CK, your slogging is much appreciated!

I enjoy the diversity of belief here, evidence-based or not. After all, who doesn't have some evidence for his beliefs, invisible though it may be to others. Also, I have become a competent in raw-food handling and storage that I find in this forum, and I've changed many elements of my lifestyle because of what I have read here.

Supermarkets work off a distribution system that may include warehousing at a distribution center owned by the supermarket itself or an independent distributor, so you really don't know the harvest date. Ask to see the "label" which indicates the harvest date and location, if that is available. I know that this information is available in California, but your local laws may differ.

Also, the outside of the oyster tells you nothing, as the shell color is determined by the variety, not the condition of the inner oyster. When oysters are well past harvest date, the gills get all dried out and shriveled - not the freshest, although safe to eat.

I have to tell you a story about the people behind the counter at the market. I was at the meat counter last week and overheard a customer ask the butcher, "What's the difference between grassfed beef and regular beef?" The butcher replied, "All beef is grassfed." I butted in and asked what he meant by that, and he explained that there is really no difference except in the last few months before slaughter. My point is, he wasn't lying, but he had no idea what he was talking about from a consumer's point of view, so learn to read between the lines when a supermarket employee gives you an answer, and find out from your own experience who knows the true answers. Some workers might as well be selling men's suits for all they know about food. When you find a good supplier, let that person know how much you appreciate them.

AFAIK, heat (sweating) is involved to develop the chemicals that bring out the aroma of vanilla beans. Researching things like that in a modern world is part of the fun of RPD. Try googling "vanilla bean processing" and "raw vanilla bean" and then contact the sources to find out any unanswered questions.

You also might consider that you are not eating these beans as a raw food, but more as a tonifying supplement. As in the case of many, many supplements, they are not represented as "raw" or unprocessed. If that is okay with you, just find organic vanilla beans, or buy the brand that AV recommends.

I thaw food at room temperature when necessary. Part of the "official" advice is to defrost frozen meat slowly in the refrigerator so you won't get bacterial growth during the time it takes to defrost the meat, but I don't follow that advice. In general, I'm not refrigerator crazy. I don't think it is necessary with good quality foods.

I think you'd have better luck finding whole fermented vanilla beans, unless you live where they grow. The flavor develops from fermentation, and I don't think it's an easy process. The whole beans are found in gourmet markets, maybe in some ethnic markets, and online.

Do you already have a source of fresh, organic, unfermented vanilla beans? Or do you just want to buy organic ones already fermented, (in which case they are ready to use)?

Yes it is required or in some places or you have to wear a mask which is a joke.

And exactly which government made this requirement? In my mind, there's a big difference between a government mandate and a private requirement.

So my proposal is you guys and gals stick to this SPECIFIC HUMAN US CDC guideline...
... since it seems most of these vaccines are pushed by the US Govt empire anyway.

GS, what do you mean by pushed by the US Govt? I'm in the US, and nothing has been pushed at me.

... falsifying data. In this case EKG data.

I guess that in the USA it is an OK practice. Best if not caught though, because then the embarrassing headlines, but not to worry the FDA has your best interests in mind, especially of the companies were from guess where.

This does happen often, it seems. For example, we have a current hoopla over brand-name herbal supplements - Walmart, Target, GNC - because samples of these supplements were found to have absolutely none of the main ingredient. Does that make ALL of Walmart, Target, GNC, and all herbs suspect?

When viewed from what gets picked up on the news, all countries look like hell (except Canada - too cold!). However, a reasonably savvy person can live a long lifetime without being bombarded by most of the scandals, and once in a while we can expect to be duped by someone else's dishonesty. As far as cheating in the field of science, hasn't even Gregor Mendel (the pea geneticist) been accused of tweaking his results?

I realize the broadcast must promote itself, but "you heard it first here" is a massive overstatement.

In general, there have been vast differences between treatments in the US and other countries. For example, 20 years ago, we were told that European countries successfully treated varicose veins with antioxidant food supplements whereas the US medical protocol was and is vein-stripping surgery.

But the good news for those in the US: we are an assimilative society, and curative treatments from all over the world are found and permitted here. If the AMA doesn't endorse a particular protocol, it's fairly easy to find some other protocol from the other countries in the world.

... I was emboldened to explore new things and BET on the other children for a different outcome... hopefully better.

GS, you make it sound as if vaccination is for the good of your children. Vaccinations were and are developed globally, not individually. In order for them to work, they must be administered globally. I can't find fault with mankind's desire to eradicate disease. "We" (mankind) are using best strategy that we know of at the moment. Side-effects of vaccination are real, but not as catastrophic as the disease itself. You won't see people in disease-torn areas strutting around saying that they have so many children that they can afford to expose them to the decimation of epidemic disease.

ACV is fermented apple juice. It's a food with lots of probiotics, assuming you get raw ACV.

Does anyone know if veal has to be grassfed? Or is it raised on mothers milk?

The veal at WF doesn't say gf, but it looks tender/fatty and is cheap bc it's local.

Of course, you must ask your supplier and sometimes the ranch to get the answer to your question, but be aware that veal is often fed "milk replacer" instead of milk... and veal calves are often housed in feedlots and are subject to sickness because of their housing situation. (Read: might need antibiotics.) Even if veal calves are given only cows's milk, it's not like they are suckling from the cow.