Organic Produce – Is it worth the money?‏

Hi and welcome back!

Today’s issue is about organic produce, and whether or not it is worth the extra money.

Summer is less than two weeks away!  As the grass gets greener and flowers start to bloom, the world seems to get much more colorful. For me, that means my meals seem to get more lively too.  Farmers markets are now in full swing, with a bounty of fresh produce.  I thought that a farmer’s market meant organic produce.  I’m not sure why I thought this, but it is not always true.

Sometimes a farmers’ market is just a way for farmers to sell off excess produce.  If you are seeking organic items, ask about growing techniques and if you find some are not organic find out what they use on their crops and when they last sprayed.

What does it mean to be organic? PickYourOwn.org explains it this way:

“The USDA has put in place a set of national standards that food labeled “organic” must meet, whether it is grown in the United States or imported from other countries. USDA’s National Organic Program regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced. After October 21, 2002, when you buy food labeled “organic,” you can be sure that it was produced using the highest organic production and handling standards in the world.”

I like the PickYourOwn website. It has a great deal of information. You can look up farms in your area that have places where “you pick.”  It also provides crop calendars, and for those of you brave enough to attempt it, there are instructions for canning, freezing and making jam.

I love the idea or organic food, but I must admit, I am not always pleased with the appearance. I have purchased organic apples at local our grocery store and if you hold it next to a conventionally grown apple, you will notice the differences immediately. The organic apple will not have the sheen of the conventional one, nor will it be free of little bug holes.  Also, the color may seem a bit dim.

So, I wonder, are the conventional ones made to look more appealing because they really aren’t good for us?  Why shine them up?  If they weren’t shiney, would they lose their appeal? And what kind of wax/oil is used to get that shine?

And then there is the cost. If a farm is not using chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides, I’d figure the cost of growing a crop would be lower, yet items grown organically can be as much as fifty percent more than their conventional counterparts.  Why so much more?

Some say organic farmers have to go through quite a lot of hoops to be certified as organic or that they have to spend more for natural compost and soil preparation.  Also, there is the idea that smaller crops have to be grown,  and due to poor soil, crops must be rotated every year.

Whatever the reason, when it comes to finances, no matter how health conscious we are, everyone has a budget.

Perhaps in response to our dilemma, the TODAY Show ran a segment about “The Dirty Dozen” – twelve fruits / vegetables that should always be purchased organic.

The Dirty Dozen
Organic Fruits (Any fruit with a thin skin or a skin that can be eaten)

  • Apples
  • Cherries
  • Grapes
  • Nectarines
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
Organic Vegetables (Any vegetable with a thin skin or a skin that can be eaten)

  • Bell Peppers
  • Celery
  • Potatoes
  • Spinach

The Dirty Dozen Dilemma
The theory behind this dirty dozen list, is that any fruit or vegetable that has a thin skin or a skin that is eaten (strawberries, apples, potatoes) should always be organic.

Any item with a thick skin that is removed before eating (think banana or pineapple) could be non-organic. The thought being that any pesticide residue would be removed with the skin. I don’t know if I agree with this. Aren’t the chemicals and/or fertilizer in the ground leeching into the seed that becomes the plant?

And what about items not on the list, like broccoli, cauliflower, mangos and blueberries? Wouldn’t they also “need” to be organic?

I’ve realized that no matter how well intentioned I may be, the fact remains that the produce I grew up on is not the same as the produce available today.  Soil conditions have degraded over the years and in an effort to produce more food for market, farmers have turned to pesticides, chemical fertilizers and preservatives.  I can only do so much.

So, this year, in addition to attending the Farmers’ markets, I’m attempting my own version of organic produce by having a garden. I’ve never had a garden before.  This is due mainly to my propensity for over-watering house plants.  (My husband has suggested drip irrigation, so hopefully, we’ll grow something.)  We aren’t using any fertilizer or pesticides – just water (with a few drops of Life Transfusion Liquid Minerals added every now and then), sunlight and seeds. We’ll see what happens.

As for whether organic produce worth it or not, only you can decide for yourself. Each family has to decide what they can afford and how they can best incorporate organic produce into their lifestyle and budget.

Next Time:

Summer will be in full swing, so next time, lets focus on some lighter fare, refreshing drinks, and maybe a dessert… or two!

Getting Ready with Meat & Dairy Alternatives

As I mentioned in my introductory article, I will share with you recipes and tips that I’m learning, as my family and I transition to a plant-based eating plan.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to implementing change: 1.  Change is swift and complete.  2.  Change occurs gradually over time.  While either could be true and useful, I would recommend that if you do not have a pressing health issue, you make your transition as stress-free as possible. You don’t need to throw out all the “bad” food in your pantry, but if you choose to do that, take the time to donate any usable items to your local food bank or shelter. In the thread of gradual change, as you run out of things, purchase plant-based alternatives.

Now, off to the grocery store.  My first tip:  Go to your local grocery store with fresh eyes and extra time.  We are all creatures of habit and if you’re like me, you know exactly where things are in your grocery store.  You go in, get what you need & get out as quickly as possible.  When you give yourself time, you can  make this trip an adventure to see what treasures you can find.

You may have heard to shop the perimeter of the store because interior aisles have less healthy options.  This is true for the most part.  The produce section is where you will spend a great deal of time choosing your fruits and vegetables, however you will also venture into the aisles containing ethnic foods, grains, pastas, dried and canned beans, rices, frozen fruits and dairy and meat substitutes.  This is why the first trip to the grocery store should be a way for you to familiarize yourself with what is available, not necessarily to purchase.  Go aisle by aisle. Continue reading “Getting Ready with Meat & Dairy Alternatives”

A Heart Attack, in Reverse

Once, not so very long ago, a Heart Attack was an instant death sentence.

No one seemed to really recover from it, most passed away in a few weeks or months, or lived a “non-life” in a vegetative state.

Those days are over. Startling things are happening and without drugs or surgery. Heart Attacks can be reversed!

We want everyone to watch this fascinating interview with two leading natural doctors, who are also researchers into preventative health and healing, discussing the only true way to totally reverse heart disease.

The video starts with an interview with former-President Bill Clinton, who as you may know had quadruple-bypass surgery several years ago, and is now the number one pitchman for the diet we have been urging everyone to adopt all these years.



an image of the book: The China StudyAfter you watch the video, I urge you to get a copy of the book that explains it all with facts, statistics and dramatic findings, The China Study.

Written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, The China Study is the culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine, making a definitive connection between what we eat and chronic diseases, like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

WG

P.S. If you missed our announcement last week about a natural means for lowering dangerous HIGH Blood Pressure, read the article Spinach’s Super Powers Revealed and start using our new Clean Heart drink mix.

Christmas is a "Mass for Christ"

Christmas is a “Mass for Christ

“As the last days of Christmas pass over the horizon and the moment comes to celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ, we want to ask each of you, the members of our ever-growing family, to stop for a moment and give thanks for your body in providing you with “life” in every moment.

In the hustle & bustle of our world, which is fast-becoming a constant blur of noise and tumult, this time of year is one we all need to just stop for a minute, take a time-out, and look up to the heavens and say a soft “Thank You” for the miracle of the gift of life.

We see miracles of life every single day at our little company and take tremendous pride in our earnest, tiny contribution, of helping people realize what we call “Contagious Health” that is everyone’s God-given right from birth.

Keep sending us your stories, so we may share them with others, as they are powerful inspiration.

Dear Dr. Garland,

I turned 50 this year and since I never go to the doctor, my wife was adamant I have a physical and blood workup done. I’ve been healthy and athletic all of my life, so my weight was fine and bodyfat was less than 15%, but my cholesterol and blood pressure were high – really high.

Ken Terrell

I eat well (or so I thought) and my dad always had high cholesterol, so the doctor said it was hereditary and there was nothing I could do about it. He wrote me a prescription for a cholesterol drug, but I said “no thanks” and wanted to see if I could lower it naturally.

I called a friend who put me in touch with you, and you opened my eyes about what a good diet really is.

I also read your book, Kill Cholesterol Before Cholesterol Kills You, and made the commitment to switch to a plant-based diet, although I must admit I was concerned how I would get enough protein to maintain muscle size and strength. I always thought that was what animal meat was for.

I also started taking the formulas recommended: Cholesteine, Liquid Minerals, Nattokinase Max, Liv-RX and Omega 3/6/9.

I work in construction and the guys normally eat fast food for lunch. I would bring a big salad for lunch and they teased me. For the first few weeks, I didn’t really feel much different, but I kept with the program. And then I realized something – the guys couldn’t keep up with me in the afternoons. I had all this energy and they were sluggish and always wanting to stop and take a break.

After 6 months, I went back to the doctor for a blood test, thinking for sure I’d made some progress. He said he’d call me in a few days and we would discuss the results.

Later that night, he called and asked, “What are you doing?” I thought, “Oh no, what’s wrong?” My LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) dropped 55 points, from 164 to 109! He couldn’t believe it.

He said, “nobody drops their cholesterol like this without drugs… people might lower their cholesterol by 20 points, but no one lowers it like this!” He then said, “well, I guess there’s no need to put you on a statin drug now.”

Thanks Dr. G. Your program and changing to a plant-based lifestyle has made an incredible difference in my energy, how I sleep and best of all lowered my cholesterol!

Ken Terrell
Conifer, CO

Each of us wish to say “Thank You” for your friendship and patronage, and for helping us to make this all happen. You are in our thoughts, prayers and hopes at all times with what we do, with God’s help.

Merry Christmas,

Wayne, Dale, Greg, Laura, Jacob and Mackenzie

Vegan Protein Heavyweight Champion Revealed

You are probably too young to remember the famous Charles Atlas bodybuilding ads of yester-year.

A big muscle-bound bully would kick sand in the face of a meek, skinny kid on the beach, and the ad would then sell you on a course of body-building books and equipment.

I remember them well, as I was always the skinny kid on the beach getting sand kicked in my face by the rippling muscle Adonises that the girls all flocked to.

Well, today is my day to kick sand in the bully’s face!

After an enormous amount of work, research, development, testing and re-testing, we are over the moon excited to release our plant-based, totally Vegan, Super Food formula, Protein Plus.

This is a true world champion piece of nutritional food technology.

And is precisely in tune with what the world is waking up to – ditching dangerous animal-sourced protein from dairy (milk, whey, cheese, ice cream and butter), as well as red meat, pork, chicken, turkey and seafood.

But that’s just one part of the story, read on for the full documentation of what we believe to be the “Muhammad Ali” of Protein Supplements!

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

Of the million questions I get asked each day, this is the most common one,

“If you’re a vegan, where do you get your protein?”

It is one of the great fallacies of all time that we can only get protein from eating animals – beef, chicken, pork, turkey and fish. The fast-food giants would love you to think this of course. So too would the beef and cattle industry, the dairy industry and even the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) with their out-of-touch food pyramid.
Continue reading “Vegan Protein Heavyweight Champion Revealed”

The Veggie Butcher & President Clinton

Have you seen President Clinton lately?

“Honey, we shrank the President!”

He dropped 24 lbs and looks fabulous. He says he weighs the same now, as he did in high school. How many of us can say that?!

I hear he did it for two big reasons: his daughter Chelsea’s wedding and his continually clogged-up arteries.

Read on for the “rest of the story”…

Chelsea Clinton is vegan and has been pleading with her father to change his “Bubba Diet” for years to no avail. But with her wedding coming up, she laid down the law and instructed her father to slim down for the big event.

Clinton himself knew he had to do something, as his arteries kept clogging up. Last winter he needed to have a stent replaced after having quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. His life was being threatened by the spare ribs and highly saturated southern food he’d eaten all his life.

After his days as Governor of Arkansas and President of the United States, Clinton is a voracious reader and a fast study of information and reports. He devoured every bit of information on vegetarian diets and unclogging arteries. (And he learned about what we’ve been preaching in our newsletters for years!)

“I did it because after I had this stent put in, I realized that even though it happens quite often, that after bypass surgery you lose the veins because they’re thinner and weaker than arteries, the truth is that it clogged up, which means that the cholesterol was still causing buildup in my vein that was part of my bypass.

I didn’t want it to happen again. So I did all this research and it says that 82% of the people since 1986 who have gone on a plant-based, no dairy, no meat of any kind — I eat very little fish — 82% of the people who have done that have begun to heal themselves. Their arterial blockage cleans up, the calcium deposit around their heart breaks up.

Recently, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer sat down with President Clinton and asked him, “How did you lose so much weight?”


Continue reading “The Veggie Butcher & President Clinton”