Soapnuts

Hi to All,"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'S'." If you played this childhood game with me for the rest of the afternoon, I reckon I'd win. That's because the chances are in my favour that you haven't heard of SoapNuts. If you have then you probably came to the Suna Pilates Open Day yesterday or you exist on the cutting edge of a healthy lifestyle and hear about every New Thing.

SoapNuts are an alternative to conventional laundry powders and many other household cleaners. SoapNuts are small berries (growing on wild Soapnut trees in northern India) and contain saponin that when wet, release mild soapsuds. SoapNuts have strong antibacterial properties that can effectively replace your chemical detergents and soaps.

They are 100% plant with no added chemicals, fragrances, dyes or fillers. The only processing is the harvesting, drying in the sun and deseeding by hand. They are fantastic for septic tanks and for those of you dependant on rain water they are extra good news because there is no rinsing required. When you've finished with them they go straight into your compost or worm farm.

A trial bag is available if you'd like to give these little babies a try. Just $6 for up to 20 washes, although the larger bags are better value for money.

Click here for more info and instructions.

If you detect just a little bit of excitement in my writing then you'd be right! I've used them in the dishwasher and washing machine and they work! I'm experimenting on some of the other recommended uses such as boiling them up to make a liquid soap and shampoo. By next weekend's newsletter I'll be able to tell you the results.

If you live outside of Auckland and would like to see SoapNuts available in your locality, then contact us and we'll see what we can do to get them stocked near you. Otherwise we can send by mail.

Also new on our website this week is Certified Organic Butter and Cheddar Cheese. The butter is $14.50 / kg and the cheese is $16.90 / kg. They are cut into approximately 500 gm blocks.

That's it from me for this week. I'm off to snuggle up with some soup and keep watching out for the lightning: in our house it's free entertainment!In healthChristine with Helen and Lynn

Official: organic really is better

Well, more weight to the side of the scales that says organically grown food is "better" than ordinary produce. Just in from the UK (dated 28 October, 2007) are the results from the biggest study that has shown organic food is more nutritious and may help to lengthen people's lives.The evidence is the result of a 4 year, 12 million pound study funded by the European Union. Professor Carlo Leifert, the co-ordinator, said the differences were so marked that organic produce would help to increase the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Among their findings were that levels of antioxidants in milk from organic herds were up to 90% higher than in milk from conventional herds. Also found were levels of up to 40% more antioxidants in organic vegetables.The Professor says the government is wrong about there being no difference between organic and conventional produce. The Food Standards Agency has confirmed it was reviewing the evidence before deciding whether to change its advice. Up to now the agency have said there are no significant differences.

For the full article go here. After reading it, then click on one of the related Links on the left that starts: "Eat your words all who scoff." for further information.As for me, I am comfortable with the lifstyle choices we've made to resist the temptation to wave the "proof" in scepticle friends and family's faces. It won't help their opinion, and it certainly won't help our relationships. One day in a situation that isn't as threatening they will come across the information and have the opportunity to think it through for themselves. If my opinion is asked for, I'll give it. But first I make sure just how interested they really are and not just looking for a way to make conversation or to pick a fight. On the other hand, neither do I tolerate being made fun of; if I feel I'm being mocked I remind him/her that we are all entitled to an opinion.

So, do you have any comments on what I've written or after reading the above articles?

Introduction

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