If buying a car, do you thoroughly research the brand whether Toyota or Chevy? Answer is probably “Yes!” You scour the Internet, take that token day trip to multiple car dealers with your list of questions and test drive autos to utter insanity. Hey if you’re going to spend that amount of money, you better know what you are getting yourself into!

Funny thing is that in the three decades that I have been into food, I have rarely met a person who gives the same amount of thought to what they put in their body as they do to the car that they aim to buy. Is a car really more important than your health? The answer is, “No”. But the question remains—why don’t most people act otherwise…

The simple answer is that food marketing has faked you out! You want to believe everything food producers tell you whether through ads, packaging or even those in-store product pushes. It’s a heck of a lot easier to grab and go. And so long as a food is low in fat, sugar and calories you’re sold! Well think again, cause sadly labels lie. And your health is not only about the grams of fat or sugar and calories—it’s also about the ingredients and where they came from.

Speaking of which, many of the substances in your food today come from genetically modified crops (commonly referred to as GMO’s)—plants birthed from seeds that have been altered by science for supposed agricultural and health benefits when the truth is that there are significant questions about their safety for human consumption. In fact, here are some of the top crop contenders that have infiltrated the food supply:

1. Alfalfa
2. Canola (roughly 90% of US crop)
3. Corn (roughly 88% of US crop)
4. Cotton (roughly 90% of US crop)
5. Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop)
6. Soy (roughly 94% of US crop)
7. Sugar beets (roughly 95% of US crop)
8. Zucchini and yellow squash (25,000 acres worth)

And many other plants are monitored regularly for GMO contamination including chard, kale, bok choy, cabbage, various squash, flax and rice.

What is critical to understand is that a large portion of the ingredients in food products today from breads and cereals to snacks, sweets and beverages are derived from those top GMO crops. To name a few:

1. Amino acids—found in supplements, protein powders
2. Aspartame—found in NutraSweet and Equal as well as many “sugar-free” products
3. Ascorbic acid—also called Vitamin C and used as a preservative in many foods
4. Beet sugar—found as a sweetener in many beverages
5. Cottonseed oil—found in many snacks such as chips, crackers, nut mixes and sweets
6. Canola oil— found in many snacks such as chips, crackers, nut mixes and sweets
7. Soy protein isolates—found in many “high protein” products like shakes, bars, cereals and many snacks like chips and even cookies
8. Textured vegetable protein—found in many vegetarian packaged foods such as soups, chili and fake meats
9. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein—also found in many vegetarian packaged foods such as soups, chili and fake meats
10. Soy sauce
11. High fructose corn syrup (corn syrup)—found in a majority of packaged foods such as cereals, snacks and sweets
12. Maltodextrins—a common starchy food additive found in many packaged foods including snacks and sweets
13. Molasses
14. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)—a flavor enhancer found in many packaged soups, flavored grain products and commonly used in Chinese food
15. Xanthan gum—found in many packaged foods from soups to snacks
16. Vitamins—whether in supplement form or in your food

And it doesn’t stop there! Interested in knowing more? Then check out the Non-GMO Project’s Shopping Guide, a smart phone app that will give you facts at your fingertips while you peruse the aisles.

So, now you know that a large percentage of the food you eat is somehow touched by genetic modification—an overwhelming fact. You have been a science experiment for biotech giants like Monsanto and Syngenta for years without knowing it. See, labels don’t always tell the truth about your food!

Whether or not you choose to eat GMO’s is up to you. But right now you don’t even have that choice because there is NO mandatory labeling for these altered ingredients (despite the fact that labeling is mandatory in many other parts of the world). But there is plenty you can do to navigate GMO’s and exercise your right to know:

1. If your food is organic, you can rest assured that GMO’s are not part of the “package”
2. The Non-GMO Project launched a certification program so when you see their logo you can feel safe that your eats are not altered
3. There is now a state-to-state right to know fight that you can join. See what your state is doing and join the party! With your help, labeling could eventually be required in your area. See what is going on in New York and please take action!
4. And Just Label It continues to push the Federal government to take action so GMO labeling will one day be mandatory across the country. You can take action here too

A student of mine recently asked, “Knowing all that you know about food, how do you actually eat and enjoy.” My answer, “With all that I know, I have learned how to navigate this food system gone awry but I still have to be realistic and understand that I can’t be purest all of the time. We can all only do the best we can with what we have.”

Sadly our food system will always be corrupt on some level so the more you know, the better informed you are to make the right choices for you (and they don’t need to be perfect all of the time). Now you have more tools to put the same amount of thought into your food as you do when you buy that car!

Catch me this Saturday, May 25th at 2pm at Kirk Park in Montauk, NY for the March Against Monsanto—a gathering to learn more, exercise YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW and bless the good food that we do have! As always, let’s keep this conversation going. Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. I would love to hear from you!

And, don’t forget to tune in to Stirring the Pot on WPPB 88.3 FM Thursdays at 5:30pm (with an encore Saturdays at 5pm) for Your Right to Know GMO’s. And surely check out the Weekly Yum Recipe.

Welcome to the Weekly Yum, Coast to Coast with Sacks and Katz. Each week on Stirring the Pot radio,  cookbook author and culinary translator, Rebecca Katz  joins the conversation. We will lure you into the kitchen to create meals that enhance your health and well being while caressing your tastebuds.

Makes 2 quarts

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup loose or 12 Hibiscus tea bags
4 cups boiling water
1-cup pomegranate juice
4 cups cold water
Spritz of lemon
3 sprigs mint
1 orange sliced into rounds
16 frozen strawberries
24 frozen blueberries

METHOD
Steep the tea for 5 minutes in hot water.  Strain the tea into a pitcher.  Stir in the juice, cold water, sprtiz of lemon and mint and orange slices.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Serve in glasses with frozen blueberries and strawberries.

Reprinted with permission from The Longevity Kitchen: Satisfying, Big-Flavor Recipes Featuring the Top 16 Age-Busting Power Foods. Copyright © 2013 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. 

 (Photo Credit: Leo Gong)

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (my go-to on issues related to anything fish):

Our seas are not the infinite bounty they appear to be. Today, no part of the oceans remains unaffected by human activities. And among the many factors influencing our ocean ecosystems, few have as great an impact as fishing. Over the past five decades technology has allowed us to fish farther, deeper and more efficiently than ever before. Scientists estimate that we have removed as much as 90 percent of the large predatory fish such as shark, swordfish and cod from the world’s oceans. In 2003, the Pew Oceans Commission warned that the world’s oceans are in a state of “silent collapse,” threatening our food supply, marine economies, recreation and the natural legacy we leave our children.

I don’t mean to depress you rather offer a little insight into the reality of ocean eats and what you can do to navigate this fishy (and complex) situation. Bottom line is that anything from the sea gets from dock to dish in two ways—fishing (wild caught) and farm raised (or aquaculture):

Fishing (wild caught)
There are multiple ways to fish whether by pole or net. While wild surely seems like the way to go there is a lot to think about when it comes to how your fish is fished. Sadly, waters have been depleted as a result of:

1. Overfishing
2. Illegal fishing
3. Habitat damage (such as large nets that can damage ocean beds)
4. Bycatch(fishing practices that trap other species like sharks and sea turtles thus threatening other life)
5. Poor management

So, rule of thumb when it comes to what’s in the wild—please choose with the environment in mind. The Seafood Watch can help with that. And while they provide you, the consumer, with great info the Marine Stewardship Council tirelessly works to promote sustainable fishing practices among commercial fisherman!

Fish Farming (aquaculture)
The gist of aquaculture is that finfish and shellfish are grown in the sea in controlled environments whether open or closed systems. Just as poultry and cattle are raised, so too are many of your sea creatures. If done right, aquaculture holds promise for the ever increasing demands on ocean waters—while these farms provide, the ocean wild can replenish. Though, knowing how to navigate farmed fish is key (but not that simple) so here are a few tips:

1. Look for aquaculture operations that avoid or limit habitat damage (fish farms located on coastal waters damage critical ecosystems)
2. Aim for fish from closed systems (open systems are typically overcrowded, promote escapes, accumulate waste, promote disease and contamination)
3. Understand the management practices of the farms—from what your fish are eating to how their waste is managed.

While aquaculture is strictly regulated by the US Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure that fish farms are using the best management practices, I advise that you ask your fishmonger questions or download that handy Seafood Watch onto your smart phone to have some of the most current info at your fingertips.

A few other things to think about when it comes to fish (and a few things you may need some clarity on):

1. There is NO SUCH THING as organic salmon;
2. The prospect of GMO salmon is super scary; and
3. Imposter fish is a growing problem

So, once again do your best to buy local (or join a Community Supported Fishery like Dock to Dish) and surely ask tons of questions whether it be to your fishmonger or restaurateur.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. I would love to hear from you! 

And, don’t forget to tune in to Stirring the Pot on WPPB 88.3 FM Thursdays at 5:30pm (with an encore Saturdays at 5pm) for Ocean Eats. And surely check out the Weekly Yum Recipe.

Welcome to the Weekly Yum, Coast to Coast with Sacks and Katz. Each week on Stirring the Pot radio,  cookbook author and culinary translator, Rebecca Katz  joins the conversation. We will lure you into the kitchen to create meals that enhance your health and well being while caressing your tastebuds.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
11/2  cups red or white quinoa rinsed well in cold water and drained
21/2 cups  stock or water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Pinch of Cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, basil or parsley
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen Edamame beans, mixed with a spritz of fresh lime juice, and a pinch of salt
½ cup red bell pepper, seeded, small dice

METHOD
In a pot, bring the broth with a ¼ teaspoon of salt to a boil.  Add the quinoa, bring it back to a boil, lower the heat and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Add the ginger, coriander salt, and cayenne and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and allow to cool, then combine with the mint, cilantro scallions, lemon juice, lime juice, lemon and lime zest, olive oil, Edamame beans, red pepper and mix well. You may need to add a pinch or two of salt, a squeeze of lemon and lime, or a dash of olive oil to balance the flavors.

Reprinted with permission from The Longevity Kitchen: Satisfying, Big-Flavor Recipes Featuring the Top 16 Age-Busting Power Foods. Copyright © 2013 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. 

 (Photo Credit: Leo Gong)

The Arctic Apple is biotech’s new brainchild. Finally the perfect Pink Lady, Red Delish or Granny Smith. Butt (excuse the pun) is this truly the apple a day that can keep the doctor away? Hmmm…

Let’s see, it won’t turn brown when you cut into it? In fact, it will look fresh and edible all the time. It will be perfect on the outside and white, white, white on the inside. Just like that illustration above. And soon our fast food favorites like McDonalds and Booger King (oops, I meant Burger) as well as SCHOOL CAFETERIAS (that means your kids peeps) will be serving up this ass of an apple.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, let me start with this very simple notion—food isn’t perfect (we live in an imperfect world), however the biotech industry wants to make food infallable. By doing so, our food supply is more predictable—crops won’t get eaten by pests, they will tolerate droughts or they won’t freeze if it gets too chilly—and predictablility means profit. So biotech plays with nature altering the genes in many of the crops today including corn, soy and cotton to create “indestructible” eats. According to the Non-GMO Project, the go-to organization for everything engineered:

This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.

Back to the Arctic Apple—based on this celebrity fruit’s website (with a bit of my attitude laced in), this is the deal:

All apples undergo enzymatic browning due to a chemical reaction after cell injury, whether by bruising, biting or cutting the apple. Arctic apples don’t undergo this enzymatic browning because the genes (or switches as I like to say) responsible for the browning are turned off (or silenced) by a bunch of scientists in a lab. While silencing is a natural process that all plants (and animals) use to control expression of their genes in nature, the Arctic Apple’s genes are silenced in a lab. Sounds pretty Frankenstein to me!

The genetically engineered seeds (where the genetic material lives) are grown into plantlets that grow in a tree nursery until they are ready to be transplanted to an orchard, just like other commercial apple tree seedlings. Once in the orchard, they behave just as other apple trees do—they grow, flower and fruit the same way, and react to pests and weather the same way. As for pesticides, the Arctic Apple is no different than any apple (unless certified organic)—they are bathed is pesticides. And as a result, they will consistently top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen for the staggering array of chemicals found on them (just as the un-engineered, non-organic counterparts do now).

But, according to biotech, they are not taking genes from another species and inserting them into the genetic material of the apple (like most other GMO’s). Rather they are altering what is already in the apple. So what’s the harm?

1. This new science experiment is basically an untested genetic technology—isn’t it enough that you have been the lab rats for biotech for decades without knowing it?
2. Despite biotech’s claim that genetically engineered “matter” is destroyed by human digestion (thus not harmful to you), these manipulated genes do find their way into your digestive systems and bloodstream (you are what you eat) and could potentially damage vital human genes.

So, I don’t know about you but given this info, I sure as heck wouldn’t want to take a chance with my health or that of my kids. For more on this apple anomaly, check out the Organic Consumer’s Association. And be sure to stick with organic all the time when it comes to these colorful fleshy fruits.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Please feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts and opinions. I would love to hear from you!

And, don’t forget to tune in to Stirring the Pot on WPPB 88.3 FM at our new time, Thursdays at 5:30pm (with an encore Saturdays at 5pm) for The Nonsense of “Natural”. And surely check out the Weekly Yum Recipe.

Welcome to the Weekly Yum, Coast to Coast with Sacks and Katz. Each week on Stirring the Pot radio,  cookbook author and culinary translator, Rebecca Katz  joins the conversation. We will lure you into the kitchen to create meals that enhance your health and well being while caressing your tastebuds.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup peeled and shredded carrot
1 cup peeled and shredded red beet
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

METHOD
Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, ginger, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Put the carrots in a mixing bowl, drizzle with half of the dressing, and toss until evenly coated. Place the carrots on one side of a shallow serving bowl. Put the beets in the mix- ing bowl, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and toss until evenly coated. Place the beets in the serving bowl next to the carrots for a beautiful contrast of red and orange. Top with the chopped mint before serving.

Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.

(Photo Credit: Leo Gong)

At the young age of 2 ½ my son Hunter was diagnosed with Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes a person’s hair to fall out. He had a stomach virus one day and the next my husband and I noticed patches of hair loss on his small blonde head. With balding child in tow, our first stop was the family doctor who referred us to a pediatric dermatologist where we received the upsetting diagnosis. Our directive: Apply cortisone cream (a steroid) to the balding areas over the course of the next month and let’s see if the hair starts to grow back.

Cortisone is used to decrease inflammation and Hunter’s tiny hair follicles were inflamed (the “reason” his hair was falling out). We unwillingly followed course for one month and while there was some hair growth in the areas where the cream was applied (a sign of hope), hair was still falling out on other parts of his noggin.  Peeps on the street were starting to stare (and our hearts were aching) so my husband and I opted to shave his head—a bald kid seemed better than one with a patchy dome.

Typically taking the medical lead in our family, I reached out to my trusted colleagues (as opposed to the specialists we were seeing) during this initial month to discuss alternative measures of treatment. I suspected that there was far more that I could do—if there is one thing I know, it’s that certain foods can promote inflammation. And for anyone with autoimmune concerns, gluten can often be a big time trigger. Surely Hunter ate his share of foods with gluten including breads, pasta and some sweet treats.

I called the doc, requested blood tests to determine if my boy was sensitive to gluten or even had celiac disease (there is an association, albeit small, between alopecia and celiac) and scheduled an intestinal biopsy to offer the “ultimate” confirmation. Not fun stuff but I needed to heal my child!

While the blood tests showed a slight sensitivity to gluten, the biopsy was negative so the conventionally trained “clowns” that I was seeing told me to continue with the cream, keep him on gluten for a year then bring him back for more testing—perhaps the cause for his hair loss will be more evident with time. Or perhaps if I continue to add insult to injury, my kid will get really sick—seriously, WTF! But I knew better than that…

On May 17, 2010 Hunter went off gluten and his hair starting growing back. By the fall he had white fuzz—and looked like a baby chick. And today, he has a full head of gorgeous blonde hair.

At a medical conference last year, I ran into my friend, colleague and integrative pediatrician Dr. Stephen Cowan who was instrumental in offering guidance throughout Hunter’s “illness”. He hadn’t seen my little one in a while. I showed him a before picture (as seen above) and a now picture (below). My words exactly, “Can you believe this kid has alopecia areata? And he has a full head of hair!” His response, “Stefanie, he doesn’t have alopecia. He has a propensity for it. You made him a well-child.” Point taken!

Bottom line, everyone has the propensity for illness but it is what you do about it (if the curve ball hits) that can determine your future. So my point is this—food plays a critical role in the body’s ability to prevent illness and heal from it. Hunter is testament to this. With autoimmune disease or any other dysfunction for that matter, consider that food can help heal. And seek a healthcare provider that is willing to have a conversation about the power and place of eats in your picture.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Please feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts and opinions. I would love to hear from you!

And, don’t forget to tune in to Stirring the Pot on WPPB 88.3 FM at our new time, Thursdays at 5:30pm for Food and Immunity. And surely check out the Weekly Yum Recipe.