Image by SteveR / Creative Commons

We are very fortunate to live in a time where we have nearly instant access to food of all kinds. That is why when I talk about starting a vegetable garden and growing your own food people give me a strange look. Why spend your time dealing with a garden when you can go to the grocery store and get whatever you want for cheap?

It’s hard to argue with the fact that regardless of where you live and what season it is that you can get pineapples, strawberries or tomatoes. For that reason I can’t argue that convenience is the answer.

There are other reasons that I give and will share with you right now. These reasons aren’t based on scientific research or studies. They are simple and here they are:

We are humans. We grow food.

This is one of the most basic reasons. People have grown their own food as individuals or a community for hundreds and thousands of years. Look back at history and you’ll see how societies and civilizations were built up around fertile land and access to water.

It’s not until the last 100-200 years that we’ve become so far removed from the process and rely upon others (that we don’t even know) to supply us with what we need to survive…

Where is our food coming from?

…The first reason leads into this one. Did you know that your food travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your plates? Eventually when the produce arrives at the grocery store it is at least 3-4weeks old.

Think about the costs involved in transporting the food so far. Also consider the environmental impact – gas and other resources are used to ship. Overall, it’s not a very sustainable practice.

What is being used to treat the food?

Often times the produce is sprayed in transit to either ripen the food or to preserve it. It is common for chemicals, toxins, synthetics and sprays to be used to treat the produce not only while it’s growing, but also when the produce is in transit. It is used to feed the plant, keep off pests and to hurry along the growing process.

There is no study in the world that could convince me that it’s ok for me to consume such toxicants and that my body will fully assimilate them.

You can find more reasons to grow your own food here.

Mike Lieberman is the publisher of UrbanOrganicGardener.com where he shows people with little to no land how to start growing their own food so they can avoid toxic pesticides, eat healthier and not feel limited by their lack of experience and space. Connect with Mike on Twitter, become an Urban Organic Gardener fan on Facebook and get more of his urban gardening tips and advice on Urban Organic Gardener.

I want to thank Mike for his great tips and advice. I’ve spoken with Mike numerous times and seen what he can do. He is an inspiration to all and a true testament that a little bit of work can go a long way, especially when it comes to growing your own food.

Remember, growing your own food is one of the 10 simple, green New Year’s resolutions anyone can make. So, get started today and don’t forget to let us know how your garden grows.

Image by greenbroke (via Flickr)

When someone starts talking about going organic you probably assume they are referring to eating organic fruits and vegetables. And while that used to be the case, going organic doesn’t stop in the kitchen anymore. Yes, you can have organically-grown fruits and vegetables….or even organic beef, chicken, milk, eggs, etc. But have you ever thought of taking organic to your bedroom?

Now before your mind starts wandering, I don’t mean bringing organic food into the bedroom. I mean lowering the level of toxins in your bedroom by switching to organic products. Did you know your home is probably filled with toxins and chemicals from your furniture to your carpets, in the aerosol sprays and cleaning products you use, to the flame retardant on your children’s clothes, etc?  A California study even found that chemicals in the home could be a possible trigger for Autism.

Considering you spend probably 1/3 of your day in your bedroom, the bedroom seems like a good place to go organic, right? Well, here are a few key steps to get you started:

1) Stop using chemical cleaners. Switch to either home-made cleaners or green cleaning supplies. Your home has enough chemicals in it, don’t make it worse by adding more.

2) Re-paint your bedroom with a less toxic paint. As you probably know, if your home was built before 1978 it more than likely has lead-based paint in it. Even if it does, there are safe, eco-friendly ways to remove that lead-based paint. But regardless of whether or not you have an older home, your bedroom paint could still contain harmful chemicals, therefore it is worth the investment to find and use a low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint to dramatically raise the organic nature of your bedroom.

3)  Sometimes people complain of their mattress being old or worn-out and thus it being hard for them to get a good night sleep. The reality is that your current mattress may be doing you more harm than you know. Most regular mattresses are sprayed with a chemical flame retardant or stain protector, some of which have been known to contain chemicals such as formaldehyde.

What you need to do is get rid of your old mattress in favor of a truly organic mattress such as the OrganicPedic®. Their organic mattresses meet the Federal “open-flame standards” without the use of chemical flame-retardants. Add to that organic sheets and bedding and you’ve got yourself a great, organic night’s sleep.

4) What about the other furniture in your bedroom, is it made from artificial wood? It if is, you are running into a similar problem as with a non-organic mattress. The simple solution is to get yourself some organic furniture using solid wood and natural or organic fabrics.

5) Bring some of the outdoors in. Decorate your bedroom with some natural plants and/or trees. They will provide a great addition to the room and add some life as well. When you’re going organic, you can’t forget nature!

6) Last but not least, don’t forget your carpets. If you can replace the carpet in your bedroom, then do so. But please take a look at these 6 Ways to Sidestep New Carpet Smell (and Toxins) before you do.

If you can’t replace the carpet, then get them cleaned. Try to avoid companies using chemical-based cleaners instead of plant-based cleaners to “get out the stains” as that does more harm than good. Be smart about it and choose one of these eco-friendly carpet cleaning options.

In the end, consider the fact that since you probably spend 6-8+ hours a day in your bedroom, taking organic to your bedroom is an important step. Besides if you are using organic fruits, vegetables, etc in your meals, then you are probably around half-way to making your home 100% organic! I’d love to hear what steps you have taken to bring organic into your bedroom (or home).

You’ve decided you want to make a change in your life and start living a little healthier. Excellent…there are many steps you can take to do that. One key step is to use organic products.  Many people swear by the benefits of organic products and the way they have changed their lives.   Besides, in today’s world adopting organic products into your daily routine is the “magic mantra” to healthy living.

What’s interesting is despite the fact that most of the products we use and or eat today contain artificial products or materials that can be harmful to us and the environment, more people aren’t switching to organic products.   So, if you are serious about living healthier, start by switching to organic.  Going organic can make a difference in ways you might not realize. Here are some of the top reasons to start buying organic products for your home right away:

1) Higher antioxidant levels – artificial food can contain oxidative materials that are harmful to your health.

2) An absence of growth hormores – who wants to eat/drink a product with animal-based growth hormones?

3) A higher nutritional value – chemicals and pesticides can actually lower the nutritional value of your food.  What’s the good of eating “fresh” fruit and vegetables if you aren’t getting the full nutritional value from them?

4) Food tastes better fresh – this one is simple, if you’ve ever tasted a fresh, organic piece of fruit or vegetable the flavor is amazing.  And again, why settle for less than the best.

For more great reasons to buy organic products for your home, please see the full article at thenewecologist.com

Image by Photo2217

A friend of mine sent me a video about foodmatters.tv and I found it very interesting.  It’s truly amazing all the different “things” (junk food, toxins, drugs, etc) we expose ourselves to and yet we expect our body to operate at 100% all of the time.  Even Hippocrates believed food grown naturally in the environment could help heal man’s physical woes.

“Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food” – Hippocrates

But many people are looking for the “quick fix” to what ails them, when in actual fact, the natural and environmentally-friendly fix is most likely in the food we eat.  And if you follow the news, there seems to be a lot of controversy these days surrounding food and the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009.  But isn’t eating organic food good for you?  Don’t we want people to grow and sell organic, naturally-grown foods?  Aren’t Farmer’s Markets where small farmers can sell their fresh-grown products all part of improving the economy and building up capitalism and small business?  Here’s what one blogger had to say about all of that. 

Well, although I don’t know I agree with everything these two sources have to say, for the most part eating better to feel better makes sense to me.  I mean would you expect your car to run well if it didn’t get the proper “foods” like oil, filters, effective fuel additives or a truly efficient fuel, air in the tires, etc?  I think not.  Same goes for the human body – proper eating habits can go a long way to improve health and be better for the environment.