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
Massive savings by learning how to grow food from seeds
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.

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.

Organic food production is still hampered by concerns raised by consumers about the authenticity of organic produce, and although organic produce has secured market recognition in Malaysia. Attempts by the private sector and the government to address the issue however have not been so fruitful to date. This issue has been raised at public seminars, newspaper articles as well as internet chat sites.
Self claimed organic products can similarly retail alongside certified products at up to 300 percent more than conventional produce. The organic producers are burdened by the additional documentation, expenses, fees and control procedures which do not facilitate any additional market margin. NGO and public demands, the Malaysian government published the National Organic Standards (MS1529) in 2001. The Department of Agriculture established an organic certification program, Malaysian Organic Scheme (Skim Organik Malaysia-SOM), for the domestic market in December 2003.
The scope of the certification program, presently limited to crop production, is offered free of charge to farmers. Over 70 farmers have reportedly applied since 2004 but only 17 are certified so far. Certification of imported final products is clearly marked as such on their respective product labels. Importing from all over the world, the Malaysian market are with numerous certification marks, which wholesale and retail staff are not always able to explain correctly.
OAM or Organic Alliance Movement, comprising chief executive officers of major organic importers and wholesalers setup in 2002 has mixed results in establishing a local certification program; one of OAM’s founding objectives. Processors of imported certified bulk items often claim their repacked items are certified organic although their repacking operations are not certified. Processors of multi ingredients from different countries and certification systems face difficulty in the choice of certification body unless they simplify their supply sources.
Organic Alliance Movement or OAM is currently working on domestic organic assurance program, promoting Malaysia common market mark and in alliance with certification bodies in Europe and Asia to offer certification service for organic exporters.

Dr Paul Kristiansen a University of New England lecturer in agricultural systems, has been paying attention to what kind of food that people put in to the shopping baskets and mouths. Dr. Kristiansen authored the 2008 Australian Organic Market Report and his findings have revealed some interesting trends in the natural foods market. The report has revealed that women make the bulk of the organic buying market.

Dr Kristiansen said “I think they are more concerned about the health of their kids, family and themselves. I think they are a little bit more cautious in thinking, if I can reduce the potential for feeding the kids stuff that may or may not have pesticides on it, that’s hopefully a good thing.” Dr Kristiansen also says that the industry has been somewhat impeded by the drought and lack of organic supply facilities. Some organic beef has been sold as non organic due to a lack of local certified organic abattoirs while other meat producers are unable to source affordable organic stock.

2/3 of the industries are made up of conventional producers who have made shift to organic. The report has shown that the organic industry is growing at a rate of 5 percent per annum and suggests that there is a shift from a trend of small organic operators to larger farms adopting organic practices. Also, there has been an 80 percent hike in the organic industry. Dr Kristiansen also attributes the boost in availability of organic food to its increased sales.

No matter what your culinary preferences, from traditional mega cookouts at the park to health conscious quick meals, grilling has something delicious to offer for everyone. Recipe for any barbecue party:

Barbecue Bell Pepper Spread/Dip

3 cups finely diced red and yellow bell peppers (one large pepper of each color)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
2 packages  Simply Organic Grilling Seasons Mesquite BBQ Mix
Crackers or chips of your choice

Procedure:
Place a sheet of foil on grill.
Brush with oil and add peppers.
Grill for 5 to 10 minutes until peppers start to turn golden brown.
While peppers are grilling, place cream cheese in a large bowl and when peppers are ready, pour grilled pepper over cream cheese and add the Simply Organic Grilling Seasons Mesquite BBQ Mix .
Stir until completely blended.
Serve warm or chilled with crackers or chips

Southwest salad

2 ripe medium dice tomatoes
1 can drained corn
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1 package simply organic fish taco mix
½ cup olive oil
1 lime juice

Procedure:
Dice two medium tomatoes, and place in a large bowl.
Add corn and black beans.
In a small bowl, whisk simply organic fish taco mix packet content
½ cup olive oil together and pour over vegetables and squeeze on lime juice.

Spicy lamb on the grill

1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
4 Sheepdrove Organic lamb leg, shoulder or chump steaks
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp black pepper
Fresh chopped coriander or parsley
Lemon wedges

Procedure:
Grate the onion by hand or using a food processor
Mix in oil and cumin and pepper
Add meat and mix well to coat evenly
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Scrape onion mixture from chops.
Grill over medium hot coals or under a preheated grill for 5 minutes per side for medium rare.
Sprinkling with salt as you turn the meat
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with couscous, salad leaves and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

In Chiang Mai longan growers in northern Thailand have successfully sold 10 tons of peeled and dehydrated organic longan, the first pesticide free dried longan that shipped from the country.  Managing director of Prompungwahn Co., Prokchon Pramgungwahn said that “the volume is also much lower than demand warrants, and strong market growth for healthy products has prompted us to spurn chemically grown longan”.  Prompungwahn Co. is a lead company in the cluster that groups 30 longan growers in Chiang Mai and Lamphun.

The cluster was formed last year with the support of German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and the Institute of Product Quality and Standardization of Maejo University, which aims to open niche markets and promote sustainable growth for longan growers.  The agency will take 18 months to certify all production process and give its approval.  They joined the international organic standard system in 2007 and organic longan from the 2008 cultivation season is awaiting certification from the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand.

About 130 tons of organic longan were produce this year, and with 110 tons dehydrated to produce 10 ton of dried and peeled longan, or Lamyai Sri Thong.

Eating organic reduces pesticide exposure.  Various pesticides have been linked with adverse effects on fertility and fetal development and with increased cancer risk.  More than 90 percent of conventionally grown produce contains pesticide residue, compared with 20 percent of organically produced fruits and vegetables, and these have much lower concentrations, according to Benbrook. 

Eating organic also decrease your intake of food additives such as monosodium glutamate or MSG, food coloring agents and artificial sweeteners.  Additives and dyes have been linked to food allergies, hyperactivity, neurological disease and cancer.  In organic product there are no growth hormones or antibiotics in meat or dairy.  These growth hormones, which are injected in cows, have been linked to early puberty development and a higher risk of cancer.

Organic food does not contain genetically modified organisms.  Jury is still out on the health effects of eating transgenetic food, such as wheat that’s had a fish gene spliced into it.   Organic food tastes better.  Alyson Mitchell, PhD, who led the antioxidant studies at UCD, says that “organic produce tends to taste better, most likely because of higher antioxidant levels, which help it, store long too.”  Benbrook also believes it can encourage people to reach the daily recommendation of five to 10 serving more easily.   

In food industry survey of U.S. consumers taken in 2004, there are 66% say they use organic products at least occasionally.  27% ate more organic food than they did the previous year and 70% worry about the health risks of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals in food.  Also 32% say organic food tastes better and 54% think that organic food is better for their health and 58% also think organic food is better for the environment.

It is all natural fertilizer and environmental friendly for organic growers.  Converted Organic Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) has receive certification from the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) Organic Food Program for its Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish fertilizer use for organic agriculture.  Converted Organics developed the product in partnership with Pacific Choice Seafood it is a Pacific Seafood Group company.

Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish is an all natural fertilizer whose nutrients is from the by-product of oceangoing fish and stabilized with phosphoric acid.  Converted Organic is very pleased that they receive the WSDA’s organic certification for their Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish.  The product has been specially formulated to provide organic growers with a high quality, natural liquid fish fertilizer, suitable on variety of crops.

The Converted Organics (NASDAQ:COIN) is based in Boston, MA, is dedicated to producing valuable all natural organic soil amendment or fertilizer products through food waste recycling.  The company plans to sell and distribute its fertilizer products in agribusiness markets, turf management, and in the retail.  The Converted Organics uses state-of-the-art technologies to create a product that helps grow healthier food and improve the environment.  The company’s product have been tested in numerous trials for more than a dozen crops, the result is on average, the net value of the farmer’s crop increased to 11% to 16% depending on the particular crop.  Increased use of nitrogen in commercial agriculture turf grass applications has lower the soil’s ability to absorb nitrogen and other nutrient, by using the products produced by Converted Organics helps restore the soil.  It reduces the amount of nitrogen required in a virtuous cycle that benefits from long term use.  Converted Organics’ fertilizer products will be produced in both a dry pellet and liquid concentrate.

Economic pessimism dents consumers’ previously buoyant demand for organic produce and the dairy farmers are turning their backs on Britain’s organic milk market. There are figures show that there has been a reversal in the numbers of dairy farmers converting to organic farming from the conventional methods. It rises up to 80 percent in the price of organic feed for dairy herds, and it means hundreds of organic milk producers are running loss. Farms were undergoing conversion to organic and were capable of producing million liters of milk have abandoned the process and return to non-organic farming.
Non organic dairy farmers joining the organic movement are no longer an attractive option. The situation has prompted warnings of shortage and a mass exit by existing organic producers unless retailers agree to increase the farm gate price paid for milk, to ensure farmers can cover rapidly escalating costs. Organic farmers need an increase of at least 4p per liter to return to profitability however the retailers warn that they have little room for maneuver in Britain’s ultra competitive supermarket sector.
Richard Hampton the sales and marketing director of Omsco said: “The costs being incurred by organic producers are rising much faster than for conventional production.” The Britain’s largest organic milk cooperative, which accounts for about 70 percent of UK’s annual production of 450 million liters. The price that gets currently for organic milk is not high enough to cover the cost of production. There will have to be an increase in price that producers receive. Richard Hampton added: “There is a real danger that a supply shortage could take hold rather quickly if just 30 of our larger organic farms revert to non-organic production, we will lose 10 percent of our supplies.”
It expects sales growth of about five percent this year, compared to 30 percent in previous years. The charity pointed out that the lower figure would still outstrip the general grocery market, which expands at between one and two percent a year. The Soil Association said.

There are so many different added preservatives like starches and sugars to most foods that it is astounding and it is disgusting to realize that we are putting this in our body. 
Now, organic food is becoming more popular and if you have not heard about the organic food trend, then it’s about time that you know now.  Organic food offers a health benefits and it does not take any rocket science to find out how much better organic food is for you when you read the list of ingredients of most food products today.
The organic food market is prosperous nowadays than before, and one of the main reasons why the organic food market is doing so well because of how much word has spread about organic food.  Studies increasingly show that organic food is much better for your health.
When it comes to organic food against a basic conventional food, it is pretty clear that organic food wins.  Official food agencies around the world are unanimous in claiming that there is greater nutrient offered by organic food products and a great reason to make the switch.  Growing number of consumers, especially those who are dealing with chronic illness are going to switch to organic food.