Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Program

Wowzers.  NYC is in the news, for something positive!  This is coming from someone who spent their first 27 years of life living in New York, so my bias comes from a very well rounded experience of the state.  There are alot of nice places in NY,  Montauk Point, Lake George, Woodstock, the Adirondack's, etc etc etc.  However NY is a very big place, and there are alot of people there making it very unwelcome.  

When I lived there I thought that the discriminations against New Yorkers were unfair, now that I am outside of that bubble I realize that many of them are spot on.  They are rude, hectic, drive like manics, snotty, egotistical, and they pay a fortune to live in a place that ... if you ask me... isn't even that nice.  Any idiot who is willing to pay $3000 a month to live in what might as well be a walk in closet, deserves whatever other terrible things happen to them.  

Gun confiscation, massive under employment, over population, "terrorist" attacks, quick spread of disease, and overwhelming taxes, are just the first few things that come to mind when I think of New York.  One last word on my hatred for NY then I will get to the point.  Earlier this month when exiting JFK Airport the first thing that hit me was a distinct smell of piss and humidity.  If any other two words better exemplify New York than "piss" and "humidity" I am not quiet sure what they are.  

With all of that hatred spewed, somehow doctors in New York are leading the way in a program that prescribes fresh produce to fight off certain conditions.   Shocking, I know, your diet actually has an impact on your health.  Prescription drugs are not the only manner to fight disease!  According to Natural News :

The "Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Program," allows doctors to "prescribe" fresh fruit and vegetables to overweight or obese patients by giving them "Health Bucks" that are redeemable at local farmer's markets.

This program makes New York City the largest U.S. city to officially acknowledge that fruits and vegetables have a role to play in preventing chronic degenerative disease -- an idea that the FDA insists is delusional. According to the FDA, there is no such thing as any fruit, vegetable, supplement or superfood that has any ability whatsoever to prevent, treat or cure any disease.

Sure, the FDA's belief is ancient history in terms of present-day knowledge about nutrition and disease, but it's still federal policy. And according to the FDA, the mere "prescribing" of a food as something to prevent obesity automatically transforms that food into a "drug." Under current FDA regulations, then, NYC is guilty of promoting "unapproved drugs" which are really just fruits and vegetables. But that's how FDA logic works.

Fukushima's Mutated Fruits and Vegetables

Check out more images of the deformed produce at the following link.  

According to MSN.com:

It might be wise to steer clear of vegetables from Japan's Fukushima area for, oh, say a few hundred years. A Korean website assembled this image collection of produce from towns and villages surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. And they are NOT pretty pictures. From Siamese-twinned corn cobs to what can only be called peaches with elephantiasis, the region's agriculture appears to have taken a heavy radiation hit from the nuclear disaster in 2011. It's not clear yet what effect eating the produce might have on the population, but you never know. It could be pretty dangerous, but you never know — in an ideal world, maybe it could give you superpowers.

Coca Cola sued over marketing of Vitamin "Water"

"The marketing of vitaminwater will go down in history as one of the boldest and brashest attempts ever to affix a healthy halo to what is essentially a junk food, a non-carbonated soda," - Michael F. Jacobson

According to Natural News:

For years, the Coca-Cola Company has been deceptively marketing its "vitaminwater" beverage brand as a healthy alternative to plain water and sugary soda beverages, making outlandish claims that the drink can help boost immunity and even help people fight eye disease. But now the beverage giant is facing a monstrous class-action lawsuit over this marketing racket, none of which is true about the sugar-laden junk food drink.

The suit, which was originally filed back in 2010 by the nonprofit health advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), alleges that Coca-Cola has been engaged in what can only be described as blatant labeling fraud. Vitaminwater's "Power-C" flavor, for instance, claims to deliver "zinc and vitamin C to power your immune system," while the "XXX" flavor is branded as containing "antioxidant vitamins to help fight free radicals and help support your body."

Both claims are an immense exaggeration, as these two vitaminwater products are composed primarily of water, sugar, and a handful of synthetic vitamins, which is hardly a recipe for robust immunity.

But then again a Coca Cola representative said it best when he stated, "no reasonable consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage."

"How Food Regulations Make Us Less Healthy"

Fast Food Ice Cube Water Dirtier Than Toilet Water.

According to China.org:

Ice cubes used by fast-food giants KFC, McDonald's and Guangzhou-based Kungfu at branches in Beijing contained bacteria far in excess of the national limit, according to China Central Television.

Some were even dirtier than toilet bowl water, CCTV said

The three fast-food operators said they were carrying out inspections and enhancing disinfection at the stores involved.

***

The intake of food with excessive level of colonies could lead to dysentery and diarrhea, said Ding Ke, an associate professor of food science and engineering of the Beijing University of Agriculture.

***

Dirty ice machines and a poor awareness of food safety such as the importance of washing hands and poor sterilization procedures are some of the reasons that may lead to high level of bacterial colonies, experts said.

***

In June, the Daily Mail reported that the ice served in six out of 10 of Britain's most popular high street restaurants contained more bacteria than the water found in their toilets.

Tests showed that ice from branches of McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, Cafe Rouge and Nando's all had higher levels of bacteria than samples of water taken from their lavatory bowls, it reported. Experts say it could be due to them being cleaned more often.'

 The moral of this story, the toilets are cleaned more often than the ice machines... 

California Prisoner Hunger Strike

Similar to Guantanamo Bays hunger strike, California prisoners are also fighting to create better conditions for themselves.  In a country that holds itself above the majority of the world, you would think that we would have humane conditions to house our immense prison population in.  However instead we've gotten to a  point where medieval dungeons would be a welcome improvement over how most American prisoners are treated.  RT reports:

Amnesty International has called on the US to end “punishing” California prison hunger strikers who are protesting unregulated solitary confinement policies. Hundreds of inmates continue their action for a third week.

“Prisoners seeking an end to inhumane conditions should not be subjected to punitive measures for exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest,” Amnesty International’s USA researcher Angela Wright said. “Prolonged isolation under conditions which can only be described as cruel and inhumane treatment is prohibited under international law.”

The protests began on July 8 and are now into their third week, with more than 1,000 inmates across California remaining on hunger strike. Initially some 30,000 prisoners in over 24 prisons joined the action.

***

Since then key leaders of the strike had been facing “increased isolation, where they face harsher conditions and increased restrictions on communication with their lawyers”, AI reported on Monday.

Others claimed that prison authorities “blasted cold air into their cells, as well as confiscated fluids, hygiene products and legal materials” in the Pelican Bay Security Housing Units.

The inmates are protesting the state’s policy of long-term solitary confinement in SHU that isolates detainees who have been determined to be involved with internal gangs. Those prisoners are locked up in small, solitary cells until they volunteer to detail gang activity to investigators. No rule exists limiting how long those inmates can be held in isolation, and some have lived like that for years, even decades.

... Justice System my ass.  America has a long term torture system.  

Brazil Scientists Developing Lifesaving Superfoods

Waking up every day and reading about GMO's, pesticides, fast food, famine and all sorts of other food related crisis, it is great to finally come across a positive story!  Of course it is taking place outside of the US but at least someone is working on creating super foods that are actually healthier for humans!  According to Natural News:

Agriculture scientists in Brazil have spent the past decade developing so-called "superfoods" that will soon become a natural alternative to genetically modified frankenfoods grown in many countries including the United States and will alleviate malnutrition for nearly one-third of the world's population.

These eight biofortified foods are expected to be widely available to consumers throughout Brazil in less than a decade; already there is a pilot program underway in 15 municipalities around the country, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported.

***

Already pre-school children are benefiting from the bio-nutritionally enhanced foods. "In Itaguai, an industrial municipality 44 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, about 8,000 pre-school children are benefiting from these extra-nutritious foods," the Guardian reported.

Eventually all of the municipality's family farmers will be included in the project - at least, that's the goal. Further, within a couple years, the plan is to offer biofortified foods in all schools within the municipality, as well as in stores and public markets.

Curiosity of children is one factor that is "selling" the new biofortified superfoods. "When we tell them that these foods have more vitamins, and they see the deeper colors [of the biofortified crops], they are eager to try them out," municipal secretary of environment, agriculture and fisheries, Ivana Neves Couto told Tierramerica.

Feeding school children vitamin fortified foods to help spur their development.  You mean they're not being shoveled slop on their plate made from "meat" that McDonald's won't even sell to their customers.  

McDonald's Workers Walked Off the Job Because the Air Conditioning is Broken.

I know I've "reported" on a couple of stories about McDonald's lately, and while I do admit to having a negative view of them as a company, I promise that all of these blogs at once are not me maliciously looking for stories to report on them, they just so happen to be making the news alot lately.  According to Fox News:  

Workers at a New York City McDonald's branch say they walked off the job on Friday because the air conditioning is broken.

Workers at the Washington Heights store say they became physically sick from the heat after the air-conditioning broke down on Friday morning. The heat index hit 107 degrees at JFK Airport on Friday.

It was the hottest day of a brutal heat wave that's expected to end on Saturday.

Employee Jamne Izquierdo says the conditions were "inhumane and unsafe."

"We are human beings. We've told McDonalds before that the air conditioning doesn't work and that we can't take the heat but they don't listen to us. We can't take it anymore. No one should have to work like this," said Izquierdo.

Between this and the woman who quite and is suing over pre paid payment cards, it looks like under paid, over worked employees around America are finally standing up for themselves.  No one else will.  

McDonald's Sued Over How They Pay Their Employees

According to Consumerist:

Earlier this year, a woman in Pennsylvania was expecting to get her first paycheck from her new job at McDonald’s, but rather than an envelope containing cash or a check, she received a prepaid debit card from Chase. This did not go over well.

When she asked her boss about the card — which has fees like a $1.50 ATM charge, a $5 charge for over-the-counter cash withdrawals, $1 per balance inquiry, and $.75 for online bill payment — she was told it was the only option. And so she took her issue to the franchisees, who she says confirmed that she had no choice but to take the card.
And so she quit her job and found an attorney, who has subsequently filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the single mom and other employees. 

Good for her!  Companies like McDonalds will get away with treating their employees like crap as long as the employees allow it to continue.  If more individuals had strong morals and convictions like this woman, large corporations would be on their knees giving in to all of their employees demands.  

Marijuana Found in Kids Meal

...

According to a CBS affiliate:

Police say a family found a pipe stuffed with marijuana inside a Kids Meal bought for a 4-year-old boy at a Burger King restaurant in southern Michigan.

***

After officers responded to the restaurant, they identified a 23-year-old employee who admitted to owning the paraphernalia. Uhl said the employee told officers that he put the pipe in the box to hide it while he worked and he didn’t mean to give it out.

Shocking.  A kid working at a fast food place, smokes pot, while at work!!  If anyone is surprised by this story they are an idiot.  I've always said that those of us who trust a teenager to "cook" the majority of our meals deserved whatever they get.  In this case though, I guess they actually got something good out of the visit.  

Me I'd call the cops on someone buying a kids meal for their child.  The marijuana is much safer than the "food" in that kids meal.  

Hamburger "Meat"

I know, I might as well just re-post everything Natural News reports, but here is yet again another eye opening article from one of the only sites out there telling it how it really is.

Based on their analysis, Laurel School researchers found that the water content of fast food hamburgers typically ranges between 37.7 and 62.4 percent, with an average of about 49 percent. Electron microscopy revealed preserved skeletal muscle, which is good, as well as a variety of tissue types including blood vessels, peripheral nerves, adipose tissue (body fat), cartilage, and bone. But the kicker was the actual meat content.

According to the data, amongst the eight fast food hamburger patties tested, meat content ranged between 2.1 and 14.8 percent, with an average of about 12.1 percent. This means that for a half-pound burger, less than one ounce of it is composed of actual meat, on average. And for those burgers on the lowest end of the meat spectrum, a half-pound patty contains less than five grams of actual meat.

"Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat," wrote the authors in their study abstract. "Approximately half of their weight is made up of water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present."

Besides their lack of meat, some fast food hamburger patties were also found to contain potentially harmful bacteria and ammonia. Two of the hamburgers tested, for instance, were found to contain intracellular parasites, also known as Sarcocystis, which are basically cysts. In humans, undercooked meats containing Sarcocystis can cause diarrhea or muscle tenderness, and in more extreme cases breathing problems and even death.


Mmm yum yum.  I work at a pretty forward thinking company.  Yet even the people who work here come in from lunch with Chick Filet and McDonalds and Jack in the Box, all the time.  I drive by the closest McDonalds to get to our local super market and it ALWAYS has lines at the drive through.  Do people truly not see how bad this is?  Sitting in your car, so lazy you can't get out and walk 20 yards, waiting for a "burger" which has a meat content of 10 percent or so.  

I guess most people don't understand what is wrong because they are way beyond addicted to the chemicals laced in to their "meat".  Or they are addicted to the fast service or cheap price, or whatever.  I guess they'll also be addicted to chemo therapy and pharmaceuticals to ease the pain soon enough as well.  Such is life.  

"Organic" Baby Food, not so Organic

According to Natural News:

In an era where American consumers seem to be shifting towards more wholesome, healthy diets - the push for labeling of GM foods, fewer chemicals, more fruits and veggies - an organization that is supposed to be focused on promoting truly organic food is changing its standards to allow for the inclusion of synthetic substances in, of all things, baby food.

"When the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meets October 15-18, 2012, it will consider whether to include eight synthetic substances on the approved list for Certified Organic foods," said an Action Alert! last year from the Alliance for Natural Health. And the push continues today in 2013.

"The manufacturer of 'organic' baby formula is lobbying for their inclusion even though there are organic alternatives, they are not nutritionally necessary, and they might be difficult for the infant's body to process," the alert says. The ANH website adds that the board - which is a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - is "even considering allowing genetically engineered vaccines for organic livestock."

Makes sense, adding synthetic ingredients to organic food, oh wait actually that makes no sense whatsoever.  How in the world does anyone justify adding man made substances to food and still calling it organic?!  Oh wait, we're in America, I keep on forgetting that in the land of the free if some sort of agency claims something to be okay, we all go along with it because there is no way a government body would do something to harm us.  They're here to protect us, if they say synthetic ingredients are organic, then we'll change the definition of the word to meet those standards. 

However some people still consider organic to mean:

or·gan·ic

  [awr-gan-ik]  Show IPA

adjective

1.

noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds thatformerly comprised only those existing in or derived fromplants or animals, but that now includes all other compounds ofcarbon.

2.

characteristic of, pertaining to, or derived from livingorganisms: organic remains found in rocks.

Guantanamo Bay Huger Strike

According to Wikipedia:

Guantánamo Bay hunger strikes began during the middle of 2005, when detainees held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp initiated two hunger strikes. The detainees organized several widespread hunger strikes to protest their innocence, and the conditions of their confinement. Other captives, such as the men camp authorities asserted committed suicide in June 2006, had committed themselves to long-term hunger strikes, which were not shared by the other captives.

RT reports on the latest developments in this 8 year old hunger strike:

While a mass hunger strike continues at Guantanamo, a spokesperson for the American prison camp has confirmed that the upcoming month long fast for Ramadan will be observed by synchronizing the force-feeding of Muslim inmates.

Navy Capt. Robert Durand has stated that the facility is sufficiently equipped to synchronize the force-feeding of inmates to the Ramadan fast schedule. Captain Durand’s comments were reported by the Miami Herald, while also noting that this will be the twelfth Ramadan, a central religious holiday included among the Five Pillars of Islam, spent in American captivity for most Guantánamo detainees. 

“We understand that observing the daytime fast and taking nothing by mouth or vein is an essential component of Muslim observance of Ramadan,” Durand said.

“And for those detainees on hunger strike we will ensure that our preservation of life through enteral feeding does not violate the tenets of their faith.” 

***

In June, the US Southern Command also requested additional guards for the prison, with a goal of reaching a 2,000-strong staff to deal with the 166 inmates, with the hunger strike leaving most prisoners under single-cell lockdown. 

Forty-six-year-old Shaker Aamer, from London, who has been held at the prison camp without charge for over 11 years, recently confirmed to The Guardian newspaper that prison staff are intensifying efforts to try and break hunger strikes by introducing new equipment. 

One detainee was recently admitted to hospital after having the feeding tube pushed into his lungs rather than his stomach. 

“The administration is getting ever more angry and doing everything they can to break our hunger strike. Honestly, I wish I was dead,” Aamer said from the camp. 

My god, are we not merciful?  While illegally detaining these people, torturing them, force feeding them, and keeping them away form their families for over a decade, we are kind enough to allow them to properly practice their religion.  

The other thing that boggles my mind is that we need 2000 soldiers to watch over 166 caged and broken individuals.  Seems like over kill, but I guess that's the American way, bigger is better.  Restraint and logic be damned.  

Genetically Modified Rice

Another day, another reason the rest of the world is distancing themselves form America.  For good reason too, we destroy everything we get our hands on.  Our water supply, the food we grow, the idea of Democracy, and our own morals to name a few.  Here we have another case of a GMO crop, which was never approved, being found in fields in over 30 countries.  Of course Americans will just go right along eating it as if everything is okay.  After all most of you eat McDonald's at least once a week, so with that mind set rice must be healthy.  No thought goes in to the idea that the chemicals in and on the rice may have some sort of effect on humans... Meh... who cares... right?

New evidence has emerged suggesting that the entire global supply of rice may have already been contaminated by unapproved, genetically-modified (GM) rice varieties manufactured by the American multinational corporation Bayer CropScience. A recent entry in the GM Contamination Register explains that between the years of 2006 and 2007, three different varieties of illegal GM rice,none of which have ever been approved for cultivation or consumption anywhere in the world, were identified in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Once again, field trials conducted by Bayer back in the mid-1990s appear to have been the cause of this widespread and irreversible genetic pollution. Though all official field trials of "Frankenrice" supposedly ended in 2002, the three GM rice varieties detected somehow made their way into the general rice supply, which has had a major negative impact on U.S. rice exports. Similar contamination involving both GM wheat and GM flax was also recently discovered in the food supply, and both a result of biotechnology company field trials.

***

Vagrant GM rice planted in open fields for "testing" purposes definitely escaped, and now American rice farmers are suffering the consequences as the European Union (EU), Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and others have placed strict limitations on GM rice imports. Both Russia and Bulgaria, on the other hand, have completely banned all rice imports from the U.S.

Learn more at Natural News.

Food and Drug Administration Doesn't Inspect Nearly Any Food

According to Natural News:

An in-depth report recently published by Bloomberg explains that the vast majority of large agriculture and food production companies are essentially self-regulated and self-inspected, which means the FDA keeps no tabs on whether or not such companies are producing and distributing safe food. And thanks to the 2010 passage of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the situation has only gotten worse, as food companies are now encouraged to hire their own "third-party" inspection services that end up acting as rubber stamps in basically declaring, rather than proving, food to be safe.

"During the past two decades, the food industry has taken over much of the FDA's role in ensuring that what Americans eat is safe," says the Bloomberg report. "The food industry hires for-profit inspection companies -- known as third-party auditors -- who aren't required by law to meet any federal standards and have no government supervision. Some of these monitors choose to follow guidelines from trade groups that include ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG), Kraft Foods Inc. and Wal-Mart."

Just another useless bureaucratic department whose sole purpose is to intimidate the little guys while allowing big business to get away with murder.  If out taxes are going to these agencies, shouldn't they at least be doing something to keep us safe?  Oh woops, sorry I forgot what country I was in for second... government isn't there to keep us safe, they are there to dominate and subdue the population in order to allow a total take over by the financial and political elite.  

Stuff Americans eat that Most of the Rest of the World has Banned

According to Natural News:

Synthetic food colorings are banned in the UK, Austria, France, Finland, and Norway. Just about all American candies and most cereals, especially cereals marketed to children, contain food colorings. They're also used in sports drinks and packaged macaroni and cheese products, cakes, and pastries.

These dyes are petroleum based. They have been linked to hyperactivity and ADD among young children. Despite efforts to ban them in the USA, the FDA has decided to let them continue, even overruling their own scientists.

There are some naturally based dyes that are made toxic from the way they're processed, and there are some wholesome natural dyes also. Find out more here (http://www.naturalnews.com/033820_food_coloring_chemicals.html).

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is so bad it's banned in 100 countries. It's used to keep synthetic dies from separating from sports drinks and some popular sodas. Without it, that lovely homogenized color would vanish as the dyes separate and collect at the bottom.

Bromine is a fire retardant, considered an environmental toxin even when it's used in clothing, furniture, or carpeting (http://www.naturalnews.com/038869_Gatorade_BVO_flame_retardants.html).

Potassium bromate is derived from the same source as BVO. It's banned in Canada, Europe, and China. Brominated or bromated flour is used to expedite commercial baking and make more stuff faster of course. Brominated flour has been linked to neurological disorders, kidney problems, and cancer.

Dairy hormones rBGH and rBST are GMO-derived synthetic growth hormones, first introduced by the biotech corporate monster Monsanto as recombinant bovine growth hormone and now as recombinant bovine somatrophin.

Monsanto owns the FDA so of course it was approved and even enforced here in the USA (http://www.naturalnews.com/023929_rBGH_health_Monsanto.html).

This growth hormone forces milking cows to produce more milk faster while causing gross udder infections. It's also bad for humans, having been linked to various cancers while passing cow puss and more antibiotics through dairy products.

These synthetic growth hormones for dairy cows have been banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel and 27 European countries.

Olestra or olean is a substitute cooking oil created by Proctor and Gamble and used for fat free processed fried foods, including chips of several types. It blocks mineral and vitamin absorption and can cause cramps and leaky bowels. So far it's banned in the UK and Canada.

Azodicarbonamide is used to bleach flour and foamed plastic. It's ubiquitous in white flour baked breads, cakes, and pastries. White flour in France and other nations are bleached from the sun. Most EU countries, the UK, and Australia have banned this bleaching agent. It has been linked to asthma and other health issues.

Arsenic is used in chicken feed to help make chicken meat look pink and fresh. Its use in chicken feed is banned by the European Union because some arsenic does wind up in meat sold from poultry fed arsenic (http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html)
.
Does anyone even wonder anymore why America is in decline?  I think the question of why is very broadly answered by many different factors and the solutions to these problems are intelligently explained by an assortment of different people.  There's just not a large enough audience listening.  So we keep slipping down the slope of our eventual demise.  Many of us ignorant that it is even occurring.