Below is a comparison chart: •

BEEF, Broiled top loin USDA Choice – 9.4 fat grams, 207 calories

CHICKEN, Roasted light meat without skin – 4.5 fat grams, 173 calories

BISON, 2.42 fat grams, 143 calories

You can substitute bison in any recipe that calls for beef. Since the fat content is very low it can be a little dry so do not overcook it. Bison are also free range animals and are not given any synthetic hormones or antibiotics. Bison is no longer considered a specialty meat and can be found at a lot of grocery stores. Here is a great recipe for Bison Chili.

The big four are corn, soy, canola and wheat. Your body doesn't know what to do with these funny proteins or funny sugars (this is from an article called Ignorance Breeds Autism). To read the full article go to www.gobeyondorganic.com and type GMO in the search field. You can also sign up for the free newsletter which is very good.

So how do you know if your fruits and vegetables are genetically modified? The PLU codes (PLU-stands for price look up) on produce are based on four digit numbers for conventional produce, to which an extra digit is added to indicate organic or GM status. If the number is five digits beginning with a nine, then the item is organic. If the number is 5 digits beginning with an eight then it is a genetically modified variety. For example, the code for bananas is 4011. If the sticker on the banana bunch reads 94011, then they are organic bananas. If the sticker reads 84011, then the bananas are genetically modified. If the PLU is simply 4011 they are conventional (not genetically modified but may be grown with pesticides*) As of now there is no genetically modified meat however most animals are fed GMO products and are injected with hormones and fed antibiotics.

You should buy meat, dairy and eggs that are as close to natural as possible. The label should specifically state that the animal has not been given antibiotics or hormones. Just because it says "all natural" or "minimally processed" does not mean anything really. It needs to be stated on the label or carton (for dairy and eggs) that no hormones or antibiotics were used. You can buy organic cage free eggs. 

We as consumers need to speak out. You can go to http://www.naturalnews.com/024865_GMO_GMOs_food.html  to see how you as a consumer can help to fight against GMO food. It gives some very practical advice.  

*See my post on Pesticides in Food; The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

• Apples
• Bell Pepper
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported grapes
• Nectarine
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Dr. Fuhrman says if you buy the above things organic, you can cut down on 90% of your pesticide exposure. Now here is the list of the foods with the least pesticides that you don't have to buy organic:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Kiwis
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Peas

One other thing that you need to make sure when buying your fruits and vegetables or any food for that matter is that you're not buying genetically modified foods. See my post on Genetically Modified Foods.

This data comes from the Environmental Defense fund. It is an advocacy group that uses sound science to solve environmental problems. You can visit their site at www.edf.org  to get a complete list of which fish is safe andwhich is not. Go the main page by clicking on the link above once your are there then click on What You Can Do at the top and then click on Smart Seafood. You will see a pocket-sized chart that you can print out and carry with you that will tell you which fish is the best and which fish to avoid. I personally love salmon but it is hard to find wild salmon at the grocery store and almost impossible to get in restaurants. If you see wild salmon on the menu always check and make sure that it is. A lot of times, they have it printed on the menu but if they can’t get it the restaurant will substitute farm-raised.

I order my salmon from a company called Vital Choice Seafood. The fish is caught in the wild and flash frozen on the boats. This is actually the freshest fish to get. Most of the time when fish is caught  it is put on ice and brought back at the end of the day, so by the time you get it even though it says "fresh not frozen" it can be as old as two days. When fish is caught and flash frozen on the boat it really does not get any fresher than that. Vital Choice also practices safe fishing methods so that the wild fish population is not in danger. They also carry many different kinds of canned salmon including smoked salmon and salmon with no salt.

They use cans that are supposed to be BPA free. BPA stands for Bisphenol-A and is used to make the epoxy resin that lines most canned foods and is used in the making of plastics. BPA has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers have removed it from their products but some have not. BPA epoxy lined cans have been banned in Japan for many years. There was a Consumers Report that came out a few weeks ago that found some very low levels of BPA in Vital Choice's canned tuna. The canned salmon was not tested. Consumers Report tested all different kinds of brands and types of canned food. Some had very high levels and some were very low. The tuna from Vital Choice was very low, however they are suppossed to be using cans that are BPA free and they are according to the report (to read the report go to http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/food/bpa/overview/bisphenol-a-ov.htm) Those of you with children should read the article. 

So how did the BPA get into the tuna if they are not using epoxy based resin that contains BPA to line their cans? Vital Choice has posted a response on their site. BPA is a chemical that is in very high levels in the environment with more than a 100 tons being released each year. The plant that the tuna is processed in might process other canned goods that use epoxy based resin and that could be an explanation. Using epoxy based resin is much cheaper so most companies that manufacture canned goods use it. Nevertheless, they are looking into the matter and looking for the real why so that they can institute a proper handling. I have never tried the canned tuna only the canned salmon. I feel like they are a very ethical company and will get it resolved. I do not eat anything from a can except their canned salmon so I still feel confident about ordering from them. If you feel like you want to avoid anything canned then just order any of the frozen fish which is extremely good. I have tried just about all of their salmon and it is all very good. I especially like the canned smoked salmon. I also really liked the salmon sausage patties. They come in two flavors : spicy chorizo and a country sage and both are very good. They actually don't contain any sausage and are made with 100% Salmon and spices. However, my husband is not that crazy about them! I guess they are an acquired taste. They also have some great organic oils, spices and other food items.  The website is www.vitalchoice.com