Going Organic

"Organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process their fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, and dairy products. Farmers who grow organic products don't use chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, antibiotics or hormones, instead, they use natural fertilizers or compost to feed the soil and plants, beneficial insects or birds to reduce pests and disease, and use balanced diets and clean housing for animals.




This is the stamp you will see on most organic foods. This  means that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has certified it to be at least 95% organic.



7 reasons to go organic

1. No GMO's - Genetically Modified Organisms - the plants and seeds are genetically modified to protect the plant from the pesticides and herbicides they are sprayed with. By eating foods that have GMO's we are introducing DNA into our bodies that have not been thoroughly tested - many well respected scientist are against GMO's simply because there isn't enough scientific proof that it is safe. Who do you trust more, science or nature?

2. No pesticides/ herbicides/ artificial additives - these are linked to many health concerns, such as, cancer, seizures, ADHD/ADD, liver, kidney, lung, colen and skin problems. The chemicals that are sprayed on these plants are meant to kill small lifeforms - and we are ingesting them then wondering why we are getting sick. The average conventionally grown apple has around 20-30 toxins on it - after rinsing.

3. More nutrients - organic foods simply have higher levels of vitamins, calcium, iron, and antioxidents because of healthy soil. Conventional farmers will over-farm their lands which depleats the soil of essential nutrients. 

4. Good for the planet - The chemicals used on the crops kill off the micro-organisms in the soil that keep it healthy. The result = soil more susceptible to weeds, insects, and other predators = more chemicals to keep them at bay = depleating the soil even more = land can no longer be used = companies outsourcing to other countries for good soil.

5. Healthier livestock - Cows don't naturally eat grains - they eat grass. Conventional farms feed their cattle a combo of grains which sometimes have fillers such as cardboard, dust, and animal carcass to keep the cost down. Plus the grains are also usually GMO's grown with pesticides/herbicides. As a result they have unhealthy livestock which are given a cocktail of antibiotics and hormones to try to keep them from getting sick and to increase size and production. Also the conditions the livestock are kept in are terrible - hundreds, sometimes thousands, are crammed into indoor warehouses where they are unable to move, they are forced to live in their own fecal matter, and seldom - if ever - see daylight. Organic animal products = raised humanly and not fed chemicals, drugs, or hormones.

6. Payoff - While occasionally eating conventionally grown food is not likely to harm you, eating it at every meal = enormous amounts of contaminated foods in your system. Over the next couple weeks, months, years and decades the toxins accumulate with potentially major consequences. One day you may wonder why all of a sudden you are you are sick - it was not all of a sudden at all - it was merely little changes the toxins were making in your body over the years - a little at a time. Think about this the next time you are buying food.


I'm not going to give you a list of foods that you should buy organic - this is a simple way to remember - for fruits and veggies, if you eat the skin, you should try to buy an organic version because you will not be able to wash all the pesticides and chemicals off! Peaches and potatoes are two big ones that you should buy organically - they absorb a lot of the chemicals very easily! If you do not eat the skin, it is ok to buy it non-organic, for instance, bananas, avocado, mango, pineapple, asparagus, and onion.
  

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