How to Eat Organic Foods on a Budget

Whether it's because of worries about food safety, ecological concerns, or just a desire to eat fresher, less processed foods, more and more food shoppers are buying organic these days. Yet organic foods and beverages can cost as much as 50% to 100% more than conventional foods -- and prices are going up for both organic and conventionally grown items.

Still, rising prices don't have to mean that cost-conscious consumers must give up the advantages of organic food. Here are some tips on how shoppers can stretch their food dollars for organic foods, and information about other food options that may be equally kind to the planet.

What Exactly Are Organic Foods?

Don't confuse terms such as "free-range," "hormone free" or "natural" with organic. While they may be truthful, these terms are not regulated by law. Look for the following regulated terms on food labels:

• "100% organic" is for foods that have no allowable synthetic ingredients and can use the U.S. Department of Agriculture's organic seal.
• "Organic" foods have a minimum of 95% organic ingredients and are also eligible by law to use the USDA organic seal.
• "Made with Organic Ingredients" must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. These foods are not eligible for the USDA seal.
A USDA organic seal indicates that the food was grown, harvested, and processed according to national organic standards that restrict the amounts and residues of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, foods called "organic" cannot be treated with any synthetic pesticides, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. They may, however, use biological pesticides (those derived from a natural source).

Keep in mind that while years ago, most "organic" foods you found at your neighborhood health food store came from small, local farms, this is now more the exception than the rule. Today, organic foods are big business, sold in chain groceries and often produced by multinational companies and then trucked across the country.

Organic Vegetables and Fruits

Organic foods generally cost more because the lack of pesticides means growing them is more labor-intensive, and the crop yield is not always as good. But, experts say a good place to spend your organic dollars is on fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables are conventionally treated with pesticides and fertilizers to enhance growth and prevent infestation, and are likely to contain pesticide residues.

"It really is a personal choice, but how can anyone think substances such as pesticides, capable of killing insects, can be good for you?" asks Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, a food studies and public health professor at New York University. "If you can afford them, buy them. Given the choice, go organic, and if you can't afford them, try to buy [at least] the ones on the 'dirty dozen' list."

The "dirty dozen" refers to 12 fruits and vegetables that the nonprofit Environmental Working Group says are among the most susceptible to pesticide residue, and thus most profitable to buy organic. They are:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

The Environmental Working Group also has a list of 12 fruits and veggies likely to have the fewest pesticide residues, which may not be worth the added cost of buying organic. They are:

• Papaya
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Asparagus
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onions

Food for Men: 10 Foods to Boost Male Health

Men are different from women in all kinds of ways -- including their nutritional needs. Just as women need particular nutrients during pregnancy or for protection from breast cancer, men need nutrients that can help them maintain muscle mass, prevent prostate cancer, and more.

Many foods that tend to be favorites among men are not the best choices for good health. Yet a healthy diet and regular physical activity can help prevent heart disease and cancer, the No. 1 and No. 2 killers for men over 35. They can also enhance performance, from the board room to the bedroom.

Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, notes that any food that is good for the cardiovascular system is also good for erectile function in men.

"Nutrients that are good for the heart improve circulation to all parts of the body, and these same nutrients provide a layer of protection against cancer and other chronic diseases," says Gerbstadt, a Florida-based physician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Quality nutrients are also critical for maintaining immune function and preventing bone loss, muscle loss, and oxidative damage from the environment, Of course, any one (or 10) foods can't do the job alone. An overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes not smoking and getting regular physical activity, is what's really important for health, say the experts.

"It is not about one single food or even a handful of foods. What is more important is the pattern of regularly consuming a diet rich in a variety of essential nutrients," says Joy Bauer, MS, RD, author of Joy Bauer's Food Cures and Today Show nutrition expert.

Still, adding nutrient-rich super foods to the diet, as well as taking a daily multivitamin designed exclusively for men (for nutritional insurance), can give men's nutrition a boost, says Dave Grotto, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokesman.

With the help of the experts, WebMD came up with this list of 10 disease-fighting foods that can be a good start to improving health:

Food for Men No. 1: Oysters

Could there be something to the legend that oysters are the food of love? Well, it's true that just a few oysters each day will deliver a full day's supply of the antioxidant mineral zinc. Zinc is involved in hundreds of body processes, from producing DNA to repairing cells.

"Research shows that adequate zinc may protect against cellular damage that leads to prostate cancer," says Grotto. "Sexual functioning of the male reproductive system, including increased sperm counts, is also enhanced with zinc."

You can also get your daily recommended dose of 11 milligrams a day by eating other shellfish, lean beef, lean pork, or legumes.

Food for Men No. 2: Bananas

Bananas are a great portable source of quick energy and are rich in potassium, which is needed to regulate nerves, heartbeat and, especially, blood pressure. Diets rich in potassium and magnesium (which is also found in bananas) can reduce the risk of stroke.

As a super source of vitamin B-6, bananas can also aid your immune system, help form red blood cells, ensure a well-functioning nervous system, and assist protein metabolism. So enjoy a banana each day, at breakfast on your whole grain-cereal or before your workout at the gym.

Not a banana fan? Orange juice, milk, tomato products, and beans are other good sources of dietary potassium.

Food for Men No. 3: Fatty Fish

No list of superfoods would be complete without the healthy fat, omega-3 fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fats are the preferred form of fats in your diet for many reasons. They can benefit the heart, circulation, and immune system and reduce the risk for prostate cancer, among other things.

"Omega-3 fatty acids are potent anti-inflammatory foods that can help lower triglyceride [blood fat] levels, reduce aches and pains in athletes, and offer relief with certain kinds of arthritis," says Bauer.

Weight Loss: The No-Diet Approach

Introduction to weight loss

Whether you are trying to lose 5 pounds or more than 50, the same simple laws of physics determine whether or not you will lose weight and how fast your weight loss will occur. Remembering these simple guidelines and putting them into practice can lead to weight loss without the aid of any special diet plans, books, or medications.

Our weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you burn each day. If you're slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn through your daily activities.

Everyone is in control of the amount of food he or she consumes each day, so our intake of calories is something we can control. To a major degree, we can also control our output of energy, or the number of calories we burn each day. The number of calories we burn each day is dependent upon

our basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories we burn per hour simply by being alive and maintaining body functions and


our level of physical activity.
For some people, due to genetic (inherited) factors or other conditions, the resting metabolic rate (BMR) can be slightly higher or lower than average. Our weight also plays a role in determining how many calories we burn at rest -- more calories are required to maintain your body in its present state, the greater your body weight. A 100-pound person requires less energy (food) to maintain body weight than a person who weighs 200 pounds.

Lifestyle and work habits partially determine how many calories we need each day. Someone whose job involves heavy physical labor will naturally burn more calories in a day than someone who sits at a desk most of the day (a sedentary job). For people who do not have jobs that require intense physical activity, exercise or increased physical activity can increase the number of calories burned.

As a rough estimate, an average woman 31-50 years of age who leads a sedentary lifestyle needs about 1,800 calories per day to maintain a normal weight. A man of the same age requires about 2,200 calories. Participating in a moderate level of physical activity (exercising three to five days per week) requires about 200 additional calories per day.