Organic crops are better for you: Simply from the standpoint that ANY form of chemicals can have a negative impact on your body.
Heavy use of pesticides has an effect on the soil … good soil health is essential for good bacteria, and good bacteria is something our gut truly needs. Your family’s health is not the only reason to choose to shop organic – buying or growing your own organic is good for the environment more so than pesticide and herbicide use.
What Are Organic Products?
Organic products are grown and processed without synthetic pesticides, irradiation, chemical food additives, industrial solvents, and antibiotics. In some cases they might be two or three times the cost of traditional products due to a gap in demand & supply.
Organic products are better for you as they are higher in nutrients, free of neurotoxins, and thus the risk of cancer from organic produce is much less than that of traditional. The best place to pick up organic produce is right in your own backyard from your garden. But if you don’t have a garden, then the farmers market or CSA is the best option.
So how can you differentiate organic produce versus traditional? Here are some tips:
1. Organic Produce will never be extraordinarily large in shape.
2. No two organic produce items will be identical (in fact, in most cases they will be oddly different).
3 – Organic food has more flavor, therefore you won’t need to season it as much as traditional food.
4. Organic food is less acidic than traditional produce – therefore easier on your gut (your body should be between 6 – 7.2 in terms of pH balance)
5. Organic food like legumes, rice, and lentils may get worms after just a few months – that is because they are not sprayed with chemicals designed to make them last longer.
6. Pesticide laden fruits/veggies seem to take longer to cook than regular traditional produce.
7. Since Organic food is less acidic, your gut and digestive tract stays healthier, longer supporting your natural immunity.
8. Reference the stickers on the produce to determine if they are indeed organic.
- 4 digits: Grown with the use of pesticides
- 5 digits, starting with an “8”: Genetically modified (GMO)
- 5 digits, starting with a “9”: Grown organically and not genetically modified
Is Organic really worth the Additional Cost?
Although each of us is different, our unique bodies react different to the chemicals we ingest and use topically – although they may seem trivial and small, over time, the toxicity build up can have adverse effects. Perhaps the items you do ingest have some effect on your health now, if not at some point in your lifetime.
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