In 1991, you started using condoms. Sunscreen followed in '95. And this spring you were wearing a surgical mask when the Toronto Blue Jays visited Fenway. Your policy on life-threatening diseases: maximum protection.

So what are you doing to protect your heart? Most guys leave that job up to their rib cage. After all, your heart feels fine. And, really, it's out of your hands. Isn't it?

In a few words: No, you ignorant 911-caller-in-waiting. Half of the men in America are laying down plaque for that special day when they keel over.

We want to keep you upright, so we combed thousands of scientific studies to compile the most important advice you'll ever read in this magazine: 100 tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer of men (and their wives). Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.

1. Grill a steak. You may think it's bad for your heart, but you'd be wrong. Beef contains immunity-boosting selenium as well as homocysteine-lowering B vitamins. And up to 50 percent of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety.

2. Watch a scary movie. Anything that causes your heart to race--slasher flicks, a good book, even being in love--also makes your heart stronger, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Upsetting the rhythm once in a while is like hitting your heart's reset button, which helps it keep on ticking.

3. Run indoors on hazy days. Researchers in Finland found that exercising outside on hot, hazy days when air pollution is at its worst can cut the supply of oxygen in the blood, making it more likely to clot.

4. Tell your wife to butt out. Or you may leave her -- in a hearse. Researchers in Greece found that individuals who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26 percent greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encountered secondhand smoke.

5. Dive in the pool. U.K. researchers found that men who burn just 50 calories a day in strenuous activities like swimming and hiking are 62 percent less likely to die of heart disease than men who burn nearly seven times as many calories -- 340 per day -- during less active pursuits like walking and golfing.

6. Fight cholesterol with fat. A group of 17 Australian men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 percent of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by between 3 and 5 percent, while their HDL (good) cholesterol rose by nearly 8 percent. The reason: Macadamias are the best natural source of monounsaturated fat.

7. Bike away the blues. Men who are suffering from depression are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as guys who aren't depressed. So c'mon, get happy. In a trial of 150 men and women, Duke researchers found that after just 3 months of treatment, antidepressants and exercise were equally effective at relieving almost all symptoms of depression.

8. Meditate 20 minutes a day. According to Thomas Jefferson University researchers, this daily downtime may reduce your anxiety and depression by more than 25 percent. And that's important, since a University of Florida study found that patients with coronary artery disease who had the most mental stress were three times more likely to die during the period of the study than those with the least stress.

9. Buy a punching bag. A Harvard study found that men who express their anger have half the risk of heart disease compared with men who internalize it.

10. Take aspirin. Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that regular aspirin consumption cut the risk of coronary heart disease by 28 percent in people who had never had a heart attack or stroke, but were at heightened risk. For maximum impact on your blood pressure, take a low dose just before bed.

11. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that's at least 27 percent cranberry.

12. Rise and dine. In a study of 3,900 people, Harvard researchers found that men who ate breakfast every day were 44 percent less likely to be overweight and 41 percent less likely to develop insulin resistance, both risk factors for heart disease.

13. Fortify with folic acid. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who consume the recommended amount each day have a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than those whose diets are lacking in this B vitamin. Good sources of folic acid: asparagus, broccoli, and fortified cereal.

14. Take the stairs. People who walked an extra 4,000 to 5,000 steps each day lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points, according to a small study at the University of Tennessee.

15. Order a chef's salad. Leafy greens and egg yolks are both good sources of lutein, a phytochemical that carries heart-disease-fighting antioxidants to your cells and tissues.

16. Refill the bowl. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that two servings of whole-grain cereal (Cheerios count) a day can reduce a man's risk of dying of heart disease by nearly 20 percent.

17. Drink more tea. An American Heart Association study found that men who drank 2 cups of tea a day were 25 percent less likely to die of heart disease than guys who rarely touched the stuff. The reason: flavonoids in the tea, which not only improve blood vessels' ability to relax, but also thin the blood, reducing clotting.

18. Measure BP after exercise. Ask your doctor to measure your blood pressure after a cardiac stress test. "The numbers will be higher, but studies show they'll also be a better indicator of your overall health," says Kerry Stewart, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.

19. Decaffeinate. Drinks that contain caffeine increase blood pressure by nearly 4 points, on top of speeding up your heart rate by an average of 2 beats per minute. It's enough to push a borderline heart problem into the danger zone.

20. Join a group. Any group. According to research from the University of Chicago, lonely people have a harder time dealing with stress and are at greater risk of heart disease than people with a wide circle of friends.

21. Choose dark chocolate. Cocoa contains flavonoids that thin the blood and keep it from clotting (like it does just before you clutch your chest and expire). And at least a third of the fat in chocolate is oleic acid, which is the same healthy, monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Dove dark chocolate bars retain as many flavonoids as possible.

22. Trade the salt for Mrs. Dash. A 20-year study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that overweight men with the highest sodium intakes were 61 percent more likely to die of heart disease than those with lower intakes.

23. Have a drink every other day. A Boston study of 38,000 men found that men who drink alcohol three or four times a week have a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack than men who drink less than once a week. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol levels and keep the blood thin, reducing the threat of artery-clogging clots. Drinking more frequently is fine (up to the limit at which your friends -- or the state police -- gather and confront you), but won't provide additional heart protection, the study's authors report.

24. Touch her. Ten minutes of skin-to-skin contact (hand-holding, hugs) with your mate can help keep your blood pressure and pulse from spiking during stressful times, according to University of North Carolina researchers.

25. Double the tomato sauce. The lycopene in tomatoes prevents the harmful buildup of cholesterol on artery walls. So double up the sauce on your pizza and pasta.

26. Get your daily B vitamins. A study at the Cleveland Clinic found that men with diets low in B vitamins were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as men with higher levels in their systems.

27. Go fishing for tuna. Omega-3 fats in tuna help strengthen heart muscle, lower blood pressure, and prevent clotting--as well as reduce levels of potentially deadly inflammation in the body. Plus, tuna's high in protein. Research shows that consuming more protein may lower a man's risk of heart disease by nearly 26 percent.

28. Add ground flaxseed to your food. It's a natural source of omega-3s, for men who don't like fish.

29. Fartlek! "Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight will reduce your visceral-fat stores by 25 to 40 percent," says Jean-Pierre Despres, a professor of human nutrition at Laval University in Quebec City. A study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that doing fartlek -- alternating speeds throughout your run -- helps you lose weight faster than moving at a steady pace.

30. Take up rowing. A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that, compared with running, rowing uses more muscle and causes your heart to pump more blood through the body, resulting in greater overall gains in cardiovascular fitness.

31. Schedule a flu shot. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that people who'd been vaccinated against the flu were also 19 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart disease than people who hadn't gotten the shot.

32. Be a sponge. Loma Linda University researchers found that drinking five or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day could help lower your risk of heart disease by up to 60 percent--exactly the same drop you get from stopping smoking, lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol numbers, exercising, or losing a little weight.

33. Eat grapefruit. One a day can reduce arterial narrowing by 46 percent, lower your bad-cholesterol level by more than 10 percent, and help drop your blood pressure by more than 5 points.

34. Order garlic bread. In addition to lowering cholesterol and helping to fight off infection, eating garlic may help limit damage to your heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. Researchers in India found that animals who were fed garlic regularly had more heart-protecting antioxidants in their blood than animals who weren't.

35. Top your toast. Black currant jelly is a good source of quercetin--an antioxidant that Finnish researchers believe may improve heart health by preventing the buildup of the free radicals that can damage arterial walls and allow plaque to penetrate.

36. Scramble an egg. They're relatively low in saturated fat, and they're packed with betaine, a compound that helps lower homocysteine levels in the blood by as much as 75 percent. Eggs are one of the few good food sources of betaine.

37. Take chromium. According to new research from Harvard, men with low levels of chromium in their systems are significantly more likely to develop heart problems. You need between 200 and 400 micrograms of chromium per day--more than you're likely to get from your regular diet. "Look for a supplement labeled chromium picolinate--it's the most easily absorbed by the body," says Gary Evans, Ph.D., a chromium expert.

38. Do more crunches. A study of 8,000 Canadians found that individuals who could do the most situps in 1 minute were also the least likely to die over a period of 13 years. The reason? Strong abs equal more muscle and less belly fat, and the less abdominal fat you have, the lower your risk of heart disease becomes.

39. Don't double dip. Heart patients who took ibuprofen along with their aspirin had a nearly 75 percent higher risk of premature death than those taking only aspirin, according to a study, conducted in Scotland, of more than 7,000 participants.

40. Pair up. Married men are less likely to die of heart disease than bachelors. Toronto-based researchers studied 100 men and women with mild high blood pressure and found that after 3 years of marriage, the happily married men had healthier hearts than their unmarried brothers. Just choose your bride wisely, or your heart will be broken and sick.

41. They really are good for your heart. Beans are a great source of homocysteine-lowering folate and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Tulane University researchers found that people who ate four or more servings a week had a 22 percent lower risk of developing heart disease (and 75 percent fewer camping companions) than less-than-once-a-week bean eaters.

42. Order take-out. Lots of Chinese and Indian foods contain ginger or turmeric-- spices packed with natural anti-inflammatories. "Anything that helps keep levels of inflammation low is good for your heart," says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Eating Well for Optimum Health.

43. Wash your hands. German researchers followed 570 people for an average of 3 years and found that those with the most antibodies (from fighting off infections) in their systems also had the most significant clogging in the arteries of their hearts, necks, and legs. Use liquid soap. Germs can live on bars.

44. Read a good book. Swiss researchers found that men who recited poetry for half an hour a day lowered their heart rates significantly, reducing their stress levels and possibly their heart-disease risk. You don't need to go all Emily Dickinson; just try reading aloud to your wife or kids instead. Or to yourself. (But not on the subway.)

45. Swap honey for sugar. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that honey has powerful antioxidant qualities that help combat cardiovascular disease, while sugar consumption can lower your levels of HDL cholesterol, potentially increasing your risk of heart-related disorders.

46. Smile. Researchers at Harvard kept tabs on 1,300 healthy men for 10 years. At the end of the study, they found that individuals with the most positive attitudes at the start of the trial were half as likely to have experienced heart problems as men with more negative attitudes.

47. Finish your degree. California researchers found that women with 4-year or advanced degrees have a lower risk of heart disease than those who are less educated. The benefit comes from moving up the earnings ladder.

48. Play hard. Any regular vigorous physical activity reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, even if performed for only 5 to 10 minutes at a time, says John Yarnell, Ph.D., of Queen's University of Belfast, who authored a study on the subject.

49. Pee in the bushes. After studying 40 people with heart disease, researchers at Taiwan University in China found that the stress of having a full bladder increases heart rate by an average of 9 beats per minute and constricts the flow of blood by 19 percent. Either could be enough to trigger a heart attack, says study author Tsai Chang-Her, M.D.

50. Use the rotisserie. Foods cooked at high temperatures produce blood compounds called advanced glycation end products, which researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital say reduce cell elasticity and increase heartdisease risk. Three fixes: Steam your vegetables, add marinade to your meat before grilling to keep it moist, and cook foods longer at lower temperatures.

51. Buy a dog. All that love ("You're a good boy, yes you are!") and aggravation ("Bad dog! No eat Daddy's crab dip!") makes your heart more adaptable and better able to deal with the stress that can lead to heart disease.

52. Bundle up. In a study of half a million people, doctors at Lille University in France found that cold spells that decrease the temperature by more than 18?F from one day to the next can increase heart-attack risk by as much as 13 percent.

53. Don't let your tank hit empty. A study in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.

54. Build an iron heart. Harvard researchers found that lifting weights 30 minutes a week is enough to reduce your risk of heart disease by 23 percent.

55. Stop at 2 cups. Dutch researchers found that people who drank roughly 4 cups of coffee a day had 11 percent higher levels of heart-damaging homocysteine in their blood than non-coffee drinkers.

56. Check for carbon monoxide. Almost all large household appliances, including furnaces, water heaters, washers, dryers, and fireplaces, can leak carbon monoxide into your home. Large levels of the gas can kill you in hours, but long-term exposure to tiny amounts can be just as lethal, promoting the formation of blood clots and increasing the risk of heart disease. So make sure vents are clear and appliances are properly ventilated, and install a carbon monoxide detector near your bedroom.

57. Rinse, brush. Rinse your mouth with Cool Mint Listerine and brush with Colgate Total toothpaste. They'll reduce oral bacteria, which can decrease your risk of a heart attack by 200 to 300 percent, according to University of Buffalo researchers.

58. Snack on nuts. Harvard researchers found that men who replaced 127 calories of carbohydrates--that's about 14 Baked Lays potato chips--with 1 ounce of nuts decreased their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.

59. Knock off before Nightline. A 10-year study of 70,000 women found that those who get 5 or fewer hours of sleep on a regular basis have a nearly 40 percent greater risk of heart disease than those who sleep a full 8 hours. One possible reason: Research shows that people who are exhausted have higher levels of fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein that can drastically reduce bloodflow to the heart and brain.

60. You don't want fries with that. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the exercise and nutritional habits of 80,000 women were recorded for 14 years. The researchers found that the most important correlate of heart disease was the women's dietary intake of foods containing trans fatty acids, mutated forms of fat that lower HDL and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. Some of the worst offenders are french fries.

61. Have more sex. You might think all that grunting and sweating would increase your risk of a stroke, but University of Bristol researchers say the opposite is actually true. Not only are men who have sex at least twice a week less likely to have a stroke than men who have sex less often, but all that steamy exercise may also help reduce their heart-disease risk by up to a third, compared with guys who aren't getting any.

62. Take Monday off. The reduction in stress from missing a few days of work shrinks heart-attack and stroke risk by nearly 30 percent, according to a new study conducted at the State University of New York.

63. Eat oatmeal cookies. In a University of Connecticut study, men with high cholesterol who ate oat-bran cookies daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels of LDL cholesterol by more than 20 percent.

64. Pull it. By the age of 20, up to 65 percent of men have at least one misaligned wisdom tooth that will never come in properly. Leave the tooth alone and bacteria can collect around it in a pocket, increasing your risk of all kinds of infections, including periodontal disease -- which has been linked to heart disease.

65. Toss your salad with olive oil. Men whose diets include as much as 2 ounces of olive oil a day have an 82 percent lower risk of having a fatal first heart attack than men who consume little or none. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats -- known to hinder the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into its artery-clogging form.

66. Get your BP under 120/80. If your blood pressure is high (more than 140/90), knocking 20 points off the top number (systolic BP, the pressure when your heart is contracting) and 10 points off the bottom number (diastolic BP, the pressure when your heart is between beats) can cut your risk of dying of heart disease in half.

67. Feast on potassium. Slice a banana on your cereal, then bake a sweet potato or cook up some spinach for dinner. All are loaded with potassium. Studies show that not getting your daily 3,500 milligrams of potassium can set you up for high blood pressure. Other good sources of potassium include raisins, tomatoes, and papayas.

68. Have a fiber appetizer. Take a fiber supplement -- Metamucil, for instance -- 15 minutes before each meal. It'll help slow the digestion of highly processed starches and sweets. Diets high in foods that quickly raise your blood sugar may increase heart-disease risk.

69. Trim your BMI Even if you work out and are reasonably fit, researchers at Boston University found that having a body-mass index over 25 can increase your risk of heart disease by as much as 26 percent.

70. Pick French wine over German. According to research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, French red wine has up to four times more artery-protecting enzymes than German reds.

71. Know what's in your arteries. Results of a highly sensitive C-reactive protein blood test, together with your cholesterol numbers, can help give doctors a more accurate picture of your heart-disease risk. And an apo B measurement may be a more reliable indicator of heart disease than LDL cholesterol, according to a recent review of studies comparing the two.

72. Move to the sticks. Or sleep with earplugs. German researchers found that people who endured nighttime sound levels that averaged higher than 55 decibels--about the volume of a washing machine or a coffee percolator--were twice as likely to be treated for high blood pressure as those who slept with sound levels under 50 decibels.

73. Climb. Yale researchers found that men with insulin resistance -- a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease -- who exercised on a stairclimber for 45 minutes 4 days a week improved their sensitivity to insulin by 43 percent in 6 weeks.

74. Have a Mac(intosh) attack. Men who frequently eat apples have a 20 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than men who eat apples less often.

75. Go fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. If that's not on your meal plan, try a fish-oil supplement instead. Besides lowering blood pressure and clearing plaque from the arteries, 1 to 2 grams of fish oil a day improves bloodflow and helps maintain a regular heartbeat. Three months' supply of Coromega -- think melted Creamsicle -- costs $24 at iherb.com.

76. Push yourself. Harvard researchers found that men who perceived themselves to be working out vigorously were 28 percent less likely to develop heart disease than guys who felt they were slacking. An intense run should be at 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Calculate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220.)

77. Switch your spread. Buy trans fat-free margarine, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread. Researchers in Norway found that, compared with butter, no-trans margarine lowered LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.

78. Slice your risk. Sure, whole-wheat bread contains cholesterol-lowering fiber, but it's also packed with nutrients that will help keep your blood free of other deadly debris.

79. Take the Concord. University of California researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.

80. Close the car windows. Harvard researchers monitored the strength of 40 middle-aged men's hearts and then tracked the men's exposure to airborne pollution. "The more particles the men inhaled, the harder it was for their hearts to adjust to different types of activity," says David C. Christiani, M.D., the study author.

81. Add E to aspirin. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that a combination of the antioxidant (shoot for 800 international units) and blood-thinner helped reduce levels of plaque in clogged arteries by more than 80 percent.

82. Beat the heat with a handful of cold grapes. University of Connecticut researchers recently discovered that fresh grapes provide cholesterol-lowering, artery-clearing protection similar to that you get from drinking concentrated grape juice or wine.

83. Ditch the fad diet. University of Michigan researchers found that people whose weight fluctuated wildly -- as it tends to do when you adopt the whack-job-diet-of-the-month -- had weaker hearts and worse bloodflow than people who lost weight more slowly but kept it off for good.

84. Make friends at work. Researchers at St. Johns University studied 70 New York City traffic cops and found that men with the most work friends also had the lowest heart rates and healthiest blood-pressure levels, even during times of stress.

85. Cheaters never prosper. Casual extramarital sex increases your risk of a fatal heart attack. Doctors at London's St. Thomas's Hospital found that 75 percent of cases of sudden death during sex involved a two-timing spouse -- and the death risk was greatest in men who took up with much younger women. The docs found hardly any risk of heart attack in long-term relationships.

86. Use the free blood-pressure test (wisely). Most of the free blood-pressure-monitoring machines found in pharmacies aren't 100 percent accurate. According to a Canadian study, the machines can be off by an average of 8 points systolic and 4 points diastolic per reading. Check your BP three times, then average the readings.

87. Eat fresh berries. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all loaded with salicylic acid--the same heart-disease fighter found in aspirin.

88. Tune out stress. Blood pressure surges in the morning. But listening to music instead of Howard Stern can help control it, reducing your chances of a morning coronary.

89. Root for the (grrrrr) Yankees. A study on World Cup Soccer found heart-attack rates fell among locals when the home team won. Experts believe that the euphoria of a win, plus stress reduction from leisure pursuits, may help keep heart problems at bay.

90. Stop snoring. Half of all people with sleep apnea -- a condition that occurs when people quit breathing for up to a minute at a time while sleeping -- also have high blood pressure, caused by unusually high levels of the hormone aldosterone. Beat the apnea and the BP drops, too. Your doctor can prescribe a SleepStrip, an at-home sleep-apnea test.

91. Swallow phytosterols or phytostanols. Both substances -- derived from pine trees and soy--lower bad cholesterol levels by an average of 10 to 15 percent. Besides being available in supplements, the compounds are in cholesterol-lowering spreads like Benecol and Take Control.

92. Buy calcium-fortified OJ. Increasing the calcium in your diet can lower your blood pressure. You'll derive a benefit from the vitamin C as well. According to research from England, people with the most vitamin C in their bloodstreams are 40 percent less likely to die of heart disease.

93. Snack on pumpkin seeds. One ounce of seeds contains more than a third of your recommended intake of magnesium. According to Mildred Seeling, M.D., author of The Magnesium Factor, magnesium deficiencies have been linked to most risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and the increased buildup of plaque in the arteries.

94. Get pricked. Acupuncture appears to trigger the endorphins that help the heart relax and fight off stress, researchers say.

95. Change your oil. Researchers in India found that men who replaced the corn and vegetable oils in their kitchens with sesame-seed oil lowered their blood pressure by more than 30 points in just 60 days, without making any other changes in their diets.

96. Rub. Massage helps relieve stress and reduce levels of inflammation-triggering chemicals in the skin, says Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami.

97. Pick the can. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many canned vegetables contain up to 40 percent higher levels of heart-disease-fighting antioxidants than fresh vegetables do.

98. Have the red licorice. A compound in licorice root has been shown to spike blood pressure--especially in men who eat a lot of black licorice. Fruit-flavored licorice, however, doesn't contain the compound.

99. Be a part-time vegetarian. Researchers in Toronto found that men who added a couple of servings of vegetarian fare such as whole grains, nuts, beans, and tofu to their diets each day for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol by nearly 30 percent.

100. Put these tips to use. Remember: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the dangerous norm. We've given you the tools to protect yourself. Work 10 tips into your lineup over the next month. When they become second nature, adopt 10 more. By year's end, the percentages should swing around in your favor. You can do this. It's the only way to give your heart a beating chance.

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What is Organic?

Definitions for the term, “organic,” have been modified over the past decade by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), and they often seem confusing for consumers. Supposedly, organic food is produced by using sustainable agricultural production practices. Not permitted are most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. But, there are various grades to the term, “organic,” and the following definitions closely define the terms listed below:

1. 100% Organic: This means that all ingredients, not counting water and salt, are organic rather than synthetic or man-made. Products with this rating can use the green and white USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) seal, which was put into official use on 21 October 2002.
2. Certified Organic: In the U.S., “certified organic” means that an independent organization accredited by the USDA has verified that a manufacturer’s products meet strictly defined organic standards as specified by the NOP (National Organic Program). Such programs may be state run, such as the Pennsylvania Certified Program (PCO). Organic products are certified based on farming, handling, manufacturing, distribution and labeling practices. A government inspector must certify the farm after visiting it; farmers must keep detailed records on crops.
3. Organic: Means the food item is made of at least 95% organic ingredients with the remaining 5% heavily restricted and with no genetically modified organisms. These products also may carry the USDA seal.
4. Made With Organic: At least 70% of the content is made with organic ingredients with the remaining 30% heavily restricted and no genetically modified organisms. The front product panel of the product may display the phrase “Made with Organic” followed by up to three specific ingredients. These products are not allowed to wear the USDA seal.
5. Certified Naturally Grown: Farmers who gross less than $5000 from organic products and sell direct to consumers or retailers are exempt from the 100% and the Certified Organic certification requirement. Those farmers may call their products organic, but they cannot use the USDA seal. Some critics of the USDA certification program see this exclusion as a slight against small farmers. CNG procedure requires significantly less paperwork, yet arguably results in more transparency and fostering of better farming practices.
6. Learn about nonconformists: Even farms that earn more than $5000 from organic crops may shy away from using the USDA organic seal. Eden Foods represents one example, as ” this seal does not approach Eden’s high standards for organic, in practice or in spirit.”
7. Greenwashing: No, this doesn’t mean you can wash your food until it’s organic. But, corporations try to do just that by mislabeling products. Learn more about the corporations that practice this pseudo-ecology.
8. Organic Matters: It does make a difference if that organic tomato came from Chile rather than from the farm in the next town. This article explains the organic paradox succinctly.
9. Stay informed: If you plan to “go organic,” you might want to stay informed about changes in USDA regulations. Many critics of the USDA organic certification program find that the USDA is lax about certification controls.
10. Get involved: When you learn that corporate greed has skewed the organic definitions or when the government plans to use untested pesticides (such as the spray planned for San Francisco beginning summer 2008), learn as much as possible about the plans and take action to either support or debate the government’s decisions.

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Nutrition

Is organic food better for you nutritionally? Many proponents say so, and others debate those opinions. The newest report, released in March 2008, shows that organic foods are, indeed, more nutritious (see #8 below):

11. Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious? Learn the difference between organic foods and their traditionally grown counterparts. Decide which is best for you, considering nutrition, quality, taste, cost and other factors.
12. Are organic foods really better for you? Read more to find out…
13. Brocolli needs fewer pesticides: As do onions, sweet peas, and pineapple among other foods. Learn about which foods contain the most pesticides as well from Healthy Child Healthy World. Learn even more about the “dirty dozen” from the Environmental Working Group. Here’s a hint: conventionally-grown peaches contain the most pesticides, and you can’t wash them off.
14. Protect future generations: The average child receives four times more exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. Therefore, children’s enzymatic, metabolic, and immune systems are at greater risk to develop problems from exposure to chemicals and to foods that contain chemicals.
15. Consume more vitamin C: Organic food tends to contain higher levels of vitamin C, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium. This is especially true for oranges, according to the linked report.
16. What about genetic foods?: The jury remains out on genetically altered foods and how they affect nutrition. Read some of the debates here.
17. Yes, organic food contains calories: Overweight vegans are living proof that food contains calories. Learn more about the nutritional value of what you put into your mouth here.
18. Organic food contains more micronutrients: Read this new report that shows how organic food trumps conventional food in micronutrients, the nutrients that really do matter.
19. Learn about micronutrients: These substances are the “magic wands” that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development. Deficiencies can produce iodine deficiency disorders, vitamin A deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia.
20. Conventional food does contain more vitamin A: But, the process to get there includes depleting vitamin C.
21. The truth about yellow food coloring: Tartrazine (the yellow food coloring E102) and other additives have been linked to allergic reactions, headaches, asthma, growth retardation and hyperactivity in children. If that’s what a simple food coloring can do, then what about other additives?

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Human Health

Good nutrition usually means good health. However, there are some specifics problems contained in conventional foods, and most of those problems are caused by additives such as pesticides:

23. Organic feed leads to a more alert immune system: Even chickens benefit from organic food - so should humans. This report is from the International Research Association for Organic Food Quality and Health (FQH), an organization that aims to establish a network of research institutions that specialize in the background of organic food and its effects on human health.
24. Organic foods reduce toxic accumulations: Learn key facts about how organic foods reduce the amount of ingested toxins from a summary of an article published in “Coronary and Diabetic Care in the UK 2004″ by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts (UK). It was written by James Cleeton, Policy Projects Coordinator at the Soil Association. See more about detoxification at the end of this article.
25. Avoid some cancers: The Environmental Protection Agency approved many pesticides before extensive research that linked those pesticides to cancer and other diseases was established. Now, the EPA estimates that 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides are carcinogenic.
26. Again, avoid more cancer: Although conventional farming methods may not be the cause of some cancers, an overall healthy lifestyle may help to reduce cancer risk in the developed world by up to 60 percent.
27. Avoid birth defects: [PDF]: Pesticide use in industrial and in home farming have shown to elevate risks for birth defects (in California) by 1.5%. Another study shows that herbicides used on wheat may be causing birth defects.
28. Prevent nerve damage: Accidental exposure or overexposure to pesticides can have serious implications. The Poison Center in Omaha, Nebraska reports that agricultural pesticides are responsible for 4.6 percent of all accidental exposures reported in that state alone. Even home use of pesticides can be extremely dangerous. And you want to eat this stuff?
29. Reduce breast cancer: Women with breast cancer are five to nine times more likely to have pesticide residues in their blood than those who do not.
30. Learn about irradiation: Is it safe? Or can it prove dangerous to human health? You decide…Currently, organic foods do not allow this process, but that may change in the future.
31. Save the farmer: One simple fact: farmers exposed to herbicides had a cancer risk six times greater than non-farmers. By choosing organic, you’re choosing to help the farmer who chooses to grow organic produce for his health and for the health of his family.
32. No nasty additives. Organic food doesn’t contain food additives that can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.
33. Prewashed doesn’t mean “clean’: The public has seen an increase in diseases caused by leafy greens (organic and conventional) over the past thirty years. Although the cause is uncertain, you can be certain that “prewashed” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash food before eating it, even if it is organic.
34. Avoid imported foods: The government only inspects 1.3 percent of imported fish, vegetables, fruit and other foods. Those inspections that are conducted reveal food unfit for human consumption. See more about imported foods below.

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Economics

Is organic farming better for the economy? The jury might be out on this issue as well, but it appears that - in certain areas - the economics of organic foods saves on health and other hidden costs. Read more…

35. Save the local farmer, save the world: Although more large-scale farms are converting to organic practices, most organic farms are small, independently owned and operated family farms of less than 100 acres. Buying locally helps those farmers succeed.
36. Buy family farm produce: It’s been estimated that the U.S. lost more than 650,000 family farms just within the past decade and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA) has predicted that half this country’s farm production will come only from one percent of farms nationwide. Learn why supporting family farms is so important, and do your part at your local farmer’s market or coop.
37. Watch imported foods [PDF]: There are clear, and in some cases, dramatic upward spikes in human pesticide residue levels and risks during the winter months when imports account for a large share of perishable fresh fruits and vegetables in the market place. Transportation costs are added to imported foods, making them more expensive.
38. Domestic transport costs: Then again, you might be surprised to learn that domestic transport may cost more than importation. Read about the study done in the UK.
39. Save money: The rising cost of fuels may ultimately make conventional foods more expensive than locally grown foods.
40. Support FarmAid: Although small farmers don’t receive large government subsidies, they do receive help through outlets such as FarmAid. If you can’t buy locally, then support some local farmer in the U.S. through this organization.
41. Supply and demand: The more people who demand healthier food choices, the more that demand must be met. Be aware that high demand for organic foods may mean higher demand for imported items that don’t meet U.S. standards.
42. Learn the economics: Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods, the latter choice doesn’t reflect the hidden costs born by taxpayers. By 2001, total direct payments to farmers soared to more than $20 billion per year since 1998, rising about $74 billion above a 10-year baseline agriculture spending projection. The major recipients to this money (almost a whopping 90 percent) included wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, and cotton farmers.
43. Learn about other hidden costs: Even vets are concerned about the hidden costs behind reduced animal welfare, the inflated risk of anti-microbial resistance, and the current pandemic of human obesity.
44. More hidden costs: Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean-up, and environmental damage.
45. Cost of health: Eating healthier may be more expensive than eating chemically treated foods, but the price is mitigated down the road if those conventional foods create health problems.
46. Learn which companies push the drugs: Monsanto is receiving a hit from large-scale retailers as Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Sam’s Club are introducing labels on milk that state “no artificial growth hormone rBST.” Monsanto produces rBST (see more about rBGH in Animal Protection listed below).

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Water & Fish

Groundwater is available in limited quantities. Since groundwater is an important resource for so many people, it is important to protect it.

47. Learn about groundwater: Groundwater is used for drinking water by more than 50 percent of the people in the United States, including almost everyone who lives in rural areas. But, the largest use for groundwater is to irrigate crops. But, it also supplies 51% of the drinking water for the entire U.S. population.
48. Learn about your drinking water: This is the advice from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as they warn about congestion of heart, lungs and kidneys; low blood pressure; muscle spasms; weight loss; damage to adrenal glands caused by an herbicide used in 1987 and still found in drinking water today. Its most extensive use was for corn and soybeans in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.
49. Drugs in your drinking water?: If the Associated Press can find pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water, why can’t our government find them? Just how safe is our water from human waste, let alone chemical waste?
50. Save groundwater: Heavy use of pesticides on industrial farms contaminates groundwater, and remedies are illusive. Organic farmers preserve groundwater since they don’t use pesticides.
51. Adopt your watershed: Water quality varies from region to region and from residence to residence. More than 140 contaminants with no enforceable safety limits found in the nation’s drinking water (including prescription drug residue!). Learn more about your local watershed and what you can do to preserve it.
52. Protect others from your water usage [PDF]: Be aware that what you do affects others around you. If you live in a residence where you can plant flowers, foods or herbs, be aware that your use of water, mulches, and other products can affect your local watershed.
53. Don’t eat contaminated fish: Eating fish contaminated with chemicals will not affect you immediately. But, if you keep eating them, you can develop cancer, liver disease and developmental effects, as well as effects on the immune and endocrine systems. Pregnant women can pass DDTs and PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl, a persistent and pervasive environmental contaminant) on to their infants.
54. Where did that fresh fish come from?: If you love to eat fish, you might want to learn where that fish came from. If it’s fresh caught in the U.S., you might want to check out this map and study conducted by the EPA between 2000-2003. In all 486 instances across the country, fish were found to contain both mercury and PCBs (Monsanto, by the way, is the only company ever to manufacture PCBs). There were 378 instances of DDT found in the fish (out of 486 instances), a pesticide that was banned from U.S. usage in December 1972. Persistent, no?
55. Farm-raised fish included: When you think about contaminated groundwater, think about fish farms. If the freshwater fish contained contaminants, it may not surprise you that farm-raised fish may contain them as well.

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Animal Protection

When and if you do choose to eat animal products, you can make a significant difference toward animal welfare if you choose to go organic. Here’s why:

56. Repress drug use: Organic meats are free from antibiotics, added hormones such as the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), GMO (Genetically Modified) feed and other artificial drugs.
57. rbGH injures cattle: If cattle experience 50 percent increase in the risk of lameness (leg and hoof problems), over a 25 percent increase in the frequency of udder infections (mastitis), and serious animal reproductive problems, i.e., infertility, cystic ovaries, fetal loss and birth defects, then what does it do to humans who consume dairy products and beef?
58. Promote organic food growth: Organic animals are not allowed to be fed genetically modified foods. They eat organic feed and are offered a wider range of nutrients than animals raised in factory farms.
59. Reduce Mad Cow disease: Organic animals aren’t forced to be cannibals, a practice that appears to cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a disease that destroys the central nervous system and brain. This disease can be passed on to humans who eat beef. The disease in humans has a long latency period and is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
60. Promotes ethical treatment: Animals that are raised organically are allowed to roam in larger enclosures or to roam free rather than be cooped up in tightly confined pens offered by factory farms.
61. Reduces manure waste: Industrial farms tend to produce so much contaminated manure that it becomes a animal and human health risk through E. coli and other pathogens. Sustainable farms, on the other hand, produce organic manure (from organic feed). Both types of manure are used to fertilize crops. Which one would you prefer?
62. Reduce chemical usage: Organic farms do not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on the land or in the food. This practice reduces such persistent chemicals as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, and other chemicals found in factory farm animal fat.
63. Keep animals healthy: When less chemicals are used, the animals stay healthy. The reduction of chemicals safeguards groundwater, topsoil, habitats, and entire neighborhoods.
64. Protect wild animals: In one study, organic farms were found to contain 85% more plant species, 33% more bats, 17% more spiders and 5% more birds than conventional farms.
65. Learn about ethical standards: The ethical and behavioral bases for farm animal welfare legislation is an interesting paper that shows how divided society can be about ethical treatment for animals.
66. Become an advocate: If you’re so inclined, you can help to protect and save some animals from factory farms through efforts such as Farm Sanctuary.

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Environment

How does your organic food purchase help the environment? Here are a few answers…

67. Reduce pesticides: Pesticides accumulate in the soil, in the water, and in our bodies. By choosing organic rather than conventional foods, you can help to eliminate a small portion of pesticide use.
68. Use natural pesticides: Remember to eliminate the use of pesticides in your yard as well, as those chemicals can leach into local groundwater. Try some of these natural pesticide ideas.
69. Promote organic farming: When you purchase organic wheat, corn, grains, dairy products and beef, you promote organic farming. When you support organizations such as the Organic Farming Research Foundation, you do your part as well.
70. Reduce antibiotic use: When you purchase organic milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and meat, then you’re promoting the reduction of antibiotic usage in farm animals. But, be aware of mislabeled content as you shop.
71. Protect water resources: The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building on organic farms, protects and conserves water resources.
72. Preserve diversity: Organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds to help maintain biodiversity rather than conform to genetic standards.
73. Encourage innovation: Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.
74. Conserve forests: When you choose to eat less meat, you help to conserve the world’s forests. Plus, when you support organic farms, you help them to help others with organic practices.
75. Eat fewer animals: Your choice to eat fewer animals will help the environment as well, as animal agriculture produces an alarming amount of air and water pollutions and is the cause of 80 percent of the world’s annual deforestation. Additionally, animal agriculture requires significant amounts of water. Worldwide, livestock consumes half the world’s total grain harvest.
76. Stop erosion: The soil conservation service estimates that more than three billion tons of topsoil are eroded from U.S. croplands each year. Conventional farming uses soil more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized. The farming techniques of organic farms builds topsoil and doesn’t contribute to its erosion. In fact, organic farming requires careful landscaping and attention to surrounding land masses.
77. Promote biodiversity: Mono-cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year. This type of farming reduces natural soil nutrients, which are then replaced with chemical fertilizers in ever increasing amounts. As a group, organic growers have a wealth of experience regarding crop rotations, cover crops, soil health, and disease control. Many organic practices enhance resource conservation. Organic growers can help promote conservation practices and pollution prevention by participating in field days and other activities.
78. Avoid sludge: Organic standards prohibit the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer, instead relying on use of composted manure, crop residues, green manures, cover crops, and rock powders to provide needed nutrients to plants. U.S. government regulations permit sludge to be used on conventional farms despite concerns about contamination by high levels of heavy minerals, dioxins and other chemicals from industrial and commercial. Learn more from this link about sludge issues nationwide..
79. Promote open space: Organic standards prohibit confinement or feedlot style livestock operations, as organically-raised animals generally must be allowed access to range or pasture. This promotes animal health and contributes as well to maintaining large areas of open land in otherwise developing communities. Additionally, as you’ll learn from this link, many organic farmers are seeking to preserve space for organic farming.
80. Oppose new feedlots: On most factory farms, animals are crowded into relatively small areas; their manure and urine are funneled into massive waste lagoons. These cesspools often break, leak or overflow, sending dangerous microbes, nitrate pollution and drug-resistant bacteria into water supplies.
81. Beware of arsenic in home-grown foods: In Australia, they learned to test their soils before growing veggies at home. Toxic wastes from previous land use may remain in local soils. Before you buy local, find out more about the local food source origin and its reputation.

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Energy

No matter if the farm is conventional or organic, raising food takes a tremendous amount of energy. In some ways, it has been proven that organic farming saves energy, but the farmers must remain diligent with their practices…

82. Save Energy: When you buy local produce as much as possible, you help to reduce conventional and organic production, transportation, processing and marketing saps on the nation’s energy.
83. Reduce fossil fuel use: Conventional farms rely heavily upon nonrenewable fossil fuels. In the study linked here, it was found that organic farms use up to 30 percent less fossil fuels in raising soybeans and corn over 22 years.
84. Support local: Buying products from local farmers reduces energy by reducing the amount of miles the food travels to your table.
85. Break the natural gas habit: Crop growers depend upon synthetic and natural nitrogen to replenish soil, but it takes about 33,000 cubic feet of natural gas to produce 1 ton of nitrogen fertilizer. As the price of gas goes up, so does nitrogen. Instead, some organic farmers suggest using legumes as a rotational cover crop to reduce that dependency on natural gas and to produce needed nitrogen. All methods, by the way, produce nitrogen leaching (even legumes if they’re plowed down at the wrong time).
86. Fewer greenhouse gases: When you eat lower on the food chain, you help to reduce the demand for animals that produce methane. Choosing to eat more vegetables and fruits is the answer, and it’s also healthier for anyone.
87. Create a compost: If you live in an area where you or a neighborhood group can create a compost heap, then go for it. New studies reveal that organic compost may mitigate greenhouse gases through adding organic matter back into the soils.

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Detoxification

If you feel that you need a major cleaning inside and out from all the toxins you’ve ingested over the years, a detoxification might be the route. The following list various methods, which may or may not work for you. Sometimes the best way to detox is to change eating habits for the better and continue on this path!

87. Learn about toxins: First, learn more from Michael Lam, MD, about different toxins that can harm the body, as each problem deserves a specific detox method.
88. Learn about toxic accumulation: What happens when the body accumulates toxins? Read more from naturopathic cardiologist, Dr. Decker Weiss, about problems that can occur.
89. Learn when and how to detoxify: Timing and methods may mean everything when it comes to better health. This lengthy article by Elson M. Haas M.D. provides details on all phases of detoxification.
90. Learn to avoid quackery: Learn more about detoxification to avoid expensive solutions that don’t work. At the time this was written (1997), author Frances Berg edited the Healthy Weight Journal.
91. Try acupuncture: The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) is a nonprofit association resource for detoxification and provides solutions for the results of addictions and more.
92. Exercise: This is the easiest and most important way to detoxify your body. Three naturopathic physicians share insight on why and when to detox, what type of detox program is right for you, and ten ways to start.
93. Learn about herbal cleansing: This is one of many choices individuals can make to detoxify the body. Dr. Ted Spence clarifies different herbal detoxification methods.
94. Learn about juice fasting: This is one way to speed up the detoxification process. This entire site is devoted solely to juice fasts.
95. Learn from professionals: The New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project supports L. Ron Hubbard’s precise regimen that includes exercise, sauna bathing, and vitamin, mineral and oil supplements which were applied to New York rescue workers involved in the 9/11 mission.
96. Learn from others: The Internet provides means to learn from ordinary people about their experiences. This writer details his detox efforts in detail.

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Fair Trade

Granted, you may still want your coffee, tea, and other products that cannot or are not produced in North America. In this case, we suggest that you try Fair Trade products to help support conservation and fair labor practices:

97. Coffee and Conservation: The huge worldwide surge in demand for coffee has resulted in a shift from traditional, sustainable coffee growing methods (with coffee plants grown in the shade of a diverse understory) to intense monocultures that require large inputs of fertilizer and pesticides which bring about a loss in biodiversity and quickly deplete the land. This site’s goal is to provide information about the connection between coffee and the environment — especially bird habitat.
98. Fair Trade Coffee:The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world’s coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be described as “sweatshops in the fields.” Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions.
99. Fair Trade Certified: Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. This link also will show you where to buy Fair Trade goods.
100. Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International: This non-profit, multi-stakeholder association involves 23 member organizations, traders, and external experts who develop and review Fairtrade Standards and provide support to Fairtrade Certified Producers. Their support arrives in the ability to assist, gain, and maintain Fairtrade Certification and by capitalizing on market opportunities.

Feel free to visit:
http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/2008/100-ways-organic-natural-leads-to-a-healthier-you/

Achieving personal well-being means taking the time to nurture several parts of your life so that each are healthy and strong. In this busy world, it can be difficult to find the time, and sometimes it’s difficult to know how to break out of your current patterns. From eating right to building strong relationships and securing personal finances, the following resources will give you the tools to help you find your way to a happier existence.

Healthy Living

From getting enough sleep to changing the way you buy goods and spend money, these resources will give you plenty to consider about living your life more healthily.

1. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity. Follow this family as they have made a conscious decision to live life more simply and in a much more fulfilling way.
2. 9 Little Known Ways to Sleep So it Counts. Waking up from a full night’s sleep feeling exhausted is no good. Follow these tips to help you get the most from your sleep.
3. Six Sleep Tips. Using relaxation and visualization, these suggestions will help get you on your way to a good night’s (or day’s) rest.
4. Holistic Approach to Wellness. Being healthy is usually the goal for most people, yet it is easy for the balance in life to get disrupted and result in ill health. Read this article to examine your life and make sure you balance each of the facets to ensure continued good health and well-being.
5. 11 Odd but Simple Ways to Improve Your Health. Move beyond simply improving diet and exercise with these interesting suggestions.
6. 7 Simple Ways to Burst Out of Bed Each Day. These tips on taking a few extra steps to overall health will do more than just help those who struggle to get out of bed each morning.
7. Top Ten Health & Wellness Gifts: For the Mind, Body, and Spirit. These are gifts worth getting all year round.
8. Whole Longevity. Find out how healthy living can increase your longevity and quality of life with the articles on this site.
9. Prevention is better than cure. This article about holistic healthcare explains how prevention is the best form of healthcare.
10. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, this comprehensive site offers information about specific forms of medicine, clinical trials, research, training, and more to help you stay healthy.

Nutrition

Eating well and putting the right types of foods in your body are important to ensure you are in top shape. These resources will help you get the best nutrition.

11. Superfoods. Goji berries and cacao nibs? Learn what is so special about these superfoods and others that you might be more familiar eating with this podcast. Be sure to listen to the other installments in the superfoods series.
12. Top 15 Diet Hacks. This list offers tips on how to shift your eating habits to a more healthy style. Don’t forget to read the Comments for more tips.
13. Organic Guide. Included in this blog are posts about organic-relevant news pieces as well as many organic food topics such as growing your own sprouts, finding a good juicer, and recipes.
14. Five Easy Pieces of an Organic Diet. Having a hard time going organic? This article will help you get started while making the biggest environmental impact.
15. 10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are some suggestions for what to eat and how to do it when you are short on time in the mornings.
16. Nutrition Fact Sheets. Get a wide variety of fact sheets ranging from kid’s nutrition needs to benefits of chewing gum to weight management.
17. Antioxidant Benefits From Drinking Green Tea. Learn about how antioxidants help your body and why green tea is such an excellent source.
18. Do You Get Enough Probiotics In Your Diet?.While this blog post is specifically focused on weight loss, it does an excellent job of explaining why probiotics are important for your body.
19. Holistic Health Nutrition Facts. Browse this blog for tons of information about nutrition and keeping your body healthy. Topics include omega-3 fatty acids, preventing heart disease, and the health benefit of minerals.
20. 7 Fish Oil Benefits Proven by Research. Taking a fish oil supplement is incredibly beneficial to your body. Choosing a high-quality fish oil will ensure the best results and eliminate any "fishy" taste from the supplement.
21. Body-for-LIFE 10 Nutritional Guidelines. Even if you are a very active person, you cannot discount the importance of nutrition. These tips tell you how to get the most out of your workout with better eating habits.

Stress Management

Stress causes health issues as well as mental strain. Eliminate stress from your life with this list of tips to help you achieve a sense of calm.

22. Meditation Oasis. A companion to their podcasts, this blog offers guided meditations. Be sure to sign up for the podcasts, too.
23. Tips for Managing Stress. While created for university students, this list of suggestions is great for anyone feeling the strains of stress.
24. 20 Ways to Eliminate Stress From Your Life. Some of these are simple and others a bit more drastic, but you are sure to find some solutions to the stress in your life.
25. How to Practice Buddhist Breathing Meditation. Follow these simple steps to establishing an ancient form of breathing meditation sure to help you find your inner peace.
26. 6 Ways to De-Stress. These tips focus on a more global approach to living a more stress-free life.
27. The Top 10 Steps to DeStress. Use these suggestions to create a way of living that produces less self-expectation and pressure.
28. Natural Stress Relief. Combine the suggestions in this article with other stress relievers such as exercise and getting enough sleep to combat the stress in your life.
29. Five Tips to De-stress Your Life. This article offers suggestions on making changes to the way you live in order to live less stressfully.
30. Top 10 Stress Relievers: The Best Ways to Feel Better. Take these actions to reduce stress instantly. Make them a habit and you may avoid feeling that stress creep back into your life.
31. Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. From Helpguide.org, find information about stress, tips and resources to reduce stress, and more.
32. Tips for Beating Stress. Get a common sense approach to life that will help you live less stressfully in this article.

Exercise

Use these resources to get your body in shape and give you more energy to get through your busy day.

33. How to Increase Physical Activity When Time is a Problem. These 20 tips will get you moving even when you don’t have a moment to spare.
34. Bike About. The posts in this blog offer much more than just biking with thoughts on healthy eating, hiking, and more.
35. 5 Exercises for Everyone. You don’t have to buy a membership to a gym to get your exercise, and these tips will show you how.
36. Top 42 Exercise Hacks. These ideas will motivate you to take the first step or to continue to exercise when your motivation flags.
37. Abdominal Exercises–Best Ab Exercises–Core Workout. Many experts believe when you strengthen your core, you strengthen your whole body. Try these exercises to do just that (and get flat abs as a bonus).
38. The Everything Yoga Blog. Read the posts to gain information to improve your yoga practice or visit some of the other blogs and sites included here.
39. Free Picture Galleries of Hatha Yoga Poses. These helpful photos and accompanying text will improve your yoga practice whether at home or in class.
40. Ten Cheapest Ways to Exercise. If money is a concern, it shouldn’t stop you from exercising. Follow these tips for easy and inexpensive ways to do it.
41. 10 Ideas to Get You Exercising. If you are feeling stuck but want to get moving, read these suggestions for motivation.
42. Trying Fitness. This blog offers tons of suggestions for ways to get yourself moving in the name of fitness.

Attitude

Sometimes a simple change of attitude can create a whole new perspective on life. Find out how to do that with these resources.

43. Centre for Emotional Well-Being. This blog offers plenty of advice for those looking to improve their outlook on life. There is a heavy emphasis on body image.
44. 8 Powerful Ways to Rediscover Your Passion. It’s easy to get caught up in the rut of our daily existence. If you need to shake it up and rediscover yourself, these steps will help.
45. 5 Steps to Finding True Joy and Removing Sorrow. Learn how to identify and recognize emotional responses so that you can redirect the negative to a more uplifting, positive expression.
46. The Happiness Project. Join the experiment as this woman tries out all the various tips for finding happiness. Wednesday is tip day, so be sure to check in then for great ideas on finding your happy place in life.
47. Out of the Box: 11 Ways to Break Out of the Same Old Routine. Living in a routine can feel safe, but it can also hold you back from your potential. These suggestions will set you on a new path.
48. Work and Life: 15 Ways to Strike a Balance. With busy lifestyles today, it is easy to feel pulled in many directions. This list offers ways to find the balance.
49. 10 Quick Examples of Zen Living. Embrace these life lessons in order to find your joy.
50. The Positivity Blog. Become inspired to stay positive and find the beauty in life with the posts on this uplifting blog.
51. Wake Up Feeling Great with These 22 Tips for High Self-Esteem. These suggestions will have you feeling better about yourself and improve how you approach your life.
52. My 50. This tool will help you keep focused on your life goals by managing your list of places to go, things to do, and anything else you want to do in your lifetime.
53. 10 Surefire Ways to Kill Your Crabby Mood. A bad mood can affect your productivity, relationships, and the way you feel about yourself. Use these tips to rise above it.
54. Well Being Journal. This online magazine offers articles on mind/body connection, nutrition, health, and fitness.
55. 75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day. Some of these ideas will brighten your day just reading about them. Readers have left some of their own ideas in the Comments section below the list.

Relationships

Learn how to keep your relationships with family, co-workers, and friends strong and successful with these suggestions.

56. Managing Relationship Stress. From your job to family members to friends, this article helps you manage the stress when your relationships are going through a rocky time.
57. Friendship–Tips for a Special Relationship!. Everyone should read these tips for a reminder of how to treat the important people in your life.
58. Tips on How to Repair Your Family Relationship Rightly!. Families are so busy it is easy to forget the small things that keep them together. This article reminds you how to go about the small tasks that make a family united.
59. 20 Ways to Attack Shyness. If you have a difficult time coming out of your shell, this list is for you. Not only does it offer tips to get you going, it also explains a little about the mechanics of shyness.
60. 10 Ways We Hurt Our Romantic Relationships. This list lets you know what to avoid to ensure your relationship grows stronger instead of weaker.
61. Can Your Dog Help Fix Your Relationship?. Find out what the family pet can teach you and your partner about strengthening your relationship.
62. Building Healthy Relationships. From listening to humor to forgiveness, learn how you can build a healthy relationship.
63. 8 Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship. Learn what you and your partner can do to help keep your relationship growing with these suggestions.
64. 18 ways to improve your body language . Set a more positive tone about yourself by improving your body language. This list will tell you how to do it.
65. 10 Tips to Strengthen Families. Find how you can improve the relationship between parents and children with these suggestions.
66. Ways to Build, Strengthen, and Enhance Your Relationship. Taking care to do these five simple things may provide just what your relationship needs to make it last long term.

Spirituality

Whether or not you are religious, a sense of spirituality can open your life in a whole new way.

67. Spirituality & Well-Being Self Tests. Take these two tests to see how your body-soul connection lines up.
68. Spiritual Endeavors. This website offers articles, links, and more to help you in your spiritual journey–no matter what shape it takes.
69. Spiritual Teachings. With a focus on a variety of spiritual teaching traditions and both essays and links to other resources, this site helps you get started down your spiritual path.
70. Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library. Find anything Buddhist here from Zen Buddhism to Buddhist art.
71. Links Relating to Creation Spirituality. Hosted by Trinity United Methodist Church in Austin, TX, this site provides several links to resources for those interested in learning more about Creation Spirituality.
72. 10 Ways to Grow Your Spirit. From tying up loose ends to letting go to loving yourself, these suggestions will help you become more spiritual.
73. Tips For A More Effective Prayer Life. If prayer is a part of your life, these tips can help you get more from your daily practice.
74. Belief-O-Matic. If you are struggling to find a spiritual or religious path, take this quiz to help you determine which religion is best suited to your personality.
75. Cultivating Spiritual Virtues. This article offers a straightforward approach to ways you can expand your spirituality while embracing what is good in the world.
76. Beliefnet. No matter what you religious beliefs, Beliefnet has much to offer in the way of spirituality and religion.
77. Fitting Spirituality Into The Rest Of Your Life. It is easy to let important things slip away in the hectic nature of life, but this article tells you how you can find time for spirituality despite the busy day.

Financial

Get control of your personal finances and make managing your money less stressful with these great resources.

78. When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch. Including tips from around the house, at the grocery store, and entertainment, this list will help you find ways to save your money.
79. mint. Manage your money with this free software. Connect with your bank, credit cards, and mutual funds to effortlessly gain control over your finances.
80. Zopa. This social finance company brings borrowers and investors together to work out loans that benefit both parties.
81. 35 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Finances. These suggestions are simple and easy to implement. Follow these and watch your financial situation perk up.
82. Financial Planning: A Comprehensive Guide to Personal Finance. This guide from About.com offers great resources to help you make the most of your finances.
83. USA.gov Personal Finance. The U.S. government has created a list of resources ranging from bankruptcy to home ownership to retirement and estate planning.
84. 5 Tips for Getting Out of Debt (and Why). With credit cards so readily available, it’s easy to find yourself in debt. Here are five ways to find yourself in the clear.
85. wesabe. Getting out of debt can be a struggle, but not with wesabe. This free software helps you track spending and create goals towards getting out of debt or saving money.
86. AllBusiness Personal Finance Center. Find anything you could want to learn about managing your finances with this awesome resource.
87. 21 Strategies for Creating an Emergency Fund, and Why It’s Critical. Emergencies can send your finances tumbling. Follow these tips for creating a cushion so when the unexpected happens, you aren’t caught short.
88. BudgetTracker, Inc. Create and track your budget with this tool. It helps with bills, investments, bank accounts, and more.

Career

Most people spend the biggest part of their day at work. If you do, learn how to make that time enjoyable and successful.

89. Work Happy Now!. Learn how to love your job with the great posts on this blog. Recent topics have covered developing emotional intelligence and expanding your various networks.
90. A Balancing Act: Finding Balance Between Work and Life. This article offers a helpful perspective on the work/life balance while providing suggestions for ways to approach finding your balance.
91. Chief Happiness Officer. Written by a Danish consultant, this blog offers great advice on finding your happiness at work.
92. 5 Ways to Improve Your Productivity in the Office. This site suggests you focus on these five areas of your work to increase your productivity.
93. 11 Lifehacking Tips for Improving Productivity–and Knowing When That’s Not the Point. If you would like to boost your work productivity, these suggestions are sure to help you change your habits in a more productive way.
94. Top 10 Email Productivity Boosters. You don’t have to go away on vacation to know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by emails. These tips will help you stay on top of emails in an organized and professional way.
95. Instant Calmer: 11 Easy Answers to On-the-Job Stress. These helpful tips are easy to implement and will have you back on track and feeling calmer in no time.
96. Develop a Career Action Plan. Make sure your career goes the direction you want it to with a Career Action Plan.
97. 12 Tools to Recover from Procrastination and Get Things Done. Anyone who has a habit of putting things off until the last minute know the frustration of procrastination. Follow these suggestions to get things going and stay on top of your work.
98. Just a Minute: Dr. Z’s Top 5 Time Management Principles. For a more Zen-like approach to time management, follow these five suggestions.
99. All Things Workplace. This blog offers great career coaching advice to improve your experience at work.
100. BetterMondays. Find out ways to brighten your office, how to succeed at an interview, what not to do at work and more on this blog dedicated to helping people enjoy their jobs.

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