Do you avoid beans? Do you find them difficult to cook? Are they too time consuming with all the soaking? Do you buy a few cans to make chili or grab a container of hummus without ever thinking about the huge variety of bean dishes you’ve never tried?

Pulses are nutritious, tasty, and affordable. There are so many new recipes to choose from and a lot of classic recipes as well. Yes, there’s beans and rice, baked beans, split pea soup, bean soup, lentil stew and more. There’s also pasta made from pulses and nutritious gluten free flours to use for baking and frying.

Pulses make a great addition to any diet. They are a wonderful source of protein, fiber, and nutrition. And they are delicious!

Pulses include:

• Dried peas – split and whole
• Beans – all varieties
• Lentils – multiple varieties
• Chickpeas – also called garbanzo beans

Pulses and Digestion

Do you avoid beans because they are difficult to digest? Do they give you gas? Well, you’re not alone, but this, too, can change.

• You need to start with small servings and work your way up to larger servings to increase your body’s natural enzymes.
• Soak your pulses, including split peas and lentils.
• Consider using added enzymes. Beano is a well-known example. Beanzyme is a vegan option.
• Many people soak their beans overnight (but don’t soak lintels for more than 6 hours or they’ll get soggy).

Long Soak Method

Soak beans in a glass or stainless steel bowl or pot. Use filtered water. Cover beans with at least 4 extra inches of water. (They soak up a lot of water). When you’re done soaking them, drain and replace the water.

Quick Soak Method

Bring beans to a boil. Remove from heat and allow beans to soak for 1-4 hours. Drain, rinse beans, replace water, and cook.

Peas

Split peas make a quick an easy soup. For every cup split peas, add 2-4 cups or more of water. (Depending on how thick you want it and whether or not you add other vegetables.) Bring to a boil then turn it down to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes – until peas are soft. You can eat it as it is, process it in a food processor or blender, or process half and recombine.

That’s the basic recipe. Where you go from there is up to you. Some choose to use chicken stock or vegetable broth instead of water. Many recipes call for finely chopped onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Some also include potatoes. You can add butter, bacon fat, or a dash of olive oil. Consider adding bay leaves, thyme, mint, pepper, marjoram, rosemary, parsley, or a combination of spices. Add salt when it is cooked.

• Meat eater? Include bacon, ham, or sausage.
• Vegetarian? Top soup bowls with shredded mozzarella and chopped tomatoes.
• Vegan? Add garlic and caramelized onions for a simple soup. Add other veggies for a more complex soup.

Garbanzo Beans

These beans have garnered quite a reputation in the last decade as hummus gained in popularity. The rather expensive store bought dip is easily made at home for a fraction of the price, and it’s fun to play with.

Soak your beans overnight or use the quick soak method. Before cooking, strain the beans and rinse well.

Cover with 2-3 inches of water, bring it to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1-1 ½ hours. You can use a pressure cooker for faster results or a slow cooker if you have the time and patience. Check the water level and add water if needed.

You can also make hummus with raw garbanzo beans. First soak them for 24 hours. Change the water and rinse the beans at least once during that time.

Hummus

• 2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 TBL tahini or another nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond)
• 2-2 ½ TBL lemon juice

Add ingredients to a food processor with an S blade or a blender.

You can add whatever you want to add to make variations. Try adding any of the following:

• Cooked or raw red pepper
• Jalapeno or habanero peppers
• Orange and orange zest
• Lemon zest
• Garlic (2-3 cloves or more, cooked or raw)
• Avocado (use lime instead of lemon and add a pinch of cumin)
• Spinach or zucchini
• Artichokes
• Sundried tomatoes or oven roasted tomatoes
• Pumpkin (1 cup pumpkin puree plus a little cinnamon and cayenne)

Lentils

Like beans, there a million recipes for lentils. You can make soups, casseroles, curries, fillings, spreads, salads, baked goods, and more. Our current favorite is a weekly creation using whatever leftover greens we have in the fridge.

Kristina’s Lentil Stew Recipe

• 8 cups green lentils (you don’t have to, but I prefer to soak them)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 cups roughly chopped greens (can be spinach, kale, collards, chard…whatever you like)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 zucchini, quartered
• 1 dash garam masala
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1 dash smoked paprika
• 1 dash chili flakes (more if you like spice!)
• 1/4 tsp dried coriander
• 6-10 whole cloves
• 5-10 bay leaves
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsps coconut oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth
• Cilantro and lime wedge to garnish

Let the oil heat in the pressure cooker (if you don’t have a pressure cooker, use a large stew or stock pot) on low heat. Put the garam masala, curry powder, cumin seed, dried ginger, smoked paprika, chili flakes, and coriander in the oil to toast them, stirring occasionally.

Add the onions and garlic after about 30 seconds. Let them simmer 2-5 minutes or until they soften.

Pour in the apple cider vinegar, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Stir. Let those combine for a minute. Turn up the heat to a medium and add in the greens, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. You can use these specific vegetables or what you have on hand or those you prefer, like carrots, other squash or something else (I do not recommend broccoli). Give the greens and other vegetables about 5 minutes to simmer and soften. If at any time in the cooking process you need more liquid, add some of the stock.

Add the lentils in on top of your mixture. Fill the pot to the top of the lentils with broth. Put the bay leaves and the cloves in a spice ball or tea strainer and add them on top.

Seal the pressure cooker, turn the heat on high, and leave the lentils to cook for roughly 12 minutes (times may vary based on your individual pressure cooker).

If you aren’t using a pressure cooker, bring the whole pot to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils reach the consistency you want. Serve in bowls topped with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

The recipe itself is vegan, but you can add meat if you like or substitute chicken broth. Sausage works well with this recipe. You can also top it with some feta cheese or yogurt. Play around with your veggies and spices to see what you like best.

The end result will be a hearty, healthy, warming stew with minimal fuss and lots of flavor.

Conclusion

If you are ready to cook with pulses, you can easily find thousands of great recipes on the Internet. Don’t be afraid to make them from scratch. A little planning is all it takes to save money, make the best, and avoid adding cans to the landfill. Just remember – soak well, rinse well, and start off with small servings.

Related Reading:

• Homemade, Vegan Nut Milk Recipes and More
• Raw Hummus Recipe
• 10 Vegan-Friendly Sources Of Protein
• Things Health Nuts Do With Their Food

Recommended Products:

• Digestive Enzymes

Sources: 

• Eating Pulses is Easy – Pulses
• 10 tips for better bean digestion; a few announcements – The Full Helping

An atom or a molecule (a group of atoms) with more positive electrons than negative carries a positive charge. When there is an extra negative electron it has a negative charge. We call these positive and negative ions.

Positively charged ions do not have a positive effect on our physical and mental health. They are associated with an increase in allergies, infections, lethargy, depression, anxiety, suicide, and more.

Negatively charged ions have a positive effect. They elevate our mood by increasing serotonin levels, they help stabilize blood pressure, increase the body’s alkalinity, strengthen bones, heighten immunity, accelerate physical recovery, they purify and clean the air, and more.

Obviously, it is in our best interest to increase our exposure to negative ions. But how can we do this?

Spend more time outside. Negatively charged ions are abundant in nature with the highest concentrations forming near moving water and old growth forests. Have you ever noticed how you feel when you sit near a waterfall or walk along the beach? What about when you stand in a forest or stroll through a lush garden? You breathe in that fresh, clean air and you feel energized yet calm, alive, vibrant, refreshed.

Positively charged ions concentrate indoors. Electromagnetic fields, fluorescent lights, carpet, metal, plastics, and air pollution all increase the number of positive ions in an environment. Your first defense is to open the windows to fresh air! The next? Get rid of those fluorescent light bulbs! While you’re at it, toss the microwave.

While most of us will not give up our modern electrical conveniences, we can limit our exposure by turning off electronics that are not in use and by shutting it down at night. Turn off your “instant on” appliances. Yes, unplugging them and plugging them in again is a hassle. Why not plug them into a surge protector so you can just flip the switch?

Cell phones are great when you’re out and about, but many of us have done away with our landlines and use our cell phones exclusively. If you or a family member spends lots of time on the phone, consider the benefits of maintaining a landline. More evidence is mounting that links brain cancer to extensive cell phone use, especially when usage begins in the teen years.

In addition to stopping some of the electronic pollution at its source, you can invest in ways to produce negative ions in your home. How can we increase negative ions on the home? Open windows, eliminate carpet, buy an all-natural mattress, set up an indoor waterfall, use salt lamps, or try a negative ion generator. We recommend utilizing all of these options.

Increase your exposure to negative ions and start grounding (or earthing) each day as well, and your body will thank you!

Further Reading:

• How Himalayan Salt Lamps Work
• Earthing – Touching Earth
• How Himalayan Salt Lamps Work

Related Products:

• All Natural Mattresses
• Himalayan Salt Lamps

Sources:

• Negative ions are great for your health – My Body and Soul
• Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with a High-Output Negative Ionizer – The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

In recent years, scientists have learned more about the microbes residing in the human gut and how they affect health and wellbeing. We have learned that microbes outnumber human cells in the body – roughly 90% microbes to 10% human cells. We know the microbes in our gut help digest our food and in the process help create vitamins, neurotransmitters, and hormones. We know 80% of our immunity begins in the gut. We are beginning to understand the link between the gut, autoimmune diseases, and neurological syndromes.

Earlier studies confirmed that bacteria in the gut of obese people is different than normal intestinal flora. Thin people have a diverse and plentiful microbial ecosystem in their gut, whereas obese individuals do not. Some particular strains in obese people even differ from those who are lean. Transplanting these microbes can cause obesity in mice studies. Further studies will tell us if the reverse is true, if transplanting healthy microbes can reverse obesity.

Next, we learned that maternal obesity was associated with alterations in the gut microbiome of their babies. Then scientists performed statistical studies that revealed children born to obese mothers showed an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Then the question arose – Does the intestinal microbiota and what has been known as the gut brain axis play a part in neurodevelopmental disorders? Could altered gut microbiota induce autistic behaviors?

The answer is a resounding yes. A new study clearly showed that mice born to obese mothers were missing several strains of bacteria in their guts. Behavior equivalent to autism in humans become prevalent in this group. When given the missing bacterial species, oxytocin levels and synaptic dysfunction were corrected and social deficit behaviors were reversed, but not all symptoms were eliminated.

This fascinating study clearly linked gut health and autism, and opened the door to further research as well as prevention and treatment options for obesity and autism.

This is not the first time that gastrointestinal disease has been associated with autism. An earlier investigation into the connection between gut health and autism began 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the causal factor for that study was not maternal obesity. Instead, the MMR vaccine appeared to be the common cause of the intestinal disease in most of the children, but like the recent study, the intestinal disease was clearly tied to the autism.

A Fresh Look at Dr. Andrew Wakefield

It all began on May 17^th, 1995, when Dr. Andrew Wakefield received a call from a mother who told him that her child was developing normally before receiving an MMR vaccination. After the vaccine, her child regressed into autism and began suffering from terrible gastrointestinal problems. She told him there were other children she knew of with the same story.

In February 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Prof. John Walker Smith, Dr. Simon Murch, and 10 other co-authors published a case study of 12 children in the Lancet, a British Medical Journal. The case study of these 12 autistic children with gastrointestinal disease stated the following:

“Findings: Onset of behavioral symptoms was associated, by the parents, with measles, mumps, rubella vaccination in 8 of the 12 children.” Lancet 1998

The researchers were correctly reporting information as collected, as they would in any case study. But Wakefield went on to publicly bring attention to the possibility that the MMR vaccine might be a causal factor in autism, and he recommended that parents choose the individual measles, mumps, and rubella shots (spaced out over time) rather than the MMR combination vaccine.

The individual shots, which were available in both the UK and the USA at the time of Wakefield’s recommendation, were soon discontinued (within 6 months in the UK). The publication, the publicity, and the controversy caused an uproar. Dr. Wakefield was blamed for a sharp decline in vaccine compliance in the UK and to some extent in the U.S.A.

Dr. Wakefield contends that the decline in the MMR was matched by an uptake of the individual shots before they were discontinued, that vaccine compliance was not actually affected until the individual shots were discontinued. He believes the blame for the decline in the vaccination rate should rest with those who chose to discontinue the individual vaccines.

The controversy Dr. Wakefield stirred was probably enough to make him a target, but he increased his risk by agreeing to serve as an expert witness for parents of autistic children who were entering litigation.

Then the United Kingdom General Medical Council regulatory board (GMC), the licensing board for physicians in England, ruled that the study and the published paper were fraudulent. Ten of the authors signed a letter retracting the claim that the MMR vaccine caused autism, even though the paper stated no such conclusion. Wakefield, Smith, and Murch refused to sign the paper and were brought up before the GMC on misconduct charges.

In an interview, Andy Wakefield said,

At the GMC, there were 3 defendants: Professor Walker Smith, who was at the time the world’s leading pediatric gastroenterologist, a very senior man with an impeccable record, an unimpeachable career, one of his juniors, Dr. Simon Murch, and… and myself. All three of us were found guilty.

“Simon Murch did not lose his license, but Walker Smith and I lost our license. He was then funded to appeal in the English high court. I did appeal but I … for financial reasons… it was impossible for me to pursue that. And it was not a primary objective after that to restore my license. There were more import things to do.

“But Professor Walker Smith did appeal and at that appeal, the first time this case had ever come before a proper judiciary…a proper judge… and the judge destroyed the General Medical Council’s decision.

“He said effectively they were incompetent. They were not in a position to judge the evidence. That they made mistakes; they got the facts wrong. They misrepresented the evidence. And worse of all, they were biased. They had made up their minds from the outset that we were guilty. And he completely overturned their decision and said in effect this must never happen again.

“Walker Smith was completely reinstated and all charges against him utterly dismissed. Ninety percent of the charges against Walker Smith were the same charges as those against me. The paper should have been reinstated and yet the Lancet editor refused to do that in order to protect his reputation and his job.”

It was 2012 when Professor Smith won his appeal against the GMC and his license to practice medicine was restored. The story, according to Wakefield, was published in one newspaper. How many children have been sacrificed to protect the pharmaceutical industry in the last 20 years?

Andy Wakefield continues to defend the paper he and his co-authors published, and he continues to state the need for the MMR vaccine to be discontinued and individual shots to be manufactured and distributed in its place. He recently came back into the news as the director of the film Vaxxed: From Cover Up to Catastrophe, a film about the CDC whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson who revealed data was removed from a study that confirmed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Though Andrew Wakefield is alive and well, when Del Bigtree, the producer of Vaxxed, discussed Wakefield’s past, the loss of his license, position, and influence in this critical area of research, he sounds like he is delivering a eulogy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR4br7WrkqA

The world lost one of the greatest scientific minds of our times when Andy Wakefield was taken from us. This was a man who was doing studies that were going to lead to healthier vaccines and better ways to take care of the health of our children. That, unfortunately, was going to cost a lot of money for the vaccine industry, and they cared a lot more about their industry and their money than they did the health of children. And so I can confidently say, that I am proud to be working on this picture about the CDC whistleblower with Andy Wakefield.”  – Del Bigtree interview for ABC World News Tonight 3/26/16

Conclusion

Clearly, evidence that our health is dependent on our gut microbiome keeps growing. Leaky gut syndrome leads to a host of illnesses including autoimmune diseases. The microbiome is linked to mental illness, obesity, and immunity. And now, we once again are seeing a clear link with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders on the autism spectrum.

Whether adult or child, a healthy gut is fundamental to a healthy life. And gut health begins with diet. A prebiotic diet with 80% fresh, raw, organic produce helps establish and maintain a healthy microbiome. We need to avoid antibiotics along with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Eliminate MSG and GMOs. Limit or eliminate processed sugar and gluten. Eat real food, not nutrient stripped processed food. Avoid pesticides.

We can rebuild a healthy gut through diet as we detox from heavy metals and the chemicals that disrupt and kill healthy bacteria in our gut. We can kill off the overgrowth of Candida that causes us to have a permeable gut. We can choose to live a healthy lifestyle and we can help our children live a healthy lifestyle. Some of those choices will be hard. Do we continue to eat the standard American diet? Do we keep poisoning our food and our bodies with glyphosate and GMOs? Do we use conventional soaps and shampoos filled with chemicals? Do we follow the current vaccine schedule? With the looming prediction that 1 of every 2 children will have autism if we continue on this path, we need to make the right decisions now.

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness
• Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

Sources:

• How Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin – Scientific American
• Microbial Reconstitution Reverses Maternal Diet-Induced Social and Synaptic Deficits in Offspring – Cell
• Dr. Andrew Wakefield Deals With Allegations – You Tube

Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener that comes from a herbaceous plant, Stevia rebaudiana, a relative of the sunflower that is native to South America. It has been used as a sweetener and a medicine by the Guaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay for more than 1,500 years.

First, we heard this natural sweetener that is from 200 times to 400 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, and doesn’t raise glucose levels in the blood. Next, we heard possible health benefits, especially for diabetics. It may even be a wonderful antioxidant that lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and helps fight cancer. But is the stevia you are buying at the grocery store the same sweetener with these health benefits?

Stevia leaves can be dehydrated and crushed to make a whole food sweetener with definite health benefits including an array of antioxidants. But, as is often the case, this healthy food is probably not what you are buying. Stevia’s sweetness comes from glycosides contained in the leaves. The two primary glycosides are stevioside and rebaudioside (though there are as many as seven). Stevioside has an aftertaste some experience as bitter while others say it tastes like licorice. Rebaudioside is sweeter without an aftertaste. When you buy stevia, you may be buying stevia extract that is just rebaudioside. And stevia may not be the only ingredient. Take Truvia for example.

Truvia’s lists 3 ingredients on their label: erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and natural flavors. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a calorie-free sugar substitute made from sugar that has been known to cause headaches, diarrhea, and stomach upset when large amounts are ingested. For some people, a regular size portion will cause this reaction. The third ingredient is natural flavors. That could be anything, even aspartame or MSG.

Dr. Axe writes, “According to the United States patent for the Coca-Cola Company, Truvia goes through a 42 step process to make this processed sweetener. First, the rebaudioside is extracted from the stevia leaf then, chemical solvents are added including acetonitrile which is toxic to the liver and is a carcinogen. They then add in a GMO corn derivative in erythritol.”

And yet, when most people buy Truvia, they believe they are buying stevia.

Teas, extracts, and tinctures made with high-quality, whole-leaf stevia, on the other hand, contain up to seven sweet compounds (glycosides) and an array of antioxidants.

Quality Stevia

Green leaf stevia, made by crushing dried stevia leaves into powder, is the least processed. It is 30-40 times sweeter than sugar (rather than 200-400 times) and is a little bitter by comparison to the processed varieties. Dr. Axe recommends the brands Sweet Leaf Stevia and Organic Traditions.

If you want to ensure you are getting the best possible stevia, grow your own! See the link below to Mother Earth News and a great article on growing stevia. They even tell you how to make extract, which is very simple. Just add ½ cup of lightly crushed leaves to 1 cup of almost boiling water and steep it for 40 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. What could be easier?

Recommended Reading:

• Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Sources:

• All About Growing the Stevia Plant – Mother Earth News
• Stevia Side Effects: Good or Bad? – Dr. Axe Food Is Medicine
• Stevia Dangers – Stevia.net
• History of Use – Stevia.net
• The Benefits and Risks of Erythritol as a Sweetener – Livestrong

I vividly remember the fear I felt when faced with the empty nest syndrome. It wasn’t just that my kids would be gone, I would be alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. In silence.

As it turned out, silence was the best part. It was regenerative. It was healing. It was… awesome. And the silence sparked the most creative period of my life.

A 2013 study may explain why. Imke Kirste, Ph.D., a regenerative biologist from Duke University, studied the effects of different sounds on cells in the hippocampus region of the brain in mice. The sounds being tested were white noise, piano music by Mozart, and pup calls (baby mouse cries). Two hours a day of silence was supposed to be the control. Instead, silence became the surprise trophy winner. Silence caused an increase in new neurons. Sounds did not.

So… silence is more than golden. It feeds the brain.

Related Reading:

• The Glymphatic System – How Insomnia Leads to a Filthy Mind
• Increase your IQ with the Right Foods, Herbs, Vitamins
• Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium
• Yoga – A Beginner’s Guide
• What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

Sources:

• Is silence golden? Effects of auditory stimuli and their absence on adult hippocampal neurogenesis – Brain Structure and Function
• Science Says Silence Is Much More Important To Our Brains Than We Think – Lifehack
• This Is Your Brain on Silence – Nautilus

While fresh, organic, whole foods are the ideal, few of us have the time or dedication to make everything from scratch. Though many die-hard foodies make their own condiments, who makes their own olive oil?

Recently a quest for gluten-free balsamic vinegar led to the discovery of Vitacost, an online grocery that carries most, if not all, of the packaged pantry items we would ever need. Their costs were a complete surprise. While a few things were a bit higher, others were lower. Groceries are delivered to your door. There are no travel costs. No taxes. And what makes it truly affordable, no shipping charge for orders over $49.00 (or $25.00 for selected products).

Soon after discovering Vitacost, I noticed advertising for a similar company, Thrive Market. Both are vocal about competing with Whole Foods. It was time to do a serious cost and website comparison to learn a little more about these companies.

Vitacost

Vitacost started their business in 1994 as an online source for third party vitamins and supplements. In 1999, the company began carrying proprietary brands. Over the years, it expanded into personal care products, sports and fitness diet supplies, pet supplies, green cleaning supplies, and “shelf-stable” natural and organic food. Vitacost was purchased by Kroger in 2014. The company now carries more than 45,000 items.

Thrive Market

Thrive Market is new in the game, having launched in September of 2014. Thrive is growing in leaps and bounds, though their selection is sparse compared to Vitacost and they require a $60.00 annual membership fee. The company now reports that they have acquired more than 200,000 members. They also claim to be carbon neutral and to be a company with a conscience that gives away memberships to those who cannot afford them. The company is working hard to make healthy foods (organic and non-GMO foods) accessible to everyone.

Website Comparison

Vitacost is hands down the winner when it comes to website design and user-friendly features. While Thrive has incorporated many of the same search features, they don’t have all as many categories so narrowing search parameters isn’t nearly as precise.

A search in Vitacost for olive oil reveals 172 hits in food and beverages. On the side of the screen, the user can limit choices by checking one or more of the 24 specialty choices such as GMO-free, gluten-free, organic, sugar-free, kosher, vegan, BPA-free, etc. Further limitations can be made by choosing brands, price range, form (like chips or liquid), servings, flavor, ratings, featured products, or price range.

The same search on Thrive Market results in 19 hits in the food category. The search can be further narrowed by the following categories: form, manufacturers, certifications and awards (certified gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO, etc.) environmental and social (categories like family-owned business, made in the USA, women-owned business, recyclable), health and ingredients (sugar free, salt free, pesticide free, etc.), and lifestyle (their broad categories like gluten free, paleo, vegan, etc.)

Where Vitacost’s site really shines is how it allows shoppers to save and organize favorite items. Shoppers can even create separate folders. For instance, you can create a folder for canned goods, one for baking items, one for cookies, one for pasta, etc. When you return to the site you can open a folder and check off items you wish to purchase rather than searching through the site. You can also reorder from a previous order (you can even modify it) and you can set up and schedule automatic re-orders for the items you know you are going to purchase regularly.

Amazon

Although prices were competitive on some items, others were ridiculously high. However, Amazon may remain the go-to spot for large bulk items like 25lb bags of rice or cases of canned goods.

Prices are accurate as of 5/30/2016.

It is clear that both Vitacost and Thrive Market are viable alternatives to shopping at Whole Foods even before taxes, travel costs, and time are considered. For these who don’t live near a store that carries these items, online shopping may be the only means to purchase natural and organic staples. Affordable, accessible quality foods are now within the reach of all our citizens.

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• How to Eat Healthy On a Budget
• Eating Right when the Budget is Tight

Sources:

• Vitacost – Wikipedia
• Company information supplied by Vitacost
• Thrive Market wants to build an online Whole Foods for people who aren’t rich – Recode
• Can Thrive Market be a Kinder, Gentler Amazon for Organic Food? – Civil Eats

Less than a year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) lit a fire under the glyphosate controversy when it released the news that glyphosate was a probable carcinogen.

Last year’s report, was made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO’s cancer agency. The conclusion was reached through consideration of publicly available studies.

Now, a joint UN and WHO panel has announced their finding that glyphosate is probably not carcinogenic. What’s worse is that WHO officials are claiming there is no contradiction in their new conclusion, that the first conclusion was identifying a potential hazard while the second was quantifying the associated risk. Huh? Are you wondering if there is another agenda here?

It’s easy enough to follow the money. Panel members have ties to Monsanto and big money, seven figure money, has changed hands.

On the same day as the UN/WHO report made the news, The New York Times reported that a new analysis of GM crops finds that they are safe to eat and do not harm the environment. This conclusion was reached through the review of more than 1,000 studies, the testimony of 80 witnesses, and the analysis of comments from the public.

Though the committee says many of the animal feeding studies were too small to provide firm conclusions, they still deemed these crops safe. Those following this debate know that animal studies have shown they are dangerous, causing reproductive damage, organ damage, and cancers, but only in long term studies. It is the long-term studies that the biotech firms have avoided as they complete one short-term study after another to “prove” the safety of their products.

Both of these reports came out days before the European Union is scheduled to vote on relicensing glyphosate, a multi-billion dollar decision for the biotech industry.

Recommended Reading:

• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Scientists Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Doctors Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Celebrities Against GMOs

Sources:

• UN/WHO panel in conflict of interest row over glyphosate cancer risk – The Guardian
• Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe, Analysis Finds – The New York Times
• U.N. experts find weed killer glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer – Reuters