One of the biggest topics we cover here at Organic Authority is biotech a.k.a. GMOs (genetically modified organisms). It's almost hard to believe that nearly 80 percent of all processed foods now contain GMOs; and what's worse is that there are currently absolutely no labeling requirements anywhere in the U.S.! But there is good news: California is working to become the first state to require mandatory labeling of GMOs. And we're so honored to be participating in a panel discussion on this topic next week. Read on for the details!

Food trucks are as ubiquitous in New York City as Yankees caps, subway signs and text message-obsessed tourists. Finding one is never a problem; finding one worth eating at, however, is a whole other rub. As someone who lived in that great city for twelve years, I've eaten at—and gotten sick because of—a fair share of food trucks. It's too bad I didn't find out about Tweat.it until now, staring out my window at another coastline (although LA food truck culture is pretty impressive as well).

Perhaps it started with the deep-fried Mars bar, or maybe the deep-fried Twinkie, but our nation’s love affair with everything dunked in batter and cooked in hot oil has exploded in the last few years. No longer reserved for French fries and onion rings, deep-frying as a cooking method has taken over everything from sliced pickles (delicious dipped in Ranch dressing) as well as the Thanksgiving turkey (cooked in a specially designed fryer).

There are an overwhelming number of food documentaries on the market today, ranging from political to fanatical and documentary to educational. One of the latest to come out, Nourish, is an incredibly refreshing step apart from the otherwise heavy food docs. With a near G-rating and Disney-like tone, it doesn’t try to scare you into eating well; rather, it brings you the leading voices in the food industry to invite you in with ease and nonchalance.

Seasoned or newbie foodies can rarely pass up an opportunity to run their fingers over a hi-tech kitchen gadget. Perhaps it's because we view these tools as mere extensions of our culinary potential: the precisely sliced tomato, uniformly minced garlic, an entirely emptied lemon...Ah yes, nothing makes a meal quite as perfect as…perfection. Besides, let's not kid ourselves! Gadgets make food preparation fun. Also fun? Giving them away! Check out how you can enter for your chance to win the newest KitchenAid 13 cup Food Processor from Organic Authority!

If you're looking for one more reason to visit Los Angeles (or remind yourself why you pay ridiculous rent to live here) besides trying to grab a seat at a taping of the Ellen show, plan to head up to the San Fernando Valley for a bite at her soon-to-be-open vegan restaurant. Along with wife Portia de Rossi, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and producer Steve Bing, Degeneres' new eatery will be located on Ventura Boulevard and the menu will be 100 percent animal-free.

You might say we could have seen this day coming some 11,000 years ago when farming first took root in civilization: A day when competition between growers out-paced the importance of the health of the whole community; a day when the market was no longer about truly feeding the masses but more about feeding the profits of elite insular corporate agendas. We've arrived at a time where most of what we're sold as food is little more than tasty toxins that someone alive just 100 years ago would most likely not even recognize as actually edible. Millions of Americans have now found themselves at a crossroads, ready to make major changes about how to spend their money. And since there is perhaps no greater decision than what we put in our bodies, the most pressing question we can ask about our food choices is: What can we spend our money on that will really have a positive lasting impact on the planet and our health?

I love to cook and I love to eat real, delicious food. I work from home and I make at least three meals a day in my kitchen. Delicious food, cooking and writing about it is a way of life for me. When the opportunity arose to review KitchenAid’s new 13-Cup Food Processor I was ecstatic. KitchenAid has a fabulous reputation for quality products and this food processor has the first and only externally adjustable slicing feature. When I discovered this, I thought, “I can now control how thick or thin the cut of my vegetables are with a food processor?” That is unheard of and super cool (and by the way we’re giving one away, read on!).

As the Occupy Wall Street movement's momentum shows no sign of slowing down, "alternatives" seem to be on everyone's mind these days. From alternative economic models to how we grow and raise our food to how we regard our fellow Earthlings, like a wise man once said, the times, they are a-changin'. And, we might add, fast.

If you happen to live in the Los Angeles area and are looking for more information and inspiration on some of these pertinent alternatives and changes, look no further than the LA Convention Center this weekend (October 29-30) as the Green Festival brings the best in forward thinking visionaries, products and services, and experts, including OA's very own publisher, Laura Klein.

In the mighty plight to live a lighter life, planet wise, things aren't always as easy as ditch the plastic bags. Like when it comes to buying locally versus buying fair trade. I recently stood at my health food store with two bars of dark chocolate, one fair trade and the other local. Which is better, I wondered. Let's take a gander.