Should I Buy Organic? 10/14/2009
Most people are aware of the immense benefits that fruits and vegetables can provide to you. Less people are aware of what all the labeling means when it comes to purchasing a product that is organic or not. There is a lot of debate in the news recently about whether or not eating organic is truly better for you. I personally am on the side that supports organic fruit and I do notice a better taste in most organic fruits versus those that are grown conventionally. At the same time I try to pick and choose which produce I buy organically because as most of you may know, buying organic fruits can be quite expensive. As I think is the case with all purchasing decisions, be a smart shopper and use a cost benefit analysis in your mind to conclude which item is worth the extra cost. I will touch on this in more detail later but for now let’s start with the basics. The word “organic” has been quite the buzz word and you see it everywhere you look, especially in the produce section of the Grocery store. What does it really mean? Organic simply refers to how the product is grown and processed. There are substantial differences between conventional and organic farmers. Conventional farmers focus more on using chemicals to keep their crops healthy and to maximize their crop production. They apply fertilizers to stimulate plant growth, use insecticides to reduce insects/plant disease and use various chemicals to prevent and kill weeds from growing. Organic farmers focus much more on a natural way of growing crops and stay away from potentially dangerous chemicals. They use natural fertilizers to nourish the plants and help them to grow. They also do a great deal of research to use beneficial insects and birds to help reduce pests and disease in the crops. They go to great lengths to reduce weeds by rotating crops, tilling the soil, mulching and even hand weeding. Thankfully the USDA has a set list of guidelines that are strictly enforced and must be met in order for an item to be sold with an organic label. In order for a food to be certified organic it must meet certain criteria regarding how it is grown and processed. Small producers who sell less than $5,000 dollars a year are exempt from these regulations, so keep that in mind when buying from a small fruit stand. It is very important to understand how the food labeling system works when it comes to purchasing organic foods, because it can be misleading to the untrained eye. The following are the three types of organic labeling as listed by the USDA: • If the label reads “100 percent organic,” that means the product contains ingredients that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients. • If the label reads “Organic,” that means the product contains ingredients that are at least 95 percent organic. • If the label reads, “Made with organic ingredients,” that means the product contains ingredients that are at least 70 percent organic. The organic seal can’t be used on these packages. It also is important to keep in mind that products containing multiple ingredients can use the organic label depending on the number of organic ingredients it contains. You can check the ingredients label to see exactly which ingredients are organic. No product can contain any sort of USDA Organic label if it is less than 70% organic. It also is important not to be fooled by labels that say things such as, “all-natural,” because that is not the same as organic. Now that you better understand the labeling system you are probably wondering if it really is worth buying organic over conventional grown fruits. Organic fruits do cost the most because of the more expensive farming techniques that must be used to meet the tighter regulations applied to them. Organic farms produce less fruit than conventional crops because they do not use any chemicals to enhance the crop production. The law of supply and demand can be seen here because when you have less of a product available, it sells for a higher price when people demand it. Since they do not use chemicals to protect their crops, it requires them to use more manual labor, which costs more and again drives up the price. Chemical lacking food is a clear benefit to buying organic food though, if you are looking to reduce your body’s exposure to chemicals and pesticides. In reality, however, most experts say the amount of chemicals left on washed fruit is not enough to cause any serious health risks. Some people claim that organic fruit tastes better than conventionally grown fruit but that is more of a matter of opinion. I personally find that organic fruits do have a better taste to them. But I did not want to just rely on my own opinion so I took it upon myself to do a couple of random taste tests on family/friends to see if they noticed a difference between organic and conventionally grown fruits. I found that almost everyone I experimented with this taste test preferred the taste of organic fruit based on a blind taste test. The fruits I used for the test were bananas, apples and various berries. I recommend testing this on your own and see what you find. Experts suggest that certain fruits are better to buy organic based on various factors. Apples, blackberries, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries and strawberries are all suggested fruits to buy organic. Bananas, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, and pineapples are all considered not necessary to pay the extra money to purchase organic. In the end, there is no conclusive evidence that organic fruits contain more nutrients than conventionally grown fruits. It has however been shown that conventionally grown fruits today contain less nutrients than they used to back in our grandparents generations. I strongly believe that once more research is done is will show that in fact organic fruits contain more nutrients and are worth the additional costs in certain cases. Until then, no research can take into consideration how much better I feel when I eat high quality fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. Beware of nutrition scams! 09/23/2009
With Halloween quickly approaching, haunted houses are not the only thing you need to be wary of. Watch out for nutritional products or services that claim to do something that is too good to be true. Most times if someone is selling you something that seems too good to be true, it is. Lately, as I have been doing various nutrition Google searches on nutrition, I have noticed many advertisements for an array of products that claim to do amazing things for you nutritionally. The problem is that the claims are a bit too extreme and the promised results occur practically immediately. One example of this is all the nutritional pills that are capitalizing on the acai berry, or as many like to say, the new "miracle fruit". Some of these pills claim to help you lose weight instantly and drastically increase your health. The fact is that nutrition is not achieved overnight and actually takes a certain degree of work (diet, exercise, etc.). Not only that, but a pill can not match the nutritional benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables. I do not care what anyone says. So the bottom line is, if you are interested in boosting your health, do not fall into the trap of wasting your money on fancy pills and other similar products. They will most likely leave you feeling the same as before...with less money in your pocket. Your best bet to obtain good health is to avoid the quick fix and to focus on building a healthy lifestyle. The next time you visit the grocery store be sure to purchase more fresh fruit and vegetables. If you are looking to loose weight, keep an eye out for citrus foods since they help to flush your system. Also be sure to fill your cart with whole grain type foods, as they are essential for a healthy digestive system. Do your best to avoid pre-packed meals and other products that are high in sodium. Finally, do your best to control your sweet tooth. Improving your diet along with incorporating moderate exercise into your daily routine will leave you feeling refreshed and healthy. Plus you will never have to be tricked by any of those shady nutrition scams again! What is your favorite breakfast cereal? 09/09/2009
When you go to the supermarket it can be quite overwhelming choosing breakfast cereals. As you look at all the yummy sugar cereals you can almost hear your health conscious ringing in your ear telling you to make a healthy choice. It's been said for generations that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it's the fuel your body needs to start the day. With some of the sugary cereals available today you might as well eat a candy bar for breakfast instead. Actually a candy bar might have less sugar than some (joking). HealthCastle.com, which is one of my favorite health websites, just released an interesting interactive feature that allows you to compare certain breakfast cereals. You can take a look by clicking here. Keep in mind that by choosing healthy breakfast cereals it can be a great way to obtain key nutrients. Many are high in fiber and contain lots of whole grains as well. Personally, my favorite cereal is most anything made by Kashi! My wife and i have tried pretty much every type that they make at this point:) Feel free to respond and share your favorites below! 5 Simple Ways to Stay in Shape 09/01/2009
I think that most of us would agree that we could improve on the health aspect of our lives. Whether it be eating better or exercising more, we all have areas that we can improve upon. There is no doubt that when you exercise and eat right you feel much better both physically and mentally. In today's fast paced society, it's not surprising to see how health sometimes gets put on the back burner. The problem for most of us is that we are so busy and unfortunately only 24 hours in a day. I would like to share with you some quick and simple tips that can help to improve your health. Just remember that even the seemly little things add up over time. Both positive and negative. Take time now to improve your health and your body will reward you later. 1) Find creative ways to exercise: Setting aside time everyday to go to the gym or exercise is clearly the best plan, but that isn't possible for everyone. That is why it's important to be creative and find new ways to get your exercise in each day. Here are just a few of my favorites: Take the steps whenever possible. Don't always park in the closest parking spot. Instead of sitting while you are on the phone, go for a walk or pace. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving when possible. Exercise while watching TV rather than just sitting there. Whatever you come up with just stick to it and eventually you will see the results. 2) Develop a routine: Not all of us have time to be the next body building champion, but that still doest excuse you from exercising. Nice try though! Whether it be finding time to exercise each day da or eating the right things, it's very important to stick to a routine. This is a simple concept but can be hard to execute. Pick a physical activity that you enjoy and then DO IT at least 5 days a week. An example of this is going for a walk everyday after dinner. I have found that you are much more likely to exercise each day if you get into a routine. Sure at first it may be hard to get into a routine but after awhile you will miss your daily activity if you are unable to do it that day. 3) Take the stairs! This is one of my personal pet peeves because it's hard to understand why people don't take advantage of the "free exercise" that they gain from something simple like taking the stairs. Forget the elevator and stick to the stairs. While you may think that taking the stairs one day will not make much of a difference. Just think how many calories you will burn after a week, month or year of taking the stairs each day. If you work on the 4th floor you have to go up to get their anyways so why not get some exercise. Don't be lazy and settle for the uncomfortably crammed elevator. Take the stairs and get some exercise. Trust me, it will make you feel better about yourself. 4) Eat "Detox" foods Since most of us do not always eat the most nutritious foods it is important that our body flushes harmful toxins on a regular basis. This prevents long term diseases such as cancer. Here are some basic tips to help naturally detox your body. Be sure to include foods that are high in fiber into your diet. This would include whole grains, nuts, oats and granola just to name a few. Fiber acts like a sponge and sucks up harmful toxins before being excreted from the body. Citrus foods such as lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits have a strong detoxifying effect. Grapefruits are a great food to eat as well for anyone who is on a diet because they actually have an appetite suppressor quality to them. Some other fruits that are strong body cleansers are cranberries, prunes and the acai berry. I would strongly recommend that everyone includes these juices into their diet as well. If you are looking for a natural supplement to take for detoxing i would recommend taking milk thistle. Milk thistle acts as a cleanser of the liver and is very beneficial. Please visit the Nutritional News section of BlenderWizard.com for much more details on the benefits of milk thistle. 5) Healthy Snacking Replace greasy, fatty and sugary snacks throughout the day with something healthy. Substitute soda with water or healthy tea. Try having a grain fruit bar for a mid day snack or a fresh fruit filled parfait with yogurt and granola for a late night snack. Fruit makes a great snacking food. Also eating foods that are high in fiber are perfect too because fiber helps to make you feel more full, which helps to curb cravings. Another trick that i have found is that drinking lots of water throughout the day makes you feel less hungry. Eating healthy snacks is a great way to begin a healthy daily routine. A Healthy Diet For Your Baby 08/19/2009
Commercial vs. Homemade Baby Food This article takes a closer look at the healthiness of feeding your baby manufactured jarred baby foods. Everyday we are faced with seemingly infinite choices in our daily lives. Few choices are more important than what we put in our body, especially when it comes to what to feed our baby. In today's world there is a premium put on convenience and most Americans are willing to pay more in exchange for an easier lifestyle. While it is much easier just to feed your baby jarred food and then move on to the next task on your list, just keep in mind that when it comes to nutrition, variety is of the utmost importance. It most likely wont negatively effect your health if you eat frozen meals once in awhile, but if that is all you eat then you will miss out on all the vital nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables. Even though convenience is important, nothing compares to the nutrients that you get from a home cooked meal that includes fresh produce. For healthy cooking ideas, be sure to click on the "Recipes" tab above and sign up for the monthly Blender Wizard Nutrition Newsletter that will be coming soon. The Magic of Honey 08/13/2009
The Magic of Honey This article does a great job of pointing out just how versatile honey can be to improving your health. Who would have thought! I personally prefer RAW honey because i feel it is the best for you. It's a great substitute for sugar and is a much healthier alternative. Another benefit of raw honey is that it has been showing positive signs in helping those who suffer from pollen allergies. When you consume local raw honey from your area, it is an effective way to introduce these allergens to your body with the hope that your body will then begin to build up a resistance to them. Overall he healing properties of honey are truly amazing and it is very beneficial to improving skin health. Temptation Harder To Resist Than You Think, Study Suggests Even though the above article does not directly deal with nutrition, I found it very interesting and wanted to share it with you. I hear people all the time say how they have such a tough time resisting sweets at work. Don't feel bad about it! You are certianly not alone. Just understand that temptation is tough and sometimes the best way to deal with temptation is to avoid it. If you struggle with eating junk food at work then think of ways to fix that. Bring a healthy snack with you or drink extra water throughout the day to help decrease cravings that you may have. No matter what you come up with, just remember that you always feel better at the end of the day when you know that you have made the right choice. Updates Coming Soon! 07/28/2009
BlenderWizard.com is currently in the process of being completely updated! You will notice great improvements over the coming weeks. It's my hope that these changes will help site be more beneficial and give readers a reason to come back more regularly. Thanks for your patience! Blender Wizard News 12/12/2008
What readers are saying about Blender Wizard Book Release Update! 12/05/2008
As many of you may know the paperback version of Blender Wizard has been released! It was actually released a couple weeks ago but i have been so busy i forgot to make the announcement here. Thank you to all for the positive support of my book and i hope it continues to become a success. Go to the purchase page of this website and get your copy today to see what everyone is talking about. Thanks! |
