Nuganics

We all drink/eat out of plastic bottles/containers at some stage but do the chemicals within the plastic leach into our food and water? Common sense would suggest that there would be some chemical leaching especially when the plastic is subjected to microwaves, strong acids/alkali or heat from dish washing but is this a concern?

A lot of plastic materials have recycling numbers imprinted into the plastic. For example most disposable water bottles are made from PET which is recycling number 1. This plastic if fine for single use but can decay allowing microbe contamination to grow which can be a health hazard. They should only be used for single use.

Since PET is meant to be single use we may turn to sports bottles which are commonly made of a harder plastic as they are designed for multiple use. These are commonly made from recycling number 7. Recycling number 7 contains a chemical called Bisphenol A. This chemical has been found to mimic hormones in our body. Bisphenol A has shown in rat studies to effect reproductive and fertility function. Pregnant or expecting mothers need to be particular aware of this problem as it could have similar effects in humans.

So what are you left to use? I recommend using glass where ever possible. It is easy to clean, won’t scratch and doesn’t have the potential problems of plastic. I would also keep away recycling numbers 3 and 6 as they also have other chemicals that maybe of concern.

What is organic farming? Organic farming can be described as an approach to agriculture where the main aims are to create holistic, nutritional, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Maximum reliance is placed on farm renewable resources and the management of self regulating biological systems and interactions in order to provide exceptional levels of crop, livestock and human nutrition. Protection from pests/diseases, and an acceptable return to the human and other resources employed. Reliance on external inputs whether from chemical or organic is reduced as much as possible. In many European nations, organic agriculture is known as ecological agriculture. This reflects this reliance on ecosystem management rather than external inputs.

The objective of sustainability lies at the heart of organic farming. It is one of the major factors determining the acceptability or otherwise of specific production practices. The term ’sustainable’ is used in its general sense to encompass not just conservation of non-renewable resources(soil, water, energy, minerals) but also issues of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The term ‘organic’ is best described as referring to the concept of the farm as an whole organism in which all the component parts - the soil minerals, insects, organic matter, microorganisms, plants, animals and man interact to create a workable and stable whole.

The key characteristics of organic farming are:

• Protecting the long term fertility of soils by increasing organic matter levels, encouraging soil microbe activity.
• Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble(natural) nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by soil microorganisms.
• Nitrogen is provided through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation. I is also provided by recycling of organic materials incorporating crop residues and livestock manure.
• Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations, organic manuring, plant health, natural predators, bio-diversity, resistant varieties(conventional plant breeding) and only natural biological and chemical intervention.
• The management of livestock involved considering behavioural needs and animal welfare issues with respect to health, nutrition, housing, breeding and rearing.
• Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the larger environment and the conservation of native wildlife and natural habitats also need to be considered.
  
  

Is there a link with nutrition and mental health? In this video Natelie finds the truth about the links between nutritional deficiency and mental illness.

Nutritional problems can cause all sorts of psychiatric symptoms including insomnia, apathy, concentration problems, irritability, low energy, agitation, fatigue, low energy, aches and pains, weight changes, including weight gain or weight loss. These are common symptoms of depression. The truth is the average diet containing a lot of fast food is low in essential nutrition that you need for your body to function correctly.

Not all depression is caused by bad nutrition but it’s certainly can be a contributing factor in many cases and bad nutrition will always make depression worse. We have to understand that anti-depressant drugs also do not correct the underlying nutritional problems. So if your depressed because of nutritional problems an antidepressant will only partially cover up the problem. Lifestyle changes are needed to correct the problem.

Great newsletter from Gary Zimmer. Hope you get a lot out of it also. Topics are below.

Lynch family farms
Gary Zimmer ’s Winter 2007 letter
Fertilizer ??
Cull Rate Costs
Field Day in Pix
Feeding Pigs
Lead or Push?
Study Results
Healthy Soils
‘07 Meetings
To view this Issue click on the file below or right click and choose “save as” to save a copy on your computer.

Midwestern Bio-Ag Bio-News Vol 12 Issue 1

This short animation movie is made to alert people about some of the problems of producing and eating food using synthetic chemicals, genetically modified organisms(GMO), the cruelty and triple bottom line costs of producing meat. It shows what happens when we allow big corporation interests to control the food chain and therefore our health. Producing and buying local organic food from ethical suppliers can greatly improve these problems.
Some Helpful Solutions Below:

• Try to eat more fruit and vegetables,and less meat. When you purchase meat try to look for hormone free, grass fed, antibiotic and organic alternatives.
•  Purchase organic produce whenever possible.
• Purchase from local and independent sources whenever possible. Farmer markets are ideal.

Send this video to your friends and family so they can understand the benefits of local organic produce.