Organic is primarily a labeling term that is used on a wide variety of foods that have been produced through methods and practices approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its National Organics Program (NOP). Organic is also one of the single best steps you can take to safeguard the quality of your food. In many cases, organic is also good step for the environment.
Many people think about "organic" as meaning "earth friendly." Even though this meaning often holds true, it doesn't always. Organic regulations focus on farming practices and food production steps that can be monitored and controlled to decrease risk of food contamination and improve food quality. But for the most part, organic regulations simply do not try to address more complicated issues involving the earth and sustainability.
Here is one simple example of the difference between the focus of organic regulations and a focus on sustainability. In the U.S., we currently plant about 92 million acres of corn, 78 million acres of soybeans, and 57 million acres of wheat. Ecologists view these 227 million acres and the way they are planted as non-sustainable. Many factors combine to make our current planting of corn and soybeans and wheat non-sustainable. Included are factors like natural water cycles and natural mineral cycles in North America and their inability to accommodate the 227 million acres of these three crops as currently cultivated. The USDA's organics program does not address or evaluate the sustainability of these crop acres. The program limits its focus to the farming steps that would be needed in order for all 227 million acres of corn and soybeans and wheat to be certified as organic. For example, USDA organic guidelines would prohibit use of genetic engineering, fertilization with sewage sludge, and irradiation on any of these acres. Such changes would most likely improve the quality of the crops and the quality of the land. But the practice of planting 227 million acres with these three crops would still be non-sustainable, and this non-sustainability would not matter from the USDA's perspective. Provided that USDA organic requirements were met, these crops would be labeled organic regardless of their sustainability. The bottom line here is simple: organic food production is better for the environment and better for our health than conventional food production methods, but important earth-related questions like sustainability are not typically addressed in organic regulations and might not be furthered by adoption of organic standards.
Of special importance in organics are the "big three." Genetic engineering, irradiation, and sewage sludge are sometimes referred to as "the big three" by commentators on the National Organics Program, since they are practices that can have an especially problematic impact on health and the environment. The "big three" have always been - and are still - prohibited by organic regulations. Along with prohibition of these three practices, however, a wide variety of other practices are prohibited in production of organic food. For example, most synthetic chemicals (including most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers) are prohibited by organic regulations. All off these prohibitions in organic food production are important. They help to safeguard the quality of our food and to reduce our health risk from food contaminants.

George Mateljan Foundation

​Show tunes, serious ballads and sing-a-long songs are the name of the game at this hip restaurant and bar just blocks away from downtown Naples. With two karaoke nights—Mondays at 7 and Fridays at 8:30—you can find the crowd that best suits your style.

“Tommy T runs our Monday karaoke,” says Mel Biondi, co-owner of Bambusa Bar & Grill. “Tommy has a following of regulars who like his style. Friday night with Papa Tony is more of a mixed crowd with younger people.”
The stage at Bambusa is small with a wired mic, so you can’t move much, but it’s smack in the middle front of the floor plan so everyone inside can see you. Plus, the sound system is terrific, and Papa Tony does a great job at making singers—even rookies—feel at ease.

“The whole place has a comfortable feel to it,” Biondi says. “It’s a good vibe.”
Expect a lot of soulful ballads early in the evening when singers really want to show off their chops. Crowd-pleasers like Billy Joel’s Piano Man and earworms like Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers come a little later after the drinks have been flowing.
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Tip: Come for the singing but stay for the food. Bambusa is the only restaurant in town to offer the Tortellacci, a house-made pasta that looks like a large tortellini stuffed with a blend of spinach and cheese and delicately topped with a tomato cream sauce.
Details: 600 Goodlette-Frank Road, Naples; 239-649-5657; bambusaonline.com

For years, I thought I was doing my body good by eating whole wheat breads, pastas, and grains. I struggled with a variety of health issues during my adolescence and early adulthood, but I thought, doggedly, that if I just kept eating my whole grains and vegetables, all problems would eventually be resolved. So it came as no small shock that the very grains I was consuming for their much-touted “health properties” might actually have been making me sick.
The wheat on the market today is a new breed, different from grains consumed by Americans in the early decades of the 20th century. And more and more research suggests these new strains might not be as healthy as they’re cracked up to be, leading to exponential increases in gluten sensitivities among other potential human health issues.
Wait, Wheat? — The Need-to-KnowModern wheat differs from its origins as the result of intense cross-breeding programs, which have turned the crop into something neither physically nor genetically like its old self. While the classic plants grew over four feet tall, modern wheat (grown in 99 percent of the world’s wheat fields) is now derisively dubbed “dwarf wheat,” standing just two feet in height with an abnormally large seed head balanced atop its stocky stem. These dramatic physical changes are paralleled by genetic shifts, the result of crossing wheat with non-wheat grasses and inducing genetic mutations through irradiation and exposure to toxins. (It should be noted that these processes are not the same as genetic engineering.)
The Role of GlutenThe compositional changes of wheat have very real impacts for the humans who consume it. Crossbreeding programs have changed the structure of wheat’s gluten proteins, providing a possible explanation for why the prevalence of celiac disease and gluten intolerance has increased dramatically in the United States over the last 50 years  . Today, approximately one in every 133 Americans has celiac disease.
An increase in celiac diagnoses can be partly attributed to heightened awareness of the disease (it’s also possible this incidence rate is exaggerated, as the phenomenon isn’t yet observed in other parts of the “developed” world). But as occurrences of celiac disease have escalated, so too has the prevalence of gluten sensitivity — which researchers now define as a separate clinical entity, similar to (and perhaps even more widespread than) celiac . Gluten (found in most wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and, through contamination, various other products) has been linked with varying degrees of certainty to nutritional deficiencies, skin problems, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, autism, heart disease, cancer, and mood and digestive disorders in people with sensitivities    . As of now, there’s a clear association between gluten and these health issues — but researchers can’t yet say with certainty that gluten is the direct cause.
Other SuspectsWhen it comes to modern wheat, gluten is quickly becoming the most famous “protein of interest.” But wheat’s composition has changed in other ways that are raising eyebrows.
Some critics of modern wheat cite health risks associated with its high levels of the starch Amylopectin A, which has been linked to the development of insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain) in rats . However, studies on the starch are few and far between, and those that do exist are typically at least a decade old.
Also under suspicion are modern wheat’s polypeptides, chains of amino acids that make up the protein gliadin in the plants. Wheat critics accuse these polypeptides (also called “exorphins”) of acting like endorphins in the body, making people feel “high” after eating wheat-laden carbs — and prompting them to crave more. However, there’s no definitive proof of this direct link between gliadin and addictive behavior. As with Amylopectin A, few contemporary studies address the question of whether or how much polypeptides might affect people’s health. In short, more research is needed to confirm whether or not modern wheat’s polypeptides pose a risk to human health.
Whither Wheat? — The TakeawayThe verdict is still out on whether modern wheat’s high starch content and exorphins are of serious concern for the average wheat consumer. What is certain is that modern wheat has changed distinctly from its historical composition, and the modified gluten protein might be a culprit in the striking rise in both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
For my own part, I’ve been gluten-free for going on ten months. Some, but not all, of my health issues have begun to resolve — enough so that I’m committed to remaining gluten-free. The elimination of gluten from a person’s diet is a matter of individual choice and medical needs. But the increased prevalence of gluten sensitivities is a strong call for more research into the new world of wheat.
This article was read and approved by Greatist Experts Dr. Douglas Kalman and Dr. John Mandrola.

Under dim lights, friends and strangers lit 49 candles to honor each of the 49 lives lost in the massacre. They sobbed and hugged one another, placed their hands on each other's shoulders.
The names and photos of the victims of the mass shooting at a gay Orlando nightclub Sunday night were projected in a slideshow Thursday night at the front of Bambusa Bar and Grill in downtown Naples.
"This is our community," said Steve Soutner, co-owner of the bar. "Orlando is not alone. We all stand by them, we all stand together. This tragedy affects everyone, no matter who they are."
Pulse and Bambusa are 191 miles away, but the prayers reach.
On Thursday night, about 200 people came to Bambusa to mourn the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and to raise money for the families. An auction raised more than $9,800, and 25 percent of the bar's take Thursday night will go to victims.
Gay Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the Stonewall Riots and, more recently, to mark the Supreme Court ruling that made gay marriage legal nationwide.
"It's especially hard to see this attack happen during a month that celebrates so many great things for the gay community," said Pedro Blanco, 64, a Bambusa regular. "It's so cold and calculated that the shooter would pick a place that was having a big celebration."
Soutner and Mel Biondi, partners and co-owners, said they strive to make their bar a safe and joyful place for patrons.
"This is always a place of fun, love and joy," Blanco said. "That's ultimately what you come to a gay bar for — for the love and acceptance."
The people at the bar will continue to live in love and acceptance, they said, because living in fear isn't an option.
Jason Donahue, 44, and John Donahue, 56, met when they weren't looking for love, in a place where all they feel is love.
They saw each other across the bar at Bambusa 10 years ago this November.
Jason Donahue, who has lived in Naples for 16 years, said the gay community in the area is small enough that everyone at Bambusa knows one another.
"And if you come in and we don't know you, we'll know you by the end of the night," he said.
The Donahues had friends over to their home for game night Saturday. When they awoke Sunday morning, all they saw all day was news of the tragedy.
"We didn't go out, didn't do anything," Jason Donahue said. "We didn't know what to do. We watched as the body count went from 20 to 50. It was horrifying."
"I thought it was only a matter of time something like this would happen," he said. "John and I are going to the gay pride festival in Orlando this weekend. Will I have my guard up? Yes. But it's the right thing to do, to stand up and defend who we are."

​If you're seeking casual nightlife in Naples, FL, this bar's delicious drink options and neighborhood feel make the perfect pick. Happy hour runs daily from 4pm to 7pm, and the bar menu is available all day. Choose from a variety of beer, wine and cocktails like the Jamaican Jammer or Barracuda. When hunger strikes, go for the Texan burger with cheddar, barbecue sauce and bacon or the Fishermen's Wharf wrap with beer-battered cod and Swiss.

The transformation starts with a headband. In front of a three-panel makeup mirror, Andy Spaulding ties back his hair. He covers his face with a thick layer of tan concealer, draws raised eyebrows and paints pink streaks across his cheeks.

The sun is setting on a Friday evening. Andy is becoming Alyssa — a fiery, outspoken drag queen.  Spaulding, who spends his days as the director of a local daycare, becomes Alyssa Lemay at night. She competes in pageants and hosts drag shows across Southwest Florida, including Bambusa Bar and Grill in Naples as one-third of the drag queen trio The Bambusa Babes.
“Drag is theatrical, and I always loved performing,” said Spaulding, 32, a music student from Ohio who tried drag after seeing a show at a local gay bar.

Alyssa's performance is drawn from tips from seasoned drag queens. Spaulding learned how to apply the make-up, a more-than hourlong process, from YouTube. He makes almost all of Alyssa’s outfits. His great-grandmother taught him how to sew.

“Painting my face is one of my favorite parts because it is getting in to character,” said Spaulding, who has been performing as Alyssa Lemay for 10 years. “It is when I get to really think through everything.”

At the dining room table in his Fort Myers home, the makeup is done, and the pads, dress and wig are next.  Spaulding’s boyfriend, Tommy Tillis, helps with zipping up the dress and adjusting the wig.  “Do you want the hair over the shoulder, or should I push it back?” Tillis said.  “I’m what we call the ‘drag husband,’ ” he added.

“I love the way she performs. I watch a lot of the queens here in Fort Myers and to me, Alyssa has the most character when she performs,” Tillis said. “She feeds off of the audience’s energy, and most of the queens here don’t do that; they just do it to make a quick buck.”

But to Spaulding, performing as Alyssa Lemay is about more than making money. It is about representing the drag community. Alyssa often participates in Pride benefits to help support LGBTQ organizations.
“Thats why I respect her,” Tillis said. “She is the best representation of the drag community because she goes above and beyond. She is a professional.”  Tillis sprays one last bit of hairspray, and the transformation is complete. Alyssa is ready.  “There you go, queen,” Tillis said.