The FDA and drug companies: Must read

gentianviolet

Chef127 - It is my understanding that watermelon without seeds is not a GMO product.  I am also under the impression that organic chickens are not feed GMO vegetarian foods.......I have been led to believe that in order to claim organic that the animals can not have been given GMO's, however the cage free chickens that are called "natural" are given GMO's in their supplemental foods.  Please correct me if I am wrong and give me your source. 

chef127

gentianviolet,

I never said anything about chicken. I do try to buy organic chicken when I'm eating meat. The averag family cannot afford to buy organic to feed their families. It is three times the price. And I do believe you are correct abourt the chix. From what I understand they do not inject hormones in the chix. Most people don't have a choice and buy the least expensive crap that the market offers.

What did they do to the watermelon? It wasn't a magic wand that got rid of those seeds. Watermelon w seeds in much more nutricious, But you cannot find them.

Anonymous

Some info about organic and GMO I found helpful:

http://helpguide.org/life/organic_foods_pesticides_gmo.htm

tucker

Anonymous

Chef, while shopping for fruits at the supermarket (you're right, not everybody can afford to eat organic all the time), I asked the clerk about the radiation of fruits  - coz I'm concerned about that - thinking it was to protect us from bacteria, etc.  He kinda smirked and bluntly told me it's Monsanto wanting to protect its seeds by literally burning and killing them so that we may not reproduce i.e. that watermelon in our garden !  Needless to say, I quickly dropped the fruit bag right there and then and found my way out.  

 http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/food-supply-report.html

gentianviolet

Chef - In my opinion, genetic engineers are transferring genetic material between species thus changing the evolution of species,,,,,,,,,,,however this is not the case with the seedless watermelon.  I have copied and pasted information on seedless watermelon and how they have evolved.

Ask A Scientist!

Published: 30 September, 2004

Creating seedless watermelons involves several types of 'ploids'

How do you grow seedless watermelons?

Ask your own question!

Seedless watermelons cannot reproduce on their own, so plant breeders use genetic tricks to produce them. The first seedless watermelon was invented over fifty years ago.

Normally, watermelons are "diploid." This means they have two sets of 11 chromosomes, the structures that contain an organism's genetic material. They get one set of chromosomes from each parent, for a total of 22.

Producing a seedless watermelon involves three steps. First, a plant is treated with colchicine, a substance that allows chromosomes to duplicate, but prevents the copies from being distributed properly to dividing cells. As a result, a plant with four sets of chromosomes is created, a "tetraploid."

In the second step, a tetraploid plant is crossed with a diploid to produce offspring that are�.? That's right, triploid, with three sets. They get half the number of chromosomes from each parent.

Finally, the triploid seeds are grown into plants. Although they must be germinated under very careful conditions, once the seeds grow into small plantlets, they grow just like normal watermelon plants. They can produce flowers and the female flowers can produce fruit, the watermelons.

However, triploids cannot reproduce sexually. The reason is that the cell divisions that produce pollen and egg cells are very particular; they require precise alignment of chromosome pairs in the middle of the cell, an impossible task with an odd number of copies. Since the triploids have three sets, this crucial process gets mixed up and the eggs inside the watermelon are never formed. Without eggs, the seeds do not grow.

So far so good, except that pollen is still needed to trigger the female flowers to make the watermelons. Since triploid plants cannot produce pollen, farmers grow diploid "pollenizer" plants near the triploids. The diploids produce the necessary pollen, bees carry it to the female triploid flowers, and the seedless watermelons grow. Actually, a few seeds develop partially, so you can find some white, empty seed coats in the red flesh.

When plant breeders developed seedless watermelons, they also selected them for other traits such as sweetness, disease resistance, longer shelf life, and nutritional value.

Therefore they are not transferring genetic material between species to create the seedless watermelon.   Perhaps I am interpreting this wrong so please let me know if I am.

chef127

OK.......................I still want a watermelon with seeds. as nature intended. Lets talk about the potato, or cantalopes.

gentianviolet

I don't know anything about potatoes or cantaloupes.  I rarely eat potatoes except when I can find organic, but I do love cantaloupes and eat them whether they are organic or not.  What do you know?  Please tell me.  I love your avatar, your dog?

Kaara

chef:  you can get them in the summer in NC...seeds and all!

chef127

Kaara, I haven't seen them in at least 10 years. They are a better product w seeds. More fun too. My mom used to dry the seeds a sautee them w salt. Hard to crack open but delish.

Titan

I work for a medium size grocery store chain and all we sell are seedless watermelons..we get a few seeded in but man they are expensive...8 to 10 bucks each...

did you know when you cut into a melon if there is bacteria on the outside it will be on the knife and go into the meat of the melon...I always wash the outside of the melon with dish soap before I cut it...

MariannaLaFrance

Kaara,

On a lighter side note, the cost of non-organic groceries has gone up so much that you might be paying the same prices you would at a normal store....

I have quite a routine going on to get organics on the table for my family, and it's a hard process. It means making concessions where I have to, choosing meats and dairy goods from only organic sources, and crossing my fingers on the rest.....

It's hard to spend the extra money, but I justify it by thinking that it's for the greater good of our family's health. 

MariannaLaFrance

Oh, and about potatoes..... I read somewhere recently that potato farmers WILL NOT eat the stock they are growing for the general populace-- they grow their own stock for their personal use, seperate from their crops.

Interesting, eh? 

Kaara

Our local Costco had a nice supply of organic veggies the last time we were there.  We bought a large bag of baby carrots that I now have to get creative about cooking.  Just made a carrot, apple, ginger soup in the Vita Mix that was outstanding.  It can be eaten cold or hot.  I sprinkled a little goat cheese on top....yummy!  Also had large tubs of organic spinach and salad greens.

We were amazed that when we left the store with all this produce that our bill was surprisingly low compared to buying at the local grocery in smaller quantities.  I will have no trouble using up the produce...it goes fast with amount of salads and veggies we eat, and anything left over I can now throw in the blender for soups or smoothies.  I'm beginning to get the hang of cooking this way. 

leggo

I don't know if I'd be trusting Costco for organic food. Just something to mull over...almost every time we've had a recall on meat and veggies, it's always been Costco. (Maybe it's a Canadian thing!) True organic food isn't normally grown in such large quantities. Kaara, may I have your recipe for the carrot/apple/ginger soup?

Kaara

gracie1:  Sautee 1 lb of carrots, some celery, onions, and one granny smith apple, add two cups of chicken broth and simmer until tender.  Put in the blender with one orange cut in half and a small 1 inch slice of ginger.  Blend on high speed until smooth.  Add add'l 2 cups of broth until desired consistency is reached for your taste.  I will probably add a little less ginger next time since my boyfriend doesn't like the taste as much as I do.

leggo

Thanks Kaara. It sounds so yummy!

Anonymous

Hi Ladies,

Cooking has been a lot more fun since I've changed my diet. I have come up with lots of ways to cook w/o sugar or salt.

It's weird that oncs don't have a clue about eating right isn't it? You'd think they'd be into cancer prevention!

My naturopath said to avoid 'white foods' like  potatoes, white rice, etc. because they are usually high glycemic. Also for ER sensitive bc's, avoid eating yams. And also not to eat grapefruit at all.

Were any of you able to read the article I posted by the MD (on this thread) about drugs, FDA and kickback? Pretty interesting. I find it empowering to know this stuff !

tucker

Anonymous

Here's the link if y'all are interested!

Another must read.  The author was editor of the prestigious NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine) and is an MD:

http://www.wanttoknow.info/truthaboutdrugcompanies

The more we know the healthier we are.

tucker

Anonymous

Tucker, thanks!

Marcia angell's story needs to be read and reread. When the people at the very top are doing the whistleblowing, there is no question of the corruption.

Have you heard of this book Blood Feud? http://www.kathleensharp.com/

She worked for the NY Times and has written a book. I'm going to hear her speak. 
  

About Blood Feud:
Blood Feud is Kathleen Sharp's superbly reported, breathtakingly true story of Big Pharma's power, the terrifying vulnerability of innocent patients, and what it takes to stand up for what is right.

The Drug: Procrit
Procrit. It seemed to be a miraculous blood booster. This anti-anemia drug was one of the first biotech blockbusters and promised a golden age in medical care. Developed in the 1980s by the start-up Amgen and licensed to the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, the drug was sold by the two companies under the brand names Procrit, Epogen, and Aranesp. It soon generated billions in annual revenue-and still does.

The Whistleblower: Mark Duxbury, an award-winning Johnson & Johnson Sales Rep
Mark Duxbury, a gung ho salesman for J&J's new biotech division, championed this new product and believed in the technology behind it. Always at the ready with a joke and a smile, his knowledge and passionate pitches set sales records and won company awards. His star rose. But in the early 1990s, he and his peers were told to steal business from J&J's partner, Amgen. Then came the biased marketing studies, the off-invoice rebates, doctor payments, and off-label promotions. Duxbury tried to stop some of these ruthless practices, but was soon fired on trumped-up charges. Then he attempted to warn the public about the dangers in any way he could: by testifying in a secret arbitration, joining a class action effort, and filing a whistleblower suit. But he was thwarted at nearly every turn-until the surprising final act.

The Best Friend: Dean McClellan, a legendary Johnson & Johnson Sales Rep
Dean McClellan was Duxbury's sales colleague. He tried to beat his buddy's record and wound up selling $170 million worth of the drug, becoming a company legend. When Duxbury got fired, McClellan tried to distance himself. But as news of Procrit's deadly power started to surface, McClellan agreed to hand over thousands of damning documents and help his friend blow the whistle on J&J.

The Crusader: Jan Schlichtmann, Esq., and subject of the movie, A Civil Action
Enter Jan Schlichtmann, protagonist of the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated movie A Civil Action. When he learned of Duxbury's mission, he felt the old fire rising in his belly and signed on. Now he's gambling on yet another long shot, fighting on behalf of not just millions of cancer patients, but for every American who cares about their health.

A blockbuster of a story, especially today with Medicare potentially on the chopping block.

Anonymous

lucy,

No, I had not heard about Blood Feud. I would like to hear what you think after you hear her speak. Changes have GOT to happen. This total reliance on drugs is poppycock, especially drugs that kill us. J&J isn't the only Big Pharma to cover up potential negative info about a drug.

Big Pharmas make millions of dollars every day, can you imagine that much money? If they put a fraction of that towards cancer research I believe they'd find a cure.

Thanks for posting this!

tucker

Circles

What a turn off that the Onocologist has candy in the office for cancer patients.  Things that make you go hummmm.

chef127

Incredible articles that needs to get out to the general public who put 100% of their med care in the hands of drs and their poorly thoughtout Rx. After reading them, I was overome with fear, hopelessness, anger, powerlessness, controlled, depression, disheatened, etc etc, even peranoid in fear of getting sicker and needing the help of medicine. I have BC and I just don't trust any of the tx recommended instandard of care. WTF. I feel the only thing 'I' can do is refuse all the meds and tx associated w BC. (and MS) Scary place to be.

However i also feel vindicated in my beliefs that i have been dooped by drs and pharma. As least the horror story is getting out and perhaps we'll see changes?????

Thanx for the enlightenment.

Kaara

Did anyone see the 60 Minutes clip with Leslie Stahl about anti depressents giving no greater benefit than a placebo?  Very interesting.  There was a  study done on people who were given both anti depressants and others a placebo, and there was virtually no difference in how it made them feel.  Even the ones on the placebo started feeling better after taking the sugar pill.

OK...just give me the sugar pill and I'll avoid the addiction!  End of story. 

chef127

Kaara,

The power of the mind. Many women go to thier drs and complain about common ailments and tells her its all in her head and Rx's anti depressant instead of looking for the possible cause. Is it the drs confidence or are they disreguarding you and writing a script to make it look as if thier doing thier job? Antibiotics are also given out like gum balls.

I see my dr because I need a script for diabetes  and of course BC. I'm hoping diet and excersise will keep the drs away.

Kaara

I know...I've been offered anti anxiety, sleeping pills, anti depressants, all without even asking!  Oh, and never mind the time when I was pregnant with my youngest that the doctor put me on diet pills because I was gaining too much weight!  Wonder why he was later diagnosed with ADD!

 I take nothing now but antibiotics if I have an infection that won't clear up on its own, my thyroid meds, and tamox which I am reluctantly trying.

sweetbean

tuckertwo, no yams?  No sweet potatoes?  Why?  (For the love of God, I have cut out so much stuff, if I have to give up my baked sweet potato fries, I'm going to poke my eye out!)

 OK, not really.  But still...) 

Anonymous

Tell me about it! I love yams. But they are estrogenic. I guess you could double check this by googling but it was my onc naturopath who told me. Sweet potatoes are ok but in moderation. Yams have a high glycemic index too, which we bc'ers don't need! I was also drinking pomegranate juice which I thought was ok, turns out it's a no-no for the same reason - estrogenic. But ground flax is supposed to be ok.....sometimes I have no idea what I should eat!!!

 I found out at one of the breast cancer forums in town that I attended that beer (yeah, beer too) is estrogenic, it's the hops. Women who worked in the field gathering hops had higher estrogen levels. Boy, were there a lot of long faces at the forum when we heard that ~!   I loved my beer

We just have to learn a new way of eating I guess, low fat and low glycemic, so not too many sweet fruits like bananas or mangoes which have higher sugar...apples & pears are ok. It's kind of like a diabetic diet, you exchange one food for another. If you are her2+ like me then it's really important to keep sugar out of your diet as much as possible.

Anyway, I was reading more of Marcia Angell's article. She summarizes it here. As she says, it shouldn't scare or depress you, it should empower you!

Health Cover-up Summary

---

"The combined profits for the ten drug companies in the Fortune 500 ($35.9 billion) were more than the profits for all the other 490 businesses put together ($33.7 billion) [in 2002]. Over the past two decades the pharmaceutical industry has moved very far from its original high purpose of discovering and producing useful new drugs. Now primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit, this industry uses its wealth and power to co-opt every institution that might stand in its way, including the US Congress, the FDA, academic medical centers, and the medical profession itself."
    -- Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine

---

The book review below, taken from the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, clearly reveals just how corrupt the pharmaceutical and health care industries have become. The book's author, Marcia Angell, M.D., is a former editor in chief of the highly respected Journal. She is currently a senior lecturer in social medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her book, The Truth About the Drug Companies, provides yet another eye-opening example of how greed has taken over many facets of business and government, and offers empowering ideas on what we can do about it.

~~~~~~~

blessings

tucker 

sweetbean

Yes, I keep it low carb and low fat.  No meat or dairy, either.  I generally have two pieces of fruit a day and one serving is always blueberries.  

I won't worry to much about the occasional baked sweet potato fries, then.  Surely, all that broccoli I am eating is doing something!   

Kaara

I was a little upset too when I heard no sweet potatoes...that's our new potato substitute and we love it.

Dr. Horner's book says you can eat flaxseeds and soy, so I'm confused.  I found this great broccoli slaw packaged salad in the produce section.  It has everything all cut up and ready to serve..just add some dressing (the one that comes with it is sweet) and it's ready to eat raw.  We love it. 

chef127

My new go to meat is a portobella mushroom burger. You can add anything you like to it. I add eggplant cutlets and roasted red peppers and tomato slices and always use sprouted bread. Kaara you can get a glut free one. Marinate the porto mush in a vinagerette. Its got the texture and mouth feel of a hamburger.

And I would just enjoy the sweet potatoes. They are better than a white potato, full of vits. It is lower on the Gly index than white potatoes. I won't give them up!