Archive for December, 2007
Monday, December 10th, 2007
Organic Vitamins and Supplements are Better for You
Everything can be organic these days, it seems. Clothing, food, beauty products, the list goes on. Well, here’s another item to be added to the list: vitamins and supplements.
We all know that everyone should be taking their vitamins; it is needed to maintain a happy, healthy, well-functioning body. But how could the ingesting of vitamins hurt you more than help you? The answer: by taking non-organic vitamins.
Organic vitamins are made of minerals and nutrients that have been created without the use of toxic chemicals or pesticides.
There are many authorities on what organic actually is. But, in general, plants, vegetables, and the like are organic because they have not had any contact with any nasty toxins. Organic products are grown in ways that do not hurt the Earth in any way. Toxic chemicals and pesticides do harm the planet. When you find a product that is certified organic, you know that it has not gone through harsh processes.
So to ensure that you and your family will be in the best shape and health, seriously consider taking and organic vitamins and supplements.
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007
Organic Makeup: Why?
Makeup is one of the most important products that should be organic. You put makeup on your skin. Makeup not only goes onto your skin, but some even absorbs into your skin. You do not want something toxic and full of harmful chemicals to be going into or onto your skin.
You want something that is going to work – to give you the results you are looking for (whether it is a natural look or an over the top glamorous look). But you don’t want something that is going to harm you in the short or long run.
And it’s not just makeup that should be organic. Your shampoo, lotions, deodorant and other health and beauty products are safer and healthier for you and everything if they are organic.
Organic makeup is made of plants that have not been treated with toxic chemicals or pesticides, fungicides, or insecticides. The whole process is completely free of anything harmful to the plant or to you.
Nothing toxic will be spread around the plants to keep plant-eating animals or insects away. Nothing toxic will be put in the soil keep away nasty diseases. Absolutely nothing toxic will get near any of the organics plants that are made into organic makeup. Instead, natural farming skills and techniques are used to help prevent crops from being destroyed.
Monday, December 3rd, 2007
Taking a Look at Organic Wine
The US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program requires that organic wine be one that is made from organically grown grapes and without sulfites. Organic grapes are certified organic when they have been grown without the use of harsh chemicals or toxic pesticides, fungicides or insecticides.
But making sure that the wine is without sulfites is a bit more complicated. The organic standard requires that there be no more than 100ppm (parts per milligram) of sulfite in the wine. But sulfites are a natural by-product of the fermentation process. Fermenting yeasts create naturally occurring sulfites in small amounts (anywhere from 6 to 40ppm).
Yet, some winemakers like to add more sulfite to the wine as an anti-oxidant and preservative throughout the many, many stages wine goes through while aging. Many winemakers feel that adding sulfites to wine in a necessity: it helps to prevent oxidation and bacterial spoiling of the wine. And sulfites are not toxic to humans or the environment.
Despite the difficulty in finding organic wines, it is worth the look. More winemakers are at least trying out the organic variety, concentrating on not using the toxic chemicals or pesticides. Some wine aficionados argue that the flavor of organic wine is more fruitful and fuller with grapes that haven’t been treated with harsh chemicals.
