Food Part III - Do You Need To Go Organic?

This week Walmart said it as going to become more health conscious for it's customers and have more choices to include organic. Great!

We all know organic isn't cheap. So today we're going to ask a couple questions.

1. Can you lead a healthy life without going organic?
2. Is organic always better?

Before I get into my writing, it's good to define here what makes something organic. Organic.org states,
Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. 

So if you're reading a label and wonder if it's organic, the ingredients in the items must be at least made with 70% organic according the USDA. There's also the view of non-GMO's too (Genetically Modified Organisms). We'll talk about GMO's later.

Answer #1. Yes you can lead a healthy life without going organic. However, you need to get picky. Why? First thing is to read labels. If you're going to buy canned veggies, look at the label and see what's in it. Lots of canned veggies and fruit have things in it which we don't need  (sugar, citric acid, salt, and preservatives). Look for items that have simplicity to them: veggies and water. Boom! Done! If you like things like manufactured foods, look at the label...again! Many manufactured foods have so many things in them which I can't even pronounce. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, don't buy it. Why put that into your body if you have no idea if it's healthy for you! You can make the lasagna cheaper and just as easy as buying Stouffers. And you know what's in it. Many grocery stores have make and takes which are healthy and easy to do. Try those too. Nothing chemically enhanced about that. Alright, I know you're wondering about my husband's favorite side dish: Tater Tots. Again, look at the labels. You can eat those things and there isn't many ingredients in them, but be safe and read the labels. Milk falls on the same lines, read the label.

Fresh veggies are another item people consider when going organic. You can buy regular veggies that aren't organic. Eating fresh is good! If you know where they come from (i.e. the farm) that's a good thing and if you trust them, that's even better. Here in PA there are many farm stands are around where you can buy amazing things fresh.

Be picky about things that "seem" healthy. For example: yogurt. There are so many out there. Look for ones that have the least ingredients and no sugar. If you want fruit, add it yourself.

Answer #2. Yes organic is better. Why? Look at all the things that your food is grown in above! Locally one of the farmers uses, pesticides but also human and animal sludge! Ewwww! Even though human and animal poo is natural, they add chemicals to it which make it gross. Also, veggies, nuts, and fruits that come from seeds or trees can be genetically modified in a lab. Apples of many varieties are created from splicing different apples together thus creating a new variety. You can tell if a veggie has been genetically modified; they have imperfections. Green peppers are the easiest. If they have three bumps their male, four bumps are female. More than four, a freak show.

My husband is a big organic guy. If it has pesticides, GMO's etc, he doesn't care. But at the same time his body can handle it too. Mine can't. If it's genetically modified, my body expels it fast. My body can't handle the chemicals and pesticides so I have to be organic. I make many of my food from scratch to include butter and yogurt (so easy and quick).

Bottom line, it's your choice on how you want to eat. If you can't afford organic, be smart. This market is growing and personally I think it might take over the majority of the grocery store. Remember what I say, be smart what you put down your pie hole.