Living Maxwell
Company Stories
For as long as I have been covering the organic food industry and giving out Natural Products Expo West awards, it has always been a Top 5 list.
However, due to the incredible number of fantastic products that I saw at the 2024 show and at the urging of my good friend Liana Werner-Gray, I have expanded the list to a Top 10.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
For those of us who are fans of Dr. Bronner’s, the company’s products have a constant presence in our households, and we use them to clean our bodies and physical surroundings on a daily basis.
While this is unquestionably a critical component of our lives and imperative to maintain good health, cleaning transcends removing whatever is on our skin, on our clothes or on our kitchen countertops. It also affects our emotional well-being and directly impacts how we show up in the world.
And this is precisely why Lisa Bronner’s Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps spoke to me so much, as it squarely touches on the importance of cleaning both the tangible and intangible — an essential formula for a meaningful life.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
For as long as I have been covering the organic food industry, I have attended Natural Products Expo East, with my first show in Boston in 2009.
So, it is very bittersweet to report that after last week’s show in Philadelphia, there will be no more Expo East moving forward. New Hope, the organizer of the event, has decided to launch something new in 2024 called Newtopia Now.
Living Maxwell
Better Choices
In a recent issue of Organic Insider, I discuss the decision by the Non-GMO Project to place potatoes on its High-Risk list.
Joining soy, corn, canola and a few others, this is by no means a prominent distinction. Rather, it is something that every crop should seek to avoid because it means that the likelihood of consuming a genetically-modified version of this crop in the U.S. is extremely high.
A message from E3Live
The best testimonial that I can give is that I drink this every single day, as it impacts my mood in an incredibly positive way.
E3Live + BrainON is certified organic, fresh-frozen AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) with a concentrated, aqueous, organic extract of Phenylethylamine and Phycocyanin.
Living Maxwell
Must-Read
The next time some expert tells you that the most important thing to do for your health is to consume large amounts of fruits and vegetables, regardless of whether they are organic or not, you may want to educate this person about the latest scientific research and government data.
As I wrote about the other day, a study out of Harvard found that women undergoing infertility treatment in the U.S. — and who were also consuming fruits and vegetables with high amounts of pesticide residue — were associated with a lower chance of pregnancy and a higher risk of pregnancy loss.
Men are equally as impacted by the harmful effects of pesticides.
Living Maxwell
Better Choices
For many of us who understand the importance of organic, we eat and buy organic food without thinking about it.
We know that we don’t want to consume food that contains artificial growth hormones, synthetic pesticides or genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).
We know that it is essential for us to purchase the highest quality food possible.
We know that food is medicine.
Yet, there are too many people out there who are just not that concerned about the food that goes into their bodies. They largely assume that since our government allows it on the shelf, it is safe.
Living Maxwell
Company Stories
Within the last 12 months, organic baking start-up Foodstirs has quickly and firmly established itself as one of the hottest brands in the industry today.
While it is undeniable that having a Hollywood celebrity as a co-founder has helped attract tremendous media attention and opened many doors, Foodstirs is leading the marketplace because it has delivered a top-notch product line to a category that was ripe for innovation. With proven entrepreneur Galit Laibow as CEO, long-time industry veteran and brand-building guru Greg Fleishman as COO, and marketing standout Sarah Michelle Gellar as Chief Creative Officer, the company’s intentions were clear from the very beginning.
“Foodstirs is about the power of baking, and we wanted to help create an experience that allows families to connect with each other in an easy and convenient way. Our product is empowering them to do this,” said Greg Fleishman.
Living Maxwell
Better Choices
I get asked all of the time by people “how do I know that the food that I am eating is organic?”
Well, when we buy food in the supermarket, there is an organic certification process managed by the USDA. Those organic food products have the organic seal.
Yet, what do we do when we go to restaurants?
While there are very few restaurants that have actually been certified organic (there used to be one in NYC called Gustorganics), most of them are not.
In this video, I share with you the one question that I always ask when I go to a new organic restaurant. The answer gives me a good idea about how serious they are about organic.
A message from Tradin Organic
For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.
The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.
Organic Insider
Better Choices
In yet another study, we have more evidence that organic is a healthier choice.
A report out of the University of Barcelona claims that organic tomatoes have a higher amount of antioxidants than conventional tomatoes.
Researchers used liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to determine that organic tomatoes have a greater amount of phenolic compounds or polyphenols. Polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants of plant origin, are associated with the prevention of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, and some forms of cancer.
Living Maxwell
Better Choices
If you are looking for organic fish in the U.S., you will not find it. Why?
Because there is no such a thing as USDA certified organic fish, as national organic standards for fish have not yet been approved.
That being said, some fish are certainly better to eat than others, and Food & Water Watch recently released its Smart Seafood Guide.
The Smart Seafood Guide gives an excellent analysis of over 100 different fish, provides regional guides, and offers helpful suggestions so that consumers can make the healthiest and most sustainable choices possible.
