Back to Basics

Human bodies consist of things found in nature. We find sodium and potassium in our cells without placing it there. We find calcium that makes up our bones, and water that keeps us hydrated the day we are born. Before mass production in the 80's, people took time to farm food, take care of their cows, and meet their customers. The 70's weren't just a happy time because of all the drugs going around; we had home cooked meals to come to after a hard day's work. Once frozen foods and mass production came along, the sentiment of sitting down for a nice dinner with the family was some how lost. TV dinners became the thing, and we started to not care what the heck was in the ingredients list, as long as it tasted good. 



There are truly only two categories: Conventional and Organic.


The number one reason to go organic should be for your Health. 


A simple graph from the Mayo Clinic can help define exactly how organic food (and products) can increase the level of your health. 

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

Conventional 

The conventional way of producing food focuses on mass amount, profit, and affordability (or so it seems). Being "Green" can actually generate profit, as seen here quoted by  Michael Aghajanian, former CEO of management consulting firm PRTM: “In the ’80s, the mindset was that you could have either quality or low cost, but not both. That has been proven false. Sustainability runs parallel to that thinking. The things you can do to be sustainable can create a lower-cost environment.” 

Why would you want chemicals in your body? Some consumers claim you will build up a tolerance, well they're wrong because it's called cancer. Check out the very first cause: "Benzene and other chemicals." Yay, let's put a crude oil in our bodies, which can also be found in cigarettes. Yum! 

Organic

  

The organic way of producing food can be seen displayed by the happy images above. The environment helps itself, such as using healthy ways to reduce insects. Organic farmers use ladybugs to eat the bad bugs that contaminate our food. They are void of cancer-causing chemicals and additives, protecting the phytonutrients.  We need all the nutrition we can get from what we eat. Eat a salad and some fruit instead of relying on a One-a-Day vitamin (also made from chemicals) to get your body satisfied. 

If you google nutrition and organic foods you will come across many poor studies

that claim organic foods have the same amount of nutrients as conventional foods, but by the information stated above you can already tell what will hurt you in the foods that are sold by mass production in your local supermarket. Last week at the farmers market I heard a customer say, "why are all of these grapefruits marked up and shaped weird?" The organic farmer said, "If it looks perfect, it's not good; it's not organic." The customer then laughed and the farmer said, "No seriously. Those ones at the super market are washed, waxed, and take two weeks to get to the back of your local store. We picked these early this morning at dawn to get them to you." 

That put a smile on my face and I gladly bought 2 grapefruits to eat that day for a healthy snack.