It couldn’t have been scripted better. Without any comments from me, my soft-spoken 21-year-old niece picked up one of Colorado farmer Steve Ela’s peaches, took a bite, and exclaimed, “This is the best peach I’ve ever had in my life!” And then, of course, I couldn’t resist launching into my speech about why it was so good, starting with “It’s organic.”

Those of us who eat organic know how wonderful it tastes. But a growing body of research is proving (what many of us already believe) that organic foods are in fact more nutritious than conventional foods. In a report released last March by the Organic Center, a Colorado-based organization that supports organic research, with co-authors from Washington State and Florida Universities, researchers analyzed 97 studies that compared the nutrient levels of organic versus conventional foods. The most comprehensive look at organics since 2003, the study concluded that organic foods are up to 25 percent more nutrient dense then their conventional counterparts, and that they are particularly rich in polyphenols and antioxidants.

Organic starts with farmers like Steve Ela who take a financial risk, because it takes three years to convert conventional farmlands into soils that qualify as USDA organic. When you buy national, regional, or local organic food you are voting with your dollars to help support these dedicated growers. For more reasons to go organic and a guide to buying organic, check out Delicious Living’s organic shopping guide. Or check out the Organic Center’s Organic Essentials pocket guide for reducing pesticide dietary exposure.

We know. We hear it every day. Stress is bad—very bad—for us. It sends cortisol and adrenaline coursing through our bodies and, unchecked, causes adrenal fatigue, makes us age faster, and contributes to some pretty major health problems, such as heart disease. So why can’t we just turn off the switch? Stanford’s Robert Saplosky, who has studied stress in mammals for decades, addresses that question in tonight’s National Geographic special airing on PBS. Watch a short intro and check out your local listings at the Stress: Portrait of a Killer website.

Farm Aid — the concert organized by rock legends Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp — celebrated its 22nd anniversary in Boston this past weekend. Willie recently told NPR that Farm Aid would lend financial help to farming communities torn apart by Ike. Read our interview with John Mellencamp and Rolling Stone’s review of the concert.

Turns out the Hershey’s company is fudging the ingredients on some of their chocolate products, replacing cocoa butter with vegetable oil to save costs, says the Today show. This non-chocolate switcheroo means that their labels had to change, so some products now say “chocolatey” or “chocolate candy.” Kinda subtle and sneaky, if you ask me. Personally, if I’m gonna have chocolate — and I am — I’m going to eat the real stuff, both for unequalled taste and and chocolate’s associated benefits. One of my new favorites: Kopali Organics chocolate-covered cocoa nibs, goji berries, and bananas (how’s that for some high-powered snacks?). They taste killer, plus they’re all fair-trade, certified organic, and rainforest friendly. I know Whole Foods carries them, so try some today (or Kopali’s super-pure dried fruit — also awesome).

If you haven’t been to a Starbucks this week, I suggest you stop by. The company rolled out its first issue of The Good Sheet — a weekly fact sheet that highlights a different crisis — oops, sorry, I meant issue — facing our times. I found the premier “issue” on carbon emissions interesting, accessible, and informative. I know, I know, what am I doing in Starbucks? I’ll take the Fifth on that. But The Good Sheet really is worth checking out. Not sure I get the blog, though, I’m looking forward to the next installment of The Good Sheet on health care.

There’s more evidence that we should follow Canada’s lead and label bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in hard plastics, a toxic ingredient. Read a study published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association that links the chemical to cardiovascular disease here.

Over the years we’ve had a lot of coverage on Alzheimer’s disease and on supplements and foods that can help prevent memory loss. Check out, “The B’s are anti-Alzheimer’s” and “Sustain your brain.”

Research has shown that a complex B vitamin improves brain health, but the new focus is specifically on B12. According to a study that came out last week Vitamin B12 may protect against brain shrinkage. Vitamin B12, which is known to be helpful for nerve-tissue metabolism and with maintaining healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, is found in food of animal origin, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy. B12 can also be taken as a supplement and in fortified foods. more

Take a look at the winning entry in a film contest sponsored by The Tea Council, entitled the “Calm-A-Sutra of Tea.” Nearly 700 college students entered to win the top $20,000 prize with a two-minute video about the health benefits of drinking tea. I had to admit, this has some great info … and better yet, it had me laughing out loud!

If you’ve been told not to drink grapefruit juice because it interferes with your medication, you may have to add apple and orange juice to the no-no list now. The Natural Foods Merchandiser reports. more

We’ve talked a lot about animal cloning lately, and the controversy over cloned animals in the food supply (cloned meats and dairy from cloned animals). Although the FDA has approved cloned animal products for public consumption (without mandated labeling of such), major grocers are listening to their customer’s concerns and refusing to stock such products. According to a Progressive Grocer article, Albertsons, PCC Natural Markets, Supervalu, and Harris Teeter chains don’t plan to sell meat or dairy products from cloned animals. more