In the simplest terms, any food grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides can be labeled organic. People who do not understand the organic food movement often argue that there is no significant difference between organic and so-called conventional food. There is however, a lot more to the argument than meets the eye.

For most of humankind’s history, food crops grew utilizing natural fertilizers such as animal manure, dung and decomposed plant materials, otherwise called compost. Creating good soil was the focus. Crops took nutrients from the soil and all crop refuse was returned to replenish the nutrients removed. Adding these natural elements back to the earth feeds not only the plants, but also the micro-flora and micro-fauna that provide micro-nutrients for the soil, which are subsequently extracted from the soil by the plants.

Pesticides were not necessary because strong, healthy plants, grown in healthy soil, were disease resistant. Predators attack the weak and ill formed. Plants grown in soil that is complete with all the nutrients nature provides grow strong, healthy, and are resistant to disease.

This changed in the mid 1800’s when Justus von Liebig, a German scientist, discovered nitrogen as an essential plant nutrient. This led to the invention of nitrogen-based fertilizer and the propagation of plants utilizing Liebigs’s “Law of the Minimum”. This principle states that the one essential mineral which is in the relatively shortest supply, limits a plant’s development. This concept determines the amount of fertilizer to apply in modern agriculture. Plant growth in conventional agriculture is controlled not by the total resources available, but by the scarcest resource. Minimal plant nutrient requirements are chemically synthesized and added to the dirt. The soil is no longer the source of plant nutrition, but only a receptacle for holding plant roots.

Subsequently, the plants themselves are weak and must be protected against attack from insects, funguses and other pests by the application of synthetic chemical insecticides and other toxic poisons. These poisons get into the food and cannot be removed. The toxins then enter our bodies through ingestion of the food and may lead to other health problems.

Food grown by conventional methods conforms to specific standards designed to meet a consumer demand subliminally created. Much of it is genetically altered or hybridized through genetic modification. All of the food looks the same. It is often picked unripe to aid storage and ease shipping, and then gassed with more chemicals to ripen the fruit before it is presented to buyers. The food is unblemished in appearance, but bland and tasteless. The nutrient content of conventionally grown food is limited and must be supplemented by vitamin and mineral tablets in order to maintain consumer health.

Organic growers use natural materials that are available in the environment around them to grow high quality food. The food is higher in quality because it contains all of the nutrients available from soil enriched by inclusion of natural materials. Equally important, organic food has no synthetic chemicals added as nutrients, to control pests or aid harvesting. This produces food that is better tasting with higher nutritional content. Sometimes organic food is not as pretty to look at like as “steroid food’ found at the local grocery store. However, to clearly know the difference, just eat some food grown organically. The absolute, unequivocal proof that organic food is superior to conventional food is simple. The proof is in the tasting!

Oh Organics, My Organics

“Organics” have arrived. They are more popular than ever, but what exactly is organic food? How does organic farming differ from conventional farming? How does the organic labeling process work? And, what does it all mean to you, the well-intentioned consumer? You might be surprised by some of the answers.

Over the past few decades, organics have moved from the “lunatic fringe” to the red carpet. Literally. This paradigm shift was most evident at the 2004 American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. Each year, celebrities, usually accustomed to receiving gaudy gift bags brimming with fancy fragrances and trendy technology, were instead presented with a more natural offering: “ecogift bags” filled with organic treats like Annie’s Homegrown Organic Macaroni and Cheese, Taylor Maid Farms organic coffee, and organic cotton tote bags from Patagonia.

Organics are not only en vogue among luminaries and de rigueur among foodies, middle America is going organic, too. The 2002 Organic Consumer Trends Report found that thirty-nine percent of the U.S. population uses organic products.

Organic food production is a $16 billion-a-year industry, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) – and it is rising precipitously. Even though organic still accounts for a mere 3% of overall food sales, it is growing at a sizzling rate of 17-20% per year as compared to a glacial rate of 2-3% for conventional foods.

“Once you have Kraft marketing an organic product, albeit through another brand, you really can’t be more part of the mainstream than that,” said Don Montuori, editor of Packaged Facts, an industry publication.

More people eating healthier food produced in safe and sustainable ways is all good, right? Well, not necessarily.

Double-digit growth can be a double-edged sword. Organic food production is growing so rapidly that it is straining the system. There are not enough organic farms and organically raised animals in the United States to meet demand.

When demand outpaces supply, things can go awry. For example, in 2006, The Cornucopia Institute, an organic watchdog organization, filed a legal complaint before the USDA against Dean Foods, the largest milk bottler in the United States. The complaint alleged that Horizon Organic Milk came from cows reared in factory farms that violated organic standards. Specifically, Horizon’s dairy cows did not have sufficient access to pasture and were kept in inhumane conditions. The case is still pending.

“As organics become more mainstream, the standards are at risk,” says Ronnie Cummins, a national director for the Organic Consumer Organization. “Mass market and organics aren’t always compatible,” he adds.

First, let’s get clear on the differences between organic and conventional farming –how and why the distinction was originally drawn.

In 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill included The Organic Foods Production Act, which was created to establish uniform national standards for the production and handling of foods labeled as “organic.” The Act authorized a new USDA National Organic Program to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products.

The USDA National Organic Program now oversees mandatory certification of organic production. The Act also established the National Organic Standards Board which advises the Secretary of Agriculture in setting the standards upon which the National Organic Program is based. Producers who meet standards set by the National Organic Program may label their products as “USDA Certified Organic.”

Here is the technical definition of “organic food” according to the USDA National Organic Program website: “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.”

Fairly clear cut, right? Unfortunately, things aren’t so clear. The ability to emblazon a food product with the word “organic” is a valuable marketing advantage. And, when a subtle advantage can be leveraged for financial gain, it’s a breeding ground for situational ethics — and compromised standards.

Organic certification is intended to protect consumers from misuse of the term, and to make buying organics more straightforward. However, as the demand for organics rise, some large food manufacturers are attempting to weaken organic standards. Even the slightest downgrade in those standards can represent a financial windfall to large food companies.

Some believe that the U.S. government is also seeking to undercut organic standards. For example, Congress passed a $397 billion spending bill that contained a buried provision which could jeopardize U.S. organic standards. The provision, which was slipped into the bill at the last minute without debate, would “permit livestock producers to certify meat and dairy products as organic even if the animals had been fed non-organic or genetically engineered grain.” The provision would override the NOP’s requirement that 100% organic feed be used to produce organic meat products.
While many forces seek to soften organic standards, others go above and beyond to safeguard and uphold them.

“We’re talking about people’s health here,” says Dr. Jack J. Singh, founder of Organic Food Bar, Inc. Health is our most precious asset. Food companies should protect that at all costs! When you run a food company, you are feeding families with children. It is incumbent on everyone in this business to do everything they can to protect people’s health, particularly now as we face a health care crisis in this country.”

What the big companies don’t quite grasp is that unflinching integrity is good for customers – and good for business, too.

• If you want to eat purely organic food, the label should read: “100% organic” and nothing less. Only products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods can be labeled “100% organic.”
• Products with at least 95% organic ingredients can use the word “organic” and can also include the USDA organic seal. The other 5% can be conventionally-grown ingredients.
• A third category, containing a minimum of 70% organic ingredients, can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.”
• In most cases, the word “natural” on a product label means very little because, unlike the designation “organic,” the word “natural” has no legal definition.
• Whenever possible, buy food produced closer to home. That way, you know your food is fresher — and you know where it comes from! The recent food scare with China, while unsettling, has compelled many Americans to examine the origins of their food. This is good. The fact is that locally-produced food is better for you, it’s better for your community — and, it’s better for the planet.

To learn more about organics, visit The Organic Trade Association at: http://www.ota.com

For more healthy living tips, visit: http://www.organicfoodbar.com

Letter From The Editor

Ask OLM

Bacteria in Soil Learn to Eat Antibiotics

What’s Wrong With Vitamins?

What Does Organic Really Mean?

17 Reasons to Eat Organic

Grocery Store Guilt

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An Apple a Day…

What Really is a Healthy Diet?

Supplements Everyone Needs

Your Health – Your Responsibility

Digestion

Welcome. Organic Lifestyle Magazine is not just about food; it encompasses the choices we make each day. In these pages, we explore alternative healthcare; fitness; environmental issues; farming practices (including fair treatment of animals and farmworkers); politics as they relate to organics, alternative medicine, and supplements; and how these issues affect us.

Organic is going mainstream. It’s popular—downright trendy. Even big companies appear to be jumping on the bandwagon. But which ones have our best interests at heart? Which ones are lobbying to change the stringent requirements of the organic label? Which ones have been cited for violations?

Now that you can buy organic chocolate and organic wine, are you wondering why your grocery bill has increased while your health, or lack of health, has stayed the same?

With so many choices from acupuncture to reiki, from glucosamine to probiotics, from grandma’s home remedies to new age wisdom, it’s hard to know what’s best. We’re here to help you make informed choices for yourself, your family, our world, and your lifestyle.

Welcome to OLM!

Michael Edwards

Editor in Chief

Raccoon Eyes

Do you know of any herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc. to get rid of dark under-eye circles?

I started having them when I was a pre-teen and they got darker over the years. I’m in my early 20’s now. The circles are so dark, they look like bruises. I did have many blood tests done and everything turned out fine. I eat healthy and get plenty of sleep. I tried virtually every department store cream and they didn’t work. Now, I want to try the natural approach to get rid of these silly things! Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Leann

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: You need to do some serious liver and gallbladder cleansing. Dark circles are indicative of a poorly functioning liver. Ignore the common belief that dark circles are hereditary. This is simply not true. Handle your liver and the dark circles will disappear.

In health, freedom, and love

Doc

Juicer

I am looking to purchase a juicer. Any suggestions? I am looking for one that will not “heat” the juice. Ease of use and cleaning are also important. I do not mind paying a little more for a good machine.

Kim

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: The ultimate, best juicer is the Norwalk. Not only does it get all the nourishment out when it comes to juicing, it makes an awesome press for making tinctures. Of course it costs 2,500 bucks so it’s one of those “you get what you pay for” top-notch goodies. Try and pick one of these up on e-Bay or at a yard sale, and you can get a smoking deal sometimes.

I own a 60-year-old Norwalk that weighs 400 lbs. and stands four feet off the ground with a six-ton press on it. You can run three humongous carrots through the grinder at a time and it doesn’t even slow down. I bought it from a little ole lady for $25 without even knowing what it was (discovered it was a Norwalk after I cleaned it up), and discovered it was worth about $25,000 after the President of Norwalk offered me two brand new ones in exchange for this one. Seems as if this was Norman Walker’s original line and even the company didn’t have one in their museum. The thing is you can find these at yard sales, estate sales, garage sales, etc. and most go for a song when you do find them. They are few and far between, though. But they’re out there.

But rather than waiting for that to fall out of the sky, I would recommend a Champion. You can pick these up brand new for anywhere from $250 to $350 depending on where you buy them. They will warm up a bit with continuous use, but the temperature will not go above 105 degrees, which is the temperature at which enzymes start dying in abundance. The Champion is all motor and will last forever. You’ll be handing it down to your grandchildren. You can also find these at yard sales for a song. I saw one last week that went for $5 and it was in perfect condition. The Green Power is also supposed to be good, but I’ve never used one so cannot speak from personal experience here. Hope this helps.

Doc

Homeopathic

Are herbal remedies the same as homeopathic remedies?

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: No. Homeopathic medicine is a field of alternative medicine all its own and is the leading alternative therapy in France. It uses tiny doses of herbs, minerals, and poison in a theory called the law of the similar. Its premise is that if large doses of a certain substance can cause a problem, a minute dose can help the same problem.

In health and love,

Doc

Email your questions to questions [at] organicmail.net. Questions may be edited for clarity or length

Super bugs live in soil? Yes, according to Harvard University researchers who discovered why antibiotics don’t build up in the soil. Bacteria are eating it; they thrive on doses 50 to 100 times greater than the equivalent therapeutic dose for humans.

Scientists are scrambling to find out how they do it before they teach their cousins, human pathogens, how to wine and dine on Cipro, gentamicin, and the next generation of man made antibiotics.

While we applaud Mother Nature for devising a means to remove antibiotic waste from the soil, the warning is clear. Will we listen? Will we stop polluting our water and our land with antiseptics and antibiotic run off? Will we stop feeding antibiotics like candy to our animals? To our children? To ourselves? Will we look for alternative treatments to strengthen immunity and help our bodies to heal? Or will we continue the evolutionary war on bacteria, creating new strains resistant to every known treatment?

Time and time again studies have shown vitamin C or Echinacea can help prevent or reduce the length and severity of a viral infection such as the common cold. And yet, other studies will show vitamin C or Echinacea are of little to no help in fighting viruses. Some studies conclude a particular supplement prevents or cures an illness. A second study says maybe it does, but more research is needed. A third denies any health benefits at all, while a fourth declares the same supplement to be dangerous. There are as many conflicting reports published as there are supplements!

The truth is, vitamins, minerals, and other supplements can be very beneficial in preventing disease or in restoring the body to health. But choosing the right supplement is not as easy as going to your local vitamin store or grocery store and picking up a multivitamin that claims to have 100% of every USDA daily requirement.
Vitamins, minerals, and other supplements come in many different forms: synthetic pills that our bodies can’t digest, much less assimilate, “natural” vitamins that are anything but natural, and whole food vitamins and supplements.

Binders, fillers, and lubricants used to speed up production are commonly found in almost all supplements. Typical synthetic vitamins are usually coated with shellac (listed in the ingredients as “natural glaze”) or vegetable coating (derived from corn).These additives have a number of effects, including decreased absorption and allergenic reaction. Even small amounts of additives may cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Of course, manufactures and distributors deny that the presence of these substances is detrimental. But obviously, the most desirable products would not contain non-nutrient substances added solely to expedite the manufacturing process.

Whole food vitamins, minerals, and supplements are usually best, but beware. Not all of the products referred to as “food vitamins” are created equal.

One common practice is to take standard vitamins and put them in tablets or capsules with dried foods or herbs along with fillers, preservatives, and other additives, then label them as food vitamins. These vitamins are nothing more than a more expensive version of standard synthetic vitamins.

Another common type of “food vitamin” is made by adding standard synthetic vitamins to a liquid broth containing yeast. As the yeast grows, the vitamins and minerals are incorporated into the cell structure of the yeast. The yeast is then killed in a drying process and the residue is pressed into tablets with herbs, binders, and manufacturing additives. Though absorption is superior to the previous method, vitamins made this way are low in potency and high in cost.

A third kind of “food vitamin” supplement is made from concentrated dried foods either pressed into tablets with the aid of manufacturing additives or sold as tinctures. Potency and effectiveness depend on the quality of the raw herb used, the care taken in manufacturing, and the purity of the final product.

When you look for a natural health care practitioner, we recommend that you check to see if they carry Thorne Research, Systemic Formulas, and/or Standard Process supplements. Though many of the products of these three companies can be purchased over the Internet, many of these products are restricted to distribution through health care practitioners. A health care practitioner who uses any of these brands for acute care is likely to know at least a little more about health than their counterparts.

For tinctures, you can’t go wrong with Medi-herb. As far as purchasing over the internet, the highest quality supplements you can get can be found at Beyond Health. They are pricy, but in this case you get what you pay for. For general nutrition and herbal remedies be sure to check out Organic Solutions.

Do we really need vitamins, minerals, and supplements? Not if we eat fresh raw nutrient dense organic vegetables and fruits straight from a garden with soil rich in minerals and nutrients, and fresh (just killed), raw, all natural, healthy meat. We must also remember to eat our grains, nuts, and seeds sprouted. But even if we were willing and able to eat such a Paleolithic diet in this modern day and age, it’s not readily available.

When choosing a multi vitamin and/or minerals know that knowledgeable manufacturers will exclude iron, copper, and iodine from their multivitamin formula as they react with and destroy other nutrients in most cases. Choose vitamins, minerals, and supplements void of synthetic ingredients. Even small amounts of the synthetic forms may be toxic. Yeast based vitamins can cause sensitivities over time for anyone who has problems with Candida and most of the supplements have hidden ingredients the manufacturers aren’t required to list on their labels, which can affect people with allergies. We believe it’s the toxic effect of synthetic vitamins; reactions to fillers, binders, and lubricants; the huge difference in purity from one brand to another; and the resultant lack of absorption or the absorption rate that are the root causes of widely varying outcomes in scientific studies.

The hardest part about writing an article to teach one how to shop for vitamins and minerals is that none of the rules are applicable every time. In addition, none of the supplement manufacturers listed above are perfect. We believe the highest quality multivitamin/minerals come from Beyond Health but they are far and away the most expensive. The other companies have various strengths and weaknesses but make good products that are effective, especially for acute care. For the best results, choose additive-free supplements.