Organic organic organic. That's all you hear about right!? Well it's for good reason. You're here because you want to eat organic or you already are. We all have our own reasons for choosing organic foods and products. (Most of those reasons are the same I'm gonna assume, but I decided I've give you my take on it). Here's why I eat organic and strive to only feed my children organic.
(If you're reading this you probably know all of this, if you're not an organic fan yet, hopefully I can change your mind)
Before I had children, my husband was very amendment about only buying organic and non-GMO products. (This was about 8 years ago). I was oblivious to what GMO's were and didn't fully understand why we should eat organic. I was merely frustrated at his refusal to go to our local grocery store to buy groceries. He would only buy organic, which at the time was almost impossible to find at a local retailer. So we drove (and we still do) to a Whole Foods or similar store to shop. Then a few years later the documentary FOOD Inc. came out. I watched it and it changed my world. I was disgusted at the lack of knowledge I had. How could I be ingesting foods with so many fillers, preservatives, pesticides, GMO's, hormones, antibiotics, and other unnecessary ingredients? Why is our country ingesting meats from animals that are so ill, they are pumped full of antibiotics? I decided it was time to educate myself and understand what I was eating. (At this time I was working as a regional marketing director for a major pizza chain. I won't name names).
The economy tanked around that time, and I decided to go back to school to become a RN. I loved learning about the body in depth and how our health is so affected by not only how active we are, but mainly what we're putting into our bodies. Switching job fields into an area I can focus on health and wellness was the best decision I ever made. My passion for health and wellness was now my job.
Years later we started our family. Organic food was the only option for our kids as well. Why you ask? Well here's my top reasons:
1) Pestacides - WHY why why would anyone want to ingest them willingly? More than 600 active chemicals are registered for agricultural use in the US. This equates to billions of pounds a year. The average application equates to about 16 pounds of chemical pesticides per person every year. Many of these chemicals were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before extensive diet testing.
2) Avoid GMO's - Genetically engineered (GE) food and genetically modified organisms (GMO) are contaminating our food supply and fast! The repercussions are currently beyond our understanding but there is much speculation that they are causing ailments and illnesses. (Which I completely agree with) What's even scaryier GMO foods do not have to be labeled in America! Which is why you see Non GMO or GMO free labels on many organic brands. Organic grown food cannot be genetically modified in any way, choosing organic is the only way to be sure that foods that have been genetically engineered stay out of your diet. Who needs food from a lab right!? (Vermont is actively trying to change these rules, and hopefully the rest of the nation follows).
3) Avoid Hormones, Antibiotics and other drugs in animal products: I once read that tens of millions of pounds of antibiotics are used in animal feed every year and 70% of the antibiotics produced in the US are fed to animals as a prophylaxis and for non-therapeutic purposes. Why? The idea is to keep the cows, chickens, turkeys etc, healthy before they go to slaughter. What this has caused is new "super bugs" and strains of virulent bacterias that antibiotics don't work on. Scary beyond words. Conventional meat and dairy are the highest risk foods for contamination.
Added hormones to make our animals "bigger and better" are being ingested by kids, adults, the elderly and even babies (formula isn't even safe!). The effects this has on the endocrine system (your hormones) is causing new health concerns that were not a concern before this practice began.
Personal story: In 2013 I lost my father after a 10 week hard fought battle with the Flu, sepsis, narcotizing streptococcal pneumonia and ARDS. He developed bacterial strains that were resistant to antibiotics which rendered modern medicine helpless. Knowing that there was nothing to do to help him combat these super bugs was the most helpless I've ever felt, in my life. This may explain a bit more about my passion on this topic and why we need to push for antibiotic free everything! (Check your hand soaps, antibacterials, even toothpaste for Triclosan - an antibiotic in disguise found in tons of consumer products).
4) Protect our ecosystems and reduce pollution: It's all about sustainability in the long term. Organic farming aims to produce food while establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. Hence the lack of need to use harmful pesticides and other toxins on our food. Organic agriculture takes a proactive approach as opposed to treating problems after they emerge. Pesticide drift affects non-farm communities with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey, according to Science magazine, August, 2002. Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things.
5) Keep our children and future safe: Put your money where your mouth is! (BUT use coupons to help you save money while doing it.) This is a powerful position to help take on the $1 trillion food industry market in America. Spending dollars in the organic sector is a direct vote for a sustainable future for the many generations to come!
Help spread the word will ya!? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Hopefully I helped at least one person with this post.
Also posted on OrganicTalks.com
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