" . . . The quality of the fruits and vegetables available at grocery stores is terrible. Most are laden with toxic substances, such as sulfates on grapes, pesticides . . . many times fruits and vegetables are imported from foreign countries that use toxic pesticides that are illegal in the United States." As stated by Dr. Ronald Steriti in our article Antioxidants and Organic Foods
Each year, the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission holds a Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest in conjunction with Louisiana Cookin’ magazine.
Last year’s winner in the Soup Category was Sally Sibthorpe of Shelby Township, MO, who wowed judges with her recipe for Ginger Thai Sweet Potato Bisque. This soup makes a zesty Thanksgiving starter, fusing Asian flavors with the natural goodness of America’s sweet potato crop.
All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store. Click here for more sweet potato recipes.
That’s how many sweet potatoes were grown last year by the major U.S. sweet potato-producing states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. North Carolina led the way with 874 million pounds, followed by California (437 million pounds) and Mississippi (335 million pounds).
We’ve increased our consumption of the healthful orange tuber over the years. In 1999, the average American consumed 3.7 pounds of sweet potatoes. Last year, we averaged 5.1 pounds per person, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.
We really should eat more. Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. A half-cup serving contains only 90 calories, with no fat or cholesterol and only 35 mg sodium. This serving size delivers 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, 380% of your daily vitamin A requirement and 35% of your daily vitamin C requirement.
The beauty of winter squash is its many varieties, flavors and preparations. Registered dietitian Karen Collins, nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research, offers the following tips:
Virtually every supermarket and natural/organic food store is now offering sweet Thanksgiving deals on holiday sweet potatoes, including organic varieties.
My shopping trips have revealed mixed results. Some of the sweet potatoes have been blemish-free beauties, while others were moldy mounds.
When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for firmness, dark coloring and a smooth texture. Head to another market if the selection sports wrinkles, bruises, sprouts or decay. (Even if you cut away the decay, the flavor will be rank.)
Billions of people live in the kind of squalor that was eradicated long ago in the rich world. It is a global water and sanitation crisis that deserves our undivided The-issueattention NOW (well, yesterday, to be exact)… especially since there is a lack of political will to push through changes that could benefit the poorest and most vulnerable people. Here are just two shocking statistics:
884 million people don’t have clean water
40% of the world’s population suffer without a safe toilet, that’s 2.5 billion people!
Fortunately, there are organizations dedicated to providing sanitation and clean water to the world’s poorest people. End Water Poverty is one of them and I am committed to helping them raise awareness about the critical issues and motivating people around the globe to take action.
Here’s one easy way to take action and it will just take a minute or less! Sign the End Water Poverty Petition, urging global leaders to specifically address the lack of toilets. What happens when something as basic as a toilet is unavailable?
As we race through busy schedules and cope with a troubled economy, most of us are skimping on simple pleasures and putting our needs at the bottom of the to-do list.
According to a survey commissioned by Edwards desserts, 90% of us have cut back on indulgences over the last year. In addition:
59% of survey respondents said they’re decreasing the number of events planned with friends.
35% are cutting back on even the smallest treats, such as manicures and desserts.
Dr. Jillian Finker is definitely biased when it comes to eating organic foods.
"I have always been an advocate for organic foods, including baby foods," the naturopath from Plainview, New York, tells OrganicAuthority.com. "I was brought up on organic baby food, I always purchase organic products, and I recommend that my patients eat organic whenever possible."
Dr. Finker's professional experience has reaffirmed her commitment to the organic lifestyle.
"I have personally seen patients whose lives have been ruined by their exposure to pesticides," she says. "Their bodies were loaded with pesticides from either spray exposure or from ingesting heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables. These patients have a variety of symptoms, ranging from paresthesia (a sensation of burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause) to skin rashes. It saddens me that we still use pesticides on our foods, even though there are organic farming options available to us."
It's hard to argue with Dr. Finker's logic-unless you work for a nonorganic food manufacturer whose products are laced with pesticides. But ask average consumers about eating organically, and one issue seems to emerge universally: "It's too expensive."
Wrong.
Eating organically needn't be a wallet buster, says Debra Stark, owner of Debra's Natural Gourmet, a retail store in Concord, Massachusetts. Buying organic beans, grains, pasta, herbs, spices, leafy greens and other produce is not only economical, but far healthier than plunking down a few bucks for a prepackaged meal that contains only one nutritionally questionable serving.
In a world that worships the new,
sometimes older is better. For me, that's true with tomatoes.
While modern hybrid tomatoes look great and are very productive, the
old heirloom varieties have the taste and look of "real" tomatoes.
What's an Heirloom?
Heirloom tomatoes are those varieties
grown prior to World War II. They often are regional varieties from
around the world that have been passed down within families.
Many people not only want to have a beautiful garden to enjoy, but create it for the wildlife in their area to enjoy as well.
Huh? Invite squirrels and birds to eat my garden? Well, yes, actually. While millions of gardeners constantly do battle with animals and other critters to keep their garden intact, some people actually design their gardens with the expectation that their plants will be munched on! Why on earth would people do this?
Organic food and chocolate lovers check out the first episode - Organic Chocolate Fondue and chocolate martinis for my new television show, "Better Living with Laura Klein"
If you have a garden, most likely you use some kind of fertilizer.
Plants are constantly extracting nutrients from the soil. Specific plants need different amounts of nutrients and minerals, as well as other 'amendments' to be applied to keep your soil in balance. A proper replenishment system keeps your garden healthy and protects it from decline.
As a home gardener, you have the choice of either using organic or synthetic fertilizers. Which one should you choose?
Look at the label of any modern commercial pesticide or herbicide, and you'll see an ingredient list of active and inactive (also known as "inert" or simply "other") ingredients.
For the purposes of pesticide labeling, "active" ingredients are those chemicals that directly attack the target pest, while inert ingredients are added to help improve the formulation in effectiveness, storage, and lifespan. For most pesticides, the inert ingredients can compose over 90% of the total volume or weight of the pesticide. It does not, however, mean they are completely safe and non-toxic to the environment.
We’re now the most overweight nation in the world, with the most diabetics per capita. Sadly, the number of children taking medications for type-2 diabetes has doubled from 2002 to 2005, destining them to an early death.
The rise in consumption of processed foods and fast foods predicts a dismal health outcome for children today. Sickly and overweight children usually have parents with bad health habits. If you’d like to raise an unhealthy adult, here’s what you need do:
Laura gives Gardner, host of the TV show, First Look LA, a tour of her organic garden and makes him lunch from her tasty organic food finds! Laura discusses the many health benefits of eating a diet rich in organic foods.
Water gardening has become very popular in the last 20 years. Many homeowners have installed small ponds or water features to grow a wide variety of plants and to enjoy the ambiance that water provides.
But you don't need a large yard or tons of time and energy to build a water garden. If you don't have the time, money or ambition to create a large water feature, you can build a water garden in a tub.
As campaign director for Farm Aid, the Somerville, Massachusetts-based organization that represents the interests of family farms, Mark Smith is well aware of what Americans read in newspapers and see on TV each day: mad cow disease, high levels of toxins in farmed salmon, genetically engineered growth hormones in milk, rising obesity levels in children, and pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables.
Each highly publicized concern is "driving people to search out more healthful and safe food," Smith tells OrganicAuthority.com.
Feed Entries 
A common trouble with organic food, and you don't have to be an expert to guess what it is, is how to preserve and protect it.
If you're dying to crack open a can of pumpkin and whip up some pie, you might have your plans dashed.
Billions of people live in the kind of squalor that was eradicated long ago in the rich world. It is a global water and sanitation crisis that deserves our undivided The-issueattention NOW (well, yesterday, to be exact)… especially since there is a lack of political will to push through changes that could benefit the poorest and most vulnerable people. Here are just two shocking statistics:
Many people not only want to have a beautiful garden to enjoy, but create it for the wildlife in their area to enjoy as well.
If you have a garden, most likely you use some kind of fertilizer.
Look at the label of any modern commercial pesticide or herbicide, and you'll see an ingredient list of active and inactive (also known as "inert" or simply "other") ingredients.
We’re now the most overweight nation in the world, with the most diabetics per capita. Sadly, the number of children taking medications for type-2 diabetes has doubled from 2002 to 2005, destining them to an early death. 
