Health Through Awareness
and
Thermographic Diagnostic Imaging
Newsletter
June is National
Fresh Fruit
and Vegetable Month
     
The decision to improve diet and lifestyle and go organic requires making a
"choice". I made the conscious choice to be " healthy" and encouraged my family members to join me. Luckily I had a pretty good foundation from childhood and I am , for the most part, healthy. I adopted the "crowding out method":, i.e., If you fill your body with healthy, nutrient-dense foods, it is only natural that cravings for unhealthy foods will lessen substantially.
  
Ten years ago, as I embarked on this journey into healthy living, I got really serious about it, too serious. I became overly obssessed with eating the " right food";  I developed  "Orthorexia Nervosa".
  
Now I live by the 80/20 rule: 80% really good and 20% good. I use this approach in all areas of my life, and for me, it is a great way to keep things in balance.
I encourage you to find a balance that works for you!
  
Being healthy is the new "Cool"!
Liesha
  
"Today I will find balance in my life. I will reveal my potential by feeling and being healthy, by embracing all the elements that are on my path to wellbeing, by striving for the best expression of Me. I will find greater connectedness to the world and to those I love. Today I will live intentionally."
  
  
Top Ten Reasons to Buy Organic
  • Protect Future Generations- Children receive four times more exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. The food choices you make now will impact your child's health in the future.  Today 50% of all food eaten worldwide comes from four plant species and three animal species.  A handful of multi-national corporations control over 50% of the world's seed market.  Small organic farms often preserve heirloom and rare seeds varieties for future generations to enjoy.  There are more than 10,900 organic farms and ranches in the U.S. and more than 4 million organic acres.  
  • Prevents Soil Erosion- The Soil Conservation Service estimates that more than three billion tons of topsoil are eroded from the United States croplands each year. That means soil is eroding seven times faster than it is built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. In conventional farming the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized.  As a result, American farms are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.  Hundreds of studies conducted in the last 50 years have compared soil quality on organic versus conventional farms and virtually every one has concluded that organic management practices, including crop rotation, substantially enhance soil quality, restore nitrogen and organic components, and sequester carbon to help fight global warming.
  • Protect Water Quality- Water Makes up two -thirds of our body mass and covers three - fourths of the planet. Despite its importance, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), estimates pesticides ( some cancer causing) contaminate the ground water in 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country's population.  The more chemicals applied per acre, the greater the challenge in preserving water quality.  
  • Save Energy- American farms have changed drastically in the last three generations, from the family based small business dependent on the human energy to large scale factory farms highly dependent on fossil fuels. Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country's total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the United States. Organic farming is still mainly based on labor-intensive practices such as weeding by hand and using green manure and crop covers rather than by synthetic means.  Organic produce also tends to travel a shorter distance from the farm to your plate.  
  • Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate- Many pesticides approved for use by the EPA were registered before extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases has been established. Now the EPA considers that 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides are carcinogenic. A 1987 National Academy of Science report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and can also be harmful to humans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutation.  
  • Protect Farm Workers Health- A national Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a six time greater risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an average of 14 percent a year since 1973, and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in the state. Farm worker health also is a serious problem in developing nations, where pesticide use can be poorly regulated. An estimated 1 million people are poisoned annually by pesticides.Farming is second only to mining on the list of the most hazardous occupations.  
  • Help Small Farmers- Although more and more large scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small independently owned and operated family farms of less than 100 acres. It's estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. And with the US Department of Agriculture stating that since the year 2000 half of this country's farm production comes from 1 percent of farms, organic farming could become one of the few survival tactics left for family farms.
  • Support a True Economy- Although organic foods might seem more expensive, conventional food prices do not reflect hidden costs borne by taxpayers, including nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988. Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean up, environmental damage, not to mention the huge increases in the cost of healthcare because of illnesses which are the result of the pesticides. 
  • Promote Biodiversity- Mono cropping is the practice of placing large plots of land with the same crop year after year. While this approach tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. To replace the nutrients, chemical fertilizers are used, often in increasing amounts.  Experienced organic farmers have learned over many decades that combining multiple crops with grazing livestock and other animals is the best way to promote soil health and fully utilize the rainfall and sunlight that falls on an acre in any given year.  
  • To Taste Better Flavor- There's a good reason many chefs use organic foods in their recipes. They taste better. Organic farming starts with the nutrients of the soil which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately our palates.  Studies suggest that organic fruits and vegetables more often than not have higher levels of flavor-enhancing nutrients, coupled with lower concentrations of water and sugars.  

                         

Please visit our blog that has information about this month's topic!

 http://healththroughawareness.com/june-national-fresh-fruit-vegetable-month/

 

Resources:

 

Rawsome Health, Inc, 2006. Rawsome Health Weight Loss & Rejuvenation Plan  

The Organic Center, 2010. Top 12 Reasons to Go Organic.

 http://organic-center.org/organic-fact-sheets/top-12-reasons-to-go-organic/

 

Click on the links below to see where you can find 
organic produce in your area. 

2096 Springdale Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Fresh Direct
This is an online service that allows you to order fruits, vegetables, seafood, deli, dairy and meat that are organic and be shipped right to your door! 
 
931 Stony Hill Road
Yardley, PA 19067
Eat and Shop Local Here!
  
Due to an overwhelming response we will be extending the free 25 minute POD session offer for the month of  June.  This offer is for those of you who were unable to come in May.

GET EVEN HEALTHIER!

Would you like help learning how to choose and cook healthy foods? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let's talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today--or pass this offer on to someone you care about!

 

Liesha Getson, HHC, BCTT

 856-596-0200

100 Brick Road, Suite 206

Marlton, NJ 08053

www.healththroughawareness.com

[email protected]

www.tdinj.com

[email protected] 

Stay Connected
Like us on Facebook