Are you currently looking for a good excuse to be vegan? Before you go any further, we want to say something very important, and we want you to take this to heart: You dont need a reason to make a positive change for your body and your well-being.

The only person you need to answer to in that regard is you so please, really, keep that in mind and take a look at these 10 purely selfish reasons to be vegan. Sometimes there is more than enough reason to be selfish.

Vegetarian men lived up to 83 years while non-vegetarians lived to about 73.

1.) Reduce your risks.You hear this on television all the time: Reduce your risk of and its always followed by a laundry list of conditions. Today isnt going to be too much different, as were going to say that going vegan can, in fact, reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and even help to lower your chances of migraines and allergies. There are so many reasons to start the vegan lifestyle, but once again, its all up to you. If you need even more reasons, however, were going to give them to you right now.

2.) Lose the constipation or bloating.Heres a fun fact that you probably didnt know: Many of us actually lack the enzyme needed to digest cows milk. If you have digestive issues, such as constipation or bloating, then it could be traced right back to something as simple as milk consumption. You might not be lactose-intolerant, but that doesnt mean you can handle it.

3.) Clear up your skin.Who doesnt want clear skin? Dairy productshave been linked to acne (and digestive problems, as we mentioned before), and at the end of the day it does a fantastic job of stimulating the hormones linked with acne. Cut out the dairy, and you might just find yourself with clear skin.

Related: The Stress Fighters That Can Save Your Life

4.) Be less resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotics are often our last ditch effort to feel better, but you probably know that your body builds up a resistance to them after a while. If you want to slow down your bodys unfortunate but inevitable adaptation, you might want to cut out the meat, because most factory farms breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria not to mention the horrific conditions that the animals are kept in just before they die.

5.) Lower your risk of food poisoning. The USDA has definitively stated that 70 percent of food poisoning is the direct result of contaminated animal flesh, responsible for 76 million illnesses every single year. If you dont want to be among them, going vegan might just be the best decision youve ever made.

6.) Prolong your life. No one lives forever, but you dont have to die anytime soon. A study performed with more than 70,000 people once showed that vegetarians were 12 percent less likely to have died during the following six years than meat eaters.

Related: The Health Bar Youre Better Off Without

Vegetarian men lived up to 83 years, while non-vegetarians lived about 73. It doesnt seem like a long time or a big difference, but thats up to a decade more you can spend with your friends and family, and that makes it worthwhile.

7.) Improve your PMS. A low-fat, vegan diet can actually reduce pain and PMS for women. It doesnt work for everyone, but its definitely worth a try, as your monthly will remind you.

8.) Improve you relationship with food. Do you ever feel guilty after you visit the kitchen? I know I used to, but after going vegan, I dont think of food as something thats going to make me fat anymore. Instead I think of it as something thats going to make me healthy, and quite frankly, I enjoy knowing Im eating something that wasnt spawned from cruelty.

9.) Know youre going to be happier. By eating natural foods, youre going to find that you can avoid illness, obesity, and a pile of chronic health issues that plague manyAmericans.

Related: Why Happier People Life Longer

10.) Connect with like-minded individuals. Becoming vegan is about more than just feeling good; its about connecting with other, like-minded individuals who have tons in common with you. Youre going to meet some great people, and youre going to feel great overall.

You dont need anyones permission to become vegan. Its a liberating feeling, and honestly, if youre going to do it do it for you.

This article originally appeared in VivaGlam Magazine.

Originally posted here:

10 Seriously Selfish Reasons to Be Vegan - LifeZette

Observer

Meet the Female Founder Battling Food and Gender Stereotypes to Build a Vegan Empire Observer Then she opened another, then four more and then even a vegan chocolate shop. She had no restaurant or professional cooking experience when she launched one of New York City's first gourmet vegan eateries, Blossom, in 2005, yet she's turned her ...

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Meet the Female Founder Battling Food and Gender Stereotypes to Build a Vegan Empire - Observer

TAPAteria Restaurant Patatas Bravas (no aioli) - potatoes, smoked paprika, tomato sauce, served with membrillo aioli Thursday May 18, 2017. Photo by Jeff Kearney.

As I was plotting my move from New York to Colorado five years ago, I researched Colorado Springs restaurants known to be vegan-friendly. One of the first hits was TAPAteria, then one of the few eateries with the word "vegan" on the menu.

Today the laminated table cover listing small plates has been upgraded to a printed menu, and the "v" word is no longer there - but the vegan options are. The TAPA in TAPAteria is for tapas, Spanish for appetizers or snacks. Tapas restaurants and bars are great places to nosh on a variety of plates, ordering until full, and to mix and match glasses of wine to the food. Think of it as the theater of fare with several acts - and vegans will want to focus on the first and third acts.

First up: bocados, or bites. Eight of the 10 items are vegan, with something for everyone. Olives, $5.50, and almonds, $2.50, are fast to the table and great to nibble while sipping wine.

But the gazpacho, $3.50, and white bean hummus, $5.95, are the flavorful standouts. The chilled soup is served in a dainty cup perfect for sipping. The blended fresh vegetables and fruits offer a citrusy fragrance. The broth combines beautifully with the far heartier and dense white bean hummus.

The citrus - likely lemon juice - ties the soup and bean dip together, but the generous garlic pureed with gigande beans deepens the earthy flavor. Served with toast points and large cucumber slices, one order is plenty for lunch for one. Amp up flavor by ordering the garlic bulb, $5.25, and adding the cloves to the tiny sandwiches.

Leap over the seafood to the menu's verduras, or vegetables, section, where umami - the fifth flavor, savory - rounds out rich, plant-based bites. The mushroom toast, $4.50, is meaty, earthy and not at all for those on the fungi fence. The finely chopped mushrooms deliver a texture that borders meatless crumbles and chopped pate.

Team the toast with patatas bravas, spicy potatoes, for $4.95 - hold the nonvegan aioli - for a peppery balance to the mushrooms.

The savory cremini garlic mushrooms, $4.95, are filled with roasted garlic and lightly seasoned with truffle salt, a tasty mushroom alternative.

Most tapas restaurants offer a wine list as varied as the plates, and TAPAteria is no exception. Almost all whites and reds are available by the glass for $7.50 to $12 or by the bottle, $26 to $44. Reserve bottles range from $35 to $50. For a notable occasion, check out the special reserves, $65 to $220.

The fruity overtones of the $9 white Calcada Vinho Verde offset the depth of flavor in the umami-rich plant-based fare.

TAPAteria is a cozy Old Colorado City treasure where savory small plates and flowing wine are served for lunch, happy hour or dinner. Be sure to check out the patio for a leisurely al fresco nosh.

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TAPAteria offers vegan variety of small plates, tasty wines - Colorado Springs Gazette

The following programs will be offered through Carroll County Public Library. Registration is required only where noted. For more information, call 410-386-4488. Visit http://www.library.carr.org for more program information.

Eldersburg

6400 W. Hemlock Drive, Eldersburg

410-386-4460, 410-795-3520

Thursday

Read and Play: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Independent Exploration: 10 a.m. For ages 3-adults. Drop in for self-directed use of our makerspace resources during Independent Exploration, our unstaffed open lab hours. Check library.carr.org/explorationpoint for a full list of the equipment and software available. For staff assistance with a project or piece of equipment, please speak with a librarian to schedule a 1-on-1 tech appointment.

Twos and Threes Together: Shapes: 11 a.m. For ages 2-3. This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.

Friday

Tinker Tots: 10 a.m. For ages 2-5. A little push, a twist, a turn. Keep those little fingers busy and experimenting in our library Tinkertown. Fun, playful activities will engage the mind and body as your child builds his/her fine motor skills and creativity. Refreshments will be served. Only kids need to register.

Saturday

Saturday Storytime: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Sunday

Closed.

Monday

Closed.

Tuesday

Read and Play: 9:15 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Read and Play: 10:15 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Wednesday

Read and Play: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Twos and Threes Together: Ducks: 11 a.m. For ages 2-3. This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.

Deep Relaxation Class: 7 p.m. For ages 13-adults. Register for this event. Join us and experience the benefits of a deep relaxation session, in this inward focused yoga class. Through gentle asanas (comfortable stretching), yoga nidra (deep relaxation), an introduction to pranayama (breathing practices), and meditation we work from the physical body to the subtle bodies, restoring and inviting peace to our being. No experience necessary. Please bring a mat and a blanket. All attendees need to register..

Finksburg

2265 Old Westminster Pike, Finksburg

410-386-4505

Thursday

Twos and Threes Together: Outer Space: 9:45 a.m. For ages 2-3. This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.

Read and Play: 11 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Friday

No special programs listed.

Saturday

No special programs listed.

Sunday

Closed.

Monday

Closed.

Tuesday

Read and Play: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Twos and Threes Together: Friends: 11 a.m. For ages 2-3. This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.

Ready, Set, School: Friends: 1:30 p.m. For ages 3-6. An independent storytime that prepares children for school. Fun, hands-on activities will teach listening, pre-reading, math, movement, music, and art skills. All adult caregivers are welcome.

Wednesday

Family Storytime: Friends: 11 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Pajama Party Storytime: Friends: 6:30 p.m. For ages birth-8. Wear your pajamas, bring your favorite stuffed animal, and listen to stories before bed. This storytime introduces stories through books, songs, and activities appropriate for young children.

Mount Airy

705 Ridge Ave., Mount Airy

410-386-4470, 301-829-5290

Thursday

Tape Town Play: 10 a.m. For ages 2-5. Create a whole town out of tape and blocks. We'll put down tape roads to drive on and we'll build our town with blocks. Then we can play. This fun, playful activity will engage the mind and body as your child builds their fine motor skills and creativity.

Mount Airy Senior Book Discussion Group: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot: 12:30 p.m. For adults. Join us at the Mount Airy Senior Center for a discussion of this month's book.

Friday

Ready, Set, School: Bugs: 10 a.m. For ages 3-6. An independent storytime that prepares children for school. Fun, hands-on activities will teach listening, pre-reading, math, movement, music, and art skills. All adult caregivers are welcome.

Family Storytime: Bugs: 11 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Saturday

Family Music/musique joyeuse Class Demonstration: 11 a.m. For ages 1-6. Using the Musikgarten whole-child approach, the youngest musicians explore the wonder of music while expanding their self-awareness and experiencing social action. Parents and caregivers participate with your child in singing, listening, instrument exploration, and movement activities. This class is provided by Children's Chorus of Carroll County. Only kids need to register.

Sunday

Closed.

Monday

Closed.

Tuesday

Family Storytime: Mice: 10 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Family Storytime: Mice: 11 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

VR Open House: 3-7 p.m. For ages 8-adults. Still wondering what's all the hype about Virtual Reality? Come in and find out for yourself. Come try out CCPL's HTC Vive virtual reality headset. We'll have the Vive set up for drop-in exploration, with a staff member on hand to answer questions. Step into the future and experience technology that's changing the way we work, play, and learn.

Wednesday

Read and Play: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Twos and Threes Together: Mice: 11 a.m. For ages 2-3. This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement..

North Carroll

2255 Hanover Pike, Greenmount

410-386-4480

Thursday

Thursday

Family Storytime: Fish: 10 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Friday

Read and Play: 10:30 a.m. For ages birth-24 months. Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities which allow children to practice skills and socialize.

Saturday

No special programs listed.

Sunday

Closed.

Monday

Closed.

Tuesday

Move & Learn: Sheep: 10 a.m. For ages 2-6. A theme-based storytime featuring an age-appropriate story, songs, and learning activities, with a concentration on creative movement.

Move & Learn: Sheep: 11 a.m. For ages 2-6. A theme-based storytime featuring an age-appropriate story, songs, and learning activities, with a concentration on creative movement.

Color Yourself Relaxed: 6:30 p.m. For adults. Come relax by coloring-a big adult trend. Join us for this drop-in series on the fourth Tuesday of each month to color your stress away. No devices, wires, or instructions are needed. Materials will be provided, as well as conversation, and relaxing music. You are welcome to bring your own materials, if you prefer.

Drop-In Crafts for Adults: 6:30 p.m. For adults. Stop in between 6:30 and 8 p.m. to relax and make a fun craft. All supplies provided

Wednesday

Family Storytime: Sheep: 10 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.

Pajama Party Storytime: Sheep: 6:45 p.m. For ages birth-8. Wear your pajamas, bring your favorite stuffed animal, and listen to stories before bed. This storytime introduces stories through books, songs, and activities appropriate for young children.

Taneytown

10 Grand Drive, Taneytown

410-386-4510

Thursday

Family Storytime : Chicks & Chickens: 9:45 a.m. For ages birth-8. We'll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children

Drop-In Knitting: 6:30 p.m. For adults. Please join us to share ideas, patterns, books, and projects.

You're a Wonder, Wonder Woman: 6:30 p.m. For all ages. Are you excited about the new Wonder Woman film? Join us as we celebrate our favorite Amazon with crafts, games, and other activities. All superheroes are welcome.

Friday

ABCs and 123s: 11 a.m. For ages 2-5. Join the fun as we explore letters and numbers. We'll offer lots of engaging, hands-on activities to make learning fun. Only kids need to register.

Saturday

Sloppy Saturday: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For all ages. Need something fun to do with the kids? Like to create and express yourself with art? Drop in and join the fun making crafts with leftover bits and pieces from storytime.

Sunday

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Carroll County Public Library schedules (May 25-31) - Carroll County Times

As the first 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar stadium opened its gates for the Emir Cup final to widespread acclaim a pilot sensory room project also kicked off, potentially changing the way that people with cognitive disabilities experience football. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has partnered with the Ontario Centre for Special Education (OCSE) to develop Qatars first stadium-based sensory room, which will provide a space where people with cognitive disabilities can feel comfortable as they enjoy live sport. The room, which is located at Khalifa International Stadium, benefits from noise cancellation, soft furnishings, mood lighting, relaxing music and brightly coloured sensory toys and equipment. These features are designed to manage a persons anxiety and allow them, as well as their families and friends, to watch football matches in a welcoming, calming and inclusive environment. Mariam al-Rashdi, founder of the OCSE, was inspired by the work of the SCs Accessibility Forum and decided to donate resources from the OCSEs sensory room for the pilot. An environment was required which can help those with additional needs to cope with the excitement and stimulation happening at a football game, she said. What we are doing is historic, not just in Asia and the Middle East, but in terms of the whole world. Qatar is building history. This sensory room was never a FIFA requirement; it was Qatar saying that we have thought about people with cognitive disabilities who require extra support to watch football. The SC has clear inclusivity goals, which are embodied by the new facility at Qatars first completed stadium for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East. It is our ambition to ensure that football can be enjoyed by all, irrespective of ability, said Samantha Sifah, head of community outreach at the SC. Football is more popular than ever in Qatar and across the region, and fans should be able to watch their favourite team play, with equal opportunity to attend, participate and contribute to the atmosphere. Accommodating the needs of people with disabilities is a reflection of the countrys ambition to prioritise accessibility throughout every sector. As we look to create new sensory rooms in the stadiums we are building, it is only a matter of time before these spaces are as commonplace in football stadiums as bathroom facilities or food concessions. (SC.qa)

See original here:

Khalifa stadium pilots the first stadium-based sensory room in Qatar - Gulf Times

A new study reveals that mindfulness training, but not relaxation training, benefits college athletes' attention. Practice engagement and program adherence are key.

Its no secret that performance excellence in sports requires dedicated practice and physical training. Much less is known about mental training to deal with the psychological pressures of competitive athletics, the mental game.

A recent University of Miami study conducted in the laboratory of neuroscientist Amishi Jha, asked if mental toughness and resilience can be trained in collegiate football players. Results suggest that just like physical training, practice is key for mental training. Jhas team found that greater practice and program adherence in a mindfulness training program, but not a matched relaxation training program, led to more stable attention and fewer attentional lapses in football players.

Mindfulness involves focusing attention on present-moment experiences and observing one's thoughts and feelings without emotional reactivity or judgment.

Jha is an associate professor in the UM College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology. Her lab has partnered with mindfulness expert and University of Miami Law School professor, Director of the Mindfulness in Law Program, and co-author, Scott Rogers, to develop, deliver, and evaluate the impact of short-form mental training programs involving mindfulness and relaxation for professionals who have high-stress careers from all walks of lifefrom military personnel and firefighters, to teachers and accountants.

Back in 2014, the University of Miami Hurricanes football program partnered with Jhas lab for a first-of-its-kind research study, documented by the Miami Herald, to investigate how mindfulness vs. relaxation training can help student-athletes cope with the high demands of collegiate athletics. The study, We Are Talking About Practice: the Influence of Mindfulness vs. Relaxation Training on Athletes Attention and Well-Being over High-Demand Intervals, was recently published online in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement.

The studys first author, UM psychology Ph.D. candidate Joshua Rooks, knows first-hand how demanding the life of a football player can be. Rooks, a former college football player who practiced mindfulness during his time as a tight end for the Northwestern University Wildcats, joined Jhas lab in 2012.

In the current study, Rooks monitored the attention and emotional well-being of student-athletes on the UM football team over a 4-week interval, during which Rogers delivered two matched training programs to subgroups of players.

One group, consisting of 56 players, received mindfulness training (MT), while the other group, consisting of 44 players, received relaxation training (RT). The players in the MT group participated in breathing exercises, body scans, and mindful awareness sessions, while the RT group partook in muscle relaxation exercises, place-guided imagery, and listening to relaxing music. Players attention was measured using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), a test designed to promote mind wandering and measure attentional performance lapses. Their emotional well-being was measured by questionnaires accessing mood, anxiety, and depression levels.

The 4-week interval of this project occurred while players faced intensive demands, both academically and physically, as part of their pre-season training. Prior research has found that high demand intervals, such as the academic semester and military pre-deployment training, degrade attention and emotional well-being in students and military service members. Here too, football players attention and emotional well-being degraded from the beginning to the end of the 4-week interval. Yet high adherence to the MT program, but not the RT program, protected athletes sustained attention. The study also found that greater engagement in both MT and RT protected against a decline in well-being. Thus, practice is paramount for program benefits.

Professional sports teams have long used relaxation training with players. Recently, some teams have also introduced mindfulness training. High performance psychology coach, Dr. Michael Gervais, who serves as an advisor to Jhas lab for their work with military cohorts, has offered mindfulness to pro-athletes, such as the Seattle Seahawks, with success. He says, This is the type of research that moves the needle from theory to application. The hallmarks of elite performance within the most hostile environments are the ability to be tough minded, adjust to unpredictable demands, and to properly attend to the task at hand.

In addition to its potential to help athletes attention and well-being, mindfulness training has been examined in military service members during their high-demand predeployment training intervals. Prior studies have found that these intervals deplete attention and degrade emotional well-being.

"Research like this is very important as the Army explores mindfulness training as a possible enabler to Soldier readiness," said Major General Walter E. Piatt, who is on the Advisory Committee for the Mindfulness Based Attention and Training (MBAT) Project in Jhas lab, which is supported by Department of the Army Medical Research and Material Command.

MG Piatt is uniquely aware of the importance of readiness for Soldiers as the Commanding General for the 10th Mountain Division, which has been nearly continuously deploying Soldiers since 2001.

Thus, the results of this study suggest that more time spent engaging in mindfulness exercises may help build both cognitive and psychological resilience. At its conclusion, the findings of this Department of Defense funded study reveal that training the body and mind may be quite similar for just as physical exercise must be performed with regularity to train the body for performance success, mental exercises must be practiced with regularity to benefit the athletes attention and well-being.

The study titled We Are Talking About Practice: the Influence of Mindfulness vs. Relaxation Training on Athletes Attention and Well-Being over High-Demand Intervals, is published online ahead of print by Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. Additional authors who contributed to the study are: Alexandra B. Morrison, Ph.D. and Merissa Goolsarran of the University of Miami.

Link:

Building Mental Toughness Off the Field - University of Miami

When the Washington Post isnt lighting the funeral pyre for our dying democracy, the paper is doing solid investigative work into the organic-food industry. Over the past decade, the media has largely avoided scrutinizing the $40 billion organic market. An organic-friendly Obama administration and wealthy organic-company executives who are generous Democratic-party donors boosted organics influence in both the government and the media, helping promote the phony narrative that organic products are healthier, pesticide-free, and locally grown.

In two articles this month, the Posts Peter Whoriskey exposes the dubiousness of the organic label and the alarming trend of fraudulent organic grains being imported here. For his May 1 article, Why your organic milk may not be organic, Whoriskey tracked a few milk producers to see whether they followed the Department of Agricultures strict but weakly enforced guidelines for organic certification. Organic milk can cost twice as much as conventional milk, and, as Whoriskey correctly surmises, if organic farms violate organic rules, consumers are being misled and overcharged.

The Post surveilled Aurora Organic Dairy a major milk supplier for house organic brands sold by retailers such as Walmart and Costco and found that the company appeared to violate rules about how often the cows were grass-fed, a key differential between conventional and organic milk production. The Post had several organic milk samples tested to measure for two fats that are more prevalent in organic milk (although in amounts inconsequential to human health), and most fell short. Whoriskey says that the integrity of the organic label rests on an unusual system of inspections that the head of the USDAs organic program calls fairly unique. Organic producers pay a private inspector, approved by the USDA, to certify their products as organic; the agency checks in on those inspectors every few years. The USDA has only 82 certified inspection firms to supervise a massive organic supply chain of more than 31,000 farms and businesses worldwide. This leaves plenty of room for error and fosters a pay-to-play climate that benefits producers and inspectors at the expense of unwitting consumers.

The burgeoning organic market has also created a huge demand for imports here. (We are a net importer of organic goods; so much for locally grown.) Most alarming is the importation of allegedly organic grains from Ukraine, Turkey, India, and China, countries with uncertain food-safety standards, to use as animal feed. Any organic meat or animal by-product, such as milk or eggs, must be sourced from animals fed organic-only grains. Since nearly all the corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. are from genetically engineered seeds and therefore forbidden under federal organic standards the organic versions of those grains are now being shipped here from around the world. In 2016, we imported $160 million in organic yellow corn, a 400 percent increase just since 2014, and $250 million in organic soybeans, a 75 percent increase in two years.

But the Post investigated what some have questioned about these imported organic grains: their authenticity. In his May 12 bombshell article, Whoriskey reveals how 36 million pounds of soybeans from Ukraine, shipped through Turkey to California last year, underwent a remarkable transformation from conventional to organic. The fraud increased the value of the beans by $4 million, since organic grains are worth more than non-organic. Whoriskey found that at least 21 million pounds of the phony organic soybeans have already entered the food supply a potential safety threat, since its unknown how these grains were grown and handled.

The Post reported on two other fraudulent shipments of organic grains in the past year that were large enough to constitute a meaningful proportion of the U.S. supply of those commodities. All three were presented as organic, despite evidence to the contrary. I contacted the USDA, and a spokesman told me the agency is investigating unspecified shipments of corn and soybeans intended for the organic market that appear not to meet the requirements of the national organic regulations or may have been exposed to a prohibited substance during shipment. He confirmed that enforcement actions are underway against the parties involved. Penalties can result in a fine of up to $11,000 per violation.The problem, as Jason Kuo writes in a Post column on May 22, is that the USDA doesnt directly oversee international organic producers. Instead, the USDA outsources its authority to equivalent agencies in other countries, as well as third-party certifiers. This raises the real possibility that plenty of food companies are using these questionable grains to claim that their products are organic when they are not, and then sell them at a premium.

For example. Organic Valley is the largest producer of organic dairy in the U.S., selling milk to other organic companies such asStonyfield Yogurt. Miranda Leis, Organic Valleys feed coordinator, told me that on the rare occasions when we are forced to buy imported feed due to domestic shortages, we use two trusted sources that trace certified shipments directly back to the farms where the feed is grown. However, in a 2015 e-mail to me on this same subject, Organic Valley verified that their farmers might use imported grains that likely originated from countries such as Turkey and Romania, which should raise questions about their authenticity (thats not to say the company used the fraudulent beans, only that all of these imports should now be suspect.) But Luo points out that the U.S. does not recognize the national regulator for Turkey, which should give all organic purveyors reason to doubt the legitimacy of those grains. All of this underscores the inanity of the organic system. Why would anyone trust soybeans from India more than soybeans from Indiana? Furthermore, importing grains grown in abundance here betrays the central appeal of organic: There is nothing local or environmentally friendly about shipping in millions of pounds of grains we dont need.

The organic industry has long peddled the myth that its food is healthier and better for the environment. Consumers buy organic because they wrongly believe its grown locally and without pesticides. Now there are serious questions about whether most of the pricey products labeled by our government as organic actually are. This scam requires more than a few solid newspaper investigations. The federal government, particularly our new agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, should take a much closer look at this system, and consumers should take a second look at what they are buying.

Julie Kelly is a food-policy writer from Orland Park, Ill.

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When 'Organic' Food Isn't - National Review

The U.S. organic sector, already strong, remained on an upswing in 2016, gaining new market share and breaking sales records, according to the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) 2017 Organic Industry Survey, the results of which were revealed May 24 at the organizations Annual Policy Conference.

Organic sales in the United States were around $47 billion in 2016, reflecting new sales of nearly $3.7 billion from the prior year. The $43 billion in organic food sales marked the first time the U.S. organic food market has surpassed the $40 billion mark. Organic food now accounts for 5.3 percent of total food sales in the United States, another first for the sector.

Organic food sales grew by 8.4 percent, or $3.3 billion, from the prior year, compared with 0.6 percent growth in the overall food market, while sales of organic nonfood products rose 8.8 percent in 2016, also versus overall nonfood growth of 0.8 percent.

"The organic industry continues to be a real bright spot in the food and ag economy, both at the farm gate and checkout counter," noted OTA CEO and Executive Director Laura Batcha.

The $15.6 billion organic fruit and vegetable business retained its position as the largest of the organic food categories, accounting for almost 40 percent of all organic food sales. With sales up 8.4 percent, compared with the 3.3 percent uptick logged for total fruit and vegetable sales, organic fruits and veggies now make up almost 15 percent of the produce that Americans consume, perhaps because its traditionally been the gateway category for shoppers new to organic, due to their ability to touch and smell the product and compare it with its conventional counterpart.

Meanwhile, sales of organic meat and poultry surged by more than 17 percent in 2016, to $991 million, the category's largest-ever annual gain. Continued strong growth in the category should lift sales past the $1 billion mark for the first time this year, OTA predicted. Additionally, rising awareness of such options as natural, grass-fed or hormone-free meats and poultry is driving consumer interest in organic meat and poultry items.

Even organic condiments saw spectacular sales: Dips reported an impressive 41 percent sales growth in 2016, to $57 million, while spice sales soared 35 percent to $193 million.

On the nonfood side, sales rose by almost 9 percent to $3.9 billion, with organic fiber, supplements and personal care products accounting for the majority of those sales. These purchases were spurred by consumers growing desire for transparency, clean ingredients and plant-based products is spurring sales of such product, as well as their belief that what they put on their bodies is as important as what they put in them.

"Organic products of all sorts are now found in the majority of kitchens and households across our country," said Batcha. "But the organic sector is facing challenges to continue its growth. We need more organic farmers in this country to meet our growing organic demand, and the organic sector needs to have the necessary tools to grow and compete on a level playing field. That means federal, state and local programs that help support organic research and provide the organic farmer with a fully equipped tool kit to be successful."

Conducted in February and March and produced on behalf of OTA by Nutrition Business Journal, the survey received responses from more than 200 companies. The full report can be purchased online.

Washington, D.C.-based OTA represents more than 9,500 organic businesses in all 50 states. Its membership encompasses growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants and retailers, among others.

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Organic Sector Posts Record US Sales: Survey - Progressive Grocer

The world of sustainable food just got a little more exciting. With the creation of Barnraisers brand-new Discover program, theleading digital authority on organic food andthe number one sustainable living community have united. This new partnership will help create an even bigger space forsupporting sustainable good food and healthy living, pushing these fields to new heights by connecting people who care about where their food comes from with the people who produce it.

Organic Authority joins some of the top change-makers in the new food revolution on thenew platform, includingFairtrade America, MicroShiner, and Food Craft Institute.

Barnraiser is the most complete source for the products, people, and stories in our organic living movement theyre a perfect partner to showcase our stories and trends, says Laura Klein, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Organic Authority.

Organic Authority is the leading organic, eco-conscious food and lifestyle publication online, redefining what it means to live a conscious and healthy lifestyle in America today. Its already a favorite amongst people who want to make a difference in their food system for its obsessive coverage of the latest trends and news in food, nutrition, wellness, natural beauty, and more.

Barnraiser is a platform connecting artisan food makers, innovative farmers, and chefs at the forefront of sustainability with the people who demand more from their food system. This platform makes it easy to discover and fund projects committed to making a difference in the way we produce food in this country.

Were meeting the needs of an entire generation who demand authenticity, connection, and influence in food and health, says Eileen Gordon, Barnraiser Founder and CEO. Our work, together with our new partners, continues to expose consumers to the good food, farmers, food businesses, innovators, and tastemakers changing how we eat and live.

Together, these two leaders in the field of sustainable food will create and curate an information hub connecting readers to their food community and helping to incite change in Americas food system.

Related on Organic AuthoritySustainability is Stylish in One of Americas Favorite Towns These 61 Badass Disruptors are Changing Your Food System 5 Online Sharing Communities that Bring Peers Together for Common Needs

Emily Monaco is an American food and culture writer based in Paris. She loves uncovering the stories behind ingredients and exposing the face of our food system, so that consumers can make educated choices. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vice Munchies, and Serious Eats.

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Organic Authority and Barnraiser are Creating the Sustainable Food Space of the Future - Organic Authority

Meditation is an intensely personal and spiritual experience. Indeed, it is a way of attaining balance and contentment even in adverse situations. If our minds are peaceful, we are free from worries and mental discomfort; but if our minds are not peaceful, we will not be happy, even if we are living with the most comfortable external conditions.

Meditation usually involves a persons attention, allowing it to turn into a single point of reference. Because of its effectiveness in leading a persons consciousness to a higher level than that of a common person, meditation is now being practiced by people all over the world.

In fact, the most elementary use of meditation is to relax the mind and the body. In modern times, it has been welcomed as a tool for relief in a stress-filled life. It is claimed that there are great effects from meditation, including the treatment of migraines, lowering blood pressure, decreasing stress on the heart, and strengthening the immune system.

All religions have introduced ways and approaches in their own characteristic styles to help people practice meditation. As meditation has a spiritual element, it forms an integral part of religions.

Meditation takes place in a state of inner and outer stillness, though its styles may vary according to the specific religious framework within which they are placed.

In Hinduism and Buddhism meditation is closely aligned to asceticism and mysticism. The Semitic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam on the other hand, have placed more emphasis on the common man in society by introducing regulatory laws to order day-to-day life; and for that reason, they afford to meditation only a comparatively subsidiary role.

Meditation in Hinduism

One of the religions known to practice meditation is Hinduism. It is considered the oldest religion that focuses on meditation as a spiritual and religious practice. There are several forms of meditation practiced by Hindus. Principal among them is Yoga, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. It provides several types of meditation.

In Hinduism, the object of meditation is to achieve a calm state of mind. The Yoga philosopher Patanjalis Ashtanga Yoga gives a detailed analysis of meditation. (How to Meditate)

According to him, meditation has three stages: Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.

Dharana literally means unmoving concentration of the mind. The objective in dharana is to steady the mind by focusing its attention upon some stable entity. One may practice focusing attention on a single inanimate object. After the mind becomes prepared for meditation, it is better able to focus efficiently on one subject or point of experience. It is emphasized that meditation is not meant as an escape from reality, but rather as a movement towards the perception of the true nature of Self. (How to Meditate)

Dhyana in Ashtanga Yoga, means worship or profound and abstract religious meditation. It involves concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it.

During dhyana, one learns to differentiate between the mind of the perceiver, the means of perception, and the objects perceived between words, their meanings and ideas, and even between all the levels of natural evolution.

Dhyana is apprehension of real identity among apparent differences. If dharana is the contact, then dhyana is the connection.

The final step in Ashtanga Yoga is Samadhi. Samadhi means to bring together, to merge. In samadhi, our personal identities completely disappear.

At the moment of samadhi none of that exists anymore. We become one with the Divine Entity. The person capable of samadhi retains his individuality and person, but is free of the emotional attachment to it.(Yoga and SPA)

The prerequisite of a meditative state of mind, according to Hindu philosophers, is an absolute harmony between our gross physical realm, sensual realm and our life energy. (Yoga and SPA)

Meditation in Judaism

Judaism has an uncertain relationship with meditation, and many Orthodox Jews question whether it is really Jewish to meditate.

It is pointed out that both ancient Kabbalic and Hasidic texts support the practice of gaining understanding through intense logical reflection. (Meditation Expert)

Meditation conducted otherwise is considered non-Jewish in nature and delusional. For Jews, enlightenment follows from a deep, concentrated and analytical understanding of the Torah (the Old Testament).

Many Jews argue that contemplative, non-rational meditation is useful for developing a better understanding of God, with some claiming that meditation was clearly practised by Old Testament prophets.

According to Avram Davis, who wrote The Way of Flame, an introduction to the practice of meditation, Judaism embraces the idea of relationships, love, passion. In Judaism these are the keys to unlocking the doors of enlightenment. (Meditation brings mindfulness to Judaism, last accessed onAugust 31, 2009)

Davis says there is a longing for stillness in people, especially now, when most people live busy and complicated lives.

Jewish meditation tradition has been hidden for centuries, since rabbis worried that it might lead to idolatry, or that might be of danger to uninitiated people. At the time of emancipation, meditation was strongly disavowed by secularized Jews because it was reminder of ghetto life considered old-fashioned. During the Holocaust, most of the Eastern European rabbis who had held on to the knowledge of it were killed.

Jewish meditation as described is any kind of meditation done in a Jewish context, in the service of Jewish spiritual activity. The basic definition and aim of Jewish meditation is stabilizing the mind. (Jewish Meditation)

One of the techniques used in Jewish meditation is accurately visualizing a letter (aleph-bet); and this is considered to be a very powerful meditative technique. And another one is using prayers; and if one does not know what to say in prayer, then one may just repeat the phrase Ribbono shel Olam (master of the universe). The method used is traditional and timeless for arriving at a stabilized mind, which is believed to be the foundation for a good life and service of man and God. (Jewish Meditation)

Meditation in Christianity

As in Judaism, meditation does not have a central place in Christianity as well. At the same time, we find some importance given to it in Christian spiritual training. The objective is to become detached from thoughts and images and to open up silent gaps between them.

In Christian mystical practice, this is called contemplation.

According to Mary Jo Meadow, Christianity includes a call to meditate, but it never provides a method of meditating. (Buddhism When Christianity Meet Buddhism) Mary Jo Meadow as well as Kevin Culligan and Daniel Chowning her co-authors of the book, Christian Insight Meditation: Following in the Footsteps of John of the Cross integrate ancient Buddhist meditation within a Christian contemplative prayer tradition.

They are often called Buddhist Christians, as they apply Buddhist techniques to their spiritual exploration of Christianity.

Christopher Boozell, author of Tantric Christianity employs Buddhist techniques of meditation expressed through the rich imagery of Christianity to address this yearning for direct experience. (Tantric Christianity) Christian meditation is said to have begun with the early Christians. But with the Protestant Reformation, meditation was rejected along with other practices. Yet it is still understood as a part of the Christian tradition by the Catholic and Episcopal traditions.

Meditation in Islam

Islam does not permit a spiritual life that is completely separate from ones worldly life. It rejects the purely ascetic view of life that looks down upon Gods blessings in this world.

From the Islamic point of view, the spiritual development of humans is possible only in this world, and not outside of it, as lonely places fit for solitary hermits.

Mankinds God-appointed status as Gods vicegerent on earth demands that it should direct all its energies towards regulating the affairs of this world in the way Godwants them to be regulated. In Islam, spiritual development is synonymous with nearness to God; and nearness to God can be achieved only through unconditional obedience to Him. From the Islamic point of view, therefore, religious people are not recluses. They have to engage in this world like secular people, with the difference that all their efforts are made with the knowledge that they are answerable to God, so that all their actions will be in accordance with Gods laws. The first condition for spiritual progression in Islam is faith, the mind and heart of a person should always be aware: Godalone is his or her Master, Sovereign, and Deity. The second condition is obedience, meaning that the person gives up his or her independence and accepts subservience to God. This subservience effectively means that he or she should fashion his or her entire life in obedience to Gods laws. The third condition is piety (God-consciousness). Pietymeans desisting from everything God has forbidden; so that we are ready to observe the distinctions between the lawful and the unlawful in all areas of life.

The last condition is that of perfect righteousness. It signifies that people should strive for harmonizing their wills with the will of God. People who reach this stage attain the highest pinnacle of spirituality and are nearest to God. (The Spiritual Path of Islam) Islams methods of spiritual development rest on the Five Pillars:

The first is the Prayer (salah), which brings man into communion with God five times a day. The second is fasting (sawm), which for a full month every year trains each person individually in righteousness and self-restraint. The third is the obligatory almsgiving (zakah)which develops the sense of monetary sacrifice, sympathy, and co-operation among people. The fourth is the pilgrimage (hajj), which aims at the fostering of the universal brotherhood of the faithful based on the worship of God. Five times a day, during the ritual Prayer called salah, Muslims should be in a meditative frame of mind, if their prayers are to be effective.

True prayer is visualizing the presence of God in a contemplative frame of mind as the it is offered; and certainly this is a powerful spiritual experience. While in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to spend days and nights in the Cave of Mount Hira meditating.

Apart from the Prayer, meditation is at the center of fasting in the month of Ramadan. Islamic meditation is based on contemplation, called tafakkur in the Quran, which is a reflection upon the wonders of the universe leading to a worshipful appreciation of Allah Almightys creative power. (Meditation in Islam)

Some mysticalforms of meditation, developed by some Sufis in a later period of Islam are controversial, as they sometimes lead to practices antithetical to Islamic teachings. Proper Islamic meditation is in conformity with the principles and practices of the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

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Meditation in Different Religions - aboutislam.net