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Taco Bell Salmonella Outbreak Spiced with Secrecy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:24 +0000

Taco Bell has been named as the source of a Salmonella outbreak that affected individuals in ten states including Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Michigan, and reportedly sickened nearly 70 people.

Is It Safe to Munch On A Mouthful of Sprouts

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:22:14 +0000

Bean sprouts have long had a reputation as being easy to contaminate, but are they any less safe than other pre-washed vegetables that we regularly consume?

Formaldehyde On Your Face? Most Likely

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:24:29 +0000

When you think of formaldehyde, it may conjure up images of frogs floating in jars from your high school biology classroom. The truth is, however, that many of your personal care products contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and you may not even know it. And believe me, that is creepy!

Pickle This! Lacto-Fermented Watermelon Radishes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:07:18 +0000

Lacto-fermentation is one of history’s most traditional ways of preserving food. Using naturally-occuring bacteria that are present in every living thing, this method of pickling things is also one of the healthiest. Made without added sugars, vinegars, or additives, just sea salt and water are all you need to get started. In this seasonal late winter recipe, I’ve fermented watermelon radishes. See how it’s done!

We Love Our Sponsors!

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:14:29 +0000

Ah, the Interwebs. Our online home may be technically virtual, but it is a very real place to all of us here at OrganicAuthority.com! Our incredible writing team and you, our awesome reader community, keeps us so inspired and excited every day! And there's another super team member near and dear to our hearts: Our sponsors. They help to keep our LED lights on, help us to pay our paperless e-bills, allow us to continue to produce Laura's amazing cooking videos, and support us so that we can chat with you in the Twittersphere, Facebook and beyond about the latest and greatest in sustainable eats and organic living.

Wal-Mart’s Food Is Great For You Because… They Say So

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:45 +0000

In an effort to connect its customers with healthier food options, Wal-Mart—the world's largest retailer—is preparing for a Spring launch of a signature icon that will appear on its private label products and in the produce sections throughout the chain's stores.

5 Organic Baby Foods that Are Just Too Easy to Make

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:35:44 +0000

Whether you are a full-on cloth-diapering, organic-onesie eco mom, or more of a super busy, no-drama mama watching your bottom line, making your own baby food can be a lot simpler—and less expensive—than you might think.

Say No to Valentine's Day Clichés: Actions Speak Louder than Gifts

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:55:48 +0000

You don't need to fill your Valentine's Day with diamonds (every woman will get the same style and design this year -- how unique is that?), chocolate or with an overpriced and remarkably underwhelming, fatty Valentine's Day dinner. Your Valentine will continue to hold a candle for you no matter how you express your love, even if it's with a free Valentine's gift. With a little planning and a lot of heart, you can express your love for your sweetheart through actions.

Banned DDT Still a Health Risk, Linked to Vitamin D Deficiencies

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:00:54 +0000

New research links exposure to common pesticides with compromised vitamin D levels that can cause deficiencies and disease, according to a study published in a recent issue of the journal PLoS One.

Why Are We So Emotionally Connected to Food?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:24:23 +0000

We are SO passionate about our food choices! But why is that? Nothing, except perhaps religion and politics, evokes as much heated emotion as debates over whether or not we should be eating meat or GMOs or if high fructose corn syrup and junk food are really all that bad for us. And then there's the issue of straight up preferences—the gross factor of foods that make us feel like gagging just when we think about them (please, nobody say "asparagus").

The Buzz on Modern Collaborative Consumption

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:59:25 +0000

We've all heard the saying, “what’s mine is yours.” That cute, quip of a saying is now a significant movement called collaborative consumption! People are trading, bartering, renting and swapping goods, services and skills like never before. While our elders engaged in traditional collaborative consumption and communal sharing in local townships years ago, modern-day collaborators reach each other via, what else, technology.

PLU Codes & GMOs: Red Flag or Red Herring

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:49:57 +0000

Over the last few years, a faulty tip has persisted on the Internet. Can PLU codes – those four- or five-digit numbers on produce stickers – really indicate whether a food is genetically modified? Not really. There are other surefire ways to avoid GMOs, and a big effort underway to put a real red flag on genetically modified produce and packaged foods.

A Diet Soda A Day May Give You A Heart Attack

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:05 +0000

Bad news for diet soda drinkers according to a study published in the most recent issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The study results found that drinking diet soda daily significantly increases the risk of developing a stroke, heart attack and other serious vascular issues.

6 Baby Superfoods to Feed Your Little Joy

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:41:26 +0000

Did you know that babies can benefit from superfoods, too? Just as full-grown adults can stay healthy and vibrant from eating a colorful, fresh food diet, our young infants and toddlers can reap the same rewards. Start your youngin’ off on the right foot in life with a superfood diet full of wholesome, natural ingredients. It doesn’t take any fancy equipment, expensive ingredients or specialty brand names to do it—just real fruits and vegetables and a strong hand to mash foods down. That’s it!

2 Oregon Goat Cheese Farmers Who Opt Out of Organic Certification

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:13:37 +0000

As we continue our close-up on local cheese makers, we move west. The Pacific Northwest is home to a large variety of goat cheese producers, big and small. Many work with all-natural products and time-honored methods to produce the best in fresh cheese... but are they organic? Not necessarily... but that's not always a bad thing. Once we learn to look beyond the labels, we sometimes find small, local farmers that are just as concentrated on what's important in quality cheesemaking-- if not more so -- than certified organic farmers.

Bayer CropScience Pesticide Named As Major Cause of Bee Collapse

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:17:24 +0000

Bayer CropScience, the leading manufacturer of imidacloprid systemic-based pesticides, is the target of criticism and calls to ban the products after new research findings indicate imidacloprid as a major culprit in the recent decline of honeybee populations in a condition that's commonly referred to as colony collapse disorder. Without healthy honeybee populations contributing to the pollination of hundreds of foods, millions of farmers and fruit and vegetable crops would cease production.

Paint Project: A Non-toxic Approach to Painting Your Kid's Room

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:34:45 +0000

Do not underestimate the promise that lies within a good paint job. Whether your second bedroom is in desperate need of a spruce up or you're helping your daughter put her personal stamp on a new room to call her own, paint can provide a relatively cheap, noticeable spark to any space. But in all the fun that is choosing colors, don't skip over one extremely important, but simple, step: Checking to see if the paint is non-toxic.

From Stuffing to Smudging: Sage's Sacred Comeback

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:46:33 +0000

Once upon a time food came from the ground, the trees, the running wild, not the frozen, canned or shrink-wrapped. The move to systemize and make our food "more efficient" through industry included the advent of mono-functionality of foods; extracting and limiting the most common use of any one ingredient—particularly herbs and spices—and letting the rest of its potential fall into quaintness in the pages of dusty history books. But sometimes, a plant's power is so undeniable that it can endure and transcend the suppression of factorization and the otherwise soulless existence of sitting bottled up in the spice aisle. Sage is one such plant. With a long history of medicinal, spiritual and culinary uses, its many forms and functions are making a big return, and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Deadly Bacteria Lands Cheese Manufacturer with FDA Lawsuit

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

After repeated warnings, the Food and Drug Administration has filed a suit in Federal District Court in Brooklyn in an attempt to shut down a Queens, NY cheese manufacturer for health violations involving the presence of deadly bacteria.

4 Tips to Revitalize Worn Out Furniture

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:37:34 +0000

Sometimes the best duds come in a worn out package—when it comes to furniture at least. You can fill your home with furniture that fits your distinct style by giving slightly shabby pieces that you already own a do-it-yourself facelift.

FarmPlate: Where Foodies Meet All Their Sustainable Needs

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:24:59 +0000

A win for sustainable food lovers! FarmPlate, an online directory, helps sustainable foodies find establishments, markets and businesses that buy and sell thier kind of food, that is, the sustainable stuff.

Hershey’s Chocolate Child Slave Labor Trade Begins to Melt

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:32 +0000

The Hershey Company, North America's largest chocolate manufacturer, has announced a commitment to begin sourcing some of its chocolate from suppliers that are certified free of the common practices of child labor and exploitation, reports the company.

Where's Bleach Hiding in Your Home?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:22:01 +0000

Mmm. Nothing like a little bleach with your morning coffee. Wait a minute. How’s bleach making its way into my unassuming java, you ask? Don't worry, no one’s trying to poison you. It could be creeping into your morning cup through that bleached coffee filter you use to make your brew.

Bill Gates’ Newest Favorite Technology? Genetically Modified Organisms

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:12 +0000

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates came to the defense of genetically modified organisms and the potential they hold to "feed the world" and help relieve global poverty issues in a recent annual letter released on his foundation's website.

Cayenne: Heaps of Uses for Heaps of Reasons

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:09:12 +0000

If you are mentally relegating cayenne pepper to the “Cajun seasoning” file in your head, you are missing out on a fantastic seasoning with some surprising health benefits. Introduce this punchy red pepper into your weekly nutrition plan and spice up your life – literally.

We Heart that February Is American Heart Month

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:40:52 +0000

I like to think that I know what I should (and shouldn’t) be eating for good heart health, but a reminder every now and then certainly doesn’t hurt! February is American Heart Month – the perfect time to jog our memories about heart-healthy eating habits, or to learn more about heart health in general.

High Levels of Deadly Bacteria Revealed in Nation’s Pork Supply

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:49 +0000

Deadly strains of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are present in the nation's meat supply, according to a new report published in the journal PLoS ONE titled, "MRSA in Conventional and Alternative Retail Pork Products."

The 5 Worst Food Additives Ever

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Food Additives. Say that ten times fast and the absurdity becomes even more obvious. If something truly is food, then why does it need any additives? There are plenty of excuses—from preservation to enhanced flavor—all equally as unfounded as the practice of adulterating food in the first place. Yet there seems to be no end in sight to the science of tinkering with food, even as research links more and more additives to health and environmental risks. Here are the worst offenders.

Weight Watchers New Diet Strategy: Eat All the Fruits & Veggies You Want

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:14:38 +0000

Weight Watchers has been one of the most successful weight-loss programs ever and their system of counting points for different food items has helped thousands and thousands of people, including a few celebrities, not only lost the pounds, but also keep them off.

So why did Weight Watchers recently overhaul their entire points system, introducing a new “PointsPlus” program that all standing members would have to learn anew? If it wasn’t broke, why did they fix it?

Common Chemicals Decrease Immune Function and Vaccine Efficacy in Children

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and featured in the recent issue of Journal of the American Medical Association is the first to link chemicals to immune problems in children. The study revealed more concerns about exposure to common chemicals as the research team found contraindications with routine vaccinations.