YoNaturals School Vending Machines

Youths are drinking soda pop at exceptionally high volumes. Soda pop is widely available from fast food restaurants to schools to places of work and to hospitals. Soda pop is loaded with calories, sugars and caffeine and has very little nutritional value.

Sugar is also known to cause a variety of health problems in humans. A twelve-ounce can of soda pop contain an average of 39 grams of sugars, and it is the number one beverage among youths.

YoNaturals has compiled the following list of health risks associated with soda consumption:

• Obesity

• Tooth decay

• Caffeine dependency

• Weakened bones

Recent studies have shown a link between soda consumption and childhood obesity. One two year study found that 12 year olds who drank soda pop regularly were much more likely to be overweight than those who did not consume soda pop. Researchers found that the school age children who drank soda pop consumed nearly 200 more calories per day than those who did not.

The sugars in soda pop and can cause tooth decay. Studies have shown a direct link between tooth decay and drinking soda pop. But it is important to note that sugar is not the only ingredient which can cause the decaying of teeth. The acids found in soda pop eat away at the enamel on the teeth which can lead to cavities.

Caffeine is a stimulant which raises blood pressure and the pulse rate. It can also cause irritability and some stomach problems due to the acid in found in soda pop. It can also cause dehydration, nervousness, restlessness, lack of concentration and in some cases it can cause insomnia. Some are opting for caffeine free soda, but this still does not address the other health concerns connected to drinking soda pop. It is important to notes that diet soda contains more caffeine than regular soda and that caffeine is also highly addictive.

Studies on animals have shown that phosphorus, which is a common ingredient in soda pop, can diminish the amount of calcium found in bones. Humans and animals vary of course but researchers stress that phosphorous seems to weaken bones because of the loss of calcium which makes bones more susceptible to fractures.

The dangers of drinking soda pop are pretty serious and the drinking this beverage by children should be avoided or severely limited for the benefit of their overall health.

Parents can help to stop this unhealthy consumption of soda pop by setting an example by reaching for bottled water instead of soda pop when they become thirsty, and they should encourage their children to drink plenty of water on a daily basis to help improve their heath. Contact your local YoNaturals Business Franchise to provide healthier alternatives to soda in your neighborhood.

Contributed by: Lisa Arnold

Author: Davinos Greeno

The new Plum Baby product is made from organic mango, banana and quinoa grain from South America. Many mums want to feed their babies organic and healthier food as a pure organic diet can be more beneficial during the first few months of life than at any other time. Babies have immature systems and need the very purest and safest foods.
Organic produce is one of the fastest growing food retail sectors in the country. Health scares such as BSE and foot-and-mouth, plus fears of GM crops/food and synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 have led to considerable growth in the organic and the healthy food market as worried consumers seek out more healthy and natural products for both adults and children. This has lead to Organic baby foods becoming increasingly popular. Once only available in health shops or via online, organic baby foods are becoming much more widely available and you can now find them in local conveneice shops. Sales of organic food now account for half of the entire baby food market. Organic baby foods are not necessarily an improvement on organic home cooking, but are more convenient. It is worth noting that descriptions on products — such as natural, traditional, or environmentally friendly — do not mean they are organic.

How do I know its Organic or Fairtrade?
The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognizable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.

The Fairtrade Foundation exists to ensure that producers are guaranteed a minimum price for their goods irrespective of world prices. This means that Fairtrade goods are often more expensive in the UK than those without the Fairtrade logo. Although people are now arguing that supermarkets are fuelling their excessive profits by adding large mark-ups to these products This premium that the producer charges covers the basic food, housing, health and education needs of the local communities in countries such as India and Brazil. The Foundation awards a consumer label, the Fairtrade Mark, to products which meet internationally recognized standards of Fairtrade. It is the only such certification in the UK. The fairtrade label is often a black box with a half yellow, half blue circle with the text Guarantees a Better Deal for Third World Producers. Look at the Fairtrade Mark
Most people dont have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic or fairtrade ingredients. So look for the various symbols.

Author: Davinos Greeno

The government, producers, suppliers and retailers then began the shift towards going organic and the result of this activity was a surge in the number of farmers converting to organic production. The supply of organic milk increased rapidly in response to market demand and financial support to convert to organic farming methods that do not use artificial pesticides (insecticides, fungicides or herbicides) on pastures where cows graze. Organic cows are not fed GM cattle feed. This means that there is no possibility of GM or solvent residues being found in organic milk. It has been estimated that in the UK and the USA, our bodies contain traces of at minimum 300 potentially harmful chemicals absorbed from our food. Eating organically grown food and drinking organic milk is an easy way for people to avoid these chemicals.

The popular press is going cow-wild over research that supposedly proves organic milk is healthier than conventional milk. Lets look into this a bit deeper-.

Organic milk has all the nutritional goodness of non-organic milk but due to the cows more natural diet, it also has some additional health benefits such as higher levels of vitamin A, E and antioxidants.

The main issue that the organic milk industry is advertising is the high content of omega-3 fatty acids, found abundantly in oily fish (such as salmon, herring and cod) and walnut and fish oil. Omega-3s have been thought to protect against cancer and heart disease. This high content is great news as most people in the UK are deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are also essential for maintaining supple and flexible joints, healthy growth and strong bones and teeth.

But are these benefits just empty nutritional superiority claims? Many commentators argue that the amount of Omega 3 is that small that people should eat fish at least once a month instead, and that buying organic milk for this purpose is nonsense.
The British Food Standards Agency says it will review the matter but has yet to be convinced that organic milk is any more nutritious than non organic milk. The lack of conclusive scientific research on the nutritional benefits of organic milk could lead to negativity in the overall organic market.

Author: Davinos Greeno

Businesses such as GuideMeGreen green directory and the co-op offer a real alternative for people concerned with these issues and with businesses that combine a strong ethical dimension in tandem with making profits.
Here are some of the main features of organic farming:
? Organic farming severely restricts the use of artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
? Instead, organic farmers rely on developing a healthy, fertile soil and growing a mixture of crops.
? Animals are reared without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers common in intensive livestock farming.

Synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 were in the national news in February and can cause cancer. See www.food.gov.uk for further details. Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards.

Why Buy Organic?

It has never been easier to shop for organic food, and there has never been so much choice. Every food category now has an organic alternative. Its also common sense; organic food is good food. Good to eat, good for the environment, good for the small-scale farmers and the farm workers who produce it.

Chefs across the country are committed to using organic ingredients because plants from healthy soils and organically fed livestock provide us with more flavorful food. Organic foods allow true flavour to shine through unlike other non-organic foods that look and taste good but are often full of E numbers and artificial flavourings and ingredients.

By supporting local, sustainable and organic farms in your local community you also support the larger community of which we are all a part. By eating organic food you are providing the healthiest choice for your family and supporting the farms that provide us with healthy and ecological neighbourhoods.

The ‘go local’ food movement is flourishing - over 15% of people buy organic food locally and this number continues to rise as the number of farmer’s markets, box schemes, cafes and restaurants serving organic food increase. GuideMeGreen helps you to find locally produced foods which are fresher, healthier and more economical. It cuts down on transport costs and ‘food miles’ where an average shopping basket can include fruit and vegetables transported from all over the world.

The big supermarkets in the UK are about to introduce there own vegetable box schemes. This is good because the supermarket schemes should encourage more people to buy organic food and are likely to raise the profile and public awareness of the benefits of organic box schemes in general. These new organic consumers will hopefully become convinced of the benefits of organic food and become more interested in and aware of the advantages of buying local too. The supermarket schemes could therefore be a positive first step on people’s journey to buying organic, local food generally and perhaps moving on to subscribe to independent box scheme businesses - as well as supporting other local food outlets like farmers’ markets or independent retailers.