Lowlands Farm

Veganism is a growing lifestyle choice as more and more people opt to become a vegan. This movement is gaining ground because of the growing body of evidence that demonstrates that modern industrialized farming techniques are cruel and brutal towards the life stock that is raised. Life stock in industrialized farms is usually brutalized by their owners. Cows are forced to undergo periods of starvation and stress as they're carted around from one location to another. The diet of most farm animals is very poor and usually consists of corn. Corn itself isn't a safe diet for most farm animals and can lead to dangerous digestive problems.

These issues turn many consumers into vegetarians who refuse to eat meat on ethical grounds. However, veganism is a further step towards rejecting the abuse and murder of animals. Veganism embraces a lifestyle that doesn't consume any animal products at all. Beyond declining to eat meat, vegans won't eat any animal byproducts, such as milk, eggs or cheese. Veganism is more of a lifestyle choice than a dietary restriction because so many food items are off limits to vegans.

A vegan diet is typically supplemented with a vegan protein powder. The lack of large quantities of raw protein from sources such as eggs, dairy and meat means that vegans can often run the risk of missing a significant section of important nutritional requirements. A vegan protein powder contains many of the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that those leading a vegan lifestyle can be deficient in. Proteins, along with iron, are both nutrients vegans need to ensure they receive from a vegan protein powder. This powder is usually mixed with water and consumed daily on its own or with meals.

However, there are alternatives to a vegan protein powder that are more natural than a powder. Beans are a huge source of natural protein that vegans may find attractive. Lentils also fall into this category as well. Since vegans are restricted from eating a large portion of the available foot catalogue, they often have to get creative when preparing dishes. Common items such as hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza would normally be off limits to vegans because of the meat and cheese contained in these products.

Nevertheless, vegans are very resourceful in making dishes that a rich in protein and can help meet the nutritional shortfall caused by rejecting animal products. Soy and beans are great substitutes for meat and can be flavored and molded into meat like shapes. It's very common to see bean or soy burgers that taste just as good as actual meat hamburger. Vegan food that is high in protein is usually healthier than animal products that are high in protein. This stems from the high fiber and low fat content a bean or soy alternative can have.

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Steven Edward Olsen -
About the Author:

Still, a whole food supplements.

We all live in a world of chemicals and genetic engineering. We have learned to accept the fact that in order to prevent pests from ravaging our fields, pesticides have to be sprayed on a regular basis. To ensure that we get the ideal, juiciest and largest produce, fertilizers have to be used as well. Because of the demand for meat and the shortage of grass and free ranging space, cows in big farms have to be fed artificial feeds and given antibiotics when they get sick. All these contemporary practices have long been accepted. However, as advances in technology and engineering grew, we have also come to realize that there these fertilizers, pesticides and artificial means of feeding farm animals have resulted in sickness and the proliferation of toxins in our environment.

Knowing the adverse effects of these unnatural methods have led to the organic movement. Organic foods are those that have undergone only minimal processing. As such, they're free of preservatives or artificial ingredients and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, works towards the optimization of “health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil, plants, animals and people.” When you refer to an organic diet, you're actually choosing fruits, veggies, grains, meats, eggs and other dairy products that have been grown minus the fertilizers, growth hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and genetic engineering. Instead, traditional farming techniques like crop rotation and animal manure as fertilizers are used to produce foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Even more important, choosing organically-grown and raised plants and animals reduces exposure and ingestion of toxins and other harmful chemicals that get into the food from these standard practices common in big farms nowadays. Because these contaminants can potentially alter the processes natural to these plants and animals, cell mutations may result which, when ingested by humans, lead to the development of cancer and other diseases. Genetically-modified foods are particularly under intense scrutiny in this area.

An organic diet, research has shown, is more nutritious. Organic strawberries have higher levels of Vitamin C and antioxidants compared to traditionally-farmed varieties. Blueberries, cherries, peaches, grapes and apples for fruits and kale, potatoes and spinach for vegetables are also more nutritious when bought organic. Organic meat also reduces your exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones. Drinking organic milk also minimizes your risk of also guzzling in rBGH. This growth hormone has been linked to the growth of many cancers.

The problem with going full blast on an organic diet, however, is that organically-grown produce undoubtedly costs more. This has discouraged many people from enjoying its full spectrum of benefits. While a few dollars’ difference shouldn’t really matter where the health and wellbeing of your family is concerned, you can still find ways to save if you plan on going organic. First, buy fresh produce when they're in season and are less expensive. A farmer’s market also offers locally-grown organic products at reasonable prices. Finally, you can also cut back on organic meat consumption or make your portion slices smaller. This way, you don’t have to spend as much.

If you’re serious about being healthy, be sure to check out a Vitamix recipes that are extremely nutritious.

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Oretha Worthington -
About the Author:

Proud mother of 2 lovely girls, world traveler, and natural health advocate.

What is organic food: How is it produced?

The process in most cases starts with organically grown crops so a quick explanation: Organic farming produces crops and rears cattle without the use of chemicals and artificial additives. It's farming the natural way and concentrates on producing a fertile soil.

Animals reared on organic farms are housed properly they have room to move about and behave like animals.They are fed healthy food sources and not those laden with drugs and other chemicals.

So in summary the answer to what is organic food is.…crops and animals produced and fed with natural food and without the use of chemical additives.

What is organic food: How can it benefit me?

To answer this question, I’ll highlight two items:

1. Milk: “When you select a glass of conventional milk, you're buying into a whole chemical system of agriculture,” says Dr. Greene. People who switch to organic milk typically do so because they're concerned about the antibiotics, artificial hormones and pesticides used in the commercial dairy industry.

One recent United States Department of Agriculture survey found certain pesticides in about 30 percent of conventional milk samples and low levels in only one organic sample.

The level is relatively low compared to some other foods, but many kids consume milk in large quantities.

2. Potatoes: Potatoes are a staple of the American diet — one survey found they account for 30 percent of our overall vegetable consumption.

A simple switch to organic potatoes has the potential to have a big impact because commercially-farmed potatoes are some of the most pesticide- contaminated vegetables. A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested, according to the Environmental Working Group.

WHY DO ORGANIC PRODUCTS COST MORE?

The first place I go upon entering the grocery store is the produce section. Here is where I do most of my shopping, and inevitably where I tend to spend most of my money. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t if you buy organic produce. Many people are turned off to the choice of purchasing organic products because they tend to be more expensive. Others, meanwhile, are seeing the benefits of buying organic as a necessity for good health.

The reason for the added expense in terms of organic products is that organic dairy, wheat/grains, meat, and produce farmers are not able to produce the mass quantities that other non-organic farmers can. They follow strict guidelines which require the use of no hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides in order to keep the food safe and healthy.

The increasing demand for organic products by the consumer has resulted in more and more corporate conglomerations capitalizing on this rising trend (and letting nutrition and quality fall by the wayside), but still doing just enough to slap the “organic” symbol on their packaging and charge a premium price.

This results in the consumer standing between two food options (maybe it’s the organic cereal vs. the non organic cereal or even the organic milk vs. the non -organic milk), and trying to decipher if the cost difference is worth the health benefits.

TASTE AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

The biggest study ever of organic food was completed in 2007 and found that organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more antioxidants than conventional equivalents, and that the figure was 60% for organic milk. The 4-year study was funded by the European Union and was the largest of its kind ever undertaken.

These results were simply announced to the popular press, and have not yet undergone the rigors of scientific peer review, so conclusiveness of this study is debatable.

Some studies have shown higher nutrient levels in organic fruit and vegetables compared with conventionally grown products. However, due to the difficulty with designing such experiments, the evidence was not considered conclusive.

A 2001 study by researchers at Washington State University concluded, under judgement by a panel of tasters, that organic apples were sweeter. Along with taste and sweetness, the texture as well as firmness of the apples were also rated higher than those grown conventionally. These differences are attributed to the greater soil quality resulting from organic farming techniques compared to those of conventional farming.

However, a 2002 meta-analysis (a review of all past studies on the subject) found no proof that organic food offers greater nutritional values, more consumer safety or any distinguishable difference in taste.

Reasearch like this continues HERE: http://www.GoodHealthInfo.info

**Send a blank email and get a free, 4-Part weight loss course NOW: goodhealthinfo@sendfree.com

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Leo D Pierson, Jr. -
About the Author:

I'm a proud, retired Air Force veteran and father of five. The days here in Kentucky are almost always nice, good for fishing.
I look forward to nice times with my family, and a little success with my internet business.

http://www.NoMoreFuelCosts.info