Green Blog

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.

When you are a parent, first time or not, we always want our children to have the best care that we can offer. Especially with our babies, we want things for them that won’t harm them. They have sensitive skin that is why we are very careful in choosing products that we use for them. We avoid products where there are harmful chemicals present.

Green baby products are the safest products that we can use to our little ones. Not only it is good for the environment but also, they are safe to use for our babies. Here are examples of some of the products that are available in the market.

First are the cloth diapers; they are practical to use for they don’t give your baby diaper rash. Although plastic diapers are commonly used all around the world, most of the consumers don’t know the harm that it can do to our planet. Do you know that a single diaper decompose totally in 500 years? And because it will take us 6,000 plastic diapers before our child can be potty trained; imagine the damage it will cause to our planet.

Before giving your baby a toy to play with, make sure that the toy is chemical free. Babies doesn’t know what is harmful for them yet, that is why, when they are holding something, they tend to put in their mouth. There are so many toys that have harmful chemicals so think twice before endangering your child.

Babies have delicate and fragile skin, so be very careful on what you are rubbing them. Baby-friendly shampoo, soaps and lotions are available everywhere. These products are sealed with approval so you are certain that it is safe and effective.

For your baby’s bed, choose the organic sleep mattresses also available in organic shops. Sleeping and lying in the bed is what babies do most of the day. The mattresses that are usually available in department stores contain harmful chemicals. You would never want this kind of mattresses to touch your baby?s skin.

Feed your baby with organic baby formula for nutritious and healthy benefit they can acquire from it. You can also make your very own organic formula by using only 100% mashed fruits and vegetables and don’t add any preservatives to it. You can store them at the refrigerator, but make sure that it is not stale before them to your baby. Vegetables are usually used for baby formula and make sure that you have different kind of vegetables available.

These are only some of the things that we can benefit from using green baby products. These products will cost you less and you are also helping our planet preserve its natural beauty by using these products. But the best part is we are guaranteed that our baby grows strong, healthy and fit.

Deciding to buy green baby products can make a big difference in the well being of your baby. It can also give you a good feeling that you are doing right by the environment as well when you buy organic baby bedding for the baby’s crib. Decide to make a difference today.