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Choosing to go organic means following a trend that can make a real difference to the health of the planet and everything within it. While some controversy still remains over claims that organic food is more nutritious, there is undoubtedly other benefits. These can have wide-ranging impact on your own health and that of your children. Many experts believe that organic farming is the only sustainable farming method for the future.

What are the main reasons for going organic?

• Organic food is grown and produced under natural conditions without the use of chemicals
• Organic vegetables are grown with artificial fertilizers or pesticides in ground that has been tested and declared free of contamination. This prevents the practice of intensive farming.
• Nothing labeled organic is irradiated or contains any GM (genetically modified) organisms.
• You avoid all the hundreds of additives regularly found in conventional foods. Many additives are known to cause cancer, hyperactivity, insomnia, birth defects, anxiety, asthma, and allergies.
• Organically raised animals are given comfortable surroundings, with sufficient space, and are fed food that has been organically produced. Land that is used for grazing must not have pesticides or any other chemicals sprayed on it.
• No antibiotics or other drugs are given to organically raised animals unless they are genuinely ill. They are not fed anything containing animal products. If they are natural herbivores, and most of their food is found in their natural environment-the fields of the farm.
• organically raised animals are free-range, which means that they can wander outdoors instead of spending their lives in a stable or cage.
• No organic foods have ever been linked with BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy {commonly known as 'mad cow disease'}, a slowly progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disorder of adult cattle.)
• Organic food is more than just a new trend in eating-it is the food of the future and one of the few ways to eat safely and be certain that what you are eating is healthy.
• Intensive farming depletes the soil, creating a need for increasing amounts of fertilizers, which eventually makes it way into our food through the plants we eat and the animals that also eat these plants.

The information presented here can be found in the book Organic Living in 10 simple steps by Karen Sullivan. You can order the book online here.

Mother Nature sure knows what she's doing. She provides the sun to warm our bodies, the rain to cool our feet, and nutrient-rich soil for our crops. And she supplies all humans with life-sustaining food the minute they are born - lactoferrin.

lactoferrin-from lacto (milk) ferrin (iron) - is a basic building block of life, and so much an essential protein that it is among the first nutrients received by all mammals and breast milk. In short, it is vital for health.

The basis of all life
Lactoferrin is present in all your body fluids, including salvia, tears, white blood cells, and spinal fluid. But the majority of lactoferrin is located in glands found in your digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems, providing protection against invading microorganisms and toxic insult.

lactoferrin is vital to a number of important physiological functions. It helps you absorb and utilize iron, and other essential trace metals, such as copper, zinc, manganese, and vanadium. It also increases antioxidant activity, assists in preserving intestinal health, helps maintain beneficial bacteria (probiotics), increases the inflammatory response, inhibits growth-multiplication of harmful bacteria, virus' fungi, and parasites, and neutralizes and allergic compounds.

But lactoferrins primary role is to provide support for your immune system.

Innate protection
Todays lifestyle is rife with immune saboteurs: our poor dietary and work habits, excess stress, and toxic environmental factors-just to name a few. All of these factors factors work to rob your body of lactoferrin, which is critical in supporting a healthy immune system. As a result, more and more people are finding themselves at increased risk for infections, intestinal irregularity, and even pain.

Replenishing your stores of lactoferrin can help to offset these assaults. By interacting with specific receptors on blood cells and regulating several biochemical mediators of immune response, lactoferrin can help to stimulate your immune functions.

With the arrival of summer and the monsoon season come the bugs and the occasional unpleasant encounter they bring. Even if you think you have taken all the necessary precautions - bug lights, fly paper, outdoor bug repellent - there likely will be an unavoidable bite that causes a red, swollen and itchy - very itchy - area.

What should you do, if bitten? What are some good natural, over the counter products to use on insect bites? Herbal sore throat sprays, when used topically, are good at relieving symptoms from bug bites. They work by decreasing inflammation, increasing the immune response and relieving pain.

Another natural remedy that will help decrease inflammation is to combine unseasoned meat tenderizer with water to form a paste, and apply it to the bite. Curcumin, an ingredient in turmeric that can be made into a paste and applied to the affected area, is another option that may relieve the symptoms.

This information is for normal bites. Anyone experiencing an increase in severity or unusual symptoms should consult with their naturopathic physician or healthcare provider.

As for the filters, they will be keeping them in inventory while supplies last. They expect the inventory to last about a year. So if you have one of the PiMag water systems and want to continue using it you may wish to purchase additional filters before they run out.