Organic Agriculture

USDA

A centralized web resource center that contains all of the information from the USDA regarding programs, services and data that support organic agriculture.

USDA. Agricultural Marketing Service.

Provides information to consumers and producers on USDA certified organic products.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Provides information on evaluating organic foods and labeling qualifications. Also discusses several factors to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase organic food.

USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.

Bibliographic references (from 2000 to 2008) to literature and studies focusing on nutritional qualities of vegetables, fruits and meats produced in organic systems. Continues SRB 2000-03

USDA. Economic Research Service.

Covers the scope of ERS work on organic agriculture and provides economic research, analysis, and information about the production and marketing of organic products.

Environmental Protection Agency.

Explains the methods of organic farming and the regulatory measures that allow a farm to label their product as "organically grown" .

Excerpt from:

Organic Foods | Food and Nutrition Information Center

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(1) Nick Onken / UpperCut Images / Getty Image (2) Petko Danov / iStockphoto (3) Drew Hadley / iStockphoto (4) Elena Schweitzer / iStockphoto (5) iStockphoto (6) Margita Braze / iStockphoto (7) Gabor Izso / iStockphoto (8) iStockphoto (9) iStockphoto (10) iStockphoto (11) Jason Lugo / iStockphoto (12) Jupiter Unlimited (13) Jupiter Unlimited (14) Jupiter Unlimited (15) Jupiter Unlimited (16) 2008 WebMD (17) Elena Schweitzer / iStockphoto (18) iStockphoto (19) Olga Lupol / iStockphoto (20) Steven von Niederhausern / iStockphoto (21) Doug Cannell / iStockphoto (22) Willie B. Thomas / iStockphoto (23) iStockphoto (24) Sandra Caldwell / iStockphoto (25) Oliver Hoffmann / iStockphoto (26) Sandra Caldwell / iStockphoto (27) Noel Hendrickson / Blend Images / Getty Images (28) Rosemary Buffoni / iStockphoto (29) Robert Linton / iStockphoto

REFERENCES:

Keecha Harris, DrPH, former spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health, New York University; author, What to Eat. Lu, C. Environmental Health Perspectives, published online Sept. 1, 2005. Consumer Reports, February 2006. Environmental Protection Agency: "Pesticides and Food: How the Government Regulates Pesticides," "Pesticides and Food: Healthy, Sensible Food Practices." Environmental Working Group. National Organic Program. American Dietetic Association. WebMD Feature: "Organic Food Is 'Natural' Worth the Extra Cost?" NutritionData. Food & Water Watch: "The Milk Tip." Medical News Today: "Scientists Isolate Anti-Cancer Compounds From Apple Peel." United States Department of Agriculture: "USDA Pesticide Data Program: Pesticide Residues on Fresh and Processed Fruit and Vegetables, Grains, Meats, Milk and Drinking Water," "Labeling Organic Products." Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides: "Sustainable Potato Production."

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Organic Foods in Pictures: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic

RSVPs NOT NECESSARY: We Are Always There Waiting For You To Join Us!

RE-ENERGIZE THE SPIRIT In a world of increasing chaos and noise, there is a growing need for spaces where individuals can go to quiet the mind. Hollywood Meditation Groups offer classes and courses on different meditation topics such as inner peace, clarity of mind, and positive thinking.

Classes ARE FREE . . . . . . . . . Are You?

Come Meet Us At Any And All Of Our Locations:

*Hollywood Library

Tues. 10:30-11:30am in MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM and 6:30-7:30pm

Hallandale Library--across from Gulfstream...10:30am

1st and 3rd Saturday

CARVER RANCHES Library--Sat. 10:30am

DANIA BEACH LIBRARY, Sat. 10:30 am

Weekly thru May; Begins again in fall

Dania Beach & Carver Ranchs Sessions on Vacation for Summer

*Saturdays at 6 pm--1st of month--Ganga's in Miramar--call Roz for information at 954 962-7447. no session in July & August.

MEDITATION CENTER

*Miami Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, 5 min south of Miami Airport

Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 7 pm. call for info 305 442-2252

Free Meditations & Classes Wed & Fri nights 305.442.2252

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Hollywood Meditation Groups (Hollywood, FL) - Meetup

Despite all your hard work in life, do you still feel that there is something missing? Are you successful, but still feeling emptiness? Are you seeking your true purpose in life? Do you feel there is something more that you just cant seem to find? Then this course is exactly where you need to be! Help lies within you and this course can help you unlock the hidden potential that you know is already there.

If you are seeking information on how to learn to meditate in south Florida, you have come to the right place. South Florida Meditation features a Chopra Certified Meditation Instructor. He will teach you how to learn to meditate using Deepak Chopras Primordial Sound Meditation method.

Here are some of the many benefits to our meditation workshops:

Anyone can learn meditationusing the Primordial Sound Meditation method developed by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M. D. For more information on the benefits of meditation, we welcome you to visit our About Meditation page. We also provide excellent resources for people of all experience levels on our Resources page.

At South Florida Meditation, we offer quality Deepak Chopra meditation classes for people of all ages and experience. Our primary goal is to help you discover a life that is full of peace, tranquility, and empowerment.

Practicing Primordial Sound Meditation on a daily basis can help you to:

If you have heard of other forms of meditation, like Transcendental Meditation or Mindfulness Meditation, you may be interested in Primordial Sound Meditation. So stop asking how to learn to meditate and take the next step to attend one of our meditation workshops in South Floridaby visiting our contact page.

Continue reading here:

South Florida Meditation - Deepak Chopra Meditation

Coming upin Manhattan, we are offeringthree meditation classes aspart of our citywide Meditation Week NYC, taking place across all 5 boroughs of New York from September 26 through October 2. All classes are free of charge:

Lower East Side / East Village:

Tuesday, September 27, 7:30-9 pm L.E.S. Prep 145 Stanton St. (at Norfolk St.) Subway: F to Delancey St., J, M, Z to Essex St.

Midtown:

Wednesday, September 28, 12:15-1:15pm Turtle Bay Music School 244 E. 52nd St. (between 2nd & 3rd Aves) Subway: E, M to Lexington-53rd St., or 6 to 51st St.

Upper West Side:

Friday, September 30, 7:30-9 pm P.S. 199 Jesse Isador Strauss 270 W. 70th St. (between Amsterdam and West End Aves) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72 St.

If none of these classes works for your schedule, pleasecall 212-380-8153 or use our contact form and let us know youre interested in meditation classes in Manhattan, well contact you once the next classesare scheduled.

For those interested in deepening their meditation experience and exploring Sri Chinmoys philosophy more in depth, therewill be series of free continuing meditation classes in both Manhattan andQueens following the Meditation Week. Well have information at all of the Meditation Week classes.

Well also have classes inQueens,Brooklyn,Staten Island, and the Bronx, aspart of Meditation Week NYC.

Meet some of our meditation class instructors

Browse our meditationbooks and CDs for sale.

Map of L.E.S Prep on the Lower East Side:

Map of Turtle Bay Music School in Midtown:

Map of P.S. 199 Jesse Isador Strauss:

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Manhattan Meditation | FREE Meditation classes in New York ...

Here is why vegan diets and lifestyles have enormous appeal

The word vegan refers to anything thats free of animal products: no meat, milk, eggs, wool,leather, and so forth. Your sandwich, your shampoo, andyour car seats are examples of itemsthat couldbe vegan.

Veganism carries at least three potential advantages:

Can you become a vegan through diet alone? Absolutely, since, as we will see in the next section, vegan was originally defined purely in dietary terms.

A handful of vegans(usually abrasively) insistthat veganism is a lifestyle, not a diet. In other words, you dont get to join theveganclub until you go beyond food to purge your life of leather, wool, and animal-derived cosmetics. Oftentimes, these vegans are doing the animals a grave disservice by definingthe vegan concept in the most rigid andexclusionaryway possible. These are people would love torevoke your vegan card if they find out you havent yet taken your 10-year-old leather snow-boots to the thrift store.

The entire question of who gets to call themselves a vegan is annoying and not worth much attention. Rather than think ofveganism as an identity, its wisest to use it as a concept that can inspire you to remove animal products from your life, wherever you can easily do it. And its almost always easy.Oftentimes, you wont know whether a given food or cosmetics ingredient comes from animals, so you can use our animal ingredientslist to familiarize yourself with substances that are animal-derived.

No matter how far you would ultimately like to take the vegan concept, it makes sense tobeginyour transition by emphasizing dietary choices. After all, unless you buy a new fur coat every winter, the overwhelming majority ofany animal useassociated with your lifehas to do with yourfood choices.

To learn more about vegan living, check thesecompelling advantages of a vegan diet, as well as our our information onmaking an easy transition. You can learn everything you need to quickly and easily go veganby reading just one or two bookscheck out But I Could Never Go Vegan!or,The Ultimate Vegan Guide.

Donald Watson coined the termvegan in 1944 in Great Britain. Heres Watson from that year, in the first issue of The Vegan News, proposing that his readers either embrace the word, or come up with a better one, as the basis for a new social movement:

We should all consider carefully what our Group, and our magazine, and ourselves, shall be called. Non-dairy has become established as a generally understood colloquialism, but like non-lacto it is too negative. Moreover it does not imply that we are opposed to the use of eggs as food. We need a name that suggests what we do eat, and if possible one that conveys the idea that even with all animal foods taboo, Nature still offers us a bewildering assortment from which to choose. Vegetarian and Fruitarian are already associated with societies that allow the fruits (!) of cows and fowls, therefore it seems we must make a new and appropriate word. As this first issue of our periodical had to be named, I have used the title The Vegan News. Should we adopt this, our diet will soon become known as a VEGAN diet, and we should aspire to the rank of VEGANS. Members suggestions will be welcomed. The virtue of having a short title is best known to those of us who, as secretaries of vegetarian societies have to type or write the word vegetarian thousands of times a year!

If you want to discoverhow veganism went from an obscure World War II-era concept to a global force, check out A Vegan History: 1944-2010.

Visit link:

What Does Vegan Mean

Alexander C.N., et al. Treating and preventing alcohol, nicotine, and drug abuse through Transcendental Meditation: A review and statistical meta-analysis. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13-87, 1994.

Aron E.N. and Aron A. The patterns of reduction of drug and alcohol use among Transcendental Meditation participants. Bulletin of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 2: 28-33, 1983.

Clements G., et al. The use of the Transcendental Meditation programme in the prevention of drug abuse and in the treatment of drug-addicted persons. Bulletin on Narcotics 40(1): 5156, 1988.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Orme-Johnson D. W. Transcendental Meditation as an epidemiological approach to drug and alcohol abuse: Theory, research, and financial impact evaluation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11, 119-165, 1994.

Royer A. The role of the Transcendental Meditation technique in promoting smoking cessation: A longitudinal study. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 219-236, 1994.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and marijuana. American Journal of Psychiatry 131: 60-63, 1974.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and the prevention of alcohol abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry 132: 942-945, 1975.

Wallace R.K. et al. Decreased drug abuse with Transcendental Meditation: A study of 1,862 subjects. In Drug Abuse: Proceedings of the International Conference, ed. Chris J.D. Zarafonetis (Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger): 369-376, 1972.

Walton K. G., and Levitsky, D.A. A neuroendocrine mechanism for the reduction of drug use and addictions by Transcendental Meditation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 89-117, 1994.

More here:

Transcendental Meditation Technique Official Website

Meditation of one style or another can be found in most of the major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Generally, Eastern religions have tended to concentrate on meditation as a means of realising spiritual enlightenment, a fundamental part of which has been the use of many health-promoting practices that go hand in hand with the spiritual ones.

Many millions of people in the West and elsewhere in the world are active meditators. Meditation in the West is practiced for both health and religious or spiritual reasons, although many people regard it mainly as a self-help tool for improving cognitive (thought) performance and for managing stress.

Meditating for spiritual expansion and fulfilment, without a religious basis, is becoming very common.

Meditation produces a clearing of the mind in ways that promote a sense of calm and heightened awareness. Interestingly, measurements using electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show that meditation can alter your brains activity.

For a person with serious mental illness, meditation should be used under expert guidance, and if done alone, extreme caution should be taken.

Contrary to popular belief, you dont have to sit cross-legged on the floor in order to meditate. You can also sit in a chair or in bed. However, you might just fall asleep if you try to meditate lying down at night, which will defeat the purpose.

Many people prefer to meditate while moving around. When meditating like this, it is important to make sure that your activities are an expression of inner focus, not a distraction from whatever you are experiencing. The activity is done slowly and attentively.

People can meditate while walking, swimming or doing something repetitive that is not distracting (such as washing dishes, digging in the garden or sweeping). The activity is not the purpose it is a means of focusing and holding attention on inner processes.

You can master many meditation practices by yourself. However, some people prefer to attend classes or learn in a group from an experienced teacher.

If your attention wanders, try to practice acceptance and avoid getting annoyed with yourself. Simply direct your attention back to what you are doing and your experience of that moment.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by: Department of Health and Human Services - RHP&R - Office of the Chief Health Officer

Last updated: September 2015

Content on this website is provided for education and information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. Content has been prepared for Victorian residents and wider Australian audiences, and was accurate at the time of publication. Readers should note that, over time, currency and completeness of the information may change. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.

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Meditation - Better Health Channel

Shri Yoga Vedanta Ashram, New Jersey, USA

Shri Yoga Vedanta Samithi(or ashram) in the U.S. is located in Matawan, NJ. There are few other regional centers located in Washington, DC, Boston, Chicago, Tennesse and Bay Area. Apart from these centers, there are more than 45 samithies spread across the U.S. that conduct satsangs or spiritual activities on a regular basis.

The Ashram, situated in the neighborhood of Matawan, NJ, is a quite place where devotees can find peace and tranquility away from the hectic schedule of everyday life. Founded in 1997 under the guidance of our Guru, Param Pujya Shri Asaramji Bapu, the Ashram provides an inspirational environment for spiritual growth, Self awareness, meditation , Bal Sanskar Kendra & naturopathy workshops for all ages, cultural background, origin and faith.

Our Mission

Shri Yoga Vendanta Ashram, NJ, USA is a non-profit charity organization [501(c)(3)] registered with state of New Jersey. Our mission is to help Indo-American and South-Asian communitieslive a healthy and fulfilling life through social and cultural activities. Most importantly, Ashram focuses its attention on early development of children into responsible citizens through Baal Sanskaar activites (Kids Character & Moral Value Building Programs). Ashram promotes healthy and harmonious communities by running various Health, Educational, Environmental, Social & Spiritual Programs

Ashrams Seva Program's Highlights

Satsang Schedule:

Group Satsang, Keertan and Meditation - Every Sunday 11:00 A.M. to 2 P.M. followed by Mahaprasaad.

Akhand Jyot Schedule:

Please call us to get the latest schedule

Contact Us:

Address: 45 Texas Rd, Matawan, NJ 07747

Phone: +1-(732)441-9822

Email: infousa@ashram.org

Excerpt from:

Shri Yoga Vedant Ashram, Matawan, NJ > Home

Ashram-Opening-Report| Future Plans

To enhance Vedic education and to propagate our culture among our community in the United States, JET USA established Jeeyar Asramam at 222 Dey Rd, Cranbury NJ, with the blessings from HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji. We were fortunate to get the keys to this property on the first day of HH Sri Pedda Jeeyar Swamijis Satabdhi celebrations. This is an indication that the Asramam is part of HH Sri Pedda Jeeyar Swamijis legacy. The property consists of 31 acres of land. It has the beautiful setting of a hermitage.

On Aug 21, 2008, the devotees participated in Gruhapravesam, Vaastu puja, Vaastu homam, eleven times Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam chanting, and Bhagavad Githa parayanam. It was presided over by our priests Sriman Yugandharacharya Swamy and Sriman Surendracharya Swamy. Since then Asramam is celebrating various religious festivals. Jeeyar Asramam also serves as the headquarters of JET USA Inc.

As we develop further, Jeeyar Asramam will become a focal point for all community activities both spiritual and humanitarian.

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Jeeyar Asramam - JET-New Jersey