How your food is grown or raised can have a major impact on your mental and emotional health as well as the environment. Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives may find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods.
Organic produce contains fewer pesticides.Chemicals such assyntheticfungicides, herbicides, and insecticides are widely used in conventional agriculture and residues remain on (and in) the food we eat.
Organic food is often fresherbecause it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it last longer. Organic produce is sometimes (but not always, so watch where it is from) produced on smaller farms nearer to where it is sold.
Organic farming tends to be better for the environment.Organic farming practices may reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy. Farming without synthetic pesticides is also better for nearby birds and animals as well as people who live close to farms.
Organic food is GMO-free. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) foods are plants whose DNA has been altered in ways that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding, most commonly in order to be resistant to pesticides or produce an insecticide.
The benefits of locally grown food
Financial:Money stays within the local economy. More money goes directly to the farmer, instead of to things like marketing and distribution.
Transportation:In the U.S., for example, the average distance a meal travels from the farm to the dinner plate is over 1,500 miles. Produce must be picked while still unripe and then gassed to “ripen” it after transport. Or the food is highly processed in factories using preservatives, irradiation, and other means to keep it stable for transport.
Freshness:Local food is harvested when ripe and thus fresher and full of flavor.
Some small local farmers use organic methods but may not be able to afford to become certified organic. Visit the Tulsa area farmer’s markets to talk with a farmer and learn more about their methods.
What are the possible risks of pesticides?
Most of us have an accumulated build-up of pesticide exposure in our bodies due to numerous years of exposure. This chemical “body burden” as it is medically known could lead to health issues such as headaches, birth defects, and added strain on weakened immune systems.
Some studies have indicated that the use of pesticides even at low doses canincrease the risk of certain cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Children and fetuses are most vulnerableto pesticide exposure because their immune systems, bodies, and brains are still developing. Exposure at an early age may cause developmental delays, behavioral disorders, autism, immune system harm, and motor dysfunction.
Pregnant women are more vulnerabledue to the added stress pesticides put on their already taxed organs. Plus, pesticides can be passed from mother to child in the womb, as well as through breast milk.
The widespread use of pesticides has also led to the emergence of“super weeds”and“super bugs,”which can only be killed with extremely toxic poisons like 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (a major ingredient in Agent Orange).
Know your produce pesticide levels
Some types of conventionally-grown produce are much higher in pesticides than others, and should be avoided when possible. Others are low enough that buying non-organic is relatively safe.
Fruits and vegetables where the organic label matters most
According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that analyzes the results of government pesticide testing in the U.S., the following fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide levels, so are best to buy organic:
Apples - Sweet Bell Peppers - Cucumbers - Celery - Potatoes - Grapes - Cherry Tomatoes - Kale/Collard Greens
Summer Squash - Imported Nectarines - Peaches - Spinach - Strawberries - Hot Peppers
Other ways to keep the cost of organic food within your budget
Shop at farmers’ markets.Many cities, as well as small towns, host a weekly farmers’ market, where local farmers sell their produce at an open-air street market, often at a discount to grocery stores.
Join a food co-op.A natural foods co-op, or cooperative grocery store typically offers lower prices to members, who pay an annual fee to belong
Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm,in which individuals and families join up to purchase “shares” of produce in bulk, directly from a local farm. Localandorganic!
Organic food buying tips
Buy in season.Fruits and vegetables are cheapest and freshest when they are in season. Find out when produce is delivered to your market so you’re buying the freshest food possible.
Shop around.Compare the price of organic items at the grocery store, the farmers’ market, online, and in other venues (even the freezer aisle).
Remember that organic doesn’t always equal healthy.Making junk food sound healthy is a common marketing ploy in the food industry but organic baked goods, desserts, and snacks are usually still very high in sugar, salt, fat, or calories. It pays to read food labels carefully. Source
