This week in the UK, the FSA (Food Standards Agency) has urged the British government to follow the US and Canada and, most recently, Australia in mandating that all flour be enriched with Folic Acid (synthetic folate), in order to try and prevent women giving birth to babies with birth defects such as spina bifida - conditions that are very closely linked to a deficiency of folate (one of the B Vitamins). Between 700-900 cases of spina bifida are reported every year and 15 cases have been identified in Scotland already this year.

The US and Canada have both reported dramatic decreases in these birth defects since flour started being enriched with folic acid back in the 1990s. However, some studies have also identified an increase in bowel cancer during that time, suggesting that taking too much folate could interfere with our body’s biochemical processes and, therefore, a widespread ‘mass medication’ of this kind might not be ideal - especially as so many cereals and other products are already enriched with folic acid. The government’s health officials have said that if they go ahead and sanction the flour enrichment, they will also have to regulate the ‘voluntary’ enrichment of other cereal-based products already occurring.

In theory, flour enrichment is a good way to cover a vast number of pregnant women - especially those who don’t know they are pregnant and therefore don’t take folic acid supplements in the weeks preceding conception and the 12 weeks after, when the additional folate is essential in ensuring the foetal spinal column develops properly. We cannot store folate and therefore need to ingest it daily and bread, for the most part, is something people eat daily.

However, flour enrichment wouldn’t help people like me who can’t tolerate gluten. So, I have been looking at gluten-free sources of folate. And it turns out there are plenty.

Doctors recommend that women take 400 micrograms (μg) of folate daily if they are trying to conceive, and during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

There are a number of folic acid supplements, people can take. But, there are also plenty of folate-packed foods that you can stock up on, such as (chart below taken from Yaeyama-chlorella.co.uk):

So, if you consume a good few portions of these, as well as other leafy green veg, every day, you should get your 400μg a day pretty easily.

What do you think about putting folic acid in flour? Does spina bifida trump colon cancer, or should we be asking for a more measured approach to curbing the incidence of birth defects? I suppose as one who steers clear of flour for the most part, I can at least rest assured that I will remain in control of the amount of folic acid I consume.

Now, you may have thought the whole idea of ebay was pretty ‘green’ in itself - ie. buying and selling things you or somebody else no longer wants. However, the ebay people have created a new sister site, dedicated to promoting truly green ebay-ing.

That is to say, for those looking to buy, ebay Green Team encourages us to concentrate our purchases on goods that are either ‘pre-owned’, ’sustainable’ or ‘resource-saving’ (or, presumably all of the above!). Meanwhile, for those in the business of selling these items, there are tips on how to do so in as green a fashion as possible - such as reducing waste at the point of distribution (work/home), using recycled goods to package purchased items etc…

The Green Team has also joined forces with thedailygreen site (which we’ve already become fans of) to provide general tips on how to green up your lives. After all, it’s all very well to use green, organic skin care (like SOPHYTO!), try and weed out the chemicals in your life, and turn off all lights when you leave the room but being truly green clearly requires a good deal more thought.

If you join ebay Green Team now, or spread the word about it, the Team will donate $1 to The Uniform Project, and you’ll be entered to win $5,000 in the eBay re+purpose sweepstakes (only if you’re in the US, though, I’m afraid).

The Uniform Project is one girl’s bid to wear the same dress every day for a year, but make it look supremely different by accessorizing it with all sorts of (largely vintage) bits and pieces. And why is she doing this? Well, aside from the fun of it, she is raising money for schools in India. At the moment, on ebay Green Team you can customise your own outfit using the same dress and they will donate a $1 for that as well.

So, this, here to the right, is my effort. What do you think? Go on, have a go yourself. If nothing else, it’s a good distraction from a dull afternoon!

Since we posted SOPHYTO Organics‘ bioesthetician Ishtar Magally’s helpful hints for boosting the body’s ability to protect itself against sun damage, we have been receiving enquiries about one of her recommended dietary additions - Chia seeds. So, I asked her to explain their benefits a little further and this is what she said:

What are Chia seeds?

Chia seeds are widely considered a superfood, although not too much has been written about them to date. They provide a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids (even better than flax seeds, according to certain circles), and contain high concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid, calcium, antioxidants, fibre and various minerals.

The seeds have a very mild, nutty taste and unlike flax seeds, they can be eaten whole without too much difficulty for people with a fairly robust digestive system, otherwise they should be eaten ground. Like Flax seeds, Chia seeds contain mucilage which is a gummy substance obtained from certain plants that acts as an adhesive. This is what gives them the sticky consistency when they are added to liquids, as they increase their volume, which helps improve digestion, making you feel fuller for longer.

In terms of consumption, Chia seeds are pretty versatile. You can add them to cereals, salads, soups, smoothies, rice… all sorts. (If you are trying to food combine, you should avoid mixing them with other fats - ie. oils, avocado etc - or animal proteins, but other nuts and seeds should be ok. Or you could add them to starches or greens, or acid fruit smoothies). A helping of 1-2tbs is a good sized serving.

Look for organic, or chemical-free seeds if possible.

You can find Chia seeds at most health food stores, including a number of websites:

www.sunfood.com

www.sunorganicfarm.com

www.therawfoodworld.com

For more general info about Chia seeds and their uses, check out www.thechiaseed.com. Apparently, Oprah’s doc of choice Dr Oz is even a fan

In a fairly controversial move for the UK marketplace, natural health and beauty retail chain Holland & Barrett has finally signed up to what natural and organic pioneers, such as SOPHYTO Organics, have been saying for years: namely that parabens and Sodium Lauryl Sulphates (SLSs) present numerous potential health hazards and should not be included in any product claiming to be ‘natural’, let alone ‘organic’.

Holland & Barrett said it has spent the past year reformulating its own-label products to eliminate the use of these chemicals and will henceforth refuse to sell any other products that contain these ingredients.

Why has the company done this? Because, despite spokespeople from the cosmetics industry still maintaining their belief in the innocuousness of these ingredients, as Holland & Barrett’s trading chief, Phil Geary, said: “SLS is an industrial detergent. It strips the oil layer from the human skin causing irritation. Continued use leaves the skin fairly rough and pitted. Parabens are related to a chemical called benzoic acid. They have been linked in studies to skin cancer.”

This decision may be controversial in the eyes of the cosmetics industry at large but H&B promotes itself as being ‘natural’ and however you feel about the safety of these ingredients, they are anything but ‘natural’ so it stands to reason that they shouldn’t be included in the products sold in H&B stores - doesn’t it?

While several generations in any one family may all suffer from the same illnesses and conditions, the  assumption that future generations will automatically suffer similarly is a misnoma, according to recent research.

It is (unfortunately) true that certain ‘fixed’ genes cannot be re-written, such as eye colour, hair colour and leg length. But the vast majority of genes are not fixed and can therefore be switched on or off according to how you live your lives. That is to say, even if your family history reveals a high incidence of diabetes, heart disease, or even cancer, you have the power to overcome that ‘destiny’ by making healthy choices, in terms of your environment, lifestyle, and - most importantly - your diet.

Gosia Desmond, Research Director in Nutrition at London’s College of Naturopathic Medicine has been speaking to Ireland’s RTE Radio 1 station on this very topic. She says: “The idea that you can blame a weight problem or lifestyle-related health problem on your genes is nonsense. The human genome changes only one half of one percent every million years, whereas the epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes are very recent.”

SOPHYTO Organics’ revered friend and mentor Dr Frank Lipman has also written at length on the matter. What we eat, he says, is so very important, not just because of the nutrients in food, but because of the way food ‘communicates with our genes - a new area of research, known as Nutrigenomics.

Frank says: “[This] is telling us that food is information, that it contains “instructions” which are communicated directly to our genes. Armed with this information, your genes commandeer various metabolic actions and affect millions of critical biological processes, including cholesterol levels, aging, hormone regulation, weight gain and loss, and much more. Eat the right foods and they will send instructions to your genes for good health. Eating the wrong foods however, sends messages for disease.”

So, to stop our propensity for disease, says Frank, it’s time to ‘change the conversation’:

1. Eat real food ie fresh, whole, unrefined and unprocessed food…vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grass fed meats, wild fish, organic chicken and eggs etc.
2. try eat as close to nature as possible because the further removed food is from its source the less good data it will contain,
3. Select fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors. For a list of fruits and vegetables with the most and least pesticides, check out www.foodnews.org.
4. Buy fresh foods whenever you can, preferably organic and locally grown if possible. Fresh foods are better than frozen foods, which are better than canned foods.
5. Stop eating when you are 80% full.
6. Be skeptical of foods that come individually labeled with a health claim. Most healthy foods don’t need a health claim. Have you ever seen a health claim on a bunch of broccoli or on a box of blueberries?
7. Be wary of foods you’ve seen advertised as the vast majority of these are processed foods.
8. Be careful of obsessive calorie counting. Figuring your diet simply in terms of calories or even percentages of protein, fat and carbohydrate, can inadvertently deprive your body of the “complete” messages that real, whole foods provide .
9. Enjoy your food, preferably in the company of people you love.
10. Don’t waste your time feeling guilty if you ate the “wrong” thing.

For more info, check out the following:

ww.drfranklipman.com

www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_patkenny.xml

In short, don’t let a history of illness get in your way. Fight back (with good food) and live the life you want.