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Better Choices

Organic Kaffir Limes – WOW, These are Amazing!

A while ago I did a story on gold nugget mandarins and when I saw this unknown fruit above, I couldn’t help but think of them because of the similarity of the rind.

And just as I had never seen gold nugget mandarins before, the same was true with these organic kaffir limes.

When I started asking the woman at my local organic market about kaffir limes, she quickly asked “Do you want to try one?”

With a bit of reluctance, I said “Ok, I guess.” After all, eating limes isn’t something that I normally do.

Yet when I bit into it, I was pleasantly surprised.

The kaffir lime didn’t have the sourness or bitterness that most limes do. It was more mild, more refreshing. In fact, after a few small bites, I found myself unable to stop eating it.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control myself. The woman who cut it open for me jumped at the chance to do it because she knew that she was getting the other half, which was devoured in a split-second and with great enthusiasm.

Apparently, kaffir limes are a staple in Thai cooking. While I never eat this type of food anymore, my senses did recall the taste of kaffir limes in the Thai food that I had consumed in the past since the peel is an important part of many Thai curries.

Based on what I have read about kaffir limes:

– They are commonly used in household cleaners.

– The scent is supposed to improve one’s mood (I believe this – the smell is intoxicating).

– Supposed to promote gum health and are recommended for use in brushing teeth.

Many people who eat a lot of Thai food or have traveled extensively in Asia may already be familiar with kaffir limes but very rarely do they appear in organic markets in the Northeast.

While I always get very excited when I discover a fantastic new organic product (maybe that’s why I love going to Expo West and Expo East so much), my level of excitement goes to a whole new dimension whenever I come across a new organic fruit.

When you spend the majority of your life in Boston, New York City and Providence (not exactly tropical locations), you’re just not exposed to that many varieties of fruit.

So, discovering amazing organic fruit, such as kaffir limes, is just one of those awesome moments.

What can I say? Organic food is my passion.

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 Essential Ways to Avoid Genetically-Modified Food (GMOs)

Recently, I got an e-mail from a reader asking how she would know if she is eating genetically-modified soy or not.

Figuring that many other people may have that same question, I wanted to explain how to avoid eating genetically-modified food (GMOs) and the things that you need to look out for.

#1 – Buy USDA Certified Organic Products  GMOs are prohibited in organic food. Therefore, look for products that contain the USDA certified organic seal.

Even though GMOs are prohibited in organic, organic crops can be contaminated by GMOs through cross-pollination and drift. (That is why the proliferation of GMOs is a real threat to organic farming. The co-existence of GM-crops and organic crops is simply not possible, despite what our government would like us to believe.)

USDA rules require that organic certifiers test samples from at least 5% of the operations they certify on an annual basis.

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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

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.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — GMOs and Weedkiller Found in Conventional Cereal

If anyone you know is still feeding their children conventional cereal, maybe this piece of news will get them to change their habits.

GMO Free USA, a non-profit that educates consumers and other stakeholders about the potential hazards of GMOs, just published its results of independent lab tests (verified by DNA analysis) done on Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal.

Here’s what they found:

1) 100% of the corn in the Froot Loops was genetically-modified, containing DNA sequences known to be present in insecticide-producing Bt and Roundup Ready corn. This corn produces insecticides inside of the plant’s cells and cannot be washed off.

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