A
class-action lawsuit for false advertising has been filed against Quaker Oats
after traces of the pesticide glyphosate were found in samples of oatmeal.The
complaint is not that the levels were thought to be dangerous, but that the
company was not telling the truth when it labeled the product as 100% natural.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weed-killer, Roundup.
Plaintiffs are seeking refunds and asking PepsiCo (Quaker’s parent company)
either to reformulate the product or disclose the presence of glyphosate in it.
Eater 2016 May 2
What follows are my notes from the show, from John Moody and Tom Woods. Enjoy.
3:15 Just last week 2.5 million
pounds of poultry were recalled because of what the FDA called "extraneous contamination," meaning
that when you bite your chicken nuggets [or some other chicken product], you get bits of plastic or rock.
Statistics show that it
has made our food supply less safe.
Why would the food be not
safe? Food system used to work and look, and legislation distorted the
food system and how it works. Cows used to be butchered at 10,000
locations and be fed a lot less grain. Meat in America used to be a
highly diversified and competitive industry. When you see all these
different labels and different products
Now we have it where 80%
of all meat in the US is controlled by 3 to 5 companies. With this
consolidation of control, you have consolidation of processing.
The meat you have in the
hamburger you ordered at a local restaurant comes from the beef of tens of
thousands of cows that have been all ground together, whereas in the old days
we had 10,000 different locations that used to butcher the beef. Today we
have only a few.
If there was one sick cow
or one sick employee or one improperly sanitized step in that process, with all
of these commingled cows, you now get the multi-million-pound food meat
recalls. Only way people could keep up with meat regulations and
additional costs they created was by consolidating to keep
up. And the consolidation made the meat supply less and less
safe. It's astoundingly sad to see an action how badly this legislation
turned out for the American people and the American farmer.
Meat wasn't unsafe before
the wholesome meat act. It was driven by the fictional writing by Upton
Sinclair. He had in his sites labor and not so much the meat
industry. If these foods meat and raw milk were so unsafe, none of
us would have ever gotten here. We're indoctrinated into believing that
before the government got involved in these industries, these industries were
killing people left and right.
If we want a safe meat
industry . . . , no such thing in a no-risk option, it would be a decentralized
meat system, where animals are not being commingled, where you're not putting
3000 chickens an hour through a multi-step chlorine bath from chickens that have
been raised in their own fecal matter.
Woods,
"this helps to account for the increasing interest of getting all
foods from local farms." It is illegal for farmers to choose where they have their animals butchered because of the Wholesome Meat Act, 1967. Some states for instance, one farmer lives right along the state line, he has to take his animals all the way to the
Custom slaughterhouse. He took two cows to be butchered. Took two weeks to pick them up when they're all done--they need to be hung and aged. the packaging said "Not for Sale." Because the meat was butchered at a custom slaughterhouse. It magically becomes unsafe when
Who is the beneficiary in all of this?
The processing cartels and the larger players in the meat industry. 80% of beef in America is controlled by only 4 companies. They enjoy cost advantages and economies of scale over small farmers that would not exist if local farmers were allowed to sell directly to the consumer. He can give the meat away, have friends over to eat that meat at this house, eat himself, but once he tries to sell it it becomes unsafe and he would be a criminal. Enjoy massive subsidization because of the Farm Bill.
Cans of Coca Cola are cheaper than carrots.
The Federal Government recently approved American raised chicken can be killed in America and frozen, then shipped to China, unfrozen there and processed, then refrozen and shipped back to the United States, and allowed to be labeled "Raised in America." You as a consumer will not know it is Chinese processed chicken. The feds will allow the chicken to be labeled "Grown in America" or "Raised in America."
You as a consumer will not know. Cheaper for a chicken to cross the road to China and back than it is for a chicken to come from a local farm.
WHAT COULD THE MOTIVATION BE BEHIND THIS FEDERAL ACT?
To create trouble for small business owners. Temporary inspector was so bad, that a few employees quit in tears. How does this affect the big players? They're having 3,000 chickens an hour going through the process line. How much control is the inspector exerting on the large farms?
Only when undercover whistle blowers have recorded abuses by the Federal food inspectors. If the animal is 30 months or older, that animal must be condemned. This is for animals with the best cuts of meats. Smaller and local farmers don't use grain. It takes longer. Here's a regulation that tilts in favor companies he's competing against. If the inspector decides that the animal is older than 30 months, the small farmer can lose all those good cuts of lucrative meat. Those Chinese chickens receive literally billions of dollars per year in government subsidization before they go to China through the perverse incentives of grain subsidization. See Denis Minger's, Death by Food Pyramid. No section of the economy that has been as tampered with as food and farming. So you have these massive grain subsidies that prop up the feeding of animals who aren't designed to eat grain feeding them grain. Then you have these regulatory frameworks that favor massive consolidation as the only way to comply with these huge costs of these regulatory structures for the butchers. And every step of the way, small farmer can't externalize his cost onto others. As a small farmer, manure is an economic benefit, not an economic liability. CAFO's, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, have manure lagoons that contaminate ground water, causing the collapse of aquifers all over the country and externalizing all of these environmental costs onto their communities in terms of gobbling up all of the groundwater, contaminating ground water supplies, odor issues, other noxious issues. His friends in Indiana where the farmers can't go outside their homes because the smell of the manure is so bad and the government protects this pollution. Property rights are being denied to them because of big agra businesses. Subsidization to the Agricultural giants. "Beef: it's what's for dinner." Industry trade groups? No. Quasi governmental trade group that the supreme court ruled can force all farmers to contribute to them. They're called "Check-offs." The Supreme Court said these check-off programs can force all farmers in the nation to contribute money to them even if you don't agree with them, even if you don't want to support them. They're basically a government mandated cartel. The Supreme Court treats it as a tax. These programs are shielded from FOIA requests. Because the check-off programs are using the money they're extracting from all farmers to basically lobby against and hurt others who are forced to contribute to them.
WHAT IS THE PRIME ACT? WHAT WOULD THIS DO AND WHAT'S DESIRABLE ABOUT IT? The Prime Act would be the first rollback to federal meat inspection in history. Called the Prime Act. Would allow individual states to opt out of the requirement for USDA Inspection for by-the-cut meat butchering sales. If he were trying to sell ground beef from a cow he butchered, he would become a criminal. So his meat would have to go to a USDA meat-inspected facility. If that were to pass, it would allow farmers to sell meat from custom slaughterhouses. It's a bill. Not law yet. Done fairly well in the house. Thomas Massie introduced the bill. Found sponsors and co-sponsors in the Senate. It would have traction because people on both sides see this bill as being a win. For Republicans, it's a limited-government bill. On democrat side, it's local government. His site is a 501C4, Not for Profit. It advocates for a truly free food system to protect consumers and producers and access to food with no government regulation and regulations. Taking away the ability of government to be taken away from corporations. Wants people to have the ability to opt out of the regulated food system. Engage in lobbying, litigation, and education. 1960, 10,000 to 20,000 of butchering options to now less than 3,000. Went from a beef industry with thousands of players and businesses to a beef industry of four. None of this would have ever happened had the government not stacked the deck to eliminate competition to encourage and create consolidation. Woods shows how government inhibits competition.
He points to probiotics and bone broth, two of my favorite foods. He begins by defining what a leaky gut is:
Leaky
gut syndrome is a condition also referred to as
increased intestinal permeability where the “net” in your digestive tract gets
damaged which allows proteins (like gluten), bad bacteria, and undigested
particles to pass into your blood stream. These particles cause systemic inflammation and an immune
reaction over time.
Where does a leaky gut begin?
The leaky gut disorder begins in a very important organ your
small intestine. The small intestine is vitally important because the
majority of the vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat are absorbed there.
In order for these nutrients to be absorbed, the small intestine
contains very small openings so the nutrients can be transferred into the
bloodstream. Once transferred, the nutrients are then shuttled and deposited
all around the body by the blood.
But isn't the intestinal wall already a little permeable so that food can pass through it into the bloodstream? Yes, it is.
The wall of the intestine is considered a semi-permeable. This
means the pores (junctions) only allow certain things to enter the bloodstream
and block other things from entering the bloodstream.
For instance, specific molecules and nutrients are allowed to
pass through but toxins and large undigested food particles are blocked.
That last bit is a word of good news.
The first symptom I would presume of a leaky gut would be inflammation. But where? I've experienced inflammation the lower legs and hip.
With leaky gut, your pores can continue to widen (like getting a
larger hole torn in your net). And as this happens, the undigested foods
particles that are supposed to be kept out pass through into your bloodstream
and then circulate throughout the body. This causes systemic inflammation
and leads to an immune reaction.
This doesn't sound too good:
Often times then your body will begin to recognize certain foods
as toxic and will facilitate an immune reaction whenever you eat the food.
If this problem continues, leaky gut can then progress to autoimmune
disease.
Some of the initial symptoms of leaky gut can include food allergies,
skin issues like acne and eczema, digestive issues like bloating, gas and IBS.
In order to repair leaky gut you must make specific diet
changes and look to leaky gut syndrome natural cures.
FOODS THAT REMEDY A LEAKY GUT
Here is a list of foods on the leaky gut diet. These foods support healing because they are easy to digest and can help repair the lining of the intestines.
Bone broth – Bone broth (made from scratch) provides important
amino acids and minerals including proline, glycine and potassium that can help
heal leaky gut and improve mineral deficiencies.
Raw cultured dairy – Probiotic rich foods like kefir, amasai and
yogurt can help heal the gut by destroying bad bacteria like candida.
Fermented vegetables – Try to add fermented foods such as coconut kefir,
kvass, sauerkraut or kimchi. These fermented foods contain probiotics
essential in helping repair a leaky gut that work by balancing the pH in the
stomach and small intestines.
Steamed vegetables – Non-starchy vegetables that are cooked or steamed are easy
to digest and are an essential part of the leaky gut diet.
Healthy fats – Consuming healthy fats in moderation like egg yolks,
salmon, avocados, ghee and coconut oilare easy on the gut and promote healing.
Fruit – Consuming 1-2 servings of fruit daily is good on a leaky gut
diet. You can steam apples and pears to make homemade apple sauce or
fruit sauce. Fruit is best consumed in the morning and not later on in the day
and keep fruit intake in moderation.
FOODS THAT CAUSE A LEAKY GUT
Here are the biggest culprits that cause a leaky gut by creating intestinal inflammation and candida:
Gluten – A gluten free diet can help improve the symptoms of
leaky gut. Gluten is the sticky protein found in most grain products including
wheat and is difficult to digest unless it’s been brought through a sourdough
or sprouting process. On the leaky gut diet you will want to avoid all foods
that contain gluten and wheat products.
Cows Dairy – The protein in cows dairy, called A1 casein, can trigger
a similar reaction as gluten and therefore should be avoided. In fact, A1
casein may be 26x more inflammatory than gluten!
Sugar – Feeds yeast and bad bacteria that can damage the
intestinal wall creating a leaky gut. If you are going to use a sweetener raw
local honey is your best option but even that should be consumed in moderation
at 1 tbsp daily.
Unsprouted Grains – Grains and soy when unsprouted and unfermented
contain phytic acid which can irritate the intestines causing leaky gut.
GMO – Genetically modified organisms contain herbicides and
pesticides that damage the gut lining. Studies out of the Journal of Environmental Sciences have found GMO
foods destroy the probiotics in your gut and cause organ inflammation.
TOP 5 REMEDIES FOR A LEAKY GUT
In following a leaky gut treatment plan you will want to take specific supplements to support digestion as well as protect the gut lining from further damage. Here are the most important leaky gut supplements you should consider taking:
#1 Probiotics (50-100 billion units daily)Probiotics can help
re-colonize the gut with healthy bacteria.
#2 L-glutamine powder (5 grams 2x daily)Glutamine is an
amino acid that helps repair the digestive tract, especially important for
people with chronic diarrhea.
#3 Digestive Enzymes (2 before each meal)
These enzymes will improve nutrient absorption and help break down food
particles.
#4 Aloe Vera Juice (1/2 cup 3x daily)
Aloe is healing to the digestive system.
#5 Fish oil (1000 mg daily)
Fish oil contains the essential fatty acids EPA/DHA which reduce inflammation.
ESSENTIAL OILS FOR A LEAKY GUT
I've never heard of using essential oils for a leaky gut, but the ones he selected absolutely do sound promising. And he suggests adding them to a beverage that you can drink. I never would have thought of imbibing essential oils. Put into baths and apply on compresses, yes, but not drink them. So that is interesting.
Essential oils of ginger and peppermint can
soothe intestinal inflammation and support the healing of leaky gut.
Interesting. But I would suggest his next suggestion would work better if done at night or in the morning where you know you're not going out of the house for a few hours.
Take 2
drops of of each oil internally in a glass of water. Also mix 3 drops of
oils with coconut oil and rub over abdomen 2x daily.
"The
area of your life that is most controlled, regulated, and impacted by the
government is your refrigerator."
"Americans used
to enjoy one hundred variety of apples. Some farms offer twenty.
Today's supermarkets offer cardboard. They are long-distanced, trucked apples, often kept in cold storage for long periods of time. The loss of value and quality to our food supply because of the regulatory framework has been so immense and detrimental on so many levels both just from an aesthetic, enjoyment perspective what America offers culinarily in the standard grocery store and through the standard food system is appalling."
"USDA just approved that chickens raised in America can be frozen, shipped all the way to China to be processed, then be refrozen, and then shipped all the way back to America and the label will never tell you that your chicken just enjoyed a dual transpacific flight . . . or whatever." "And why does the USDA and FDA not want you to know that your chicken did that, . . . at the same time a farm like [his] is only allowed to butcher a very limited number of chickens on farm under the governmental regulations. Like the Prime Act introduced by Congressman Massie." "Why is beef from New Zealand cheaper than beef from his next door neighbor? It's the insanely biased regulatory structure . . . ." The area of your life that is most controlled, regulated, and impacted by the government is your refrigerator and what's inside it. There is no area of American life that is as twisted and out of sorts as our diets and our farming system and it's all because of the government. Government subsidies, government regulations, so many different things. You'll find an organization whose goal is to restore farm and food freedom." Farm to Consumer.
Someone
asked me the other night which part of the intestines does food get digested
first. I said the small intestine. The sequence is like this:
First,
the mouth: chewing and mixed by saliva. After the mouth, food passes
through the esophagus for a bit more digestion. That's second. Third, the food reaches
the stomach where it is chemically and muscularly destroyed by the stomach
muscles and powerful hydrochloric acid. From the stomach, you food
transports to the small intestine, where the majority of your foods nutrients are absorbed.
The large intestines absorb water and render your food more suitable for
waste. There is some digestion in the large intestine as well.
Check out the photo:
The primary functions of the small intestine are to break down food by means of chemicals and to absorb some of the food's nutrition through the intestine walls. Food enters the small intestine from the stomach and travels through the intestine by means of peristalsis. The first section of the small intestine, called the duodenum, receives digestive juices from the pancreas that aid in the breakdown of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. These digestive juices also help to neutralize acid that accompanies the food from the stomach. Bile from the gall bladder enters the duodenum to further aid in the breakdown of fatty substances.
The walls of the small intestine contain small protruding components called microvilli, and these small structures help to increase the wall's absorption capabilities so that large amounts of nutrients may pass through the intestine walls into the blood stream. The remaining waste passes into the large intestine for later expulsion.
Next is how to take care of it, the whole thing, as well as the different parts? How does one avoid a leaky gut? Where does it usually occur? This you already knew:
The
most acidic part of the human gastrointestinal tract is the stomach, which is
generally around pH 1 to pH 3. The high acidity in the stomach fights bacteria
that are ingested with food. As the distance increases from the stomach, the pH
level gradually increases. The large intestine is pH 5.5 to pH 7.
