As the economy continues to go down, more families are seeking ways to save on money at the grocery store. More families are wanting foods that are nutritionally good for their families without the added junk. It does not mean buying from a box is the cheapest way to go. And what about organic foods? Are they worth the extra cost? Yes and no, there are certain foods that you should buy organic and foods that it doesn’t really matter. So here is a list of foods you should buy organic and how to have money leftover for Friday night pizza.

The Environmental Working Group puts out a list each year on the dirty dozen fruits and vegetables. The top 12 produce starting with the most contaminated:

• Peaches (contains approximately over 10 different pesticides)
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

These are the produce you want to purchase organic. You can download a wallet guide at Food News or download onto your iphone for free.

What about dairy and meats? More consumers are purchasing organic milks and cheeses because they do not want the added hormones and antibiotics into their milk supply. Organic milk is the number one purchase for organic consumers. If organic is not an option for you, then buy non-treated dairy products, which will often say it on the label, but you have to read the label. You may be wondering if it matters. Well if Starbucks offers hormone free milk only, then these trend setters are telling you something. Other chains that offer hormone free dairy products is Wal-Mart brand milks, Safeway, Kroger’s, Chipolte, Ben and Jerry’s (which has never used milk from treated cows) are just to name a few.

Here is the low down on organic meats. It is way too expensive and does not have the same health benefits as grass-feed beef. Organic beef cost 15 to 20 percent more than grass-fed beef. A 2008 study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found grass-fed beef to have 2 to 6 times more CLA and omega 3′s. Studies have shown CLA to promote muscle growth and fat burning in the body. Both have added value to every cell in our body for optimal health. CLA is also known as the cancer fighting fat. Unfortunately CLA and omega 3′s are not found in conventional or organic beef. Grass-fed beef is less fatty (because they are able to roam freely and get exercise) and is four times higher in vitamin E. These cows eat grass which has far more nutritional value to the cows and is better digested than grains of cornmeal, soy and wheat. And if that is too costly, then purchase your meats that says free of hormones and antibiotics, again read your labels.

Let us not forget eggs. Anything that is certified organic or certified humane is better than free range/cage free and all natural. (there is no clear definition when it comes to all natural, so don’t be fooled if a product says “all natural”). If eggs are certified organic that means they are inspected by the USDA once per year, they are un-caged, hens are allowed outdoors where they eat an organic, vegetarian diet and are antibiotic free. The nutritional value is much higher than any other. They are higher in vitamin A, D and folic acid, (hint, the darker the yellow in the yolk means it has more vitamin A and D). These nutrients are lost if they are kept indoors (if they are free range, that means they get the sun where these important nutrients comes from).

If eggs say free range/cage free most likely live indoors full time but have room to walk, perch and nest. They may be fed anything as there are no regulations on how they are fed or how they live. When the eggs say fortified with omega 3′s,they are most likely being fed flaxseeds and other sources to help fortify their eggs, if you do not supplement with omega 3′s then this may be a good choice for you and your family.

If your family goes through a dozen eggs about twice a month, it may be worth the splurge, if you are going through eggs like you wash your family’s laundry and cannot afford to splurge, then go free range/cage free.

Putting it all together: Look for organic, free-range (or pasture-fed) eggs for the most health benefits.

Use this guide to choose how you spend your money on organic groceries. Determine what is best for your family and their health and well-being.

Jasmine Jafferali, MPH, is the Program Coordinator and an instructor for Educational Fitness Solutions, Inc., Professional Certificate in Women’s Personal Exercise Training and Wellness. She has a diverse fitness background with over ten years of industry experience in campus recreation, corporate wellness, and the commercial health club setting. To learn more about her program, visit: http://www.efslibrary.net

Peppers are growing in popularity nowadays. They are fruits eaten as vegetables.

Peppers can be very flexible in any food combinations, be it barbecues, baking, steaming, stir-frying with any vegetables, nuts, seeds or legumes. They can even be eaten raw as snacks or in salads. It’s no wonder they are the favourites of the vegetarians and vegans.

They come from the colorful Capsicum family which can be split into two main categories – sweet bell peppers and the spicy chillies, such as jalapenos. The difference arises from the presence of capsaicin in chillies (which is explained later) but not in sweet bell peppers.

Sweet bell peppers are also known as capsicums, sweet peppers or green/red peppers.

You cannot differentiate the sweet bell peppers varieties when they are still young because they are all green. As they ripen, they will change color. Depending on the stage of ripeness and their variety, their colors range from orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green and so do their sweetness.

But green bell peppers remain green throughout the ripening process. Thus, it can be challenging to differentiate the other bell peppers from the green variety before they ripen.

All peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers contain as much as two times of vitamin C as oranges while red or yellow pepper pack three or four times the daily value of vitamin C.

Besides power-packed with vitamin C, bell peppers also provide vitamin B6, phytochemicals such as lycopene and beta-carotene (the precursor for vitamin A), folate, potassium and plenty of fiber. The only difference between sweet peppers and chilli peppers is the presence of capsaicin in chilli peppers. Capsaicin itself holds numerous health benefits:

• Effective treatment and natural pain relief for inflammation such as arthritis, psoriasis, diabetic neuropathy.
• Reduce risk of heart attack and stroke as it helps to reduce cholesterol levels and formation of blood clots.
• Clear blocked nose and congested lungs.
• Prevent prostate cancer by inhibiting growth of cancerous cells · Prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria in the stomach and stimulate more protective stomach juices.
• Help to lose weight as it speeds up the body’s metabolism rate, suppresses appetite and cravings for sweet foods.
• Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes by controlling the blood sugar.

Capsaicin is what makes the chillies hot as it produces a strong burning sensation in the mouth. The seeds are not the main culprits for causing the hotness. The truth is capsaicin can be found mostly in the white layer which hold the seeds.

Thus, you should be careful when handling the chilli peppers so as not to let them come in contact with your skin or eyes such as rubbing your eyes with your hands after touching the chillies. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the chillies.

Should you eat a really hot chilli which causes an unbearable burning sensation in your mouth, drink milk or eat yogurt, rice or bread instead of water to ease the pain.

Here are a few tips on how to handle the chillies skillfully:

• Wear gloves.
• To remove the seeds without touching them, hold the chilli stem and cut open with a paring knife. Cut away the membranes and seeds with the knife. Using a melon baller can also do the trick. Soak the chillies in water for another 15 minutes before cutting them. Note that this will only reduce but will not fully remove the "hotness" of the chillies.
• If you do not need to remove the seeds, just hold the chili by the stem and cut the chillies into rings. Asians like to eat the raw chillies as a dip in this manner, with the chillies soaked in lime juice or soy sauce.

Chilli peppers come in different sizes, shapes and degrees of heat or spiciness. The more mature the pepper, the hotter it will be. To measure the heat level in chillies, the Scoville Scale is often used. The Scoville Scale converts the amount of capsaicin in parts per million into Scoville heat units. So the greater the number of Scoville Scale, the hotter the pepper. A sweet bell pepper measures 0 Scoville unit and a habaneros or scotch bonnet, the hottest known chilli peppers, records at around 300,000 units.

Peppers are not seasonal fruits, meaning you can find them in supermarkets any day during the year. Choose well-shaped, firm and glossy peppers which feel heavy for their size. Look out for unhealthy peppers with soft or wrinkled areas, cracks, slashes or black spots. Except for jalapeño which you will see some tiny cracks at the end of their stems, fresh chilli peppers should not have any cracks at all.

It’s best to wrap the peppers in paper bags or paper towels and store in the refrigerator to keep their freshness, up to 5 days for bell peppers and up to 3 weeks for chilli peppers.

Remember to wash the peppers before cooking so as to remove the wax on their surfaces.

Do you like the above article written by Laura Ng? Laura is passionate in providing quality nutritional facts and health tips, plus recommending 100% toxic-free vegan recipes to
anyone who cares about his/her health. She has more quality health information to offer at
http://www.ionehealth.com. Visit it now.