The Benefits of Organic Eating

There's been a lot of talk about organic eating and organic foods lately. Eating "organic" means that produce is grown without the use of pesticides and harmful fertilizers and animal products such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones. Organically grown foods often times have higher nutritional value and many people, including many top chefs, believe that the taste is superior too.

Shopping at farmers markets is a great way to eat organic food while supporting your local economy. Organic eating can be more expensive, but is it worth the extra money to you to buy food that isn't tainted with chemicals and pesticides?

If you're still not convinced organic eating is worth it, consider the issues with food that is grown with pesticides, antibiotics, and fertilizers:

Chemical pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and the GMO's used in chemically based food production are linked to the following health problems: diabetes, obesity, cancer, autism, Parkinson's disease, male sterility, genital deformities, female infertility, miscarriage, infant deformities, and ADHD. Most conventionally grown foods come from thousands of miles away and often from other countries that don't have the same food safety regulations we do. The majority of meat you get from the grocery store comes from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). These animals rarely move or see sunlight, are fed an unnatural grain-based diet instead of grass, and are pumped full of growth hormones so they can be slaughtered faster.

The Environmental Working Group identified the following fruits and vegetables on their ?Dirty Dozen? list as being contaminated with the most pesticides:

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines

7. Grapes

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collards greens

For a downloadable copy of the Dirty Dozen list click here.

Here are some additional tips for organic eating and "going green":

1. Buy locally-grown foods. Check out Local Harvest, which is an excellent resource for information about where to buy organic food. It will also show you where to find the nearest farmer's markets and food co-ops close to you.

2. Plant a garden outside and grow your own fresh produce or buy an indoor Aerogarden and you can grow your own fresh herbs and vegetables right in your own kitchen.

3. Choose all-natural, whole foods over processed foods. Processed foods take more energy to produce and have less nutritional value than whole foods.

4. Choose foods labeled "100% organic" and "organic." Foods classified as "organic" must have 95% of ingredients produced organically, according to FDA standards.

5. Check out Start-Going-Organic.com, an excellent resource with lots of great information about organic foods.

6. Eat sustainably raised food. It's the best option for your health, the animals, and the environment.

7. For more information and tips on all things organic, check out The Organic Life. Organic living is a way of life that will give you energy, happiness and the ability to lose weight. This Website provides useful and effective resources with valuable information on healthy organic eating and living. Also, the site offers relevant facts on alternative health, organic cures and organic environment.

8. Join Taste of Green, an organic lifestyle, eco-friendly community of pro-active people who are passionate about Green Living, green news, and local organic shopping.

Next: Eating Sustainable Food

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