Green Blog

Although people are aware of the health dangers of pesticides, there is almost 1 billion pounds of these dangerous pesticides used in the United States each and every year. The worst part is these numbers are not lowering.

Now everybody knows that foods that are in the grocery stores has been washed before they arrive at the store. And many people will still wash there fruits and veggies after they but them. However there are still trace pesticides that are being consumed from these fruits and vegetables, which are causing health issues.

These pesticides are also causing health problems with the farmers and there workers. Every year there are over 10,000 pesticide related illnesses reported, and this is only the ones that have been reported. Even the EPA says that this is becoming a major issue.

Larger still are the hazards to pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of cruelty to animals, there are over 30 thousand pet poisonings caused by pesticides each and every year. These numbers are produced by the animal poison control center.

One of the main causes is normal everyday people. The problem is that when we see a weed on our driveway the first thing we do is to grab a bottle of weed spray that is full of chemicals, and many people will even use chemicals as a preventative measure.

One of the main health issues is that pesticides have been know to cause or contribute to, Parkinson’s disease, cancer and even certain birth defects in our children. What I don’t understand is that with all the evidence out there people continue to use theses pesticides.

One would think that the government would step in and create laws to help regulate pesticides even more. Did you know that pesticide companies don’t even have to test there products meant for home use with the same standards as products for commercial use??? This means that home pesticides can actually be worse for you than commercial pesticides.

Now it is bad enough that these pesticides are harmful to people and animals, but what about our planet. These chemicals contaminate the air, water and soil. Which means that not only people and there pets are effected, but also insects that we need like honeybee’s and ladybugs. And if you have well water… these pesticides can seep into your well.

The best bet for you and your neighbors is to learn how to combat pests without the use of chemicals. This will help you health and that of your pets and neighbors as well. And not to mention “Mother Earth”.

For more information on organic pest control visit our website, and we will help you with your termite treatment.

More than ever before, people are paying attention to what they eat. Years ago, few people knew the words organic, natural, free range or hormone free in respect to food. They just did not give it a second thought. Now, however, people are taking these words to the store and coming home with different products. In addition, people now want to find these words when they dine out. For reasons of both budget and availability, it is important for the consumer to note that all organic foods are not equal in overall benefit.

According to the U.S.D.A, in order for any food to be labeled as “USDA organic” certain standards must be met. These standards are usually related to the growing, production or manufacturing process involved. A true organic food may have no ingredients that are synthetic such as pesticides or residue of fertilizers. At least 95% of what goes into an organic food must also be organic. Animals from which products are derived must never have been given growth hormones or antibiotics. If a food is labeled “Made with Organic Ingredients”, only 70% of the ingredients must be organic.

The quality of food grown at local farms is likely to be higher than that of food that has been grown thousands of miles away and thus handled more before it reaches the local markets. Shipping from long distances raises the chances of the food losing some of its best organic benefits in transit. Nutritionists are big proponents of buying organic in order to avoid the high pesticide levels in products that are grown or produced commercially.

Fruits grown commercially that have been shown to contain the higher amounts of pesticides are cherries, imported grapes, pears, strawberries and raspberries, apples, and peaches. Celery, potatoes, spinach, bell peppers, and hot peppers are vegetables that, when not grown organically, contain high pesticide levels. With this in mind, the smart decision would be to buy the organically grown versions of these products, despite the higher price.

The fruits found to contain the lowest levels of pesticides are pineapples, plantains, mangoes, bananas, watermelon, plums and kiwis. The vegetables found to contain the lowest levels of pesticides are cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, radishes, broccoli and onions. If on a tight budget, these foods provide a safer alternative when purchasing commercially produced products. Consumers should note that this is not the final word on the above products, but more a matter of the degrees of risk with these products versus those with higher pesticide levels.

It is easy to find tips online or elsewhere when looking for the best products in cookware or kitchen gadgets. Shopping for organic food usually requires a little more thought. The decision as to what organic foods to buy is a personal one based on individual tastes and budget. But the smart shopper should make a point of finding out what things have an effect on the quality of an organic product and what organic foods provide the best benefits. A choice to switch to organic should always be based on the facts.

Stan Dyer is a freelance writer and photographer based in Colorado. To have organic food and products delivered to your doorstep, visit http://www.OrganicFoodeStore.com.

Chicken meat was expensive when I was young, but today it is one of the ‘cheapest’ meats available - and it is the use of factory farming methods that has led to it being cheap. Every year vast numbers of chickens are raised and killed internationally - with 488 million slaughtered in Australia alone. The suppliers who work closely with their chicken farming businesses, making requests of exacting standards, are the best suppliers to work with. Chicken that is free of antibiotics and raised in cage-free environments and processing plants that do not litter the good taste of the chicken with additives and preservatives let you know you’ve got a good supplier.

In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says that a free range chicken must have daytime access to open-air runs during at least half of their life. Free range poultry farming consists of poultry permitted to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. Farmers raise layer chickens in small cages that house five to eight birds each.

Freedom Food birds are not in the same league as free-range or organic (see the Good Broiler Guide), but they are a fraction of the cost. For an extra $1.80 - as opposed to an extra fiver for organic - all of us can at least buy a broiler with some kind of ethical guarantee. Free-range chicken (FRC) farming is an alternative poultry system for egg production. However, FRC systems have been questioned in terms of environment stability.

Chickens are naturally inquisitive and need a stimulating living space, so Freedom Food approved farms provide them with objects to peck at and perch on, such as footballs, hanging CDs and wooden perches. Lighting is also taken into consideration.

Chicken is lower in fat than most other meats and over half of the fat is unsaturated fat, the type that helps lower cholesterol. The white meat is lower in fat than the dark meat of the chicken but the dark meat is higher in iron, an important nutrient for a healthy body.

Click here to learn how to build your own poultry farm.

A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponics systems are an increasingly popular farming practice. Taking all elements from fish farming and soil less farming, it aims to take the eco-benefits of both, whilst minimizing any negative aspects.

Aquaponics systems essentially work to cultivate plants and fish in an atmosphere that is conducive to the healthy development of both.

The plants are grown in containers filled with gravel, and fish in regular tanks of water; being fed standardized commercially available food. As the water in the fish tanks are cycled, it is pumped through the plant trays.

Bacteria in the trays break down any waste products from the fish, providing them with essential nutrients. This water, now purified, is cycled back into the fish tanks.

A beautifully simple system, it has many benefits to both the fish and the plants.

The fish are much healthier; with fewer instances of disease and infection. They are also a lot less stressed; than comparative fish in aquaculture systems.

Plants too follow the same course of being healthy and more resilient to disease. In both cases this seems to be due to the lack of chemicals used in the process.

The benefits are far greater than this alone however. The bottom line costs incurred by farmers are significantly reduced from traditional methods; with less food, less fertilizers and the like being necessary. With disease lessened, preventative and curative work is lessened too.

Aquaponics systems are a great solution to providing organic foods, but more than this; they could also be the answer to providing a lasting solution to food shortage in developing countries. They could also be a powerful way to ensuring that the increasing world population is provided for in the future; in an organic and environmentally friendly way.

Looking to find the best deal on Aquaponics Systems, then visit www.aquaponicssystems.info to find the best advice on Aquaponics Systems for you.

Glass door refrigerators are beautiful devices. Expensive ones, but they do a tremendous job at showcasing a delectable selection of food and drinks in commercial settings.

For those of you looking to buy glass door refrigerators, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure that you get the best purchase for your money spent.

There’s no guesswork involved when determining the size of the glass door refrigerator that you’ll be buying. You must know exactly what you need, as you really can’t afford to fall short in terms of size measurements.

Doing such a thing can really make things difficult, as you’ll often be left with a unit that still leaves you needing another. Conversely, I’ve seen others make the blunder of buying something too big, which ends up turning into a waste of space.

Buying a unit that’s too large also brings about another issue that I’d like to bring up. These refrigerators are really powerful units, which is something you’ll want to keep in mind.

Anything this powerful is going to require a lot of energy in order to run. As a result, buying a glass door refrigerator that’s too large will cost you unnecessary energy expenses on a monthly basis.

Lean in the direction of buying an energy efficient model. Not only will you be doing right by the environment here, but you’ll save yourself a nice amount of money over time. Each and every monthly bill adds up, and you’ll definitely want to take this into consideration when shopping for potential fridges.

Lastly, you’ll want to seek out something with a legitimate warranty. These are expensive units, and parts often need replacing or repairing.

Save yourself the headaches that come with owning a refrigerator without a warranty. Replacement parts and the cost of manual labor required to repair the units will add up to a lot of money and the right warranty can make this a non issue.

Get other useful tips facts on true commercial refrigerators and other useful tips at this writer’s blog.

While many people lament the nutritional disadvantages of a poorly planned vegetarian diet, few stress the health advantages of adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. In this article, I will cover the major three nutritional advantages of becoming a vegetarian.

Consuming animal proteins might yield close to a 1:1 absorption ratio, while consuming plant proteins, such as wheat, might only yield 50% of the amino acids needed to build a “complete protein” or a protein that can readily be assimilated into the human body.

The second major advantage vegetarians enjoy is increased skin health. In addition to consuming larger quantities of nuts (which contain healthful oils), vegetarians tend to consume more fruit and vegetables, which are rich in essential vitamins, including A and E, which are linked to good skin health.

Vegetarians must also consume more foods that contain proteins because plant proteins are generally harder to digest. While a nutritional label may suggest that pasta has 5 grams of protein per serving; you may only be able to digest 2-3 grams of that protein, which means you must complement the pasta with other sources of protein.

Antioxidants are foods that help prevent cancer by destroying free radicals. Vitamin C and Vitamin E, two strong antioxidants, are commonly found in vegetarian meals.

Vitamin C can be found in berries, tomatoes, citrus fruit, kale, kiwis, asparagus and peppers.

The wool shearing process can also cause quite a bit of suffering for the sheep. Almost a quarter of all wool sheared from sheep is “skin wool,” which is so close to the sheep’s skin that it is actually must be torn off.

For non-vegan vegetarians, yogurt, milk, and eggs (which contain complete proteins) are all excellent sources of protein.

For some vegetarians, wearing wool is just as bad as eating meat; and for others, it simply isn’t an issue because they do not believe it causes an unreasonable amount of suffering. Which are you?

Thank you for reading my article on Vegetarians please also read my articles on belly fat loss and how to reduce belly fat.

categories: food,vegetarians,veggies,meat eaters,no meat