Photo by NataschaM

Last week I wrote about the benefits and the power of antioxidants in keeping us young, boosting the immune system, and feeling great.

This week I’m going to talk about a particular type of antioxidant that is harder to find… in fact it is only available in two fruits: the king & queen of fruits. Before we get into the powers of this particular antioxidant, let me introduce you to the king and queen of fruits.

Durian is the king of fruits.

You might want to see my video all about durian, so you can get a better idea of the history of this odd fruit.

Durian is a large spiky fruit, that smells strong. How strong? Each time my boyfriend’s mom visits us when we’ve got durian in the house, she asks if we’ve got a gas leak.

Even though it’s the king of fruits, durian is a bit of a controversial fruit because it’s an acquired taste. It’s also an acquired smell, so much that it’s banned in hotels and subways in many parts of Asia where it originates from.

Photo by Becky Quan

Mangosteen is the queen of fruits.

Although it’s small, mangosteen is definitely the queen of fruits because when eaten with durian it can balance out the “hotness” of durians. This is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts of yin and yang or hot and cold foods.

Since most modern day diets tend to be too “hot” with lots of meat products or acid forming foods, mangosteen is a great fruit for balancing your food intake.

Special Antioxidants: Xanthones

So what’s so special about these two fruits for them to be known as the king and queen of all fruits? Well the taste is definitely part of it, but I think there’s something even more special about these two. They both contain the hard to find antioxidant Xanthone.

Most fruits only have about 2-5 antioxidants per serving, whereas a mangosteen or durian has upwards of 43 Xanthone antioxidants.

Now, this may get a little technical so hang in there with me as I explain exactly what’s so special about xanthones available in mangosteen (and durian).

According to scientific literature from PubMed, obesity-associated inflammation happens when white blood cells enter into adipose tissue (fat) which produces an inflammatory antibody reaction, leading to the development of insulin resistance.

The xanthones, alpha- and gamma-mangostin, are major bioactive compounds found in mangosteen that have antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Another study showed that Mangosteen fruit pericarp is a rich source of xanthones, showing remarkable pharmacological activities. From potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.

Since most of the antioxidants we talked about are actually in the outer layer (the pericarp) of the mangosteen (remember, we’re talking about bright colors here) then you might wonder how you can get those Xanthones into your body.

Well I’ve recently chosen to carry a product that is designed with the modern on-the-go lifestyle in mind.

The busier you are, the more stress you take on, the more you accumulate free radicals. That’s why I think it’s essential for people to start getting more antioxidants from the king and queen of fruits.

So unless you’re already consuming fresh durians and mangosteens, I’d love for you to consider getting in touch with me to see if this new plant-source mineral and mangosteen product is right for you.

Find Out if It’s Right For You

Just email me here, or call me at 1-802-323-1841 and I’d love to discuss this new product with you and get your body the Xanthone antioxidants it needs!

Photo by Bruce Tuten

If you’re interested in eating healthy, you’ve probably come across the concept of eating organic food. “Organic food” is surprisingly controversial. I decided to put my witch’s (thinking) hat on, and explore the issue from both sides so you can make informed decisions.

The interesting fact is that production of organic food has grown by about 20% every single year since the 1990s. Not only is organic food a hot topic, but it’s one that we are bound to be affected by one way or another in the future.

What Is Organic Food?

The definition of the word organic varies, because each country has its own laws regarding the certification of organic produce.

In general, organic means food grown without non-organic pesticides or herbicides, using natural fertilizers (some non-organic fertilizers are sometimes used). Some laws also go as far as saying food should not be genetically modified, and specify the number of years the soil must have been cultivated organically.

The organic certification process is long, so some farms that use organic techniques might not yet be certified. Smaller farms might not even be able to afford organic certification. That’s why I think it’s important to realize that the word organic is not a final destination.

Is Organic Food Better?

Although organic food has downsides, organic food is better in at least these three aspects:

Benefits of Organic Food Item #1: More Nutrition

Eating produce that has been grown organically has been shown to contain more nutrition than conventionally grown produce.

Think about it this way: land that is well taken care of will be able to supply plants with more nutritional value.

On the other hand, industrialized farming tends to focus more on yield and profits. The quality of the soil is secondary, and thus the quality of the produce suffers.

Benefits of Organic Food Item #2: Better Tasting

Food that has been grown organically tends to taste better than conventionally grown produce.

Taste tests ran in 2001 have shown that organically grown apples tend to be sweeter, have a better texture, and more crunch. I’ve also noticed a difference in taste between organic and non-organic produce, to the point that I’d fly my carrot stick across town for organic produce.

Again this comes back to the idea that organic soil conditions are more conducive to growing strong trees and plants.

Photo by TheBittenWord

Benefits of Organic Food Item #3: Ecosystem Diversity

An organic growing environment allows a wider range of insects, plants, and organisms to coexist naturally.

Conventional agricultural methods eliminate much of the diversity of living organisms that occur naturally in soils. Industrialized farming also focuses on growing one or two types of produce across a field, further reducing the diversity of plant life.

Diversity enables a more balanced sustainable environment over the long haul.

The Downside of Organic Growing

Although there are many benefits for organic food, there are also downsides.

The main downside of organic food is the potential for a smaller yield. Some of the “potential” yield is eaten by bugs, lost to competing plants, or not able to grow without sufficient fertilizers.

Some scientists have argued that if the world were to convert to an entirely organic farming system, the yield of produce would be insufficient to support the world’s population.

Further studies have shown in a comparison of the two agricultural system that organic farming would indeed be able to support the current world population.

If farmers from poor countries were to switch to organic farming, they could actually increase their yields. So what’s stopping them? They don’t always have access to manure to replenish their soils.

I have to keep reminding myself that “conventional” farming methods are actually quite recent in the history of agriculture. Organic farming methods were the norm because we didn’t have pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers.

The Ideal Organic Environment For Your Food

Sharon Mollerus

In an idyllic world, everyone would have a magickal garden big enough to sustain their families year round. If you find such a place, let me know, mm’kay?

Still, I like to believe that having your own garden is one of the best and easiest ways to increase your intake of organic fruits and vegetables.

As a private garden owner, I’ve had to make some choices about using pesticides and fertilizers in my garden.

I’ve chosen to let the bugs take a bite out of my produce because I don’t want the runoff from pesticides to kill fish in the surrounding lakes and rivers. In so doing, I learned some tricks to deter bugs that aren’t harmful to the environment or my family.

What to Do If You Can’t Buy Organic Produce?

If your budget doesn’t allow for organic produce, or organic produce simply isn’t available in your area, here are a few tips.

1. Washing Your Non-Organic Produce

The Jay Kordich recommends washing your produce with lemon juice and salt. You can also buy vegetable and fruit washes and soak your produce for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

2. Peeling Your Non-Organic Produce

Another option is to peel the skin off non-organic produce. This is very common in China, where the use of pesticides is rampant. During our trip to China, My Alchemist Man and I had to peel every apple we ate, or face the wrath of overprotective Chinese relatives.

The downside is that much of the nutrition of a fruit comes from the skin.

3. Be Selective About Your Organic Food

Organic produce can cost between 10 to 40% more, so picking and choosing between organic and conventional produce is a good way to save money.

This list is also known as the Organic Dirty Dozen. It has the 12 items that you should always buy organic. The other 12 items are those that you can buy conventional with minimal effects.

This list is based on the amount of pesticides and residues found on the fruit and is provided by The Environmental Working Group. (They also offer a downloadable pdf to bring shopping with you!)

In general if I need to choose I will pick fruits that are normally peeled as my conventional buys, like bananas, mangos, avocado.

The Organic Food Definition Continues to Evolve

People who were at the forefront of the organic movement are now looking for something that better describes their ideology.

The demand for organic foods has completely transformed the way that organic food is grown. Today a lot of organic food is actually grown on bigger farms, with less diverse crops to maximize output. Does that sound familiar? Big organic farms are starting to resemble conventional farming methods.

One way to get past this commercialization, is to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. You buy a “share” of the farm’s potential crops, and receive weekly or biweekly boxes of fresh produce.

CSAs allow the consumer to meet the farmers, see the farm, and know exactly how their food is being grown. It also gives smaller farms a cushion if their yields aren’t the same from year to year.

As the laws surrounding the word organic continue to change, how will we as consumers stay informed? It’s something that’s on my mind and probably on your mind too.

I will continue to write about the changes in the organic movement as they develop.

What are your Organic Food Questions?

Have you started eating more organic food? Has it made a difference for you, your taste buds, or your community?