Soil Association Organic Fortnight, is the UK’s biggest celebration of all things organic. This year they are encouraging you to try something organic every day.

Get involved during the fortnight and discover why organic is good for your well-being and your planet, is kind to animals and wildlife and allows us make a big difference - simply through the way we shop.

We're offering 10% off with code CELEB to all customers old and new to try and encourage more people to try organic products.

Also we'll be posting an organic tip every day on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Finally if you're in the London area come and see us in our Greenwich store for free refreshments and 20% off this Saturday 11/09/10 between 10-12pm!

The thin membrane on the wall of the mouth absorbs that which touches it, as does the tongue. This is how toothpaste, loaded with chemicals can harm your health. You can't currently find toothpaste that is 100% organic. The main ingredient chalk, is a naturally occurring product of nature and cannot be cultivated by man thus will not be certified organic by the certification bodies. But you can find all-natural products that contain organic ingredients. When searching for a safer alternative to scrub your pearly whites the nasty ingredients to avoid are: Foaming agent SLS - an unnecessary ingredient in toothpaste, can cause severe skin and mouth irritation, laboured breathing and diarrhoea. If ingested fluoride can cause nausea, vomiting, fluorosis and osteoporosis. According to the Fluoride Action Network, the average tube of Colgate for Kids toothpaste contains enough fluoride to kill a small child. The US Food and Drug Administration ensure all toothpaste labels have a poison warning and emergency number in case swallowed. Sodium Hydroxide is used as a whitener for teeth but also as a bleaching agent for household cleaning products. Artificial sweeteners (saccarines) and colours are potential cancer causing ingredients, as is carageenan, which is used to thicken toothpaste. The antibacterial agent triclosan is added to toothpaste to reduce plaque but can also cause ulcers and allergic reactions.

OFF Certified Organic OFC Certified Organic  OFC Certified Organic AIAB Certified Organic  CUC Certified Organic Soil Association Certified Organic   Because all of these organic certification standards have developed at different times and in different countries the exact detail of what is and is not allowed in products tends to vary. But in general they all seek to ensure that the agricultural ingredients in the products are produced organically and place controls over the non organic functional ingredients that are permitted. The textile standards cover the processing and manufacture of natural fibres and assess the production methods for effects on human health, wildlife and biodegradability.

After the criticism that Organic Food has had in the press over the last 12 months, it is finally good to see a national newspaper come out with the truth...that organic fruit is both tastier and better for your health!

In the Daily Mail today, they quote that the most detailed research study of its kind has found that organic strawberries contain higher levels of anti-cancer nutrients than fruit sprayed with chemical pesticides. Naturally-produced strawberries also have a longer shelf life and a richer, more fruity flavour, according to the researchers. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that organic food is healthier than conventional fruit and vegetables. At So Organic, we know this already!

Here is what the Daily Mail said:

‘Dr John Reganold, who led the study at Washington State University in the U.S., said: 'We show that you can have high quality, healthy produce, without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides.'  Researchers analysed the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties growing on 13 organic and 13 conventional farms in California, as well as 31 chemical and biological properties of the soil where they were grown. The organic fruit had ' significantly higher' levels of antioxidants - nutrients that mop up potentially dangerous and cancer-causing 'free radicals' in the body. They also last longer and have 'more strawberry in the strawberry', Dr Reganold reports in the journal PLoS One, published by the Public Library of Science. In blind taste tests, volunteers said they found organic strawberries sweeter and more flavoursome. And when they saw the fruit, they judged the strawberries from the organic farms to have a better colour. ‘

To all those people that criticise our belief that organic products are better for you, they better watch out...organic is back!

Staring out the window to a small green garden abundant with life in the middle of Santa Cruz I wonder what it must be like to live in this cute flat for one. Six small birds to each seed house, two six foot tall, orange flowering aloe vera plants, hydrangeas, a meandering possum, a skunk on a jolly jaunt, a weeping willow look-alike tree and an array of other Californian greens I’m unfamiliar with, it’s a small garden of Eden amongst many, I suspect, in this part of the world. But there’s a few things in this Santa Cruzian flat that are a little out of the ordinary.

Look a little closer and you’ll notice low door knobs on all the cupboards and a bicycle-like contraption. Foster Andersen has been a quadriplegic for over 30 years. He had a motorcycle accident at age 17, suffering spinal cord injury that has left him temporarily bound to a wheelchair since. I write temporarily because Foster is no average person. You name it he's done it, from skydiving, bungee jumping out of a hot air balloon, canoeing, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, rock climbing... the list goes on.

What's so impressive is that he did it all after his accident, wheelchair bound... until he gets in that parachute of course. 15 years ago Foster started the not-for-profit organisation, Shared Adventures, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people living with disabilities. It's based on the belief that 'recreation, fun, challenge and access to the outdoors are an essential part of a healthy and fulfilling life'.  Foster trained as a computer graphic engineer however spends most of his time working on the events hosted by Shared Adventures. Day at the Beach and Day in the Sky are two of the annual highlights. In addition to the list of things Foster himself has done, the organisation offers a whole range of activities for people with disabilities including camping, horse riding, sailing, flying planes and plenty of social gatherings like the Halloween Dance Party, Frozen Yoghurt Sketch Circle and Bowling by the Boardwalk to get the local community involved. He's also the regular Santa Cruz'ian celebrity. Take one look at his office wall and you'll see articles that span the state, all featuring Foster's achievements from his early 20's until now. He is without a doubt one of the most inspirational people I've ever met and... if one can be so bold... one of those 'ideal' members of society that we would do well to follow his example by for living a full and giving life. For more information on Foster and Shared Adventures visit www.sharedadventures.org