There are a variety of things that can impact a man’s sex drive: stress, performance anxiety, relationship problems, health conditions, and food consumption are just a few.

Some libido inhibitors are difficult to manage, but fortunately, the majority of situations call for quick, simple, and natural methods to increase sexual appetite.

For example, a couple of changes to your diet can greatly enhance your libido.

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

How Food Affects Sex

Food has a very powerful influence on our bodies. It can either help or hinder the body’s functionality.

When it comes to sex, there are a couple of significant ways your diet will impact your performance:

• Blood flow: Erections are caused by relaxed muscles that allow for greater blood flow to the penis. Therefore, it is important to look for foods that increase, not decrease, blood flow.
• Testosterone: Testosterone is one of the primary ingredients in a man’s libido. Any foods that impact hormone levels will also impact sex drive.
• Emotions: Stress and anxiety often inhibit libido. Foods that have a calming effect on the brain will improve the quality of sex.

Foods That Increase Libido

If you are looking for a natural way to ignite the spark, add these delicacies to your shopping cart.

Related: The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them

Foods That Decrease Libido

If you want the most healthy sex life possible, avoid these foods whenever possible.

Related:

Eating a nutritious diet is essential for maintaining overall health, and sexual health is no exception.

What are your favorite libido-enhancing foods? What do you try to stay away from? Sound off in the comments section!

Related:

• Reversing Erectile Dysfunction Naturally
• Increase Libido and Treat Erectile Dysfunction with Natural Methods
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• 20 Foods to Supercharge Your Sex Drive – Eat This, Not That!
• Low Sex Drive? Hair Loss? Fatigue or Muscle Mass Loss? – Low T Medical Clinic
• The Cancer Risk of Microwave Popcorn – Livestrong
• Soy foods ‘reduce sperm numbers’ – BBC News
• Licorice reduces serum testosterone in healthy women. – US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health
• Foods that are killing your sex drive – Fox News

There are a variety of things that can negatively impact a man’s sexual health. Stress, performance anxiety, relationship problems, health conditions, food consumption, and lifestyle choices are just a few. Erectile dysfunction and low libido are the most common sexual concerns. Fortunately, they also happen to be among the easiest conditions to address naturally with quick, simple, and effective methods.

1. Change of Diet

Food has a very powerful influence on our bodies. It can either help or hinder the body’s functionality.

When it comes to sex, there are a couple of significant ways diet impacts performance:

• Blood flow – Erections depend on relaxed muscles that allow for greater blood flow to the penis. Therefore, it is important to look for foods that increase, not decrease, blood flow.
• Testosterone – Testosterone is one of the primary ingredients in a man’s libido. Any foods that impact hormone levels will also impact sex drive.
• Emotions: Stress and anxiety often inhibit libido. Foods that have a calming effect on the brain will improve the quality of sex.

Foods That Increase Libido

Foods That Decrease Libido

A nutritious diet is essential for maintaining overall health, and sexual health is no exception.

2. Lifestyle

There are various life choices that can impact sexual health.

Exercise

Exercise improves overall health—including sexual performance. Not only will an increase in activity help prevent erectile dysfunction, exercise can also help reverse the condition. Exercise helps increase blood flow and improves blood pressure. Weightlifting increases the body’s natural production of testosterone, erectile strength, and libido.

Sleep

If the body doesn’t produce enough sex hormones, mainly testosterone, erectile dysfunction and low libido are likely. The body’s internal clock controls hormone secretions, and regulating that clock is dependent on healthy sleep patterns. The more regular the sleep cycle, the better equipped the body is to release hormones at the given time.

Smoking

Tobacco negatively impacts the entire body. When it comes to sexual health, its biggest influence is on circulation. Tobacco restricts blood vessels, including the extremely delicate vessels in the penis. Tobacco also decreases blood supply.

To quit smoking, consider one of these natural remedies.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is known to increase blood flow, which can help reduce erectile dysfunction. While the available evidence hasn’t proved acupuncture as an absolute cure for erectile dysfunction, it has proven effective to reduce stress.

While some erectile dysfunction instigators are physical, others are mental and emotional. Acupuncture may or may not address physical issues, but it can help reduce anxiety and stress—which negatively impact both libido and performance.

Medications

Erectile dysfunction and low libido can be side effects of various medicines like high blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, beta-blockers, heart medications, cholesterol drugs, anti-psychotics, and treatments to address male pattern baldness. Switching to a different drug or, better yet, a natural solution may have a positive effect.

3. Try Herbal Remedies

There are a number of herbal remedies for erectile dysfunction that have been popular in Eastern medicine for decades. While some herbal remedies haven’t been proven effective yet, others have shown significant improvements.

Ginseng

Korean red ginseng is a popular treatment for erectile dysfunction, though it may cause insomnia.

Horny Goat Weed

Chinese medicine has relied on the extract from this plant for years to enhance energy levels and balance the entire body, which can improve libido. It may also treat erectile dysfunction.

Rhodiola Rosea

Referred to as the ‘golden root’, this natural medicine is a relatively new cure for erectile dysfunction. Russians have used this herb to increase endurance and sexual performance. New studies have found it also reduces feelings of exhaustion and symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

Improving Sexual Health Naturally

In many cases, low libido and erectile dysfunction can be reversed with simple, natural cures. Give these suggestions a try and come back to tell us what you found most successful.

Recommended Products:

• Green Lifestyle Market – Libido
• Shillington’s Male Energy Formula
• Male Libido – Gaia Herbs
• Shillington’s Prostate Formula
• Shillington’s Female Energy Formula
• Shillington’s Blood Detox
• Maca Root Capsules Gaia Herbs -or-
• Maca Root Powder- Wise Woman Herbals
• Magnesium Complex Liquid

Recommended Reading:

• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them
• Reversing Erectile Dysfunction Naturally

Sources:

• 20 Foods to Supercharge Your Sex Drive – Eat This, Not That!
• Common Causes of Low Libido and Erectile Dysfunction – Nashville Low T Medical Clinic
• The Cancer Risk of Microwave Popcorn – Livestrong
• Soy foods ‘reduce sperm numbers’ – BBC News
• Licorice reduces serum testosterone in healthy women – PubMed NCBI
• Foods that are killing your sex drive – Fox News
• Natural Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction – WebMD
• Efficacy of acupuncture treatment of sexual dysfunction secondary to antidepressants – PubMed NCBI
• The association of testosterone, sleep, and sexual function in men and women – Brain Research

The popularity of the organic food movement is spreading like wildfire. Who should we look to for future growth and encouragement?

Women Playing a More Active Role

The organic food movement is undergoing a revolution. Typically a male-dominated field, the food supply industry is seeing a rise in the number of women who are not only farming, but making their voices heard about issues related to the foods we eat.

The change shouldn’t come as a surprise, really.

One health expert and influential business leader, Monica Eaton-Cardone, pointed out: “In many situations, it’s women who represent the largest section of consumer spending, and yet, the majority of people making decisions in merchant companies are men.” Eaton-Cardone says that when women influence the decision-making process you see more appropriate, faster solutions to problems.

Some of the rising stars of the organic food movement are the ones who have raised awareness of the topic, either by building a platform to speak from or by using their existing platform to educate others. Let’s meet some of them.

Clare Leschin-Hoar

Clare Leschin-Hoar has built a following and a reputation by focusing her writing on the issues surrounding the convergence of the environment, food, and health.

A national writer, speaker and moderator, she has waded into the complicated waters of sustainable seafood and fishing to bring insight and thought into an emotionally charged topic.

She’s covered some of this generation’s toughest food questions: antibiotics in food production, food waste, and regulations for food suppliers. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, Scientific American, and Time.

Follow her: 

Carey Gillam

Reuter’s reporter Carey Gillam doesn’t shy away from the tough topics related to farming. She focuses on genetic engineering, reporting on issues surrounding GMOs, Monsanto, and DuPont.

Despite pressure from her opponents, Gillam strives to be fair in her reporting and refuses to avoid asking tough questions of both sides of an issue. Her work can be found on C-Span and in the Washington Journal, to name a few.

Follow her:  

Melanie Warner

Author of Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal, Melanie Warner is a freelance reporter for the New York Times. Her career as a food science writer began when she questioned how an individually wrapped slice of cheese could remain the same for years.

A former business reporter, she used her investigative skills to look into the inner workings of the food industry and was horrified by what she found. Her years of research into the new realities of food science have helped bring to light the true nature of processed food and have helped fuel the cry for a return to “real food.”

Follow her:  

Vani Hari

According to Time Magazine, Vani Hari (author of The Food Babe) is one of the most influential people on the Internet. Food activist, blogger and author, Hari has come under fire for her activism regarding food science.

Her interest in food science began after a health scare related to her diet landed her in the hospital. Determined to change her eating habits, she started investigating the food she ate and shared her findings on her blog. Since her beginning, Hari has amassed a huge following: a single tweet from her account can garner over 50,000 signatures on a petition in a matter of hours.

Critics claim she specializes in pseudoscience, using scare tactics to propel the public to action, while supporters point to her successes as proof of her legitimacy. Either way, she is bringing attention to the issues of food science on a national level.

Follow her:  

Conclusion

Historically, the food industry has operated largely unchecked, even as the idea of food merged into food science. Writers such as the ones named above are working to turn the public’s attention to this phenomenon, demanding answers and raising awareness to what is happening behind the scenes at farms, grocery stores, and laboratories across the nation.

If you truly “are what you eat”, these women are making sure you know exactly what you’re becoming.

Recommended Reading:

• 8 Easy Steps to Health
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Sources:

• “Educate women on opportunities”, says Monica Eaton-Cardone – Security News Desk
• Author Clare Leschin-Hoar’s contributions – Future Food 2050
• Biotech’s Assault on Balanced Journalism – Organic Consumers
• Interview with Melanie Warner – Author of Pandora’s Lunchbox – 100 Days of Real Food
• Food Babe blogger Vani Hari taking heat over health science – The Denver Post
• Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a Time – The New York Times

As parents, we always have our kids’ safety in mind. We rarely hand something over to our children without thinking of how it could potentially harm them. Will he be able to pull parts off that car, put them in his mouth, and choke? What happens if she eats that Playdough?

While we do take the time to analyze various aspects of a toy, we probably don’t put enough thought into it. Does the toy have hidden chemicals and toxins? Did its production harm the environment?

Let’s look at several factors parents should take into consideration before hitting the toy store.

1. Repurpose First

Before buying anything new, take a good look at what you have at home. Has your son been begging for a drum set? Maybe the pots and pans would be a satisfactory alternative. Is your daughter determined to have that hot pink playhouse? A refrigerator box with a custom paint job might do the trick.

Here are some great ideas. Otherwise, google phrases like “toys from trash.”

2. Broaden the Age Range

See if you can adapt toys to fit different age ranges. The longer you can use a toy, the longer it will stay out of the landfill.

For example, all you need to do to make “old kid” toys more age appropriate for a younger crowd is bend the rules a little. For example:

• Move the foul line closer when playing cornhole and tossers so little arms can play, too.
• Don’t worry about forming words with the Scrabble tiles; use them with preschoolers who want to learn their letters.
• Use the Twister game board to help kids sort toys by color.
• Rather than use a big, heavy soccer ball, let younger kids play with a balloon (by the way, this makes it a great inside game for rainy days).

3. Phase Out Dangerous Things

Sort through your kids’ toy box. Take a look at what is already in there. You probably have several things that are no longer safe—toys with broken or missing parts.

You might also have toys that are unsafe because of the products used for their construction.

Rather than throw these toys out and contribute to landfill waste, repurpose them. There are lots of creative ways to make use of discarded toys (you can find examples here and here).

4. Buy Natural When Possible

The best toy construction materials are all-natural. Look for toys made out of sustainably logged, solid wood. Toys sans finish are best; otherwise, look for options with a non-toxic finish (vegetable, water-based, or beeswax).

Avoid any toys made of pressed woods (plywood or particle board). These woods often have toxic chemicals in the glue.

Other natural materials that make great toys include felt, wool, silk, hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo.

5. Buy High Quality Items

You might have to spend a little more, but high quality toys are worth the investment. These toys are preferable for several reasons:

• Quality toys are less likely to break, meaning sharp or dangerous parts won’t be an issue.
• The better the toy, the longer it will last. Several children—sometimes multiple generations—can play with a single quality toy.
• It is much easier to sell used toys if they are quality. Other parents won’t be interested in purchasing (repurposing) your second-hand toys if they aren’t in great shape. That means they could potentially end up in the landfill.
• Higher quality toys are more likely to be made with safe products—sans unwanted chemicals.

6. Buy Local

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by buying local. The shorter the distance the item needs to travel between manufacturer and consumer the better.

If there aren’t eco-friendly toy makers in your area, see if you can convince someone to give it a try. Ask a local carpenter to make wooden blocks. Ask someone crafty to make eco-friendly dolls and stuffed animals.

7. Be Smart about Imports

If you do buy an imported toy, make smart decisions. Not all countries abide by the same regulations when it comes to making consumer products. Therefore, the country of origin can greatly influence the chemicals included in the toy.

Buy safer toys from Japan, Canada, or European countries.

8. Encourage Creativity

Open-ended toys (ones that can be used in a variety of different settings) inspire the most creativity. Not only is this good for your child’s cognitive development, it also means a single toy can have more uses—meaning fewer toys will need to be purchased.

Great examples of open-ended toys include

• A sand box (or sand and water table for inside play)
• Art supplies
• Wooden blocks
• Dress up clothes

9. Avoid High Risk Toys

While many toys pose a low-level threat, other toys are extremely dangerous because of the chemicals they contain.

Cheap plastic jewelry and cosmetics specifically designed for kids are especially dangerous. These often have lead and known carcinogens. Avoid these at all costs!

While it is impossible to avoid plastic altogether, you can make smart decisions about which plastics make it into the shopping cart. A good way to tell if a plastic product is safe is to check the recycling label on the bottom. If it is safe (free of the most dangerous chemicals), the item will have a number 1, 2, 4, or 5 inside the arrow logo.

10. Get Recall Notifications

Subscribe to recall notifications and find out as soon as possible if a toy you purchased is labeled unsafe. The email alerts from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission would be the best resource for toys.

You can also sign up for recalls from the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority (for safety information related to tires, child restraints, vehicles, and school buses).

11. Don’t Buy Anything!

In the end, your child probably doesn’t really need a new toy. Simplify your child’s toy box. Your youngster’s creativity, your wallet, and the environment will thank you!

What are your favorite eco-friendly toys?

Editor’s Note

We don’t really buy toys for our two year old son. Most of the time when people have given us toys for him, he was not interested. He likes to play with what we use. For instance, we prepare virtually all of our own food, so he loves to mimic us and pretend to cook. We give him pots and pans to play with. Add a few spatulas and a some water and he’s set for at least 30 minutes. Big cardboard boxes are always awesome, we cut them out and make forts. I am convinced that letting him play in this way helps boost his creativity, and it certainly saves us a lot of money!

Sources:

• Natural Toy Care Instructions, by Bannor Toys
• Bringing up baby with safe and green toys, by CNN
• Cornhole for Kids, by Custom Corntoss
• 10 ways to reuse board games, by Mother Nature Network
• Go Green With Eco Friendly Toys, by Health Guidance

As we move forward in the twenty-first century, more people than ever are concerned about preserving the environment and our natural resources. This concern has been carried over into the world of business, which means that an increasing number of businesses are going green in a variety of ways.

Running a green business is similar to running a traditional business, though there are a few additional perks and pitfalls for eco-friendly owners. Here are a few secrets to make your green business even more successful.

1. Look for government incentives for green businesses.

Whatever your motives for running a green business, the U.S. government wants to sweeten the deal by offering a variety of incentives for businesses to use renewable and more efficient energy.

The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) offers a complete list of incentives available to business owners. Here are a few highlights:

• Corporate Tax Incentives: If your business invests in eligible renewable or energy-efficient equipment, you may be eligible for special tax deductions, credits, and exemptions. The exact incentives vary by state, and some states have a minimum requirement before the incentive can be applied.
• Green Building Incentives: Chances are you have heard of LEED certification, but other organizations can also issue green building certifications that qualify your business’s building for a government incentive. Typically this incentive applies to proposed buildings and, if approved, the permit fees are greatly reduced or even waived. Green businesses that are erecting new buildings should capitalize on their environmental efforts with this incentive.
• Sales Tax Incentives: Businesses that purchase a renewable energy system or other energy-efficient goods can have the sales tax from such a purchase waived or refunded. If your business is thinking about getting a new energy system, then don’t overlook this valuable opportunity.

2. Choose green power for your business.

During the twentieth century, businesses had little choice but to use the energy supplied by the local electricity company. Now, however, most businesses can choose to get their energy from a green utility company.

Depending on your business’s location, it could be feasible to switch your power supply from traditional sources to more eco-friendly sources–such as a green electricity company.

You can look on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website to locate a green power center near you, after which you have to take a few simple steps such as identifying your annual power usage and signing a Green Power Partnership agreement.

Once your business is identified as a Green Power Partner, the EPA will provide you with tools, expert advice, and certifiable credibility for the green nature of your business.

3. Apply for grants and loans for your green business.

Depending on your business’s product, you may qualify for a government grant. Listed below are several types of industry-specific grants that may apply to your green business.

• Energy Development: Whether your business is working on developing renewable energy or more efficient energy production methods, there are grants available to support your mission and minimize your costs. The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency both offer grants for these types of businesses.
• Real Estate: Developers who improve polluted real estate qualify for Brownfields Grants for their eco-friendly efforts. These grants can also be applied toward assessing polluted property, cleaning it up, and training staff on environmental matters.
• Pest Management: Traditional pesticides wreak havoc on the environment, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency partnered with PestWise to promote Integrated Pest Management programs. Businesses and schools that focus on developing more eco-friendly approaches to pest management qualify for grants to support their work.

4. Use caution when advertising your eco-friendly ways.

While the previous tips are potential perks for green businesses, one pitfall to avoid is falsely advertising the eco-friendliness of your business. Since many consumers tend to prefer doing business with a green partner, it is important that you do not falsely advertise your business, lest you draw the wrath of consumers or law enforcement.

If your advertising is false or misleading, consumers can take actions such as submitting a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission or filing a chargeback against your business. The FTC can start an investigation on or even issue sanctions against your business, which will hurt your reputation. Consumer chargebacks can put your credit processing privileges in jeopardy and hurt your business’s bank account as well.

The bottom line for green businesses is that there are many more potential benefits than costs associated with doing business in a more eco-friendly way.

If you currently run a green business, tell us some of your insider secrets—we’d love to hear them!

 Sources:

• Environmental Grants & Loans, by U.S. Small Business Administration
• Advertising FAQ’s: A Guide for Small Business, by Federal Trade Commission
• What is a Chargeback?, by Chargebacks911
• Guides Against Bait Advertising, by U.S. Government Publishing Office

We all know our safety—and that of our environment—is constantly under attack. Sometimes these attacks come from very unique, seemingly innocent situations. For example, foreclosed properties could be bad for your health—and the future of our environment.

What Is a Zombie Foreclosure?

Any time property owners fall behind on loan payments, they run the risk of entering into foreclosure. This is most common among homeowners—but commercial properties are at risk too.

The foreclosure process is very lengthy, time consuming, and filled with legalese. It is easy for a property owner to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and pessimistic. Assuming the bank will take over their property no matter what they do, many of these homeowners pack up and move away.

However, for one reason or another, the bank doesn’t acquire ownership. Technically, the property owner is still in possession of the title—even though they’ve moved on. These abandoned properties in a state of ownership limbo are called zombie properties (or zombie foreclosures).

Why Do Zombie Foreclosures Happen?

There are various reasons why a bank might cancel the foreclosure process.

The most common cause of zombie proprieties is the location. These foreclosure homes are in low-income areas and the bank isn’t excited to obtain responsibility of a property in such a neighborhood.

Other times, squatters might take over the property or it falls into severe disrepair. In these situations, the effort to obtain ownership is more trouble than it’s worth.

The cost of foreclosing on the property might be more than the property is worth or more than what is owed to the bank. In these cases, the bank wouldn’t waste the money to complete the process. Similarly, the bank might not choose to proceed if the institution already has an excess of foreclosed homes in its inventory.

Zombie Properties are More Common than You Think

At one point, the number of zombie properties had soared above 300,000. While the number of abandoned properties has come down, experts still report one in five homes has been given up as a lost cause.

Some states have started to get the zombie property problem under control; but as recently as June 2014, half of the states in the U.S. had seen an increase in the number of abandoned homes.

This is especially true in states with the lengthiest foreclosure process: Florida, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey.

The Widespread Effects of Zombie Foreclosures

Abandoned properties quickly become a public nuisance. Studies show that a block with a vacant property has:

• More than 3 times as many drug calls to police
• Almost 2 times as many theft calls

Another study conducted in Philadelphia (a city that spends nearly $2 million each year to clean vacant lots) said any home within 150 feet of an abandoned property loses more than $7,000 in value.

Besides the damage these homes do to our wallets, they also have a terrifying effect on our health and safety. Abandoned buildings have pests, rodents, falling rubble, and sharp, rusty objects.

Plus, the risk of fire increases with zombie properties. Each year in the US, there are more than 12,000 air-polluting fires in vacant buildings which causes more than $73 million in damage.

But most importantly, these abandoned properties are wreaking havoc on our environment. Mold, standing water, and lethal chemicals are just a few of the things we have to worry about.

Homes aren’t the only buildings being vacated. Many commercial properties are left unattended, too. Many of them are classified as “brownfields,” buildings that once housed dangerous chemicals in massive quantities. Known carcinogens like lead, mercury, asbestos, petroleum, and PCBs are still present. These uncontained chemicals can seep into the drinking water. They are blown around during fires. They are quietly destroying our depleting natural resources.

The Solution

RealtyTrac offers two solutions for the zombie property problem.

In reality, the solution will depend on the property and the surrounding area. No matter which method professionals use to rectify the problem, we all need to consider how management of these properties will affect our environment.

Do you have experience with a zombie property? Did you live in close proximity to one? How did it affect your life, home, and health?

Sources:

Abandoned buildings still present environmental hazards – The Day

Florida’s Standing in the Midyear Foreclosure Report – Ziegler Law Office

How abandoned buildings could make you sick

Vacant Properties: The True Costs to Communities by National Vacant Properties Campaign

Zombie Foreclosures – Nolo

Zombie Foreclosures Still A Lingering Legacy of the Housing Crisis – RealtyTrac

As society moves towards healthier food options, there is one group of people getting left in the dust: the companies who aren’t supplying foods based on natural ingredients.

As a result, many companies are looking for creative ways to make their products seem healthier than they are. This inventive—yet misleading—marketing effort has led to a lot of food label confusion.

Let’s take a look at some of the basic terms surrounding organic purchases. To avoid food label scams, know what is involved in the production process. Organic foods tend to be more expensive, so you want to make sure you are getting exactly what you bargained for.

A General Explanation of Organic

Any food that is labeled organic was raised or grown in accordance with government regulations. Both the facility and practices are monitored.

No pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage are used to grow organic produce. The animals that are used for organic foods (like beef, poultry, pork, etc.) do not receive antibiotics or growth hormones.

Only foods that are labeled organic adhere to these government standards. Other popular terms—like all natural—aren’t regulated.

Within the classification of organic, there are three different levels.

• Made with Organic Ingredients – These foods are composed of 70% organic ingredients. The remaining, non-organic ingredients are still closely monitor (for example, GMOs aren’t allowed).
• Organic – This classification allows organic producers a little leeway. For example, a non-organic casing might be used for an organic sausage. This means non-traditional products can still be used if there isn’t a natural alternative. Only 95% of the ingredients must be organic.
• 100% Organic – This is technically the only food label option that ensures a totally organic experience.

Understanding Organic Milk

The organic labeling requirements for milk mostly pertain to the cows that produce it.

• At least 30% of the cow’s diet must be grass (free-range grazing).
• The cows must be allowed to graze for at least 120 days.
• Any feed the cows eat must be vegetarian, meaning there can’t be any animal byproducts.
• The cows must not receive antibiotics or growth hormones.

Very few cows are given hormones. But there are milks that are especially marked hormone-free. If you are looking for a cost-effective organic alternative, hormone-free might be your best bet.

Understanding Organic Poultry

There are a ton of terms that apply to organic and natural poultry. To avoid a scam, know your ultimate goal. Are you worried about animal rights? Is buying the healthiest food your main objective?

We’ll start with the biggest scam-worthy labels and work towards the most honest, healthy, and animal friendly products.

• Free Range – Any poultry product that is labeled free range might sound like an animal-friendly, healthy option; however, it is pretty misleading. Free range animals are still kept inside—sometimes in cages. They just have access to the outdoors.
• All Natural – Again, this is another easy scam people fall for. Almost all poultry products are natural. US poultry producers are not allowed to give hormones or steroids to the birds. Therefore, paying extra for “all natural” is totally unnecessary.
• Organic – Birds are still raised in a factory farm situation, but the density is far less than traditional poultry farms. Birds only dine on organic (vegetarian) feed—no animal byproducts are allowed.
• Pasture Raised – These animals are raised outside, away from the large-scale production barns. They eat whatever they can find—bugs, grass, etc.

Understanding Organic Eggs

While we are on the subject of poultry, let’s move right along to eggs. If you aren’t careful, you can easily fall for a labeling scam here. The biggest issue to consider is your stance on animal cruelty.

• Organic – The birds that produce these eggs are not caged, but they are kept in a large barn. They have access to the outdoors, but there aren’t regulations that dictate the duration of their fresh air. Lastly, these birds are subjected to beak cutting and forced molting (through starvation).
• Free Range – Like organic egg-laying birds, free range animals simply need access to the outdoors. Again, there isn’t a rule about how much time.
• Cage Free – This sounds like a pretty sweet deal for a bird, but it isn’t as great as you’d like it to be. Animals aren’t in cages, but they are inside without outdoor access.
• Certified Humane – These animals aren’t caged, but they do spend their lives inside. While there are rules regarding the number of birds in a barn and the availability of perches or nesting boxes, forced molting is allowed.
  
• Animal Welfare Approved – This buying option is the best all-around solution—it’s healthy and animal friendly. Animals aren’t kept in cages and always have access to the outdoors. Animals are allowed to engage in normal bird behaviors (beak cutting and forced molting doesn’t happen).

Understanding Organic Meat

When it comes to purchasing organic meat, there are really only three labels you should even consider buying.

• Organic – All organic meat comes from animals that were allowed to graze for at least 120 days. Also, the animals do not receive antibiotics.
• Grass Fed – The stomachs of most livestock were designed to digest grass. Other feeding options are more difficult for the animal’s body to process. That means a meat product made from grass fed animals is healthier and more natural.
• 100% Grass Fed – Look for labels that specify the animal had unlimited access to pasture and abstained from consuming other feed options.

Don’t Get Scammed!

You owe it to your health, the animal’s health, and your wallet to make sure the foods you buy are exactly what you expect.

If you want help finding healthy products, check the database of organic suppliers available at Eat Wild.

If you do come across an intentionally misleading or dishonest label, consider taking action.

• eConsumerServices might be able to help get your money back if you were a victim of a food labeling scam.
• You can also file a claim with the USDA if you find a compliance or enforcement issue.

Have you ever been scammed by a misleading organic food label? Were you irritated by the health violation or the animal cruelty posing as humane?

Sources:

• How to Read Egg Carton Labels by The Humane Society of The United States
• How do I know if something is organic? by Organic.org
• National Organic Program by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service