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Natural Holistic Healing & Holistic Productsfrom Long Natural Health |
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 2/1/2000 Welcome to "Tips for Better Health!" Information to Improve the Quality of Our Lives >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
#2 February 2000 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Please forward this newsletter to all your friends & family!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Read past issues of Tips for Better Health! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If this has been forwarded to you, and you want to join, send a blank email from your computer to longnaturalhealth-on@mail-list.com If you wish to be removed from this list, send a blank email from the email you are signed up under to longnaturalhealth-off@mail-list.com >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This newsletter is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for good, sound advice from your health professional. Timothy J. Long is a natural health counselor, not a medical doctor.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be. Abraham Lincoln
************************************** IN THIS ISSUE: 1: OPENING LETTER: Genetically Engineered Ingredients in YOUR food. 2: ESSAY: The Spiritual Energy of Spring
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OPENING LETTER Hello Everyone, I am devoting most of February's letter to the following article and announcement concerning a horrible threat to everyone's lives -- genetically engineered foods. This is an issue that has to be acted on now before it is too late. Please, for the good of all, read this article and take the necessary action to put a stop to it. This is an issue that we do have the power to change and that our lives depend on us changing it. The following information makes it clear and rather easy for all of us to do our part. Pay particular attention to the foods that are genetically engineered already -- I would avoid them! PEOPLE'S EARTH NETWORK Hello, all anti-genetic engineering activists! From Detlev Koepke, Jon Campbell and Madeleine Cousineau Thank you all for continuing to write letters and for all the letters you have written. This campaign is working!!! 17 companies have pledged, and now Heinz and Frito-Lay have joined Gerber's as commercial companies pledging. We've got to keep the heat up on these companies! This is the critical year. Monsanto has already written off Europe and Asia because of the strong opposition there to genetically engineered foods, but they are counting on the American consumer to be uninformed and apathetic enough to accept this stuff. If consumers and food companies do not put up serious opposition THIS YEAR, Monsanto may yet win! Because then they may have managed to sell enough of these mutant seeds so that they will contaminate and cross-pollinate all neighboring crops and then it will be a lot harder to go back to non-mutant food. Farmers, however, are already starting to think twice about the wisdom of planting this stuff; 25% less was planted last year - but now is the time when farmers make planting and seed buying decisions. The next few months could be critical for farmers in deciding whether to buy mutants or not. Let's send them a loud and clear message that we don't want Monsanto's mutant seeds planted out there anywhere. The way to get the farmers to plant less is to get companies to not buy mutants crops and to get the word that consumers are opposed. That's why we are targeting companies directly. This new schedule includes several grain brokers and processors; they're the ones that make decisions over what crops to accept. Tell them you will refuse to buy GMO foods and tell them they should tell farmers not to plant this stuff as the market for it is shrinking and they will be stuck with a crop they can't sell.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! WE HAVE SHOWN THAT CONSUMER POWER WORKS - For those of you who are new to this campaign, we are an organization dedicated to convincing companies nationwide to pledge not to use genetically engineered ingredients in their products. We feel that genetic engineering is an untested technology, overly hastily approved by the government because of incestuous links between government and industry and that there is enough evidence of harm to health and environment that a moratorium should be declared on these foods until and unless they are proven to be safe. For anyone who is interested in more detail on this issue please e-mail me and I will be glad to send you informative fact sheets. We have already proven that consumer power works - 8 companies have pledged to be GMO-free, 7 are committed to eliminating GMOs, and 6 are taking some active steps without pledging. Whole Foods has made a new policy public mostly as a result of pressure from our campaign. Heinz responded to the campaign. Letters work because companies usually don't get a lot of letters. When they do, especially if it isn't clear that the letters are all coming from one source or organized by one group, they figure that for every one person who takes the trouble to write there must be 100 others who think the way and are just making mute decisions at the supermarket. Food companies are relatively low-margin businesses and they are very sensitive to public opinion and consumer tastes. This is why letters work on them. Over 450 people are already on the list getting campaign materials. [By the way, GMO means genetically modified organisms; it's a handy abbreviation and the one starting to be used most of the time internationally] The latest news is that Hain's Food Group has pledged. They will eliminate GMOs within a year starting now. I talked with Myron Cooper, Vice-President for Technical Services. They have a GMO Task Force set up; they are requiring affidavits from their suppliers to certify that everything is non-GMO; they are applying some of the strictest tests and they have three levels of risk analysis. New products will be developed with strictly all non-GMO ingredients right from the start. It sounds like they are taking serious steps. This is a big coup - they own Westbrae, Garden of Eatin', Health Valley, Hollywood Oils, Arrowhead Mills and other companies. They are the biggest natural foods conglomerate in the country. This will definitely put pressure on suppliers and other companies to go GMO-free. They did this to a large degree as a result of pressure from us. Heinz (Ketchup etc) owns 19.5% of Hain's and according to Cooper, they have also issued a new policy committing themselves to using only non-GMO ingredients. Hain's and Heinz are working together on this. I think we can take some credit for this as we targeted them in January. I saw a letter from Heinz but they only state that "as a matter of company policy Heinz seeks to avoid the use of ingredients from genetically modified sources." That's a start but that is not quite good enough - Heinz is on the list again for February 28 - please call Heinz and try to nail them down on a strict anti-GMO policy. I personally have not heard from any of the other companies who were on the last schedule, but unfortunately I got a late start on my own letters as I was so busy working on organizing for the Biodevastation Conference and rally. If any of you have heard from these companies on the last schedule, could you PLEASE let me know - either send me copies or fax the letters to 508-531-6167 with my name Detlev Koepke written on top of the cover page. That would help a lot. If people have ideas and suggestions on who to target, please let us know. We are always open to input. We are going to evaluate the results of the campaign from January to April and will probably target some of these companies again, so please let us know about their responses. For those who don't know yet, Whole Foods (Bread & Circus etc) has issued a new policy committing themselves to eliminating genetically engineered ingredients from their house brands. They decided on this in September but did not make this public at all. After we started writing letters to them in November and December they decided to go public with it and released a flier that is found in their stores. It is interesting that many of us contacted them in the summer and they gave very vague, noncommittal replies. So they have definitely been feeling the heat. This is how their new policy reads: "In addition to our support for mandatory labeling of products that contain genetically modified ingredients, we are taking our commitment to consumer choice one step further by committing to a goal of no genetically modified ingredients in our own Whole Foods brand and 365 brand private label products. As a result, we have been working with the manufacturers of our Whole Foods brand and 365 brand private label products and their suppliers to verify the GMO status of the major ingredients that could potentially be genetically modified. We are pleased to report that most of our products already do not use GMO varieties of these ingredients. Where GMO ingredients are present, we will replace them with non-GMO alternatives as soon as they are available...As an added step to enhance consumer confidence, we are verifying our manufacturers' claims through state-of-the-art polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. This testing procedure, conducted through a globally recognized independent laboratory, can detect the presence of GMO's down to a concentration of 0.1% (1 part in 1000)." We think this is a sincere and detailed pledge and it would be hard for this to be fake. The PCR technique, by the way, is the most sophisticated and sensitive testing technique there is; they are definitely holding themselves to a high standard here. We think this commitment will have an impact on the suppliers out there as Whole Foods is such a big company, and will send farmers and suppliers the message that they should increase the amount of certified non-genetically engineered crops available. PROGRESS REPORT SO FAR These are the results overall: Companies who are already GMO-free 1. Eden's - pledged GMO-free, have had a very comprehensive anti-GMO policy since 1993 and require affidavits from all their suppliers a well as doing testing. 2. Pacific Grain and Foods - say that all contracts they issue specify that soy and corn must be GMO-free 3. SunRich - say that all their products are GMO-free 4. Guiltless Gourmet - use only organic corn 5. Organic Valley - is very concerned about the issue, has been active on it already and only uses organic ingredients. 6. Nature's Path - a great company , totally committed to organic food and non-GMO ingredients; I talked for quite a while with the president and founder, Arran Stephens, who sent certification forms from his suppliers that their sources were GMO-free 7. Walnut Acres - guarantee that their products are GMO-free and require affidavits from their suppliers 8. White Wave - use only non-GMO soybeans and are replacing all other ingredients found to be GMOs with non-GMOs. Companies pledging to begin the process of eliminating GMOs 9. Hain's Food Group - sent a pledge signed by the Vice President of Technical Services, Myron Cooper; the process will take a year. 10. Annie's Naturals - guarantee soy to be GMO-free but cannot totally verify that their canola is GMO-free; will pledge when it is. 11. Lightlife - changed their policy as a result of our campaign and began the process of being GMO-free by the end of 1999 and will be totally GMO-free by March 2000. 12. Northern Soy (Soyboy)- say their tofu and tempeh are GMO-free but they are having problems locating non-GMO soy protein isolate and concentrate; are pressuring their suppliers to come up with those supplies. 13. Dixie Diner - have gone GMO-free 14. Amy's - say that they have been diligently working to eliminate GMOs from their products; the only ingredients which are not are textured soy protein and dairy cheeses which may contain chymosin which is GE. They say their veggie burgers are GMO-free as of December 1999. 15. Horizon - is in the process of an internal audit to make sure that all ingredients and feed are GMO-free. Companies sympathetic and trying but not willing to pledge 16. Yves Veggie Cuisine - say they are sourcing non-GMO soy but are not guaranteeing that it is entirely GMO-free. 17. US Mills - are concerned about the issue, but cannot guarantee their corn and vitamin products to be GMO-free. They are continuing to seek non-GMO suppliers. They say they are too small to make it worthwhile for suppliers to segregate supplies for them. but are continuing to seek suppliers of non-GMO corn and soy. 18. Gardenburger - As of Dec 6, 1999, they are making their Lifeburger soy burgers GMO-free. Do not say anything about other products. 19. Barbara's Bakery - has a lot of concerns about making claims. but is trying very hard to find non-GMO ingredients; will not pledge. We also had a long conversation with the president of Barbara's Bakery; he and his staff are very concerned about this issue but he's having a problem signing our pledge because he is worried about cross-pollination and not being able to stand behind his guarantees, because neither the farmers nor the suppliers will give him an ironclad guarantee against GMOs. We revised the pledge and sent him new wording that we believe he will sign. Also, corn and canola are the major problem for cross-pollination because they pollinate each other through the air. Soy, on the other hand, is a self-pollinator and thus companies can guarantee fairly absolutely that soy is non-GMO. It is indeed hard for companies to make an absolute pledge about corn and canola because they cannot control for cross-pollination but they can show best efforts in selecting farmers who use no genetically engineered seeds and who make sure no GE seeds get mixed in. 20. Newman's Own - do not want to sign anything but are very concerned and are looking for alternate sources; Mark Gold had a long conversation with Nell Newman herself. Newman's has a foundation and is giving money to people to fight genetic engineering but weirdly enough don't want to take a leadership position in their own products. 21. Vitasoy (Nasoya) - are fudging their commitment a little; use only organic soybeans in their soy beverages and organic tofu but don't make any claims to be non-GMO overall. Companies who refuse to admit there is a problem with GMOs 22. Boca Burger - does not think it is a problem but is monitoring the issue of availability and consumer concern. A FAIRLY COMPLETE LIST OF INGREDIENTS THAT MAY BE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
1. Soy
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People can be divided into three groups, John W. Newbern
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THE SPIRITUAL ENERGY OF SPRING I would like to encourage everyone to explore the special Spiritual energy available at this time of the year. On many levels, spring is a time of rebirth. It always presents us with an opportunity for renewal. Who of us hasn't experienced the magic of spring? A feeling moves through the air and softly warms the soul. We sense winter gently releasing his grasp, and new life is born. ("Birth", "born", mere words and sounds and letters that veil so much.) The new buds bravely burst out of hiding, delicate yet strong, filled with determination and certainty in the face of all obstacles. The warm air begins to linger, we feel and see the sun as he climbs more assuredly in the sky... we hear the birds as they begin their songs and rituals. (Are these the same birds who were so tiny and helpless such a short time ago?) The feel and smell of spring brings its promise to burn off the old order of winter. The vows of life are renewed as everything starts a new cycle, hopefully wiser this time around. We experience the mysterious time of transition between winter and spring as the sun enters the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, the most mystical of all the signs. During this time, to some degree, it is as if the new life of spring is hidden; just as the seed, buried deep within the stillness of the earth, quietly awaits the forces that will transform it. As we experience this transition from winter to spring, a profound gentleness and quietness can be sensed. We are asked to intuitively listen to the stillness as we await new life. We are challenged to reconnect to the source of life, to God; to remember and re-learn that it is God who grants the powerful rebirth of spring out of the stillness of winter, as it is the power of God which grants each rebirth of a new sunrise, each germination of a new seed. It is no coincidence that this gentle time, prior to the rebirth of spring (and Easter) brings the season of lent. It is a time of going within, of remembering that it is God who gives His Light in the darkness, who gives eternal life, always as a gift to be revered. We remember that it is Our Lord who gives himself as a sacrifice, that we may be raised to eternal life. That through his gentleness we may become strong, that through His giving we receive. That through his caring and Love we are forgiven our carelessness and selfishness. I hope that all will take advantage of this special time to get closer to God, regardless of which practices or denominations you follow. The energy of this time of year invites us to go deeper into the mystery of life, to be thankful for the love of God which resurrects the Spring and offers us all the promises of life.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is it for this month. I hope you read something here that will improve your life. Remember, I always like to hear your feedback :) My March letter will be out within two weeks, I am going to make it a point to get my letters out in the first half of every month! Yours in good health,
Timothy Long
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