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Questions and answers about Organic....
Is organic better or safer?
Organic food production does not yield foods that are necessarily
more nutritious; rather, organic foods and fiber are spared
the application of toxic and persistent
insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. Many EPA-approved pesticides
were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer
and other diseases. Now, the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all
fungicides and 30% of all insecticides as potentially cancer causing. In the
long run, organic farming techniques provide a safer, more sustainable environment
for everyone.
Why do organic products sometimes cost more?
Prices for organic products reflect many of the same costs as conventional items
in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organic foods must
meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, so the process is often
more labor and management intensive, and the farming tends to be on a smaller
scale.
There is mounting evidence that if all the indirect costs of conventional food
production (clean up of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of
health care for farmers and their workers) were factored into the price of food,
organic foods would cost that same or, more likely, be cheaper.
Are all organic products
pesticide free?
The word “organic” should not be misconstrued as meaning pesticide-free.
Certified organic products have been grown and handled according to strict standards
without toxic and persistent chemical inputs. However, organic crops are still
exposed to the agricultural chemicals that are now detected in nearly all rain
and ground water due to their overuse during the past 50 years in North America,
and due to drift via wind and rain. Organic agriculture techniques strive to
maintain and replenish soil fertility.
Organic & Natural News,
December 1999
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Photo: ©Jennifer
Esperanza
The Sacred Series
The word fasting conjures up many associations, positive and negative, that tell
us a lot about how we feel toward discipline, desire, craving, control and other
aspects of our lives.
The many unusual and often amazing tales on this subject
include those of the Hindu practice of prayopavesha, or self-willed death by
fasting; the Korean Buddhist monk who has not eaten in three years, taking nourishment
only from natural spring water and by raising his palms upward to receive energy
from the sun at noon time; Eskimo women who undertake petitionary fasts when
their mates go hunting for food; medieval women obsessed with fasting, whose
bodies were believed to nevertheless secrete oils, milks and other life-sustaining
liquids.
History reveals that the desire for food and the need to exercise control over
its intake have always been at odds. Even today we feel this pressure in many
subtle and not so subtle ways. It may be helpful to recognize these pressures
by asking yourself a couple questions: How many advertisements for health, fitness
and dieting did I see today? What are the first foods that greet me when I enter
the grocery store?
What does all of this have to do with fasting? A compassionate and moderate fast
can enhance the awareness, strength and self discipline with which we approach
food. It gives our stomachs a rest and helps cleanse our bodies. It helps us
realize how dependent we are on food and the earth that provides us sustenance.
It humbles us with realization of what hunger feels like and lets us know what
it means to sacrifice something of value. It improves our mental concentration
and focus. It makes us more aware of our own “hungry ghosts” of greed
and envy. It teaches us the value of charity. It lets us practice patience and
nonattachment. It empowers us to break long lived habits. It encourages empathy
for our needs and the needs of other human beings. Not least of all, it helps
us transcend our physical being and puts us in touch with our spiritual self.
Fasting is not a panacea that magically removes toxins from our bodies or eliminates
our food and diet problems. It is, however, a powerful tool for advancing us
along the road to self discovery, conscious awareness and spiritual transcendence.
Because fasting is not by nature a moderate action, we need to introduce compassion.
We can begin to do this by listening to our bodies.
Donald Altman
New Age Journal |
| Quotes... |
“There are no mistakes,
no coincidences. All events are blessings given
to us to learn from.”
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
July 7
"Rather than being unhappy and hateful, we should
rejoice in the success of others"
-His Holiness
the Dalai Lama
"The Path to Tranquility"
Compiled and Edited by
Renuka Singh |
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