The 5 Pros and Cons of Organic Food

The healthy lifestyles coming to everyone's attention, purchasing organic food has become a regular habit for most diet-conscious individuals. Unfortunately, choosing organic does not always ensure optimum dietary requirements and quite often puts a significant punch in your final grocery bill. Below are the five common arguments both for and against purchasing organic fruits, vegetables and meats.

Cost

Pro: Although organic food has traditionally cost more than those using pesticides and herbicides in their cultivation, the price is becoming more competitive as demand has grown. Cost conscious organic consumers frequently attend local farmers' markets or go directly to their area supplier where they can purchase organic foods that quantities for a discount.

Con: As soon as major food manufacturers realized that consumers would pay more for organic food, they began devoting much of their resources to producing organic food, but continued using the "factory-conditions" that exploit laborers and strain resources to keep their products competitive.

Quality

Pro: Food items that have not been overly processed and exposed to harmful chemicals or radiation naturally have less toxins and therefore allow the body to absorb more nutrients. Any food labeled as "organic" has to be approved by a rigorous set of Federal standards.

Con: Organic foods, especially produce, quite often has less "eye-appeal" than factory produced equivalents because it does have the protection afforded from decay during shipping by pesticides and irradiation. It is also worthy to note that many food contamination issues have come up around organic food such as spinach that is washed in unhealthy water, which is not regulated under current standards.

Nutritional value

Pro: Fresh organic food undoubtedly has superior nutritional benefits when eaten fresh and prepared properly. Raw food dishes, juicing and salads are greatly enhanced when organic ingredients are exclusively used.

Con: Despite the numerous studies conducted on the nutritional value of organic foods vs.those sprayed with chemicals, no hard data has to date been released that proves that organic food provide substantially greater nutrition than their equivalents. Of course this does not apply to foods that have been processed or altered from their original state.

Availability

Pro: Many organic foods are governed by the seasons, and consumers traditionally purchase quantities when they are available and store them for later use by preserving, pickling or salting. The spread of organic practices around the world have helped correct this problem sœurs popular items can be shipped in from areas they grow year-round. Personal organic gardens may yield enough produce to share with friends, neighbors and family members.

Con: Since organic foods are seasonal, many items can be impossible to find certain items at certain times of year that are available year-round through more commercial manufacturers. Organic distributors are also often at the mercy of international tariffs and taxes which limit their ability to compete with the larger companies.

Perishability

Pro: If fresh organic food is properly stored it can retain its nutritional value for a long time, such as carrots or potatoes stored in straw in the cellar over the winter. Highly perishable fruits and vegetables can be juiced, pureed or preserved for later use.

Con: Organic food does not "travel well" and can quickly deteriorate into a moldy mess since it does not contain preservatives and chemicals to stop the natural decay. Dairy items and meat with organic certification often have shorter expiration dates than their non-organic counterparts, once again because the preservatives expand their shelf life.

Guest post contributed by eco friendly products stockist Also Home.

How Some People Get in Trouble with Payday Loans

Payday loans, also known as a pay advance loan, has established a good niche for low income people with poor credit. These days, just about everyone has poor credit, so even middle class people are flocking to this versatile and easy way to get a short-term loan. Unfortunately, some people don't understand the concept of the short-term loan very well, and assume you can extend the repayment forever, like you might a credit card, or take out multiple loans at one time. This can be a very dangerous practice that can quickly add lots of money to the debt you owe.

Small Short Term Loans

Payday loans are set up to only provide a small amount of cash for a very specific reason – to keep your debt manageable. They are not meant to be a revolving credit line, they are meant to offer emergency cash for a very short time period, from 1 week to a 1 month, depending on when your next paycheck cycle hits. You can get a payday loan and roll it over instead of paying it when it comes due, but this is when the interest rate starts to increase the debt owed substantially. There is nothing to keep you rolling over the debt once more, but again, it will make it very difficult to pay back the original amount, plus the new balance from rolling it over. The best way to use a payday loan is to take it out for a specific small period and be sure you can pay it back the first time it comes due.

Too Many Loans

There are limits from lender to lender to keep you from taking too many payday loans out in a year. However, some people decide to go to multiple lenders at the same time to get payday loans thinking they will be able to pay them all back on the next paycheck cycle. First of all, the lender themselves tell you it's not a good idea to take out too many loans, and secondly, if you are taking out one cash advance, for the next paycheck cycle odds are that's all you'll be able to pay back when it comes due. If you have to end up rolling any of the loans over you can get caught in a spiral of debt from having too much debt to service.

Best Ways to Start a Business

Below you will find some of the best ways to start a business. Thousands of people each year think about starting their own company, but fail to do so. It could be because they are too terrified to really launch their own company. Some try it, but are not successful due to a lack of proper funding. Whatever the cause for these individuals not to get the business they want you have a chance to learn a few tips that might help you get over these stopping blocks.

• If you need a salary to support you due to a lack of savings, you should not quit your current job. Instead find a business you can start without quitting your current company. You will have to work a little harder at both jobs and most likely you will be tired, but you still have a “security blanket” to protect you.
• You can use the salary from your current position as a way to fund the business startup. Consider investing some of your salary in stocks in order to increase it or to pull in other investors.
• Consumers always have complaints. Some of these complaints come from more than one consumer. You could use common complaints as your gateway to a solid business plan. Fulfill what your consumers are asking for at your current job if your employer won’t.
• Another idea is to look at your employer as your friend. Some employers are looking for new ideas to expand or improve their business. If you have an idea, strike a deal. You may be able to start your own company by supplying your employer with the right concept.
• You also have the traditional methods of starting a business, such as seeking a franchise or already established business. An established business is easier to get a business loan for you to take it over. There is a solid history of success, as you wouldn’t want to go for a failing business.
• Your next option is to save up as much money as possible, quit your job, and start a business from scratch. This option is the one we would all like to take, but it requires more savings than most entrepreneurs have when starting out.

Whether you have help starting your company or you need a business loan there are several options available. Look for best option business loan like merchant cash advance when you purchase an established business. These are easier to obtain and will get you the business you want quickly. A bank loan should also be considered, but realize it will take much longer to get approved. If time is not on your side merchant loans might be the best answer.