With the problems in our environment today, its no wonder that health conscious people are turning to an organic lifestyle. Living organic means that you are using products and eating foods that are grown, produced, and made without the use of artificial chemicals or processes.
Most people start an organic lifestyle by looking for,and buying organic foods. Most grocery stores have organic sections where you can find these foods. Produce, dairy, and meats all come in the organic varieties. These foods are claimed to be healthier, and to taste better. It is also claimed that organic products are better for your individual health, and for the environment.
Your body, in ideal conditions, is a well tuned, self healing, biochemical miracle. So doesn’t it make sense to keep the food you eat healthy and to make sure the products you use are free from man-made chemicals and other destructive ingredients?
Buying certified organic products means that what you get is hopefully free of pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, bio-engineering and anything else companies do to the foods they produce. You get a healthy, natural product that you can feel good about eating or feeding to your loved ones.
Probably the best way to be free of the bad stuff is to buy local, but, you obviously cannot avoid imported produce such as fruit and vegetables out of season in your area. So make sure you treat these imported items and wash them carefully. If local products are available, so much the better, and if you can grow some of your basic food requirements yourself then you are well ahead in the game.
Maybe you think you need more reasons to look closer to home for the things you eat. If so, read “The US President’s Cancer Panel Report”. This landmark report so strongly worded that it stunned even the environmental health community with its findings, the President’s Cancer Panel explicitly urges President Obama to “remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.” As Marla Cone writes in Environmental Health News, Environmental Health News, the report, the first since the Panel was created in 1971 to focus on environmental causes of cancer, declares: “The true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated.
Grocery stores aren’t the only way to get organic foods. Many local farmers use green practices, but don’t want to take the time or money to get certified. Shop at your local farmer’s market, or if you are lucky enough to have one, a local farm. At least locally you have some latitude on your own behalf. You can talk to the grower!!
In any event – buying organic food is becoming easier all the time. The USDA is taking the guess work out of choosing foods by setting regulations and requirements on the labeling of food as organic whether grown in the country, or imported from abroad. Companies that claim to produce organic food must be inspected by private and state agencies certified by the USDA. Those individuals found falsely marketing a food as organic can face serious fines.
Buying organic food is perceived to be more expensive. However, the increasing demand for organic food is slowly helping to lower costs, making it more budget friendly. Organic farmers don’t receive subsidies from the government. Traditional farmers might receive subsidies, allowing them to grow larger crops, and lower their unit costs of production.Organic farmers must grow what nature allows, and price their produce high enough to keep themselves in business. The cost of buying organic is the actual cost of growing the product.
Remember that chemicals that get into the environment, and additional health care issues can increase the tax burden on consumers. Where-as Organic foods tend to produce less waste and less clean-up expenses. These additional hidden cost might be added to the cost of conventional food. It’s reasonable to say though that organic producers, through taxation, also share in these expenses.
Buying organic does not mean you have to live on a diet that consists solely of fruits and vegetables. Organic meats come from animals that are fed foods without antibiotics or hormones. Organic cheeses are made from cows that are fed a grass only diet rather than confined and fed grains.
You can Grow your own and in fact you can preserve and store your own. All you need is a little dirt and some seeds. For those people who don’t have yards to grow their own fruits and vegetables, window boxes are great for growing herbs, or you can use large flower pots to grow things like tomatoes. Or,if you are really serious you could start with a hydroponic garden extend the season with a greenhouse. Or co-op with some relatives or neighbors.
Although studies have yet to confirm that organic products are healthier for you, there is something to be said for eating chemical and radiation free foods. Organic food is grown in harmony with its natural surroundings, and has been found in some studies to contain more nutrients and vitamins since the plants are allowed to grow as nature intended.
While personal taste is subjective, many find organic food to taste better as well. Try some for yourself and see what you think.
Choosing the green or organic lifestyle isn’t an easy thing to do. We have become accustomed to the luxuries of every day life that processing and chemicals have provided for us. However, the benefits of living organic far outweigh the inconveniences. By living organic today, you help to make sure there is a world for the children of tomorrow.
But don’t expect to solve all the worlds problems by growing a few veggies in the backyard. As I am sitting here writing this – the ice caps are melting, millions of gallons of crude are leaking into the Gulf of Mexico,the Amazon rain forests are being destroyed. There’s a good sized island of plastic waste floating in the middle of the Pacific,and every oil well that was ever drilled is burning off natural gas and spewing hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and have been for years. A volcano in Iceland is spewing out tons of whatever, into the skies over some very bio-sensitive and environmentally responsibly countries.
Let’s just keep in mind that the little guy doesn’t mean a whole lot these days. “Profit Trumps Science” We should know that by now.
Living organic means thumbing your nose to the establishment. At least it feels a bit like that! Growing our own veggies and fruit can be good for the body – and the soul, as can using personal care and beauty products that are made without harmful chemicals. Makeup made with minerals, essential oils, or plant waxes is much better for your skin’s health than makeup made with synthetic chemicals and petroleum. Lotions and creams are made with green tea extracts, aloe vera, or a variety of other products.
When picking out furniture for your home, you also have the option for living organic. Wood furniture ( try not to think of where the wood comes from), can be finished with organic stains, or bee’s wax. Any fabrics, upholstery, or carpeting should be free of flame retardants. Materials such as wool, hemp, and cotton are naturally flame retardant, and don’t pose the risks that flame retardant chemicals do to the environment and your children.
We all like to have a clean, fresh smelling home. Unfortunately, living organic does not allow for all of those chemicals and fragrances found in most homes. Thankfully, many companies are now making cleaners and air fresheners that are organic. These environmentally friendly products work just as well as their chemical based counterparts but are better for you, your family, and the environment.
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