Wellness Picks: Organics Advocate, Green Living Online Store

RODALE INSTITUTE

Their mission says it all: We improve the health and well-being of people and the planet. They cover Global Warming, Nutrition, Famine Prevention.  Check out and support their ADOPT AN ORGANIC APPLE TREE campaign. 

Totally Bamboo - A variety of uniquely designed kitchen accessories made of bamboo from  ekotribe. They have a choice of thoughtfully selected products that are safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly and they help us save energy and save the planet. 

Got Milk Labeling Confusion? "Natural" or "Organic"

Organic dairy farmers challenge other "value added" labels

The real deal - certified organic milk is the Gold Standard in the Dairy Case

A recent marketing study published in the Journal of Applied Economics and Policy, found that consumers really don’t know the difference between natural and organic, even though they have very different production requirements. Jeffery Anstein, author of the study, suggests that companies have been taking advantage of the confusion over the terms “natural” and “organic”.

Today, more than ever, shoppers can visit the retail dairy case and find dairy products labeled with a variety of claims including: “certified organic”, “all natural”, “rBST-free”, “grass fed”, “naturally raised”, and “animal welfare friendly.” Consumers are inundated with labeling messages that are not backed by rigorous state and/or federal regulations.

Of all these labels in the dairy case, “Certified Organic” is the only label with 3^rd party verification and federal enforcement.

“If a family wants to wisely spend their dollars on meaningful labels, they should buy certified organic,” says Urvashi Rangan, Senior Scientist & Policy Analyst at Consumers Union. Consumers who buy organic are assured that their dairy products are humanely produced without the use of hormones, pesticides, cloning or genetic manipulation. In addition, organic regulations require cattle to be grazed on organic pastures, and for farms to use environmentally friendly practices.

Consumers who choose not to purchase certified organic products could be buying products produced with the use of reproductive hormones, rBST, antibiotics, pesticides, cloning, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Organic dairy farmers want all consumers to understand the meaning behind the labels. Look for the USDA organic seal and enjoy the real deal - certified organic milk.

Source:
RODALE INSTITUTE. Leader in Organic Solutions Since 1947. Mission: We improve the health and well-being of people and the planet.

Decorate Happiness and Lose Weight

It can actually help you lose weight - a photo of a smiling face on your refrigerator door doesn't just remind you of good old days.  We call it "positive decorating."

WELLNESS PICKS learned that surrounding yourself with happy photos, memorabilia and cartoons encourages a happy, positive mood, which allows you to step back emotionally and understand the big picture.  "A positive mood enhances efforts to attain future well-being, encourages broader and flexible thinking, and increases openness to thinking," says researchers Aparna A. Labroo from the University of Chicago and Vanessa M. Patrick from the Univesity of Georgia.          

The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, revealed that the participants described either the happiest or unhappiest days of their lives, which induced positive or negative moods.  They then filled out questionnaires that measured levels of abstract versus concrete thinking.

The researchers found out that participants in good moods engage in more abstract thinking, which influences goals and motivation.  They further explained that people in positive moods not only adopt higher-order future goals, but they also work harder to achieve them.

When it comes to eating and weight loss, feeling good can motivate you to make healthier food choices - like apples and low-fat cheddar, instead of brownies and ice cream! - So if you're serious about a healthy lifestyle, decorate your kitchen with things that make you smile. Yeah, happy pictures on the fridge will help you lose weight.      

Dumb About Expiration Dates

A stale brown sugar? Nah, your favorite sweetener has indefinite shelf life if stored in a moisture-proof ontainer in a cool, dry place.  

But really, we are dumb, or we simply don't bother them Expiration Dates of some kitchen residents: Coffee, Dried Pasta, Frozen Vegetables and Ketcup.

Here are four expiration dates that may surprise you:

• COFFEE (canned, ground): 2 years if unopened, 1 month if opened. 
• DRIED PASTA: 12 months if stored in an airtight container.
• FROZEN VEGETABLES: 18-24 months if unopened, 1 month if opened
• KETCHUP: 1 year if unopened, 4-6 months if opened.