August 2009 Newsletter

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Peppermint Jim to speak
Next potluck is Mon, Aug 3 at 6:00 at First Christian, 1001 Chester, Lansing. Our speaker that evening will be Peppermint Jim from the Crosby Mint Farm in St Johns where they have been distilling Quality Oils Since 1912
Through the vision of their great-grandfather, J.E. Crosby Sr., Crosby Mint Farm has been producing unparalleled peppermint and spearmint mint oil throughout four generations. Grown in St. Johns, Michigan, "Mint City, USA", one of the nation's premier growing regions for soil and climate, our mint is the finest quality available on the market today.
This 100% natural essential oil is processed from the first harvest of the growing season, which will produce the highest grade oil available, with no chemical additives...from one point of origin, Crosby Mint Farms since 1912.
Please consider these points when purchasing your mint essential oil:
Where is the place of origin?
What is the supplier's history?
Is this oil re-distilled?
Is this oil blended with any ingredients?
Is this oil synthetic?
As a side note you may have heard the mint farm is in danger of forclosure. They are trying to sell 80,000 dram bottles of oil before Aug 14th. If you can not be at the potluck to make a purchase and wish to help you can call 1-800-345-9068 or click here
http://www.getmint.com/index.cfm
You can also visit them at the Lansing City Market
Mint oil can help with the following:
Headaches
Sinuses
Migraines
increases energy
increase focus!

More on Mint
Here is a link to the St. Johns Mint Festival which is being held this year August 14-16, 2009, http://www.clintoncountychamber.org/pdf/mint/2009mintfestivalbrochure.pdf The Crosby Mint Farm tours will be Aug 15 from 1-6 pm & Aug 16 from 1-5 pm.
Located at 1250 East Parks Rd, St Johns, MI 48879
Telephone: 1-800-345-9068
E-Mail Address:  info@getmint.com  Website:  http://www.getmint.com/
Hours:  Apr 1st thru Oct 31st Tues thru Thurs 10am-4pm, & Fri, 10am-3pm

Calling all Recipes
It would really help the sharing of recipes if you could follow these guidelines when bringing a dish to share:
1-Bring the recipe
2-Include your name
3-Include the quantity for each ingredient
4-Include the source of the recipe, IE web site or book from which it came
5-Include directions for preparing

MSG
Many of you are already aware of the many dangers of MSG in processed food.  Without going into that whole story here, suffice to say you don’t want to eat this stuff, here are some things to look for on your labels that would hide MSG.  This list is taken from http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/04/26/msg-if-its-safe-why-do-they-disguise-it-on-labels.htm  where you can also read more about the dangers of this product. 

MSG is Always In:

    * Autolyzed yeast
    * Calcium caseinate
    * Gelatin
    * Glutamate
    * Glutamic acid
    * Hydrolyzed protein
    * Monopotassium glutamate
    * Monosodium glutamate
    * Sodium caseinate
    * Textured protein
    * Yeast extract
    * Yeast food
    * Yeast Nutrient

MSG is Often In:

    * Barley Malt
    * Bouillon
    * Broth
    * Carrageenan
    * Enzyme-modified substances
    * Flavoring
    * Flavors
    * Malt Extract
    * Malt flavoring
    * Maltodextrin
    * Natural flavor/flavorings
    * Natural pork/beef/chicken flavoring
    * Pectin
    * Protein-fortified substances
    * Seasonings
    * Soy protein
    * Soy protein isolate or concentrate
    * Soy sauce
    * Soy sauce extract
    * Stock
    * Vegetable gum
    * Whey protein
    * Whey protein isolate or concentrate

August Not Cooking Classes
After a 3 month break I am finally holding my “Not Cooking” classes again.  They are all at my house 4085 Bonnyview Dr, Lansing at 6:00 $25 per person  and here are the topics:
Aug 5, UnPasta
Aug 18 Fermented Foods, Perfect Pickler

Call to reserve a spot 517-882-1033 or e-mail  hihomin@comcast.net
Bring a couple of take home containers for leftovers. 

EATING FRUIT
We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting  it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.
What is  the correct way of eating fruits?
> IT MEANS NOT  EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY  STOMACH.
If you eat fruit properly, it will  play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a  great deal of energy for
weight loss and other life  activities.
 > FRUIT IS THE  MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.
Let's say you eat two slices of  bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of  fruit is ready  to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is  prevented from doing so.  In the meantime the whole meal rots  and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into  contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the  entire mass of food begins to spoil.  So please eat  your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals!  You have heard people complaining - every time I eat water-melon I  burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I  feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not  arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with  the putrefying other food and  produces gas and hence you will bloat!
> Graying hair,  balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes, all these will not happen if you take fruits on  an empty stomach. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you  have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health,
energy, happiness and  normal weight.
> Benefits of specific fruits:
> KIWI:  Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its  vitamin C content is  twice that of an orange.
> APPLE:  An apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Although an apple  has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C helping to lower  the risks of colon  cancer, heart attack & stroke.
> STRAWBERRY:  Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from  cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.
> ORANGE  :  Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day  may help keep colds away, lower  cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon  cancer.
>WATERMELON:  Coolest thirst quencher.  Composed of 92% water, it is  also  packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our  immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant.  Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C  & Potassium.
> GUAVA &  PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear  winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava  is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation.  Papaya  is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

August Events
See the calendar page for all the latest events.  Being updated regularly.

GMO Foods

HOW TO AVOID GMO FOODS:

1. Look at the stickers on fruit - there is a PLU code with either 4 or 5 numbers. If your fruit's label has 4 numbers, it is conventionally grown. 5 numbers starting with a 9 means it was organically grown, and 5 numbers starting with an 8 means GMO.
2. Buy local & talk to your farmers - this is the best way to ensure you're eating real foods. It's estimated that up to 85% of pre-packaged and processed foods contain GMOs, so buying fresh from the farm is a great way to avoid that.
3. Avoid the Top Four GMO Crops of Soy, Corn, Canola and Cottonseed - most blended oils in North America contain canola and cottonseed. Replacing these with 100% extra virgin olive oil is a safe alternative.
4. Encourage your favorite food providers to label their food GMO-free. We don't need the government to force companies to label their foods, and we're seeing more and more that we as consumers have tremendous power, and if enough of us ask for GMO-free labels, and support the companies that use them, we'll see a huge increase in labeling. And we're already starting to see this.
5. Buy Organically Grown Food - For now, the organic certification process is a relatively safe bet to ensure your food is free of GMOs, although this may not be the case in the future. Help support global sustainability by purchasing certified organically grown food.
6. Conventional Sugar - Over 90% of this year's sugar beet harvest will be Monsanto's GM Roundup-Ready Sugar Beet. That means if you are using sugar, or eating anything with sugar in it, you're eating GMOs. Alternatives to sugar are listed here.
7. Grow your own food - Plant a garden using heirloom seeds! (thanks to Amy31415 on YouTube for pointing out this important tip!)
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Iodized Salt - Iodine doesn’t like to stick to salt crystals so it needs a little “glue” in the form of corn starch. And the manufacturer doesn’t even have to list it on the label. Isn’t that nice for them.
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables - Have you heard that most fruit and vegetables aren’t GMO? They might not be when they come off the tree but many are by the time they get to the store. Apples, cucumbers and many others are coated with a layer of wax or oil mostly derived from cheap GM corn.
Canned Goods - Nice, cheap citric acid no longer just comes from citrus. Take a look at your canned tomatoes, fruit juice, etc. If they aren’t organic and they say citric acid or absorbic acid you may be looking at code for GM corn.
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SOURCES & MORE RESOURCES:

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TAKE ACTION:

Take the "Replace Roundup" Challenge and help divert millions in revenue from Monsanto!