On core plan you have a list of core foods and

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

Do you try to buy them wherever possible, or only if you happen to pick them up in error? If you intentionally buy them, why? Do they taste better, are they better for you, do you believe you're helping the environment?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/13/cl.organics/index.html

Organic vs. conventional: What do experts say?

By Amy Spindler
CookingLight.com

The organic market is growing at a steady pace of nearly 20 percent annually, and that translates into organic alternatives in nearly every grocery aisle -- from snack foods to frozen meals to baked goods. "Everyone wants to be healthy and these foods convey an aura of health," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of "What to Eat." Here, experts compare some of the benefits and drawbacks of going organic.

Are organic products more nutritious?
A few small studies have shown that some organic foods contain higher nutrient levels than conventional ones. For example, a recent study showed that organic ketchup had 57 percent more of the antioxidant lycopene than regular ketchup. But the wholesale claim that organics are more nutritious than conventional is ahead of the science. "More research is needed before it can be stated that organic foods provide more nutritional value," says Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., director of university nutrition at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Organic foods may have other benefits, though. Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at The Organic Center, asserts that some organic products are less processed, which means they may contain fewer chemically adulterated ingredients (think hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives).

Bottom line: "Read labels and look at each product in its own right," Benbrook says. An organic potato chip may contain as many calories and saturated fat grams as a conventional chip. "The price premiums associated with processed organic food are not as great as the premiums charged for organic whole foods," Benbrook says.

Are organic products healthier for the environment?
What's best for the environment is hotly debated among experts. "There is no scientifically accepted evidence that organic foods are better for the environment. Organic production allows natural pesticides, which can be toxic to humans and wildlife," says Alan McHughen, Ph.D., professor of botany and plant sciences at the University of California, Riverside. Organic fertilizers may also contain harmful bacteria, such as E. coli. Plus, organic farming yields only 75 to 90 percent of the crop of conventional systems, meaning that more land must be planted in order to have an equal return.

Organic advocates counter that chemicals used in conventional farming spread far beyond the fields where they are applied and have unintended consequences. "Synthetic pesticides have been linked to developmental and neurological problems," Benbrook says. "Organics eliminate synthetic pesticides and the damage they do to farmers, land, and drinking water."

Organic regulations also prohibit the use of genetic modification -- another thorny issue with as-yet unclear implications for the environment.

Bottom line: Focus on foods' benefit to your immediate environmen -- i.e. your body -- first. "A good diet means variety, balance, and moderation, regardless of the farming method that produced the food," McHughen says.

that I've made for over 30 years....Hayseed, wish you lived closer, I'd bring you over a batch of stuffed peppers. They probably wouldn't be as good as your mom's though.

Cat

Satisfy cheeseburger lovers with an easy-bake version you can whip up in minutes with Bisquick� mix.

Prep Time:20 min

Start to Finish:

Makes:16 to 20 servings

9 Ratings
5 Reviews
Read Reviews
Rate/Review Recipe

1 1/2	lb (at least 80%) ground beef
1 1/4	cups chopped onions (about 2 large)
1	can (10 3/4 oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1 1/4	cups Green Giant� frozen mixed vegetables, if desired
1/2	cup milk
2 1/3	cups Original Bisquick� mix
2/3	cup water
1 1/3	cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 5 oz)

1.	Heat oven to 375�F. Generously spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in soup, vegetables and milk.
2.	In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix and water until moistened. Spread evenly in pan. Spread beef mixture over batter. Sprinkle with cheese.
3.	Bake uncovered 35 minutes.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Do not add cheese before baking. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Putting the paper on disk and printing at school was not an unreasonable option, as is telling her to call a neighbor or classmate who lives nearby to see if they have any paper to spare (I would accompany her no more than 3 blocks to pick up paper).

Or, you could also have suggested that she gather up her "nonessential" print jobs and print her paper out on the blank sides of those sheets.

Who could only have one? They are like potato chips. All the Harry Potter Movies - do you have YOUR ticket for Wednesday?, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Big Chill, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill I and II, Better off Dead, Gone With the Wind, One Flew Over the Cuckoo�s Nest, Casablanca, Driving Miss Daisy, Rear Window, Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Passion of the Christ, School of Rock, The Crow, Braveheart, The Secret Garden, all the Jason Bourne Movies, The Labyrinth. I have to stop now and go watch one before I fall asleep! I am glad to see all those wonderful movies on here. Now I am reminded of old favorites that I want to watch again and ones I don't own for my collection I share with my daughters.

We had a new house built last year on a nice lakeside lot. We are about 15 years from retirement.

We are both investing in IRAs, 401Ks, etc., and we consider the house a retirement investment as well. As soon as we get our son through college, we will begin putting additional money on the principal so hopefully we can have the house paid off by the time we're ready to retire.

Whether we stay here or move will depend on a lot of things, like cost of living (very low here in Oklahoma, higher in New Mexico - Albuquerque/Santa Fe area), the state of our health, etc. That's why we have Plan A and Plan B.

I am 48 and do use my cellphone for emergency use only. Right now, I have Cingular One Go Phone but used it so rarely that within a few months, I had 135.00 in my fund.

I called Cingular One and asked them to switch me over to another plan to use up the 135.00 and she said okay, go to 25 cents per minute and when you deplete your 135.00, you can switch back to the monthly 30.00 plan again. Well, I went on a long trip, my car malfunctioned and when I went to call AAA, the cellphone said I had no minutes...seems I had bought air time which had expired rather than talk time...

So, I was told to buy a telephone card at a store for 100.00 which would last 365 days. Befoire I do this, since I know so very little about the cellphone plans, I wonder if anyone has any great ideas for me or perhaps will say I should do what was suggested?