Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — Protect Your Gut Health

Over the last few years, it has been a widely viewed belief among the medical community that the health of the bacteria in our bodies has a direct relationship to our overall health.

While the exact nature of the bacteria in our bodies still remains a big mystery, research is showing that certain bacteria can prevent and treat many common diseases.

More specifically, in tests with mice, bacteria played an important role in fighting cancer.

– A study published in PLOS One in April 2016 showed that the bacterium Lactobacillus johnsonii may protect against some cancers.

– Research from the University of Chicago found that introducing a certain strain of bacteria can strengthen the immune system’s ability to attack tumors.

So, if bacteria is proving to be an incredibly important tool to fight disease, shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to protect it?

One of the ways to best to protect your bacteria is to avoid the super-toxic herbicide glyphosate, the most widely used chemical in the world. Not only is glyphosate the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp, but the State of California has declared that glyphosate causes cancer.

Prof Gilles-Eric Séralini at the University of Caen, France conducted tests on rats and found that an environmental concentration of Roundup had a direct impact on the composition of the animal’s gut bacteria. Furthermore, these gut microbiome disturbances showed a substantial overlap with those associated with liver dysfunction in other studies.

What to do?

Eat organic.

While it is legal for glyphosate and Roundup to be sprayed on conventionally-grown foods, it is prohibited in organic farming.

So, the next time you’re deciding whether to purchase something organic or conventional, just think about what the bacteria in your gut would want you to eat.

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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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

5 Strategies for Keeping an Organic Diet While Traveling During the Summer

Now that we are in the midst of summer, many people are going away for weekends or for an extended period of time.

For me and many other individuals, a vacation does not mean a vacation from organic.

I have been working with several clients on this very issue and thought that I would share my tips and strategies for eating organic while traveling.

1) Bring your own food If you are traveling by air, car, bus or train, always take food to eat. This could be nuts, fruit, salad, energy bars. Anything. You never want to be stranded and hungry when the only option available is fast food or junk food.

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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

Study: Organic Ketchup Has Higher Levels of Antioxidants than Conventional Ketchup

Last year, I wrote about a groundbreaking study from Washington State University that said that organic strawberries have higher antioxidant activity and concentrations of ascorbic acid than conventional strawberries.

This research was the subject of much conversation in the organic industry because now we could point to objective, independent research that validated the superiority of organic.

Well, for those who still don’t believe that organic is a better option, maybe a recently released report from Spain will make them think differently.

In a study performed at the University of Barcelona Science and Technology Centres and reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ketchup made from organic tomatoes proved to have higher levels of polyphenols than ketchup made from conventional tomatoes. (Polyphenols are biomolecules with antioxidant properties and protective effects in the human body.)

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Support Organic – The 59 Pesticide Residues Found in Our Water Supply

When people talk about organic food, we mostly focus on the importance of eating food that is free of synthetic chemicals, genetically-modified ingredients and artificial growth hormones.

Yet, what we also need to be mentioning is that conventionally-grown food means that our soil is getting sprayed with an astronomical amount of toxic pesticides, which ends up polluting our public water supply.

According to the EPA, we use about 1.1 billion pounds of chemicals per year, 80% of which are used for agricultural purposes.

And what impact has this had on the quality of our public water supply?

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Explore Coverage

Why Tradin Organic is Prioritizing Regenerative Organic Farming

Go deeper

5 Strategies for Keeping an Organic Diet While Traveling During the Summer

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

Study: Organic Ketchup Has Higher Levels of Antioxidants than Conventional Ketchup

Another Reason to Support Organic – The 59 Pesticide Residues Found in Our Water Supply