You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, but what does that mean? In general, a healthy person doesn’t smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

The trick to healthy living is making small changes…taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water…these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes.

Eating Well

Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. You can use the new Food Guide Pyramid to determine how many calories you need and what food groups you should focus on or, if you’re looking for smaller changes, you can use these tips for simple ways to change how you eat:

* Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners
* Sneak in more veggies. Add them wherever you can–a tomato on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza, or extra veggies in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks.
* Switch your salad dressing. If you eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and you’ll automatically eat less calories.
* Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet.
* Make some substitutes. Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you’re at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.

Exercise

One of the biggest problems in America today is lack of activity. We know it’s good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we’re used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time. The truth is, movement is movement and the more you do, the healthier you’ll be. Even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

Just adding a little movement to your life can:

* Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
* Improve joint stability
* Increase and improve range of movement
* Help maintain flexibility as you age
* Maintain bone mass
* Prevent osteoporosis and fractures
* Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
* Enhance self esteem
* Improve memory in elderly people
* Reduce stress

So, even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty good. One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.

The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Fresh fruits and berries are great and will satisfy a craving for sweets. Whole vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals, so eat more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Steam them to retain the most nutritional value and be careful with sauces, they may be high in calories and fats that aren’t good for you.

Any pasta or baked goods should be made from whole grains. Avoid sugary snacks and pastries as well. An apple is good for you, an apple pie really isn’t.

Shop for lean meats and don’t forget the fish. The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in ocean fish are often deficient in our diets, so serve seafood two or three times per week. Baked fish and chicken are healthier than fried, and lean meats like bison or venison may be healthier than higher fat beef.

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean drastic changes. In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure. Making small changes in how you live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what you can to be healthy today.

The organic-food business is booming: About 70 percent of Americans buy organic food occasionally, and nearly one quarter buy it every week, according to the Hartman Group, a market research firm. For most of us, the reason is simple: We want natural food that’s better for us and for the environment, says Samuel Fromartz, author of Organic, Inc. But buying organic can cost you — as much as 50 percent more — so read on to know when it’s worth it.

Organic foods may have higher nutritional value than conventional food, according to some research. The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds. Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed immune systems) and for pregnant women (it puts added strain on their already taxed organs), according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Pesticide contamination isn’t as much of a concern in meats and dairy products (animals may consume some pesticides, depending on their diet), but many scientists are concerned about the antibiotics being given to most farm animals: Many are the same antibiotics humans rely on, and overuse of these drugs has already enabled bacteria to develop resistance to them, rendering them less effective in fighting infection, says Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at the Organic Center, a nonprofit research organization.

What is organic food, anyway?

Though organic food can be produced with certain synthetic ingredients, it must adhere to specific standards regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Crops are generally grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation (a form of radiation used to kill bacteria), or biotechnology. Animals on organic farms eat organically grown feed, aren’t confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

Is organic food better for me?

Organic foods may have higher nutritional value than conventional food, according to some research. The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds. Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed immune systems) and for pregnant women (it puts added strain on their already taxed organs), according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Pesticide contamination isn’t as much of a concern in meats and dairy products (animals may consume some pesticides, depending on their diet), but many scientists are concerned about the antibiotics being given to most farm animals: Many are the same antibiotics humans rely on, and overuse of these drugs has already enabled bacteria to develop resistance to them, rendering them less effective in fighting infection, says Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at the Organic Center, a nonprofit research organization.

Is buying organic better for the environment?
Organic farming reduces pollutants in groundwater and creates richer soil that aids plant growth while reducing erosion, according to the Organic Trade Association. It also decreases pesticides that can end up in your drinking glass; in some cities, pesticides in tap water have been measured at unsafe levels for weeks at a time, according to an analysis performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).  Plus, organic farming used 50 percent less energy than conventional farming methods in one 15-year study.

There are numerous benefits to both eating organic foods, and to organic gardening. I personally believe that a huge benefit comes from a renewed relationship with nature. It starts with an “I won’t poison you, you won’t poison me” attitude, and ends with “I’ll nurture and respect you, you nurture and respect me.” Doing your own organic gardening makes this a personal commitment. Gardening is just plain good for the soul. One of my patients told me that they refer to their time spent in the garden a “going to see my therapist.” There is nothing quite like getting your hands in the soil for really good “grounding”.

In addition to the mental and emotional benefits of growing and eating organic food, there are also the physical benefits. These physical benefits can be boiled down to nutrients present in organic foods that are not in commercial foods and toxins not in organic foods that are present in commercial foods. A recent article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition gave credence to the notion that organic foods have higher nutrient levels that non-organic food. In this study the mineral content of organic apples, pear, potatoes, wheat, and sweet corn were compared to commercial varieties. Overall the organic foods showed much higher levels of nutrient minerals and much lower levels of heavy metals.

Here are a few of the nutrients that were found in higher levels in the organic foods:

* Chromium is a micronutrient that is low in Western diets. Its deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Chromium was found to be higher in organic foods by an average of 78%.

* Selenium is one of the antioxidant nutrients that protects us from damage by environmental chemicals. It is protective against cancers and heart disease. It was found to be an average of 390% higher in organic foods.

* Calcium, needed for strong bones, averaged 63% higher in organics.

* Boron, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis (along with calcium), averaged 70% more.

* Lithium, which is used to treat certain types of depression, was 188% higher.

* Magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, keeps muscles from spasming, and eases the symptoms of PMS, averaged 138% more.

In short, many of the minerals that I most often prescribe to my patients are found in much higher levels in organic foods.

Other studies have looked at vitamin levels of food plants treated with certain pesticides. They showed that application of some pesticides would significantly lower the vitamin levels in the plants they were applied to. This is different than the notion that plants raised with chemicals are low in nutrients because the soil is depleted. This shows that chemicals actually reduce the amount of nutrients in plants after application. The nutrients most often affected are vitamin C, beta carotene, and the B vitamins. These nutrients are vitally necessary for the body to withstand the onslaught of chemical toxins. Vitamin C has been well documented by two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling to prevent and treat cancers. Beta carotene has been shown to be a stimulant of the immune system, and is sometimes able to prevent lung cancer.

When they studied organic food for mineral levels, the researchers also looked for the amount of the heavy metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury. Aluminum has been implicated for years in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s content in organic food averaged 40% less that in commercial foods. Lead toxicity, which has been in the new a lot lately, can adversely affect our children’s’ IQ. It averaged 29% lower in organic foods. Mercury, which can cause neurologic damage, averaged 25% lower in organic foods.

Besides the lower levels of heavy metals, there are the chemical residues themselves. The big question is whether or not the accumulation of pesticide residues in non-organic foods is a real health concern or not. Studies have never been able to conclusively show a direct correlation between residues in food and a decline of human health, but there are numerous problems in doing any such study. The first is that you would need a population of people who are free of chemical residues to compare to, and no one has been able to find such a group. According to an ongoing EPA study of fat samples taken from surgeries and autopsies across the country, we are all loaded with chemical residues. Similar studies done on other countries all show the same results.

The clearest studies that we have about pesticide residues and disease are those looking at breast cancer. In the last few years there have been a series of studies, each building upon the other, looking at the level of DDT, DDE, and PCB in women, They have very clearly shown that chemical residues in the serum and fat cells of women greatly increase the risk of breast cancer. Since breast cancer is a major killer of women in this country it is reasonable to say that avoidance of pesticide residues in food (the only known route of exposure to DDT in this country, since we no longer use it to spray for mosquitoes) could save numerous lives and reduce our health care cost dramatically.

After 50 years of “Better Living Through Chemistry” scientists have finally shown that breast cancer is associated with pesticide residue, They have yet to prove that it causes numerous other maladies. I am not waiting for them to prove it before I change my eating habits. As a clinician who sees numerous environmentally poisoned people with health problems, I am convinced of an association between chemicals and disease. The biggest source of exposure for many people is their workplace, then their homes, followed by air, food and water. Of these the easiest to control are our home environment and our diet.

Eating organic food, drinking pure water, and watching our airborne chemical exposure can have profound effects on our health. My friend Steve, who has now gone through an extensive protocol to remove the pesticide residue from his body and had regained his health, will back me up on that. When he added up the costs of his illness in time off work and medical expenses, he found that eating organic food was much less expensive than eating non-organic foods. He is eating better foods now, and my organic garden continues to grow, along with my children.

Nowadays, where society considers a slim(thin) bodies as sexy, more and more people became conscious with their diets.For them, diet is synonymous with restriction of certain foods to lose weight. However, these fad diets generally do more harm than good. They starve themselves, and once the goal is reached(if it’s reached)- they return to the old eating habits. Generally the weight that was lost is regained quickly. Even worse, during the diet, unhealthy foods are substituted for natural ones. For instance, eating junk foods as substitute for usual meal, leading to worse general health.

Switching to natural and organic food diet is a lifestyle change that promotes good health and long life. Because the natural and organic food diet is more likely to provide the nutrition your body needs and also has a cleansing effect on your body, it will allow your body to heal itself. By eliminating the foods that introduce or create toxins in your body, and by eating foods that are natural and organic, you will achieve good health.

The premise of the natural and organic food diet is to avoid foods that contain artificial sweeteners and other additives. Because they are created by man, the human body does not process them correctly. It causes the body to build up toxins and generally leads to bad health. Similarly, use of non-naturally occurring fats and oils can also lead to compromised health.

The following are few guidelines to achieve organic food diet:

1. Eat those:
- organic food which has not been genetically altered
- local and fresh as possible.
-are close to the Sun as possible (low on the food chain), this much reduced
levels of contaminants and fewer “broken” molecules which promote the aging process.
2. Avoid those:
- processed foods
- Avoid foods which use cheap, non-organic ingredients and are over processed.
This will result in health problems and promote aging.
- Avoid foods containing preservatives or those that have been irradiated with X-rays,
gamma and other rays.

3. Eat moderate amounts of food and divide it into 5 small meals a day.
In this way, your body will digest and absorb food more thoroughly.
4. Do not mix too many foods at once.
5. Each meal should be well-balanced and should contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, proteins, oils,
enzymes, water, etc.
6. Your diet should include: plant protein (whole grains and beans are the best source), various plant
oils (whole grains, seeds, nuts and beans are the best source), various nuts (fresh almonds and
hazel nuts are best), various types of fish which are from the ocean and are low on the food
chain, vitamins and minerals, eggs, yogourt, milk and white cheese (goat’s milk is the best, if you
can tolerate this).
7. A good diet should include 8 to 16 glasses of pure, body-temperature, well pH-balanced water
per day. Contaminants such as chlorine, lead, pesticides, herbicides etc., should be removed.

All parents want their children to be healthy, fit and free from sickness at all times. Although it may sound impossible, another possible outcome if you do not feed your children is even if you
take good care of your children still they will experience illness. But if the parents will give their their children nutritious and healthy food even when they still a babies you can escape the germs everywhere. And they will get used of it.

I believe most parents are aware that it is a struggle to feed their children veggies and healthy and more nutritious food. You can feed your children without any problem if you begin at a young age. The only way you can make your children fall in love with healthy food is to feed them organic baby food; you have to get them started eating healthy food as early as possible. If you do not do this, mind you all, you’ll get rid of having your child have a dislike of organic food if they develop a taste for unhealthy and fast food meals especially when they get older. It will be common fare for them to eat organic foods.

Organic foods are natural food. They naturally grown without the use of fertilizers and packed without the aid of preservatives, they are naturally healthy and chemically-free. Most adults are familiar with the benefits of eating organic food and they want their children to have the same health benefits that they get.
Although it is more expensive than the non-organic food that we have been eating for years, the trade off in cost versus health benefits can be measured in terms of money.

You can get your supply of organic products from supermarket or any food store. Try different cooking style for your children so that they will not run out. You can blend the fruits or the vegetables like carrots, apples, potatoes and greens.

If you start your baby with organic food, they will develop a craving for everything organic. Besides, you will be sure your baby will grow strong and healthy and free from sickness.