A Journey into Herbal & Natural Healing

Here are some links to organic resources on the internet. It’s a starting point for more information and associations on organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

• ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  Managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. It provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
• Organic Consumers Association
  Our website, publications, research, and campaign staff provide an important service for hundreds of thousands of consumers and community activists every month. Our media team provides background information, interviews, and story ideas to television and radio producers and journalists on a daily basis - from national television networks to the alternative press.
• The Organic Center
  To generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.
• Eatwild: The Clearinghouse for Information about Pasture-Based Farming
  Eatwild.com features comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate information about grass-fed and organic beef, pork, lamb, bison, dairy products, and poultry. It also features the country’s most extensive list of suppliers of pasture-raised products.
• Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)
  A resource for organic dairy farmers, organic milk producers
  and consumers interested in organic dairy farming and products. Among the information offered: organic dairy news, northeast events, farmer classifieds, business directory, guidance on transitioning to organic, grazing management and soil health.
• NorthEast Organic Network (NEON)
  An innovative consortium of farmers, researchers, extension educators and grassroots nonprofits working together to improve organic farmers’ access to research and technical support.
• The Organic Trade Association (OTA)
  OTA is a membership-based association that encompasses all sectors of the organic industry, from farm to retail. OTA represents the industry’s interests to regulators, policymakers, the media and the public.
• Save Our Seed 
  A free certified organic seed sourcing service.
• Organic Farming Research Foundation
  To sponsor research related to organic farming;
  To disseminate research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic production systems; and
  To educate the public and decision-makers about organic farming issues.
• USDA National Organic Program
  The National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The NOP also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards.
• Organic Trade Association
  OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.
• Rodale Institute / New Farm

Many people contemplate becoming a vegetarian at one point or another. Some consider a meatless diet because they feel sorry for the animals. Others think a vegetarian way of eating will improve their health.

However, out of those well-intentioned people very few actually follow through and change their way of eating. The idea of completely giving up meat forms a big stumbling block for most.

For some reason, when it comes to vegetarian cooking, most people only see the “extremist” approach: either give up meat completely or you might as well include the meat in every meal. This “all or nothing” thinking becomes a mental barrier that keeps a lot of people from eating more vegetarian meals.

How about finding a happy medium? Drastic changes to one’s diet never last. Do not beat yourself up for eating meat. There is no need to give it up completely. Just try eating a little less of it, that’s all.

Start right now by making one meatless dinner every week. Keep everything else the same. Eating just one vegetarian dinner every week is definitely doable and easy. It will be just a nice change instead of deprivation!

If you think going meatless one day a week would not make a big difference, consider these simple numbers: if everyone ate vegetarian meals just one day a week, it would save one out of seven animals. Out of 92 million animals that are consumed in the United States alone every year, over 13 million animals would be spared. This is a huge impact!

In addition to doing good for our planet, you’ll enjoy great health benefits by including more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants and fiber - all the things that are good for us. They can help with weight loss and prevent diseases. Numerous studies show that diets high in fruits and vegetables reduce the risks of deadly diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke.

Also, by trying out new dishes, you will break your food routine and discover new tasty recipes and food combinations. It’s really nice to eat something different once in a while instead of being stuck in a food rut.

This simple shift of mindset from “all or nothing” to a happy middle ground will do wonders. Vegetarian eating does not need to be a full-time commitment, sacrifice and strive for unattainable perfection. Just do what you can to eat a little less meat, have fun trying new vegetarian meals and enjoy the benefits.

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About The Author

Melanie Mendelson is the author of “Vegetarian Main Dishes - Yummy Recipes That Even Meat Eaters Will Love”.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Mendelson

 I find the following article very important for evaluating medical information on the internet. It is so easy to be drawn into mis-information on the web, and can actually be detrimental to your well being. Know your sources!

The number of web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading. This short guide contains important questions you should consider as you look for health information online. Answering these questions when you visit a new site will help you evaluate the information you find.

1. Who runs this site?
Any good health-related Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information.

2. Who pays for the site?
It costs money to run a Web site. The source of a Web site’s funding should be clearly stated or readily apparent. For example, Web addresses ending in “.gov” denote a government-sponsored site. You should know how the site pays for its existence. Does it sell advertising? Is it sponsored by a drug company? The source of funding can affect what content is presented, how the content is presented, and what the site owners want to accomplish on the site.

3. What is the purpose of the site?
This question is related to who runs and pays for the site. An “About This Site” link appears on many sites; if it’s there, use it. The purpose of the site should be clearly stated and should help you evaluate the trustworthiness of the information.

4. Where does the information come from?
Many health/medical sites post information collected from other Web sites or sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not create the information, the original source should be clearly labeled.

5. What is the basis of the information?
In addition to identifying who wrote the material you are reading, the site should describe the evidence that the material is based on. Medical facts and figures should have references (such as to articles in medical journals). Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is “evidence-based” (that is, based on research results).

6. How is the information selected?
Is there an editorial board? Do people with excellent professional and scientific qualifications review the material before it is posted?

7. How current is the information?
Web sites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. It is particularly important that medical information be current. The most recent update or review date should be clearly posted. Even if the information has not changed, you want to know whether the site owners have reviewed it recently to ensure that it is still valid.

8. How does the site choose links to other sites?
Web sites usually have a policy about how they establish links to other sites. Some medical sites take a conservative approach and don’t link to any other sites. Some link to any site that asks, or pays, for a link. Others only link to sites that have met certain criteria.

9. What information about you does the site collect, and why?
Web sites routinely track the paths visitors take through their sites to determine what pages are being used. However, many health Web sites ask you to “subscribe” or “become a member.” In some cases, this may be so that they can collect a user fee or select information for you that is relevant to your concerns. In all cases, this will give the site personal information about you.

Any credible health site asking for this kind of information should tell you exactly what they will and will not do with it. Many commercial sites sell “aggregate” (collected) data about their users to other companies–information such as what percentage of their users are women with breast cancer, for example. In some cases they may collect and reuse information that is “personally identifiable,” such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date. Be certain that you read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don’t sign up for anything that you are not sure you fully understand.

10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?
There should always be a way for you to contact the site owner if you run across problems or have questions or feedback. If the site hosts chat rooms or other online discussion areas, it should tell visitors what the terms of using this service are. Is it moderated? If so, by whom, and why? It is always a good idea to spend time reading the discussion without joining in, so that you feel comfortable with the environment before becoming a participant.

This publication is adapted from a fact sheet produced by the National Cancer Institute. It is not copyrighted and it is in the public domain.