Pages

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Why Organic Food?

Organic food is Special and different from regular food because:


First of all, organic foods meet the same quality and safety standards as conventional foods. The difference lies in how the food is produced, processed and handled. Organic food is produced using no synthetic material other than a small list of less than 10 exceptions described in legislation. Production of ocean seafood can and does meet this definition.
Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Organic foods are safe and provide nutritional and taste benefits to the people who eat them. Besides being grown and processed according to organic certification requirements, organic products must also meet all applicable food safety and labeling requirements, just like any other food.
Organic foods are produced without synthetic inputs. For crops, this means production without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides on land that has been free of synthetic chemicals for at least three years. Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.
Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Conventional wisdom says that we should avoid food that's been drenched in herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Half a century ago, there was some truth in this: Sprays were primitive and left behind chemical deposits that often survived all the way to the dinner table. Conventional-food proponents also claim that rigorous safety assessments show that pesticide residues are no threat to human health. Yet consumers intuitively know this is a false assurance.
Conventionally grown fruit and vegetables contain more water and fewer vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants than organically grown produce. Even processed organic food is better for you, as manufacturers are banned from using many of the most harmful additives such as hydrogenated fat, MSG and artificial flavorings and colorings. 

Organic food is generally more expensive, anywhere from 50-100% more in most cases. For those who place a high value on the purity and healthfulness of what they consume, it may well be worth the difference. But is organic food actually purer or healthier?
Unfortunately, there is no single correct answer that applies to all organic (or non-organic) food available on the market today. 
In my opinion if you want to live a healthier, Switch to organic food, although a bit expensive but worth it, if we think health is expensive, taste the pain.


The Many Benefits Of Nuts


Eating nuts helps your heart. Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet.



Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet can be good for your heart. Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food, too. They're inexpensive, easy to store and easy to take with you to work or school.
The type of nut you eat isn't that important, although some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than do others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts — you name it — almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet.

Although it varies by nut, most nuts contain at least some of these heart-healthy substances:
  • Unsaturated fats. It's not entirely clear why, but it's thought that the "good" fats in nuts — both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower bad cholesterol levels.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids. Many nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a healthy form of fatty acids that seem to help your heart by, among other things, preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in many kinds of fish, but nuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Fiber. All nuts contain fiber, which helps lower your cholesterol. Fiber also makes you feel full, so you eat less. Fiber is also thought to play a role in preventing diabetes.
  • Vitamin E. Vitamin E may help stop the development of plaques in your arteries, which can narrow them. Plaque development in your arteries can lead to chest pain, coronary artery disease or a heart attack.
  • Plant sterols. Some nuts contain plant sterols, a substance that can help lower your cholesterol. Plant sterols are often added to products like margarine and orange juice for additional health benefits, but sterols occur naturally in nuts.
  • L-arginine. Nuts are also a source of l-arginine, which is a substance that may help improve the health of your artery walls by making them more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow.