Today in Gap, PA

Today, I went to my 3rd Ladie's Day meeting.  It sounds like a tea party, but it's not.  It's a talking party.  Everybody's passionate about healthy eating.  It's usually held every other month by a group of women interested in sharing ideas for healthy eating.  Today's topic of discussion (speaker) had to do with recognizing non-food items on food labels and non-listed processing agents... chemicals like synthetic enzymes, anti-foaming agents in milk and meat-based stocks, cleaning chemicals, ethylene gas on produce, atmospheric modifications (carbon dioxide) inside bags of lettuce, etc.  It started at 10:00a.m. at the Friends Meeting House in Gap, PA.  I've never been there before.  The building is quaint, built in the 1700's, and is surrounded by grave stones on all sides.  Felt like going back in time.  The "Friends" are otherwise known as the Quakers.  When they gather together on Sundays, they sit in silence and wait for their own experience with Christ within.  It was really nice of them to let us use their building.  Long wooden benches and wooden floors.  I wore my long johns just in case (but it turned out to be heated).  Most of the people in attendance were Amish, but there were a few Mennonite, English, Quaker, and me with 2 friends.  We would be English, I suppose (although my 2 friends were really from Germany).  Ha!  It's an exceptional group, with wise speakers, humble hearts, and awesome lunch.  Everybody brings something good to share.  If you're interested in coming to the next meeting, inquire at Miller's Natural Foods (ask cashier) about the details.  Anyone is welcome.  I think the next meeting will be in March.

Basically, what hit me is:

1. There are all kinds of non-food items and synthetic chemicals added to commercial foods.  Preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, enhancers, synthetic vitamins, chemically modified fats, etc.  It creates a set-up where our bodies are challenged to recognize the substance.  This causes stress on our bodies and who wants that?  I am so thankful for our local and organic farmers here.  God bless you all!  We can even get fresh local kale, swiss chard, spinach, and other salad greens from farms with hot houses in the winter right now.  I just bought some really nice fresh cut oak leaf lettuce from "Expressly Local," a little organic market on King St. across from McDonald's.  They also sell raw milk.     

2.  There are many processing agents which are not required to be on food lables.  But frozen foods are one of the few packaged foods where what's on the label is also what's in the package.  I like frozen strawberries for smoothies, and frozen peas and corn for dinner veggies.  Steamed kale freezes very well.

3.  Eating an apple with out the skin is not eating a whole food.  The two were meant to be eaten together.  The fiber and vitamins and minerals in the apples skin and just under the skin actually has a modulating effect on the glycemix index so that the glycemic load and blood sugar rise is much less than with eating just the flesh of the apple alone.  This applies to all whole foods: oranges, potatos, milk (drink it whole), wheat, etc.

4.  To make sprouted wheat flour, just soak your whole wheat berries overnight until they sprout, dehydrate them, and grind them into flour.  I can't wait to try this!

5.  When you buy local organic whole food from people you can see and know, you are strongly casting your vote for more of the real thing and less of the mysterious commercial factory farming processed stuff.  It may be cheaper to buy synthetically modified and processed foods, but if you had to seriously look at" the price per nutrient value", the cost of consuming local and organic food is very effective and it is a direct gift to each cell in your body.

By the way, you should see the movie "Food, Inc."  It's sooooo informative.  I have it on Blue-Ray, and if you want to watch it sometime, let me know... and we'll have a movie night.

Long live local and organic farmers!

Amy