My Food4Wealth step-by-step instruction manual has been written with you in mind. It has been laid out with clear simple instructions and illustrations so that you can easily get started.

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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.