What's the scoop on Organic?

Hello all! As promised, here is the first of many posts to come about ways you can take charge of your health!

Today we are going to be talking ORGANIC. One of the most important changes you can make in your diet is switching to organic produce. First I'd like to dispel one of the most common misconceptions about produce. I hear so many people say this... "I don't need to buy organic because I wash my fruits and vegetables really good". OK, while its true that you are getting rid of a good amount of the outer pesticides by washing, there is still a HUGE amount of toxic chemicals you are missing. Where? INSIDE! Yes that's right, inside. Most of us are familiar with the way nature works right? Whatever is in the soil grows right up into the plant. For example if you grow a plant in nutrient rich soil that is well fertilized you will grow a healthier plant. Well the same is true for chemicals in the soil. Today's soil is incredibly saturated with pesticides and herbicides from continual spaying over many years. Those toxic chemicals are now finding their way up into the plant and in turn are highly concentrated in whatever fruit or vegetable the plant produces. So while washing helps some, its not addressing the whole problem. Did you know that todays average peach is sprayed with over 9 different chemicals? Another interesting fact : Apples top the list of the most contaminated produce! So I guess that old saying about "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" may not be so true anymore.

So what am I saying here? Don't eat apples? Absolutely not! Please, please continue to eat apples. Just make sure they are organic! Honestly there are several reasons to buy organic, all the way from the health benefits to the impact on the environment. I cant cover them all so here is a list of the top 3:

TOP 3 REASONS TO BUY ORGANIC

1. Eliminate/Reduce Pesticide Exposure
You might ask...Whats the problem with pesticides? Most people are under the impression that the pesticides we are ingesting are such a small amount they have no effect upon our bodies. Wrong. Pesticides play a huge role in the biochemical activity inside our body. In particular the nervous system. Pesticides are a group of chemicals called neurotoxins.When people are exposed to neurotoxins they may feel dizzy, lightheaded, confused, get headaches, and may have reduced coordination and ability to think. These are the short-term effects, while long term exposure can result in reduced IQ and learning disabilities. That's just the beginning! Pesticides have been linked to a whole host of other illness including asthma, fertility issues, endometriosis, childhood cancers, and ADD. If fact, TIME magazine (well known and mainstream magazine) published an article linking the use of pesticides with ADD and ADHD in kids. Here is the link to the article if your interested in reading more:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989564,00.html

2.Avoid GMO
Never heard the term GMO? It's Ok, alot of people haven't. The term GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Honestly I could write a book about GMO's but for the sake of your time and mine I'll just give you a quick synopsis.

GMO's are seeds that have been genetically modified (basically their DNA has been messed with) to withstand the pesticides/herbicides that are being sprayed on them constantly. Agricultural companies were finding that not only were the bugs and weeds dying, but the chemicals were also having a negative affect on the crop. Their solution : modify the DNA. Kinda scary right?  Right now there are 2 major GMO crops. Corn and Soy. Today 91% of soy and 85% of corn are genetically modified. The only way to avoid GMO is to buy all of your corn and soy products organic. GMO is relatively new to the scene, so there have not been alot of studies showing the health effects yet, but I can bet its probably not going to be good. Alot of countries including Europe have completely banned GMO. Let's send the message that we Americans don't want it either. Like I said, I don't want to get into a huge thing here on GMO (maybe another post in the future), so the bottom line is : Stay away from GMO. I think nature has a pretty good handle on seeds and the way plants grow.

3. Higher Nutrient Content
What are nutrients? Nutrients are the basic materials your body uses to repair tissue, make cells, and to function the way it's supposed to. Today our food supply is severely deficient in nutrients. Alot of this is due to over processing. But even in the case of fresh fruits and vegetables some studies have shown nutrient content to be 40% less than it was 50 years ago. This is due to poor soil quality. Remember what I was saying earlier about "whats in the soil is in the plant"? Well the same is true for nutrients. There are several studies being done recently that show strong evidence of higher nutrient value in organically grown produce. One such study was performed on strawberries grown in California over a 2 year period. The study concluded that the organic bunch had much higher levels of antioxidants and vitamin C among other benefits. The organic soil also outperformed it's conventional counterpart in several key areas such as increased zinc, iron and enzyme activity. So while yes, you are paying a higher price for organic produce, you are also getting a much higher nutritional value for your dollar.

Healthy Headlines is born!

Well here it is! My blog is up and I am so excited to share it with you all!
So you may ask: what is this blog all about? In a nutshell its about health. But its really so much more than that. Health is such a broad term, usually used to describe the state of a persons physical body. But what does health mean to you? For me, health is a body free of disease, a mind that is clear, and a spirit that is happy. What I'm going to be talking about here is not your mainstream "healthcare" (which in my opinion is more like "sickcare").
I want to introduce you to a different way....the holistic way. So again I pose a question to you. When you hear holistic or natural what pops into your mind first? For many people there is an automatic stigma that comes to mind. Words like "hippie, quack, health freak, and new age" are all commonly used.  These are all misconceptions. Here is the real definition of the word holistic (taken from Wikipedia) :

"Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole."

Seems pretty straightforward right? I think anything other than seeing someone as a "whole" is really quite crazy. My favorite of the above misconceptions is the idea that holistic or natural healthcare is in some way a "new age" phenomenon. Ha ha ha! This one gives me a good laugh every time! In fact natural healthcare, using the resources our earth has provided, dates back at least 10,000 years! Ancient civilizations all over the world have been using plant based medicines for centuries, yet somehow it is now considered to be the "new thing"! In all actuality, western medicine that uses chemicals as a way to force a response within the body, is really the new thing.
Chemical based medicine was discovered sometime in the late 1800's but was really popularized in the 1920's, and has since become a way of life for so many Americans. So lets review. Chemical based medicine that has been around for about 100 years, or plant based medicine that has been around for thousands of years? I cant help but trust the one that's been around the longest. And it's not just about how long it's been around. It's about it's reputation! How many people have you heard of that have died from vitamins, supplements, and herbs?
In 2003 a study reported that at least 106,000 people die every year from adverse side effects of prescription medication. That's about 275 people every day! And that's only side effects, lets not forget about other conventional medical mistake cases that claim the lives of over 783,000 people every year. That's 2,150 people who die every day as a result of the system that was supposed to keep them healthy.  Need I make my case further?
Dont get me wrong, modern medicine has made some amazing discoveries over the last century. I do believe that there is a time and a place for allopathic (western or modern) healthcare. Like say for example you are in a car accident, or your appendix ruptures, or your severely injured. These are situations where a medical doctor is capable and qualified to save your life! The problem occurs in less emergency situations.
How about depression, anxiety, heartburn, ADD, colds and flu's? Is a magic pill really the answer?  Even more importantly, what caused these ailments in the first place? Why is it that most Americans trust their medical doctor 100%, but believe a naturopathic doctor is a quack? How did we get here?
In my opinion, it's no accident. The media is a major player in this game and the driving force behind it all is money. Now, I could go into some long drawn out rant about politics, money, and government, but thats not what I want this blog to be about. Most of us already realize that the system is broken. To what degree you believe that is a very personal issue and not something I want to discuss here. The bottom line for me is that while all of this information is very overwhelming and we all have different points of view, we do share one commonality: The innate desire to be healthy and happy. I don't believe anyone wakes up in the morning wishing to be sick or unhappy. Of course not. Health is something universally regarded.

So that brings me back  to my intention of this blog. I intend on providing information on a ton of topics such as healthy food, recipes, herbal remedies, exercise, meditation, and positive thinking practices. I believe it all plays a role in health so I don't want to limit it in any way. My intention is to provide you with valuable information that can help you to make more informed decisions about your health. I believe that knowledge is power.
I am very new at this writing thing, so I would appreciate your feedback on all of my posts. I am very passionate about this stuff, but I really want to make sure my posts don't come across sounding "preachy" or "ranty". I want you all to know that I am truly compassionate to wherever you are on your journey to health. I make no judgements about where you are or the current things you are doing. My only desire is to help you get to where you want to be, healthy and happy!

Please share this blog with any and all of your friends and family that you think could benefit from this information. And please ask me questions! I love to answer your questions so feel free to leave comments here or email me anytime.  Remember knowledge is power and I know it sounds cliche', but I really believe "people will do better when they know better."
Thank you all so much!
Lisa