Organic Diet During Pregnancy - How Important is It?

by Patty Evans

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is always important, but following an organic diet during pregnancy is essential. Many pregnant women are not sure which foods they should be eating to ensure their baby is getting the proper nutrition and doctors don't always provide enough nutritional guidance.

When you are pregnant, you need to eat a variety of foods from all food groups in order to get the required nutrients and vitamins to your baby. Avoid eating all fast food and processed foods. This also means avoiding the foods which contain pesticides, preservatives, additives, hormones and other toxins - in other words, you should eat an organic diet during pregnancy.

Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides or fertilizers, and the crops are minimally processed with no artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Most people think of organic foods as being fruits and vegetables, but you should also be eating organic meats. Organic meats and dairy products come from animals that are only fed organic grains and they are not given antibiotics, hormones or any other medications. During pregnancy, it is vital that you eat an organic diet of both meats and fruits and vegetables.

It has been found that people who eat non-organic fruits and vegetables consume over a gallon of toxins from pesticides each year. In a study in which samples from the FDA's records were analyzed, there were major discrepancies in their contamination figures. It showed that nearly half of the contaminates were illegal pesticides which had been outlawed because of their toxic properties. So our foods contain not only legal toxins, but also many illegal, banned toxins as well.

Following an organic foods diet during pregnancy is critical, but because of the higher cost and limited availability of organic foods, some non-organic foods can be eaten if necessary. Below is a list of the fruits and vegetables which are lower in pesticide levels and can be purchased non organic if necessary:

Avocado, Bananas, Blueberries, Grapefruit, Kiwi Fruit, Mangoes, Papaya, Pineapples, Plantains, Plums and Watermelon.

Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Okra, Onions and Radishes.

Although eating an organic diet is preferable during pregnancy, these non organic foods are okay to eat without too many added toxins. On the other hand, some organic foods contain more toxins than others. The below list contains the fruits and vegetable that have been shown to have the highest levels of pesticide residue, so they should always be purchased organic. When you are eating an organic diet during pregnancy, it is important to never consume these if they are not organic.

Apples, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Red Raspberries and Strawberries.

Bell Peppers, Celery, Hot Peppers, Potatoes and Spinach.

You should purchase meats, poultry, and dairy that don't have antibiotics and growth hormones added. When you consume meats and dairy products that have these added, it is just like taking the hormones and antibiotics themselves and is very dangerous to your baby.

Following an organic food diet during pregnancy is better for you and better for your baby. It should be incorporated into your healthy lifestyle forever.

I highly recommend an organic cookbook which is way more than a cookbook - it contains everything you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, learn which cookware is safe, improve your immune system, and is filled with delicious organic recipes.

If you want to get healthier and look younger, then you should take a look at this book at NutritionHealthyEating.com.

For additional information visit Organic Pregnancy Diet

I hope this information on an organic pregnancy diet has been helpful to you.
Author - Patty Evans

Combat the Junk Food Blues With Healthy Nutrients

by Rosalie Moscoe

You may not want to hear this, however, while junk foods are fast, convenient, and tasty, they rob you of energy and a healthy mind and body. Each cell in the human body is powered by healthy nutrients; proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthful fats and their vitamins and minerals that are inherent in natural foods.

The body doesn't know what to do with chemically engineered foods. These 'frankenfoods' do not hold the promise of the real thing - nutrition health benefits. These benefits include: healthy skin, nails, teeth, emotional and mental balance, better energy and health and the possibility of less disease..

Within the past 75 years, the denigrated state of our food supply is unprecedented in human history. The majority of foods in the grocery stores are now treated. For the purpose of longer shelf life, oils are often heated to high temperatures that destroy nutrients. White flour crackers with little nutrients have added sugar and salt and are beautifully packaged. Margarines are often pumped with hydrogen, making the product more saturated and less healthy. Chemicals are added to many products to enhance flavoring; coloring is added to make foods look and taste pleasing. We must not forget processed sugar, excess salt, nitrates and pesticides that are added to the chemical mixture. Are these highly processed foods the making of a healthy diet or dietary deficiencies?

Our polluted world has spread to our food supply - our lifeline, and it's time to wake up and take charge of what goes down the gullet as much as possible.

Too Busy to Shop Wisely or Prepare Food?

• Keep it simple. Shop for organic produce as much as possible or at least use organic dairy products, since pesticides tend to reside in the fat of an animal.
• Become a label reader. If there are many items on the package that you cannot understand - don't buy it! Look for natural products, meats, fish, or even peanut butter without added salt and sugar.
• Use more fresh or frozen vegetables each day. Use fruit as snacks, 2 - 3 pieces a day.
• Use brown rice, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, whole grain breads and pastas..
• Make an oil change. Take a cue from those who live long and healthy lives in the Mediterranean. Use olive oil as your chief oil. Add raw almonds, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds for a quick and healthy pick-me-up.
• Cut out soda pop. Resist store bought baked goods. Make your own muffins or buy healthier products.
• Brown-bag-it, instead of eating at fast food outlets. You'll save the added fat and calories.

Junk food blues? This all too common syndrome doesn't have to happen to you.. Rather than a pasty, tired, down-in-the-dumps life fuelled by fast food or processed food, choose an enriched life with a dietary intake of whole foods. The payback? An energetic, healthier, happier you.

Rosalie Moscoe helps people manifest productive, interesting and energetic lives. Stress Relief and Nutritional Consultant, she is author of print and e-book, Frazzled Hurried Woman! Your Stress Relief Guide to Thriving...Not Merely Surviving. Visit:
http://www.healthinharmony.com/default2.asp?active_page_id=82
http://www.healthinharmony.com

Health Benefits of Grassfed Beef For You and Your Family

by Jeff Clear

When you consider the six primary health benefits you receive each time you eat a mouthful of grassfed beef, you won't want to ever go back to eating feedlot, grainfed beef ever again.

Benefit #1. Appetite Restored

It's easy to lose one's appetite, especially during times of stress. However, that's the time when we need to be nourished the most. And nothing compares to the aroma of a grassfed beef steak cooking on the grill flavored with a little garlic, oregano and basil! It's enough to break through the stressed-out mindset and allow one to enter into the mind's pleasure zone once again!

Benefit #2. More Nutrients with Less Food

A few decades ago, no one knew that organic foods contained more nutrients than store-bought fruits and vegetables grown with pesticides. Our taste buds knew it, though. Eating 'wild' foods, foods raised that are close to their original Garden of Eden state, have more benefits than what we realize.

Similarly, we are now finding that grassfed beef is higher in nutrients than grainfed beef. Specifically, grassfed beef is higher in healthy fats such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fat. The higher amounts of vitamin E help prevent the body from harmful free radicals that contribute to aging.

But there's more to the picture than just these healthy fats and vitamin E. Undoubtedly, phytonutrients will be discovered in grassfed beef that do not exist in grain-fed beef. So you can rest assured that your taste buds are telling you the truth - that grassfed beef is something to be excited about.

Benefit #3. Shuts Off Hunger

Perhaps the best news of all is that when we eat foods packed with nutrients, those nutrients end up activating the satiety center in our brain that shuts off any desire to gulf down large amounts of food that we don't need. It's one of the best internal checkpoints against overeating a parent could ever use to win the battle of childhood obesity.

Benefit #4. Less Risk of Degenerative Diseases

Every parent wants their children around them for many years to come, and they want them to be the picture of health during all those years. Life has enough obstacles to solve without overcoming health issues.

The addition of grassfed beef to the diet provides a great source of iron and vitamin B12, which builds blood and prevents fatigue so you can keep up with the kids. Its omega 3 fat content that helps strengthen cells so they aren't susceptible to attack from microbes while preventing biochemical pathways to run rampant causing inflammation. This prevents infections and allergies. The omega 3 fat content also is crucial for children's developing brains and an adult's maintenance of full memory power. The CLA found in grassfed beef is helpful in reducing the risk of cancer, as is the high vitamin E content.

When you consider these types of benefits that only occur from regular consumption of the food, grassfed beef is almost like an insurance policy against several different diseases and a way for you to maintain energy levels and vigor of youth.

Benefit #5. Satisfaction from Eating

Eating a large bag of potato chips won't allow you to feel the deep sense of satisfaction that you receive from food grown on a farm, especially grassfed beef. Filling up on pure wholesome foods does wonders for the mind, soul and belly all at the same time.

Benefit #6. Excellent Source of Protein

Eating a good protein source shuts off the hunger mechanism in the body and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Eating candy bars, cakes and other processed foods on the other hand, ends up shifting the body's biochemical pathways to store fat and raises havoc with blood sugar levels. Too much of these types of foods for too long can contribute to diabetes. But not with grassfed beef.

Benefit #7. Feeling Like You're the King of Your Home

Grassfed beef is the best type of beef on the market. Sitting down to a nice grassfed steak sends the message to your subconscious that you're worth it! There's no low self-esteem associated with eating a meal fit for a king!

To your health,

Jeff Clear

Lasater Grasslands Beef

Proudly selling great tasting grassfed beef online at http://www.lgbeef.com for over 10 years

Sign up for our special report about grassfed beef and receive:
• Cooking Tips
• More Health Benefits
• Learn about the low carbon footprint of grassfed cattle
• Learn why grassfed cattle live a more humane life than grainfed cattle
• Why grassfed beef tastes so great

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Seven Harmful Chemicals Added to Processed Food

by Ellen L. Davis

Chemical food additives are used by food manufacturers to preserve the flavor or improve the taste and appearance of processed junk foods. They are found in foods which require long shelf lives, and are used widely in "diet" foods which need the flavor boost. Some additives come from natural sources, but some are highly process substances derived from unhealthy sources such as coal tar and peroxide.

Here's a list of seven chemical food additives you may want to avoid:

1. FD&C Red Dye #3: A cherry red dye derived from coal tar. In 1981, NIH researchers reported that this substance may interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain. In 1996, researchers at Northeastern Illinois University conducted studies and found that even low does of Red #3 caused cancerous changes in human cell cultures. The FDA banned the use of Red Dye #3 in lake form in cosmetics, but still allows the dye to be used in food products.
   
   
2. BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole): a preservative used in cereals, potato chips and chewing gum to stop them from becoming rancid. It accumulates in the body fat and it is known to disrupt the body's hormone balance. This widely used food additive has been shown to cause cancer in mice, rats and hamsters. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers BHA to be a carcinogen and has said that it poses a reasonable risk to health. Despite this warning, the FDA still allows BHA to be used as a food additive to prevent fat rancidity.
   
   
3. Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid: a preservative added to fruit juice, carbonated drinks, and pickles. Problems occurs when sodium benzoate is used in beverages that also contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The two substances, in an acidic solution, can react together to form small amounts of benzene, a chemical that causes leukemia and other cancers. In the early 1990s the FDA had urged companies not to use benzoate in products that also contain ascorbic acid, but companies are still using that combination. A lawsuit filed in 2006 by private attorneys ultimately forced Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soft-drink makers in the U.S. to reformulate affected beverages, typically fruit-flavored products.
   
   
4. Acetone peroxide: a bleach and conditioner used in milling flour and maturing dough. It is basically acetone (nail polish remover) with an oxygen compound added. It is also extremely unstable and explosive, and has been used by criminals to make bombs. It is strongly oxidizing and can damage the skin and eyes.
   
   
5. Diacetyl: a chemical that imparts the buttery flavor in microwave popcorn. It has a disease named after it because many microwave popcorn factory workers exposed to it have developed a lung condition called Diacetyl Induced Bronchiolitis Obliterans or "Popcorn Worker's Lung". There is no official ban in the EU, and U.S. companies are starting to voluntarily replace this ingredient in the microwave popcorn. The CDC has issued a safety alert for workers in factories that use diacetyl. There are currently two bills in the California Legislature to ban the use of diacetyl.
   
   
6. Polysorbate 80 (also known as tween 80): a stabilizer used in a wide variety of products including ice cream, milk products, vitamin tablets, lotions and creams and medical products like vaccines and anti-cancer medications. This food additive has been linked to nonimmunologic allergic reactions, and one study has linked it to infertility. The study found that polysorbate 80 caused changes in to the vagina and womb lining, hormonal changes, ovary deformities and degenerative follicles in mice. (Food Chem Toxicol. 1993 Mar;31(3):183-90. PMID: 8473002.) This is disturbing because this substance is in the new Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine which is being marketed for girls aged 9-26 in the United States.
   
   
7. Potassium Bromate: a chemical added to flour to make bread rise better and give it a uniform consistency. Most of what is added to flour breaks down during the cooking process into bromide. An excess intake of bromide has been associated with the inhibition of iodine enzyme metabolism, which weakens the thyroid and kidneys. The potassium bromate that isn't broken down remains in the baked good and is a known carcinogen. Numerous petitions have been made to the FDA to ban this ingredient and many flour mills have voluntarily stopped adding it to their products. This food additive is banned in most countries except the U.S. and Japan.

Ellen Davis researches nutrition and health issues and shares that information with other health conscious consumers. You can find more information about real nutrition and alternative health at her website Healthy Eating Politics. The URL is http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com

Why Prepackaged Foods Aren't As Healthy As They Say

by Georgina White


For many people, home cooking from scratch is not the way dinner is prepared each night. Rather a more familiar scene is popping a frozen meal into the microwave for a quick heat-and-eat lunch or dinner. Companies that manufacture these foods are not required to list every single ingredient put into the food product; therefore you can never be absolutely sure what it is you are getting. There are a lot of prepackaged meals that claim to be fresh and healthy but the reality is that prepackaged foods typically contain preservatives and other ingredients that can be harmful to your health.

In order for many canned and frozen foods to stay "fresh", preservatives are added. Preservatives are chemicals used in foods to preserve them and keep them from spoiling. In addition to the preservatives that are being added, other ingredients that can be dangerous to your health are also part of the deal. Many foods contain artificial flavors and smells, and colors that can adversely affect the liver and other areas of your body.

One example of the additives found in the foods is the excessive levels of sodium. While salt is necessary for the body's survival, too much salt can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure and water retention. A derivative of salt is MSG, an ingredient a lot of people are allergic to, but is added to many foods to improve the flavor of foods. Another problem with prepackaged foods is the loss of nutrients, vitamins, and fiber that occur during the processing and manufacturing steps. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain the important things your body needs without the added preservatives and artificial flavors.

There are over 6,000 chemicals used in the commercially produced foods. It is estimated that people will ingest up to 5 pounds of chemical additives in a year's time. Some common examples of preservatives found in prepackaged foods are as follows:

Sulphite
This preservative is used to fight harmful bacteria and yeasts to prevent them from forming in the foods. Examples of food products that contain sulphite are dehydrated vegetables and fruits.

Benzoic Acid
This preservative is most commonly found in soft drinks and ketchup. It is added to prevent the growth of some molds and yeasts.

Nitrates
Nitrates, like those added to bacon, sausages, and ham, are preservatives that help control the growth of molds.

Sorbic Acid
Sorbic acid is a preservative that is used to prevent the development of mold in products such as wine and cheeses.

Alginates
These preservatives help to stabilize the creamy textures of processed foods like salad dressings and ice creams.

Aspartame
This is added to food products to act as a sweetener. Aspartame is commonly found in diet sodas, fruit juices, other sweeteners, and gelatins.

One of the only ways to keep preservatives out of your diet and prevent illness or bodily harm is to avoid the prepackaged foods and eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and use approved natural ingredients that are free of chemicals, artificial colors, and more. Learning to read labels can help to some extend but you will need to brush up on your terminology to truly understand what the listed ingredients really mean to your health.

Georgina White has developed ways to make great tasting food using healthier methods. She feels that it's important to be kind to your body and provide it with plenty of nourishing, fresh food while letting the taste buds enjoy it too!

Picture yourself at one of our simply sumptuous cooking classes relaxing with friends, enjoying a delicious 3 course meal with complementary wine, whilst surrounded by stunning views of Sydney Harbour. Imagine the sense of satisfaction when the food you are eating is fresh from the kitchen and created by you.