Natural Remedies discussion
buy goji berriesWhy Eat Organic Food? The Benefits of Organic Food and the Dangers of Non-Organic Food
It is hardly surprising that chemicals strong enough to kill insects and plant infections can be harmful to the human body and environment. There are literally hundreds of permitted pesticides, insectisides, fungicides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemical additives present in non-organic food, not to mention food additives and flavourings introduced after cultivation and in food processing. All important reasons for eating organic food.
Over 3,000 high-risk toxins are present in the US food supply, which by law are excluded from organic food. These include 73 pesticides classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as potential carcinogens. Pesticides also leak into the water supply - for example, a 1996 study by the Environmental Working Group found 96 per cent of all water samples taken from 748 towns across the US contained the pesticide atrazine.
Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury enter the food supply through industrial pollution of soil and groundwater and through machinery used in the processing and packaging of foods. For example, lead solder used to seal tin cans imparts residue into the food, despite the adversity to health. Cadmium has links with lung, prostate and testicular cancer and mercury is toxic to brain cells and has been linked to autism and Alzheimer's disease. Heavy metals damage nerve function, block haemoglobin production causing anaemia and contribute to lower IQ and diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Organic food safe-guard's against toxic metals.
Solvents are also used in commercially processed foods which can damage white blood cells, lowering immune defence. Further, the solvents benzene and toluene, have known links with numerous cancers.
Produce imported from developing countries may contain agrochemicals that have been outlawed in developed countries.
Cell health
Other agricultural chemicals have been found to be deleterious to cell health, such as PCP (pentachlorophenol) that can cause DNA fragmentation in animals, as well as numerous other chemicals found to damage cellular membranes and negatively effect the functioning of mitochondria. These include the insecticide endosulfan and the herbicide paraquat, as well as chemicals 2-4-D, prathion and dinoseb. Pesticides such as chlopyrifos, endrin and fenthion have been shown to over stimulate certain enzymes involved in chemical signalling, causing imbalance that has been linked to inflammatory conditions, psoriasis and atherosclerosis.
Children at risk
Organic foods may be vitally important to protect children from the damaging effects of these toxic contaminants. Two separate reports, from the Natural Resources Defence Council (1989) and the Environmental Working Group (1998), revealed that millions of American children were exposed to levels of pesticides from food that exceeded limits considered to be safe. These include neuro-toxins that can be hazardous to the developing brain and nervous system, as well as potential carcinogens that some researchers believe can be a particular risk to children and adolescents during periods of high growth and breast development. The Benefits of Organic Foods
Organic fruits and vegetables grown from clean, natural soil with a rich and balanced mineral content, are not only free from chemical contaminants, but win hands down with regard to flavour and offer a fuller range of nutrients. Non-organic equivalents contain more water and less vitamins and minerals. Danish research published in the August 2003 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed significantly higher amounts of flavonoids in the urine and blood samples of those on an organically-grown as opposed to conventionally-grown diet.
10 reasons to go organic.
The Soil Association, a UK-based registered charity and organic certifying body, lists 10 reasons for going organic. These are:
1. To protect future generations
2. To pay the real cost of real food
3. To have an independent guarantee
4. to protect water quality
5. To enjoy greater flavour and nutrition
6. To keep chemicals off your plate
7. To reduce global warming and save energy
8. To prevent soil erosion
9. To help small farmers
10. To help restore biodiversity
12 Best and Worst Non-Organic Foods:
It might not always be possible to get the organically grown fruit and vegetables you desire, in which case, the Environmental Working Group have highlighted the 12 cleanest and 12 riskiest non-organic foods as listed below.
12 Cleanest non-organic foods:
Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn (though avoid genetically modified corn), Kiwi, Mangoes, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, Peas
12 riskiest non-organic foods:
Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries
Organic superfoods
As well as changing to organic food in your diet, be sure to add plenty of superfoods! Superfoods are the kings and queens of the plant kingdom with miraculous benefits - the most potent, anti aging, antioxidant rich, nutrient dense, disease fighting, beautifying, immune boosting, mood enhancing foods on the planet!
These include organic vegetables like spinach and brocolli that may already feature in your diet, to more unusual foods, like bee pollen, goji berries or coconut oil. Organic coconut oil can actually speed up your metabolism and help you loose weight! It is also anti-microbial and fights against bacteria, viruses and funghi. There are numerous other superfoods, from the more common to unusual members of the plant kingdom.
Picnic Season is Here
The next time you want to enjoy the great outdoors with your friend, significant other or family, one of the things you should bring with is a picnic backpack. While everyone has seen a picnic basket, picnic backpacks are the latest and greatest in a line of items to help you experience quality time together. If you are looking to explore nature and be together with friends and loved ones, a picnic backpack is the perfect accompaniment.
Picnic backpacks look much like a hiking backpacks. On the outside they are made from fabrics like traditional backpack (canvas, acrylic, etc), but inside rather than carrying trail guides, clothes, caps and mosquito repellant they are packed to the brim with much loved picnic accessories.
For example, a picnic backpack will include two plates, cutlery for two, two wine glasses, some napkins and a cooler chamber to keep your food. On the outside of your picnic backpack, there is a compartment to properly carry a bottle of wine or other beverage. On the other side is a compartment where you can roll up and place a picnic blanket. The picnic backpack looks surprisingly simple and is a great accessory for those looking to have a picnic a few miles into the countryside without having to haul a picnic basket through moderate trails. Many picnic backpacks even include a compartment to carry a few of your hiking essentials such as a hiking map, sweater and cap.
Picnic backpacks are usually made of canvas and have padded shoulder straps for easy and comfortable hauling. They generally come with plenty of room for a nice meal or snack. The cooler compartments on most picnic backpacks even have room for an ice pouch to keep foods fresh for more than just a few hours, allowing you to get to your picnic spot and still have fresh, cold food.
Since wine is important, almost all picnic backpacks have a cushioned and cooled side pocket to carry your wine bottle safely through the woods or countryside. Many picnic backpacks also add a cheese knife and cheese cutting board for a sophisticated picnic snack.
Picnic backpacks are very affordable and generally start at about $50. There are some that include special compartments and accessories that can cost $150 or more. Many people choose to buy a picnic basket for a close friend or their spouse, giving them a hint to take them on a wonderful trip that includes a delicious picnic. Picnics are a great way to enjoy nature and spend quality time with one another. Besides being a great gift for a close friend or spouse, they make excellent corporate gifts, especially if you have a manager or colleague that enjoys the outdoors.
If you are looking to explore natural surroundings, quality time with a close friend or spouse and enjoy a delicious snack after exploring nature, definitely look into purchasing a picnic backpack.
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Fiddleheads - Music To My Mouth
When the cool breezes turn warm and the spring sunshine cheers our spirits, that is the right time for fiddlehead season. Depending on the weather, the fiddlehead fronds begin to appear around late April or early May. They can often be found growing on moist fertile ground along river and stream banks, in open woodlands or at the edges of swamps and marshes. Attempts at cultivating fiddleheads have failed, so they are picked from the wild. Fiddleheads have become more popular in recent years, showing up in produce departments of larger grocery stores across the country, and can sometimes be found frozen. Wild Canadian fiddleheads are also exported to Europe as a specialty item.
What exactly are fiddleheads anyway? Fiddleheads are one of Mother Nature�s first and finest treats of the spring season. Fiddleheads are the uncurled deep green fronds of the ostrich fern, so called because the fern resembles the finely crafted head of a fiddle. They grow throughout North America and are plentiful in Ontario woodlands. The native people introduced fiddleheads to the settlers and since then they have been a popular delicacy especially in the Maritimes. The fiddleheads are at their best for eating while young, firm and tightly curled. They tend to lose their table appeal as the fern stalk reaches about 6-8 inches and the frond begins to uncurl. Fiddleheads are delicate in flavour and tastes like a cross between asparagus, green beans and okra.
Fiddleheads are rich in iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamins A and C. Fiddleheads were highly prized by the native people as a medicinal plant and were said to act as a natural cleansing agent, ridding the body of accumulated impurities and toxins. It was also said that fiddleheads were regarded as an old-time treatment for high pressure and used to ward off scurvy.
There are many varieties of fiddleheads including: Bracken (found worldwide), Ostrich Fern (the one found in Canada and northern regions worldwide), Cinnamon Fern or Buckhorn Fern (found in the Eastern parts of North America), Royal Fern (found worldwide), Zenmai or Flowering Fern (found in East Asia), or Vegetable Fern (found throughout Asia and Oceania). Of course, here in North America the one we eat most is the Ostrich Fern variety. Although other ferns produce fiddlehead-like shoots, some can be toxic and inedible so it is important to identify the correct variety if you are picking fiddleheads in the wild. Also, Health Canada advises that fresh fiddleheads must be properly cooked before being eaten. In 1994 several instances of food poisoning were associated with raw or lightly cooked fiddleheads. No definite source of the food poison was identified, but authorities recommended the thorough cooking of fiddleheads to counteract any possible unidentified toxins in the plant.
If you do choose to go fiddlehead hunting, here are a few tips to aid your search. Fiddleheads grow in clumps and should be picked in a �thinning-out� fashion. By taking only a few fronds from each clump, this allows the plant to grow for the following season. Maintaining sustainable harvesting methods is important especially in this particular food species that is not farmed. You can use a small knife to cut the heads at the base, but it is also quite possible to break off the heads easily by hand. A good tip is the always try to harvest the fiddleheads away from roadsides or other areas where they may have been contaminated by pollution.
To store fiddleheads, keep them in a well cooled place wrapped tightly to prevent drying. You may also wish to trim the stems again before using because the cut end will darken during storage. They can be kept in the refrigerator for approximately 10 days, but they are best if used as soon as possible after harvesting.
To prepare fiddleheads for cooking, snap or cut off the stem if more than 2� remain beyond the coiled part of the fiddlehead. Remove any of the chaff that remains on the fiddleheads by rubbing it off by hand. Then simply wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cold water to remove any dirt or grit that may have accumulated in the coils. Drain completely.
Fiddleheads are very versatile in a cooking sense. They can be used in various similar ways to any firm green vegetable like asparagus or broccoli and are excellent marinated in vinegar and oil, like a crunchy pickle. They are also great when boiled in salted water until tender, served hot with a bit of butter and salt. They are beautiful served as a featured vegetable or can be used in a simple stir-fry. They go well with cheese, tomato or cream sauces and are good to enliven the flavour and texture of vegetable medleys, soups stews or casseroles.
Fiddleheads are sure to become a favourite in any household once the passion for this elegant little vegetable is discovered.
Denny Phillips has created several articles inspired by her love of cooking, travelling and art. Read other articles by Denny on her websites: http://www.goodcookingcentral.com and http://www.vacationtravelquest.com
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