Chain of Foods

The Toronto Star says university researchers tested the DNA of 100 supermarket and restaurant fish and found 25% was mislabeled. This isn't terribly surprising considering how many stops there are in our food supply chain, and how hard it is to tell fish apart once it's been filleted.

And speaking of Ontario, an outbreak of Listeria there has killed four people. Same story as we've seen here in the states with tomatoes and peppers -- huge recall, not sure about the source, large food company had to close to clean up anyway took a dive in its stock price. Our food safety really is much better than it was years ago, but it could be better still if only the industry would slow down a little, keep better records and do more training.

Here's a good example. NaturalNews reports the FDA wants to start irradiating lettuce and spinach to kill e.coli. The problem is irradiation may destroy nutritional value. I can see why the FDA is doing this -- bacterial outbreaks are deadly and very hard to trace. The last one was devastating to tomato growers before we found out that Mexican peppers, not U.S. tomatoes were the culprit. So a decision which supports business and kills a deadly bacteria seems like a win-win. Nutrition? Well, many people believe Americans already get a nutritious diet. But we don't, and the big win-win would be that modification to our food supply chain mentioned above.

2 Minute Primer: Magnesium and You

Yesterday I read in two separate places that Americans probably don't get enough magnesium. Industrial fertilization causes crops to lose magnesium and food processing wipes out even more. So here's your 2 minute primer on magnesium:

Here's what it takes care of:
Nerve function, muscle function (including heart rhythm), immune system, bones, blood sugar, blood pressure, digestion of other nutrients.

Here's where you get it:
Halibut, (organic) green veggies, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, unrefined grains, potato skins.

Here's what will happen to you if you don't have enough:

The government line from the National Institute of Health:
Appetite loss; fatigue, weakness and nausea; muscle contractions and spasms; abnormal heart rhythms.

The alternative health line from Mark Sircus Ac., OMD writing for naturalnews.com
As stated above, plus: migraines and headaches, increased toxicity, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, recurrent bacterial infections, fungal infections, behavioral disorders, pms, mood swings, tooth cavities, hearing loss, diabetes type II (a partial list).

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Some researchers also think magnesium is more important than calcium in preventing osteoporosis.

It's unlikely you'll get too much magnesium through diet, but beware that you can get too much if you take supplements.

You're probably smart enough to know, but this 2 minute report is for information only and not to be taken as medical advice.