GM Chickens to fight Flu, Why Not GM Humans?

I don't mean to be facetious (or maybe I do), but based on yesterday's breaking news out of the UK I was left asking myself, "Why don't we do this to humans if it is such a good idea?!" It is a question of curiosity and accusation, I suppose. In case you haven't heard the news and you are wondering what I am talking about here, let me recap the story before I go on.

Genetic Modification for the Greater Good 
 A team of scientists in the UK have bred the first Genetically Modified chickens specifically engineered to prevent the spread of the avian flu (H5N1). Here is the video from BBC World News that I saw yesterday:


I was immediately intrigued by the idea. I do love science. I am not sure that comes across on this blog enough, but it is true. However, the debate is on: Is this the way to go? Questions begin to swirl and, I imagine, in the weeks and months to come, many will have their own opinions.

Why Not Just Vaccinate?
This was the first question I thought of, I mean, it is what we humans do, so don't we provide ourselves with the best protection available? The answer was staring me in the face, viruses mutate all the time, which is why we are always hoping we have the "right" flu shot for the year ahead. The genetic modification is engineered in such a fashion that the birds will adapt to the mutations and not spread the virus.

How Modified Are These Chickens?
According to those involved in the study, the only difference is in the flu protection.

"Apart from their flu protection, the GM birds are indistinguishable from non- GM chickens of the same breed. Laurence Tilney of Cambridge university said they would be safe to eat.
'The nature of the genetic modification and the decoy molecule makes it extremely unlikely that it could have any negative effects on people consuming the chickens or their eggs,' said Dr Tilney." (Financial Times "GM chickens boost hopes on Avian flu")

When Will These Chickens Be In The Public Market?
This study was released yesterday, January 13, 2011, in The Journal of Science. While it is breaking news, it is fairly early in the implementation phase. Many people have to be given time to absorb the results of the study, raise their own questions and decide which way to move from here.

"Peter Bradnock from the British Poultry Council said the development should spark a new debate on the use of biotechnology. 'The most important thing is that society will have to decide if it wants this kind of technology taken to all farmed animals. We'd need to have this before farmers could think about taking it up,' he said.
'I'm not talking about consumers in Britain. I'm talking about a broader debate, because this technology could have very important implications for global food resources and reducing the environmental footprint of animals. If you're keeping animals then you know they are going to survive and not be afflicted by really debilitating diseases which are endemic in some parts of the world.'"(Farmers Weekly Interactive "Scientists breed first GM chicken")

 In other words, the implications of a successful run in this study could be GM pigs, to save us from swine flu and then on to other animals in an effort to protect us from all disease.

Who Funded The Study?
 According to most sources, the study was funded by an organization known as BBSRC, or "Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council …the UK's leading funding agency for academic research and training in the non-clinical life sciences." They, of course, have their own article about the big news they helped create, on their website. However, Nature.com also sites that Cobb-Vantress, a major international chicken-breeding company played a part in funding the study and has already stated that they will not fund any future studies after this one. It is suspected that this is due to a fear of public perception.

Will Are Some of the Obstacles to this Becoming A Global Success?

• Public aversion to GM food
• This may not be feasible to poorer countries, according to Marc Van Ranst, a virologist at the Dutch-speaking Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium (Nature.com "Transgenic chickens curb bird flu transmission")
•  Funding for further study
• Farmer resitance - here is one quote of many I have found arguing simply for better farming practices: 

"Tim Elsdale, who is an organic farmer in East Sussex, said it was better to adopt good farming practices to avoid animals getting diseases in the first place than to create GM farm animals. 'We don't suffer much from animal diseases on this farm,' he said.
'Organic methods of husbandry doesn't encourage disease if the animals are well spaced enough. They live in a natural environment and they eat normal food then a lot of diseases that are prevalent on conventional farming would not be apparent to us.'" BBC News "World's first flu-resistant GM chicken 'created'")

 What Will The Consumers Think?
Well, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. In the end, Consumer is King. So, what do YOU think? 

• At first glance, how do you feel about this GM chicken?
• What are your reservations?
• What are the benefits?
• Do you think you will support the production of GM flu fighting chickens when the time comes?
• Are you in favor of moving forward to GM swine flu fighting pigs?
• Do your opinions about these genetically modified chickens differ than your opinions about GM salmon, or other GM food products?
• If you raise your own chickens, are you hoping to get your hands on some GM chickens for your coop?

Quinoa: The Mother Grain

See more info at EcoLibrary

Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-WA, has been on my radar for quite some time. It is an ancient grain-like food from the Incas, prized for its ability to increase the stamina of their people. Although quinoa is often thought of as a grain, it is actually a green leafy plant like spinach or chard. What has become popular, commercially, is the seed of the quinoa plant, even though the full grown plant can also be consumed.


Quinoa Is Awesome

The quinoa seed is an excellent source of iron, calcium, magnesium and fiber. It has served as a gluten-free grain. It is simple enough to prepare and getting easier, by the day, to find in mainstream stores. However, possibly most importantly, the quinoa seed is one of the very few complete proteins available to us. This means that the seed contains the correct balance of the 9 essential amino acids the human body thrives on.

Learning all of this in my quest for a diverse menu of healthy meals to choose from, I began exploring quinoa as a possible addition about a year ago. At first, I had great difficulty finding it outside of health food stores or shopping online. Then my own grocery store began to shelve it and now they even have red and black quinoa as well. Since it has become easy enough to acquire that I can now. realistically, include it in our weekly meals, I have started exploring some ways to prepare it.

I had practiced the basic preparation of quinoa, adding various ingredients, preparing it much like a rice dish as a side to my dinners, or creating warm quinoa dishes for a quickie lunch. During November, I discovered a great recipe for a breakfast quinoa dish - a hot apple cinnamon quinoa cereal that was absolutely delicious. However, regardless of the preparation, my husband still was uncomfortable with the texture of the dish. I had all but given up on sharing quinoa with him when I found out about a technique I had not yet tried: Toasting the quinoa.

Toasted Quinoa

Toasting quinoa is not a recipe unto itself, it is a preparation of the seed that gives it a rich flavor and does, in fact, change the texture as well. The technique is simple, all you require is:

• rinsed quinoa seed
• a pan

Put the rinsed quinoa into your pan on medium heat. Either shake the pan or stir the quinoa continuouslyfor 15 minutes. The quinoa should turn a golden brown color.

The smell of the toasting quinoa was similar to that of popcorn.

When the toasting is complete, take the pan off the heat and allow the quinoa to cool. This quinoa can now be stored in an air-tight container for up to one month and used in any recipe you would use regular quinoa for.

Quinoa Pilaf (Now Toasted)

I am happy to say that my first experiment with this "new" quinoa was a wonderful success. I prepared a simple quinoa pilaf from the back of the box of quinoa I purchased (Ancient Harvest Quinoa) and my husband actually liked it! He noted the difference in the texture and thinks toasted quinoa may be the secret he has been waiting for. My cousin, who has been staying with us for the holidays, also tried the pilaf and enjoyed it as well. It was her first ever experience with quinoa and she called home to Miami to tell her fiancee about it. Needless to say, toasted quinoa will be a mainstay in our house and for that reason I really wanted to share it with you as well!

Here is the recipe for the pilaf, if you are interested in giving it a go as well:
(*Note: This made A LOT of quinoa pilaf! You may want to adjust the recipe before diving in with all 6 cups of your quinoa!!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Diced Carrots
• 1/2 cup Onions, Green
• 1/4 cup Celery, raw, diced
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Peppers
• 1/4 cup Red Peppers
• 6 cups Ancient Harvest Quinoa
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 clove Garlic
• 1 cup Almonds, Sliced
• 1/4 tsp Oregano

Directions

Sauté chopped vegetables in olive oil until clear, yet crisp: stir in oregano. Add sautéed vegetables to cooked, hot quinoa, mixing well. Add salt to taste. Dry-roast almonds in heavy skillet until lightly golden. Add almonds and mix. Serves 6-8. Quinoa pilaf served as a side dish with fish or chicken is delicious. Vary the pilaf using your favorite vegetables, or by cooking the quinoa in chicken, fish or vegetable stock instead of water.

Question for Commenters: 

What are your great recipes/uses for quinoa? Now that I finally have my husband back on board, I am ready to experiment!! 

   

Thinking Your Way To Healthy

Tis the season to be stressy! Between shopping, planning, travel, cooking, baking, house guests, parties and spreading cheer - the holidays add a full-time job on top of your already regularly scheduled life. It can be overwhelming and can oftentimes lead to stress that can even manifest into depression. It is for this reason that it is of extreme importance that we all pay extra special attention to our health during this time.

While food, drink and all that we consume during the holiday does play a vital role in how we feel (and often celebrate), we too often forget about the power of thought. It is incredibly important that you are of sound mind if you wish to maintain health.

“The human mind can be trained to play an important part both in preventing disease and in overcoming it when it occurs.”The Anatomy of Illness by Norman Cousins

So our jobs this holiday season is to do all we can to prevent sickness. As we search for sustenance in the form of foods we consume, we must also remember to sustain our spirit. Here is a brief prescription for wellness of mind:

Clearing your mind is one way of leaving space for self-love to enter.

• Take some time each day to stop, clear your mind and breathe deeply. You can do this when you wake up, when you are standing on line in a store, a minute or two before you begin your blog reading - whenever you can fit it in. This is YOU time. Even if you do this for two to three minutes per day, it is probably more YOU time that you would normally allow yourself during the holidays.

•  Start thinking out of the box, or, perhaps I should say out of your body. According to a blog on the "Self-Love diet" talking about your body in the third person can do wonders for your self esteem and body awareness. She writes:

"… you are not your body. Your body is the package that carries the you around. Instead of calling it “me” or “my”, try referring to your body as “the body”, “these feet”, “this brain”, etc.... It sounds crazy, but my perspective started to change. I stopped feeling self-conscious about my weight; in fact, I stopped feeling self-conscious about all the physical quirks that I notice."

It is often easy for us to see when others have over reached themselves, Why not turn that skill on ourselves this season by thinking in the third person?

•  Ready yourself for what is to come and rather than brace yourself for it - embrace it.  George Bernard Shaw said, "If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance." Whether it is the dreaded trip to Aunt Millie's house with the smelly dog and even smellier holiday meal, your out of control nephew unable to behave for more than five minutes straight, a sneer from your in laws about your choice of gift that will somehow never be perfect or the house guests from hell, remember that family is an adventure. Dance with the skeletons, laugh with the nay-sayers, bring an air freshener to Aunt Millie's, have a fit with your nephew, engage the in-laaws in a in-depth conversation about the gift you just purchased them and play continuous pranks on the heinous house guests. Have fun, they all will too, when everyone sees you are stress-free, in good spirits and just trying to spread some happiness.

Your crib notes: breathe deeply, think out-of-body and seek joy in the insanity. Easy as pie.
HEY! watch that pie! You don't want to destroy all your happy thoughts with unhappy eating! Well... I'll let you off the hook this time. That's a chat for another post.

Share YOUR thoughts:

How do you keep your sanity during the holiday season?

What are your techniques for a healthy holiday?

*Artistic credit goes to Nicole Rivera, who created both images using the Drawing Online site. *