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The 3 Most Important Foods to Eat Organic

For many people, switching to an all-organic diet is simply not practical or possible. And I completely understand this.

So, if a person can’t keep an entirely organic household, what organic foods should they buy?

My Top 3 Most Important Foods to Eat Organic

1) MILK If you have kids, organic milk should be the absolute number one priority for the entire household. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that the children are drinking organic milk.

Artificial bovine growth hormones (rBST) are injected into approximately 20% of all U.S. dairy cows in order to increase milk production, and industry studies by consultants report that this hormone is safe for both the cows and consumers.

Yet, Dr. Samuel Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and an international leading authority on the causes and prevention of cancer, says these studies were not only paid for by Monsanto and others but that that these claims are “blatantly false.”

Dr. Epstein, an author of several books including “What’s In Your Milk”, warns that:

– rBST makes cows sick. Monsanto has been forced to admit to about 20 toxic effects, including mastitis, on the label of Posilac, the rBST product that when administered to cows makes them produce more milk. Monsanto’s Posilac product was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008.

– rBST milk is contaminated by pus, due to mastitis, an infection of the udder commonly induced by the hormone, and also by antibiotics used to treat the mastitis.

– rBST milk is chemically and nutritionally different than natural milk.

– Milk from cows injected with rBST is contaminated with the hormone, traces of which are absorbed through the gut into the blood of people who consume this milk or products made from it.

The bodies of young children are still developing and they need to have the safest, most nutritious milk available — organic milk.

Growth hormones, or rBST, are forbidden in organic milk.

If I were a parent, I would want to know if the milk that is served in my child’s school contains growth hormones or not.

2) MEAT If you haven’t seen Food, Inc yet, please do so and then you’ll understand why it is #2 on my list.

One of the major agricultural atrocities in this country is the existence of Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs). Animals are raised in the most inhumane, despicable way possible and are given antibiotics in order to ward off illnesses that the housing conditions are sure to cause.

Organic meat comes from animals who are not given growth hormones or antibiotics, and in my view, is the best meat you can buy.

3) FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH PEEL/SKIN Non-organic fruits and vegetables are allowed to be sprayed with synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides and herbicides.

Fruits and vegetables where you eat the skin, such as grapes, strawberries and spinach, are the foods that should be purchased organic.

The rind or peel on organic oranges, bananas and avocados does provide some protection from chemicals. However, by no means does it provide 100% protection or anything close.

Also, do not be fooled into thinking that you can buy a fruit and vegetable wash, even the best one on the market by Vermont Soap Organics, and think that you can simply wash off pesticides from conventionally-grown produce. It absolutely won’t happen.

Pesticides have penetrated the exterior and are deep inside of the food.

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Organic Insider

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — Child Labor and Sustainability Issues with Many Conventional Chocolate Brands

For many of us when we eat a piece of chocolate, our biggest concern is how many grams of sugar we are consuming.

Yet, how often do we ask ourselves — was this chocolate bar made with the help of child labor? Or, was the cocoa produced in a way that resulted in deforestation to the environment?

The truth about cocoa – the main ingredient in chocolate – is quite grim.

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Organic Insider

Better Choices

Is Non-GMO Better Than Organic?

In a recent online survey of a 1,000 health-conscious consumers conducted by Market LOHAS – Mambo Sprouts Marketing Research, it was found that 80% of shoppers seek out non-GMO products, with 56% saying non-GMO was key to brand buying versus 52% for organic.

Hence, a product that has the words “Non-GMO” on its packaging is going to carry more weight with consumers than “Organic”.

On many levels, this is incredibly worrisome, mostly because shoppers are making the absolute wrong and unhealthy decision at the supermarket.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

New to Organic? – Start with This Inexpensive Breakfast

One question that I get a lot is “How should a person get started with organic food?” One complaint I hear a lot is that organic food costs too much.

Let me both answer this question and address this complaint with a story.

Last week, Brian, a new friend of mine, came to me for some food-related advice. He wanted to know what he could be doing to eat healthier, as he was “crashing” in the middle of the afternoon. Brian was very concerned that his eating habits were negatively impacting his ability to perform at work, which would impact his ability to make money.

He did not know much about organic and was very concerned about the price. When I started talking about organic food, the first words out of his mouth were “Hey, I don’t make $20,000 per month.”

Brian went on to tell me about the fast-food breakfasts that he had been eating and he didn’t think it was the cause of his problem.

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livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink