The Devil's Darning Needle certainly sounds menacing. Members of the carnivorous order Odonata have large, toothed mandibles, but despite their fierce appearance, they are anything but threatening. In fact, from the nymph stage to the adult stage, the dragonfly has a significant, positive ecological impact.
Organic chicken is chicken that has been fed and raised in a manner in accordance with the United Stated Department of Agriculture's guidelines for organic poultry products. In order to meet these guidelines, farmers must feed chickens organic foods free of growth hormones, antibiotics or any other synthetic supplement. Sources of organic chicken vary depending on your geographic location; however, there are several options for finding organic products locally and online.
Millions of people get sick annually from undercooked meat. Measure the internal temperature of meat using a thermometer to ensure that pathogens that cause food-borne illness have been killed. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and ground meats and pork should be cooked to 160 degrees. Beef, lamb, veal and seafood need to be cooked to 145 degrees and ham to 140 degrees. Parasites are one danger, but there are four main bacteria that cause sickness from raw or undercooked meat.
Americans love their burgers --- even as leading health agencies such as the American Cancer Society urge us to eat more vegetables. Although meat consumption is holding steady in this country, Americans consume 8 oz. per day, twice the global average and twice the amount of protein recommended by the federal government. Recent reports claim that unprocessed meat may not be all that bad and shift the blame for health issues toward processed meats. However, there are still reasons to avoid --- or at least reduce --- the consumption of all meats in your diet.
When it comes to food and escalating food costs, the idea of going organic sounds nice but isn't quite feasible for everyone. While companies may paint a pretty picture through a great marketing campaign, when it comes to our food production, the reality is that sometimes it's not so great.
On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of beef and 87 pounds of chicken annually. With all the racket about eating organic, you may wonder what the big deal is. Perhaps animals are treated better and allowed to roam outdoors, but is it really worth it to eat organic? Being well informed about the issue will help you to make your decision.
There are different factors you must examine to determine if it is better to eat organic legumes. First, you have to consider what kind of legumes are being consumed, for different kinds of legumes may be affected by conventional treatments differently. You must then look at benefits of eating organic foods nutritionally. Finally, you should consider if going organic will affect the taste of the legumes.
Conventionally grown (non-organic) vegetables have likely been treated with any of the 300 to 400 approved chemicals used to treat conventional produce. Organic vegetables are becoming more widely available and provide numerous benefits to both the consumer and the environment.
Everyone wants to eat right. But the rules change all the time. Healthy organic eating, however, is not complicated. It's going back to the basics, eating real food. Learning how to find this real food can be a challenge, but it's getting easier every day. Here are a few strategies to have in mind as you head for the store.
Organic produce is generally more expensive than non-organic---except when it's not. High-end grocery stores will sell their produce at higher prices even if the vegetables and fruits are not organic. Eating well and staying on a budget is not impossible. Whether you are shopping for yourself or your family, there are ways to get the most bang for your buck in organic markets.
Organic produce can get pricey compared to their conventionally grown counterparts, primarily because organic farmers don't use the same cost-cutting mass-production strategies that toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers facilitate. That doesn't mean, however, that organic fruits and vegetables are the sole province of the well-off. Here's how to eat healthfully even on the skimpiest of shoestring budgets.