Tag Archives: organic

Buying Organic Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank

Teri Gault, CEO and founder of TheGroceryGame.com, wife and mother of two, began The Grocery Game as a home-based business in February 2000. As an avid saver and coupon-clipper, Teri decided to use her skills to create a list to help identify when to use coupons, based on categorical sales trends, to achieve maximum savings at her local supermarket. Since 2000 The Grocery Game has expanded to over 50 states and continues to expand globally. Today the average family of four saves up to 67% a month in groceries, totaling about over $500 a month in savings, by playing The Grocery Game and following Teri’s Tips to shopping.

You WILL pay more for organic than conventionally produced food, BUT you DON’T have to pay full price! Plus there’s some money saving alternatives you may want to consider.

First of all, “organic” or “natural”? In the US, to bear the name “organic”, it must be USDA certified organic, which is costly to food producers. But, more and more “natural” food manufacturers are doing almost the same things as considerable alternatives. The catch is that there are no government standards for what “natural” may mean. Your best bet is to visit the manufacturer’s website and read what “natural” means to them. You just might find, for instance, a chicken grower who pledges to use no hormones and no antibiotics. If that takes care of your main concerns, you just cut your poultry bill by about 75%!

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Posted on January 30, 2024 by GuestBlogger

In China, Food Safety Concerns Boost Organic Farms

Chinese FarmDespite a burgeoning economy, food safety problems continue to plague Chinese markets. Dairy products, wine, bean curd, rice noodles, mushrooms and cooking oil have all recently presented problems, leading more and more Chinese consumers to join and start collective organic farms. These farms operate under the community-supported agriculture (CSA) model we are familiar with in the states, regularly delivering members fresh, seasonal produce.

Although the Chinese government has promised more transparency, better inspections and harsher penalties for violations, 70 percent of citizens still feel insecure about food safety. Even some government agencies have turned to growing their own food to avoid problems.

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Posted on January 24, 2024 by Health Buzz

Organic Milk Is Healthier Finds Scientists

milk An European Union funded study found that organic milk is healthier after analyzing 22 different brands commonly sold in supermarkets. Researchers found that organic milk has higher levels of beneficial fatty acids but lower levels of saturated fats than conventional milk.

Although the paper itself does not explicitly say that consumers should switch to organic milk, the lead researcher, Gillian Butler, made that recommendation in other discussions of the findings. The study is published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

“We wanted to check if what we found on farms also applies to milk available in the shops,” said Butler. “Surprisingly, the differences between organic and conventional milk were even more marked. Whereas on the farms the benefits of organic milk were proven in the summer but not the winter, in the supermarkets it is significantly better quality all year round.”

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Posted on January 18, 2024 by Health Buzz

Top 10 Diet Tips for Weight Loss

Diet season is here and why not start it off with a bang? Below are the top ten diet tips that will help you be successful in 2024. Good luck and enjoy the new you!

Keep hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is not only vital for normal body functioning, but it helps keep cravings to a minimum.

Add to diet, don’t take away: Try adding the recommended servings of each food group to your diet instead of cutting calories. The ability to maintain a diet is crucial for the long-term weight loss process.

Limit night-time snacks: Make good choices about late night snacking. Obviously, cookies and a large glass of milk is not the way to go. If you do have a late-night craving, snack on a low fat, low calorie food like a piece of fruit.

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Posted on December 29, 2023 by Matt

What the Labels on Your Meat Really Mean

When it comes to the meat and poultry aisle in the grocery store, how much do consumers really know? Words like “mechanically separated” and “all-natural” can be convoluted, so we talked to some of the experts at Coleman Natural Meats to decode some of the most confusing labels that we see on meat packaging today.

Certified Organic: While organic food arguably offers some health benefits that conventionally prepared foods do not, an organic designation is not one-size-fits-all. In the US, any item that was made entirely with certified organic ingredients can be labeled “100% organic.” Products that contain 95% organic ingredients can use the word “organic” on their labels.  Any products that contain 70% organic ingredients, can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.”

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Posted on December 8, 2023 by Maris

Genetically Modified Food Safety on the Dr. Oz Show

UPDATE: This episode will air again on Thursday July 21, 2024.

Tune in this Tuesday, December 7 to the Dr. Oz Show when America’s favorite doctor investigates the safety of genetically modified food.

In the past few years, the controversy surrounding genetically modified food has been a hotly contested subject. On this episode, Dr. Oz will open the discussion up to a panel of experts who weigh in on both sides of the argument. You will have the opportunity to hear the main issues surrounding the safety and danger of genetically modified food, what kind of labeling regulations there are on such foods and what other countries are doing in response to this new wave of altered food. (more…)

Posted on December 6, 2023 by heather

Sugar 101: Know the Different Types of Sugar on the Market

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of sugar in your grocery store? Last week, consumers responded, some in outrage, to the latest announcement from the Corn Refiner’s Association that high-fructose corn syrup is changing its name to “corn sugar.” While sweet-tooth beholders across America struggle to understand what kind of impact the allegedly nefarious “corn sugar” has on our bodies, we tend to overlook another important distinction: what is real sugar? (more…)

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Maris

Science Sides with Organics

The argument to eat organic foods just got stronger. A study recently conducted by Washington State University found that organic strawberries are more flavorful and nutritious than conventional strawberries. The most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind, the researchers analyzed berries from 13 conventional farms and 13 organic farms in California, the state that produces 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries. “There is no paper in the literature that comprehensively and quantitatively compares so many indices of both food and soil quality at multiple sampling times on so many commercial farms,” said John Reganold, professor of soil science and lead author of the paper.

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Posted on September 7, 2023 by Health Buzz

What’s Lurking in Your Veggie Burger

Veggie BurgerConsidering how much fat and how many calories are in a typical hamburger, veggie burgers often seem like a much healthier choice. They are often high in protein and other nutrients. But we all know that soy beans don’t grow in the shape of a patty. Veggie burgers are a heavily processed food, and that means there is the potential for ingredients you don’t want to eat lurking in your sandwich.

According to a Cornucopia Institute report, the soy in many veggie burgers is processed with hexane. Hexane is a by-product of fossil fuel refining that food manufacturers use to separate soy oil from the protein and fiber. The Environmental Protection Agency has put hexane on its list of hazardous air pollutants. Cornucopia found that traces of hexane were still present in the finished product.

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Posted on August 30, 2023 by Health Buzz

Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Food Scrutinized

sugar beets

Monsanto, the company behind the development of the growth hormone rBGH (more commonly known as Bovine Growth Hormone) is in the news again. The company has been referred to as the most hated corporation for unfair business practices and is currently the focus of a U.S. District Court Judge. A recent ruling directed that the USDA has to begin regulating the company’s genetically engineered sugar beets.

Monsanto originally developed rBGH and marketed it for years before selling it in 2024. They have insisted that the use of the hormone is perfectly safe. This, despite the reality that Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Australia and all 27 nations of the European Union have outlawed its use due to studies that have shown that the use of rBGH has caused elevated markers of IGF-1 in milk. The burning questions is, are elevated levels of IGF-1 in milk unsafe? (more…)

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Carmen

Time’s Take on Organics: Too Much Compromise

Oranic Food in TImeFor veterans of the organic food debate, the cover story of Time Magazine offers few new insights into the question of eating cleanly and sustainably. Any general discussion of the food industry in America is rife with rhetorical potholes, and the debate is as massive and complex as our food production systems themselves.

The Time article, written by Jefferey Kluger, makes a judicious attempt at outlining some of the biggest points of contention in the great food debate: cost, nutritional value of organics vs. conventional food, treatment of livestock, fertilizers and pesticides. He also oddly tries to extricate himself from the debate in which he is participating, referring to “food purists” and “the shouting of the food partisans.” If Kluger is trying to mount a non-partisan argument, he ends by leap-frogging from issue to issue without settling for a conclusion. While Kluger ultimately appears to be in support of organic food and the consumption of less meat, he seems dismissive of the practicality of feeding the nation with organic food. (more…)

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Margaret