Health

January 9 2018

As the Grocery Manufacturers’ Association Era Ends, A Look at What Must Come Next

Robyn O'Brien Food Politics, From Robyn, Health 0

In 2014, I wrote an article questioning the lack of vision and leadership at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “Is the Grocery Manufacturers Association a Relic?” I asked. Some CEOs were shocked by the audacity of that question. To me, it was so obvious that the organization was failing its members by not addressing the changing needs of consumers or the changing needs in the supply chain for its member companies. It was stunning to me that no one had asked questioned them.

In July of last year, Campbell’s announced that they are withdrawing from the trade group due to “purpose and principles.” They were no longer aligned.

Then Nestle announced their decision to split with the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Dean Foods and Tyson have since joined, as the GMA finds itself slowly disintegrating—its shelf life far shorter than that of the Twinkies it once represented.

So what comes next?

In the last few years, a growing number of companies in the Grocery Manufacturers Association have announced that they are not only dumping artificial ingredients from their products but also buying into the free-from and organic movements. It is a growing trend in the face of consumer demand.

#dumpthejunk has become the rallying cry, as a growing number of consumers call on companies to remove artificial ingredients, as we find ourselves reading labels because of diabetes, food allergies, ADHD and so much more.

So why is this happening on a one-off basis? Why didn’t the Grocery Manufacturers Association give its members the heads up? Why are these companies slowly peeling off these ingredients one by one in a slow and often reactionary process? It’s death by a thousand cuts.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association is the voice of more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies, but will it be a relic of the 20^th century? With Campbell’s announcement yesterday, the answer is “yes.”

A question that is starting to pop up is: Is the Grocery Manufacturers Association still delivering value to its members? Would members be better served by forming a new organization? What if a new group started? Let’s just hypothetically call it the Food Production Association, and its mission was to meet the needs of companies in the 21^st century?

A look back at the history of the Grocery Manufacturers Association suggests this might be a good idea.

Founded in 1908, the Grocery Manufacturers Association is a self-described, active, vocal advocate for its member companies and a trusted source of information about the industry and the products consumers rely on.

But do 21st century consumers actually turn to this organization today or is it a relic of the 20th century? And is it an advocate for its members?

The organization’s website goes on to say:

“A vital role of GMA is to serve as a central resource for our members, providing industry model practices and a means for collaboration between members, retailers and service providers on important challenges and opportunities facing the industry.”

The organization may have done that twenty years ago, but is it still doing that today?

The landscape of health has changed, and it is changing the landscape of food. Today, the rates of diabetes is skyrocketing, 1 in 4 children has a chronic condition, 1 in 13 children has a food allergy, 1 in 10 has asthma and 1 in 68 has autism, with cancer now the leading cause of death by disease in American children. The rates of these conditions are escalating, and parents are reading labels.

Did any of us expect motherhood or fatherhood to look like this? Not at all. No one would choose autism, life threatening food allergies or cancer. No one. But we find ourselves face to face with these conditions every day. It is changing so many things in our lives, and it is changing how we approach the grocery store.

Some companies want to spend millions of dollars debating how we got here. Parents don’t have time. Their hands are tied managing these health conditions. CNN/TIME reported that the additional costs of raising a child with food allergies is $4,200/year. Consumers want transparency and denying them basic information about what is in the food we are feeding our loved ones is out of touch.

Over the last year, more than 60 state laws have been introduced to label genetically engineered ingredients in foods. Consumers know about it, companies know about it. Companies inside the Grocery Manufacturers Association are producing product lines without these ingredients, and those product lines are profitable pieces of their portfolio. One look at the success of Kroger’s Simple Truth, “free-from” line demonstrates what a brand can do when it removes additives, GMOs, high fructose corn syrup and more.

Consumers want “free-from” food. It’s not about debating the “how” or the “why” we got here. It’s about meeting her where she stands in the aisle of the grocery store, holding onto a child with diabetes or food allergies, or shopping for parent with cancer.

Everyone is recognizing the need for food free from artificial ingredients. Panera Bread recently announced that they are pulling these ingredients from their products, Target’s Simply Balanced committed to removing genetically engineered ingredients by the end of 2014, and Kroger is seeing record earnings growth with its Simple Truth product line, free from artificial ingredients and genetically engineered ingredients. The brand went from $0 to $1 billion in revenue in two years. The CEO of Kroger has repeatedly called it “a bright spot” in the company’s earnings reports.

So if companies that are dumping the junk are being rewarded by both consumers and the stock market, shareholders and stakeholders, what purpose does the Grocery Manufacturers Association serve by getting in the way of that? Is that in the best interest of its members?

As the Association spends record amounts filing lawsuits against the state of Vermont which has just taken a big step towards bringing transparency to its food system for its consumers, you have to wonder if this is money well spent for its members. What if instead, these members decided to leave the organization and start another one, one that truly met their needs in the face of changing consumer demand and the changing health of American consumers. Or what if some got aggressive and filed a “loss of business” lawsuit against it given the decline that companies like Kellogg’s are seeing in sales and the resulting employee layoffs as they entrench on the GMO labeling issue?

21st century families want free-from food. It isn’t complicated, and shareholders and stakeholders are rewarding the companies that understand that and are delivering products that meet that need.

They’re not debating the science, they’re not filing lawsuits, they are simply meeting us where we stand: in the aisles of the grocery store shopping for the 1 in 3 American children that now has allergies, asthma, ADHD or autism. They are building a new food economy, becoming icons for the 21st century consumer, making the Grocery Manufacturers Association look like a relic of the 20th century.

The $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry employs 14 million U.S. workers. As consumers opt out of food loaded with artificial ingredients, demand is growing. From 2013-2018, demand for organic is expected to grow 14%, but in the United States, less than 1% of farmland is under organic farm management which means that we have to turn to countries like China and Romania for non-GMO or organic food. We are literally outsourcing that entire economic opportunity. It is not in the interest of our food companies, our families or our farmers.

If the Grocery Manufacturers Association was true to its mission it would meet the 21st century consumer where she stands, and it would be addressing this supply chain issue for its members. But it’s not.

As it stands, it is quickly becoming a relic of the 20th century, opening the door for another industry organization to form.

Can you imagine if Kroger, Target, Campbell’s, Nature’s Path, Annie’s, Costco and other food companies joined together to form the Food Production Association whose mission was to build out a clean and safe food system and to secure the supply chain for 21st century families? Instead of channeling member dollars into lawsuits, it could grow the base of US farmland under organic management, so that we don’t outsource this economic opportunity for our companies, farmers and country to our trading partners.

Cancer, autism, food allergies and other conditions we are seeing in the health of our loved ones are not “trends,” neither is the demand for transparency. American consumers have a right to know whether the EPA regulates their corn as a pesticide or not. Sixty percent of the world’s population has been given that right.

Imagine an organization for the food industry that actually focused on securing a non GMO supply chain for American companies, rather than fight this shift in consumer demand and outsource this economic opportunity to China and Romania. Here’s what a logo might look like. It’s food for thought.

January 9 2018

1+8 Ideas for 2018

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Health 1

Waiting for one year to end and another to start is how a lot of people are feeling right now. But that is tempting fate.

You can line up a list of the things that went wrong in 2017 and come to the conclusion that life couldn’t get much worse.

If you think just a little bit, you will remember those you lost this year: the people you love who also lost people they love, the friends who have seen friends die, the sisters who lost brothers, daughters who lost fathers. Lives ended, as every year does.

But here we are writing this, so in the words of Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

For some reason, new year’s resolutions tend to center around weight loss. I hate that. Too many of us once let a scale dictate whether or not we were going to have a good day or a bad one. One number defined a mood, and it is a complete waste of energy. Instead of focusing on what you can lose, focus on what you can gain—like a day spent doing something you love with someone you love, a day not ruined by a number.

So rather than focus on the things to steer clear of in 2018, here are a few things to add, 1+8 things, so here you go:

Water. Can not emphasize this enough. It impacts everything from your mood, to concentration, to digestion to how your skin looks. Hydrate. It will do more for you than you could ever imagine.
Move. I don’t care if it’s dancing in the kitchen with your kids, walking a dog, doing the plank for 45 seconds, move that body you have. A friend lost his legs in a freak accident. Live everyday on yours while you can. None of us know what is coming at us.
Hand write notes. In 2017, I committed to hand writing a thank you note each week to a person who impacted my life, a teacher, a friend, a mentor or just someone who made my heart expand. The joy that came from writing those notes, the appreciation, boomeranged. The receivers would reach out (who mails hand written notes anymore?). It is an awesome practice to start.
Unplug. In this hyper speed, 24/7 news cycle with social media hacking at our brains, find a few minutes each day to unplug. Maybe walk without the device (radical!) or take a class that doesn’t allow them (pretty much, all classes!) and just try to exist without the added techno limb.
Supplement. Sadly, our soil sucks. It’s in terrible shape. As a country, we decided to maximize yields at all costs, which means we soaked our soil in pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, so many sides that it is no longer healthy. Not an insurmountable problem, but as we work on regenerative ag, supplement. My partners have some of my favorites: MegaFood Daily Turmeric Boost, Natural Vitality CALM Magnesium and My Kind Vitamin C, Bs and more. Consider adding supplements to your daily routine until we turn around this chemically intensive ag system.
Call someone you love. A lot of friends have lost family members and friends in the last year, so pick up the phone and call someone you love. Start the convo with, “I only have a few minutes, but wanted to check in and say hi…” It doesn’t have to be an hour or even a half an hour. Pick up the phone and let someone you love hear your voice and listen to theirs. Time is fleeting.
Schedule your checkups, and do not forget the dermatologist. This year has been my year of reckoning after growing up in the sun and on beaches. Get into the dermatologist. It’s fast, painless, and a few stern words now can save you from stitches or surgery later.
Plant something. Start with a tomato plant or basil plant or anything simple in a pot. Learn how to grow something, the patience and skills will serve you in so many aspects of life.
Don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good. All too often, we wait for the perfect weight or time or confidence level or moment to let someone we love know that we love them. Don’t wait. Now more than ever, the most important thing that we can put into the world is love. So do your thing. Love big.

If 2017 is any indicator, 2018 is going to be crazy, too. You have to put on your oxygen mask first before you can effectively help others. So buckle up and take care of you, in order to take care of those and all that you love. The world needs you in it.

January 9 2018

Something Smells Rotten in the Peanut Problem

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Food Allergies, Health 0

So I watched Part 2 of Rotten about food allergies. And I have some questions. So I’ve put them into the production team and am waiting to hear back.

I adore Ming Tsai, truly love that man. I was just with him in his restaurant, Blue Dragon, in the fall. If you are ever in Boston, please eat there. And I bow down to the families who came forward for the film. That half of the segment is incredible.

But boy, does the other half come across as a pitch for peanut farmers, and I have serious questions as to the funding and a BIG ASK.

Why no allergist? No allergist interviewed in the section? Why no discussion about the ways that the farmers farm? No discussion. None. It’s a pity party there. And that is a peanut problem.

The film paints a very clean picture of peanut farming, with beautiful green fields, and a dad and daughter. I mean, let’s pull those heart strings for these two. And as someone who is named after a farmer, I bow to the farming efforts.

But to fail to highlight exactly how peanut farming happens? The record amount of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and other methods used to grow those products? The crop rotation that can occur with genetically engineered cotton? One of the most highly polluted crops? To not bring that discussion into the microbiome discussion is irresponsible.

Most of the peanuts consumed in the U.S. are now one of the most pesticide-contaminated snacks we eat. The USDA Pesticide Data Program found 8 pesticides on peanut butter. Piperonyl butoxide was found 26.9% of the time.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center, piperonyl butoxide is considered a possible human carcinogen based on limited evidence of cancer in laboratory animals. Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO), a highly toxic substance that causes a range of short- and long-term effects, including cancer and adverse impacts on liver function and the nervous system, is one of the most commonly used synergists in pesticide products. Synergists are chemicals added to pesticide formulations to enhance the toxicity of the active ingredients.

According to farmers, “Peanuts are raised in the part of our country where peanuts are a rotation crop with cotton. Most of the cotton is glyphosate tolerant and receives numerous glyphosate applications per year. Glyphosate severely damages the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. This leads to an increase in the population of opportunistic or bad organisms in the soil. The bad organisms cause an increase in the number of diseases that will adversely effect the peanut crop. This leads to an increased use of insecticides and fungicides on the peanut crop. It is common to see a conventional peanut crop sprayed with some type of pesticide every 8-10 days during the growing season.”

It is also incredibly irresponsible to solely focus on peanut here when the number of deaths due to milk allergy are exploding. It has me wondering if perhaps the dairy industry is going to fund the next food allergy film with idyllic pastures of cows rather than the CAFO’s that are now part of industrialized dairy?

Are we allergic to food or to what’s been done to do?

And when a doctor is paid mightily by Mylan and fails to disclose those payments prompts parents to reach out, it leads to some big questions?

So that is my peanut problem.

What money was behind this film? Still waiting to hear back.

It’s easy to be misled in this space. Many of us entered into it optimistically, only to realize just how much money is flowing through non-profits and doctors’ offices, without full disclosure. When critical conversations are muted, it’s important to remember what Enron once reminded us to do, “Ask why.”

December 31 2017

Overcoming Glyphosate in 2017

Robyn O'Brien Health, Food Politics 0

There have been some massive changes in 2017 and a lot of upheaval. One of the most important being the conversation around glyphosate. The European Union recently voted on the use of this controversial ingredient, and the president of France took to Twitter to express his opinion: he wants this pesticide prohibited in France within three years which is why I am so grateful for brands like MegaFood® who have gone to extra lengths to ensure that their products do not contain it.

So what’s the issue? Glyphosate has been the go-to weed killer for use on genetically engineered, or GMO, crops since the mid-1990s.

Consequently, “Human exposure to glyphosate, a chemical widely found in weed killers, has increased approximately 500 percent since the introduction of genetically modified crops,” according to a report from the University of California San Diego Health.

And consumers and government agencies around the world are starting to question it, ever since the World Health Organization declared it a probable carcinogen in 2015.

So, consumers have sent a strong response to this: 8 in 10 households in the U.S. now purchase some organic food (because by law, glyphosate is not allowed to be used on organic crops). But to take this quality assurance a step further, one of my favorite brands has gone even further.

MegaFood is dedicated to improving the lives of others by producing premium whole food supplements for those who care about their health and well-being. It’s a product I have used for years, since first meeting the CEO at a summit for the industry. He could not have been more candid and committed.

And MegaFood reflects that. The company is so committed to quality, safety and purity above all, to provide customers with the most authentic nourishment possible that they are the first supplement brand to have its entire line certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project, an independent research and certification organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the public by testing consumer goods and food products for toxic chemicals.

It is because of all of this that I have decided to partner with them to get this news out. I cannot think of anything more important. On top of that, it is a brand that I have used for years, I travel with it, and it literally starts my mornings.

Earning this certification is just one part of MegaFood’s continued commitment toward The Big T Transparency, which is a complete operational transparency between MegaFood employees, suppliers, retailers and customers, as well as its commitment to quality, safety and purity.

It’s a big deal. Glyphosate is the number one herbicide used in the United States, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic in humans.” Nearly 75% of all glyphosate was sprayed in the last ten years.

I am really grateful for full transparency on this, for the freedom to opt out of this controversial ingredient. It may take decades for all of the information to come to light. It did with the tobacco industry. In the meantime, I am grateful to know that MegaFood’s Daily Turmeric Booster Powder, one of my favorite products and something that I take every day, is now independently tested to ensure that it does not contain this controversial ingredient.

We have a lot on our plates as moms and as parents. In light of the growing controversy around this ingredient, I don’t think glyphosate should be one of them.

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December 29 2017

Got Stress? Meet the Magic Mineral Magnesium

Robyn O'Brien Health, From Robyn 0

Life can get absolutely crazy, especially if you have kids. On top of that, it’s the holiday season and the daily headlines may have you asking what is happening to our world!

The ninja skills required to coordinate the moving parts of a house full of kids, a spouse, a career, some advocacy work and keeping up with the headlines require an incredible focus. On top of that, if you are a parent, you know that you can not afford to get sick.

I didn’t always operate this way. I lived on diet soda and fat-free food (if you can call it that) for years. I had a tendency to run hard, play hard and drive myself straight into the ground. I’d crash. Total wipe out.

And then when the health of my kids were hit with different health conditions, conditions now impacting so many children today, I had to reassess. I had to keep my family healthy, and I could not afford to go down.

My background is finance and motherhood. I was a straight A, MBA number cruncher. I knew nothing about food and began reaching out to doctors, pediatricians and dietitians to learn.

There have been a lot of things that have surprised me along the way, but I think one of the most surprising things continues to be that some of the easiest solutions are right in front of us. Things like reducing exposure to pesticides, artificial dyes, GMOs, since we don’t know the long-term impact.

But one day, sitting in the pediatrician’s office, he asked, “Do you guys take magnesium?” We were there because one of the kids was dealing with a bullying situation at school, and the stress was high.

“No, why?” And he started listing the benefits and the fact that 80% of Americans could be deficient.

“How did this happen?” I asked, thinking about my 104 year old grandmother. He wasn’t sure, so I got digging into the research.

It turns out that current industrial agricultural methods take from the soil more than they give.

It turns out that current industrial agricultural methods take from the soil more than they give. Monoculture (growing the same crop year in and year out, which depletes the soil of nutrients), synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and aggressive tilling further deplete minerals and trace elements from the soil and leave it vulnerable to erosion. This means much of the produce that we eat today has fewer nutrients than before these methods were utilized. In other words, this new way of farming stripped our soil. The word is “chelation”. And chemicals like glyphosate strip away key things like copper, zinc and magnesium. No one knows this better than Dr. Don Huber, a professor emeritus and retired military colonel who bravely spoke out on this.

As I dug into the research, I learned that a carrot you eat today can have 10 to 25 percent fewer vitamins and minerals than a carrot did twenty-five years ago.

And magnesium is one of those minerals that has been depleted. And it’s an important one.

True to form, I thought, “If magnesium can truly do all of this, why isn’t everyone talking about this? And how have I never heard of it?”

Because unfortunately, not enough docs get enough nutrition and this training (launching the industry for registered dietitians).

And here’s what I learned.

Every day, hundreds of complex chemical reactions occur in your body—and helping to regulate more than 350 of them is the hardworking mineral Magnesium.

Most of us are woefully deficient in this powerhouse of a mineral. Some doctors estimate that 80% of Americans aren’t getting enough magnesium. According to the National Institute of Health, an adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50% to 60% present in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues.

According to Dr. Frank Lipman, “Every day, hundreds of complex chemical reactions occur in your body—and helping to regulate more than 350 of them is the hardworking mineral Magnesium. Keep magnesium levels high and you’ll help protect your body against heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, type-2 diabetes, migraines, insomnia and depression.”

Shoot! Who wouldn’t want that?

So where to find this magic mineral and which company makes one of the greatest? (Take a peak here!)

Read on to Part 2.

December 18 2017

The Roundup Revenue Stream: 2.6 Billion Pounds of Monsanto’s Glyphosate Sprayed on U.S. Farmland in 20 Years

Robyn O'Brien GMOs, Health 1

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Glyphosate has been the go-to weed killer for use on genetically engineered, or GMO, crops since the mid-1990s, when Monsanto introduced its “Roundup Ready” corn and soybeans.

“Human exposure to glyphosate, a chemical widely found in weed killers, has increased approximately 500 percent since the introduction of genetically modified crops,” according to a new report from the University of California San Diego Health.

Monsanto’s signature herbicide glyphosate, first marketed as “Roundup,” is now the most widely and heavily applied weed-killer in the history of chemical agriculture in both the U.S. and globally, according to a landmark report published in the journal, Environmental Sciences Europe.

Since 1974 in the U.S., over three billion, five hundred twenty million pounds of glyphosate active ingredient have been applied. Globally, glyphosate use has risen almost 15-fold since so-called “Roundup Ready,” genetically engineered crops were introduced in 1996. It’s a brilliant business model for the chemical company – genetically engineer seeds to withstand increased applications of your signature weed killer.

Headlines around the world are sounding the alarm. In Europe, one recently read, ” A release of internal emails has revealed that U.S. agrochemical giant Monsanto manipulated studies of the company’s herbicide, Roundup. Experts believe the product causes cancer – and the consequences for the company could be dire.”

As Bayer cut Monsanto’s deal value by $2.5 billion, this is worth another investigation.

See below to watch a time-lapse video of the spread of glyphosate across America over the 20-year period. Nearly 75% of all glyphosate was sprayed in the last ten years. (More data here.)[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Recent research has found that exposure to glyphosate doubles the risk of developing cancer. Since the use of the herbicide on GMO crops has exploded in recent years, it’s no wonder people overwhelmingly want GMO-containing food products to be labeled.

Here are the states that spray the most glyphosate year by year:

topten_750 — Photo credit: USGS, Pesticide National Synthesis Project

Glyphosate primarily blankets fields of GMO corn and GMO soybeans—the two most widely planted crops in the U.S. This table shows how many acres of these herbicide-tolerant GMOs were grown in 2014 in the states that produced the most.

no matter where you live, you should have the right to know if the food your family is eating was produced with GMOs. While 60% of the world’s population have that right already, Americans do not.

Tell Washington that it’s time to stand with the 90 percent of Americans who want mandatory GMO labeling so that we can know that this is being sprayed on our dinner plates.

Originally published at EcoWatch.

Photo by timparkinson [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

November 20 2017

Republican Congressman Joins Growing Bipartisan Effort to Fund USDA Organic Agriculture

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Health 0

Many have no idea that only 1% of our farmland in the U.S. is organic. Given that over 80% of households now purchase organic, that number is shockingly low. Companies like Kashi have established a third party certification program to help farmers convert conventional land to organic land. It’s a brilliant idea. More are needed. The funding for organic farms hasn’t been there, because the Farm Bill, the piece of legislation that determines financial support for U.S. farmers, heavily favors commodities—corn and soy, the foundation of our junk food system.

It’s been fascinating to watch this play out over the last several years. As Big Food increasingly buys into the organic food movement, the supply chain has barely budged. This is not sustainable. We are importing organic ingredients, rather than building out our supply chain here. Stuck at 1%, sectors in the organic industry are now suggesting that hydroponic “farms” by labeled “organic.” These “farms” are plastic containers and towers that don’t rely on inputs like sunshine and soil, but rather are regulated by technology, water systems and require nutrient inputs to account for their soilless nature. It’s not a bad idea, as it also requires far less water. But is it organic? That’s the question that is up for debate. And it’s a big one.

Thankfully, this isn’t just a conversation between lobbyists in DC, the dairy industry or parents around kitchen tables.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) has joined the growing bipartisan effort to increase funding for the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). As a co-sponsor of the Organic Agriculture Research Act (HR 2436) Rep. LaMalfa joins fellow Agriculture Committee member, Congressman John Faso (R-NY), California Congressman David Valadao (R-CA), and 50 other Members of Congress who have signed on to support the bill.

HR2436 was sponsored originally by Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). The bill seeks to renew the OREI program and increase its funding to $50 million per year.

“California agriculture adds more than $47 billion a year to our state’s economy, responsible for over half of all the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the country,” said LaMalfa. “As markets and consumer demands change, it’s important we provide our farmers and ranchers with the tools they need to keep up and remain competitive. The OREI program does just that, and I’m proud to support this legislation.”

Sales of organic products continue to grow by double digits (23% growth in 2016, USDA Organic Production Survey). Yet, U.S. organic production is growing at a relatively slower pace. American farms are not keeping up with consumer demand, and we are increasingly turning to imported organic products. This is a lost opportunity for our farmers, our communities, and our country. Federal investment in organic research has been stagnant for nearly a decade. Congressman LaMalfa and the bill’s other co-sponsors are leading Congress to help American farmers meet the challenges of organic farming systems and highly competitive global markets.

Organic farms and businesses have proven to be a strong engine of jobs and economic health throughout the U.S. and California’s 1^st District is no exception. Congressman LaMalfa has 234 certified organic operations in his district according to the Organic Trade Association.

“We are grateful to Congressman LaMalfa for taking the time to hear directly from farmers about the importance of increased investment in organic research,” said Brise Tencer, Executive Director at OFRF. “It is encouraging to see this level of bipartisan support for a bill that will help America’s organic farmers succeed.”

The Organic Agriculture Research Act is endorsed by the Organic Farming Research Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation, California Certified Organic Farmers, and the Organic Trade Association.

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is a non-profit foundation that works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production. Please visit their site to learn more.

November 19 2017

Thanksgiving 2017: 100 Days of Real Food’s Simple Grapefruit Salad

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Health 0

This week, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes from friends whose work I admire. These will be on our table, as I love to keep it festive, fun and light.

Diet is no longer one size fits all either—with the rates of diabetes, food allergies, food sensitivities and more, along with friends and family members who are vegan, I’ve learned to offer something for everyone.

I’ve also watched hosts get totally bogged down in the prep and spoil their own holidays never coming up for air. Keep in mind that your guests are coming to nourish their hearts as much as they are coming to nourish their bellies!

So these recipes are from friends and partners, some I’ve known for almost a decade. You will impress your guests, keep it fresh and also have fun. What could be better!

This Simple Grapefruit Avocado Salad is from my amazing friend, Lisa, at 100 Days of Real Food. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 5 ounce bag/box spinach
1 grapefruit – peeled and diced
1 avocado – peeled and diced
1/3 cup red onion – diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice – fresh squeezed
1 tsp honey
salt – to taste
pepper – to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Toss together the spinach, grapefruit, avocado and red onion.
In a small jar or another container with a tight-fitting lid, shake together the oil, juice, honey, salt and pepper just until the dressing is emulsified. Toss with the salad mix until evenly coated and serve.

November 17 2017

New Research Finds Common Herbicides Cause Antibiotic Resistance

Robyn O'Brien Health 0

New University of Canterbury research confirms that the active ingredients of the commonly used herbicides, RoundUp, Kamba and 2,4-D (glyphosate, dicamba and 2,4-D, respectively), each alone cause antibiotic resistance at concentrations well below label application rates.

University of Canterbury (UC) Molecular Biology and Genetics Professor Jack Heinemann, of the School of Biological Sciences, in UC’s College of Science, says the key finding of the research was that “bacteria respond to exposure to the herbicides by changing how susceptible they are to antibiotics used in human and animal medicine.”

The herbicides studied are three of the most widely used in the world, including New Zealand, Professor Heinemann says.

“They are among the most common manufactured chemical products to which people, pets and livestock in both rural and urban environments are exposed. These products are sold in the local hardware store and may be used without training, and there are no controls that prevent children and pets from being exposed in home gardens or parks. Despite their ubiquitous use, this University of Canterbury research is the first in the world to demonstrate that herbicides may be undermining the use of a fundamental medicine-antibiotics.”

The new paper led by UC researchers also finds that inert ingredients (surfactants) that are commonly used in some herbicide formulations and processed foods also cause antibiotic resistance. The new study found an antibiotic resistance response was caused by both the tested surfactants, Tween80 and CMC. Both are also used as emulsifiers in foods like ice cream and in medicines, and both cause antibiotic resistance at concentrations allowed in food and food-grade products.

With expertise in genetic engineering, bacterial genetics and biosafety, Professor Heinemann has some recommendations: “The sub-lethal effects of industrially manufactured chemical products should be considered by regulators when deciding whether the products are safe for their intended use,” he says.

“More emphasis needs to be placed on antibiotic stewardship compared to new antibiotic discovery.

Otherwise, new drugs will fail rapidly and be lost to humanity.”

The researchers first observed this antibiotic resistance in their paper published in the American Society of Microbiology’s journal mBio in 2015. This follow-up study was conducted in order to identify which ingredients in herbicides were responsible.

Antibiotic resistance is the cause of nearly a million additional deaths worldwide from infectious diseases, Professor Heinemann says.

“The United States, for example, estimates that more than two million people are sickened every year with antibiotic-resistant infections, with at least 23,000 dying as a result. By 2050, resistance is estimated to add 10 million annual deaths globally with a cumulative cost to the world economy of US$100 trillion. In other words, roughly twice the population of New Zealand will be lost annually to antibiotic resistance.”

The paper, “Herbicide ingredients change Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium and Escherichia coli antibiotic responses”, will publish online in the peer-reviewed journal Microbiology on November 17 at 5am eastern/10am GMT, and is available now under embargo.

Background

Herbicides are chemicals used to control weeds. Because they kill organisms, they are biocides. As their primary purpose is to kill plants, their effects on some non-target organisms are not as well studied.

Antibiotics are also biocides. Antibiotic resistance allows bacteria that previously could be controlled by antibiotics to continue to cause disease and remain infectious for longer, even in the presence of antibiotics. Resistance to at least one major clinical antibiotic is now found in all human pathogens, and some important pathogens can be resistant to all but one antibiotic, or even all antibiotics. Even in wealthy countries, antibiotic resistance is responsible for billions of dollars of increased health care costs, additional suffering and tens of thousands of deaths each year.

Many biocides have effects on either target or non-target organisms at concentrations that do not kill. These are called sub-lethal effects. When pesticides, including herbicides, are reviewed for their safety by regulators, the focus is on acute and sometimes chronic toxicity using mortality as an endpoint. Much less information is sought on potential sub-lethal effects, particularly for microbes.

“Where this information is sought, it is usually only for people or animals. We are unaware of any regulator ever considering the risk of sub-lethal effects on bacteria. That is what makes this new research so important.”

Source: University of Canterbury

October 19 2017

Magnesium May Boost Brain Power

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Health 0

With high school kids sitting the SAT and applying to colleges, we’ve been having a lot of conversations about ways to boost brain power. What we eat defines every cell in our body. It’s our input for everything, including our brains.

This article from the Nutritional Magnesium Association touches on yet another reason why it is so important to get adequate levels of magnesium. As I’ve shared before, our favorite brand that the kids love is Natural Vitality’s Natural Calm which can easily mixed into a berry spritzer, warm water or a smoothie.

This article shines another light on just how important this mineral is and why you may want to speak with your doctor about incorporating it into your daily routine.

Mice given extra doses of a new magnesium compound had better working memory, long-term memory and greater learning ability.

Before you go popping heavy doses of magnesium, however, know that much more testing is needed. Though rodent brains work similarly to ours, animal studies do not always predict what will happen in humans.

“If MgT is shown to be safe and effective in humans, these results may have a significant impact on public health,” said Guosong Liu, director of the Center for Learning and Memory at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Magnesium is an essential element found in some fruits, spinach, and other dark leafy greens. It is known to be important for the immune system. Consume less than 400 milligrams a day and you may be at greater risk for allergies, asthma and heart disease.

The element was shown brain-boosting abilities in earlier studies using cultured brain cells. But the new compound — magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) — was tested in animals and found to be effective.

“We found that elevation of brain magnesium led to significant enhancement of spatial and associative memory in both young and aged rats,” Liu said.

In young and aged rats, MgT increased plasticity among synapses, the connections among neurons, and boosted the density of synapses in the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory.

“Half the population of the industrialized countries has a magnesium deficit, which increases with aging,” Liu said. “If normal or even higher levels of magnesium can be maintained, we may be able to significantly slow age-related loss of cognitive function and perhaps prevent or treat diseases that affect cognitive function.”

The research is detailed in the Jan. 28 issue of the journal “Neuron”. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the National Basic Research Program of China and other institutions.

Again, the brand that we love is Natural Vitality’s Natural Calm which can easily mixed into a berry spritzer, warm water or a smoothie.