Any kid-friendly vegetable recipes?
One easy way to get your kids to eat their vegetables is to add grated zucchini or grated carrot to your favorite pancake recipe and cook them in the usual way. Vegetable pancakes are even more delicious served with yogurt, sour cream, or apple sauce. You also may want to try roasted or grilling vegetables […]
Is it really necessary to buy organic when it comes to fruits, such as oranges and bananas, that have a thick peel?
Fruits with thick peels generally contain less detectable pesticides than fruits with a thin skin. If you are planning to use the peel or zest of a citrus fruit, you will want to stick with organic because the skin may otherwise contain a high amount of pesticides. Peeling fruit does cut back on the amount […]
Should I install a water filter in my home that removes fluoride?
The purpose of adding fluoride to drinking water is to cut back on the incidence of tooth decay. According to Newsweek, the American Dental Association claims that tooth decay occurs between 50 and 70 percent less frequently in areas with fluoride in their drinking water. In a 1987 study, the National Institute of Dental Research […]
Is all the produce at the farmers’ market organic?
It is unlikely that all of the produce at the farmers’ market is organic, but a good portion of it may be. A farm must be certified organic through the USDA National Organic program to sell produce labeled as organic. Although many farmers who sell their produce at farmers’ markets are, in fact, certified organic, […]
Sproutman’s Basic Sprout Bread
Soak 1 cup of hard wheat in a jar for 8–10 hours. Sprout in your Sproutbag for 2 days. Examine the seed for the shoot. The shoot is short, thick, and grows in the opposite direction of the hairlike roots. In order to achieve the desired consistency, the shoot must be the length of the […]
Halloween: The Organic Way
Halloween is truly a kid’s holiday—good friends, creative costumes, fun-filled parties with spooky themes, and candy. Lots of sugary candy! Too many sugary treats in your kid's possession and the inevitable arguments that ensue over this treasured trove can be a parent’s worst food nightmare. This Halloween doesn’t have to be so scary. Upgrade your […]
Earth-friendly Halloween Tips
Here are a few tips to help make your Halloween a little easier on the environment. Make your own costumeA visit to your local thrift store can provide a variety of used clothing and accessories for trick-or-treating costumes. Bring the children and let them create their outfits using what's available. Resist the urge to buy […]
Fresh Vegetables and Fruits May Help Stop Cancer
Keep eating your veggies because they may keep you cancer-free. A new study by University of Calefornia, San Francisco (UCSF) shows that consumption of onions; garlic; beans; yellow vegetables; dark, leafy vegetables; and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts help reduce the risk of cancer and specifically pancreatic cancer. […]
Organic Diets May Increase Fertility
Many commonly used pesticides are either known or suspected of disrupting human hormones—including Atrazine, benomyl, carbendazim, carbufuran, dimethoate, DDT, lindane, and synthetic pyrethroids, to name a few. Vinclozolin, for example, causes male rats to develop female sex organs and delays puberty. Carbendazim disrupts the production of sperm and damages testicular development in adult rats. It […]
Organic Food Expanding Eight Times Faster Than Conventional
The organic food market is growing at an impressive rate. Organic sales have doubled since 1997 and increased 17 to 21 percent per year compared to increases of 2 to 4 percent for the entire food industry. The demand for fresh and naturally grown food is reflected in the ever-increasing shelf space devoted to organic […]
I’d like to make homemade applesauce with organic apples. Do you have a recipe?
There are as many different applesauce recipes as there are folks who make applesauce. Applesauce can be made by baking, simmering, or steaming apples. Each leads to a slightly different result, and each method has its fans. Probably the simplest way to make applesauce is to core, peel, and slice eight medium apples. Combine the […]
I am not only trying to avoid eating animal products, but I am also trying to avoid wearing them. Do you have any suggestions for where I can find shoes that are not made of leather?
It is not as difficult as one might think to find animal-free footwear. There are even several companies that specialize in animal-free footwear. Check out http://www.veganline.com/ and http://www.mooshoes.com for more information.