What are you eating? Processed or Whole?

My breakfast.

• 1/2 cup 100% Natural Rolled Oats.
• 1 Banana
• Sprinkle of flaxseeds

Health Benefits of Oats
Why flaxseeds?

Are you eating whole foods?
Processed foods?

Processed Food vs. Whole Foods

Healthy Children By Amy Todisco

Healthy Children

By Amy Todisco

www.greenlivingnow.com

Aren't there laws to protect our children from foods contaminated with toxic chemicals? Yes, but they aren't enforced. The Delaney Clause, found in Section 409 in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, states, "No substance found to cause cancer in man or animals may be added to food." Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency still allows many toxic chemicals into our food system. Why? Because they claim that the benefits outweigh the risks.

In 1993, two studies ("Pesticides in the Diet of Infants and Children", by the National Academy of Sciences, and the Environmental Working Group's study, "Pesticides in Children's Foods") gave us evidence that pesticides used in food production are dangerous to human health, most especially children. According to the book, The Safe Shopper's Bible, "both (studies) concluded that infants and children are at high risk for future cancers because of their exposure to carcinogenic pesticides, quite apart from neurotoxic, teratogenic, and other toxic effects."

There are several factors that make children more vulnerable than adults. First of all, the majority of pesticide studies are conducted using adult male bodies. Secondly, the pesticides are tested one at a time. Consider the fact that pesticides rarely occur by themselves, for instance multiple pesticides may be used on a fruit or vegetable. Pound for pound, children eat more fruits and vegetables than adults do. They have less detoxifying enzymes than adults, making it more difficult for them to break down the toxic chemicals in their bodies. They breathe faster and have immature organs. Their playing habits put them into contact with toxic chemicals more frequently (down on the carpet and pesticide laden lawn, or hugging pets doused with anti-flea and tick products, or wearing chemical collars).

At this time in history, following the events of September 11th, 2001, it is imperative that we do everything that we can to keep our children and ourselves healthy. The added anxiety, grief, and stress that we are all experiencing takes it's toll on our bodies. One way that we can counteract those factors is by eating whole (ideally local) certified organic foods.

Here are ten more reasons to choose certified organic foods:

1. Protect Future Generations
Children receive 4 times the exposure of adults for at least 8 widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. The food choices you make now will impact your child's health in the future.

2. Prevent Soil Erosion
The Soil Conservation Service estimates that more than 3 billion tons of topsoil is eroded from U.S. croplands each year. That means that soil is eroding 7 times faster than it is built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. In conventional farming, the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position while they are doused with synthetic chemical poisons and fertilizers.

3. Protect Water Quality
Water makes up two thirds of our body mass and covers three fourths of the planet. Despite its importance, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that pesticides (some cancer causing) contaminate ground water in 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half of the country's population.

4. Save Energy
Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country's total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest, all of the crops in the U.S. Organic farming is still based on labor-intensive practices, such as: weeding by hand, rotating crops, and green cover crops, rather than synthetic chemicals.

5. Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate
Many of the pesticides approved for use by the EPA were registered before extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases had been established. Now the EPA considers that 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides, and 30 percent of all insecticides are carcinogenic. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, including humans.

6. Protect Farm Workers Health
A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a 6 times greater risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an average of 14 percent a year since 1973, and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Pesticides poison an estimated 1 million people annually.

7. Help Small Farmers
Most organic farmers are small in scale and 48 percent gross less than $15,000 per year. Join an organic community supported agriculture (CSA) group, and/or purchase from organic farmers at farmer's markets and farm stands.

8. Support A True Economy
The price of organic food represents the true cost of raising healthy food. Conventionally grown food does not reflect the hidden costs borne by taxpayers, like hazardous waste disposal and cleanups, environmental damage, pesticide regulation, health insurance hikes, etc. In 1988, nearly $14 billion in federal subsidies were given to conventional growers. Why?

9. Promote Biodiversity
Between 1950 and 1970, the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop, year after year (monocropping), initially tripled farm production. The bad news is that this lack of diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. In an attempt to replace the nutrients and ward off the increasing number of pests, chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticide use has increased. In fact, between 1947 and 1974, crop losses due to insects have doubled.

10. Better Taste and More Nutrition
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen recently reported that organically grown produce has higher levels of nutrients, like vitamins and secondary metabolites (which are thought to lower the risk of cancer) as compared to conventionally grown produce.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amy Todisco is the owner and President of Green Living Now, LLC. She was the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit, the Consumer's Healthy Home Center (CHHC). CHHC was created to hire independent toxicologists to test a variety of household products for their potential inhalation health effects, and recommend the safest choices to consumers. Amy closed down the nonprofit to create the Green Living Now web store as she felt she could positively impact and inspire more people with the store.

Amy is also a professional life coach (Catalyst 4 Change Life Coaching) and is creating a group teleclass on several topics of green living, beginning with organic food on a budget. She's also created three green living ebooks that are going on sale by 8/1.

Contact Amy here: amy@greenlivingnow.com
www.greenlivingnow.com

Tips to Eat Sugar-free

Author: Brian Jenkins

If you have decided to eat a sugar-free diet, whether due to medical reasons or personal preferences, you probably need some help getting started. Most foods contain either processed or natural sugars, even if they do not taste particularly sweet. You can use the following tips to make your transition to a sugar-free diet much easier:

Tip #1: Cut back slowly on your sugar consumption - If you currently eat a lot of sugar, it can be hard to stop eating it all of a sudden. Not only is it more of a challenge to find good, healthy foods to eat, but it can also have a negative effect on your body. Someone who goes from eating a lot of sugar to no sugar at all can feel irritable, drowsy, and nauseated. So, step down your sugar consumption slowly. In general, quitting anything cold turkey can have very unpleasant side effects. There are healthier ways to go about things.

Tip #2: Learn to read food labels - It might seem easy enough to choose healthy foods, but did you know that most no-fat and low-fat items are loaded with sugar? That is how they get flavor without fat! Do not assume that “health food” is healthy. Instead, get into the habit of looking at the label and making a healthy choice that way. Keep in mind that comparable food items labeled as “sugar free” may be surprisingly high in fat. By law, the labels have to be correct, and although they are confusing to read at first, learning to look at the nutritional value can really help you cut back on the sugar in your diet.

Tip #3: Watch what you drink, not just what you eat - Drinks, even those that sound healthy like apple juice, are often loaded with sugar. Most people know to avoid soft drinks, but you should be mindful of the amount of sugar in your tea, coffee, and juice as well. Keep in mind that sugar can be found even in “diet” drinks and some kinds of flavored waters. Read the labels of everything you are ingesting, not just your foods. Finally, keep in mind that wine, beer, and mixed alcoholic drinks all typically contain sugar, and usually in high amounts. Cutting back on the amount of alcohol you consume can really reduce the amount of sugar you consume on a daily basis.

Tip #4: Make your own foods - Cooking and baking are not as hard as you may think, even if you are a beginner. The problem with processed foods is that they contain preservatives and massive amounts of sugar to prolong the shelf life and make them taste good. Buying fresh ingredients to prepare snacks and meals does not take that much more time and it is typically a lot healthier for you than buying food in a box or can. You can control the amount of sugar you use, and you can even find recipes that use sugar substitutes instead of granulated, powdered, or brown sugar.

Tip #5: Learn how to decode the word “sugar” - Just because something is labeled as sugar-free does not mean that it does not have some form of sugar in it. This is where things get tricky. The following terms are all words to describe various forms of sugar: honey, lactose, fructose, corn syrup, glucose, dextrose, and galactose. Fruits (and their juices) also are a source of sugar. While some options, like honey, might be slightly healthier for you than other alternatives, if you are trying to avoid sugar altogether, make sure you learn the terminology. Products are legally allowed to be labeled as sugar-free if no sugar has been added, but that does not mean that the foods do not naturally contain sugar.

Tip #6: Cut the carbs - Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, and as such, carb-heavy foods contain sugar. White breads, pastas, and so forth might not taste sweet, but they are full of sugar. Choose healthy carbohydrates instead, like whole grains, potatoes, and other foods high in fiber. Remember that your diet should be full of proteins and green vegetables if you want to cut as much sugar as possible from your diet.

Tip #7: Talk to your doctor - Simply put, even if you are diabetic or have another medical reason for wanting to cut the sugar out of your life, you should not suddenly switch to a drastic diet to avoid all sugars. This is unhealthy for your body and, in the long run, the body does need sugar – just not in the forms so prevalent in our everyday lives. Instead, choose healthy carbohydrates, natural forms of sugar, and other healthy foods to fill your meals. Your doctor or a professional nutritionist can help you come up with a great sugar-free plan that will fit your lifestyle.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/drinks-articles/tips-to-eat-sugarfree-694736.html

About the Author:
tBrian Jenkins is a freelance writer and blogger who offers tips about health, diet and fitness. Mr. Jenkins also writes about specific issues and products such as sugar-free cooking and" target="_blank">www.splendidlife.com/ancillary/samplingprogram.do"> Splenda

Are You A Locavore?

From Dictionary.com we bring you the word locavore!

Definition:	a person who attempts to eat only foods grown locally
Example:	Locavores grow their own food or buy foodstuffs grown within their region.

Which one are YOU?
Post your answer in the comment section!

• I am a locavore
• I want to be a locavore
• I don't want to be a locavore