Friday, January 13, 2012

When to Eat Organic

 If you are just starting to eat healthier foods, I would not worry about eating organic at first. Your first priorities should be to eliminate junk food from your diet and start eating more fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks. There are people who only buy organic foods, but guess what – they could still be filling their bodies with junk.

Organic foods, under the United States Department of Agriculture's definition, are free of synthetic substances; contain no antibiotics and hormones; have not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; were raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contain no genetically modified ingredients.

This is all fine and dandy but when you're eating organic cheese puffs you are still eating junk food!  I'm completely guilty of this, by the way, those organic cheese puffs are some of my all-time favorite snacks – but, like many of you out there, I have tried to begin changing my ways. My point is, there are tons of organic products that are just as horrible for you as their non-organic counterparts. 


Health expert, Jillian Michaels, talked about eating organic in one of her recent podcasts. She is a huge advocate for eating organic for, what I consider to be, all of the right reasons. She does not want to ingest all of those extra hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals that are often found in conventional foods. But, you might ask, organic food is expensive, right? This is true in a lot of cases, so you have to find your balance. Jillian says if you have any expendable income, and you’re interested in being healthy and keeping chemicals out of your body, you should use it to buy organic foods. I think this is a great tip and it has stuck with me. I think what’s most important is that you find balance in your budget to include organics. In the end, it’s your prerogative – conventional foods with all the chemicals -or- organic, natural foods eaten the way God intended without any additives.

My wife and I have been trying to buy more organic fruits, vegetables, and meat lately and you can really tell the difference with some of them!  I think many of them taste better, sure,  every once in a while they don't, but I can rest assured that I'm not pumping my body full of all those man-made chemicals in conventional foods. I'm still not eating entirely organic foods yet and I’m having a hard time convincing my wife it’s worth the extra money that could be spent on books and clothes and other girly things, but it's a work in progress.

Here's a short list on why I think we should eat organic: (Remember, I’m only human and my reasons are  based on a lot of personal research and a passion for a healthier, better life.)
1) Free of pesticides (contain neurotoxins that damage brain and nerve cells)
2) Higher in nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy minerals
3) Earth-supportive (a lot of modern agricultural practices are dangerous for the environment)
4) Support local/small farmers
5) Lower your cancer risk
6) Free of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals

Let us know! Are you eating a healthy diet? Do you avoid all of those processed foods in the middle aisles at the grocery store? Do you eat anything organic?