What's New in Natural Foods

In This Issue:

Hi Everyone,

Despite being off to a cool start this year, I love our Minnesota summer in July. Mosquitoes aside, there’s typically lots of sunshine, the produce is in abundant bloom and, on a warm summer night, eating ice cream (organic, of course) outside is a special treat. In this issue I’ll share new information on the organic dairy industry and how probiotics work to keep your digestive system in working order. Also see a preview of cool July meals from Dinner with Jennette. There’s really no excuse to not eat healthfully—and I hope this newsletter each month helps you to do that.

Organic Dairy News

There’s good news and bad news in the world of organic dairy products and farming, and both are worth your attention.

First the good news: a growing body of scientific literature has shown that dairy products from organic, pasture-fed cows have significant health benefits and nutritional advantages over those from a conventional dairy.  Dairy products from these cows have significant health benefits and nutritional advantages over conventional dairy. Dairy from these cows have more antioxidants, more vitamins and a special fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is powerfully anti-carcinogenic and has been shown to both help prevent cancer and fight existing cancer cells. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (my alma mater) found that cows raised on pasture had 500% more CLA in their milk than those raised on silage. CLA also reduces the amount of stored body fat in people who are overweight, lowers insulin resistance, enhances the immune system and supports heart health. Wow! All this from cows eating grass…

Now the bad news: where organic dairy farming used to be inherently smaller-scale, the increase in consumer demand has caused a rise in factory farming practices in “organic” dairy: thousands of animals are confined in feedlots and are not provided with pasture the way federal organic standards require. Some of these “farms” have been fined for their livestock violations, but for the most part, the Department of Agriculture has been accused of looking the other way. One more reason to know where your dairy products are coming from. To make that easier, check out the Cornucopia Institute’s scorecard for rating the organic integrity of dairy producers: www.cornucopia.org/2008/01/dairy-report-and-scorecard 

Organic Valley dairy products all come from family farmers across the country. Here in Minnesota we’re fortunate to have the Pastureland Co-operative, which offers 100% grass-fed, high CLA cheeses and the best butter I’ve ever tasted. It’s super dark yellow from all the vitamin A, and it’s a great reason to have seconds on vegetables.

Hard times for the organic dairy farm business

A recent article in the NY Times details the financial woes of many organic dairy farmers on the East coast. Organic certification is expensive and farming organically is more labor intensive than conventional, which accounts for the higher price of the milk. As the recession has caused many people to tighten their belts, organic milk sales have dropped, leaving farmers in dire straits.

As far as I’m concerned, animal products, including dairy, are the most important foods to buy organic, not only for health reasons, but because they are produced with an environmental ethic that we cannot survive without. Humane animal husbandry and social justice for farmers are yet another reason to support your local family farmer. In my mind, it’s worth every penny.

Probiotics Promote Better Digestion

Digestion is the cornerstone of health. One of the biggest factors in digestive health is the health of our gut flora – those beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines. Healthy gut flora aid in the digestion of food, they protect us from pathogenic organisms that cause illness, and they produce nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin K.

We can increase the amount of these beneficial organisms in our gut by feeding them properly: giving them plenty of vegetables and whole grains that supply the fructooligosaccharides (FOS) they eat. We also need to avoid the foods that feed the competing harmful bacteria and yeasts in our gut: refined carbohydrates – anything made from or with white flour, white rice, sugar and corn syrup.

Eating probiotic foods also helps support a healthy intestinal ecosystem. Examples of these foods include raw sauerkraut (the kind that comes in the refrigerated section), kim-chee, yogurt, kefir, (another chance to support organic dairies!) miso, and kombucha. You can learn how to integrate these foods into your diet and to make your own probiotic foods. Join me for a class at the Wedge July 30, “Lacto Fermentation: Preserving Foods and Strengthening Health.”  This class is already filling up, so call the Wedge soon to register: 612-871-3993.

Summer Meal Ideas

Some of the delicious, refreshing summer meals featured in Dinner with Jennette this month include  “Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing,” “Creamy Tarragon Chicken Soup,” “Peruvian Shrimp and Quinoa with Aji Sauce” and “Asian Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Sesame Eggplant.”

Dinner with Jennette meals are always nutritionally balanced and help you provide nourishing foods for yourself and your family. They’re fast and easy to make, full of variety, taste great and use seasonal ingredients. You’re invited to subscribe now.

Thank you,
Jennette