(All images courtesy of the USDA)

To me, it is incredibly suspicious that after a mere two weeks of the DARK Act passing, a new “negative claim” GMO label was just put forth by the USDA. And who is going to benefit the most from it?

Big Food, of course. Read more »

(Jillian Wright on the far left, Founder of Indie Beauty Expo)

Last week in New York City, I attended Indie Beauty Expo, a showcase for independent organic and natural personal care products. This was the second year of Indie Beauty Expo, and I was incredibly impressed by both the show itself and the quality of the companies that presented.

While Living Maxwell mainly deals with organic food, body care products will be an area of focus going forward. This is because 60% of whatever we put on our skin gets into our bodies. So, that means the personal care products that we use are of utmost importance.

Here were 12 of the most interesting finds at Indie Beauty Expo. Some are USDA certified organic, while others contain both organic and natural ingredients. Read more »

(To follow my day-to-day organic food adventures, please be sure to add me on Snapchat: maxorganic)

Whenever I get asked the question of which are the best tasting organic foods, my response is always the same: the Biodynamic ones.

For quite some time, I have been wondering why exactly Biodynamic tastes so delicious, so I went digging for an answer.

THE BASICS

To understand why Biodynamic tastes so good and different from the rest, let’s first discuss its origins and then define it. Read more »

Very rarely do I write about supplements, but I came across one recently that I think is fantastic – Collagen Peptides from Vital Proteins.

And even though I have only been using it for a relatively short time, I am already noticing improvements in my hair, skin, and performance levels when working out.

First off, what is collagen and why does it help our body?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body and is found in our muscles, bones, skin, ligaments, blood vessel walls, and tendons. It comprises 30% of the protein in our overall body and 70% of the protein that makes up our skin. Collagen is essentially the “glue” that holds our body together.

Not surprisingly, as we get older, collagen production decreases. Poor dietary and lifestyle choices (processed foods, sugar, smoking, too much sun, chemical overload), stress, sickness and long-term strenuous exercise play a role in reduced levels in collagen as well.

So, if we think about collagen being that “glue” that holds our body together, we need to make sure that we are doing what we can to maintain collagen levels. When that “glue” weakens or decreases, we suffer from wrinkles, sagging skin, muscle soreness, and joint and muscle pain. Read more »

If you haven’t read the post that I put up last week about the DARK Act, how organic is in serious danger, please go do so HERE and make sure to share it with your network.

Since that post went “live”, there have been two other pieces that I want to bring to your attention. Read more »

(To follow my day-to-day organic food adventures, please be sure to add me on Snapchat: maxorganic)

On late Friday afternoon, President Obama signed the sham Stabenow-Roberts GMO-Labeling bill (S. 764) which will allow, among many other things, companies to use QR codes instead of clear GMO labels on a food product’s packaging.

This bill is so discriminatory and so poorly written that it potentially violates several amendments of the Constitution. Additionally, it puts the integrity of the organic seal in real jeopardy.

What is arguably the most troubling aspect of this bill is that while almost every single organic consumer organization fought this bill, the organic industry’s leading trade organization praised the bill and lobbied for it to pass.

Here are the key points to understand, in terms of analyzing the bill, what this means for the organic industry, and where we go from here. Read more »

(To follow my day-to-day organic food adventures, please be sure to add me on Snapchat: maxorganic)

If you walk into the supermarket and are confused about which organic eggs to buy, it is important to understand a few things.

First, not all organic eggs are the same. In fact, there are massive differences in organic eggs, particularly in regards to how the birds were raised.

Second, don’t select a carton of organic eggs simply because it has the nicest, most attractive packaging. That doesn’t tell the whole story. Read more »