Reasons to Eat Organic Food

Your health

Organically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in a cocktail of chemicals ? even after washing, a conventionally grown apple may have 20 chemicals on its skin.

Conventionally grown fruit and vegetables contain more water and less 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 flavourings and colourings.

Taste

Organic food simply tastes so much better than "normal" food. Carrots that actually taste of carrots, apples that go zing in your mouth and really chickeny chicken. Why not see for yourself at the Organic Food Fair ? see opposite for more details.

GM foods

You can be safe knowing that you won't be eating genetically modified (GM) food. Intensively farmed animals are often fed on GM soya and much of the world's production of cotton and rice are now GM. You can register your protest by buying organic produce.

Cost

While organic food may cost slightly more on the supermarket shelves, the true cost of conventional food is much higher. The BSE crisis cost nearly £4 billion and we support the conventional farming industry through our taxes. The Soil Association say that it costs £120 million a year to remove chemicals from drinking water, most of which are pesticides used in farming.

The countryside

Intensive farming methods can lead to soil erosion, the destruction of ancient hedgerows and the extinction or near-extinction of hundreds of our natural animals, birds and plants.

The Soil Association believes that organic farming is the best way to reverse the decline in wildlife by:

Crop rotation so the soil is kept fertile and avoid the use of chemical fertilisers

Mixed farming where different crops are planted together

Encouraging natural predators so there is no need to use pesticides

Animal welfare

The Soil Association insists on stringent animal welfare standards. Animals must have access to fields and are fed mainly on clover and herb rich grass, just as they would in the wild. They are given comfortable bedding and more space when they are housed and are often treated with herbal or homeopathic drugs when ill.

And it's not just food

Recent years have seen a huge growth in the number of organic clothing and toiletries ranges available. Once hard to come by and very expensive, companies such as Green Baby and The Natural Nursery are making organic baby clothes, nappies and toiletries accessible to all.

Many of the same arguments apply: the cotton industry accounts for 25% of the world's insecticide use and it takes around 150 grams of hazardous chemical pesticides to grow enough cotton to make one t-shirt!

Arabella Greatorex is the owner of http://www.naturalnursery.co.uk, an online store selling organic and fairly traded products for families including organic clothing and bedding, fairly traded toys, natural toiletries, cloth and eco-disposable nappies and soft shoes.

---

5 Favorite Summer-Break Tips

You can trust me that I make sure to take care to have as EnergyRich? a vacation as possible (why come back from vacation feeling bloated, a... Read More

Startling New Evidence: You Can Slow the Aging Process, Scientists Say

What if you could actually slow your rate of aging, and live healthier longer, simply by eating certain foods? U.S. Government scientists now say it's possible.Floyd P.... Read More

Is It Possible To Follow a Strict Diet Program and Still Have A Normal Lifestyle?

Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be restricting depending on different circumstances. A Strict diet program can be hard to stick to and the... Read More

What Would You Do For a Klondike Bar?

Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand. When you say, "I'm on a DIET", it usually means you are depriving yourself of something. Diets... Read More

Redeeming Unsaturated Fat

The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'. It is not uncommon to hear a dieter discuss their avoidance of eating fat as if it... Read More

10 Flaxseed Facts to Improve Your Nutrition

Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in any health food store, but there is nothing little about their enormous contribution to our overall health.... Read More

Six Ways to Eat More Healthfully

With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little wonder if you feel somewhat confused. Whether you are wanting to lose weight, maintain your weight or... Read More

The Hidden Price of Being Healthy

What I am also going to point out is the not-so-obvious cost of not being healthy. But, as you know, nothing in life is free. If there... Read More

True Health - Following Your Inner Knowing

Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over the last couple lessons we taught you how to use your conscious mind to actively create the... Read More

Finding the Elusive Complete-Protein Source

Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their labels help inform consumers that protein is a critical macronutrient in strength training success. Yet what is... Read More

What is a Healthy Eating Plan?

Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the elderly. Learning to eat well is more than just eating a variety of foods so that your... Read More

Vegetarian Lifestyle

Being vegetarian is one of the greatest things in the world. From good health to sufficient energy in your daily life. Eating healthy is one of the... Read More

Cranberry Juice To The Rescue

Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683. It is a love it or hate it beverage. For those who like it, it has a... Read More

Why You Should Eat Lentil Soup at Least Once a Week

If you're looking for a power-packed entrée or soup to spice up your life, look no further than the lowly lentil. Perhaps there was a reason why... Read More

Nutrition - Its Whats Eating You That Counts

"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that counts."Before we talk about food, the most important nutrients we put in our bodies are air and... Read More

Discover How to Grow Your Own Source of Vitamins, Fiber, Proteins, and More

Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a great source of vitamins, fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, and enzymes. A sprout is produced when a seed starts... Read More

Soy Phytoestrogens and the Art of Propaganda

In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about soy phytoestrogens. The established literature to date is replete with studies that find soy phytoestrogens beneficial to... Read More

Introduction to Detox Diets

Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure to all kinds of health problems. Since most of us are busy, and unable or unwilling to... Read More

Food thats Good for a Healthy Heart

Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and blood pressure are crucial heart disease risk factors, many people who suffer chest pain or even heart... Read More

Heart Friendly Foods

Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial walls, which causes a partial or complete obstruction of blood flow. This reduces flow of blood to... Read More

Inactive Alert: Essential Proteins for Sedentary People

The importance of protein in diet has been clearly established by nutritional scientists, and widely accepted by athletes. Among other vital functions, protein is indispensable for creating... Read More

Four Important Nutrients - Vitamin E, Selenium, Sodium and Potassium ? For Good Health

Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin E lately. In the news last month, the news media was pushing a story that "Vitamin E... Read More

Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Patients

The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained in 2 ways1.Enteral Nutrition2.Parenteral nutritionIt is worth remembering that enteral nutritional is always the preferred route. The... Read More

Nutrition and Exercise Tips to Walk Away From Death

Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart attack at age forty-five or thereabouts. Typically, when I read of these tragedies I search my memory... Read More

Is Organic Really Better for You?

I had finally come to a place in my life where I was concerned about my health and that of my family. After all, it's not the... Read More

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each... Read More