Organic, Yea or Nay?

"Is Organic More Nutritious"
By: Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD

Many folks are not going to be pleased with the findings of a recent study from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Consumers are demanding more foods be organic, but information is lacking on whether or not these foods are more nutritious. This study assessed the differences in reported nutrient contents between organic and conventional food products by conducting an in-depth review of the published literature. From a total of 52,471 articles, 162 studies were identified as well-designed and accurate. Results from those studies showed that conventional foods had a higher nitrogen content, while organic
crops had more phosphorus and were more acidic. There was no evidence that foods grown or raised organically, including both plants and animals, were any different nutritionally than similar crops and animals raised by conventional methods. The researchers conclude that “...there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are ...mostly related to differences in production methods.”

Dangour A, Dodhia S, Hayter A, et al: Nutritional
quality of organic foods: A systematic review. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009;90:680-685.



Picture Found at: joearay2.tripod.com/foodandtravel.htm

What Will You Choose?

Many cereal companies try to trick buyers by putting labels on the boxes such as, "No Cholesterol!", "Natural Fruit Flavors", "Whole Grains", "Corn", "Fruit-Flavored", or "Corn Puffs". Watch out for this kind of labeling! They really may have used whole grain, but look at the sugar content. We read "Corn" or "Fruit" or "Wheat" or "Bran" and automatically relate each to health...don't be so easily persuaded. They may be using artificial fruit, or using only part of the grain not the whole grain. The label "No Cholesterol" on cereal is pathetic..of course it doesn't contain cholesterol, only animal products do!

This may sound like common sense but really there are still so many individuals out there that do not know this stuff!

Another marketing tool is using a "character" or "slogan" for kids. We've all heard, "Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!" But are these sugary cereals really for...anybody? To me they are more of a treat and definitely not something I would eat for breakfast!

Now let's talk about healthy ideas for breakfast..lately I've been eating a lot of Nature's Path Organic "Optimum Blueberry Cinnamon" cereal. When I first came upon Nature's Path cereals, my reaction was, "These are disgusting and taste like cardboard!" but I had only given one kind a chance. They have so many choices and they really are healthy! The bonus is I can eat smaller amounts and be full where other cereals it takes more to fill me up. It's high in fiber, whole grain, and low in sugar. This is a company I trust.

http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold%20cereals?tid=All&brand=All&nutri=All

And of course I must suggest something besides cereal...ThinStick Shake!

Bright Banana Blue: 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1/4 teaspoon fresh or powdered ginger, 8 oz. skim milk, 1 scoop Thinstick Shake.

MSG in a Bottle ( From JJ Virgin)

MSG in a Bottle - The Hidden Danger of this Ubiquitous Food Flavoring

"Before you dive face first into your Peking duck, listen up. A recent study out of the University of North Carolina cites what animal studies have hinted at for years: MSG (aka monosodium glutamate) could be a factor in weight gain. The study focused on 750 Chinese men and women, ages 40-59, living in 3 rural villages in north and south China. Those participants who used the highest amounts of MSG had nearly 3 times the incidence of overweight as those who did not use MSG, even when physical activity, total caloric intake, and other possible explanations for body mass differences were taken into account.

We all know of someone who has had a bad reaction to MSG; in fact it's suggested that 25- 30% of all Americans suffer some sort of effect from MSG (e.g., palpitations and migraine headaches), and as many as 30 percent are extra sensitive to it if they consume more than 5 grams at one sitting! Unfortunately, these facts haven't seemed to slow down the food industry one bit. Americans consumed about 1 million pounds of MSG in 1950, and today that number has increased by a factor of 300!

So what exactly is monosodium glutamate? MSG is a flavor enhancer in foods--some believe it may even provide a fifth basic taste sensation (in addition to sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), what the Japanese call "umami" (roughly translated as "tastiness"). It is considered an "excitotoxin," since its action in the body is to excite neurotransmitters (important brain chemicals), causing nerve cells to discharge and also exciting nerves related to taste. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes MSG as "naturally occurring," and has it on the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list. However, studies have shown that when MSG was ingested by lab rats, the hypothalamic regulation of the appetite was damaged by MSG, causing them to double their intake of food and triple their intake of fluids! Given these studies, as well as the prevalence of side effects reported, no amount of MSG appears to be a safe amount.

Eliminating MSG from the diet is much easier said than done, since there's no list of MSG-safe foods in existence. Start by reading the ingredient list; but understand that there will still be many foods that have MSG hidden inside other ingredients in the list (even products labeled "no MSG added" can still contain these hidden sources). Likely culprits include seasonings, flavor packets that you add to tacos, stews, soups, gravies, roasts, dips, etc., and canned soups and noodle packets. Anything that is expected to have a long shelf life is likely to include MSG in it.

Your best bet is to go organic and make things from scratch. Stick with whole foods that look pretty much the way they do when you pluck them from the ground. Avoid canned, boxed, bottled and frozen ANYTHING. Unless you are packaging your own foods, you have no clue what's in there!"

© 2009 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. JJ Virgin, PHD, CNS is a celebrity health and nutrition expert, author, public speaker and media personality. She is internationally recognized as the creator of the Weight Loss Resistance Revolution™ and trains other health care professionals in her program. She is the president of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, http://www.nanp.org/.If you are frustrated with your body and feel like nothing you are doing is working, take her free quiz "Are You Weight Loss Resistant?" at http://www.jjvirgin.com/ and receive her monthly LEANzine loaded with insider information on fighting fat and getting lean for life!

Please be aware that processed organic food-can in fact contain MSG.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org./