Sunday, October 14, 2012

Why eat organic?

Why eat organic?

My answer is simple, the impact of toxins on your health.   A short explanation, eating conventional products may save  a little money right now but can create big problems for your body and your bank account later.  You will spend way more then the savings right now on doctors and treatments  later.  When you eat non organic products you are ingesting numerous types of toxins including all types of pesticides and  fertilizers.   This is bad but what is way worse when you eat non-organic animal products, you are eating all the hormones, antibiotics and  powerful drugs that is given to those animals.   The modern factory farm treats animals horribly and the only way they can stay alive is to pump them full of drugs.  These drugs end up in your body with all the side effects that come from the drugs.  What is amazing is that studies have shown that some types of fish have high levels of Prozac and other anti-depressants, these and other drugs do not simply go away when you flush the toilet but work their way through the food chain ending up concentrated in the apex animal, Humans.  Eating organic does not solve all these problems, but it is a great first step to eliminating the modern world's toxins from your body.  Our bodies will, at first, work double time to keep us alive under such unfavorable conditions. However, the body overtired by so much work, will begin to accumulate waste as best as it can, instead of pushing it out. This waste matter is usually stored where it does not interfere with vital life processes. In the long run thought, the waste build-up grows to an unmanageable amount, resulting in problems such as cancer and heart disease, and a life-threatening condition ensues.   In addition for women it is especially important to eat organic because we can pass these pesticides and toxins to our unborn child during fetal development. These toxins have been linked to all types of health problem including birth defects.  New studies are showing links from the toxins in your body to cancer, neurological disorders, hormonal problems, autism, gestational diabetes and more.


Eating organic can cost a little more but consider that you are already dealing with a lot of toxins in your body and to introduce more, in the form of  refined food,  the pesticides and fertilizers used  to grow vegetables and fruits, the powerful drugs given to the animals we eat,  hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs can cause serious problems now and in the future. 

I am often asked if you are on a budget what are the most important things to eat organic.  By far the most important are animal products, specifically meat.  Chicken and beef are two the most widely consumed animal products and also two that contain the most amount of drugs and chemicals.  A close second is dairy.  Conventional milk is one of the most adulterated substances sold in the supermarket, the average dairy cow is pumped full of chemicals to maximize milk production.  This is good for the farmers bottom line but not for your body.  I would say eggs are another area to focus on, just as dairy cows are manipulated for milk, hens are manipulated to maximize egg laying.  You need to be very careful with eggs as they can contain all types of toxins.    After these animal products there are certain vegetables and fruits that are heavily coated with pesticides.,  According to studies  by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the foods to pay particular attention to are:

1. Nectarines – 97.3% of nectarines sampled were found to contain pesticides.
2.   Celery – 94.5% of celery sampled were found to contain pesticides.
3.   Pears – 94.4% of pears sampled were found to contain pesticides.
4.   Peaches – 93.7% of peaches sampled were found to contain pesticides.
5.   Apples – 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides.
6.   Cherries – 91% of cherries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
7. Strawberries – 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
8.  Imported Grapes – 86% of imported grapes (i.e. Chile) sampled were found to contain pesticides.
9.   Spinach – 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides.
10.Potatoes – 79.3% of potatoes sampled were found to contain pesticides.
11.Bell Peppers – 68% of bell peppers sampled were found to contain pesticides.
12.Red Raspberries – 59% of red raspberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.


   This is not an exhaustive list, but a general guideline.  Organic foods are not perfect but are certainly a needed step in the right direction. 

Shop in farmer's markets, it can help you to find better prices as well as seasonal and local products, which will allow you to eat fresher because the products do not travel around the world before you put them in your mouth.  Eating organic also helps our environment, the planet and future generations.










Some of the farmer's markets around NY:


What's on my food (website to check)


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