12 well actually 13 Organic or Pesticide-Free Foods Worth Buying (maybe)

From: Squawk Fox

Organic and pesticide-free foods are not cheap. They can cost double the price of conventionally grown foods and can make you wonder if paying the price for fewer pesticides or better farming practices is worth it.

It’s hard to ignore the increased availability of organic food on the grocery shelves these days. Just walk into your local produce store to see that foods boasting the “organic” label are quickly taking over the shelves with bright marketing campaigns, pretty green logos, and fat price margins. So it’s fair to wonder if you get what you pay for considering the added premium for pesticide-free and organically grown foods.

The answer isn’t simple. Sorry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that even after you vigorously wash certain fruits and vegetables, they still contain much higher levels of pesticide residue than others because they absorb and retain these chemicals. I’d love to know if using special produce cleansing soaps helps to remove these chemicals, but I’m no scientist and I doubt that an environmentally-friendly organic liquid soap can remove all pesticide residue.

So in some cases, if you’ve got some extra dollars in your pocket, it could make sense to opt for certain organic foods because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides, even after washing. Here are 12 fruits or vegetables worth buying to decrease your exposure to pesticides:

13 Organic Foods Worth Buying

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries 
• Corn (taken off not worth buying because it could be GMO)

If you’re looking to save on your grocery bill, then consider passing on the organic versions of these 12 fruits and vegetables since they tend not to absorb or retain as many pesticide residues as other produce.

11 Organic Foods Not Worth Buying

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (moved to "worth buying")
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papaya
• Peas
• Pineapples

You also need to know the difference in what you are buying, buying "Natural" DOES NOT mean much, if anything, it could still be laden with "natural sugars" and it could come from a GMO product. Read more about this at Natural News.


Knowing when to splurge on organic food and when to save on conventionally grown produce is an excellent (and simple) shopping tactic for staying on budget at the grocery store (shopping with the Printable Grocery Shopping List helps too!) Generally, in some cases, paying double for certain organic foods may be worth the added cost if you’re looking to limit your exposure to pesticides. In my case I always try my best to buy what’s local, in season, and pesticide-free.

Are Certain Foods Making Your Spring Allergies Worse?

www.SixWise.com

Do you suffer from hay fever or other seasonal allergies yet find that when you eat certain fresh fruits and vegetables, you get a strange, tingly, itchy sensation in your mouth?

For some people with pollen allergies, taking a bite of an apple or other fresh fruits and veggies can cause an allergic reaction that makes their mouth tingle and itch.

If so, you could have food-pollen allergy syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome.

Evidence suggests that in some people with seasonal allergies, their immune system mistakes a plant protein in certain fruits and vegetables for pollen, resulting in sometimes strange symptoms like:

• Itching in your mouth, lips and back of throat
• Tingling in your mouth
• An itchy tongue
• Throat and lips that feel swollen

"They're not identical proteins, but they're similar enough to confuse the immune system to have these reactions," Dr. Robert Wood, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, told CNN.

Allergy specialists call this a “cross-reaction,” and say that about 25 percent of people with a pollen allergy may suffer from food-pollen syndrome. However, many who experience are completely unaware that their itchy mouth upon eating an apple or cantaloupe has to do with their seasonal allergies.

Food-Pollen Syndrome is NOT a Food Allergy

In the case of a food allergy, you are allergic to a protein in a food, such as peanuts, and the corresponding immune system reaction impacts your whole body.

With food-pollen syndrome, however, your allergy is to pollen. It’s only when you eat a food with a similar protein structure to pollen that you have a reaction, and the reaction is short-term and confined to your mouth and throat because the offending plant proteins cannot survive the acids and enzymes in your digestive system. Only in rare cases will food-pollen syndrome lead to anaphylaxis, with can cause blocked airways and high blood pressure, and may be life-threatening.

There are two ways to determine if your allergy symptoms are due to food-pollen syndrome:

1. The symptoms are confined to your mouth, lips and throat, and they go away in 10-30 minutes
2. You only have the problem when you eat raw fruits and vegetables, as opposed to cooked versions (cooking appears to destroy or inactivate the allergic proteins)

Which Foods are Cross-Reactive to Which Allergies?

According to the Mayo Clinic, if you’re allergic to birch pollen, you may also have a reaction to:

• Apples
• Carrots
• Celery
• Hazelnuts
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raw Potatoes

If you’re allergic to ragweed pollen, you may react to:

• Bananas
• Melons (cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon)
• Tomatoes

If you’re allergic to grasses, you may react to:

• Kiwis
• Tomatoes

If you’re allergic to mugwort pollen, you may react to:

• Apples
• Carrots
• Celery
• Kiwis
• Peanuts
• Certain spices (caraway seeds, parsley, coriander, anise seeds, fennel seeds)

How to Cope With Food-Pollen Syndrome

Remember, not everyone with a seasonal allergy experiences food-pollen syndrome, but if you do cooking fruits and vegetables can help you avoid a reaction. If your symptoms are confined to your mouth and you don’t want to give up on raw produce, either for the taste or the health benefits, you don’t have to.

"Patients will typically decide on their own, without any discussion with a doctor, whether they enjoy the apple [or other offending food] enough to put up with an itchy mouth, or whether they hate the itchy mouth enough to avoid the apple," Dr. Wood said on CNN.com.

There are other tricks, too, that can help to reduce your food-pollen syndrome symptoms:

• Try removing the peel from the fruit or vegetable
• Opt for freshly picked varieties (storing foods increases the amount of allergen)
• Try a different variety of the food
• Rinse your mouth with water after you eat the offending food

You may also notice that you only react to raw fruits and vegetables during the season your pollen allergy is most active. In fact, typically as your pollen allergy improves, so will food-pollen syndrome. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to keep seasonal allergies from interfering with your health, and we’ve listed some of the top ones below.

Click here for the rest of the article and 10 Simple Ways to Fight Seasonal Allergies

Is your child have a food allergy, did you know that Food allergies among children have risen 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, causing more than a few raised eyebrows among researchers and health officials. The first federal study of the issue found that one in 26 children now have food allergies, compared to one in 29 in 1997. Click Here to read more.

4 March Superfoods to Optimize Your Health

First and foremost, what constitutes a "Superfood"? Well according to Health.com "there is no legal or medical definition, superfoods are nutrient powerhouses that pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. Eating them may reduce the risk of chronic disease, and prolong life, and people who eat more of them are healthier and thinner than those who don't. Read about several foods that are considered super, what health benefits they offer, and how to fit them into your diet." They also list many other choices for year round "superfood" eating

Now for the "in season superfood" for March, Natural News talks about how It’s important to eat in season. For most of us, that also means keeping up with what powerful superfoods each month will bring into season. The month of March brings sun for some, and snow for others. While the temperature may be in high contrast across the globe, March’s superfoods are excellent for both cold and warm weather climates. Offering both warming characteristics for a cold night and a light juicy snack for a hot day, here are 4 March superfoods that will aid you in your quest for optimal health.

1. Honeydew

Honeydews are a top favorite that start coming into season in March, launching off the subtle initiation of the spring season. Honeydews, outside of their delicious and juicy taste, are loaded with vitamin C — a nutrient effective in fighting infection, fighting strep throat naturally, boosting overall immunity, and even combating life-crushing stress.

When selecting a honeydew, look for one that feels heavy for its size. In addition, seek out a honeydew that bounces back when pressed. For preparation, honeydew is great on its own or thrown into a salad in chopped pieces.

2. Artichokes

Are you getting enough potassium? Chances are that even with a healthy diet, potassium intake may be less than optimal. This is especially the case if you’re experiencing muscle spasms or cramps. Artichokes are a great source of potassium, as well as folate. Folate is a miracle substance as it actually helps to facilitate the production of DNA and RNA.

You can use artichokes in soups, stews, or throw them in with virtually any other meal option. Artichoke hearts are particularly easy to throw into a raw salad filled with other delicious and nutrient-packed ingredients.

3. Peas

A great source of not only vitamins A and C, but protein as well, peas are especially appealing to young children. While some children may shun healthy vegetables in favor of harmful processed food products, peas are often delicious to adults and toddlers alike. What’s more, peas are relatively inexpensive and often come in large quantities. Peas are great side dishes, or can be thrown into a pasta or salad dish.

4. Cherimoya

You probably haven’t heard of cherimoya, though I recommend you try introducing it into your diet this March. A fruit with soft white flesh that comes from the Custard Apple family, cherimoya has a delicious tropical flavor and comes with a valuable nutritional profile. Like many of the March superfoods, cherimoya is full of beneficial vitamin C, though it is also rich in potassium and fiber. The numerous benefits of fiber are continually being highlighted by nutritional experts across the globe, and cherimoya is a tasty way to ensure you are getting enough.

Try cutting up the fruit into cube-like pieces and throwing on a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Alternatively, you can include some cut up cherimoya into a bountiful fruit salad for a tropical taste.

How to Optimize Your Health and Fight Disease Through Natural Healing

From: Natural News

According to the FDA, you should always seek medical advice from your orthodox medical doctor before attempting any natural healing protocol. If you do, I suggest you find one that knows what natural healing is and how it works using herbs, nutraceuticals and other adjunctive remedies. Only practitioners using drugs are allowed to claim they treat, prevent or cure disease. Natural healing practitioners may not make that claim even if their protocols actually do.

What to do and not to do – How to be Well Through Natural Healing

If you don’t know by now, pathogens are not the causes of dis-ease. They are a sign, signal or symptom of the true underlining cause; and that cause is The HONSTEC Syndrome. Of all the components of this acronym, E is most vital. E stands for Energy-in-Motion. All life depends on harmonious free flowing energy. After all, without life force energy, we cease to exist.

The other six components of this syndrome are contributing factors to the loss of energy, both at a cellular level and the body in general. Pathogenic organisms are merely opportunistic scavengers attracted to toxic, nutrient imbalanced, dehydrated hosts; humans. Regardless, there are steps they we can take to minimize exposure to and proliferation of these pathogens. Here are a few ideas.

To help avoid any infection, you should first stop doing those things that contribute to sickness and start doing those things that contribute to health. Here is a short list:

Stop –

1. Eating junk food; fried, preserved, microwaved, cooked-to-death, commercial, pesticide-laden “stuff.” There is no vitality, energy or nutrients to speak of.

2. Drinking soda filled with sugar, phosphoric acid, preservatives, dyes and other toxic chemicals. Sodas are extremely unhealthy.

3. Eating sugar! Sugar is the number one additive that compromises the immune system, creates an acid pH, lowers tissue oxygen and contributes to sickness and dis-ease. If you do eat any sugar at all, you must do something to negate, block or burn it off. Along with soda, sugar contributes to osteoporosis and the loss of vital minerals.

4. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or use of any tobacco.

5. Eating or drinking commercial, pasteurized diary products — especially if you have a lung infection. To the contrary, raw, UNpasteurized diary provides nutrients and healthy probiotics and therefore is good to consume in moderation.

6. Using your cell phone without an ear piece or Bluetooth connection.

7. Drinking alcohol in excess. One portion; glass of wine, beer or drink per day can easily be metabolized by the body and liver without complications, more than that and you risk having problems including dehydration and nutrient depletion.

8. Avoiding the sun. The sun is the single best way to acquire much needed vitamin D3. Do not use sun screen; however, do not get a sun burn.

9. Negative thoughts about you and your life or your friends or loved ones. Negative thoughts are toxic and will help to create sickness and dis-ease. The number one negative emotion is fear. Fear is usually generated from not knowing. Education and taking effect action remove fear.

Start -

1. Hydrating the body by drinking at least 64 oz. of pristine distilled water daily with added electrolytic minerals. Add an alkalizer to insure an alkaline pH, negative ionic charge and to neutralize the effects of chlorine.

2. Detoxifying the body on a regular basis.

3. Remineralize and fortify the body with a full complex of mineral supplement.

4. Regulating and normalizing glucose.

5. Modulating the immune system with any one of many foods and products including garlic, onions, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, Asian mushrooms and more.

6. Relaxing by getting plenty of rest and sleep.

7. Oxygenating through regular, effective exercise.

8. De-Stressing by practicing stress releasing techniques like EFT or the Healing Codes.

9. Washing your hands each time you touch possible contaminated articles and especially after shaking someone’s hand. Wash your hands at least three or more times per day. Do NOT use anti-bacterial soap as this only lowers your resistance to infections over time.

10. Avoiding people that are coughing and sneezing or are obviously sick. Although only sick people get sick there is no need to be heavily exposed.

11. Eating a lot of alkaline foods. Pathogenic organisms typically do NOT thrive in an alkaline environment. Eat and juice the following now and forever:

• A. Alkalinizing Vegetables
• B. Alkalinizing Fruits
• C. Alkalinizing Protein
• D. Alkalinizing Other
• E. Alkalinizing Sweeteners
• Stevia, Xylitol (neutralizes).
• F. Alkalinizing Minerals
• G. Alkalinizing Spices and Seasonings
• H. Alkalinizing Oriental Vegetables
• I. Potassium Broth Soup
  
  More details about the above choices at the original article at Natural News

Remember, you don’t need to adhere strictly to the alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side. Our bodies are alkaline by design and acid by function. The fluids that make up 75% plus of your body must remain alkaline for you to experience optimal health. Maintaining proper alkalinity is essential for life, health, and vitality. Simply, an imbalance of alkalinity creates a condition favorable to the growth of bacteria, yeast and other unwanted organisms. All leading biochemists and medical physiologists have recognized pH (or the acid-alkaline balance) as the most important aspect of a balanced and healthy body.

Read full article at Natural News

The Dangers of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Learn more about this at our workshop tonight at:
Maitland Public Library
501 Maitland Ave, 32751
6:30 pm Click Here to RSVP


From: The Douglas Report

Every time I think we’ve finally closed the book on hormone replacement therapy,
Big Pharma opens it right back up.

They just won’t let this one go, not while there’s still a few bucks to be squeezed out if it.

The latest nonsense would have you believe that HRT can decrease a woman’s risk of colon cancer. The longer a woman manages to survive the increased risk of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer that come from this med, the lower her colon cancer risk.

According to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, women who took HRT for less than four years lowered the risk of colon cancer by a quarter… those who took it for up to eight years cut their risk by a third… and those who took it for 15 years cut their risk by two-thirds.

I don’t care if this holds true or not. You’d have to be clinically insane to turn to HRT to lower your colon cancer risk. It’s just not worth it.

If you’re worried about colon cancer, get a colonoscopy. Just be sure to choose a tried-and-true colonoscopy, not the pricey virtual nonsense that sounds like it might be more comfortable. In the wrong hands, they’re far less accurate — and in the right ones, they’ll probably lead to a real colonoscopy anyway.

Hormone replacement therapy is one of the darkest chapters in medical history. This isn’t a book that needs to be closed — it needs to be burned.

In addition from Natural News:

In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative study found that the drugs significantly increased women's risk of dying from heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. Since then, research has also linked the drugs to breast cancer and dementia. Use of the drugs fell to six million by 2003.

Snake Oil in Your Snacks - Wacky Food Masquerades

It's "Wacky Wednesday" and boy is
this WACKED!! Foods masquerading
as drugs have become a $160 billion business.

From Forbes

ProBugs, a yogurtlike beverage for kids, is tasty, fun and good for your child's digestive system, if claims from its maker, Lifeway Foods, near Chicago, are to be believed. Sold at high-end stores like Whole Foods, it comes in flavors like Sublime Slime Lime and contains a hefty dose of 7 billion to 10 billion good bacteria that "inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria" in the gut, according to Lifeway's website. The label promises ProBugs will give bad germs "a time-out" and adds: "You can never have too many good bugs."

You'd never guess from the breathless marketing that when Lifeway tested ProBugs in a clinical trial, it failed spectacularly. In the study a daily dose of ProBugs did nothing to reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in 125 young kids. Nor did it impact measures like stomach pain or missed days of school, according to the results published by Georgetown University researchers in a medical journal last August. Only the sickest kids showed a hint of a benefit.

When a drug flops doctors prescribe it less and insurers stop paying. But Lifeway continues to tout ProBugs' digestive benefits as if nothing has happened. It put out a press release about the failed study, claiming ProBugs "may have a positive effect on reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhea."

"Probiotics can help so many children," swears Lifeway Chief Executive Julie Smolyanski, referring to products containing protective bacteria. Her company, with $58 million in annual sales, doesn't have enough money to do another trial, she says. She accuses Georgetown of botching the study by confusing which patients got ProBugs and which got a placebo. Lifeway has refused to pay any more bills for the study. Georgetown stands by the findings and says Lifeway had no complaints until the results came in.

Foods masquerading as drugs are the hot spot in the packaged-food business. The world's biggest food companies are stuffing ostensibly beneficial bacteria, omega-3 fatty acids and other additives into packaged foods. They are funding clinical research in order to justify health claims--often deliberately vague--that blur the line between nutrition and medicine. The foods promise to boost immunity, protect your heart and digestive system or help you sleep. In some cases, like the ProBugs kefir, manufacturers aren't adding new ingredients but merely repackaging old foods with bold new health claims.

More than 2,000 so-called functional food brands generated $31 billion in U.S. sales in 2008, up 14% from 2006, according to the market researcher Packaged Facts. Globally, it is a $160 billion business. Sales are growing at a 7% annual clip. This includes $4 billion spent on yogurt with high doses of "probiotic" bacteria; $1.8 billion on breads and other foods with added omega-3 fatty acids; $1.5 billion on fortified cereals and snack bars; $900 million on "energy" (i.e., stimulant-containing) drinks with additives like the amino acid taurine or the herb guarana.

"We're going through a revolution in food," says Thomas Pirko, president of Bevmark consulting, whose clients include Coke, Kraft and Nestlé. "It's a whole new consciousness--every product has to be adding to your health or preventing you from getting sick." If you find the perfect additive, he adds, "you get rich."

But most of the claims "are completely unsubstantiated," says Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. "Medical attention does not come from a Cheerios box." Designer foods can be a way for clever marketers to lure people away from real health foods--fresh fruits and vegetables. "It plays on our psychology," says Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma. "We want to consume sugar; we want to consume fat; we want to consume salt. These products give us an excuse to binge."

Added omega-3 fatty acids don't make Sara Lee's Soft & Smooth Plus white bread into a health food. Extra bacteria don't cancel out the sugar in the yogurt. "People should be getting nutrition from real foods, not from foods that are artificially modified to give supposed health benefits," says University of Wisconsin cardiologist James Stein. Read the rest at Forbes.

The Healing Powers of Fresh Juice

Tropical Tuesday
The healing powers of fresh juice

The great thing about living in Florida is that there is always an
abundance of vegetables and so it always the perfect season
to dust off the Juicer and get it and your motor purring.

Article & Pic:  Mother Nature Network
http://www.miniurl.com/s/05Q

 Juicing your fruits and vegetables has long been thought to have healing powers. Providing an abundance of quickly absorbed nutrients, juicing has been touted to help cure everything from stomach ulcers to strengthening the immune system due to the high concentration of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals in fresh fruits and vegetables.

For healing or detoxification purposes begin to change your diet by eliminating processed, over cooked food. Eat whole organic fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, and eat a mostly vegetarian based diet including fresh juice at least 1-2 times per day. As a good reference book, my favorite resource and a classic in the lexicon of juicing is medical anthropologist, John Heinerman’s, Encyclopedia of Healing Juices.

Prepare your produce before processing through a juicer and make sure that your produce is organic as it is suspected that pesticides and herbicides can concentrate in the juice. You can drink the juice straight, dilute half with water, or add fiber or protein powder to make a healthy shake. One important note is to always drink the juice right after juicing to ensure receiving the maximum nutritional value.

Here are 15 fruits and vegetables beneficial to your body:

1. Carrot juice strengthens the eyes and helps clear up skin eruptions.
2. Celery juice is known for its power to clear the skin, as is cucumber juice.
3. Cabbage juice helps the gastrointestinal tract, as well as, helping to heal stomach ulcers.
4. Ginger juice helps with inflammation in the body, such as arthritis and is known to remedy nausea.
5. Lemon juice is excellent for counteracting a high-fat, animal protein rich diet. Helps the liver in its daily detoxification process.
6. Apple juice helps to relieve constipation, heal the intestines, and softens gall stones.
7. Radish juice benefits the thyroid gland (in small amounts and mixed with other juice).
8. Grape juice helps to purify the blood, inhibits herpes simplex and influenza viruses; and can be used as a remedy for hepatitis.
9. Kale and Collard juice strengthens the bones due to high levels of calcium, potassium & Vitamin A.
10. Pomegranate juice can be used to destroy intestinal worms, sooth gum and mouth ulcers, and strengthen the gums.
11. Parsley juice neutralizes acid blood pH and helps alleviate allergies, cellulitis, mercury poisoning and skin problems.
12. Pea juice helps dissolve blood clots and alleviates symptoms for celiac disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
13. Plums/Prune juice helps alleviate constipation and can be used for liver disease.
14. Tomato juice helps restore health to the liver, and can be used to treat diarrhea and chronic indigestion.
15. Watermelon juice alkalinizes the blood, and can be used to treat urinary problems, edema, and canker sores. Its diuretic properties benefits the kidney’s and bladder. Juice the rind with the flesh for a sweet, thirst quenching drink.