The background about the real facts of pesticides is something that sheds a great deal of light on the importance of eating an organic diet.  Pesticides have been documented ad shown to cause some serious issues among the farmers who work with them.  Even when the techniques are done properly and precautions take, issues can arise from even a slight amount of simple exposure. Many phosphate pesticides are known to cause abdominal pains, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as various skin and eye conditions. Then there are also other studies which have show much more serious problems like respiratory issues, memory loss, cancer, depression, and birth defects. I have never actually been a witness to any of these but the research doesn’t lie. 

One difficult point about pesticides in fruits and vegetables is when it comes to buying things from abroad. I have worked on Organic farms before in this country and the regulations you have to follow are pretty strict and you have to be quite rigid in every step you take ad what equipment is used every day. Each year the farms have to get checked and things have to be cleared by the certification organization so they maintain a very well ru operation. It was also my experience that these farmers were much more passionate about  their final product than just about their business. The issue for the health of the consumer arises because the organic standards in other nations is not the same as they are here. Other nations don’t place as much value on the same scientific research and thus some food enters the U.S. with levels of pesticides that are unacceptable here. 

I don’t want everyone going out now ad running for the hills because that’s not what I am saying is the solution. What I do what you to do though is read ad get yourselves informed because that is the only way anything is going to change. With your knowledge of what isn’t good for you then you can place your dollar and your power where it belongs.

I left off last time talking to you a little bit more in depth about the particulars of the Organic foods we see cropping up, pun intended, all over the grocery store. I’d like to keep that conversation going today ad get back in to in once again. I think that for now what deserves a little bit of attention are some of the particulars that I have experienced that you may not know much about.

I have worked as a farmer in the past at a few different locations. Several of these were Organic farms, some were not certified but could have been if they had the high cost of being certified. Then some of these places were not Organic at all and that was fine at the time for me. So I really have got to see a lot of differing practices when it comes to farming and the biggest issue for me at this point in my life is sustainability. I feel like the issue of whether or not we are poisoning ourselves slowly with pesticides is not nearly as pressing an issue as that of the complete degradation of the planet. If we have no planet then we have no species thus agricultural techniques are a moot point. Of course when we look at from that perspective the Organic farms are protecting the chemical balance of soil because there is no pesticides used. They are also much better at sustaining lots of biodiversity. This is something that conventional farms don’t really even consider. Organic farms are much more about nurturing rather than simply industrializing the growth of life on this planet. The only problem that some say arises from this is that Organic farms require much more land to grow the same amount as the factory farms. This means for some people that if we were to try and sustain the current world population on Organics we would in turn be leading to more destruction of rainforest to grow food. That would, if it actually was the case, would again negate the point of sustainability. 

I’m going to turn to one of my best resources for food information right now and finish today with a quick word about Michael Pollan. He is a world renowned author and scholar who has written a great deal on things like this. He has studied the primary documents ad the facts on the yields ad his view is simply that we could actually increase the world’s food supply by almost one half if we were to switch everything over to Organics. He claims that where the problem lies ow is in the diversity of types of farming. If we were to switch over today then things would have to change in every single ecosystem to accommodate and that would ot be reflexive of the simple industrial growth estimates that every is looking at.

Once again the class time is a callig and I must be gettin on. We’ll keep on with this discussion next time.

I know that in the past I have discussed organic foods and all of the broad topics that fall under that category but I would like to come back around to this idea again. We have once again reached the time of the year when the leaves fall and the temperature makes most agriculture impossible. Farmer’s markets will be closing up shop soon and leaving only winter markets which sell mostly meets and dairy products. This is an especially important time to know what kinds of things there are out there for you to buy when you go to the shelves at the supermarket. Knowing is half the battle and for those of you on a small student’s budget, then knowing where to compromise because of costs is also very important. 

What do we mean when we say Organic food? Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives.  Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.  In the U.S. this is something you must watch out for though because there are still modified products out there. Personally I feel that free range meat is better than just organic. If you buy locally then I bet you could find organic and free range from the same producer without having to compromise on that piece of your diet. 

Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.

Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers’ markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food production has had growth rates of around 20% a year, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide. Future growth is expected to range from 10-50% annually depending on the country.

The benefits to organic farming are not simply for personal health reasons, but these purchases effect the biodiversity of the area and the sustainability of the farmland. The last two are things that traditional factory farms do not consider when laying out their production line. 

I have to go to class for now but we will keep talking about this next time. Stay tuned.

Wikipedia:

“Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the beans of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, guarana berries, and the Yaupon Holly.

In humans, caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks enjoy great popularity. Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike most others, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions. In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily.”

Most people consume caffeine every day without considering what the effects of it may be. Every study I have found points in on direction on its health risks or benefits and then there is always another study that shows exactly the opposite as fact. Caffeinism is something of a problem for people who consume too much of this helpful energy aid. This condition is similar to any kind of chemical addiction which can result in a strong dependency and various nervous issues from its withdrawal from the body. One big condition that can result from over consumption is sleep disorder which is simply like insomnia but is aided by the dependency on the substance which actually causes the condition. 

There is also the issues of the effects of caffeine on memory. For college students who drink a lot of caffeine you may want to reconsider since much research has shown that lots of jolt can lead to loss of some ability to do broad thinking and that it really only enhances momentary task thought function. In other words, you drink too much you completely destroy the part of you brain that you’re trying to enhance while in school. 

I just signed myself up for something that is so cool that I just have to talk about it with you all out there.  If you know anything about Yoga then yo of course know that there is not just one brand of yoga. Anywhere you go in the world you will be practicing a different form of yoga. The same can be said within a town. In this town along i think have about eight or nine different variations of Yoga being practiced at various places. Each one of these different variations emphasizes different things and places more of the teachings on certain scriptural passages rather than others. Then there are also the classes that are called Yoga classes but don’t incorporate any kind of meditation or attempt at overcoming the exercise routine stereotype we have here in America. I have been a practitioner of a few different styles that I have taken to blend in to my own distinctive style. I have read the Baghavad Gita several times and have taken many lessons from the text. The styles that I have taken from are Iyengar, Jivamukti, Ansuara, and ashtanga. 

The cool thing that I signed up for is a workshop in Jivamukti yoga up in New York. The workshop is held at the studio where this particular style was actually developed. The creators won’t be taking part in this particular workshop, as far as I know, but it will be taught by one of their top teachers in the world. The point of this particular workshop is to look at the energy channels in the body. In Yoga these channels are known as Nadis. This term comes from the original sanskrit terminology that all Yoga practitioners share. We all speak the same language as written down by the great Sage Patanjali thousands of years ago. This workshop is looking at these channels of energy that run throughout our whole bodies and finds the positions that Jivamukti practitioners have found to be the ones most effective in connecting them. When these channels are connected then energy is allowed to flow through the body freely and thus increase the coherence of the body. Even for the practiced yoga student this may sound a bit crazy, but for me it is just the facts. 

*I have been teaching for quite a while and these kinds of workshops have been essential in taking me from student to teacher and then from teacher to yogi. At this point they are just one in the same with my practices as a knowledge builder.  When it is over I will have a whole new store of lessons and ideas to take to the mat and in to my classes.

I encourage all of you to go out and try one of these workshops because they are well worth the minimal cash involved.

The book is titled Alternative Medicine: the definitive guide by Anderson and Trivieri. This book is basically the ultimate guide to anyone who wants to know all of the methods in which they could seek help for any particular medical condition.  It is set up i a really great style where it is listed first by the different types of conditions that you could hope to heal or remedy with an alternative or complimentary treatment. Conditions as simple as a skin rash all the way to things like cancer which may people choose to treat i ways other than chemotherapy since it is so hard on the body.  After the listings of the conditions it goes on to list in depth each of the different kinds of treatment methodologies that the books has to offer. It is ot meat to be ay kind of a medical text, but for those who really want to know anything about an alternative healing mode. For me I personally found all of the sections on Yoga, Herbal healing, and Chiropractics to be very close to how I myself would explain these methods within the context of a discussion of healing. The way it is presented is a bit dry at times, but they make sure to include plenty of cool diagrams ad pictures to really paint a picture of all the different styles of learning that may be ended to entice people to read and remain interested in such a large book.

IF you are out there wondering what certain modes are about and if there are other ways out there to aid in healing with some condition that you have, pick this one up because it will really help you find what you are looking for.

My friend was a graduate of the Berklee college of music up in Boston and she has told me a good deal about the program that she went through. Basically she was given an amazing education in how to not only play and write music, but she was also taught how to interact with people through the medium of music in order to overcome, at the deepest level, some kind of mental blockage that music alone can release. She got to spend many years do exactly what she loved and at the same time she picked up an amazing set of skills and an interesting perspective on disease and mental illness They also taught her how to run a successful business through this medium of therapy but she has chosen, with the poor job market and all, to become a part of something already created and then move on after a time. 

At this point she has been telling me that most of her client base has been coming from sort of similar populations of people. On the one hand she has lots of people who have relationship problems and are seeking marriage counseling that is more intimate than simply talking with a counselor. She is also getting plenty of people who simply wish to learn how to play. That is another big part of what she does is that she teaches every single one of her clients how to apply themselves to something as revealing as a musical instrument and they can take that away and do with their gifts as they will. I think that that is the real magic of what she does for a living. 

One of the way that I am doing this is by looking at a lesser known story from earlier in the week. This week GM unveiled their new electric car called the Volt. They held their little press conference and showed off the vehicle. I am sure that everyone who left that day with their corporate gifts in hand was happy to see the newest model, but sharing a question that I am also having around this story. What is the price for such a car?

GM showed off their new car as the latest in a long line of electric designs that has put this one at the fore. In terms of the marketability of this vehicle I think that they surely kept that in mind when designing it. We all have see the Toyota Prius, I love it, out there on the road and thought about how funny the design of the body is. It doesn’t look to me to be that aerodynamic and for many the fact that it is not what could be called stylish would shoot it right out of the pool of new cars they’d buy. The Volt ont the other hand is designed to be the most aerodynamic car GM has ever built thus making it look and handle like a sportscar of old. This sort of contradicts what we would think of when we imagine a hybrid or fully electric car but they have pulled it off here.  GM has also managed to create a product that those who car about environmental initiative can feel happy about. The battery life on this one is around forty miles and then the gasoline engine kicks in to keep the battery charged for hundreds more. It is also only about four cents a mile on avaerage to drive and charge this little baby up for around eight hours a night.

All in all I think that GM has made a winner here. I just hope that they don’t stop here and they move all the way in to the future with this design and they don’t kill it with the price.

It is the duty of the youngest generations of us to be idealistic and driven to change those things we see around us which give us pause. In my life there are plenty of things that force me out of my own little comfortable bubble and make me want to cry sometimes. When I find these inexplicable occurrences I choose not to ever hide my face and run away. These are lessons given to us from some higher power to make us open our eyes. 

You may be wondering why I have gotten myself all worked up and on this soap box. Well i am standing up here because I am now part of a little campus group that hopefully will turn in to something of a movement. We are a group of students for social change and we understand that as a group we must be committed to the betterment of social justice and living everywhere. We have structured ourselves much in the way of Amnesty international in our written guide, but we want to take a more active role in the social causes and how to change them. Where amnesty would be campaigning against the leader of a country who commits genocide, we would do the that but we would also look at the reasons buried under the genocide. 

One of our biggest committed issues is that of climate change. As you all know it is quite an intricate and divisive kind of issue in the country and around the world, and we want to take a big bite out of it. Our group has a greta liberal leaning in our stance on these issues and so we also wish to spread our word through dialogue. We have set up some speaking events as well as debates to try and bring more people in to the fold. At these events we will of course be giving out promotional gifts to help get our namer around. As with any group even promotional pens can turn your garage project in to Microsoft simply by landing them in the right hands. Through these meetings and discussions we want to not only further our own agenda, but try to bridge the political gaps that keep these issues in a dead lock. IF we as students can achieve even a few minor successes I think we can act as an inspiration or even a driving force behind some real change in the places where it really makes a difference. 

Canning is a practice that I tout till the ends of the earth because it as gotten me through years of winter. When I was a kid it was normal part of every week that on sunday nights the whole family would can whatever produce we had left over because mondays were the farmer’s market days and we would survive off that food for the week ahead. Canning is a way to store food for yourself at home that will certainly last you all winter long and will definitely save you some money in the long run. It will take a small investment at first but it is well worth the pocket change from your student loans.

The art of canning begins with a trip to the store. In any supermarket you can find, in the isle with the plastic bags, ball jars. These jars come in all sizes from a pint all the way up to a two gallon jug. For most canning purposes you will need either the pint or the quart jars. The smaller jars are for things like jams and jellies and the larger jars are for your staples like tomatoes and pickles. When you have the jars the next thing to get will be a pot large enough to fit about six to ten jars or so. The pot doesn’t need to have a lid but it helps. You will also need some type of tongs and there are some that are made specifically for this purpose. Now you are ready to get to canning.

At this point I won’t go too much in to the actual process of canning because the process varies for every kind of food you wish to can. Here I would recommend that you go ahead and buy a book on canning. There are plenty of resources for this and even I still go out of a book to keep myself focused on the way the process is supposed to go.