The FDA today announced a risk of salmonella poisoning in cantaloupe imported from Honduras. The risk is highest in small children and older adults with weak or compromised immune symptoms. Even if you’ve eaten contaminated fruit, most with uncompromised immune systems will not feel the effects.
The recommendation is More on How To Reduce Your Risk of Cantaloupe Salmonella Poisoning
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The largest study on the differences between conventional and organically grown produce has reported that organically grown fruits and vegetables are more nutritious and can extend a person’s lifetime.
The findings also showed that fruits and vegetables grown organically have up to 40% more antioxidants which they believe can reduce the risk of disease and increase lifespan. They also found they had higher mineral content, including iron and zinc.
The $25 million study conducted in England also found that milk produced organically had up to 90% more antioxidants than conventional. The differences were so dramatic in all cases they studied the researchers indicated that even if some didn’t meet the required daily ‘five a day’, referring to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, if they ate organic, they would satisfy the requirement with just 4 servings a day due to the increased nutritional content.
Read more about the study at the Times of London.
Of course, common sense will tell us that if you grow food in mineral depleted soil and spray it with chemicals it will have lower nutritional value. This is the first large study that confirms the difference.
However, be careful where you buy your organic produce. Because of the dramatic growth in the organic business, retailers like Walmart are sourcing many organic foods overseas from countries like China and Brazil and carrying organic milk from farms that have been criticized for not keeping the the established organic standards. Organic may not always be organic as the demand for products has tested the organic standards as conventional producers want to get into the business.
In addition to looking for fresh produce grown mainly in the states, look for locally grown produce. Most local farms today practice more natural farming methods, and don’t hesitate to ask how they grow. It’s you’re health! You can find a list of farmers markets at LocalHarvest.org
And finally, in my opinion, organic produce just plain tastes better. After you switch to organic over conventional, within a short period of time the natural tastes will come alive and you’ll notice the difference.
To your best health!
Learn more about the natural, delicious and organic convenient foods available. Great way to switch to organic for lunch, snacks (kids love them), soups and more including natural and organic personal care products. My family and I use and highly recommend them.
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Filed under natural farming methods, mineral content, localharvest, grow food, nutritional content, organic business, walmart, organic standards, organic produce, organic milk, five a day, farmers markets, chemicals, toxins, food, studies, organic, organically grown, conventional producers, antioxidants, organic foods, diet by admin
Every year around Halloween I cringe to think about all the candy, sugar and yes, junk that our children get when trick-or-treating. Several years ago I started giving out fun things like Halloween pencils, notepads, spiders, stampers and other creative things hoping that it may catch on. When children would stop by my house most had positive remarks like ‘Cool!’ and ‘Wow!’. That was a good reaction!
Going out this year with my daughter I found that everyone in our neighborhood was still giving out candy. I know there had to be something that I could do to help not only our children, but our future as well. Teaching children healthy habits early pays off greatly.
In searching online today I found it. A mother from Washington state has started something big…. Green Halloween.
I was thrilled to learned about what she was doing and know it will make a difference. She has gathered the support of her community, both businesses (like Whole Foods) and families that want to make a difference and change the traditional ‘candy-centric’ Halloween into a healthier and environmentally friendly event that can be enjoyed by everyone.
You’ll find lots of ways to encourage your neighborhood, school or families to enjoy a ‘Green Halloween’ and make a difference, both for younger as well as older children. The community and web site is new and still growing but you’ll find some great resources.
You can read more about it at:
http://www.greenhalloween.org
By taking action together, we can make a difference.
To your best health!
Mark
P.S. Last year we also gave out ‘Boo-key Balls’, a healthy treat from the WholeFoodFarmacy that they make once a year as an alternative to traditional candy. It’s one of several dozen healthy, natural and organic foods, snacks and personal care products they have available. It was a hit and the kids loved it!
Filed under once a year, neighborhood school, healthy habits, organic foods, personal care products, washington state, teaching children, halloween, candy, environmentally friendly, food, green, wholefoodfarmacy, sugar, whole foods, children by admin
