Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

[KundaliniGirl]

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in what AL is doing to us, that we can forget that there are other things that impact our bodies - like genetically modified foods.

I would have posted this under the Holistic thread, but not too many people go there.

Whole Foods - Major Betrayal of Organic Food Movement

KG

[coalfire]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Hi kundalinigirl. I think you are right about getting caught up in al. Before I became an alcoholic I was so interested in health and nutrition. Since I became an alcoholic it all went out the window. If you have downed a dozen drinks the night before it always seemed pointless to me to worry about anything else. I suppose its just another example of how alcohol lowers our standards. We say things that once we would have never dreamed of saying,we do things that we would have never dreamed of doing,and we ignore our health in ways we would have never dreamed of ignoring. If my younger self could meet me now...well to be honest thats too painful for me to think about.I look forward to the day where I can start to think about things like that again but Im only sober since late January and I cant even think about going there yet.Its taking every ounce of my being to stay sober.Its certainly something to aspire to though.I suppose its all about breaking the obsession with alcohol and starting to have broader interests. Thanks for the article.

[KundaliniGirl]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

I hear you Coalfire. It's something like Maslov's Heirarchy of Needs which says something like if you're worrying about where your next meal is coming from, you can hardly worry about lofty ideals. Of course, the theory is much more scientific than that but you get the gist.

It's an interesting topic, though. I think of people like Carolyn Knapp who wrote Drinking A Love Story. She was a terrible alcoholic who finally kicked alcohol but smoked like a fiend. She died of lung cancer.

So, while it's important to battle the alcohol problem, I think it's also important to keep our eye on the big picture when we can.

BTW, you've been posting some wonderful stuff. Hope you'll keep it up -- helpful to us all.

KG

[coalfire]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Thanks for the compliment! Yeah old maslow had it right. I had forgotten about the whole hierarchy of needs thing but that hits the nail on the head perfectly. The whole sober smoker thing is so true. I think its a dead give away as well when you see a non drinking heavy smoker. They might as well have recovering alkie tatooed on their forehead not to mention the fact that its going to kill them as quick if not quicker than the booze. Hence the importance of our no more butts thread I suppose.When I reach the 6 month sober mark(do you like the when bit) I will join it but its an al al al al al chant in my brain right now.I have no brain cells to spare for anything else but I hear they will come.

[lolab]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Hi Kundalini girl - I just read this article this morning...It's infuriating. They're making it nearly iimpossible for those of us who try to avoid these things to do so!

"Now, what's going to happen is that Monsanto is going to sell their alfalfa seeds all over the country which make this alfalfa roundup resistant. This means they're going to spray the heck out of these 23 million acres of alfalfa fields"....."Given the fact that alfalfa is a major food source for dairy cows across the United States, and organic alfalfa is a major food source for organic dairy cows, we're going to see widespread contamination getting worse every year… by this GM alfalfa."

[KundaliniGirl]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Lolab, this is why it's so important for people to organize. I know Europeans were successful at doing something along this line - was it GMO? Anyway, online activism is where it's at. Pisses me off that we have to FIGHT just to eat real food. Makes me crazy, in fact. Big business owns this country - that's bad enough, but for them to screw with our food is unacceptable. No wonder the cancer rate in this country is so high (smoke now coming out of my ears). Must go do an ommmmmmmmmm mantra of some kind.:H

KG

[Ringing Cedars]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Got this email yesterday: it's on the table Canadians, but not a done deal yet!
Action Alert to follow.


PRESS RELEASE

Moratorium on Genetically Modified Alfalfa Proposed: Liberals Step Up to Protect Farmers

Friday March 4, 2011. Ottawa. Yesterday, Liberal members of the House of Commons Agriculture Committee tabled a motion calling for a moratorium on the approval of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa in Canada.

?I?m pleased to see Members of Parliament have listened and are prepared to take action to protect farmers? said Arnold Taylor, a Saskatchewan organic grain farmer who spoke before the Committee on February 17th on behalf of the Canadian Organic Growers. ?I hope that the Committee will vote for this moratorium and make it a reality so we don?t end up with the same kind of contamination in alfalfa that hit organic canola farmers and damaged Canadian flax export markets.?

Maggie Mumm, an organic alfalfa seed producer and co-owner of Mumm?s Sprouting Seeds said, ?Farmers don?t want or need Monsanto?s herbicide tolerant alfalfa. Conventional and organic alfalfa growers agree that GM alfalfa would be a disaster for our markets.?

In addition to export markets for processed alfalfa products, alfalfa is used as a forage crop in pastures and as hay for high-protein feed for dairy cows, beef cattle, lambs, and pigs. It is also a natural source of nitrogen to fertilize the soil, making it particularly important for organic farming. Alfalfa is pollinated by bees and other insects, making it easy for contamination to spread. Alfalfa is also a perennial which means that each new GM alfalfa plant can grow and produce viable seed for several years.

The motion before the Agriculture Committee asks the government to place a moratorium on approving the herbicide tolerant Roundup Ready alfalfa until the Government completes public research: ?(a) into Canada?s ability to ensure the genetic integrity, production and preservation of a diversity of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), non-GMO and organic alfalfa production; (b) the ability of Canada?s handling and transportation system to ensure segregation of forage seeds and detection of genetic co-mingling in alfalfa seeds and hay; (c) the development of industry-led, third party audit and verification systems;? The Agriculture Committee should vote on the motion Thursday March 10th and if passed, it will be referred to the House of Commons for a vote.

?There are no benefits to genetically modified alfalfa, only risks,? said Benoit Girouard, President of the Quebec farmer association Union Paysanne. ?Its time our politicians started working for farmers, not Monsanto.?

?This is a good first step to protecting the organic industry in Canada. The motion shows a real recognition that farmers face critical challenges from genetically modified alfalfa,? said Ann Slater of the Ecological Farmers of Ontario. ?The motion shows that some MPs are listening to what the people want. In a time when democracy is at the top of people?s minds around the world, it provides hope that our actions can bring results,?

?We urge the Agriculture Committee to support this motion so it can be voted on in the House of Commons as soon as possible. The moratorium is urgently needed,? said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.

On January 27th, the US Department of Agriculture approved plantings of GM alfalfa despite widespread opposition from farmers and consumers, and after protracted legal cases. Without the proposed moratorium, Canada is only one step away from allowing GE alfalfa to be planted here.

-30-

For more information: Arnold Taylor, Canadian Organic Growers, 306 252 2783; Maggie Mumm, Mumm?s Sprouting Seeds, 306 747 2935: Benoit Girouard, Union Paysanne, 450 495 1910: Ann Slater, 519 349 2448, Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 613 263 9511. Alfalfa / GE Crops and Foods (Not on the Market) / Topics / Resources / Take Action - Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - CBAN





Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN)
Collaborative Campaigning for Food Sovereignty and Environmental Justice
431 Gilmour Street, Second Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2P 0R5
Phone: 613 241 2267 ext. 25
Fax: 613 241 2506
coordinator@cban.ca
Take Action - Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - CBAN


Support the Moratorium on GM Alfalfa! Take action by March 10, 2011 at Alfalfa / GE Crops and Foods (Not on the Market) / Topics / Resources / Take Action - Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - CBAN


Donate today to support the campaign! donate / Take Action - Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - CBAN


Subscribe to the CBAN News and Action Listserve CBAN e-News / About / Take Action - Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - CBAN

[Nursie]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

Thanks for the article. I try to go local and organic s much as possible. I made all my son's baby food, and we support the slow food movement in our schools. Organic is more expensive, so choose your battles. Milk and meat for us are super important. I try with most veggies and fruits but I definitely don't buy the ones as big as my head. They have issues. I am careful of canned foods due to BPA content, and try to get glass.
But I don't go crazy, I'm a busy mom. I read alot and I try to pick my battles.

[RingingCedars]

Beyond Alcohol - If You Care About Your Body

I miss KundaliniGirl. Hope you are going well, if you by chance read this.:l