretty much everywhere one looks at this time of year, and it's only going to get worse. I'm certain I will soon be seeing the ubiquitous, massive billboards by the local hospitals again telling us all to cover when we sneeze, wash our hands constantly, and oh, oh oh - don't forget your flu shot!

Read more...

My Own Credibility

>> Friday, August 27, 2010

Image representing meebo as depicted in CrunchBaseImage via CrunchBaseEarlier today a visitor to the site asked me via the Meebo plugin I have here whether the information I post here is "creditable or all just crap." Unfortunately while Meebo said I was online, I was actually away from the computer when he or she posted the question, so the best I can do is write a response here as a post and hope this person swings by again.

In short, he or she wanted to know where I get my information. Let me preface my answer by saying as I have in my "About" page that I am just a regular Joe - a nerd dad who wants his family, and everyone, to be healthy. I'm contemplating and probably will start taking nutrition classes so that I can be of even more use to people in regards to health, but that will take some time. I'm just researching schools right now (and am open to any suggestions, too!)

Some of the things I write here are pure opinion; they're my reaction to things I read in books or online, see in movies or in the news, and so forth. I definitely get some things wrong. For example, I'm torn between the idea of having a food police (like a strong FDA) versus allowing manufacturers to make any kind of unhealthy product they feel like (such as hydrogenated oils). I'm still leaning on the side of freedom on that subject, but that's for a different time.

Most other times, however, when I'm writing an article here I put in a good bit of research looking around for verification of the things I find. It takes a really long time to write a single article because of this. When I do find this verification, I will almost always provide a link to it in order to prove my due diligence. For resources, I look to company websites for official information, Wikipedia for general leads and ideas, resource sites like Cosmetics Database for ingredient facts, and I'll even email or talk to those more studied than I for actual quotes, etc.

So to make a long answer short: I try. I try to be a good source of reliable information. If I make a mistake, I'll be sure to point it out and apologize. What else can be expected of anyone?

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

Hungry Gamer? Buy Somethin' Will Ya?

>> Tuesday, August 24, 2010

gamer grubImage by pinguino via Flickr
Having grown up with a love of video games and also having a love for Real Food, I felt a bit insulted when I came across a new snack being aimed at game players everywhere. It's called Gamer Grub and it's essentially cheap sugars and carbohydrates in a convenient but wasteful package.

Read more...

Vitaminwater: What Happens with Corporations

>> Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Macro photograph of coca-cola bubbles.
Image via Wikipedia
Once upon a time, there was a company called "Glaceau" (it technically still exists as a subsidiary - but more on that in a moment) that created SmartWater and later came out with FruitWater, and then VitaminWater. I remember when I first saw FruitWater; it tasted good and had no calories because it had no sugar. I'm still not entirely sure, mind you, how they got the flavor and I suspect even though it was "natural" that it was actually junk but this is also not the subject of the moment. What was interesting was that this drink became popular and it had no sugar.

Read more...

Fast Food Salads? Nope, won't trust 'em.

>> Friday, July 16, 2010

Wendy's restaurant recently introduced four new salads to their money - perhaps you've heard of them? They're calling them "real salads" as if they're made from real food or something. Ian Froeb of Riverfront Times wrote a piece yesterday that caught my eye and points out the fact that these salads contain more calories, salt, and fat* than a KFC DoubleDown.

Read more...

Nerd Gardeners: Power UP with a Wunda Weeder!

>> Thursday, July 15, 2010

I love dorky gadgets. I'm an early adopter for a lot of technology and - within reason - totally geek out about tools that make our lives easier. Imagine how I feel when gadgetry is combined with sustainable agriculture, like this wacky but awesome invention.

Read more...

Organics and Plastic - a personal gripe

>> Monday, July 12, 2010

Wreck This Journal - Fruit StickersImage by Kate Blackport via Flickr

Every morning as I pack my lunch I am repeatedly reminded of how much plastic has invaded our lives, and I just have to wonder why. I'd actually like to pose this as a question to the community at large to see if anyone knows why this is:

Read more...

McDonalds to CSPI: Buzz Off

>> Friday, July 9, 2010

Discarded McDonalds packagingImage via Wikipedia
Guest blogger Doug Powers writes today on MicheleMalkin.com about the McDonalds CEO's response to CSPI's recent lawsuit threats. In a nutshell, McDonalds officially tells CSPI to buzz off.

Read more...

Yogurt-flavored Sugar is NOT Yogurt!

>> Tuesday, June 22, 2010

YoghurtImage via Wikipedia
Before coming to the realization of how bad sugar is for the body, while I was growing up when I drank tea (the plain old Lipton black) I would load it with cream and sugar, occasionally warranting the offhand remark from any spectators - usually my parents - of, "would you like a little tea with your sugar?"

Today, a co-worker of mine and I cruised the skyway around lunchtime and noticed that the Sola store is finally reopened. We didn't walk in, but we did use the circumstance to comment on the ridiculousness of it. Although it only looked like the remodeling of their store resulted in changing a straight counter to a curved one, the real craziness that is associated with the frozen yogurt industry is summed up in my friend's remark, "Didn't we do away with frozen yogurt back in 1997?"

On top of all of this, entirely coincidentally, the Health Ranger - Mike Adams - posted a new article on how frozen yogurt is not health food, and it's really worth your time. It should be rather telling when the ingredient list for frozen yogurt is hard to find. Mike did some searching and found the vanilla yogurt powder that is used to make these desserts, and it's mostly sugar.  As sad as that is, by now we should probably not be surprised.

For the sake of your health, stay away from the frozen yogurts unless you totally understand that what you are buying and eating is no healthier than artificially-created ice cream. It is possible to make frozen yogurts and ice creams that are healthy, but the odds of finding such options in a restaurant or grocery store are stacked against you.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read more...

The Stats About PHARMACEUTICAL Companies

>> Thursday, June 10, 2010

Pharmaceutical Companies
Source: Online Colleges and Universities
Created by OnlineEducation.net. Click through to see the original size.

Read more...

What's so "smart" about the TetraPak Brik?

>> Friday, May 21, 2010

tetrapakImage by barely_legal via Flickr
Recently while discussing which kind of milk is good for you - a discussion that actually comes up a lot with me - I wandered off subject while looking for research and my thoughts came to the Tetra Brik, by TetraPak. Why I didn't see it before this, I'm not sure, but... these are essentially plastic bottles that are masquerading themselves as paper. The company specifically claims that the packaging is "consisting mainly of paper made from wood" yet inside and out, there are multiple layers of plastic and aluminum in addition to that paper.

Read more...

ABC's of the Food Industry

>> Thursday, May 13, 2010

A is for Antibiotics; it's in what you eat, if you choose conventional dairy and meat.
(A's also for Aspartame, a sweetener to scare you. If you want some new tumors, go try it; I dare you.)
B is for Benzoate and the preserving of food. It's related to cancer and an A.D.D. mood.
C is for Calorie - each little one counts! Don't eat "heavy" foods - not even an ounce.

Read more...

"Save the Whales" and Be Healthy?

>> Thursday, May 6, 2010

{{w|Bottlenose Dolphin}} - Tursiops truncatus ...Image via Wikipedia
The Cove is a crucially-important documentary that will hopefully surface on your must-watch list. This is an exposé on the massive killing, nay, slaughtering of dolphins that happens on a regular basis in one small Japanese town. When considering the intelligence, compassion, and empathy shown by these creatures, it's unimaginable that people would actively hunt and kill them by the thousands, but there's a health-damaging result of hunting them as well.

Read more...

A Healthy Morning Routine

waking upImage by [phil h] via Flickr
Starting a day off in a healthy way is important because it usually also sets up how you're going to feel throughout the day. If you wake up late, and skip breakfast - or eat an unhealthy one - for example, your motivation to reset back to healthy habits is often lost.  On the other hand, mornings are also often seen as the stepping-off point of the day and it's important to get through them with a good, strong pace. You'll need to balance ease and speed with health, so here are some tips to get you going.

Read more...

Did you take your anti-paranoia pill today? They'll know...

>> Tuesday, April 27, 2010

It feels a bit very weird to read that there is "eCare" technology in research and development. Mike Adams of Natural News brings us a frightening analysis of both the Senate's Special Committee on Aging and CNS News' article on health technology. What's interesting to me, besides the fact that it is happening, of course - you can read Mike's story for a more detailed summary - is the general reaction to this news.

Read more...

KFC Chicken Pot Pie. There are no words for this.

>> Thursday, April 22, 2010

Little chickenImage by hddod via Flickr

As a disclaimer, I apologize if this makes you lose your appetite. But then, if you were planning on going to KFC for lunch, I take that back.

Chicken Stock, Carrots, Potatoes (With Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate To Protect Color), Peas, Heavy Cream, Modified Food Starch, Contains 2% Or Less Of Wheat Flour, Salt, Chicken Fat, Dried Dairy Blend (Whey, Calcium Caseinate), Butter (Cream, Salt),

[much more after the jump]
 

Read more...

America and Sugar Sitting in a Tree

>> Thursday, April 15, 2010

Venezuelan sugar cane (Saccharum) harvested fo...Image via Wikipedia
America (and other countries where a Western diet has taken root) is in a very abusive relationship with sugar. Wherever we go, sugar is there with us, trying to be part of everything we eat, and in more and more quantities. But like a textbook case of an abusive relationship, we take our beating and just keep clinging on to the abuser. We can't seem to let go. Even after Michael Pollan, a veritable Robin Hood of food, appears on Oprah, one of the most popular talk shows ever, to discuss what's wrong with the food we eat, people continue to turn a blind eye to what they're eating and then wonder why they can't lose weight, or why their kids are sick all the time. 


Read more...

What's the difference between a licensed doctor and a quack?

>> Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment. Before 1920.Image via Wikipedia
It's hard to tell, sometimes. What does elevate doctors of modern medicine above those who make up medical treatment procedures willy-nilly? It seems that a lot of people believe the licensed doctor of modern medicine has more skill and talent for no other reason than that some accredited school said so.

But what is the solution to this kind of thinking? Should we go back to the days of snake oil and medical lies? Thinking about it that way, is "go back" actually an accurate term to describe where we're at now? It would imply that we're actually on the right track, and that life is good and everyone's either healthy or well cared-for. Even a quick glance around will tell you that's just not true.

Read more...

Listening to Master Teachers (Healing Miracles LIVE)

>> Friday, March 26, 2010

With a heartfelt sigh, I've returned to the land of cold. Of course, it's not entirely frigid here in Minnesota but compared to anywhere you can walk barefoot on the beach, it's cold. However I return from California, from the Healing Miracles LIVE conference, filled with inspiration and appreciation. There were a range of perspectives given by the various speakers touching on a number of topics, but all together, one gathers a picture of health both clear, instructional, and uplifting.

Read more...

Health Care and some Founding Fathers

>> Thursday, March 25, 2010

John Adams, the first Vice President of the Un...Image via Wikipedia

Here I am, talking about health care, already and again... Health is - as most of you know - an important subject to me. It is very dear to my heart, and I want each one of you to know that I want you to be as healthy as you can possibly be. This post is technically in response to some recent conversations I've had. Consider this, if you approve of this new health care law: The founding fathers of this very nation - this nation that has made it possible for us to even argue the merits of such a health care law - would very much have disagreed with this concept. Consider also the following quotes by a few of them:

Read more...

Something OTHER than Health Care Reform?

>> Wednesday, March 24, 2010


Having recently returned from California, there attending the Healing Miracles LIVE conference put on by Natural News, I didn't have a chance to write about the passing of the health care reform bill this weekend. It was basically a given that President Obama would sign it, and as he has done so, this is as good a time as any to reiterate how this is a terrible, terrible law.

Read more...

What's On My Food? Pesticides? Eating Locally, part 3

>> Thursday, March 11, 2010

Spraying pesticide in CaliforniaImage via Wikipedia
Pesticides are an amazingly large problem in our society because, in general, they're invisible. Modern pesticides are made of all sorts of chemical combinations that may or may not be tested in any real degree. From the layman perspective, what humanity is doing is using these poisons in usually-light doses in order to kill off bugs and weeds, or reduce or eliminate other crop-destroying elements. This, then results in a larger crop for more profit, right?

Unfortunately, as many of us already know, that's far from the end of the story. The effects of the poisons are often farther reaching than is expected, as we have now discovered oceanic dead zones stretching far out from the mouths of rivers into which the pesticides have been carried into. We have found out that pesticides can and are wreaking havoc on various forms of wildlife, from frogs to bees. And we have found that even at birth, our bodies are already "infected" with varying amounts of toxins.

The long-term effects of pesticides have finally caught up with us, but we haven't really caught on.

Read more...

Natural Cures' First Five Rules for Staying Healthy

>> Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Trudeau's book Natural Cures – Updated EditionImage via Wikipedia
I've had Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau on loan from the library now for a good long while and I've found myself bookmarking a lot of the information in here for sharing, even though it is taking a while to read. While a full review is still forthcoming, in a nutshell my opinion of the book so far is that there is a lot of great information, relatively little in a way of proof or referencing, a lot of fearmongering, and a good bit of backhanded salesmanship that promotes the author's wares. I've looked up the author somewhat online and found a good bit of controversy about him, so I do read what he has written with a little caution, and I also feel that some of what he says is charlatanry. All that being said, I strongly agree with a lot that is said, and wanted to share some of the things I'm finding here, paraphrased in my own words.

Without furher adieu, here are five things you can do to stay healthy:

Read more...

Quick Get-Healthy Checklist: Ten Things to Fight a Cold

>> Friday, February 26, 2010

This 2009 photograph captured a sneeze in prog...
Image via Wikipedia
Okay, so you've got that sniffle-tickle-scratchythroat feeling approaching. It is unsurprisingly common in this day and age, at this time of year. I see all sorts of friends, family, and co-workers out of the office, staying at home with the sick kids, just trying to recover for days and days. But when given the proper environment, the body can resist instantly or fight off a cold in about a day or so. What do you do? Run through this checklist and make these part of your get-healthy quick routine:

Read more...

The Many Milks

>> Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A glass of milkImage via Wikipedia

Once in a while I break down and actually get a latte at a local coffee shop, Cafe Patteen, and the conversation with the owner (I'm usually drawn to places where the owner actually works) often comes around to talking about milk due to the rather strange way I order.  IF I order a latter, it's always a decaf latte, extra hot, made from 50% half-and-half, and 50% water.  You may ask, "why not just order 2% milk, in that case?" But there are reasons to my insanity. Sometimes.

Read more...

Listen to This Man (Jamie Oliver)

>> Monday, February 22, 2010

This is really the first year that I've come to know Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, and I don't really even know him very well at all. Additionally, I haven't really followed the TED awards and talks much before this year either. But I think the combination of both of them has come to be one of the most important events in the growth of our food supply. I find myself strangely torn between optimism and pessimism on this subject. I want so badly for people to be healthy, it thrills me beyond belief to see the subject come up as the First Lady's "problem to deal with" or as the central theme of the latest reality show. Yet when I peek over at the next checkout lane in the grocery store to see it piled high with the very processed junk that is poisoning our children everywhere, I can't help but feel that some people are going to be beyond help, forever.

Read more...

Your Money or Your Health

>> Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Herbalife, Ltd.Image via Wikipedia
It's interesting to see what pops up when you concern yourself with the food that you eat. After recent conversations about restaurants and local "health drinks" I was shown a website about a local weight loss program, Hopkins Fusion,  that sells Herbalife, the same protein powder/sports mix that City Blendz sells, and out of optimistic hope to be able to make a difference I wrote to the company to see if, at least, they knew about the unhealthy ingredients in their "health" shakes, forwarding the link to my recent article about their product. I was a bit taken aback by the response I received.

Read more...

Who Told You About Girl Scout Cookies?

>> Monday, February 8, 2010

73/365 Thin MintsImage by The Suss-Man (Mike) via Flickr
As a result of my recent post about Girl Scout cookies, a couple of conversations came up from friends and acquaintences of mine, and it occurs to me that a lot of people might have similar questions.


Dan, a guy came into our office today helping his daughter with her girl scout cookie sales so I looked at his sheet tallking about all the kinds of cookies and EVERYONE of them stated that they had 0 trans fats. So who told you they were loaded with trans fats?


Read more...

Trans Fat Ignorance


It took a decade starting from 1989 before the government even agreed to make a decision about trans fats. Three four after THAT it was finally made law - but producers had a grace period of until 2006. Thus it is 2010, four years after the final deadline for manufacturers to label the amount of trans fat in products, ...and many people everywhere are still unaware of how much trans fat might be in their food.

Read more...

A Little Sludge, er Biosolids on Your Salad?

>> Friday, February 5, 2010

A septic tank before installationImage via Wikipedia
This is a guest post by Libby from Whose Authority about a local and nationally-widespread problem that affects your health. She was recently informed from one of her neighbors that their rural area had been targeted for depositing of what's being called "biosolids" as a friendly way of masking its true nature, which is the remaining residue from sewer sludge. Libby forwarded this letter to me; it began as an email to Michele Meyer of the Red Wing city council.

Read more...

City Blendz Definition of Nutrition

>> Tuesday, February 2, 2010

City Blendz Nutrition opened a retail location in the skyway near our work. I'm not sure whether it's part of a chain or not, but if it is, it's probably a small chain because no one here as ever heard of them. I usually get excited for mom & pop -sized stores, because usually only with individual entrepreneurships will you see innovation in menu choices. None of my group could really tell whether this was going to be a coffee shop or not, because we could see syrup bottles while they were setting up shop, which usually implies coffee. However, as one could also tell by their website, www.mycityblendz.com, it's a smoothie joint. And not just any generic kind, either - one that advertises its food is good for weight loss.

Uh, oh.

Read more...

The Supply of Restaurants

>> Sunday, January 31, 2010

I stumbled into today's story. My family and I were planning to attend the "Minneapolis Healthy Life Expo" and meet up with a friend there. The expo turned out to be more of a joke that I expected it to be; I supposed there would be simply a showing of health-related vendors and if I were lucky maybe a semi-interesting spontaneous seminar, but it the vendors weren't even entirely health-related. There were housing/repair and vacation vendors as well. Since it was as much an insult as a disappointment, we called our friend and told her to not even bother showing up.  Our friend and her family were at the moment shopping at a very nearby restaurant supply store, and thus we met up with them there.

Inside it looked like most any regular buying club-style grocery store. You may already be familiar with Sam's Club or CostCo, and that's the same kind of impression I got when I walked inside. The only thing you have to keep in mind was that this particular business is catering specifically to restaurants as clients. I believe you're supposed to have a registered business in order to sign up with their club. With that in mind, the feelings I had after that ranged from disappointed to appalled when I saw what kinds of things were on the shelves.

Read more...

We are so Lucky! Eating Locally, part two.

>> Friday, January 29, 2010

Image via Wikipedia
Part Two of this series on eating locally takes us to the very popular LocalHarvest.org. I actually remember when this site first started out, thinking to myself that I hope it becomes really useful. I believe it has done so, and is continuing on its journey to become the place to bring farmers and consumers together.

Read more...

Those Relentless Girl Scouts!

>> Saturday, January 23, 2010

A mound of Girl Scout cookies, this mound cont...Image via Wikipedia
Once upon a time, young scouts, wanting to help raise money for their troop, baked cookies on their own or with the supervision of their mothers, using simple ingredients like butter, milk, eggs, sugar, and flour. And so it went for almost twenty years until somehow ... something went wrong. In this real-life story, around 1935 the Girl Scout organization began to license the creation of these cookies to manufacturers and thus began the subtle shifting of ingredients from mainly tolerable snack-quality ones to those that are more economical than healthy. Now their recipe has more unpronounceable words than is easy to count.

Read more...

What you can do: Eating Locally, part one

>> Friday, January 22, 2010

Marylebone
Farmers' market
If there's one thing that you could do to really change the food industry - and leave an amazingly positive impact on your own health - choosing to eat locally is right up there with the best options. However, this is one of those things that's easy to say, but a little harder to actually do, because the people - farms, cooperatives, and so on - that sell the best products directly to you have neither time nor money to advertise to you. And on the other hand, the corporations selling you junk products that are supposed to be good for you spend millions of dollars to have massive, dedicated teams that sit around thinking of ways to make you buy their products. I have firsthand knowledge of this, so I know what I'm talking about.

Read more...

Not all foods are superfoods!

>> Sunday, January 17, 2010


The TimesOnline ran an article listing "20 great foods you aren't eating" which was brought to my attention by my cousin, so naturally I went to check it out. I'm a bit surprised by some of these recommendations in this article. Not only do many of them seem like things people really would already be eating every day, but as they're also labeled "superfoods" by the article, I wonder whether the author has actually studied nutrition or is just repeating some things she heard on the internet somewhere.

Read more...

Raw Dining in Minneapolis: the Ecopolitan

>> Thursday, January 14, 2010


Tonight I walked into the Ecopolitan restaurant to be greeted by what can only be described as the aroma of REAL food. It's the smell that's only and always found in health food stores, and there never was a better case for aromatherapy than this. The Ecopolitan is a raw-food restaurant located a few miles south of downtown Minneapolis, a restaurant created from a renovated and classically-styled duplex. It's a little small for a restaurant and there are a couple of seats in the place that are tucked into what were once hallways. I can imagine there must be nights when the wait for seating would be fairly long as there's really only enough to fit, perhaps, 36 people at most.

Despite the limited seating, not a single thing about the restaurant failed to please. The focus of the restaurant is on good, healthy food and minimized impact - that is, a reduction of waste. The food is 100% vegan and organic, and although personally I don't advocate pure vegan diets for everyone, the food here can be TRUSTED. It's a feeling you don't get at a typical establishment, and it's a great change of pace.

Read more...

Raw Milk in Minneapolis

>> Friday, January 8, 2010

A glass of milkImage via Wikipedia
Update, June 2010: Kalisch Farms is not an option for buying raw milk products.

Just a quick review of the Kalisch family farm, a Minneapolis-based CSA where you can get raw, organic milk products, eggs, vegetables (in season), meat, and more. My brother found this farm somewhere, but I have found their link on the Raw Milk Locator page on RealMilk.com as well.

My first reaction, which was as of this writing a few months ago, to finding the website was to scour their site for offered products, read about their farm and user reviews, and to check out the pictures of happy cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, and other animals in their "Pictures from the Farm" album.

If sometime I get the chance, I'd love to take this fact-finding a bit further and actually go visit the farm, to see it in person, as I believe that to be an important part of the Psychic Lunch idea: knowing what you eat. Until then, the photos and other users opinions were enough for me to try them out, and I'm glad I did.

Read more...

InGREEDients the Movie: Another for your Watch List

>> Tuesday, January 5, 2010


David Burton, a registered nurse, discovered that he was feeding himself - and his family - with foods that were slowly killing them. Being a nurse, his job is essentially, supposedly, focused on being healthy and maintaining that good health. Yet as we can all see, even doctors and nurses can be as unknowing as the rest of us. David's experience with hydrogenated oils starts out in a typical fashion. He had heard these oils were bad for your body, but didn't really know why they were bad or how much damage they really did.

This film is the result of finding that information out.

Read more...

Vegetable oils are NOT healthy, especially hydrogenated ones!

Olive oil from Imperia in Liguria, Italy.Image via Wikipedia
Vegetable oils are typically soy, canola, or corn and are almost completely polyunsaturated fats. Oils from soy, canola, or corn are most likely genetically modified, definitely rancid by the time they are "finished," and are BAD for your health. Thus, hydrogenation starts with a bad product, and ends with an even worse one.

in reference to: Hydrogenated Oils And Your Health – What Is Hydrogenation (view on Google Sidewiki)
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Read more...

About Psychic Lunch

Psychic Lunch was founded in 2009 by a nerd and father who wants people to be healthy. The information on this site is researched, but should be considered opinion; that is, you should always do your own research and come to your own conclusions about what is and what is not healthy. Products endorsed on this site are actually believed in and used by the author.

Facebook

Truly Recommended

  © Blogger template Simple n' Sweet by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP