the organic food blog

As of late, many people have been converting into “locavores”: those who eat namely locally grown food. Sometimes going organic isn’t enough to save the environment, but checking the food miles of the items you purchase is a good start. Has it travelled a long way? It is always better to consume local organic produce because it minimizes your food’s carbon footprint, supports local business, and allows you to bring fresher food to your kitchen. Happy stomach, happy planet — it’s a win-win. So how can you become a locavore? Read on to learn how you can integrate locally grown foods into your meal planning.

• Visit a farmers’ market or farm stand: Farmers’ markets allow local farmers to sell directly to the consumers. Through these venues, you can meet the person who has grown your food! The food comes straight from the farm to the market, giving you fresher food that’s at its nutritional peak.  The USDA provides a farmers’ market search engine and you can also check out the Australian Farmers Market Association that can help you find your nearest farmers’ market.

• CSA: The CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a program through which a farmer can offer a box of fresh farm products to the public in exchange for a flat rate “subscription” or “membership.” Local Harvest describes CSA in full, while providing tips on picking a good farmer for your family. In addition to this, many organic home delivery services such as Organic Angels can provide a seasonal box of local produce, ask your supplier if this is possible.

• Find a local food restaurant: Believe it or not, local food restaurants are becoming more and more popular. Ask around (neighbours, friends, coworkers) to see if there is a local food restaurant or stand near you. If you visit a farmers’ market, ask the farmers if they would mind giving you a list of restauranteurs they sell to. Search engines like Organic Highways and Organic Kitchen could also help you find nearby local food restaurants.

• Grow it yourself: Plant some herbs, tomatoes, beans, sprouts, or berries. Growing your own food is the most inexpensive (not to mention fun) way to get some local food. If you have a bigger back yard and can spare a couple of hours on the weekend for gardening, planting may be the best option for you.

So there they are: the quick n easy tips for become a locavore. All it takes is a little research and some extra time to help the environment and your stomach. Eat organic and go local.

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com.  Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services.  Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.

Written by David Hennessey

During my trademark presentation The W.O.N.D.E.R. Technique ® when I speak about the importance of the quality of food we eat and the impact it has on our health I am often asked two questions

1) Is there really a differences between organic food and natural or health food?’
2) Is it possible to buy organic food inexpensively?’

1. Organic Food
Organic food is food grown through a process of farming without chemical pesticides and without artificial fertilizers. It is food grown in soil that is alive with billions of micro-organisms that convert the remains of vegetable life into tremendous amounts of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients to feed plant roots and ultimately ourselves.

Organic food is not treated with preservatives, radiation, hormones, antibiotics or synthetic additives or grown from genetically modified seed.

Organic food is food typically certified as organic by a third party certifying organization. Countries like Australia, France, Canada and the U.S.A. have a national standard for organics which are involved with the certifying of the food but not all countries have a national standard. Europe now has a Europe-wide organic standards system. So in France currently you will see two certifying logos on organic products – one National and one European.

2. Natural Food
The term Natural food has very little meaning since it is typically unregulated in the market place. Natural is a title given to foods to suggest the food is closer to their natural state than another version of the same food. For example, a freshly picked fruit is called natural food even if it is sprayed with synthetic chemicals during the farming process since it comes off the tree and is unprocessed. Unlike canned apples which have been processed and typically have sugar added. The title natural food does not mean the food is organically grown.

3. Health Food
Health food is a term used for foods that, in some way, are believed to be healthier to eat that the common kind of food widely sold in supermarkets. For example, some people are allergic to foods treated with sulfur like dried apricots so un-sulfured dried apricots can be labeled health food whether they are organically grown or not. However, just like the term Natural food the term health food is not a regulated label.

Buying Organic Food Inexpensively

Now if you are interested in putting more organic food on your plate but you consider it to be expensive there are many ways you can buy organic food inexpensively.

One way is to buy your organic food from a home delivery company like Organic Angels since most home delivery companies buy produce in volume and pass the delicious savings onto to you.

However, if you don’t have access to an organic home delivery company in your area but you still want to buy organic food inexpensively then check out my inexpensive e-book How to Buy Organic Food Inexpensively for dozens of tips or at least request my FREE resource guide on How to Stretch Your Healthy Food Budget available on my Personal and Business Development Site

David Hennessey offers you a choice of five free educational resources on his site dedicated to Personal and Business Development

You can read Part 1 here

OK, so now you know why Fairtrade organic coffee has coffee drinkers queueing up for more- the natural process for growing and harvesting the beans makes it taste so much better. But there’s more to it than that. This is the really exciting part- Fairtrade. You’re going to love this.

The Fairtrade label is your guarantee that the farmers who grew the coffee received a fair wage for their product. When you’re paying $3 or $4 for a coffee at your local cafe, you might think that the farmers who supplied the beans are doing quite nicely but, in reality, they were most likely paid a pittance- if it wasn’t a fairtrade brand. At best, they might have broken even. Bear in mind that this is their only source of income.

However, under the Fairtrade scheme, farmers are paid a fair price that covers the cost of sustainable production. Farmers can then afford to invest in their farms, build better houses and send their children to school, which breaks the poverty cycle and leads to a better, brighter future. On top of that, they receive an additional payment, called a ‘premium’ that is used for community development projects. And this is where is gets really exciting- entire communities being transformed! Think of that as you’re having your early morning kick-start of caffeine.

Growers of Gumutindo Fairtrade organic coffee in Uganda have used their premium to build a warehouse for storing their produce. They have also built a medical clinic and a secondary school.

Okapa farmers in Papua New Guinea used their premium to construct a dirt road so that they no longer had to walk 15km to the nearest bus-stop while carrying heavy sacks on their backs. The new road means better access to health and education facilities in town.

The women’s cooperative of farmers in Peru, known as Cafe Femenino, decided to build raised indoor kitchens in their homes so that they will no longer suffer chronic back pain from cooking over an open fire outdoors. They also now have medical posts in each village with a fully-equipped first aid kit and the construction of roads to connect villages has begun. And its not just outward change that comes from the opportunities that Fairtrade gives to farmers.

For the women of Cafe Femenino, the biggest transformation has been in the way they see themselves. No longer do they hang their heads, too ‘worthless’ to have a voice. Now they have self-esteem that gives them the confidence to speak up and take on positions of responsibility in the community. They have realised how valuable and significant they really are- and their community is changing for the better because of it.

So go on… get hold of some organic Fairtrade coffee, put the kettle on, and relax. That’s what Mr Darcy- er Colin Firth, would do. Make your world- and the world around you- a better place.

Written by Karen Schneider: Writer, parent and fan of hot beverages. Karen welcomes your feedback at karenswriting.com

Angelina Jolie, Colin Firth, Bono and Elton John. They’re just some of the celebrities raving over Organic Fairtrade Coffee. Two Australian municipalities have joined hundreds of international cities in earning the title “fairtrade community”. In 2009 alone, Australians and New Zealanders spent more that $50 million on the stuff. So why are the world’s coffee-lovers going gaga over organic Fairtrade coffee?

Well, coffee farmers will tell you, you can’t beat traditional, natural farming methods when it comes to growing superb organic coffee beans. Imagine for a moment, if you will…

…Coffee plants growing in their own sweet time, drawing on nutrient-rich soil under the protection of the forest’s shady canopy. Song birds warbling cheerily as they perch in the trees, only too eager to keep insects at bay. The leaves rustle- perhaps a howler monkey is scampering about. It’s a perfectly balanced and sustained eco-system. Plants and animals are thriving. The red buds of the coffee cherries are hand-picked and the beans removed and dried in the sunshine under the watchful care of the farmers, just as they have been for hundreds of years. Ahhh… it’s coffee as it should be… no wonder Angelina is a fan.

Contrast this to non-organic production… an entire forest cut down to create more room for plantations, leaving wildlife homeless and eco-systems shattered. Coffee plants, not partial to the sun, are engineered to tolerate the heat. Pesticides are used to control insects and chemical fertilisers are sprayed onto the ground- and surrounding water supplies- to make up for the ever-diminishing soil quality. The result is an inferior coffee bean, a destroyed habitat and the pollution of waterways that threaten both farming communities and the environment. It’s enough to make you want to spit your coffee across the room.

So it’s easy to see why organic coffee has become the darling of the coffee-drinkers’ world. But what’s all this about Fairtrade, you may be asking…

Read Part 2 here

Written by Karen Schneider: Writer, parent and fan of hot beverages. Karen welcomes your feedback at karenswriting.com

We all know the term “going green” in terms of saving our environment. What about the environment inside your body? If you don’t save that, you won’t be around to enjoy the rest. When it comes to your diet, Think Green, too!

Green is good. Organic green foods are filled with nutrients that improve not only overall health but the health of your heart and immune system. Green foods also lower cholesterol, improve brain health, and improve emotional and mental health. Better health and improved mood? We all could use that!

There is an abundance of green all around you. Whenever you can, eat green super foods raw and organic. The majority of nutrients are unlocked that way. Even if some vegetables don’t taste good to you, you may enjoy them in a juice mixed with other organic vegetables you do like.

Here is a few of the Organic Greens you should eat:

Spinach – Enjoy cooked or eat the leaves raw in a green salad. Spinach is full of potassium, vitamin C, E, and A, as well as antioxidants such as beta-carotene. Folate, the substance that promotes neural growth in unborn babies, is found in spinach as well as other greens.

Green Tea – This drink is an Eastern delight that has found its way to the West. Green tea contains the antioxidant EGCG that helps lower cancer risk and contains antiviral and antibiotic properties. Drink several cups each day and notice a difference in your skin almost immediately.

Wheatgrass – This is best understood as wheat before it becomes grain. Wheatgrass in juice form is touted as a body cleanser which also increases immunity. Very high in protein like other greens, but wheatgrass is off the charts high in Vitamin E, believed to be one of your heart’s best friend.

As you Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, don’t forget to Go Green inside, too. What you consume internally is just as important as what you consume externally. Treat your body to a delicious Organic Green Superfood today!

We are all fighting the ravages of time. But, what if time didn’t have to be so ravaging? Antioxidants may be the answer to help your body grow old gracefully, strong, and healthy.

Antioxidants are substances that fight free radical damage in the body. This begs the next question: What are free radicals?

The body uses food nutrients at a cellular level to drive certain reactions that goes on in the body. This is called cellular metabolism or respiration. Free radicals are by-products produced by these reactions. In the body, these substances bump into organs, vessels and everything else, damaging them in the process. That is why the body ages, and not always so gracefully.

Free radicals can come from not only the body but also the environment. Pollution, smoking, stress, drugs, alcohol, and other sources all feed into the damage that causes us to age. Antioxidants help by neutralising the effects of these rogue particles. You are less prone to disease, wrinkles, age spots, arthritis, and the list goes on.

As it stands, there are no recommendations as far as the amount of antioxidants you have to consume each day. Suffice it to say, eat as many as you can not only for anti-aging effects but also for overall good health. Let’s look at some antioxidant rich foods:

Berries – The best berry for antioxidants is considered to be blueberries, but strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are also good choices to get your fill of antioxidants. The rule of thumb is always eat the most colourful fruit and vegetables for the most antioxidants. Even a half cup each day on your cereal is an excellent start in boosting your antioxidants.

Grapes – The skins of the red grape contain an antioxidant substance called resveratrol. This is one reason why it is suggested that people drink a glass of red wine each evening for their health. Of course, snacking on a plate of red grapes is also considered very healthy. Be sure not to peel the grapes; if you’re feeding a young child grapes, just cut the grapes in halves or quarters so the skins slide down easier.

Prunes – Your mum was right. Prunes are good to get the digestive system flowing. However, prunes also offer a tremendous boost to the immune system. And, no, you don’t have to drink that rather unsavory juice if you don’t want to. Snacking on two or three prunes a day is much more appealing to most people. You can buy individually wrapped prunes now which makes it very handy to take them along as a sweet treat.

Pumpkins and Carrots – A well-known antioxidant substance is beta-carotene. They improve eye health, immunity and help with cellular repair. You’ll see a common element here – orange color. Again, the more colorful the vegetable, the more antioxidant power. Buy pie-pumpkins when you can, cut and roast them just like squash and keep a bag of fresh carrots cut up and ready to munch on.

Beans – They are tiny, but pack a punch. Filled with protein, they work to build muscle and lower cholesterol. Replace meat in your diet a couple times a week with a hearty black bean soup, red beans and rice casserole, or three bean salad, and your antioxidants will be jumping right off the scale. Beans are not only protein packed, but they are also a vegetable, so you are meeting several food requirements at the same time.

Where possible always go organic. Proven studies have shown that organic produce contain more antioxidants than produce sprayed with chemical fertislisers.

These days, there are commercials pushing pills, powders, and supplement for everything from cancer to weight loss. What if you didn’t have to invest thousands of dollars in so-called “miracle cures” to get your body what it needs? You don’t. Super Foods have come to the rescue!

Super foods do what those “miracle” products can’t – and they do it naturally. How did your ancestors manage to live long, healthy lives without all the powders and supplements? It wasn’t just because they stayed fit by working from sunrise to sunset. The food they ate had a lot to do with it.

Unlike the much hyped powders, pills, and supplements said to cure all things, super foods aren’t “super” because they are filled with additives and other proprietary substances that the manufacturers keep secret. These foods are “super” because of just how uncomplicated they really are.

Super foods, as they have been dubbed, are actually foods that are high in nutrients but contain no additives or preservatives. Eaten alone or in combination with other foods, they provide nutrients needed by the body in high enough quantities to make a difference in your health and your life in general.

So why do we need pills when we have super foods? Medicine has its place, but to maintain overall health, lower risk of certain diseases, and to age well, you’ll need to create a healthy body. Daily care and feeding of the human machine is where we begin our lifetime of maintenance on our most precious asset – our body.

Benefits of Super Foods

So, what is it about certain foods that make them better than others and worthy of the title “Super Foods?” Here are some of the most notable benefits:

Weight loss – We all need to maintain a healthy weight. A healthy weight benefits not only your bones and joints, but your organs, as well.

Slows aging process – Aging is a combination of time and environment. Environment doesn’t occur just outside the skin; it also refers to the environment you provide inside your body. A healthy internal environment will help you look and feel younger.

Disease free – Some diseases come with age and exposure to external toxins, while other diseases are a result of our choices. Wouldn’t you like to lessen your chances of getting cancer, diabetes, or heart disease? What if you could do so by changing what you eat?

These are just a few of the benefits of eating super foods. It is a fact that the food you eat can influence your mental and physical health. If you could live healthier by eating better and smarter, wouldn’t you? Put Super Foods to work for you!