An apple a day will keep the doctor away.

Thanks to a new study, that saying has taken on even more meaning, particularly for organic apples.

In a recently published paper in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, it was found that organic apples contain a more diverse population of beneficial bacteria than conventional apples.

Researchers analyzed the peel, flesh, seeds, and stem of both organically and conventionally grown apples, looking to find how much and what kinds of bacteria were present. While organic and conventional apples contained the same amount of bacteria, there was a big discrepancy in the types of bacteria found. Read more »

Dr. Bronner’s may very well be the most unique company in the entire organic industry.

Not only has it been producing super-high quality soaps, cleaning and personal care products, and coconut oils since 1948, but its unconventional approach and commitment to social and environmental issues truly set it apart.

Most notably, the company gives 8.6% of its revenues to hundreds of different causes. Yes, 8.6% of revenues — a staggering amount.

Led by its Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) David Bronner (above, right), this third-generation family company is incredibly committed to fair trade and regenerative organic agriculture and is one of the founders of the Regenerative Organic Certification; has been one of the main backers for the legalization of industrial hemp farming and supporters of Vote Hemp; advocates for the legalization of marijuana; helps fund research on psychedelics as a tool for healing trauma; donated millions of dollars over the years to push for GMO-labeling, on both the state and federal level; provides free health care to employees; puts caps on executive compensation; and so, so much more.

If there is a cause or political event that in some way impacts the organic industry, you can be assured that Dr. Bronner’s has made a statement about it or is involved in some capacity.

Given that this is such a unique brand, I wondered what it is like for the people who have to sell the company’s products to retailers — what do they talk about in the sales meetings, how much do the buyers already know, how much does the activism of the company matter, etc.

These were all questions that I posed to Director of Sales Marc De Rosa and Senior National Sales Manager Gina Coccari, two executives who were recently promoted to run the Dr. Bronner’s sales division. Read more »

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Ayurveda.

Most of us have heard of this ancient health system, but not too many people in the U.S. truly understand what it is all about.

Fortunately, Sahara Rose has made it her life’s mission to demystify Ayurveda, and she has done it in a way that is very practical in today’s day and age, taking into account GMOs, pesticides and the growing trend of a plant-based lifestyle. Read more »

(This article originally appeared on Organic Insider but because of its importance and urgency, it is being re-posted on Living Maxwell. Please become an Organic Insider subscriber today.)

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In mid-June, President Trump received a tremendous amount of attention for signing an executive order directing the USDA, FDA and EPA to make it easier for genetically-engineering plants and animals to enter the food supply.

At face value, this seemed to be an ominous development. Yet, industry observers were not particularly impressed. Read more »

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Figuring out what to eat is no easy endeavor.

There are so many different diets, so many different theories, so much information.

And when a person is first diving into the world of health and getting serious about what they are eating, it can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming. Read more »

For years, I have been warning about the health risks of drinking non-organic hormonal milk.

But it isn’t just the synthetic growth hormones that are worrisome.

It is also the alarming level of antibiotics that animals receive and the pesticide-soaked, GMO grains they are fed.

A recently published report from researchers at Emory University, in collaboration with The Organic Center, is validating our concerns with non-organic milk. Read more »

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No one blinks when you now talk about buying organic food online.

However, this was hardly the case a decade or so ago when food was almost entirely purchased at some type of retail location.

And there may be very few people in the country that know more about selling organic food directly to consumers than Michael Joseph, who is the founder of three direct-to-consumer organic food companies.

His most recent startup, Green Chef, raised more than $70 million in venture capital funding and grew to become the country’s leading organic meal kit service. Last year, Green Chef was sold to Hello Fresh, a publicly traded meal kit company, for an undisclosed amount. Read more »