Day 2 working out was great - I felt drastically more energetic, so glad today was better! Now I would like to tackle a subject I have been milling about in my head for quite some time! I wanted to put together a simple guide to buying organic for the not-so-organically inclined consumer. Definition: me. I want to be smart about my purchases, the purse strings are tight for all of us (where the hell did that saying come from), and I can’t afford to spend extra money on food that really isn’t worth it.
First of all, here is a list that contrasts the differences between a conventional farmer and an organic farmer:
Conventional farmers
1 - Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.
2 - Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.
3 - Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
4 - Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. And use irradiation to preserve foods. Organic Farmers
1 - Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
2 - Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
3 - Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
4 - Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.
Here is a list I adapted from http://www.organicconsumers.org/ that demonstrates the vast benefits of going organic; each of the highlighted words is a link to a related page:
1 - Organic food doesn't contain food additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.
2 - Organic food doesn't contain pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, may be responsible for early puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.
3 - Organic food isn't genetically modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are prohibited.
4 - Organic animals aren't given drugs. Organic farming standards prohibit the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified vaccines in farm animals. Hormone-laced beef and dairy consumption is correlated with increased rates of breast, testis and prostate cancers.
5 - Organic animals aren't fed slaughterhouse waste, blood, or manure. Eating organic reduces the risks of CJD, the human version of mad cow disease, as well as Alzheimer's.
6 - Organic animals aren't fed arsenic.
7 - Organic crops aren't fertilized with toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, or irrigated with E. coli contaminated sewage water.
8 - Organic food isn't irradiated. Cats fed a diet of irradiated food got multiple sclerosis within 3-4 months.
After I clicked on all of those little links and went from website to website to website pouring over the ugly truth about the food I have been eating I halfway decided I wanted to stop eating meat altogether.
Now that we all have a better understanding of what the difference between non-organic and organic foods are, here are some tips on what you should spend the extra cash on and what foods just aren’t worth it (adapted from an article on http://www.smartmoney.com/):
Worth It
Fruits: Apples, cherries, grapes, pears, berries, peaches, nectarines, plums
Vegetables: Celery, potatoes, spinach, bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, green beans
Meat/Dairy: Beef, pork, poultry, eggs and dairy
Other: Baby food
Not Worth It
Fruits: Bananas, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, pineapples, oranges
Vegetables: Asparagus, avocados, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, onions, sweet peas
Meat/Dairy: Seafood
Other: Processed food (chips, pasta, etc.), cleaning products, cosmetics
Lastly, before you decide to head to your local organic food store, make sure you check the label:
100% Organic: Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients.
Organic: Must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
Made with organic products: Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
All Natural: Any product labeled with this does not contain organic ingredients, in effect this is a way that companies try to trick you into buying food by making you think it is organic.
I hope that all of this information was educational! I will be making a trip to my local organic grocery store (Sunflower Shoppe) on Friday or Saturday!
Happy shopping :)
Heather |
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