Earth Day 2012: 10 Reasons Why you should choose Organic

The term ‘organic’ simple means foods that have not been exposed to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, fertilizers and other harmful chemicals during their growing stages. More organic food in the diet means less toxins in our soil, air and water and less toxic material entering the body, therefore less work your body has to do to get rid of it and less damage to your body.

Choosing local reduces carbon emissions from planes, trains and automobiles and supports your local farmers. When these non-local foods ride in trucks for a few days they lose some of their nutritional quality and taste. You should also keep in mind that local produce for instance is harvested at its peak whereas non-local is picked when it’s not even fully ripe. This ensures the produce will not rot on its way to the supermarket.

Top 10 Reasons to Eat Organic

 

Healthier

Organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Contains more nutrients

Organic farming practices create higher-quality soil that produces more nutritious crops. Organically grown crops are more nutrient dense and contain more antioxidants.

GMO free

Eighteen percent of all genetically-modified seeds are engineered to produce their own pesticides. Research shows that these seeds may continue producing pesticides inside your body once you’ve eaten the food grown from them! Organic certification standards prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms.

Tastes better

Organic farming starts with the nutrients of the soil which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately our palates.

Organic farming works in harmony with nature.

Britain's Soil Association reported that organic farms have five times as many wild plants with 57% more species, 44% more birds and twice as many butterflies as non-organic farms.

 

Organic farming is better for the soil.

Organic farming techniques help to build soil on an ongoing basis thereby preventing topsoil erosion and organic soil contains up to twice as many beneficial microbes, earthworms and insects as non-organic soil.

Organic farming can feed more people.

A 2002 Greenpeace report showed that organic farms in Ethiopia produced 3-5 times more food than non-organic farms; corn production increased by 20–250% on Brazilian organic farms and in Peru organic crop yields increased by 150%.

Certified organic food carries a guarantee

Any food product that bears an organic certification label is your guarantee that it has been grown and handled according to strict organic production standards and that absolutely no toxic chemicals have been used.

Organic farming is climate-friendly

Studies have shown that organic soil stores up to 33% more carbon than non-organic soil, which directly helps in the fight against global warming.

Organic foods are supportive of growing children’s brains and bodies 
Children’s growing brains and bodies are far more susceptible to toxins than adults. Choosing organic helps feed their bodies without the exposure to pesticides and genetically-modified organisms, both of which have a relatively short history of use (and therefore safety).

The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Most Heavily Sprayed Crops

FDA and USDA research shows high levels of pesticide and chemical contamination in these common foods:

1) Beef, Pork and Poultry

2) Meat, Cheese and Butter

3) Strawberries, Raspberries  and Cherries

4) Apples and Pears

5) Tomatoes

6) Potatoes

7) Spinach and other greens

8) Coffee

9)  Peaches and Nectarines

10)  Grapes

11) Celery

12) Red and Green Bell Peppers

Earth Day 2012: 5 Homespun Holistic Cleaning Recipes

We have been quite lucky here in Ontario as
Spring has been in the air for nearly a month. Chances are you have or you'll start feeling the urge to purge and clean your home this time of year (also known as "Spring Cleaning"). But before you take out the chemical-based cleaning products think twice.

There are many negative effects of cleaning your home with harsh chemical-based household cleaners: Free radical damage; which can cause DNA mutations, speed up aging process, damage to collagen, increase toxicity level in body which can lead to increase risk of heart disease, cataracts, cancer and the harmful effects on the environment.

My mother was great at finding natural and inexpensive ways to clean the house. Here are some safe, effective, easy and inexpensive recipes that she passed on to me and some that I have come up with over the years.

Cleaning tiles and shower enclosures 
Apply lemon oil with a scouring pad to surface area. When clean, wash will hot water and dry with clean towel.

Removing white rings in furniture 
Apply a thin layer of mayonnaise to stain. Cover mayonnaise with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for one hour. Remove the plastic wrap and work the mayonnaise into the finish. Ta da! White ring all gone!

Removing hard water spots
Soak cleaning rag in white vinegar that way it is super saturated. Grab rag and start scrubbing!

Clearing drains 
Pour 1 cup of salt into drain, followed by 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to react with the salt and baking soda for about 30 seconds (foaming occurs). Then add two quarts of boiling water.

Multi-surface cleaning 
Probably my most favourite homemade cleaner. Fill up a spray bottle with cold tap water and add 10 drops of tea tree oil. I use this mixture to clean everything from the kitchen counter, my son's placemat and toys to my Yoga mat and exercise equipment. A small bottle of tea tree oil will cost you a pretty penny $15-$20, but it will last for up to a year. White Vinegar and water also works well....if you can stand the smell.

Earth Day 2012: 6 Easy Ways to Improve your Diet and the Environment

Earth Day is a week away and in it's
honour and in appreciation to our bodies here are 6 easy ways to improve your diet and the environment.

We all know that natural nutrition is essential in preventing disease and bringing our bodies to a place of balance. Little tweaks in your current diet can make all the difference in the world to your health.

But did you know that these changes to what you put on your plate can have an impact on the environment?

Follow these 6 easy tips and enjoy your ride to optimum health and a greener earth through natural nutrition.

 

Eat Whole Foods

This means eat foods that are closet to their natural state or closet too nature. For instance, eat a baked sweet potato as opposed to a bag of potato chips, which has been processed, striped of its nutrients and saturated in oil and salt. Choose sprouted or multi-grain breads over refined wheat where the bran and germ (the reservoir for vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids) have been removed. Try This: Close your eyes and imagine what a “whole food” looks like. Does a cereal box with a picture of a toucan come to your mind? (If so, you definitely need to continue reading) Or does the words “whole food” bring a picture of freshly harvested fruits, vegetables and whole grains?

Most “food” products, if not all, that come neatly packaged in colourful boxes and plastics have been made in a factory where pollutants are being pumped into our air and waste is being spilled into our oceans. Whole foods do great things for your body and even greater things for our earth.


Choose Local and Certified Organic

The term ‘organic’ simple means foods that have not been exposed to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, fertilizers and other harmful chemicals during their growing stages. More organic food in the diet means less toxins in our soil, air and water and less toxic material entering the body, therefore less work your body has to do to get rid of it and less damage to your body.

Choosing local reduces carbon emissions from planes, trains and automobiles and supports your local farmers. When these non-local foods ride in trucks for a few days they lose some of their nutritional quality and taste. You should also keep in mind that local produce for instance is harvested at its peak whereas non-local is picked when it’s not even fully ripe. This ensures the produce will not rot on its way to the supermarket.

If you’ve ever eaten a tree-ripened peach I don’t need to tell you how it bursts with flavour and juices over the truck-ripened peach which is dry and bland. Ideally you want to eat food that is both organic and local.

Choose foods that are dense in their nutrients

When making food choices concentrate on picking foods that are dense in their nutrients. For example, eat oranges for their vitamin C and Kale for its calcium. Also, go for more nutritious foods; romaine lettuce over iceberg lettuce, yams over white potatoes, brown rice over white rice and lean cut meats over organ meats and pork. A package of frozen french fries is not dense in its nutrients because of the chemicals, fats and salt added to them.

Making your own homemade French fries reduces waste in the landfills and air pollutants spewed from the factories. And of course, they will taste a million times better and will be so much healthier than the packaged kind.


Moderation, Variety and Rotation

We are all human and sometimes you just want to go out for a burger and a beer with your bff. Let yourself have a cheat day and don’t feel guilty about it either. A ‘cheat day’ is an example of having moderation in your diet. But remember a ‘cheat day’ meal is not an ‘everyday meal.’

A Smithsonian study estimates that the need for grazing land and grain feed leads to the destruction of a land area equivalent to seven football fields in the Amazon basin every single minute. This means that if you eat a hamburger from a cow raised in South America, you’re meal has contributed to 55 square feet of rain forest destruction. (1) Still want that Baconator?

add variety to your plate

A good rule of thumb is to buy brightly coloured fruits and vegetables to ensure you are getting a variety of different vitamins and minerals in your diet. (similar colours =s imilar nutrients).
Lastly, make sure to rotate your foods every day. Eating the same foods day after day can result to food intolerances.

Drink Water

Drink fresh spring or distilled water every day.  Divide your body weight by 2 and then divide by 8 to get the number of 8oz glasses of water you should drink per day. Your body needs water to live, detoxify, metabolize fat, transports nutrients and oxygen to cells and moisturize and protect your organs.

Soda pop and so-called nutritious boxed juices come in a variety of plastic, tin and tetra materials which overflow our landfills. Substituting these non-foods with clean drinking water will help reduce landfill waste. Be sure to invest in a glass or stainless steel water bottle to reduce plastic bottle waste in the landfills.

I like: DAVIDs TEA Noble Glass Travel Thermos as it's not only for your loose leaf tea but can also hold your water, smoothies and post-workout shakes.

 
Say NO to GMO

Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) and Genetically Engineered Microorganism (GEM) refer to a living organism that has been genetically altered using molecular genetics techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering, making them more stable and resistant to drought, disease and pesticides. Studies have shown that the B.T. gene used in the GMO crops caused death in organisms such as the monarch butterflies (1).

An article published in Lancet examined the effects of GMO potatoes on the digestive tract in rats (2)(3) This study claimed that there were significant differences in the intestines of rats fed GMO potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes which led to pre-mature death. “Would you like to super-size your fries?” Not unless they’re Certified Organic!

On Earth Day 2012 make an effort to find a diet that has balance in nutrients, food groups, flavours and colours. A varied diet will prevent boredom and nutritional imbalances. Be sure to keep it realistic and complementary to your lifestyle that way it becomes a part of your life and not just another ‘fad.’

By incorporating even one of the 6 tips you will not only be nurturing your body but also making a positive difference in preserving our beautiful precious earth. Remember, we only have one Earth and once it’s gone it’s never coming back.

(1) Smithsonian Institution, “Smithsonian Researchers Show Amazonian Deforestation Accelerating,” Science Daily Online, 15 Jan. 2002.
(2) Transgenic pollen harms monarch larvae (Nature, Vol 399, No 6733, p 214, May 1999)
(3)Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine (Lancet, Vol 354, No 9187, pp 1353-1354, Oct 1999)
(4)Safety of genetically modified food questioned: Interview with gene scientist, Dr Arpad Pusztai(http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/jun1999/gmo-j03.shtml )
For more on GMOs visit: http://www.saynotogmos.org/scientists_speak.htm

Some of the photos in this post belong to Melissa Macchione.
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