(30 November 2014)
Seafood: Sustainability Simplified.
Over 70% of the seafood we eat in Australia is imported. How to make informed decisions.
Only recently have more of us become aware of the declining population of our seafood. We are now wanting to know where it comes from, if it’s farmed – and in land or sea cages, or wild, what toxic additives have been used in the farming like artificial hormones, colourings, anti-biotics and where the feed is coming from. Do they require more wild fish to feed the farmed fish than they produce? Usually. We also want to know if a particular species has been overfished so we can avoid it, if it contains heavy metals, and in the age of the Internet we’re now looking for ‘apps’ to help us navigate this minefield of information. I think in the end many of us just want to know which seafood we should avoid, and which is somewhat ok to eat.
[private]I think perhaps the first scary thing we heard about the seafood we were eating was that some of the larger fish like tuna, shark, deep-sea perch and swordfish had dangerous levels of heavy metals, particularly mercury. We were advised to avoid these fish, especially if you were a pregnant or lactating woman. But weren’t we supposed to be eating ‘3 serves of oily fish a week’– tuna and salmon, and to a lesser extent other oily fish like herring, mackerel and anchovy’s.
Well it seems we are a diligent bunch and do exactly as we’re told. When it came to getting our omega 3 intake each week for beautiful skin, a healthy heart and good cognitive function, we were onto it. Because of this the current state of tuna and salmon is pretty bad.
Tuna is now over-fished to the point that some species are very close to extinction. For the most part it is a corrupt, wasteful and greedy industry, with a Blue Fin tuna recently fetching close to $1m dollar in Japan. That’s how rare, this sought after this particular species of tuna is. Even though tuna is close to extinction many billions of people around the world are still eating it – and not just a little bit.
What about salmon? The only fresh salmon we’re eating here in Australia is farmed and that’s a big problem, as fish will often escape from the sea-cage infecting wild species with all sorts of disease. Farmed salmon are often fed colouring to make their flesh pink instead of its natural grey, which actually isn’t nearly as toxic as the hormones, antibiotics, GMO feed, and other shocking chemicals used in these farms. Most of us know nothing about any of this.
If we did I’m sure we wouldn’t be seeing Orange Roughy (Deep Sea Perch) still available in fish shops, and served in restaurants. (I actually saw it on a menu in a restaurant in Bangalow (Northern NSW and my local town), a couple of years ago. Before leaving, boycotting the restaurant, I asked why they had it on the menu, and they said because it was being sold in the local fresh fish shop, so why not? So I find out you are allowed to sell it, but there are strict regulations around the amount. Why is any amount allowed?
This particular fish took a battering, as it became a popular fish in the ‘70’s thanks to its delicate flavour and texture. Orange Roughy is a deep-sea species and live to around 100-150 years old, which is one of the longest living fish known. They reproduce late at around 20-35 years of age. The species could not reproduce quickly enough to replace the fish removed by intensive practices. Catches rapidly declined from as high as 40,000 tonnes per year to 10s of tonnes within a period of two decades. Plus the method of fishing using deep -sea bottom trawlers is a destructive practice very damaging to the ocean floor and the slow growing species that live there.
So now we know that it isn’t just the mercury in the big fish that’s a problem, it’s also the amount and type of fish we are eating, plus the amount bi-catch (see next paragraph), the dishonest methods being used to fish such as using GPS to locate schools of fish, sea bed trawling, the toxic conditions and feed of farmed sea cages and the ever present risk that some will escape into the wild contaminating the wild fish, but now we also have the issue of BPA cans.
Bycatch is a big problem. This is what they call what else is inadvertently caught in the nets apart from what they’re fishing for. The bycatch is usually dead or dying and thrown back into the ocean. These are things like shark, turtles, seahorse, bugs, dolphins, and squid. It’s a waste and terribly destructive to our oceans. Now a days some of the bycatch is processed into meal for farmed fish at least. But what is added to it first?
You have a couple of options, stop eating seafood altogether or limit the seafood you do eat to that which has been ‘sustainably-‘caught. Not just ‘sustainable’ as they put on the label of farmed seafood. It must say ‘sustainably-caught’ and preferably have the tick of approval from The Marine Sustainability Council (MSC). I would also like to suggest that we stop eating tuna and flake/shark altogether – fresh, frozen or canned, and the salmon you eat is only ‘Wild Alaskan Salmon’, whose stocks have only recently been returning. Regarding prawns, this is not a seafood for everyday eating. This is a special occasion food only, if at all, as it uses quite a wasteful method of fishing, trawling the seabed. Farmed prawn are even worse.
In Australia we now have mandatory labelling laws on fresh fish, which means all fresh seafood needs to have its place of origin displayed. Currently the law is not the same for cooked fish, so anything you get from a fish ’n chip shop, restaurant, café, in a box in a supermarket or pub doesn’t require it to be labelled. Hopefully change is not far away though.
As it stands, this type of seafood plus the prawn cutlets, crumbed and battered fish, fish fingers, crab cakes, seafood sticks (usually not seafood at all actually) you’re getting is more than likely coming form a toxic farm in Thailand or South America.
To simplify things somewhat, I’ve created an alphabetised list to help you choose seafood as ethical, environmentally sustainable, non-toxic, and responsibly caught as possible. However it is still important to keep your intake of seafood to a minimum – leaving things like prawns and tuna to special occasions like Christmas and New Year, if at all.
For more information I’ve listed some handy website’s at the end of this Blog.
Here’s to increased awareness when it comes to choosing our sea-food, to help return and keep our eco-systems thriving.
With Love, and wellbeing,
Janella
Anchovy’s – small fish such as anchovies, sardines and herring are more sustainable than larger fish like swordfish and tuna.
Barramundi – Barramundi is native to Australia, and is both caught in wild fisheries and farmed. Farmed barramundi is mainly produced on land in tanks and ponds (better), with minor volumes produced in the ocean in sea cages. Farming barramundi also a relatively low impact on the natural environment. Farmed Barramundi are usually marketed as ‘Baby’ or ‘Plate sized’, at about 30cm and under 2kg.
Barramundi is also imported from Asia, usually filleted and frozen. Definitely avoid this type of Barra’. A similar fish, Nile Perch, is imported from Africa. It cannot be legally sold as Barramundi, though mislabeling can and does occur. Look for wild Barramundi.
Bream – Stocks differ from state to state but most are considered at least adequate or sustainably fished.
Bugs: Balmain and Moreton Bay – Both in general are caught predominantly as bycatch of the prawn and scallop fisheries. They are available frozen year round, with the availability of live or whole cooked bugs reflecting the season of the local prawn fisheries. Caught by trawl resulting in some habitat damage and bycatch, and vulnerable to overfishing as species are long lived with low reproductive rates.
Canned fish – Look for the MSC stamp. Sustainable-caught brands are Fish 4 Ever, Safcol, or John West ’pole and line caught’. Presently I can’t find a canned fish in Australia that uses BPA free lining. ‘Wild Planet’ in the states uses some BPA free cans but I can’t find another.
Clams – Surf Clams, Pipis and Vongole are sold live, often all under the name ‘Clam’. They are a coastal and estuarine bivalve, with the meat being the whole muscle inside the shell.
Different species are harvested along the entire coasts of Australia, mostly by hand methods such as ‘raking’. Supply can fluctuate seasonally and can fluctuate from year-to-year. In December 2011 the NSW Department of Primary Industries closed all NSW Pipi fisheries until 1 June 2012 out of concern over drastically diminished stocks.
NSW DPI declares the Exploitation Status of pipi as UNCERTAIN.
Crab: In QLD and NSW, there is uncertainty on stock status and some concerns over declining catch rates that require investigation in both states. In SA, there are concerns around the health of the blue swimmer crab. Stock status indicators show that the number of legal sized crabs are at the lowest level since record keeping began and the number of crabs that make up this stock has been declining since 2006. Stocks of blue swimmer crab caught in SA are better, but identifying where the crabs are caught can be problematic for consumers. Blue swimmer crabs are mainly caught using crab pots. These pots are lowered to the seafloor and rest in place until they are lifted up for harvest, with little impact on habitat.
Calamari (see squid)
Cuttlefish – Cuttlefish differ from squid in having an internal ‘cuttlebone’. Calamari’s have longer fins than the squids. There are many species of each, though these are not always differentiated at market. A ‘BETTER CHOICE’ according to the AMCS.
Dhufish, West Australian. AMCS list West Australian Dhufish as SAY NO. Reasonably long-lived and slow growing species, targetted heavily throughout its range and vulnerable to fishing pressures. Dhufish only reach their full reproductive potential as older fish.
Flathead – Overall, flatheads seem in relatively good shape with all sustainability issues being addressed by government and industry. The main flathead species are all fished at a sustainable level. AMCS lists uncertainty over stock sizes and biology, and bycatch as the main areas of concern.
Kingfish (yellowtail) – AMCS lists wild-caught Yellowtail Kingfish as THINK TWICE and Sea-cage farmed Yellowtail Kingfish as SAY NO.
Mahi mahi – AMCS lists Mahi Mahi as EAT LESS, predominantly due to concerns about bycatch associated with longline fisheries.
There are no formal stock assessments of Mahi Mahi, though it is generally thought to be a resilient and sustainable species.
Mulloway – AMCS lists Wild Mulloway as SAY NO. The NSW Department of Primary Industries classifies wild Mulloway as ‘Overfished’.
Mussels – commercial stocks were damaged by over-exploitation and Mussels sold today are all farmed. The commercial species in Australia is Blue Mussel, while Green Mussels are imported from NZ. Import regulations mean that Green Mussels have been frozen and will be dead, while local mussels are sold live and whole in the shell. Farming methods for Mussels have very little impact on surrounding ecosystems, and can in fact be beneficial to marine environments. That’s why they’re a sustainable favourite!
AMCS lists both local farmed Blue Mussels and Imported NZ Green Mussels as BETTER CHOICE.
Blue Mussels produced by ‘Spring Bay Mussels’ (Tas) and ‘Kinkawooka Mussels’ (SA) have been certified as sustainable products by Friend Of The Sea.
Octopus – Australian Octopus is a preferable choice to imported octopus and baby octopus, which may come from fisheries with questionable environmental practices.
AMCS list octopus from Australian fisheries as ‘BETTER CHOICE’, but lists imported octopus as ‘SAY NO’.
Being resilient and sustainable, Aussie octopus is consider octopus a sustainable favourite!
Orange Roughy – NO. Over-fished. Orange Roughy is the poster fish of unsustainable fishing in Australia, one that most consumers now know that they are meant to avoid.
Oysters – Farming methods for oysters have very little impact on surrounding ecosystems. That’s why they are a sustainable favourite!
Prawns – Imported Vannamei and Tiger Prawns are grown in Asia using environmentally destructive techniques, and should be avoided at all costs. AMCS lists Wild and Australian Farmed Prawns as THINK TWICE, (including Crystal Bay). AMCS lists Imported Farmed prawns as SAY NO.
AMCS recommends Haul caught School and Bay (Greentail) Prawns from NSW as a BETTER CHOICE.
Restaurants – Ask the waiter questions. If they don’t know, (and they probably wont), then ask them to ask the kitchen. Even if no one knows where their fish came from, maybe it will prompt them to ask their fish monger next time they’re ordering, especially if the only fish they have on the menu is tuna, farmed salmon, flake/shark or Thai prawns, and you order the lentils.
Shark: (Flake) No. Gummy Shark is the primary species used for ‘Flake’ though it may also be Whiskery Shark, School Shark, Saw Shark, Elephant Fish, any of the Dogfish family or any one of a variety of other sharks and even rays. School Sharks are listed as ‘Conservation Dependent’ on the EPBC (The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Act List of Threatened Species. Shark species are on Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Seafood Redlist. AMCS lists all Shark species as SAY NO.
Salmon – Atlantic sea AMCS lists Sea-cage farmed Atlantic Salmon as EAT LESS.
LOX is a word used to describe salmon that has been cured in brine that typically includes cheap table salt and white sugar. This type of salmon may or may not be smoked. When it is smoked, however, it is usually ‘cold-smoked’. Nitrates or nitrites are sometimes added to lox as a preservative, but many high-quality manufacturers omit this additive. The lack of nitrates and nitrites is desirable but lox that is nitrate-free and exposed to minimal heat will have a shorter shelf life.
FARMING – http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/tasmanias-salmon-trade-casts-deadly-net/story-e6frg6nf-1226667828180?nk=9988f7a186c72aa21e7f284c2bb380be
Salmon farming is absolutely disastrous to local fish populations and local environments into which salmon fish farms are placed. Tasmania’s booming salmon farming industry, which trades on a ‘clean, green’ image, isn’t so squeaky clean after all. It’s responsible for the brutal deaths of hundreds of protected native animals, including rare seals, dolphins and seabirds. Also, because the salmon are raised in very unnatural, crowded pens, diseases are a big problem, resulting in antibiotics being added to the fish feed. Additionally, farms have used anti-parasitic drugs to kill the sea lice that overpopulate and attach themselves to the salmon in the pens. There are probably any number of chemicals, steroids and drugs in farmed salmon, and not listed on the package, that are a cause for concern.
COLOURING – A lawsuit filed several years ago forced the marketers of farmed salmon to inform consumers that color is added to make the flesh of the salmon pink rather than gray. The reality is that the chemical used to color the salmon, astaxanthin, is a manufactured copy of the pigment that wild salmon eat in nature, which gives wild salmon their pinkish-red color. Many of us might choose not to consume fish with an added chemical of any type, but this colorant is probably not a big worry to most consumers.
ADDITIVES: The problem is what salmon get in their feed, which causes many toxins to accumulate in their systems, like bisphenol A, (BPA) pthalate esters, dioxins and antibiotics.
WILD ALASKAN SALMON – A better choice. Buy it canned from ‘Fish 4 Ever’.
Sardines – Though one of the major Australian fisheries (Australian Sardines account for the highest individual catch of a single species by volume in Australia), the majority of the catch is processed for canning, petfood or fishmeal, with the main buyer being the Southern Bluefin Tuna farms of SA. AMCS cite concern over dolphin interactions in SA and the impact of catches on seabirds and mammals, as sardines are an important food resource. Natural fluctuations in sardine abundances can make setting catch quotas difficult, although they are recognised as a robust species able to replenish populations quickly when conditions are favourable. (Sardines are one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids and are also one of the richest sources of vitamin B12 in the world, second only to beef liver.) Sardines are a ‘Good Fish Bad Fish’ favourite, giving them the tick of approval.
Scallops – Scallop dredging is one of the most destructive of fishing techniques. Scallops have been historically overfished and now require heavy regulation if stocks are to recover. AMCS list farmed and hand-dived scallops as BETTER CHOICE.
Smoked Fish – In addition to having less omega-3 oils than non-smoked fish, smoked fish may contain toxic substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many of these compounds have been shown to increase risk of cancer. Fish that are smoked in high heat for longer periods of time are less likely to require the addition of preservatives to extend their shelf life; however, they may also have a higher PAH content. ‘Cold-smoked’ fish avoid some of the negative consequences of high heat exposure but still contain PAHs and may have been preserved with nitrates or nitrites depending on the manufacturer. While ‘cold-smoking’ doesn’t have a legal definition, it generally involves temperatures between 21-38C and a smoking period of at least 12 hours in length, and sometimes as long as three weeks.
Snapper – Snapper is in fact part of the Bream family and not a ‘True’ Snapper. Snapper is a much sought after species by both commercial and recreational fishers and high fishing pressure in most states have led to stocks being overfished. AVOID.
Squid and Calamari – Gould’s squid and southern calamari squid (both members of the class Cephalopoda) are fished sustainably around Australia. Squid are also imported from New Zealand, Asia and the USA, although the sustainability of these fisheries cannot be guaranteed.
Due to the overfishing of larger fish such as tuna, rays and shark, the natural predators of squid, there has been an increase in squid numbers worldwide and they are expanding into new areas. Squid is a minor fishery in Australia at present, and most of it is caught as bycatch when fishing for other species, like prawns. But as finfish stocks continue to decrease deplete around the world, squid stocks may come under increasing demand as new protein sources are sought.
Trout – AMCS list sea-cage farmed Trout as SAY NO, and Land-based farmed Trout as THINK TWICE. Salmon and trout farmed in land-based pond systems are a preferable alternative to those produced by sea-cage aquaculture. Pollution of local waters, spread of disease and the quantity of wild-caught fish needed to feed farmed trout are all of concern.
Coral Trout: The stock status of fish species grouped under the name ‘coral trout’ is currently defined as ‘uncertain’ in QLD fisheries reports. QLD fisheries managers have reported declining rates of catch of coral trout, which could indicate problems with stocks of some species. As coral trout are a relatively long-lived group of species, uncertainty in stock status combined with declines in catch rates is of concern.
Tuna – Tuna fisherman now routinely use sonar, computer, and gps technology, combined with spotter aircraft, to locate tuna. Then the huge seiners scoop up the entire school of fish, allowing nothing to escape. Most of the top quality catch heads to Japan, and sushi and sashimi restaurants. Pacific Bluefin tuna have been fished to within an inch of their existence. The sleek, bullet shaped fish are now at dangerous 3 or 4% of their peak populations and yet demand for them has never been higher and the fishing fleets pursuing them have never been quite so powerful and relentless. Yellowfin Tuna is on Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Seafood Redlist. Greenpeace recommends Australian caught Skipjack Tuna as an alternative. AMCS lists Yellowfin Tuna as SAY NO. Forest & Bird (NZ) rank Yellowfin Tuna E (RED – AVOID) in their Best Fish Guide. The IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species lists Yellowfin Tuna as ‘Near Threatened’. Historically overfished. Bycatch from fisheries is a concern. As apex predators, Tunas are important to ecosystems.
Tuna is mostly being overfished – http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2014/s4079574.htm
CANNED – Preferably no tuna is to be consumed at all. However see ‘canned fish’.
Warehou – It is widely agreed that blue warehou has been significantly depleted through fishing. A stock-rebuilding plan is in operation. AVOID.
Whiting – species, including King George Whiting and others, are a much more sustainable option next time you’re ordering fish and chips, but ONLY if it’s Australian. Encourage your fish and chip shop to offer it as a sustainable alternative to flake/shark.
Some handy websites –
Certifying Body: Marine Certifying Council – http://www.msc.org/business-support/global-markets/asia-pacific/australia?set_language=en
Australian Marine Conservation Society – http://www.marineconservation.org.au/
Fish 4 Ever: Ethical canned fish -http://www.fish4ever.co.uk/index.php
Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide – http://www.sustainableseafood.org.au/
Good Fish Bad Fish: Seafood + Sustainability. Lots of info including laws on labelling, the role of chefs, farming methods and more – http://goodfishbadfish.com.au/ans
Sustainable table – http://sustainabletable.org.au/Hungryforinfo/FishyBusiness/tabid/143/Default.aspx#6
Shop Ethical – http://guide.ethical.org.au/guide/browse/guide/?type=32
Greenpeace – http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/oceans/Take-action/canned-tuna-guide/
What’s The Catch – Matthew Evans’ recent 3 part series.
Episode 1 – http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/whats-the-catch/article/2014/10/07/episode-1-whats-catch
Episode 2 – http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/whats-the-catch/article/2014/10/07/episode-2-whats-catch
Episode 3 – http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/whats-the-catch/article/2014/10/07/episode-3-whats-catch
CopyrightÓjanellapurcell2014[/private]
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Antioxidants are a generic term that describes the mopping up of free radicals (the bad guys) in your body – by increasing oxygenation.
Modern food far from existing in its original state, the stress of living in today’s world, strenuous exercise, sun exposure, pollution, chemicals used to grow our food and make our cosmetics, computers, TV’s and carpets, smoking, and bacterial infections can all cause a rise in free radicals to dangerous levels. This results in damage at a cellular level resulting in premature ageing like wrinkles, bad skin, black rings under the eyes and sometimes, serious illnesses such as cancer.
Many antioxidants are vitamins like C and E, but Carotenoids are the most powerful anti oxidants known. Along with chlorophyll, carotenoids are what give plants their colour. The most powerful carotenoid is Astaxanthin (blue-green algae), and the next is Beta Carotene, of which Spirulina is the richest known natural source. There are other foods high in different antioxidants. This is where you’ll find lots of them –
Astaxanthin
This little known carotenoid is now believed to be the most powerful antioxidant by far. There are only two natural sources of natural astaxanthin—the micro-algae that produce it, and the sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, and krill). Astaxanthin is 65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, 550 times more powerful than Vitamin E. No adverse reactions at all have been found for people taking Astaxanthin. It’s perfectly safe. You’ll find astaxanthin in supplement form on line.
You may have heard of astaxanthin before. The synthetic version made in a laboratory is commonly used worldwide to give farmed fish, especially salmon, its pinkish red colour. You really do want to avoid man-made astaxanthin as it’s made from petrochemicals, which makes it a toxic hormone disruptor.
Cacao
According to a study in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” published in 2003, researchers compared the antioxidant capacity of black tea, green tea, red wine and cocoa, concluding that cocoa has the highest antioxidant activity among the four products and the greatest potential for health benefits.
Garlic and its juice
Garlic is one of the best medicines in the world. It has natural ‘germanium’ and is anti-fungal and antibacterial (just to name a few of its actions). If you’re cooking your garlic, crush it up and let it sit for ten minutes before adding it to your recipe. It has to sit so that the enzymes can create the healing phyto-chemicals we need.
Dried Fruit
Goji berries have an enormous amount of antioxidants, yet dried Pomegranate seeds, (also expensive) have almost double the amount. And then comes dried Indian Gooseberries that have around 10 times more than Goji berries.
Green Super-Foods
Spirulina, chlorella and barley grass are chock full of minerals and enzymes. The enzymes are both anti-mycotoxin (mycotoxins are released by yeast/fungal infections) and antioxidants.
Matcha
This premium green tea powder from Japan is used for drinking as tea, or to use as a vibrant, green ingredient in recipes. Other green teas are grown throughout the world, but Matcha is unique to Japan. One cup of Matcha contains as much as 10 times the antioxidants of one cups of brewed green tea.
Quercetin
An antioxidant belonging to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Some research has shown quercetin-rich foods, such as apples, berries, red grapes, red onions, capers and black tea, are ‘natural antihistamines’ as they prevent histamine release. Quercetin is also available in supplement form.
Selenium
Sources include wheat germ, garlic, Brazil nuts, eggs and brown rice. Brazil nuts are perhaps the best source of this important mineral, and eating just 3-4 Brazil nuts per day may provide adequate intake for most people to maintain levels. Although, a supplement may be necessary if levels are low.
Vitamin A
Is found in dark green leafy veggies such as kale, rocket, baby spinach and all your Asian greens and any fruit or veg’ that is green, yellow, red or green in colour – so pumpkin, carrots, capsicum and broccoli, and spirulina has an enormous amount.
Vitamin C
This vitamin has long been known to battle the effects of ageing and disease. Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant so it will help to reduce free radicals. Most fruits especially guava and paw paw are good sources of Vitamin C as are vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, Brussels’ sprouts and cucumber. Goji berries, Gubinge and Camu Camu have more Vitamin C per weight than most other foods on earth.
Vitamin D
Different from other vitamins because our bodies can make most of what we need with exposure to sunlight, unlike having to get it from our diet. In fact most foods aren’t great sources of vitamin D, and there are only a small amount to choose from. The best sources are cod liver oil, sardines, wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel and mushrooms. Sunlight is the best way to get your Vitamin D as it promotes this vitamin’s synthesis from cholesterol in the skin.10-15 minutes a day is enough, and allowing the sun to shine on as much of you body as you can is the way to go.
Vitamin E
Found in olives, nuts and seeds oils, wheat germ and leafy greens.
Zinc
Good sources are oysters, organic red meat, wheat germ, miso, pumpkin seeds, alfalfa, sardines, legumes, mushrooms, pecans, organic soybeans, sunflower seeds and whole grains.
Herbs + Spices
Extremely high in antioxidants, in fact at least 10 times higher than the foods above per weight, and the herbs and spices below are in a class of their own when it comes to antioxidants. Add these foods to your meals but you can also use them as essential oils and some of them as herbal tinctures. Look for 100 percent pure (therapeutic grade) oils, which are highest in antioxidants, and organic or at least wild-crafted herbal medicine. From the highest are cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley (dried), basil, ginger and thyme
Many of us are now aware that some things are better for our microbiota than others, and to varying degrees. Antibiotics and laxatives, as well as medications against fever and pain, contraceptive hormones (The Pill), or those to alleviate menopausal symptoms all negatively affect gut flora composition. Antibiotics when prescribed responsibly are obviously life saving. They have saved countless lives and wiped out many diseases. But, there’s a price to pay for everything, and in this case the over- use of antibiotics has gotten us into some serious strife.
These days however, it’s pretty hard to avoid them. Even if you’re a raw food vegan who’s never sick, you’re still likely to be exposed to antibiotics. 80% of the antibiotics manufactured world wide are for animals for food, so we’re constantly being exposed to antibiotics, every time we eat or drink, as the manure your veggies are grown with comes from animals that have been fed antibiotics. Antibiotics are in our food and in our water.
Studies are showing that small amounts of antibiotics given regularly, is a whole lot worse than one big hit when you’re sick and you actually need them. Antibiotics are not meant for prevention, but it is a billion dollar industry, so making changes to the system is, well, tricky.
It’s encouraging to see that more and more conscious farmers are using herbs and essential oils like oregano oil to replace expensive and damaging antibiotics that are so commonly and mindlessly used in commercial farming. The over-use of antibiotics both for us and in our food is destroying our gut flora, reduces immunity, increases anxiety and depression and keeps us susceptible to everything. Not to mention the damage they’re doing to our animals and our planet.
So far, western medicine’s answer has been to prescribe yet more drugs, so that now we have arrived in a scary place called ‘antibiotic resistant’. This is now at crisis levels, meaning some infections are becoming untreatable. What we’ve basically done is coat our world in a bubble of antibiotics by our overuse and inappropriate use of them. And antibiotic use is in Australia, which directly affects the development of antibiotic resistance.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a type of staph’ that has developed resistance to a family of antibiotics similar to penicillin. When we take an antibiotic, the drug kills many bacteria, but a few survive. These surviving bacteria are now resistant to that antibiotic, and then they multiply. What this means is, every time a patient takes an antibiotic, he or she is creating more drug-resistant bacteria. The growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a very serious and immediate threat to our health as a species. In 1974, MRSA infections accounted for 2% of the total number of staph infections; in 1995 it was 22%; in 2004 it was 63%. These bacteria were once mainly found in hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and nursing homes, but recently they’ve been showing up in gyms, schools, sports clubs, and other places where people are in close contact.
Two-thirds of the children today have already taken a course of antibiotics by the time they are 12 months old. Antibiotics have been shown to affect the childhood microbiome causing changes associated with allergies, obesity and autism – three of the biggest childhood issues in developed countries. This means long-term health implications for these children. While this link is still being researched, the evidence is mounting.
Bacterial infections need antibiotics, as the infection will only get worse, if it’s not treated. Examples of serious infections that arguably need antibiotics under one year of age are meningitis, whooping cough, pneumonia, infection in the blood and urinary infections. Antibiotics are ineffective for common viral infections however, so treating these with antibiotics results in none of the benefits and all of the disadvantages. These include most respiratory infections – for example of the ear, throat and chest, yet we are still constantly being prescribed antibiotics for these conditions. There are many effective alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. Herbal medicine and essential oils have both undergone much research and the results are exciting.
A recent British report estimated that antibiotic and microbial resistance could kill an extra 10 million people a year and cost up to $100 trillion USD by 2050 if it is not brought under control, and soon.
Btw, scientists often modify seeds using antibiotic-resistant genes in the genetic engineering process. Some people wonder if there’s a link between these GM Frankenfoods and the ever increasing rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Castor Oil – coming from the seeds (or beans) of the Ricinus communis plant, is an oil rich in antioxidants and Ricinoleic Acid (RA) and also contains small amounts of linoleic, oleic and stearic acid. The healthiest and safest version of castor oil comes from de-hulling the bean, then cold-pressing the seeds to produce the rich and viscous oil.
Castor oil packs have been used by healers to help reduce a variety of health conditions for many generations. Placed over your abdomen or liver, these packs are used to improve liver detoxification, breakdown kidney stones, reduce period pain, reduce symptoms of autoimmunity, support uterine and ovarian health, improve lymphatic circulation and reduce inflammation.
To DIY: Mix two to four drops of an essential oil – depending on what you’re treating – with enough warm castor oil to lightly soak a piece of cloth, (either a lightweight tea towel, or a piece of linen, or even a face washer). Castor oil has a rather strong smell, so be ready.
Btw, you can buy packs that include a piece of flannel cloth and a pack, with straps – so you’re all sorted. Just Google ‘castor oil packs’. (See images.)
Wring out the cloth to remove any excess oil, then place it over your abdomen or liver for at least 30 minutes, with a heat source like a wheat pack or hot water bottle over the top of it. This helps to stimulate lymph and liver function. Lie flat in bed, and perhaps cover your eyes with an eye pillow and use this time of quiet relaxation to go within.
Placing the pack on the right side of the abdomen or the whole abdomen will help support the liver and digestive systems, as well as reproductive and colon health. These packs are used also to relieve pain. Aim to do it 3 times a week, and relax.
Castor oil packs can be a bit messy, so I wrap mine in a plastic-free cover like a bees wax wrap, or an apron. Be aware of any skin sensitivities, so avoid applying the oils directly to your skin.
Side note – I was once at a sanitarium (health retreat/hospital) in Austria, and part of the program was a daily liver pack, such as this one above. Instead of the oil-soaked cloth though, they used flaked pieces of dried burdock root (a great liver herb) that had been warmed and stuffed in a plastic zip lock bag. It was delivered to my room like this, so all I had to do was lay down on my bed, put a light towel over my abdomen and then the compress over the top. Gawd it was nice. And I really did feel the benefits. Gut and reproductive pain, as well as pent up anger and resentment – all but disappeared using these packs daily for the 5 days I was there.
Either way you decide to do it – it’s going to help.
