I want to be Deprived Of…

A lot of people wonder why I am even trying to be healthier.  People will actually wonder why I am making a conscious effort to change some bad eating habits of mine. Hey, I am not perfect with my eating and exercising habits.  I am not claiming to be perfect, but I DO want to try my hardest to improve my overall Health.  My question to those who question my motives is “Why not?” There really isn’t anything to lose by improving your health, except for maybe a couple of things you just don’t want anyways.

“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.”

-Jill Johnson

I want to be deprived of Poor Health, Lethargy, and excess Fat!

♥Twinkie

Tags: beneficial, deprived, eat healhy, eating habits, exercise, fat, healthier, Healthy, healthy habits, lethargy, Lose Weight, Organic, Perfect, poor health, quote, Skinny Tips & Quotes

Why you should buy Organic

Twinkie’s Challenge: July – September

There are a lot of people still debating on whether they should buy Organic or not. Let’s set the record straight once and for all when it comes to Organic.

Definition

Organic food is grown, processed, and packaged without the use of agricultural chemicals, artificial colors or flavors, genetic modification, irradiation, or other synthetic ingredients.

Per the National Organic Program, here are some definitions that should help clear up their labeling:

“‘100 Percent Organic’ must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients and processing aids.

Products labeled ‘Organic’ must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the National List including specific non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form.”

Later, the National Organic Program addressed the term “made with organic ingredients”. They wrote:

“Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel.”

Something good to know: If you use the USDA Organic seal on your products that are not produced or handled within the National Organic Program’s regulations, you can have a civil penalty of up to $11,000 US Dollars. Ouch!

Just so you know, products labeled as “Naturally Grown” are not regulated. Some smaller farms who can’t afford to join the National Organic Program to be labeled as “USDA Organic”, can label their products as “Naturally Grown”. Since it isn’t regulated though, there are no guarantees on what you are really getting with this label.

Organic Farms

Having an Organic Farm is a strict business, and as you now know, you can’t just mark up your products as “USDA Organic” just for the fun of it. Organic farms do not use synthetic chemicals or drugs. They instead treat their soil, plants, and animals with natural products, which are a much safer alternative. They have surprise inspections by Inspectors who test the water, soil, plants (or animals) to make sure that everything is within USDA Organic standards. Once they do this, they review receipts from anything from feed to other records of reports and tests. This takes time and money, done twice a year, and the organic farmer pays for the fees involved to be able to label their products as “USDA Organic”.

Nutrition

The debate on whether Organic is really worth the usual additional costs seems to boil down to the common question, “Is Organic healthier for you?” or “Is Organic more nutritious?”. The answer to both of the questions is a simple “Yes”.

According to Virginia Worthington MS, ScD, CNS, in her article “Nutritional Quality of Organic versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains” in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, she found in her studies:

“…the vitamin C content of an organic fruit or vegetable is 27% more, on average, than a comparable conventionally grown fruit or vegetable.”

She also found from the various produce she studied, that  you can, on average, find about 21% more Iron, 29% more Magnesium, and 13% more Phosphorus. You will find about 15% less Nitrates. This is all very good news for your body, and more reason to stick to Organic produce.

The Nutrients come from the soil, which then in turns feeds the plant what it needs to produce healthy good-for-you produce which we get to enrich our own bodies with. If the soil is infested with pesticides and harmful chemicals, it will be lacking in nutrients, and the produce will in turn be depleted of nutrients.

Keep in Mind

When you do see “Organic” Chocolate bars, for example, it doesn’t mean it is all of a sudden it will be considered “healthy” or even “low calorie”. It still is sugar, candy, and not to be considered as food. Organic Candy is still Candy! Keep that in mind while you are in the grocery store, and try to stick with foods in its natural form. For example, choose fresh Organic Pears versus Canned Pears.

Your body deserves the best, and it deserves Organic.

Tags: best, Blog, body, Diary, Fruit, growth hormones, harmful chemicals, Healthy, Lose Weight, natural, nutrients, Nutrition, Organic, pesticides, Skinny, soil, stay active, Twinkie, Vegetable, Weight Loss

Sorbet Bar-Organic Blackberry by Julie’s Organic

This sorbet bar is absolutely amazing, and I have nothing but good to say about this frozen dessert!

First of all, it tastes great. And not only does it taste great, but it has great a great texture (almost like a fruit smoothie, but thicker since it is a sorbet bar). I bought this Sorbet Bar for an event, and people were shocked that this was not only Organic, but actually Healthy! For some reason people have this horrible misconception that Healthy Food has to taste bad. This is another reason why I started this Blog. I want to raise awareness to others to let them know about great tasting products that are actually good for you (or at least better than the competitor!).

The best part about this treat, is that it is pretty much guilt free. It is made with real fruit, and  it is cholesterol free. For those who are lactose intolerant, this is also labeled as non dairy. Also, a very obvious comment is that it is certified organic.

Anyone who is on a diet, this is a great suggestion considering it is well under 100 calories. This is something you can enjoy with out feeling deprived as well as something you will not feel guilty for indulging.

Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 Bar

Calories: 60

Where to Buy: Health Food Stores, Grocery Stores, or visit http://www.juliesorganic.com/

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Organic Flax Plus Maple Pecan Crunch by Nature’s Path

This cereal has wonderful ingredients to truly benefit from, such as rolled oats, wheat bran, pecans, flax, brown rice flour, sea salt, cinnamon…you name it! As many of my readers know, I am a huge fan of Organic products. I know and appreciate the nutritional value of Organic products, and this is a certified USDA Organic cereal.

What is this cereal missing? Well, it does NOT include things like Trans Fat (which are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats…not so good), it has Zero Cholesterol, and if you are a Vegetarian…you are in luck! This cereal doesn’t have any ingredients that come from meat, such as fish, fowl, or eggs, which you can thank the wonderful founders for, since it agrees with their personal beliefs and lifestyle.

So this cereal has a lot of healthy “stuff” in it. So the next important question is, “Does this cereal even taste good?” Let’s put it this way. This is seriously one of my favorite cold cereals right now. It has all of Nature’s love packed into one cereal! You will actually look forward to eating breakfast again! This cereal tastes great, and is something you will truly enjoy!

Serving: ¾ cup

Calories: 220

Tags: brown rice, brown rice flour, cereal, cincamon, delicious, flax, Healthy, healthy breakfast, low calorie, no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fats, nutritious, Organic, pecan, rolled oats, sea salt, tastes great, USDA Organic, Weight Loss, wheat bran

Organic Lip Balm by Dr. Bronner’s

Throw away your Chapstick, because I am going to introduce to you a new way to keep your lips hydrated and healthy.

Is Chapstick bad for you?

Chapstick, Smackers, SoftLips, Vaseline, Carmex, and other popular brands out there are actually something you may just want to avoid. Why? They contain Mineral Oil and Petroleum, which actually dries up your lips rather than helping them. If Chapstick causes addiction, it would be better for you to avoid it rather than keep using it.

Alternative

What I love about Organic Lip Balm by Dr. Bronner’s, is that is actually helps heal your lips, without causing an addiction, or a constant need to keep using it over and over again. If my lips ever feel chapped, I can use this Lip Balm a couple of times, and then that’s it. I can go weeks without feeling like I have to need to use the Lip Balm, which is the way it should be- not a constant application.

What’s in Organic Lip Balm by Bronner’s?

In the Peppermint “flavored” Organic Lip Balm by Bronner’s, the ingredients include the following; Organic Avacado Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, and Natural Tocopherols. That’s right, no Mineral Oil or  Petroleum.

Avoid Chapped Lips Naturally

If you need a quick and instant fix, I definitely recommend this Organic Lip Balm. If you want to prevent and really take care of chapped lips, the best thing you can do is hydrate your body with lots of water. Never underestimate the powerful effects of drinking enough water.

Whether it is the Winter cold or Summer heat – you are now ready to take on any season with chap-less lips!

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