Please read this. Raw milk. FDA.

If you look around hard enough, you’ll see pregnant women who insist on drinking raw milk, against CDC recommendations. Because they know this farmer, he has a good track record, etc.

I’ll go with the United States FDA.

http://mindbodyandspirit.wordpress.com/

Sodium nitrite is a common preservative in processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham, and deli meats/cold cuts. It serves two functions: a tiny amount is highly effective in preventing the growth of harmful bacteria; and it helps the meat retain its appetizing reddish pink color. Nitrite-free processed meats are probably unavailable in Korea, but you can find them in North American supermarkets. Often nitrite-free meats are kept in the frozen food section to retard spoilage. Applegate Farms is one brand to look for.

Since some commenters seem interested in knowing more about foods and health, I am in the process of setting a modest little blog to share what I know, learn, and discover. I will email Robert when it’s ready.

Did you know him back when? I only discovered his blog several months ago.

Nope, he was on the left coast; I was at “Berkeley in the East”. I never heard of him until you mentioned him in another thread sometime ago.

Commercial kimchis, including dishes served at restaurants, should be eaten sparingly. I’m too lazy to google for you, but there are research studies by Koreans and Japanese showing a strong correlation between high consumption of pickled veggies and salted fish and gastrointestinal cancers. Nitrites can be neutralized by eating foods high in vitamin C at the same meal. Many fresh vegetables like lettuce and peppers are high in nitrates picked up from soil fertilizer. Consumption of fresh vegetables is negatively correlated with cancer. It is thought that the vitamin C content of the vegetables prevents the chemical process by which nitrates and nitrites are converted into cancer-causing nitrosamines.

Commercially sold meats all come from animals confined in barns and fed grain cocktails. Such meats have high omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratios (promotes disease-causing inflamation) and their fats are loaded with toxins accumulated from their diets. Meats and dairy put more pesticides into the bodies of North Americans than do non-organic produce or even fish. Part of the reason for this is that the SAD (standard American diet) is high in meat and dairy.

I see you live in the US, Sumo. If you are really concerned about your health, you should spend a little extra money on nutritious locally grown produce and grass-fed, pastured meats and eggs, if they are available where you live.

Check out these websites to see if there are farmers’ markets or farm vendors in your area.

http://www.eatwild.com

http://www.localharvest.org

It’s through these websites that I located the farmers I do business with. One caveat: produce sold at farmers’ markets isn’t always sourced locally. There is one farmers’ market in my area that strictly accepts only vendors who sell exclusively what they grow, raise, or make themselves. The others all sell a mixture of locally grown and shipped from out of state. These vendors are honest when I ask about the origin of produce that looks out of season for our area.

Locally grown is nutritionally superior to factory farm organic from those giant Earthbound farms in California. Often, you can tell whether produce was heavily sprayed just by looking at it. Bug bites are appetizing. Live bugs on the produce is even better! Talk to the farmers. They’re usually honest about their farming and livestock methods.

There is a cheap and easy way to sterilize fresh produce. Fill a large bucket or bowl with a gallon of water and a one tablespoon of food-grade hydrogen peroxide, available at any pharmacy or in the pharmacy section of major supermarkets for about $1 a bottle. HPO kills any parasites or bacteria that might cause grief to your digestive system. It’s cheaper and more effective than any produce sprays. Let the produce soak for 20 minutes, then rinse.

I’ll come back later with some websites you might want to check out if you’re interesting in cleaning up your diet.

Did you know him back when? I only discovered his blog several months ago. I like Mark Sisson a little better because he seems less dogmatic. One look around the incredibly diverse human diets and dietary adaptations around the globe confirms that one diet is not right for everyone. The nation with the highest longevity is Japan, followed by Sweden. These two peoples share a fondness for fish but their other dietary staples are different. Paleo, omnivore, or vegan, sustainably farmed and raised whole foods are the key to longevity.