Victory: Hershey to Remove GMO Ingredients from Milk Chocolate Pledges to shift to 'simple ingredients'

Joining the lineup of companies that are kneeling to public pressure, candy-maker Hershey has recently announced that it will soon remove genetically modified ingredients from its milk chocolate and Kisses by the end of 2015. What’s more, the company is pledging to shift to ‘simple ingredients,’ which will exemplified by the removal of emulsifier polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and artificial vanillin.

Coming straight from Hershey’s website:

“What sparked these ingredient changes? Have consumers been asking Hershey to move to simpler ingredients/labels?

As a consumer-centric company, we understand that people want to know what’s in their food. As consumers ourselves, we agree with them. That’s why we will share information openly, candidly and transparently. Our iconic brands are about goodness – goodness in both how they are made and how they taste. For more than 100 years, we’ve built trusting relationships with our consumers and customers around this principle. We’re proud of this heritage. But at the same time, we listen closely to our consumers and are always working to make our brands relevant to evolving expectations and lifestyles.

With the changes that Hershey is making to ingredients (non-genetically modified sugar, sustainable, traceable palm oil, rBST-free milk), what is the end game?

Our iconic brands are about delivering goodness – both in how they are made and how they taste. We are moving our product portfolio to simpler ingredients. This will take time and as part of that journey we will be sharing more about what’s in our products, and how they are sourced and manufactured. All of this is based on knowledge and insights about what our consumers care about most.”

Virtually every food producer in our current time, Hershey has been dealing with pressure for years from individuals and consumer groups alike to remove (or at the very least, label) GMOs in its products. Though while the company made the shift in Canada years ago, it hasn’t changed its ways in the US until now.

In the shift to come, Hershey announced that it will be moving to natural vanilla, non-genetically modified sugar, and milk from cows which have not been treated with growth hormone rBST. Further, Hershey intends to roll out with products that do not contain high-fructose corn syrup or artificial colors & flavors. The Hershey’s Kisses and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars are already free of HFCS – not the company just needs to trash the other ingredients.

The move by Hershey is yet another example of how consumer demand can seriously spark a needed-shift in our food system. Though processed foods are not the answer to a healthy lifestyle, the fact that we as a collective still have a voice is a good sign that our food system can be changed for the better.

BY MIKE BARRETT from naturalsociety.com 

POSTED ON FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Dear mom who feels like she wants to quit.

This is a must read.



dear mom who feels like she wants to quit.

A Youtube video "The Secrets of Food Marketing"

A look at factory farming from Compassion in World Farming

Holistic way to heal Conjunctivitis

Using Warm Milk & Honey to Treat Conjunctivitis 
(Pink Eye)

Honey has amazing anti-bacterial properties. Making an eyewash with warm milk and honey can help to soothe and treat conjunctivitis. Use equal parts of both honey and milk, making sure the milk is warm (not boiling). Mix together the remedy and keep stirring until the honey becomes smooth in the milk. Use an eyedropper and drop 2-3 drops into your eye several times a day. Alternatively, you can use this mixture as a compress. The anti- bacterial properties in the honey and the soothing effects of the milk will start to work immediately and within 24 hours your pink eye should be cleared up.

Tips for Treating Conjunctivitis

In addition, there are a few natural ways to help provide relief and promote faster healing without any unwanted side-effects.

• Add a few drops of honey to your eye wash as honey has antibacterial properties. Honey will also soothe the eye and promote faster healing.
• Grate a potato and place on the affected eye for 15 minutes. Potato is a natural astringent and will help reduce eye inflammation.
• Replace the water of your eyewash or compress with warm milk
• For itchy eyes, try cooled tea bags on the eyes. The tannin in tea will help sooth itchiness and reduce inflammation. Using chamomile tea bags is an even better idea as chamomile is well known as an effective eye tonic.

(Like anything else, check with a doctor)

Maine: Second state to pass GMO labeling!!!

Maine becomes the second state to pass a law requiring food producers to label GMO food, but other states must follow before it goes into effect.

By Steve Mistler smistler@pressherald.com
Staff Writer for Kennebeck Journal (Wednesday January  20, 2014

Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill that would require food producers to label foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. The law makes Maine the second state in the country to pass such a measure. However, other states must adopt similar legislation before Maine’s labeling provision goes into effect.

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A label on a snack item at a Portland supermarket indicates it is certified organic and does not contain any genetically modified ingredients.

2013 Staff File Photo/Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

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The governor promised last year to sign the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington. His signature is symbolic because legislative rules don’t allow the law to go into effect until the Legislature adjourns later this year. However, supporters of the bill hailed the law’s eventual passage as a victory for advocates of laws mandating the labeling of genetically modified foods. Such proposals have been introduced in nearly 30 states as part of a national effort to compel Congress to enact a comprehensive labeling law.

Previous GMO labeling efforts have been staunchly opposed by agribusiness and the biotech food products industry, which have also spent millions to defeat ballot measures and state legislation. Industry argues that labeling genetically engineered products unfairly stigmatizes modified foods despite a dearth of scientific research proving that they are any less healthful than those that are grown conventionally.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 70 percent of the products sold in American supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration regulates genetically modified foods, but regulators have left testing to the industry that is producing them.

Maine Conservation Voters’ Executive Director Maureen Drouin said in a news statement that the new law “will give Maine people the information they need to make informed decisions about the food they and their families eat.”

She added, “We thank Gov. LePage for recently signing the bill into law and thank Maine’s Legislature for passing the bill with overwhelming support last year.

“We are thrilled that Gov. Le- Page has signed the GMO labeling bill,” said Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Executive Director Ted Quaday. “MOFGA supporters have worked tirelessly, organizing five different legislative campaigns on this issue since the early 1990s. The time was right for a diverse and collaborative effort to take hold and move the discussion forward. People want and have the right to know what’s in their food.”

Still, the Maine GMO labeling law faces another challenge. The law doesn’t go into effect unless five contiguous states, including New Hampshire, pass labeling laws. Late last year, the prospects of a New Hampshire law dimmed when a committee broke along party lines to oppose a labeling measure there.

The New Hampshire Legislature will take up the bill this winter.

The national battle over labeling laws has pitted activists in the organic food movement against a consortium led by the biotech industry and corporate food producers, such as General Mills, Nestle USA and Monsanto.

It appeared that industry heavyweights were initially taken aback by activists who introduced labeling legislation this year in at least 30 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, reports from New Hampshire indicate that the industry has rallied and become more effective.

The Maine bill brought together such factions as libertarian Republicans and liberal Democrats, creating strong support. So far, that hasn’t happened in New Hampshire and the bill has become more partisan there.

The provision requiring passage in contiguous states was added to the Maine bill to help build broad support.

Proponents of the bill said the provision would quell concerns about an almost-certain lawsuit by industry groups and Monsanto, which vowed to challenge the laws in Maine and Connecticut on the basis that they violate the free speech and interstate commerce provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills told lawmakers last year that the bill was almost certain to face a legal challenge, and said she could not guarantee that her office could defend its constitutionality.

Already 64 countries around the world label foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, including all of Europe, Russia, China, Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia.

Steve Mistler can be contacted at 791-6345 or at:

smistler@pressherald.com

15 health benefits of eating apples Many of us forget that sometimes, the simplest answers are the best. Better health could be as easy as reaching for the fruit bowl for some apples next time you need a snack!

1. Get whiter, healthier teeth

An apple won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.

2. Avoid Alzheimer’s

A new study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.

3. Protect against Parkinson’s

Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fibre foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.

4. Curb all sorts of cancers

Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research, among others, agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds—triterpenoids—in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumours in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fibre intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

5. Decrease your risk of diabetes

Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. Apples are loaded with soluble fibre, the key to blunting blood sugar swings.

6. Reduce cholesterol

The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates intolower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.

7. Get a healthier heart

An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fibre intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in your arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.

8. Prevent gallstones

Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fibre to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels.

9. Beat diarrhea and constipation

Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fibre found in apples can help. Fibre can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.

10. Neutralize irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods while including a high intake of fibre in your diet.

11. Avert hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal and while not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fibre can prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom and thereby help alleviate hemorrhoids.

12. Control your weight

Many health problems are associated with being overweight, among them heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. To manage your weight and improve your overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fibre. Foods high in fibre will fill you up without costing you too many calories.

13. Detoxify your liver

We’re constantly consuming toxins, whether it is from drinks or food, and your liver is responsible for clearing these toxins out of your body. Many doctors are skeptical of fad detox diets, saying they have the potential to do more harm than good. Luckily, one of the best—and easiest—things you can eat to help detoxify your liver is fruits—like apples.

14. Boost your immune system

Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Recent studies have found thatquercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, especially when you're stressed out.

15. Prevent cataracts

Though past studies have been divided on the issue, recent long-term studies suggest that people who have a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants—like apples—are 10 to 15 per cent less likely to develop cataracts.

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/nutrition/15-health-benefits-of-eating-apples

Our "Midnight" Adventure

So today on my way home from town, I had the wonderful privilege of having my front right tire go flat while driving.  Let me not forget to mention that I received this lovely gift at 9 pm eastern.  Okay, most of you would say, yeah so what, BUT here in the country people are more like "bitch, why you bothering me at this time of night!?!?!?", but they never say it out loud to you.  They suck it up and help their friend out anyway.  Why you may ask...well, that's easy!  My friends are awesome!!!  Also, to I want to mention my kids' school nurse and her husband stopping to help, and changing said tire for me.  That was very awesome!!! Thank you!

Oh, and did I mention the children were with me.  Hahahaha, I know laugh it up!  Brandt thought I was crazy when I began laughing.  Life is one pickled mess!  But, when times are tough...laugh it up, because in the whole grand scheme of things, does it really matter???  Nah, not so much!  Make the best, you know?!?!?

Me in my infinite wisdom tried it all on my own before someone stopped, and I swallowed my pride and accepted help, had the jack upside down,  All I can say is I tried...a very blond moment, but I gave it my all!  I refused the first person who pulled up alongside of me asking if I needed help.  I have no idea why, but I said "no, we are okay." then thought, what a dumb cucumber I was.  (The kids are on this kick of saying silly words instead of swearing...no not them swearing, Me. Thanks to our friend Tucker. :) )

Brandt started to stress out a bit, but he did great, and got himself through it without having any kind of meltdown.  Awesome kid!  Liv and Evan were just along for another adventure in our clan, though by the end they were tired. They did awesome!

 My kids Rock!  I love them!