Okay, Nick here. This is Lisa's post, but I just have to give a quick intro.

I’m a granola guy.

No, not in the cultural sense. But I really like to eat granola for breakfast. I could eat it for breakfast 300 days a year (or more)! And for years, Lisa has worked to dial in a granola recipe that we all really like.  And she has nailed it!

Here it is…

The Best Granola Recipe

(from The Contemporary Artisan's Collection book)

• 10 cups organic rolled oats
• 6 cups organic quick oats
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 2 cups sunflower seeds
• 2 cups of chopped walnuts or slivered almonds (optional)

In a separate bowl, combine:

• 2 cups organic raw cane sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs Himalayan salt
• 1 cup organic coconut oil (melted)
• 1 cup organic olive oil
• 2 cups water

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix each bowl individually, then combine and mix thoroughly.  Spread on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (or other source of heat) at 150-200°F overnight.

For granola that melts in your mouth, use a dehydrator to dry it (or try out our homemade solar dehydrator).

Beware of Toxic Oats!

For years, Cheerios had been a staple in our home.  Lisa and the kids REALLY enjoyed them.  We felt good about the non-GMO statement on the box.  They are whole grain and low sugar.  What’s not to love?

Then one day, our Cheerio was turned upside down.

A friend of ours shared a recent report that found surprising levels of glyphosate in Cheerios and other breakfast cereals containing oats and wheat.  Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the popular herbicide Roundup.

We were disappointed and a little skeptical as well.  Why on earth would Cheerios have such high levels of an herbicide?

Desiccation

A little research revealed that in northern states and Canada, glyphosate is sometimes sprayed on grains like oats very shortly before harvest.  You heard me right…very shortly before harvest!  This technique is called crop desiccation.

As crazy as it sounds, this is for real.  If the farmer is looking for a more uniform harvest or feels that he needs to dry the crop sooner, he may spray an herbicide (such as Roundup) on the crop to kill it for drying and then harvest it at the right moment.

Now it all made sense.  That must be why these breakfast cereals are testing so high in glyphosate residue.

Here’s What Glyphosate Can Do To You

In case you are not aware, glyphosate has been classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization.  And interestingly enough, a 2009 study found glyphosate to be an endocrine disruptor in human cell lines—in other words, it can disrupt your hormones.

Another study found that endocrine disrupting chemicals (like glyphosate) can have unpredictable consequences when exposure is at “low” doses--lower than what is traditionally evaluated during toxicology testing.  Those are exactly the kind of doses we are being exposed to in many foods.

This is why we use organic oats!

Toxic Homes & Hormones Class

This is just ONE of the many ways that our body’s endocrine system (including hormones) is under attack in this age of chemicals and toxins.

With this in mind, Lisa taught a class on this very topic, since it has impacted her profoundly since the time she was a child. This class covers:

• how your hormones are under attack
• how to detox your home and body, and
• how to balance your hormones

CLASS TITLE:  "Toxic Homes And Hormones"
PRESENTER:  Lisa Meissner
COST: Free!
HOW?: For a limited time, you can watch the class right here: