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Posts tagged ‘organic’

Organic, really?

Official seal of the National Organic Program

Image via Wikipedia

There are a lot of products in the market that claim to be organic. Just go to Whole Foods Market or your local supermarket, where they now have organic sections or aisles. Does it really mean anything? Up to now, a lot of companies are using the word “organic” or “natural.” These words are used liberally and loosely to create a niche for their products and to attract green shoppers. What’s up with personal care products that say organic ingredients in percentages? I’ve seen labels on personal care products that say 72% or 94% organic. What does that mean? Isn’t a product supposed to be 100% organic or not at all? Anyway, it’s dizzying just reading labels, much more deciphering what they mean. In a New York Times report, it asks the basic question: is it organic or not? Can a product be 100% organic if water used to grow a produce is not filtered or if there’s cross-contamination from a field that has GMO crops? Is biodynamic farming better? Ideally, one should grow their own crops. But, that’s not possible for most people. I myself can’t do it. I can barely keep my bonsai tree alive and healthy! So, I put my blind faith on these big retailers like Whole Foods. Finally, they’re going to require their suppliers to be certified by 2 agencies. Why just now, however? Shouldn’t they have done this a long time ago. Just wondering….

A Chocolate A Day…….

….may keep the doctor at bay. Interesting thought, huh? When I say doctor though, I meant staying away from someone who’s always ready to prescribe medications for any ailment. You may want to work with a doctor (originally derived from Latin word “doctoris” meaning teacher, by the way) who actually works in partnership with you and is open-minded to other forms of healing. As far as chocolate is concerned, I’m referring to cocoa and/or organic, unrefined, dark chocolate and not the milk chocolate variety (lots of sugar and saturated fat). It has been found out in numerous studies that the polyphenols found in cocoa (as well as tea and blueberries) help improve endothelial function therefore preventing atherosclerosis. They also combat free radicals thus proving to be one of the best nutrients to use for anti-aging purposes. A French study showed that people greater than 65 years old with a diet rich in these bioflavonoids had less cognitive decline over a 10 year period. There’s also a Finnish study of more than 1,000 men in which a high polyphenol diet was linked to healthier arteries. More clinical studies (even double blind studies required by the authorities here) are found in Life Extension magazine. Ever wonder why cocoa is considered “food of the gods” (named “Theobroma cacao” by botanist Linnaeus) in the Aztec culture?