Ask Alamelu Vairavan about Indian cuisine, and she’s quick to point out the differences between the average American diet and the more natural, healthful foods that are indigenous to her native country.

Author of Healthy South Indian Cooking, Vairavan learned to prepare traditional dishes more than 25 years ago, after moving to New York City and studying how her aunt’s chef could whip up the most delicious Indian fare. She has been perfecting her techniques since then, recognizing that South Indian recipes feature “minimal cooking oil, reduced salt, use of lean meats and short cooking times [that] round out the means to maintain good health through diet.”

The statistics are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

The number of overweight children ages 6 to 11 has more than doubled over the last 20 years -- from 7% in 1980 to 18.8% in 2004. The number of overweight teenagers (ages 12 to 19) has more than tripled, increasing from 5% to 17.1%. About 61% of overweight youngsters have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, including high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Stop by your favorite organic restaurant or natural and organic food store, and you’re likely to spot an emerging culinary trend. As the American palate grows increasingly adventurous, Spanish food has become the hottest international cuisine -- more tapas (appetizers or snacks) than tacos, more gazpacho than guacamole. Think Mediterranean fare, chockfull of healthful olive oil, onions, olives, tomatoes, seasonal produce and seafood.

“Spain is the new France,” proclaims Teresa Mendez, a staff writer for The Christian Science Monitor. In a recent article, she describes how “Spain’s gastronomy continues to grow” and “epicures are paying attention.”

Even the wine industry has noticed a shift, as Americans order Spanish sherry (wine fortified with brandy) to accompany platters of vegetable-studded paella and lamb chops with piquillo peppers. Spanish wine is “excitement in a bottle,” notes Penelope Casas, an adjunct professor at New York University and author of La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain and Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain.

According to the BBC, thirtysomethings are responsible for a huge boost in sherry sales. Los Angeles Times staff writer Corie Brown reports Southern California’s wine lovers can’t resist the newest whites and reds, and restaurant sommeliers have had trouble keeping cellars stocked. “Spanish wine sales in the United States rose 14.6% between 2004 and 2005,” Brown writes, “rising from 3.8 million cases worth $183 million to 4.3 million cases worth $209 million.”

Dr. Frederick vom Saal is extremely concerned about three letters: BPA.

The University of Missouri-Columbia professor of biological sciences has been researching Bisphenol-A (BPA) for many years. This manmade chemical is found in multiple polycarbonate consumer goods: hard plastic baby bottles, food storage containers, water bottles, toys, pacifiers and teething aids, epoxy resins that coat the interior of food cans and dental sealants for children's teeth -- and it can cause significant harm, he and other experts warn.

BPA acts like estrogen, interfering with the body's natural processes. The chemical has been linked to male and female reproductive disorders, altered immune system function, behavioral changes, learning disabilities, brain damage and an increased risk for certain cancers. In infants, exposure to the chemical may cause irreversible damage, Dr. vom Saal cautions.

"The science is clear, and the findings are not just scary; they are horrific," he says. "When you feed a baby out of a clear, hard plastic bottle, it's like giving the baby a birth-control pill. If BPA was treated as a drug, it would have been pulled immediately. We are not saying get rid of plastics. This chemical can be replaced right now by safer materials, and the public would never notice the difference."

So, how do you protect your family's health and follow the tenets of organic living in a world where more than 6.4 billion lbs. of BPA are manufactured each year by 15 corporations? The answer lies with education.

Years ago, fish was considered a top choice when purchasing natural and organic food. High in protein, while low in fat and calories, it never caused us to pause before placing a few gorgeous filets in our grocery cart.

Today, however, buying fish is like spinning a roulette wheel. Media reports keep us guessing about which fish is safe to eat. Concerns about environmental pollution, sustainability, mercury content and other heath risks have added an element of danger to organic food shopping.

How did we get into this mess? Environmental contaminants like heavy metals (mercury, lead), industrial chemicals (PCBs, dioxins) and pesticides (DDT, dieldrin) are one culprit. You can also blame destructive fishing and aquaculture practices.

"Over the last 50 years, our technological ability to catch fish has outpaced our scientific understanding of fish populations and fishing's impacts on them," explains Tim Fitzgerald, a researcher with Environmental Defense. "As a result, the United Nations now estimates that more than 70% of fisheries worldwide are either fully exploited, overexploited or depleted," he tells Organic Authority.

"Aquaculture is often thought of as the solution to declining fisheries," he adds, "but not all fish farms are created equal. Conventional salmon farming uses chemicals to combat stressful growing conditions and allows fish waste and uneaten feed to pass directly into the environment. In addition, escaped non-native salmon can transmit diseases to or compete with native fish. Shrimp farming has caused a similar suite of problems due to its rapid emergence as America's favorite seafood item. Developing countries have destroyed thousands of acres of mangrove forests to build enough shrimp farms to meet our insatiable demand. While these examples highlight the problem, responsible fish farming is possible and is currently in use in the United States (for example, catfish, shellfish, crawfish, striped bass); however, any expansion of this industry, especially into offshore waters, must be done with environmental conservation in mind."