What's New in Natural Foods

December 2008

Hello Everyone

I've recently returned from San Francisco where I attended the Weston A. Price Wise Traditions conference. As always, I've been re-inspired and I'm excited about everything I learned. In this issue, I'll highlight some of the important things I took away, such as how nutrition affects our mental health, and how genetically modified foods continue to threaten our food supply. In my mind, the latter is scary stuff-which makes it all the more important to be informed.

Also, read about the wonderful Twin Cities resources for nutrient dense foods year round, Traditional Foods Minnesota. And check out the synopsis on my December 4 coconut class at the Wedge in Minneapolis: right, coconut products as health food.

If December has you running around crazy, don't forget to pay attention to your nutrition. Dinner with Jennette meals will do the trick--some tempting previews are mentioned below.

back to top

WAPF Wise Traditions Conference Updates

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health for people and the environment through nutrient-dense foods. Every year the foundation presents a nutrition conference with speakers from around the world who lecture on a variety of nutrition and food related topics. This year's theme was "Nutrition for Mental and Emotional Health."

Vitamin Deficiencies Affect Moods
One of the most interesting discussions was about the roles that vitamins A and D play in preventing anxiety and depression. Research has long demonstrated the protective effects of vitamin D against mental illnesses. Now new studies are finding that vitamin A is a factor, too, and that both vitamins regulate dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is one of our "pleasure" neurotransmitters, and it supports motivation. Without enough A and D, we are prone to depressive conditions. Vitamins A and D also help regulate levels of cortisol, one of the body's stress hormones. In the absence of enough A and D, cortisol levels can get too high, resulting in more anxious responses to every day stressors.

I was disheartened to learn that the median intake of vitamin A for all age groups in the U.S. is below the R.D.A. (especially problematic considering that the R.D.A. is the nutritional "floor"), and that deficiencies of vitamin D in our country are "epidemic."

Nutrition Improvements
The best sources of A are liver, fatty fish and fish oils, egg yolks and butter. Beta-carotene, which is found in plant foods such as carrots, yams and kale, can be converted to vitamin A in the body as long as dietary fat intake is adequate, though the amounts found in these foods are much smaller in comparison. The best sources of vitamin D are sunlight (you need at least 30 minutes of exposed skin in the sun during peak hours every day - hard to come by here in the frozen Midwest), fatty fish and fish oils, egg yolks, and dairy products (especially butter) from grass-fed cows. Make sure you get enough! I recommend taking a good quality fish oil or cod liver oil supplement to help cover your bases.

back to top

Say NO to GMOs

The WAPF keynote speaker, Jeffrey Smith, had cautionary words about the dangers of genetically modified foods, urging a call to action for consumers to boycott products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO)s. Smith, author of two books on the subject, is the Executive Director of the The Institute for Responsible Technology, which has instituted the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.

Genetically modified (GM) plants such as soybeans, corn and canola have had genes from bacteria and viruses (which have never been in the human food supply) forced into their DNA. Doing this makes the plants tolerant to otherwise deadly doses of herbicides, and/or inserts pesticides into the plants themselves. So when you eat these plants you're essentially inviting a pesticide factory into your body.

Simply put, GMOs are not safe. They've been linked to thousands of toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in lab animals.

GMOS--Conflicts of Interest
According to Smith, The FDA didn't require any safety evaluations for GMOs before allowing them into the food supply in 1996, even though their own scientists warned that GMOs can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects including new diseases and nutritional problems. Why? Because the FDA official in charge of creating their policy on GMOs was Michael Taylor, an attorney for Monsanto (the world's largest biotechnology corporation), who later became the company's vice president.

It takes a real effort to avoid GMOs in your diet. Unless it is certified organic, almost all of the soy, corn and canola grown in this country contain GMOs. And almost all processed foods contain some form of soy and/or corn derived additives - even "organic" products, which are allowed to have five percent of their ingredients be non-organic. This means that most of our country is unknowingly and unwillingly participating in the long-term safety studies that should have been done before these organisms were released into our food supply.

Call to Action
Incensed? You should be. Want to get involved in the movement to protect consumers from the dangers of GMOs and learn about how to avoid them in your own food? Click here to join the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.

Check out Jeffrey Smith's website, too -- Seeds of Deception. I highly recommend his books: "Seeds of Deception" and "Genetic Roulette."

Super-duper Coconut December 4

If you're a Twin Cities resident, join us at the Wedge for this interesting class. When we talk about "Superfoods"--highly nutritious foods that ward off disease--we should think coconut. Not only does it help prevent illness, it's a versatile cooking product that tastes delicious! This class debunks the myths about coconut products and describes their substantive nutritional attributes, among them: boosting the immune system, increasing metabolism and improving digestion. We'll demonstrate how to integrate this superfood into some tasty recipes like Coconut-Tomato Soup, Coconut Flour Muffins, Coconut Mint Candies, and Coconut Roasted Yams. You'll also learn how to make some new healthful treats just in time for the holidays.

Stay Healthy with December Meals

Looking for ideas about preparing nutrient-dense foods? Subscribe to Dinner with Jennette and see how easy making nourishing meals can be! The December meals dishes such as "Sesame Salmon with Shiitake Mushrooms," "Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie with Lamb and Spinach" and "Hungarian Chicken with Paprika Cream Sauce." This month's tasty side dishes include "Rosemary-Honey Baked Carrots and Parsnips," "Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Dill" and "Frisee Salad with Garlicky Mustard Vinaigrette."

Dinner with Jennette meals are all nutritionally balanced, seasonally appropriate, and provide a wide variety of foods and flavors that will keep you interested in cooking healthfully.

As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Wishing you and yours a nourishing holiday season,
Jennette