Specials today

Wine lovers: Wine Enthusiast is giving free shipping on its racking kits.
All kinds of food lovers: check out the summer sale at Sur la Table.
One of my own favorites, CoffeeAM, is currently offering chocolate raspberry coffee as its bonus. They have a good selection of organic and fair trade coffees.

What is Organic Coffee?

This is the process of growing crops without the use of fertilizers and other substances. This means farmers will work in the fields, let the water give the plants its nutrients and then watch it grow with the help of the sun.

Pesticides In The Body - Don’t Look, Don’t Find

When the government tests for chemicals people carry around in their bodies, it doesn’t check for the pesticides most commonly found on fruits and vegetables sold in grocery stores.

Trace amounts of agricultural chemicals — so-called “pesticide residue” — show up on many fruits and vegetables grown with conventional farming techniques. Some of the most contaminated produce includes seasonal favorites like peaches, apples, nectarines and strawberries.

UK ENERGY SAVING SHOCKED AT EU DECISION TO ALLOW GM CONTENT IN ORGANIC PRODUCTS

UK Energy Saving was shocked to learn of the EU’s decision to allow up to 0.9% of organic products to be genetically modified (GM) whilst still being labelled as GM free. Organic food in particular, along with other organic products, is becoming more popular as consumers realise the potential health and environmental benefits, and UK Energy Saving dedicates a section of their website, www.uk-energy-saving.com, to organic products.

ACCC secures $270,000 boost to organic food

Moves to develop a national Australian standard for organic and biodynamic produce has been given a financial boost following an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission action against a fraudulent company.

Washington Organic Acreage Output Continues Growth

Noting there may be some inconsistencies in reporting numbers, Washington State University researchers believe the state's certified organic acreage may have increased by 70% since 2002.

More specials!

Seems like a lot of current specials are taking advantage of barbecue season!

In the UK, Save the Bacon has a long list of specials on meats as diverse as wild boar, pheasant, and venison.

In the US, check Niman Ranch for its range of specials, including sausages, steaks, and more. Lindauer Farms is also offering $20 of tenderloin tips free with the purchase of any steak pack.

For everything else you need for that fine outdoor mean (or an indoor one, for that matter) CyberCucina is still offering 10% off all grilling and barbecue items, through the end of June.

If you're in the mood to grow your own organic garden, don't miss this ebook for excellent tips.

More good stuff: igourmet, with all its specialty foods, is offering 5% off any purchase with code KGB5, all the way till the end of July. They also have a whole section of specials, including buy one, get one free.

Wine: I've found specials on a Chilean cabernet, among others, at wine.com. They currently have a nice selection of organic wines.

What a "Muscle-Head" Bodybuilder Says About Organic Food (part 1)

This is a long enough article that I'm breaking it up in the newsletter, but here it is in its entirety.

What a "Muscle-Head" Bodybuilder Says About Organic Food
by: Tom Venuto

Last week I was talking about nutrition with one of my workout buddies and when I mentioned grass fed beef and "organic food” he asked, "Do you mean like what you get at Whole Foods Market?"

I said, "Yes, exactly... that's a natural food and organic supermarket." He said, "Yeah well, that place costs so much, I call it Whole Paycheck!"

I was rolling on the floor laughing, but the truth is, organic food really is expensive and so is grass fed beef and free range chicken, so it's a valid question to ask, “Is it worth it?”

After researching the subject and doing some personal experiments with my own diet, let me offer you my take on it from a bodybuilder’s viewpoint. This is a perspective on organics you may not have heard before.

First, look at it this way - if you put the cheapest fuel in your luxury car, how well is it going to run and how many miles are you going to get out of it?

While I'm on car analogies, health and fitness author and educator Paul Chek once wrote about how ridiculous it is to watch how many $75,000 + cars pull up to the Mcdonald's or Burger King drive through window to buy $1.99 hamburgers.

I would say that's a serious case of screwed up priorities, wouldn't you? The driver has no problem shelling out the $1,100 monthly car payment, but it's too much to ask him to put premium fuel into his own "bodily vehicle."

How can you put ANY price tag on your body and your health? You can buy another car, but you've only got one body.

Now, as for the grass fed beef and organic foods question….

For best results in body composition improvement, which I define as burning fat and or building muscle, (and I'll even go as far as to say for optimal health as well), I am a believer in including animal proteins, including lean meats.

I have no wish to take up the vegetarian debate in this article. I respect vegetarians and acknowledge that a healthy and lean body can be developed with a vegetarian diet if it is done properly, although it may be more challenging for strict vegans to gain muscle for various reasons.

However, in recommending animal protein as part of a healthy fat loss and muscle building nutrition program, I do agree that we all need to give some serious thought to what is in our meat (and in the rest of our food).

Some people say that meat is part of our “evolutionary” diet and it’s the way we were intended to eat and I wouldn’t argue with that. But is the meat we’re eating in today’s modern society the same as what was hunted and eaten many thousands of years ago, or has some “toxic stuff” found its way into our beef, poultry and fish that wasn’t there before?

I also think we should consider what is *missing* from our commercially grown food, that is supposed to be in there, that probably used to be there in the past, but may not be today.

A lot of people are not paying any attention to this... even people who should know better. I admit it - I was oblivious to this for a long time myself. Here’s why:

I am not your typical "health and wellness" or "weight loss" expert. I am also competitive bodybuilder. We bodybuilders are well know for eating very clean diets with lots of lean protein and natural carbs, as well as for looking like "the picture of health" with our ripped abs and impressive muscularity.

We eat our oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast, and proudly walk around with our chicken breast, rice and broccoli or our flank steak, yams and asparagus, and boast about how perfect and clean our meals are and how our diets are already “clean” and could not be improved.

But how many bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts are there - even serious, dedicated and educated ones - who don't give a single thought to the poisonous chemicals that might be lurking in our supposedly "clean" food?

The Food and Drug Administration lists more than 3,000 chemicals that can be added to our food supply. One billion pounds of pesticides and farming chemicals are used on our crops every year.

Depending on what source you quote, the average American consumes as much as 150 pounds of chemicals and food additives per year.

Does ANYBODY out there think that this is good for you?

Didn't think so.

If you had a way to avoid all these chemicals and toxins, would you at least explore it, even if it cost a little more?

Although this topic is controversial and hotly debated, organic food is gaining in popularity and seems to fit this bill.

Food grown on certified organic farms does not contain:

Pesticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Hormones, Antibiotics or Chemical fertilizers

It is also not:

Irradiated or Genetically modified

Beyond the "certified organic" label, grass fed beef and free range chicken (and eggs), have other advantages.

Not only can there be tons of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals in our meat, but also commercially raised beef is fed grain or corn and yet that is not what the animals were meant to eat.

The result - aside from sick, drugged animals - is a higher overall fat, higher saturated fat and a screwed up ratio of omega three to omega six fats, which is a very big problem today - even when you think you're eating "clean." Most people accept the idea that “you are what you eat,” but they forget that the animals we eat are what they ate!

Last but not least, proponents of organic food suggest that the vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content of commercially grown foods can be anywhere from a little bit low to virtually absent.

So... if organic and or grass fed beef and free range chicken can help us avoid some of these problems and dangers, then I'm all for it and the extra investment.

I started eating grass fed beef almost exclusively (except for my occasional restaurant steak), quite a few years ago and started eating more and more organic food. I can't say I eat entirely organic. I eat a lot of it, but not 100%. If I'm eating an apple or some blueberries, and it doesn't happen to be organic, I don’t freak out over it.

When you really study deeply into the subject of food processing, industrial pollution and commercial farming, it can almost scare you half to death, but I don't recommend getting "alarmist" about it.

Sometimes it's the people who live in fear of a disease who are most likely to get it. I for one, am not going to live in a plastic bubble to isolate myself from a "toxic world"… oh, wait... make that a ceramic bubble, plastics are really bad for you.

All joking aside, the fear of toxins can be taken to the point where the fear itself is unhealthy, but the more I study this subject - from a variety of sources and perspectives - the more the organic argument does make sense to me. I’ve built my career in fitness based on being a natural bodybuilder, which means no steroids or performance enhancing drugs, so why would I expose myself to other chemicals if I can avoid them?

Honestly, I can't say I noticed any dramatic change in my physique or in the way I feel – at least not yet. I have always eaten clean and I was a successful bodybuilder for many years before I started eating more organic food and grass fed beef.

However, I feel confident about my decision to spend the extra money on grass fed beef, free range chicken (and eggs), and an increasing amount of organic food, knowing that I am avoiding toxins and getting more of the nutritional value I need to support my training and my health long term.

I'm certain this is the type of nutritional lifestyle change that can accrue benefits over time, even if you don't see an immediate "transformation."

One thing I would suggest before you run out for organic fruits and vegetables or grass fed beef and so on, is to consider what kind of shape your diet and your lifestyle are in right now. If your diet is currently such a total mess that you’re drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking, abusing coffee and stimulants, not even eating ANY fruits and vegetables to begin with...

And if your idea of lean protein is the processed lunch meat you get in your foot long sub, then I think it might be a little moot to worry about whether your fruits and veggies are 100% certified organic or whether your beef is grass fed. Just start cleaning up your diet and establishing new healthy habits, one step at a time. Focus on nutrition and lifestyle improvement, not perfection.

There are some very strong opinions on this subject. I am aware of that, and I'm not going to stand up on a pulpit and preach either way. What I have done here is simply share what I have found from my own research and what I decided to do in my own personal health and bodybuilding regimen.

My advice to everyone else is to become as educated as possible about what is really in your food, including how it is raised or grown, and to continuously seek ways to improve your nutrition above the level it is at now. Whether the next step in improving your nutrition is to go organic will be up to you to decide.

Copyright 2006 Tom Venuto

About The Author Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free fitness newsletter, visit http://www.tomvenuto.com.

Organic sales break £1 billion mark but farms can't keep up

SALES of organic food have broken through the £1 billion barrier as record numbers of health-conscious Britons choose pesticide-free meals, according to a consumer report.

But as farmers struggle to keep up with demand, growth in the sector is slowing, market analysts warned.

Five Ways to Buy Organic Cheaply

If you think eating organic on a budget means making do with a handful of grapes or rationing portions from a single hormone-free chicken, starve not. With these five shopping tips, you can stock your shelves with no-pesticide, free-range, shade-grown goodies -- and still have money for those coveted hemp shoes.

Is organic food really more nutritious?

The overall body of science does not support the view that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown food, says a new review from the British Nutrition Foundation.

U.S. assesses the use of nonorganic ingredients in organic foods

The latest battle in the United States over what can be called organic involves beer and gelatin, food colorings and casings for sausage.

The Department of Agriculture, the final arbiter of all things organic, is poised to approve a list of nonorganic ingredients that can be used in food stamped with its green-and-white organic seal.

Farmers hope 'Canada organic' label will help them tap foreign markets

Organic growers across the country are busy filling out applications for federal certification — a program that could see Canadian-grown organic produce peddled further afield, including in Parisian markets and Tokyo grocery stores.

If it's organic, EU labels will tell it like it is

EU ministers ended 18 months of squabbling on Tuesday over new rules for organic farming and came up with a labeling system that will tell consumers exactly what they are buying on the supermarket shelves.

Farmers who sell produce containing at least 95 percent organic ingredients will use a special EU logo, along with a label to indicate the product's origin. Below that, there will be labeling of the organic ingredients present.

Ministers vote favourably on new EU organic regulation

European agriculture ministers yesterday reached agreement over new organic regulation and labelling that will simplify the sector for farmers and consumers and is expected to help drive further development.

Organic food helps revive fortunes of Europe's farmers

The organic revolution is sweeping across Europe, with the area of land dedicated to environmentally-friendly, pesticide-free food production more than doubling in the last decade.

EU's organic labeling vote upsets Italy

Several Italian constituencies expressed ire at an EU vote allowing producers to label "organic" genetically modified organism-contaminated foods.

The EU Council of Agriculture Ministers voted to set an accidental-contamination threshold of 0.9 percent for organic produce, meaning produce can be labeled and sold as organic as long as its GMO content is below 0.9 percent, the Italian news agency ANSA said. Representatives of Italy, Belgium, Hungary and Greece were against extending this limit to organic food.

Growing a Conscience

A movement to “buy local” has shoppers scouring for food grown close to home.  Are farmers’ markets headed for a revival?

Bio-wine sets down some roots

Production and consumption of organic wine in the Czech Republic is still in its infancy, but observers say the sector is rapidly growing to meet the demand of environmentally conscious consumers.

While foreign wine importers are adding new organic wines to their Czech portfolios, local organic wine producers are enlarging their vineyards hoping to secure sales in more restaurants and major retail chains.

technorati tags: organic wine, natural wine

How organic should you go?

The confusion about organic foods begins, for most people, in the produce department: Is that organic Granny Smith apple from Chile really worth 30 cents more than the one grown in Washington state? Is it healthier for my kids? Will buying it save a struggling family farmer? Will it help the planet?

technorati tags: organic+food, natural+food

Oxygen trick could see organic costs tumble

A simple, cheap treatment using just oxygen could allow growers to store organic produce for longer and go a long way towards reducing the price of organic fruit and vegetables, reports Lisa Richards in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI.

technorati tags: organic food, natural food, organic produce, organic fruit, organic vegetables

Wal-Mart Model Comes to Organics

Organic farming is based on the principle that using natural methods and eschewing all artificial inputs such as pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers and genetically modified organisms is better for the land, the farmer and the consumer. The organic movement flowered in the Seventies, a product of the environmental and countercultural movements, and influenced by the Whole Earth Catalog and books such as Silent Spring and Diet for a Small Planet.

technorati tags: organic food, organic farming, natural food

UAE: Organic food producers hit by lack of sales

Stunted sales of organic food in some supermarkets will not deter organic agriculture in the UAE and more home-grown organic produce will be widely available to residents regardless, say officials. While three specialty organic stores are now open in Dubai and Sharjah, some supermarkets with an organic section are reporting decreased sales.

technorati tags: organic food, natural+food, organic produce

Spin Cycle: Label Anxiety

When you consider that the green marketplace, for food at least, has reached $30 billion, it's easy to believe that, as one New York Times columnist put it, living and thinking "green" has hit Main Street. And as the bandwagons, hybrids of course, start rolling through town, it's also easy to believe that their heightened visibility will lead to a little road rage.

technorati tags: organic food, natural food

Organic food still leaves environmental footprint: study

While organic farmers may tout the environmental benefits of food produced without pesticides, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through shipping is about the same as with non-organic food, University of Alberta researchers suggest.

technorati tags: organic food, organic, produce, organic farming, natural food