Issue 8 December 2010


Quantum


HEALTH


Eating organically this Christmas means you can avoid consuming pesticide residues, GM ingredients or unnecessary food additives. Research from the Soil Association shows that 68 per cent of people in the United Kingdom want to avoid food grown with pesticides (more than 300 chemicals are routinely used in non- organic farming, compared to only six allowed under Soil Association organic standards, and then only allowed in highly restricted circumstances). The average Cox’s apple may be sprayed 16 times with over 30 different pesticides and chemicals before it is harvested, so if you’re cooking up a warming apple crumble for Christmas Eve, make sure you chose organic produce.


Artificial fertilisers used in non-organic farming increase the water content of vegetables, which depresses their nutritional content. A University of California Davies study found 79-97 per cent higher levels of beneficial flavonoids in organic tomatoes; the researchers stated that these antioxidants have been linked to reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, some forms of cancer and dementia.


Only 32 of the 300 food additives approved for use across the European Union are permitted in organic food. Controversial additives like aspartame, tartrazine and hydrogenated fats, which have been linked to health problems such as heart disease, migraines and hyperactivity, are banned in organic foods. Choosing organic ingredients means you can relax and enjoy your Christmas meal knowing you aren’t harming your body with unwanted extras.


3. LET’S TALK TURKEY Ten million turkeys are sold in the UK each year, and of these, 90% are reared intensively, spending their short 15-week lives in windowless, crowded, barren sheds. If you want to be sure that yours had been fed a healthy diet, had access to the outdoors and is not from a factory farm, then look out for the Soil Association logo, as no system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards. In the


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United States, look for the words “USDA certified organic”.


4. COCKTAIL ANYONE? Your skin is the largest organ of your body and what you put on it can be absorbed in tiny amounts. The negative impact from the daily cocktail of substances that we put on the skin is only just beginning to be understood and while one product may contain very small amounts of some the known and suspected harmful ingredients, it is the cumulative effect of applying various products regularly that causes concern. What’s more, chemical additives in toiletries can end up in the water systems and remain in the environment for some time.


Unfortunately, unlike organic food, there are no legal standards for organic beauty products. As a result, some companies choose to label a product as ‘organic’ even if it only contains 1% organic ingredients or if it contains potentially hazardous substances.


In the United Kingdom, you can look for the Soil Association symbol to guarantee that the product meets the strictest standards for organic purity and integrity. In the US, look out for the USDA organic seal.


Make sure the only cocktails you’re indulging in this Christmas are the martinis...


5. FESTIVE FASHION – BE SEEN TO BE GREEN


Whether choosing clothing gifts for friends and family or looking for something to snuggle up in yourself, there’s never been a better time to make an organic addition to your wardrobe. The organic textiles market is booming, with organic cotton growing on average 35% a year for the last 5 years.


Quantum Health 55


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