photo credit: word of wisdom

Butter has gotten a bad rap in recent years. I used to cringe when my toddler would want to eat butter all by itself. Recently, I caught myself happily handing it over to my littlest “butter-demander”. Why?  I look at butter in a whole new light.

Butter can be good for you!  It’s a source of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K and it contains important trace minerals like magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium and iodine.

What about the fat?

Fat, despite what we’ve been taught through the years, is actually very necessary for our bodies.  Good fats are essential to developing a healthy brain.  You want to eat the right kind of fat, of course, and if you choose butter wisely, it counts!   Read more about Taking the Fear Out of Eating Fat from the Weston A Price foundation.

Margarine is actually full of unhealthy fats, and margarine-eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter-eaters!  (Nutrition Week, March ’91)

Choosing a brand of butter at the store, as with most products these days, can be a challenging experience. We definitely aren’t lacking in choices, yet how does one even start in finding a healthy brand?

In my opinion, the easiest way to choose a healthy butter in the store is to choose one with the fewest ingredients. Some brands will have an ingredient list over 15 items long! Some have a refreshingly simple ingredient list: sweet cream, salt. Ahh.

You also want to choose butter that is hormone, steroid, and antibiotic free.   The Organic Consumers Association has a list of the brands that are hormone-free, like Brown Cow.

Even better would be to choose organic butter from grass-fed cows.  Better still would be fresh butter, made from fresh raw cream!  If we have our own cow someday, I will definitely be whipping up my own butter!

image credit: Wikipedia

The term GMO is tossed around a lot these days, especially in the healthy food world.  What is a GMO and why are more and more people saying we need to avoid them?

GMO’s are genetically modified organisms and they are made by combining DNA (genes) from different organisms.   I think this technology is fascinating and has lots of exciting applications, particularly in medicine, but in our food is NOT one of them!

At a molecular level, our body absorbs the GMO’s that we eat in our food.   These GMO’s can do all sorts of things inside our bodies that we have almost no knowledge about.   For example, a recent article from Discover Magazine explains how mRNA from rice negatively affects our cholesterol levels.    In essence, mRNA in cells from rice lowered receptor levels in our cells that, in turn, increased our LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  Who knew?  This example is only the tip of the iceburg in terms of the effect genetically modified foods are having on our DNA.

Why the push for GMO’s?   Among other things, proponents of genetically modified foods say that genetic engineering will increase crop yield and be the solution to the world’s hunger problems.   A heartbreaking article in the Huffington Post reveals just the opposite as it tells the story of how over 200,000 Indian farmers have commited suicide because of crop failure due to GE seeds.

70% of our processed foods now contain GMO’s.  To avoid GMO’s, look for a GMO-free label or buy organic.  I have started buying only organic bread, for example, because SO much of the wheat grown in the US is genetically modified.  Thankfully, Costco has a great organic sprouted wheat bread – check it out if you live near a Costco!

You can influence change in a couple of key ways.  We vote with our dollars, so each time you choose a GMO-free product, you’re sending a message to the corporations that you want GMO-free food!  Various non-profits are waging war on the food industry by campaigning for truth-in-labeling and for keeping our organic foods GMO-free!  Sign these petitions and email your Congressional representatives, sharing your views and opinions on your food supply.   We can make a difference together!

Join us at Food Renegade & Monday Mania!

I’m really excited to introduce you to Blessed [are the] Beekeepers!

Blessed [are the] Beekeepers is a locally owned beekeeping business in Mobile, AL.  Owner Mark Renn maintains multiple bee hives at community gardens in the West Mobile area. They offer a variety of products from honey and beeswax lip balm to dried spice mixes, jams and pickled items (such as jalapenos, banana peppers and pickles).

Mark sent me some lip balms and soaps to try out and I love them!  The lip balm is really moisturizing and smells good.  I love that it’s made with all-natural ingredients and by a small business owner.  His prices are fantastic too – soaps are only 75¢/oz!   Mark also makes custom flavors and labels – these could be a great fundraiser!

Mark has generously offered to do a giveaway for Renaissance Mama readers!  Follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below and you could win a honey bear full of fresh, local honey, 3 lip balms, and several soaps.  The giveaway will run through 12:01 am on Saturday, so enter soon!

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