If you haven’t seen the BBC series Planet Earth, I highly suggest it. Not only is the photography incredible but the opportunity to see places and animals that have hardly been seen by humans is a gift.
I was especially moved by the final disc, number five, that summed up the entire presentation. The one part in particular that moved me was titled ‘Working Together’. This addressed the impact of humans on our planet and looked in particular at issues that have resulted with our increased population and use of natural goods. The one particular issue that has stuck with me was our use of palm oil and its’ impact on the tropical rain forest ecosystems around the world. With the increase of palm oil in so many products, the natural forests are being torn down and replaced with the palm plant. Thousands and thousands of acres!
The result of this is a tremendous loss of biodiversity and the potential to have even more animals and insects become extinct. Palm production is huge and continuing to grow as our demands have increased. An amazing amount of products contain palm oil without our awareness. This is a shame!
In so much as we all feel we have little power to make changes in the health of our environment, I beg to differ. We have the power of the almighty dollar. We can choose to spend it on products that are not only healthy for our bodies but for the environment. I am therefore suggesting you take this problem into your own hands by reading the ingredients on common foods and only purchase those that certify that the palm oil used is from a positive source.
Become educated. Learn more about agencies such as IMO that focus on sustainability, eco-friendly producst, organic agriculture and more.
Health & Nutrition Experts 
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for your newsletter. It is so informative and I enjoy reading it! I had a question. What do you think about pure organic Coconut oil for use in cooking (as a substitute for butter or oil in food)? I was just introduced to it, and the person said it was good for you for total body health (including the skin). I’ll await the “all-knowing” guru of nutrition for the last word. Gaye
Wow Gaye, thanks for the vote of confidence! Actually unrefined coconut oil is an excellent source of fat and is only one of two that can be heated above 240 degrees and not be denatured. It is a saturated fat and therefore good for vegetarians and people with low fat and cholesterol consumption. On the other hand, if a person has a diet high in meat and dairy, they might want to really limit their intake. It is half medium chain fats so it does not store in the body as fat but rather is utilized as energy. We all like that! Oh and one last comment, it contains lauric acid which enhances brain function and the immune system.
Thanks, Julie, for your answer about coconut oil. I learned much from your information. I received your response in my “spam” account, so I must find out what is going happening on my end. I’m so sorry to have bothered you twice with this, but I wanted to make sure that it went through. Thanks again. I send you my greatest support and appreciation for all of your hard work and efforts on behalf of health! Love, gaye
Thanks Gaye! Really appreciate your support and am glad you are finding this helpful. Tell all your friends to join the mailing list! 🙂