Posted by katherine | Under Organic Food, Organic Food for Children, Why Choose Organic?
Wednesday Jul 15, 2009
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.
Posted by katherine | Under Organic Food, Organic vs Conventional, Why Choose Organic?
Monday Jul 13, 2009
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.
Posted by katherine | Under Organic Food, Organic Food for Children, Top Organic Food, Why Choose Organic?
Monday Jul 13, 2009
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.
Posted by ichatmedia | Under Organic Food, Organic Food for Children, Top Organic Food, Why Choose Organic?
Monday Jul 14, 2008
The Department of Health and Human Services defers questions about organic foods to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has no policy on organic products; it says they are the domain of The Department of Agriculture. But its mandate is simply to regulate the use of the certified organic label. The agencies entrusted with safeguarding the food and health pass the potato, a fast-growing body of scientific literature suggests the connection between farm practice and the healthfulness of the foods merit attention. Not to judge the relative benefits of organic product against the conventional food products.
Organic foods do not come out ahead, but they rise to the top often enough to suggest that organic farming can increase the nutrient density of the food that we put in our mouths. Researchers of University of California at Davis found 10 years mean levels of quercetin were 79 percent higher in organic tomatoes than in conventional tomatoes. Quercetin and kaempferol are flavonoids that studies suggest protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer and other ills.
Other Davis study compared organic and conventional kiwis found that all the mineral constituents were more concentrated in the organic kiwi fruits. Also has higher ascorbic acid a precursor of vitamin C and total phenol content, resulting in higher antioxidant activity. Study measured 1.5 times more carotenoids, associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in a Spanish study. In Swiss researcher Lukas Rist found, mothers consuming at least 90 percent of their dairy and meat from organic sources having 36 percent higher level of rumenic acid in their milk.
Based on a data collected by the Centers for Disease Control, “Thirty percent or more of the U.S. population ingests inadequate levels of magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A, and all nutrients that we get from plants.” says Brian Hawley a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute. These studies give hope that organic farming can reverse the nutrient decline of fruits and vegetables.
Posted by ichatmedia | Under Global Warming, Organic Food, Top Organic Food, Why Choose Organic?
Monday Jun 30, 2008
Many people want to have a nice looking sexy body, they go to a gym to build up muscle and burn down fats. Eating the basic food group can help you sustain and have a great sexy body. Food that have high level of nutrients like organic food products, organic food don’t have any toxins added like pesticides or chemical flavor enhancers. Chemicals such as that can be harmful or may have some side effect to our body that may cause obesity or something else. Proper healthy eating habit is a must and with some exercise helps you to gain that particular weight that you want.
One thing is that organic food product is not harmful to our environment and considering that we have problem in global warming. Consider the health of your family, organic food is just a preventative measure, rather than spending some money on medicines or trips to the doctor.
Another to be considered is the way you or we live and how often lunch and dinner is in fast food or restaurant meals. Buying organic food maybe more cooked meal at home, less takeaways. These changes may be challenging but it increase well being and long term benefits.