No trip to Carolina Beach would be complete without a trip (or two…or three) to the famous Britt’s Donut Shop where the same glazed donuts have been made for over 70 years. One of the top donut shops in the country, these melt in your mouth in a way that should be illegal.

My friend Philippe made his famous Shrimp Provencale with jumbo shrimp caught off a captain’s boat that morning. Yet throughout this relaxing, wonderful trip, I kept thinking about meat.

Here, you may pause. Beach, sand, shrimp…meat? What am I talking about?

Some of you may recall my ongoing dilemma about meat. While Zomppa Tsering has been supportive about my potential in becoming a vegetarian, I am still an omnivore. I have read about CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and factory farms and have watched videos like MeetYourMeat. (warning: video is graphic).

Julia Whitty of Mother Jones reports that global meat production is expected to double over the next four decades, with negative impact on air and water pollution, diseases, and pathogens. Leslie Hatfield of EcoCentric wrote a great article comparing CAFOs with sustainable pork practices.

So in lieu of meat, I have recently been trying more soy-based products (I am allergic to some soy). But even eating some of these products make me nervous.

• Does soy have long-term negative effects? Andreas Moritz reports that soy – especially those from genetically modified plants – can increase risk of cancers and thyroid disorders among other issues.
• Are veggie burgers really better than meat? The Cornucopia Institute has reported that most non-organic veggie burgers contain hexane, an air pollutant and neurotoxin.
• Is it false advertising to suggest soy milk has the same nutrients as regular milk? The National Milk Producers Federation says no.

But I haven’t been content with only soy-based products. I still craved meat – but was it OK for me to eat it? A couple weeks ago, I finished the book, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, which reminded me that while I eat animals, I had never watched an animal being slaughtered for my consumption. So on the Friday before I went to the beach, I visited the Homestead Harvest Farm in Wake Forest, NC. Owned and operated by the extraordinary Jan Campbell, her Animal Welfare-approved farm is a place where her chickens, ducks, and turkeys roam freely, behaving as animals do, and maturing naturally as animals should. When it came time for the processing, I observed how Jan gently stroked each chicken and talked to it through the entire process to keep it calm. The process is quick and thoughtful, and done with extreme care. She honors each life.

It was with this experience that I found myself sitting on the beach, contemplating my dilemma. Folks like Jan Campbell and farms like Homestead are as far away from CAFOs as you can get. If more people treated animals the way Jan Campbell does, our meat would be more humanely raised, healthy, and delicious.

Why do factory farms exist then? So many questions, not enough answers.

As I debated with myself about my consumption of animals one early morning on the beach, I saw a rather unusual sight.

A crab eating a jellyfish. The cycle of life and death continues.

A cycle we should honor.

]]> http://www.zomppa.com/2010/07/28/contemplating-meat-on-a-nc-beach/feed/ 5 http://www.zomppa.com/2010/06/02/got-drugstore-cow-milk/ http://www.zomppa.com/2010/06/02/got-drugstore-cow-milk/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:18:33 +0000 Belinda http://www.zomppa.com/?p=5791 Got milk?

While there is debate out there (i.e. T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study – good read if you haven’t yet) about cow’s milk and its benefits and dangers, a lot of us drink milk or at least give it to our children. But do you know where your milk comes from? If you said, cows, you are right. But do you know where those cows come from and how they are raised?

Many of you are familiar with CAFOs and “drugstore cows” and many of you are not. CAFOs are Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, where animals are pretty much confined in small places where they eat, urinate, defecate, and often die all in the same place with little or no grass or vegetation. There are many resources out there (look them up!) and these factory farms are perfect breeding grounds for bacterial growth and who knows what else. According to the CDC, over 75 million Americans get sick from the food they eat.

Note: these pigs are NOT from a CAFO – they are being humanely raised by a local farmer.

Drugstore cows are cows raised with unnatural diets and pumped with hormones and antibiotics to speed up their growth, which also speed up the possibility of illness (I actually had an argument recently with a woman who swore that a cow’s natural diet is corn and that the “media” was trying to lie to us that cows ate grass…did she think cows shucked corn with their hooves?). Most Americans are directly and indirectly affected by these hormones and drugs that have longer-term consequences than just a bad stomachache.

According to The Ecologist, the chemical pollutants passed from mother to child through the placenta or breastmilk can last decades…or even a lifetime. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) noted that it takes this long for a child to get rid of 99% of inherited pollution (note: that is not 100%):

• Phthalata platicisers (flexible plastics, etc.): 1 day
• Mercury: 1 year
• Flame retardant and stain-proofing chemicals: 12 – 60 years
• Lead: 166 years

This means generations of your children good be affected, causing permanent genetic changes. Does this mean simply not eating meat or drinking milk? But vegetables are not immune to bacteria and toxins. Recall outbreaks of E.coli in bagged spinach or the recent studies linking pesticides and ADHD. Check out this blog, Are You Sure You Want to Eat That?, for more information. Or what about the scandal of corporate greed and bribes and the sale of tainted foods?

So who is responsible for ensuring the safety of what we eat, meat or vegetable? In 2007, the FDA turned to states to step up their food safety programs. There is an ongoing debate whether federal or state control is more effective at ensuring the food safety of large national and multinational food companies.

Rather than getting caught up in this debate and risk harming ourselves and our families, it’s time that we recognize we are responsible for our food safety…as much as possible.

Buy local. Know where you food comes from. Better yet, know the person who grows or raises your food. If your food is not factory-produced or overly processed, the chances of these contaminants become lower. We cannot rely on some federal or state government regulation to do this for us. We have to take charge of our own lives.

Let’s start with our milk since many of our children drink it daily. where is my milk from? is a great website where you can source most of your dairy products.

Source: where is my milk from?

PS June is Dairy Month! For more and an insightful video, check this out.

A drug-free glass of milk and one of ZomppaPatty’s Whoopie Pies. Now that’s something I can get behind.

We’ve all heard  that drinking gallons of water can not only keep your insides running right, but also help you with clear skin. So it’s no surprise to any of us that what you eat and drink can impact not just your weight and love handles, but also the clearness and elasticity of skin – which also happens to be signs of health.

Skin health is also linked to foods like cabbage, carrots, and pumpkins because they help our skin to release the gabillion toxins that get into our bodies. But just as I am careful of the food I buy, I have become more and more conscious of what I put on my skin. After all, 60% of chemicals get directly absorbed through our skin into our bloodstream - why do you think nicotine patches work?.

We see organic soaps at the farmer’s markets. We’ve written about how BPA can leech into our food. So if we care about what we ingest, why do we sometimes view natural or organic cosmetics and household products a luxury? Yes, I use bamboo pillows (cool to the touch) and my duvet is made of recycled materials. Before you think I have exorbitant amounts of money – I wish – I don’t.

I just don’t have that much stuff.

The few items I do buy I spend a little more money because I’d rather not use a dangerous toxic chemical to clean my dishes, even if it’s on sale for $0.99. I went through my entire house and pulled out all the products that my skin potentially absorbs. I thought I would share them here and why I use them. Three things of note:

• No company paid me for writing about them – I just use them
• This might be TMI – but I’m gonna share with you my daily habits
• This is ALL the household cleansers and toiletries and cosmetics I use.The only exception is that I do have a bottle of that goo-ey orange stuff that helps in sticky situations.  The point is: it doesn’t require a lot of money – just buy fewer, higher quality items.

My day starts with brushing teeth with all-natural Tom’s of Maine. They are free of artificial preservatives and colorings, and do a ton of research. And if you’re like me and you sometimes swallow your toothpaste by mistake, I want to be careful I’m not eating some weird toxin.

I use Avalon Organics for my facial cleanser and moisturizer for several reasons. They’re affordable, the moisturizer has SPF 15 and I’m often forgetful to use it (when I do, my favorite is California Baby – fabulous and doesn’t clog your skin. They are also paraben-free, petroleum-free, and propylene glycol-free (propy-huh?), which is known to negatively impact the kidney and liver. Petroleum doesn’t allow the skin to breathe properly.

What are parabens? They are chemicals that preserve stuff. They are also know to be carcinogenic (link to breast cancer) and screw up your endocrine systems by mocking estrogen.

I don’t use deodorant. OK, before you wrinkle your noses, I use a stone instead, the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. They don’t contain the type of aluminum that is tied to kidney problems and if I’m putting this near my lymphnodes, I want to be as safe as possible.

I use an eyeliner by Gabriel Cosmetics, as they also use natural preservatives. I use Earth Science’s Chamomile & Green Tea Eye Make Up Remover – it’s hypo-allergenic, non-irritating, and paraben-free.

Bored of my daily routine yet? In the bathroom, I keep Nature’s Gate Organics soaps and hand moisturizer. They not only smell good, but they are a company dedicated to supporting clean water.

My body wash is from Burt’s Bees, a recognized leader in environmental sustainability and social responsibility. I’m a night showerer, so this feels fabulous after a long day, but you don’t need a lot so a bottle goes a long way.

If you have a dry scalp like me, finding the right shampoo is not easy. TheraNeem Organix uses neem, which is made from the seed of a fruit and rich in fatty acids and anti-oxidants, and known for its positive effects on skin.

My two skin indulgences that I splurge on are my Evan Healy products. I have this terrible sun spot on my cheek and I use their Pomegranate Repair Serum with Sea Buckthorn Oil. Sounds fancy, huh. Sea buckhorn is known to have restorative properties to help with skin sensitivities and serve as an antioxidant.

Their French Rose Clay is also a lovely (and less expensive) way to give myself a facial at home.

And for you ladies, I use Seventh Generation’s Chlorine-Free pantyliners and pads. They’re safe, chlorine-free and absorbant!

Did I gross you out? Sorry…but it’s life. Moving to the kitchen (almost done …), I also use Seventh Generation’s Natural Dish Liquid. They are hypo-allergenic, bio-degradable, and free of phosphates.

This brand also finds its way to my laundry with its Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent. It saves me money because I can use less and it’s non-toxic for my skin.

Kitchen soap is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, which has “a near neutral pH that makes them safe for skin contact.”

Lastly, my floors and countertops.  I use Method. Their almond Wood for Good Floor Cleaner makes your house smell amazing and their non-toxic cleaners are perfect. They make me feel more comfortable that if I drop some food on the countertop, it’s not going to be touching some dangerous chemical.

Whew. If you got to this line, thanks for sticking with me. It seems like a lot, and I probably could just use vinegar and water in some cases, but given that this is my entire use of personal and household products, I think I’m doing OK. I also like these companies because what they stand for.

It’s amazing when you go through your house, how much stuff has the potential to hurt you – and it’s not only with what we ingest. If you have children or thinking about having them, this is even more important. There’s just a lot we don’t know, but I’d rather be a bit safer. Consider going through your house and do an inventory. You don’t have to spend a lot, just spend it smarter.

A great site to check the safety of your products is from the Environmental Working Group.

Our skin requires healthy food, too.

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is an organic compound, a chemical that is used in many food packages, such as the lining of cans, baby bottles, and water bottles. It’s used because it’s lightweight, durable, and versatile. But BPA has been suspected of being bad for humans starting in the 1930s. Since it mimics the body’s hormones, research over the decades have found correlations between exposure and negative health effects, from infant brain development, obesity, cancer, sexual dysfunction…and also bad for the ecology. In Japan, industry VOLUNTARILY (strange concept, eh?) removed BPA lining 10 years ago.

Source: Wikipedia

Prior to January 10, 2010, the FDA assured the public that there was no risk to human. In On January 10, 2010, the FDA announced:

“on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.”

SOME concern? Yikes! Even if you don’t care about the environment, maybe you care about pregnant moms and babies? OK, maybe you don’t care about babies, how about getting fat? OK, how about messing up your sex lives?

What can you do?

• Educate yourself about what companies are doing to ensure your foodstuffs are BPA-free.

Stay up to date with sites like the Bisphenol A Free with news, product reviews, and downloadable guides to protect you and your family. Whole Foods has been blogging about their efforts to ensure transparency. Bloggers like ZRecs review baby-safe, BPA-free prodcuts.

• Stay away from #7 plastics (look at the bottom), including food containers and water bottles (buying bottled water is another issue for another time).

A couple years ago, I started hearing about this, recycled any plastic bottles, and switched to SIGG bottles. I spent a nice little chunk of change for my pretty little bottle and even bought Cake Mountain Man his own.

Then last year, reports came out that the original SIGG bottles weren’t safe. Now they have come out with BPA-free bottles and I’ve heard they even replace your old ones. I admit, though, mine now sits in the back of my shelf because I bought it before 2008.

• Find out which companies are or going BPA-free. Use glass jars rather than plastic or canned, especially for tomatoes.

ZomppaPatty uses the Lucini brand and has a great recipe for pizza sauce here. My parents always told me to avoid canned tomatoes, but they never had an explanation other than it’s “bad for you.” Guess they may have been on to something. The high acidity of tomatoes can lead to greater leaching of BPA. Glass tomatoes are hard to find, but if I can’t use fresh or frozen tomatoes (ones that I do), I use bionaturae. Yes, it’s more expensive, but I figure I might as well spend a bit more now than pay thousands of dollars in medical care later on.

• Don’t microwave plastic containers.

I recycled all my plastic containers and use Pyrex to cook, freeze, heat my food. Yes, they’re heavier than plastic, but they don’t get that funky smell or that discoloration.

• Carry your own utensils – especially for infants.

I carry around these fabulous collapsible bamboo chopsticks. Granted, I don’t always use them, but they fit in my little bag (I don’t carry a purse, so yes, they’re small).

Are the studies conclusive on BPA? No. But now the FDA is serious about investigating it. In the meantime, stay aware and the results? TBA.

This is definitely a dilemma for me. I love animals. I love dogs. I think pigs are really smart animals. I care about the environment. I recycle. I reuse bags. I pay extra for the recycled business cards.

Am I a hypocrite?

For those of you who eat meat, I’m sure you understand. For those of you who don’t, please don’t prejudge me yet. I have tried to go vegetarian, but I really like meat and my body doesn’t really do well with only vegetables (or only grains).

A few weeks ago, we joined Blog Action Day on the issue of climate change. BTW, I thought I was so clever today and made up the word “carbon fooDprint.” Turns out, there’s a neat organization – Cool Foods Campaign –  where you can learn more about how to reduce your carbon “foodprint” via your food!

ANYWAYS, this issue just gets more interesting…let’s see a run-down just the last couple weeks…

Lord Stern of the UK (not a vegetarian himself) warned the public they need to turn vegetarian in the Times October 27, 2009. You’re probably familiar with the argument that cattle and pig emissions (i.e. farts and stuff) are more dangerous than carbon dioxide to global warming.

The first country to take this connection seriously is Sweden. In Elisabeth Rosenthal’s October 22, 2009 article, she reports that the Swedish  government is taking steps to literally track their food by labeling the carbon dioxide emissions on food products and menus, from pastas to burgers.

Has this changed anything? Well, it seems that restaurants have found up to 75% of their carbon footprint attributable to meat. But even when they put these labels on their menu items and the more “climate-friendly items” have seen an increase in sales, some people just want a burger. They may feel a bit guilty ordering it, but they do anyways.

Moreover, she notes that the environmental cost is not just because of meat. Rosenthal notes that there are other factors like the type of soil used to grow the cattle’s food. So if we cannot cut meat entirely out of the human diet (which I don’t anticipate happening), then as Michael Pollan and others argue, we really should be paying more attention to where the meat comes from and how the animals are raised.

Rancher Nicolette Hahn Niman wrote in the New York Times on October 30, 2009 about this exact dilemma and raises some provoking points, affirming Rosenthal’s contention that it’s not as simple as meat/no meat, but how the land and surroundings are cared for in the raising of said meat. She points out that smaller, traditional, local farms don’t really have these carbon emissions that lead to global warming whether it is because of distance to market or little reliance on machinery (which sucks up energy).

And can vegetarians eat completely guiltless? Niman points out the reliance on soy for protein…and the most common soy and tofu found in supermarkets are from deforested lands overseas. Between large agribusiness emitting carbons to ship soy from overseas to large agribusiness companies like Monsanto destroying entire ecosystems in the Midwest to grow soybeans, we might have to think again whether meat is the only culprit to massive carbon “foodprints”.

Photo Source: Ecolitics Now

So what does this all mean? As Michael Pollan says, eat less meat. Eat more locally. By buying organic and local meat (which is also more expensive), I naturally buy and eat less. If I can’t get to the farmer’s market, I buy my meat at Whole Foods, where I know they have actually walked the walk with their involvement with the Animal Compassion Fund and Animal Welfare Standards.

I’m not sure I can ever fully resolve this dilemma. I sleep on organic cotton sheets, but my towels are not. I bike or walk where I can, but my car still gets lots of usage. But if Elisabeth Rosenthal is right that “”changing one’s diet can be as effective in reducing emissions of climate-changing gases as changing the car one drives or doing away with the clothes dryer,” then is it possible for me to care about the planet and animals, but still eat a little locally-, organically-, humanely-raised meat once in a while?

Starting today, I’ll start by cutting out meat 3 days a week.

Why?

It doesn’t have too nice things to say about big agribusiness and Monsanto.  With the recession and everything, I admit I sometimes have wavered – is it REALLY worth that extra several dollars per pound to get that word “organic” or “herbicide-free” or “bovine-growth-hormone-free” on my food package label? Do I really know what that means or does it make me feel better just because? Sometimes when I see how much the organic product is over the non-organic, I forget about the truth, such as Monsanto’s use of RoundUp Ready to kill weeds, which also ends up changing the actual genetic makeup of the crops such as soybeans, and in turn ultimately impact us.

This documentary is worth a look – the stuff about cows and soybeans are scary, especially for those of you trying to add soy and dairy to your or your family’s diets. I grew up during a time when milk was pumped with hormones. My sister and I drank gallons of it every few days, and it’s scary to think that my body will probably end up paying for it as I start to age. Check out Treehugger’s interesting question on bovine hormone here.

Photo source: Treehugger

Why are these videos so hidden away from the American public? Let’s start paying closer attention and remember – yes, hormone-free foods may cost an extra dollar or so, but if that means one less cup of Starbucks coffee or fewer junk magazines, I’d rather put those extra dollars into my food now than thousands later into healthcare with regret when it’s too late.

Take contol of what goes into your body.

For those who assume soy is the healthy option (look at the use of soy in Asian cultures and the low cancer rates) may be in for a surprise.

Make your own judgment, but don’t assume that soy latte is necessarily better than the skim milk option.

But an often overlooked article came out in 2007 in the New York Times about how workers in flavoring factories of popcorn were treated with a life-threatening lung condition which there is no cure or treatment. Their airways were being destroyed, yet none of them smoked or had a family history of lung disease. What was the cause?

The cause: diacetyl.

The yellow flavoring that gives popcorn that amazing flavor.

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor also put out a report about the chemical and its link to lung damage. I don’t understand all this scientific data, but there seems to be more than enough evidence that the fake (but oh so good) butter carries more risk than I’m willing to take.

So next time you’re in the movie theatre or want a late afternoon snack, pour on the real butter, skip it, make sure the chemical is not on the list of ingredients, or just go for the Goobers.

Who doesn’t want us to know or question?

Check out this book: it may surprise you.

Depending on who you read or believe first may skew your perspective on issues like dioxins. So even if the facts are uncomfortable, it is imperative that we do not take anything at face value. A quick look at dioxin’s interesting journey.

• 1954: DDT and Dioxins Good for you

• 1992: Dioxins not hazardous to humans

• 1994: Smoking more harmful than dioxins

• 2000: EPA reassessed dioxins and its health risks

• 2003: Dioxins linked to cancer, especially in women

• 2006: NAS question’s EPA “dioxin scare”

So are dioxins OK…or not? I’m as confused as you are. But so far what I’ve read is convincing enough to me that I should be careful with how my food is grown and prepared and what plastics may leech into my food. According to the Seventh Generation Science Man, women in particular have to be careful as they can pass down dioxins to their babies. See also EPA’s reports for more information.

So I come to the conclusion that as consumers, we have to dig through this mire, not rely on getting spoon-fed information, understand the source of the information, and in end, decide for ourselves what and whom to believe.