Please take some time and read the full article here, it is really long and actually has two parts! I have extracted my favorite sections and it is still very long. I have left out some of the very interesting examples of traditional societies foods, as well as the history and description of how vegetable oils are hydrogenated and the history of the McGovern Committee. I do recommend you read the full article:

Secrets of the Edible Oil Industry by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig

While turn-of-the-century mortality statistics are unreliable, they consistently indicate that heart disease caused no more than 10 per cent of all deaths – considerably less than infectious diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. By 1950, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading source of mortality in the United States, causing more than 30 per cent of all deaths.

Read more ...

This simple, but amazingly effective traditional remedy is easily made from common household ingredients and will reduce bruising, inflammation, boils, abscesses, sprains and tension headaches.

Cut brown paper up into fat strips. The size will depend on what area needs the poultice. An ingrown nail, for example will only need very small strips, and a sprained ankle will need longer strips. Bruise whole fresh sage leaves (use around 5-10 large leaves) by pounding them lightly in a mortar and pestle or using a rolling pin to flatten them. Do your best not to break or tear the leaves.

Read more ...

Although my partner and I are not sure what the exact date of our anniversary is, I recently decided to take a page from my own book and start to create a ritual of celebration for our partnership around a date. We marked one down on the calendar about a month ago and today is the day.

August 26th at least is a date I should be able to remember as it used to be my sister’s birthday. Another interesting comparison–seeing as she was given that date as her birth-date because no one really knew the exact date she was born either. Putting that all aside, it is amazing to stop and think that we have been together for 6 years!

Read more ...

Given the rising plethora of food outbreaks courtesy of our industrial food system, this article will give us some history and a clear example of how large-scale agriculture is destroying every corner of our world.

The following events are taken from Vandana Shiva’s book Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply, which was written in 2000. As she states, the Indian small scale edible oil industry is not what it once was.

The story of how the soybean displaced mustard in India within a few months of open imports is a story being repeated with different foods, crops, and cultures across the world, as subsidized exports from industrialized countries are dumped on agricultural societies, destroying livelihoods, biodiversity, and cultural diversity of food. The expansion of global markets is taking place by extinguishing local economies and cultures.

Read more ...

This is a really simple recipe that makes a great side dish that will also help with digestion! Other vegetables like cucumbers, green beans, or cauliflower can easily be added or replace the broccoli.

Serves 3 to 4

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
• 1/2 c kimchi
• generous splash of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lime juice
• generous handful of sunflower seeds
• 1 or 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• dash salt and pepper

Method: Steam the broccoli or other vegetable, remove from heat and toss with other ingredients, serve slightly warm. Great as a side dish for pizza or curry.

Read more ...

Ever wondered what they ate in Europe before the potato? Pease porridge was one of the staples of the diet. Who doesn’t love a good pea soup with ham hock or sausage? Ever thought that mushy peas might make a fantastic pizza sauce? It does. We had a little pea soup left over from dinner last night so I thought I’d give it a shot. My pea soup was made with beef broth and lots of ginger, onions and garlic, and made a lovely bright green flavorful sauce.

This recipe also makes a great gluten and grain free thin crust pizza using almond flour, the recipe for the crust is from a fantastic cookbook I have just gotten: Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Crust:

• 2 t olive oil
• 2 c (220g) almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c (115g) dry curd cheese
• 1/4 t salt

Read more ...

After reading this recent horrific news about what the biotech industry is plotting for our supposed ‘health’ by manipulating vegetable oils even further, we realized we need more info about oil and fat and the economic battles that are being and have been fought over this most basic and vital nutrient for humankind on this website.

Many years ago–way back in 2000–I was the Sous chef at a Renaissance International Hotel, we were hosting some kind of very important conference for UNICEF for a week or so. During this conference I had to pander to the dietary demands of the most nasty, easily irritated and just generally grumpy old man I have ever met (and I have met some grumpy ones I guarantee it). He was on a low-cholesterol diet and I had to cook everything for him on a no-stick pan with absolutely no fat of any kind. At that time I had not yet heard of Weston A. Price or Sally Fallon, but I was pretty sure that his grumpiness was a direct result of his no-fat diet.

Read more ...

Although my partner grumbles and complains to high heaven about the smell while I am making kimchi, he usually eats it up and wants more. I have taken out the chilis for this recipe of kimchi and added in burdock root, so it isn’t by any means an authentic Korean kimchi, but we like it. It also makes a quick salad when added to steamed broccoli and sunflower seeds, then tossed in olive oil.

Makes about 2 quart jars (depending on size of cabbage)

Brine:

• 1 litre filtered water
• 4 T himalayan or sea salt

Vegetables:

• 1 medium napa cabbage, shredded
• 6 medium organic carrots, grated
• 1 large daikon radish, julienned
• 3 medium burdock roots, julienned

Read more ...

We began the GAPS diet (or enhanced Specific Carbohydrate Diet) in February, so we have now been on it for more than six months. The difference is remarkable. I have sent in for another hair analysis so I can compare the result with the test I did last November. All of our conditions have not completely disappeared. We have had to do a fair amount of travelling earlier this year and it has been difficult to maintain full control over everything that goes into our mouth on those occasions, but on the whole we have done very well.

The hardest thing about this diet is that it makes it very difficult to socialize. We can’t really go out to eat, go over to peoples houses to eat or even out for a couple drinks. We have started to drink Bloody Mary’s on occasion, as they seem to be relatively harmless. Beer or wine or anything sweetened just does us in. Going out to restaurants is a real pain too as you can never really be sure what is in a dressing or soup or whatnot unless you really know the place you are eating at is dedicated to real food. It was surprisingly easy in LA to go out to eat, and I think the gluten-free fad has really taken off all of a sudden, so I think it will get easier as well, perhaps grain-free will catch on by default!

Read more ...

Read the Wilderness Committee article about developing more sustainable waste management systems in Vancouver: Environmentalists Urge Minister Penner to Reject Incineration Due to Toxic Ash in Burns Bog Landfill.

About a month ago I sent in a message to Metro Vancouver after reading about the garbage issue on www.wildernesscommittee.org (great group working for the environment in BC). I just got an email with an update on the situation from Councillor Andrea Reimer and am posting it here in hopes that more folks will become aware of the situation.

Anyway here is the update from Andrea Reimer:

Read more ...