Here are the lists of the top 10 foods containing the most pesticides, you can sidestep harm and still eat vitamin-rich foods. If you cannot find these foods organically, here are some alternatives that contain the same valuable vitamins and minerals.

1. Strawberries: This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium.

Main nutrient: Vitamin C and Manganese
Alternatives: Blueberries, Raspberries, oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, watermelon.

2. Bell Peppers: This food helps prevent or reduce symptoms of asthma, arthritis, cataracts, diabetes, atherosclerosis and heart diseases.

Main Nutrient: Vitamin A and C
Alternatives: green peas, broccoli, romaine, lettuce

3. Spinach: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber.

Main Nutrients: Vitamins A and C
Alternatives: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus

4. Cherries: This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol.

Main Nutrient: Vitamin A and C
Alternatives: oranges, blueberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, blackberries, grapefruit

5. Peaches: A peach seeds contain cyanogenetic glycosides which is capable of decomposing into a sugar molecule and hydrogen cyanide gas.
Main Nutrient: Vitamins A and C
Alternatives: Nectarines, watermelon, tangerines, oranges, grapefruit

6. Mexican Cantaloupe: This food is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 and folate.
Main Nutrients: Vitamins A and C, potassium
Alternatives: US cantaloupe, grown from May to December, watermelon

7. Celery: It is a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, folate, molybdenum, manganese and vitamin B6.
Main Nutrients: Vitamin C
Alternatives: Carrots, broccoli, radishes, romaine lettuce

8. Apples: This food is a good source of dietary fiber. Most of the apple’s fiber is contained in its skin, as is the majority of its quercitin.
Main Nutrients: Vitamin C
Alternatives: watermelon, nectarines, bananas, tangerines

9. Apricots: Apricots contain phytochemicals called carotenoids, compounds that give red, orange and yellow colors to fruits and vegetables.
Main Nutrients: Vitamins A and C, potassium
Alternatives: Nectarines, watermelon, oranges, tangerines

10. Green Beans: Green beans are excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

Main Nutrients: Potassium
Alternatives: Green Peas, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, potatoes, asparagus

Source: www.care2.com

Here is your opportunity to learn the secrets of healthy organic gardening with “Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual” - all crammed into a simple, easy to use e-book.

Your very best area to grow your veggies
How to build up healthy, fertile soil without costing a fortune
How to feed your soil - the organic ways
How to create an easy, ‘no-dig’ veggie plot
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9 Essential tips to successfully transplanting your seedlings
WARNING: avoid killing your established plants when moving them
Tips for the most effective watering
Why mulching is a must in every organic garden
5 easy ways to keep your garden weed free
How to slash your food bill in half, feeling healthy and energised
The 7 crucial ingredients to making great compost
What never to put into your compost; don’t end up with a sticky, stinky mess
How to make your own organic liquid fertilizers, saving $$’s
Natural ways to protect your plants from pests and disease
Top 10 easiest veggies to grow
Secrets to growing lush, healthy herbs
Why to include perennial vegetables
What you must do to grow your food if space is limited
How much to plant for your family’s needs

Visit 1Stop Organic Gardening for more information.

How To Live Green

There are some simple ways to become more environmentally friendly, so here are some easy tips on how to live green.

The Yard

Trade grass for ground covers or mulch. Maintaining the lawn takes a lot of water and energy so it is best to use native grass. Try to do the following:

- Cut grass no lower than 2.5 inches, lower may require more water
- Always water the lawn before sunrise or after dark, this will efficiently reduce the evaporation and water
- Do not throw grass clippings, leaving them in the lawn may provide nutrients
- Buy organic fertilizers, they don’t degrade quickly as synthetic fertilizers and safer for children and animals

The Fridge

Appliances can be a great source of green living. Keep in mind when using or buying appliances for your home:

- Do a load of laundry in cold water; it is more energy-efficient than in hot. Dry loads of laundry consecutively as you are taking advantage of residual heat in the dryer.
- Use gas ranges rather than electric ranges
- Always look for the Energy star level when buying new appliances.
- Replace refrigerator that are 10 – 20 years old, they could be less efficient than the newer models.
- A side-by-side refrigerator uses 10 to 25% more energy than stacked refrigerator-freezer models.
- Don’t place refrigerator next to a heat source such as vent, dishwasher, oven or in direct sunlight

The Lights

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) reduce the energy used for lighting by 1/3 and are available at most home stores and some warehouse club stores. CFL will last 10,000 hours while regular bulbs last only 1,000 hours.

The Paint and Cleaner

Household cleaners and paints have ingredients lists that read like a complicated chemistry quiz. Here are some of the few tips while cleaning your home:

- Use concentrated brand of cleaner where you need to add water for a variety of things.
- Do not use cleaners with chlorine beach or sodium hypochlorite as they have harmful environmental effects. Look for cleaners with citric acid or hydrogen peroxide which will do the job just as well.
- Avoid volatile organic compound (VOC), VOC-less paints cost the same as other premium paints and have no paint smell.

During the stages of the last leg of the pregnancy, the baby actually could taste the food that the mother takes in. This is also true when you’re breastfeeding. The milk your body makes is how it’s going to feel on the palate.

When you are pregnant, it is easy to remember that you are “eating for two“. What some mothers may overlook, however, is that as long as you are breastfeeding what you eat still directly impacts your child. Also, your diet can affect how their immune system develops and even what kinds of foods your child prefers as he grows older. As long as you are breastfeeding you are still feeding two people and you will need to eat foods that keep you healthy and full of energy. In this article, we will discuss how to eat well while breastfeeding.

Step1
Eat lots of whole grains and cereals. Most doctors recommend these types of foods during pregnancy and you can continue your prenatal diet (minus the sweets if you are trying not to gain any more weight) while you are breastfeeding.

Step 2
Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet for you means that your baby will also be well nourished. However, steer clear of broccoli and cabbage since they have been known to cause colic.

Step 3
Make sure you are getting plenty of calcium, protein and iron. It is important for your health that you get enough vitamins and minerals. Your breast milk will sustain your baby, but if you do not maintain a balanced diet while breastfeeding then you will feel weak and lethargic.

Step4
Start a light exercise program. Since you will still be eating a fair amount, the pounds may not fall off the way you want them to. Daily exercise in conjunction with your healthy diet will help you get back to the weight that you want to be. However, you must continue to eat normally so that you will continue lactating.

Step 5
Stay hydrated. Drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day, and more if you feel thirsty beyond this.

Step 6
Avoid most types of fish. Fish near the top of the food chain tend to contain high levels of mercury. Do not eat more than six ounces of albacore tuna, and avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tile fish entirely.

Step 7
Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol does make its way into breast milk so most experts recommend avoiding alcoholic beverages while breastfeeding. If you do decide to indulge, wait at least two hours before breastfeeding and drink a lot of water.

Moderation is always a good thing. Choosing to breastfeed your baby will strengthen the bond between the two of you. He or she will grow up to be a healthy child. Just keep close to your heart the best practices on how to have a healthy baby by the things you eat.

The Luxury Watch Today

Shopping for food during the winter can be a challenge. Organic foods are often very expensive in winter and the price of many diet staples has increased dramatically in the past year. What are your best strategies for eating healthy while still getting a good value for your grocery dollar?

* Buy in season -Trying to eat organic summer vegetables in the winter will quickly put a dent in your food budget. Right now, root vegetables, potatoes, and winter squash are at their cheapest and their tastiest. Apples are also fresh and reasonably priced, and citrus comes into season around the holidays. Use in-season vegetables and fruits to fill your family’s table with affordable nutritious goodness.
* Think ahead - Shop once a week, and don’t shop for food while hungry. Buying all of your food on one trip avoids the trap of running to the store several times, which burns extra gas and can add extra impulse buys to your basket.
* Make a plan - Planning your weekly meals and sticking to it keeps you from buying whatever sounds good when you’re shopping. Always shop from a list.
* Buy in bulk - We try to have the staple foods on hand at all times, buying a month’s worth or more and storing it in the pantry. Many co-ops and health food stores offer discounts for case quantities and bulk bags of grains. Most grains, beans, and flour is sold in 25 or 50 pound bags. 25 pounds of grains fits perfectly in a 5 gallon bucket, keeping it fresh and safe from bugs or rodents. Check at hospitals or school cafeterias for free food-grade buckets.
* Cook at home - Eating out will burn up your cash, and many restaurants serve food with dubious origins, so cooking from scratch makes the most sense to us. If you do eat out, find a local place that serves real food, clean food, food made from scratch, not a can (and organically grown, or at least MSG and GMO-free). There’s a place here in my neck of the woods that makes their own tempeh and has a 2 for 1 tempeh burger special (Tempeh Tuesday). The four of us can fill up for under twenty bucks.
* Eat simple - For families that eat meat, cutting back meat-based dishes to once or twice a week means being able to afford organic or grass-fed choices. Fill out a dish with grains or beans. Making a casserole or soup can keep the menu simple and affordable.
* Make extra - A large meal cooked once a week and served as leftovers or sent for lunches helps to save energy and water. It’s less stressful for the cook as well. If you do eat out, find a local place that serves real food, clean food, food made from scratch, not a can (and organically grown, or at least MSG and GMO-free). There’s a place here in my neck of the woods that makes their own tempeh and has a 2 for 1 tempeh burger special (Tempeh Tuesday). The four of us can fill up for under twenty bucks.
* Raid the fridge - I’m the king of the end of the week random ingredient meal. I make a pot of rice (or beans, millet, etc.), sauté onions and garlic with other random veggies, mix together, and serve wrapped in a tortilla.

Stay green and clean, and stay under budget…

Do you know that if you eat vegetables and fruits that you are drinking foods that cure? Between just being great tasting, fruits and vegetables help in more ways then you can picture.

If you think of your immune system as an army that battles infections, then two vitamins are its main generals. Vitamin A helps strengthen your body’s defenses, while vitamin C helps immune system go on the attack. These two vitamins provide powerful protection against incoming germs.

There is no way to avoid germs entirely, what you can do however, is eat your way to better health. Eating the right foods not only helps prevent infections, but can also help fight them.

A number of plant foods, such as apples, tea, onions contain substances called flavonoids, which can prevent germs from taking hold. One of the most powerful flavonoids is a compound called quercetin. Found in large amounts in onions and kale, quercetin has been shown to damage genetic material inside viruses, preventing them from multiplying. Having several servings a day of flavonoid-rich foods will help keep germs in check, giving your immune system a fighting chance.

If you make the choice to eat five to seven servings (a day) of fruits and vegetables it is sincerely not that much. It is, if you look at it routinely, very painless to do such a thing. Start with breakfast, you can add assorted fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or even bananas to your morning cereal and get an entirety ration done and out of the way. Substitute fruit or vegetables for a snack mid day and there is two.

At lunch have yourself some lettuce and tomato on your sandwich and there are another two. If you have been care stalk we are almost at 5 servings. A daylight brunette solve can revolve into a healthful crack with a fruit smoothie. Yet another serving and we have not even hit feast.

For dinner have a small salad to recoil and then why not have two vegetables instead of just one with the actual entree. It is tranquil if you just take a few seconds to say no to the toffee bar and yes to the apple, banana, ginger, or kiwi fruit.

When you think of fruits and vegetables don’t think of it as a task. Look at it as a challenge. Your challenge is to start a stronger, healthier lifestyle. Your choices that you make nowadays will assume your health tomorrow. Just evoke that if you eat your fruits and vegetables then you wont have to 1. See the physician half as much as those who do not eat their vital fruits and vegetables and 2. You will be well for a long, long time.

Did you know your fruits and vegetables move unique battalion known as phytochemicals? No? Well they do. You know them better as things like antioxidants, and the like. Antioxidants are central for cleaning out the order. The more you eat and use the better you will feel. Not to mention look.

Look for more fiber in your diet also. Bran helps with the cleaning of the approach. Whole grains and nuts are great for you. Whole grains have many great properties for making your body rinse itself. Nuts help poorer your blood fat pleased. That is important for lessen cholesterol. Lower cholesterol is important for a lowered chance of core attacks.

You want to make yourself as wholesome as viable especially when the cold and flu term comes around. Think of all the sniffling, chills, fevers, body aches and more. Do you truly want that? I think you would rather move around, while everybody also anguish, and beam at the verity that you are fanatical enough to scrap these ailments.

Your body is being constantly attacked by very harmful substances known as free radicals or oxygen radicals. Free radicals can destroy your cells, tissues and organs.

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are naturally formed inside our bodies by the process of oxidation.
They are normal by products of everyday functions like digestion and physical activity. Free radicals also come from outside sources, such as smoking, environmental pollution, and synthetic chemicals that are added to our water and food. Some tips for living longer and anti-aging:

- Change your perception of time
- Access restful awareness and restful sleep
- Nourish your body with anit-aging food
- Eliminate toxins
- Make love the most important thing in your life

Scientific approach to ageing intervention, prevention and therapy is based on the knowledge gathered through more than fifty years of research on the biological basis of ageing. This research has shown that ageing occurs mainly due to the failure of maintenance and repair pathways. In this lecture, we will discuss the causes of ageing, limits of human lifespan, gerontogenes involved in ageing, and various anti-ageing methods, such as gene therapy, antioxidants, hormones and nutritional treatments.

BEST CARBOHYDRATE CHOICES: Artichokes, avocados, dark-green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spinach, escarole, romaine lettuce, cherries, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.), apples, pears, barley, beans (dried and fresh), bean sprouts, endive, eggplant, cabbage, kale, red and green peppers, bok choy, and celery.

BEST FATS: Extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, flax seed, nuts (esp. almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamia), pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds

BEVERAGES: Spring water, green tea, white tea, black tea

GRAINS: Buckwheat, whole oats, barley

SPICES: Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano, basil, thyme, cayenne, (every spice and herb you can think of are stellar anti-aging foods).

Aging is a very complex process that involves many areas of your body. There is no single product, pill or substance which could cure all of the ills of aging. Your best avenue for a long and healthy life is to keep yourself healthy and prevent chronic diseases.

“You are what you eat”, a saying usually applied to the physical effects of the foods we eat, is also applicable to how food affects our emotional well being. Recent studies have shed light on the connection between what we eat and how we feel, particularly how we deal with stress. While stress management often involves psychological counseling, and pharmaceutical therapy, lifestyle changes involving nutrition and exercise can be very beneficial in developing a long-term strategy to handle stress. While most of us use the term “stress” to describe unpleasant anxious feelings, we need a more clinical understanding of the term to understand how food can affect it.

Conversely, making better food choices can alleviate the symptoms by helping your body and mind to restore the necessary hormonal balance. The Food and Mood project begun in the UK in 1998 to study the relationship between diet and emotional health produced a survey that highlighted the positive effects of proper nutrition on the mental well-being of the participants. The participants reported that consuming more food “supporters” was a significant factor in improving their overall mood. These supporters in order of importance were: water, vegetables, fruits, oil-rich fish, nuts and seeds, and whole-grain foods. The participants also noted that planning meals and snacks in advance was an important factor in improving mood and reducing stress. Scheduling time for breakfast every morning, and planning meals and snacks in advance rather than making at-the-moment decisions helped to steer them toward healthier choices.

Why are the foods identified as supporters effective in helping with stress? A major factor is the presence of B vitamins in many of these foods. The group of vitamins that make up the B complex support emotional health in many ways, most notably as supporters of neural functions. B6 helps to regulate blood glucose levels which can lead to a more relaxed emotional state because erratic peaks and valleys in glucose levels can have an associated effect on our mood. Good sources of b6 include salmon, turkey, and white potatoes. B2 also know as riboflavin is critical in enabling our bodies to metabolize the other B vitamins and can be found in beef liver, shrimp, and cheese. B complex vitamins are water soluble and are not stored in the body for long periods, (except for b12), so proper hydration as well as frequent ingestion are important.

Identifying B vitamins in food labels can be tricky because some, such as folic acid, are identified by their chemical name rather than with a “B” followed by a number. A chart such as this one is handy to help identify the B vitamins contained in packaged foods.

It is important to remember that managing stress through nutrition is a long-term process. We are often tempted to deal with stressful situations with certain comfort foods, which can in fact provide very short term relief. The urge to grab a cookie or ice cream bar when we are upset was instilled in many of us during childhood. (How often did your mother offer you a soothing slice of beef liver when you stubbed your toe?) The challenge is to remind yourself how often the brief elevation provided by the cookies is followed by the agitation of the glucose spike, and the letdown of the sugar crash. Having healthy snacks available at all times will help in avoiding the spur of the moment decisions that can sabotage your plan. Hummus with whole grain pita triangles and bite-sized raw vegetables is an easy snack to keep on hand, and is much better as a stress fighter than the pre-packaged sugary snack you may be tempted to grab. Raw almonds are a good substitute for chips, providing protein and B vitamins instead of starch and empty calories.

Stress management is a key component of overall health, and proper nutrition is critical to stress management. Planning meals and snacks in advance, avoiding stress accelerators such as sugar and caffeine, and replacing them with foods high in B vitamins such as beef, seafood, and green-leaf vegetables will give you the nutritional base you need to take on the day. Take a long term approach, plan ahead for the inevitable agitations and the snacking habits that accompany them, and prepare to live a more stress-free life.

Organic fresh made juices have cleansing and laxative action, which will help you eliminate constipation. Taken regularly they will help you have daily bowel movements.

Organic juices contain loads of mineral, bioflavonoids, vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Citric fruits have citric acid and the more tart they are the more acid they have.

Fresh juice is a fast way to get all types of nutrients into the blood quickly. As juice nutrients get into your blood, they suck out toxics and build up tissues. In your colon they destroy bad bacteria, feed wall tissue, pull out toxins, and have laxative action.

Even though juices provide helpful action throughout the body, it is best to limit their use and drink them in larger quantities only when trying to accomplish certain health benefits.

If you use natural foods with laxative effects, their laxative effect diminishes after long-term use.

If you have diabetes or adrenal fatigue, limit your use of fruits and juices when you first wake up in the morning. However, exercise in the morning will help you tolerate drinking some juices in the morning

When juicing fruits and vegetables, the more fiber that is left with the juice the better results you will get with your constipation.

It is always best to use fresh juices, but as a last resort using packaged juices will be better than not drinking anything.

Some juices are helpful in treating constipation.. Pear, prune and apple juices all naturally contain the sugar alcohol, sorbitol that is poorly absorbed by the intestines.. The sorbitol stays in the intestines for a longer time and pulls water back into the intestinal tract causing the contents to have more fluid and move easier through the bowel.. These juices also contain fructose, a sugar found in many fruits, which can also be poorly absorbed.. These two sugars together can increase the fluid in the bowel contents and make the bowel movement softer.

Because sorbitol has in fact been used as a medication to alleviate constipation in extreme cases, using sorbitol containing juices and foods must be done with caution.. Cramps or diarrhea can occur when too much sorbitol is taken.. . One 8 ounce glass of pear juice can contain as much as 7 grams of sorbitol.. As little as 10 grams of sorbitol has been known to cause diarrhea in children.. So, use discretion when giving juice to your child.. Start out with a little and increase as needed.

What do the food labels such as “organic,” “natural,” “free-range,” and “non-GMO” really mean? Understanding this terminology is essential when you’re shopping for organic foods.

The most important point to remember is that “natural” does not equal organic. “Natural” is an unregulated term that can be applied by anyone. Only the “USDA Organic” label indicates that a food is certified organic.
USDA Certified Organic Food Labels

When you’re shopping for organic foods, look for the “USDA Organic” seal. Only foods that are 95 to 100 percent organic can use the USDA Organic label.

* 100% Organic – Foods that are completely organic or made with 100% organic ingredients. May display the USDA seal.
* Organic – Foods that contain at least 95% organic ingredients. May display the USDA seal.
* Made with organic ingredients – Foods that contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Will not display the USDA seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the front of the package.
* Contains organic ingredients – Foods that contain less than 70% organic ingredients. Will not display the USDA seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.

Meat and dairy labels: other terms you need to know

The organic label is the most regulated term, but when it comes to meat, we often see many other terms used. In order to make informed choices, it is helpful to know what some of these terms mean.

* Natural – This label means “minimally processed” and that the meat can’t have any artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or any other artificial ingredients in it. Animals can still be given antibiotics or growth enhancers. For example, this term can be applied to all raw cuts of beef since they aren’t processed.
* Grass fed – This term means that the animals are fed solely on a diet of grass or hay. These animals have access to the outdoors. Cattle are naturally ruminants that eat grass, so they tend to be healthier and leaner when fed this way. In addition, grass fed beef has been shown to have more of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
* Free-range – This means that the animals weren’t confined to a cage and had access to the outdoors. Unfortunately, the animal density can still be very high and the animals may have only short periods outside in an area that’s quite small. It is difficult to tell exactly what free-range means when you see it on meat packaging. You can contact the producer directly for clarification.
* No Hormones added – This term is allowed when animals are raised without the use of any added growth hormones. For beef and dairy products it can be helpful, but by law, poultry and pigs cannot be given hormones, so don’t pay extra for chicken or pork products that use this label.