Dear Folks,
• Be willing to face life squarely.
• Realize that every problem impacts growth to the degree that it is attempted to be solved. — Steps Toward Inner Peace, Peace Pilgrim
Many things are Compelling: monetary or emotional security, Robust health, natural beauty, elegant truth, personal goodness. These appeal to us because they have intrinsic value. Appreciate and enjoy them in yourself, others, and Ma Nature. If you look even higher and harder you will find them revealed in and by your Spirit self.
Peace,
Jim
COMPELLING
Definitions: (1) demanding attention; drawing notice because of interest or beauty; having a riveting or an irresistible effect; (2) very powerful; forceful <a compelling personality>
            ROBUST
Definition: having or exhibiting sound health or great strength; vigorous; hearty; strongly built; sturdy; muscular
Derivation: Latin, “oak strength”
Synonyms: hale, lusty
Consider the Source

Even as more U.S. restaurants list nutritional information on their menus, less than half of Americans, 43%, say they pay a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of attention to it. Americans are much more likely to take note of nutritional labels on food packages, with 68% saying they pay at least a fair amount of attention to this information.

These data, from Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey, conducted July 10-14, come as some restaurants in the U.S. take steps to comply with a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to list calorie information on menus and menu boards by 2014. Other restaurants added nutritional information to their menus prior to the Affordable Care Act’s passage in 2010 to meet city or state requirements, to be transparent with their customers about the nutritional content of their food, or to respond to pressure from health groups.

While menu labeling in restaurants is a new federal requirement, the federal government has required all packaged food to have nutritional labeling since 1990. As a result, Americans may be more accustomed to looking for nutritional information on packaged foods.

Consider the Source

Not long ago, it was common for children under the age of 5 to receive treatment for severe malnutrition in this Ethiopian community. Today, a community-based nutrition programme is keeping children strong and healthy, and families resilient.

Weighing children monthly is one of the pillars of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health’s Community Based Nutrition Programme (CBN), which is designed to prevent malnutrition by building the resilience of communities to shocks such as food insecurity.

Members of the health development army are women selected from the community to assist health extension workers to deliver their integrated health, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation services in the rural community. Each woman is responsible for five families.

According to the zone health office, over the past three years, malnutrition rates have dropped from 20 per cent to 5 per cent, and severe malnutrition rates have dropped from 5 per cent to about 1 per cent.

Consider the Source

Complete proteins are the ones that contain all nine of the essential amino acids the body requires. Food sources such as beans and nuts require important complements to make sure all the amino acids are available to the body. Beans, for example, carry the complete amino acid set when combined with rice. And peanut butter is incomplete without bread. Lentils, a high-protein food, also need a grain with them. Quinoa, however, is considered a complete protein.

A long-held dietitian recommendation calls for between 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. To calculate your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. For example, a 200-pound man would weigh about 91 kilograms, bringing a protein recommendation of 72.8 to 91 grams a day. For a 130-pound woman, at 59 kilograms, the range is between 47.2 to 59 grams.

Consider the Source

Here is a list of companies who make many or even the majority of all their products without GMOs. This list is provided courtesy of the Non-GMO Project.

365

479 Degrees

A. Vogel

Adams Vegetable Oils

Agrana

Agricor Inc.

Ah!Laska

Alexia

Alter Ego

Alverado Street Bakery

Amande

Amelia

Among Friend’s

Amy’s Kitchen

Andalou Naturals

Angie’s Artisan Treats

Annie’s

Ariven Planet

Arrowhead Mills

Artisan Bistro

Artisan Bistro Home Direct

Atlantic Organic

Atlantic Rose

Attune Foods

Autumn Sky wild

Back to Nature

Bainter Extra Virgin Sunfllower Oil

Bakery On Main

Barbara’s

Barlean’s Organic Oils

Barnana

Barney Butter

Basic Food Flavors, Inc.

Beach Bum Foods

Beanfields

Beanitos

Bearitos

Berlin Natural Bakery

Better Bean

BetterStevia

Bhakti Chai

Biad Chili Products

Bites of Bliss

Blue Diamond

Blue Print

Bold Organics

Bora Bora

Boulder Canyon Natural Foods

Brad’s Leafy Kale

Brad’s Raw for Paws

Brad’s Raw Chips

Brad’s Raw Crackers

Brad’s Raw Onion Rings

Braga Organic Farms

Bragg

Brand Aromatics

Bridgewell Resources

Bubbies

Blue Natural

Cabo Chips

Cadia

Cal-Organic Farms

Cafia Farms

California Olive Ranch

Canfo Natural Products

Canyon Bakehouse

Cape Cod Select

Catania

Cave Chick

Cedar’s

Central Market Organics

Chappaqua Crunch Granola

Cheweco Organics

Chez Marie, Inc.

ChiaRezza! OMG Foods Inc

Choice Organic Teas

Chosen Foods

CHS Oilseed Processing

Chunks O’ Fruti

Ciao Bella Gelato

Ciranda

CleanVia

Coconut Secret

Cocozia

Cool Cups

Coral LLC

Country Choice Organic

Crispy Cat

Crofters

cruncha ma•me

Crunch Master

Curtie’s Juice

Dave’s Gourmet

David’s Unforgettables

Deli-catessen

Della

Desert Essence

Doctor in the Kitchen

Doctor Kracker

Dr. Arenander’s BrainGain & Oral Care

Dr. Bronner’s Magic

Dream

Drew’s LLC

Dulsweet

Earth Balance

Earth’s Best

EatPastry

Eatsmart

EcoTeas

Edazen

Eden

Edward & Sons

Eighth Wonder

Emerald Cove

Emile Noel

Emmy’s Organics

Emperor’s Kitchen

Endangered Species Chocolate

Ener-G Foods

Engine 2

Enjoy Life Foods

Envirokidz

EO

Erewhon

Essential Living Foods, Inc

Everyday Superfoods

Fairfield Specialty Eggs

Familia

FanciFood

Fantastic World Foods

Farm to Table Foods

Farmer’s Market

Farmhouse Culture

Field Day

Field Roast Grain Meat Company

Fillmore Farms

Fiordifrutta

Flamous Organics

Flax USA

Flora

Follow Your Heart

Freekeh Foods

Freekehlicious

Freeline Organic Foods

Fresh & Easy

Frey

Frontier

Froovie

Fruit Bliss

Fruit Chia

Fry Group Foods

Fungi Perfecti, LLC

Funky Monkey Snacks

Garden Bar

Garden of Eatin’

Garden of Life

gimMe

Gin Gins

Gingras XO

Giving Nature

GL Soybeans

Global River

GlucoLift

Gluten Free Pantry by Glutino

Glutino

Gnu Foods

Go Raw

Golazo

GoMacro, Inc

Good Health Natural Foods

Good Karma

GoodBelly

GoOrganic/GoNaturally

GoPicnic

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Grain Place Foods

Grains of Wellness

Green Gem

Green Island Rice

Green Mountain Gringo

Green Mustache

Grimmway Farms

Growing Naturals

Guayaki

Guiltless Gourmet

Haig’s Delicacies

Haiku

Hail Merry

Hapi Foods Group Inc.

Happy Baby Pouches

HappyTot

Harvest Bay

Haute Cuisine

Health is Wealth

Health Warrior

Heavenly Organics

Herbal Zap

High Country Kombucha

Hiland Naturals

Hilary’s Eat Well

Himalania

HimalaRose

HimalaSalt

Hodgson Mill

Hol-Grain

Home Appetit

HomeFree

House Foods

Houweling’s Tomatoes

Ian’s

Imagine

Immaculate Baking

Immortality Alchemy

Imperial Gourmet

Indianlife

Intiyan

It Tastes Raaw

Jaali Bean

JaynRoss Creations LLC

Jeff’s Naturals

Jessica’s Natural Foods

Jolly Llama

JustFruit

Kamut

Keller Crafted Meats

Kettle Foods

Kettlepop

Kiji

KIND Healthy Snacks

Kiwa

Konriko

Koyo

Kur Organic Superfoods

La Reina

La Spagnola

La Tolteca

La Tourangelle

Lafiya Foods

Lassens

Laughing Giraffe Organics

Laurel Hill

Lekithos

LesserEvil

Let’s Do

Licious Organics

Lillabee Allergy Friendly Baking

Little Duck Organics

livingNOW gluten-free

Loeb’s

Louts Foods

Lucy’s

Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss

Lundberg Family Farms

Mac-n-Mo’s

Made in Nature

Madhava

Mamma Chia

Manitoba Harvest

Marconi Naturals

Maria & Ricardo

Marinelli’s True Italian Pasta Sauce

Mariner Biscuit Company

Martha’s All Natural

Marukan

Marukome USA

Mary’s Chicken

Mary’s Gone Crackers

Mary’s Little Garden

Mary’s Organic Chicken

Mary’s Organic Turkey

Mary’s Pasture Raised Chicken

Maui Maid

Mediterranean Organic

Mediterranean Snacks

MegaFood

Melt Organic

Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM)

Mighty Mustard

Mighty Rice

Mighty-O Donuts

Mindful Meats

Minsa

Minsley

Miracle Noodle

Miso Master

Modesto WholeSoy Co.

Momo’s

Montana Specialty Mills, LLC

Mori-Nu

Mt Vikos

Muesli Munch

Multiple Organics

MXO GLOBAL INC.

My Chi Delights

Naked Coconuts

Naosap Harvest

Napa Valley Naturals

Nasoya

Nathan’s

Native Forest Distributed by Edward & Sons

Natural Directions

Natural Habitats

Natural Nectar

Natural Sea

Natural Tides

Natural Vitality

Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd

Nature Built

Nature Fed

Nature Way

Nature’s Express

Nature’s Path

Navitas Naturals

Nejaime’s

Nest Fresh

New Chapter

New England Naturals

New Organics

New York Superfoods

Nexcel Natural Ingredients

Nexcel Soy

Niagara Natural

NibMor

Nordic Naturals

North Coast

NOW Foods

NOW Healthy Foods

NOW Real Food

NOW Real Tea

Nu Life Market

Numi Organic Tea

Nummy Tum Tum

NurturMe

Nutiva

Nutrigold®

Nuts About Granola

Oh Baby Foods

Old Wessex

Oleicus/Oleico

Once Again

One Degree Organic Foods

One World

Organic Baby

Organic Planet

Organic Valley

Organicville

Oriya Organics

Ozery Bakery

Pacific Natural Foods

Pacific Northwest Farmers

Paisley Tea Co

Palo Root Tea

Pampas Rice / Organic Latin

Pan De Oro

Pascha

Pastorelli Food Products Inc

Peace Cereal

PEACOCK

Peanut Butter & Co.

Peeled Snacks

Peggy’s Premium

PJ’s Organics

Planet Rice

Plum Organics

Popcorn, Indiana

Popcornopolis

Powbab

President’s Choice

PROBAR

PuraSource

Pure

Pure Country Pork

Pure Eire

Purely Decadent

Purely Elizabeth

Pyure Brands

Q.bel

Qrunch Foods

Quinn Popcorn

R.W. Knudsen

Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems

Rapunzel

RAU

Red Hat Co-operative Ltd

Reese

Revive

RiceSelect

Righteously Raw

Rigoni di Asiago Honey

Rishi Tea

Rising Moon Organics

Risodipasta

Rivara

ROBE and Riverina Natural Oils LLC

Roots Route 11

Royal Hawaiian Orchards

Rumiano Family Cheese

Runa

Ruth’s Foods

RW Garcia

Sacha

Saffron Road

Sage V Foods

Sainthood Herbs

Salba Smart

Sally’s Smart Foods

Salute Santé!

Sambazon

San-J

Santa Cruz Organic

Scratch and Peck

SeaSnax

Secret Squirrel

Seven Stars Farm

Sharkies

Shortstacks

Silk

Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery

Simple Origins

Simply Soy Yogurt

Simply Suzanne

Sir Kensington’s

SK Food

Skout

Snyder’s of Hanover

So Delicious Dairy Free

Sol Cuisine

Somersault Snack Co.

Sophie’s Kitchen

Source

Soyatoo

Spectrum

Spectrum Ingredients

Spicely

Squarebar

Stahlbush Island Farms

Stahlbush Island Farms Ingredients

Stark Sisters Granola

Stash Teas

Stiebrs Farms Go-Organic Eggs

Stone Buhr Flour Company

Straus Family Creamery

Stretch Island Fruit Co

Suja Juice

Sun Cups

SunE900

Sunfood Superfoods

SunRidge Farms

Sunset

Sunset Kidz

Sunshine Burger

Superberries

Surf Sweets

Sushi Sonic

Sweet Sass Foods

Sweet Tree

Sweet Leaf

TAMBOR

Taste of Nature

Tasty Brand

TeaPops

That’s It.

The Better Chip

The Chia Co

The Fresh Market

The Ginger People

The Pure Wraps

The Republic of Tea

The Scoular Company

The Simply Bar

The Solio Family

Theo Chocolate

Third Street, Inc.

Three Farmers

Tiny But Might

TOMMYS

Tonnino

Trace Minerals Research

Traditional Medicinals

Tree of Life

Tropical Traditions

Tru Joy Sweets

truRoots

truwhip

Turtle Island Foods

Two Leaves Tea Company

Two Moms in the Raw

TwoFold

Udi’s

Union Market

Upfront Foods

Van’s Natural Foods

Vegga

Veggie-Go’s

Venus

VerMints

Veronica Foods

Viana

Victoria

Vigilant Eats

VitaV

Viterra

Watts Brothers

Way Better Snacks

Wayfare

Weetabix

Western Foods

WestSoy

Whole Alternatives

Whole Earth

Whole Harvest

Whole Pantry

Wholesome Chow

Wholesome Sweeteners

WholeSoy & Co.

Wild Veggie

Wildbrine

Wildwood

Willamette Valley

Wingfoot

Wisdom of the Ancients

Woodstock

XO Baking Co.

Yamasa

Yoga

Yogavivie

Zema’s Madhouse Foods

Ziggy Marley Coco’Mon

Ziggy Marley Hemp Rules

Zing Bars

Zulka

Consider the Source

Target’s Simply Balanced collection will eliminate all GMOs by the end of 2014. Simply Balanced products currently exclude 105 common food additive ingredients, and the vast majority of the items within the collection are made without GMOs. The collection is crafted to be free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, and avoids high fructose corn syrup. It never uses trans fats, is mindful about the amount of sodium in each product, and forty percent of the products are organic.

The Simply Balanced collection offers nearly 250 products across snacks, pasta, beverages, frozen seafood, dairy and cereal. The collection ranges in price from $1 for water to $14.99 for seafood. Key nutrition attributes are highlighted on the front of Simply Balanced packages to help guests find the products that meet their individual nutrition goals and wellness lifestyle needs.

Consider the Source

Before the latest G8 meeting at the start of June, several summits aimed at addressing the prevalence of malnutrition were held in London, culminating in the signing of the Nutrition for Growth Compact. However, agreements on a heightened role for private businesses and the use of genetically modified crops have proven to be more controversial, and civil society groups have been vocal in their condemnation – referring to some of the measures a “new wave of colonialism”.

Countries joining the New Alliance will be expected to facilitate access to land (including communally held land), and enact intellectual property laws around seed which will criminalise age-old agricultural practices among Africa’s peasant farmers, including the saving and sharing of seed. The targets of the biotech industry (and their grovelling politician-allies) are the staple crops that people depend on, so that there would be no escaping them. Crops genetically engineered either for nutrition reasons or otherwise pose a wide range of threats – including to biodiversity.

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Omega-3 fatty acids have previously been linked to protective benefits against heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Now one study is showing that eating the fatty acids found in fish oils may increase the risk of prostate cancer for men.

The study showed that men who consume a lot of EPA, DPA and DHA — three anti-inflammatory, metabolically-related fatty acids that come from fatty fish and fish-oil supplements — have a 43 percent increased chance of developing prostate cancer. Men with diets high in fatty acids were also shown to have a 71 percent increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, and a 44 percent higher chance of having low-grade prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer will affect an estimated 238,590 new patients in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 29,720 prostate cancer patients will die from the disease this year.

Consider the Source

A company whose signature product is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic is involved in the credentialing of the professionals who are tasked with educating us about the epidemic.

Coca-Cola isn’t the only corporate giant influencing the conversation on healthful eating habits. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the country’s largest trade association for nutrition professionals, has for years been accepting sponsorships from what many describe as “Big Junk Food”: PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP), Hershey Co. (NYSE:HSY), General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) and Kellogg Co. (NYSE:K) are just some of the companies listed as partners or sponsors in its 2012 annual report. Sponsorships — offered at various levels — help support the Academy’s various events and activities, with top-level sponsors (“partners”) given the opportunity to present educational sessions to Academy members.

Despite its proletariat-sounding name, the Academy is more than a simple trade group. It’s involved, either directly or indirectly, in almost every stage of becoming and remaining a registered dietitian. Both the accreditation council for dieticians’ educational programs and the agency that oversees RD credentialing operate under the Academy’s umbrella, though the organization says they operate independently of the Academy’s governing bodies.

Among the major food companies, it’s Coca-Cola that seems most interested in molding the minds of RDs. Its Beverage Institute features more than two-dozen free nutrition seminars, all accredited and officially sanctioned by the Academy’s Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Weaning the Academy off junk-food money may prove just as challenging as weaning Americans off junk food.

Consider the Source

Have you been the victim of food fraud? Are there foods you won’t eat for fear of being tricked? As evidenced by Europe’s recent horsemeat scandal — in which scores of products labeled as “beef” were found to contain up to 100 percent horse meat —together with arrests last spring of Chinese traders who were allegedly peddling rat meat as lamb, there’s still considerable mystery around where a lot of our food originates.

“Unfortunately, controlling the amount of fraud that occurs daily in the food industry is next to impossible,” said Michael Roberts, a professor of food law and policy at UCLA and director of the Center for Food Law and Policy. “Almost anything can be adulterated in some way,” he added, “either to persuade consumers to buy something for their health, or by diluting it to save money on the supplier end.”

Seafood made headlines earlier this year when Oceana, an international nonprofit dedicated to ocean conservation, issued a report announcing that one-third of the fish sampled during a nationwide survey was incorrectly labeled.

Consider the Source