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Better Choices

10 Organic Foods You’ll Always Find in My Kitchen

For someone who loves organic food so much and cooks so often, my refrigerator is surprisingly empty. How could this be?

Well, I go food shopping A LOT and pretty much only buy whatever I need for the next meal that I’ll be eating. I have the good fortune of being able to do this because an amazing organic market is literally less a one minute walk from my apartment.

Plus, I LOVE going food shopping and making multiple trips to the market in one day is not exactly a burden. Staring at all of the amazing fruits and vegetables in the produce section is one of my favorite things to do.

Even though I do tend to “buy on-demand”, you’ll pretty much always find these 10 organic foods in my kitchen:

COCONUT OIL I am a huge fan of coconut oil.  Not only is it high in lauric acid and great to use after a workout but it is one of the few oils that you can safely heat and cook with. (Olive oil is not one of them.)

Aside from using organic coconut oil in my smoothies, I use it as a moisturizer as well.

PALM SUGAR Not only is palm sugar low on the glycemic index, but it is a very sustainable alternative sweetener.

I am pretty obsessed with palm sugar these days and love its mild sweetness. Plus, it is super-easy to travel with.

CHIA SEEDS  Chia seeds continue to explode in popularity — and for very good reason.

Chia seeds are an incredible source of protein, and I use them in my morning smoothie and for puddings.

I seem to alternate back and forth between the seeds and the sprouted chia seed powder. Some people believe that the powder is more easily absorbed in the body. I go both ways on that one.

BRAZIL NUTS I drink a good amount of nut milk, and my preferred nut is definitely Brazil nuts.

Brazil nuts are high in fiber and protein (14%), and contain many amino acids and minerals, including selenium.

I always store my Brazil nuts in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

CACAO POWDER According to various pieces of research that I’ve seen, cacao contains the highest amount of antioxidants of any food on the planet.

Along with using it in my smoothies, I will also drink it straight.

I’ll take a 1/2 teaspoon of cacao powder, 1/4 teaspoon of maca, 1/8th of a teaspoon of palm sugar, and then stir in 1/4 cup of warm water. I’ll drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach in order to allow for maximum absorption.

QUINOA I must eat quinoa about 3-4 times per week and can’t seem to get enough of it.

Rich in protein and containing all nine essential amino acids, quinoa is also an excellent source of manganese, magnesium, folate, and phosphorus.

SAUERKRAUT If you’ve never added sauerkraut to your salads, definitely give it a try it. This will take your salad to a whole different level.

Sauerkraut is a fermented food and provides the body with beneficial bacteria. I particularly love the Biodynamic caraway sauerkraut from Hawthorne Valley. It is spectacular.

SEA VEGETABLES I try to consume sea vegetables, either kelp and dulse, on a daily basis.

Kelp has very high levels of iodine and is fantastic for the thyroid. The importance of sea vegetables does not get nearly enough attention as it should.

BLACK SESAME SEEDS As I wrote about recently, black sesame seeds have become an absolute fixture on my salads and quinoa.

Not only are they full of magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc, but some people believe that they help to reverse gray hair (of which I have plenty).

GOJI BERRIES Considered the most important food/herb in Chinese medicine, goji berries are rich in minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.

I have a tremendous amount of difficulty not devouring the whole bag in just one sitting. They are that good and that good for you.

A message from Tradin Organic

Why Tradin Organic is Prioritizing Regenerative Organic Farming

At Tradin Organic, we believe that regenerative organic farming is key to growing healthy and nutritious food ingredients — for now and for future generations.

And in Sierra Leone, we have grown the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified cacao.

Learn more.

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Organic Insider

Better Choices

Study: Organic Tomatoes Contain More Antioxidants than Conventional Ones

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.

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A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

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.

Learn more.

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

What is Cold-Brew Coffee and Why You Should Know About it

Despite the fact that it has become a burgeoning trend in the beverage world, cold-brew coffee is still a relatively unknown quantity to the average person on the street.

In a very unscientific poll that I conducted, the majority of people that I talked to had heard of cold-brew coffee but couldn’t give me a good answer as to what it is and why people should be drinking it. And to be perfectly honest, I was pretty in the dark about cold-brew as well.

While I know that choosing organic coffee is a must, because coffee is one of the most chemically-treated crops in the world, I, too, had many questions about this increasingly popular drink.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Buy Organic – Conventional Tea Contains Illegal and Highly Toxic Pesticides

While we constantly hear about the tremendous health benefits of drinking tea, one thing that almost never gets mentioned in this message is just how critical it is to drink organic tea.

In a recently released report called Tea Steeped in Toxics, the excellent non-profit Beyond Pesticides gives us an inside look at what is going on in the tea industry. Needless to say, what they uncover is very ugly and very scary.

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livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink