2014: A Year of Resurgence. Organic Foods: More Antioxidants, Fewer Toxic Heavy Metals.

 

For New Year's Day:

I wish everyone a very healthy, wealthy and wise new year.

2014: A Year of Resurgence

"The whirlwind of 2014’s tumultuous events deserves a comprehensive examination—but its true importance only becomes clear when placed into the context of history.

Continuing scourges: A Doctors Without Borders health worker wearing protective clothing holds a child suspected of having Ebola at a treatment center in Paynesville, Liberia (Oct. 5, 2014). Source: John Moore/Getty Images

The year 2014 was one of anniversaries. On day 1 following the calendar switch, Europeans celebrated the 15th anniversary of the debut of their national currency, the euro. Two months later on March 11, Spain memorialized the 10th anniversary of the al-Qaida-perpetrated Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people.

Rwanda remembers: Thousands of people march in Kigali, Rwanda, to commemorate the 1994 Rwandan genocide (April 11, 2014). Source: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images

April brought the 20th anniversary since the start of the Rwandan genocide and the end of apartheid in South Africa while June brought the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and what marked perhaps the largest commemoration of all: 100 years since the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. This event is credited with igniting World War I.

The rest of the year included three other important commemorations: the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II, the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling, and the 10th anniversary of the tsunami off Thailand’s coast that killed 250,000 from 14 countries.    Complete article at: http://realtruth.org/articles/141125-002.html

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Organic Foods: More Antioxidants, Fewer Toxic Heavy Metals

Source: Thinkstock

"Organic food has 60 percent more key antioxidants than conventional food, according to a study released by Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.

Eating food grown organically provides “additional antioxidants equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day,” the report stated.

“This study demonstrates that choosing food produced according to organic standards can lead to increased intake of nutritionally desirable antioxidants and reduced exposure to toxic heavy metals,” Newcastle University professor Carlo Leifert, who authored the study, said in a statement on the university’s website.

Compared to conventional crops, organic ones evidence lower levels of toxic heavy metals.

Researchers “detected significantly lower concentrations of the toxic metal [cadmium] and total [nitrogen] in organic crops…[cadmium] is a highly toxic metal and one of the only three toxic metal contaminants (the other two being [lead] and [mercury]) for which the European Commission has set maximum residue levels…in foods,” a report published by the British Journal of Nutrition stated.

In addition to toxic heavy metals, conventionally grown food also contains more pesticides: “…pesticide residues were four times more likely to be found in conventional crops than organic ones,” university researchers found.

According to researchers, the study was the “most extensive analysis of the nutrient content in organic vs conventionally-produced foods ever undertaken” and conclusively proves the value of organic produce.

“The organic vs non-organic debate has rumbled on for decades now but the evidence from this study is overwhelming—that organic food is high in antioxidants and lower in toxic metals and pesticides,” Mr. Leifert stated."  From: http://realtruth.org/news/141125-007.html

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Update:

Things have been cold and quiet around here.  Too wet and nasty to do anything outside.  On Wednesday, I borrowed Jay's mother's truck and we took the broken dryer from the guest house, and a washer that Jay had brought back from his sister's house to the appliance repair man.  I have to drive as Jay still doesn't have a license, he lost it years ago because of his drinking.  Then we went to a couple of thrift shops and bought a few items.  Jay bought several large stuffed dogs for his granddaughters.

Today, we all ate at Jay's mother's and had a great day.