Don’t Panic Over Organic

For awhile now I have been glossing over this whole organic thing. Apparently I have tunnel vision on things like this, and when I try to justify why I have never made the effort to learn more about my organic options, I end up with, “I’ve never eaten organic, and I’m healthy, so what’s the big deal?” It’s more expensive, harder to find and spoils much faster than general options due to a lack of preservatives. It didn’t seem to make basic logical sense, and I included it with my thoughts on vegetarian/probiotic/vegan lifestyles: I have nothing against those choices, I just know nothing about them. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Since the organic foods industry has continued to grow in leaps and bounds, I finally took the time to look into this phenomenon. After spending some time online doing research, it is pretty hard to deny that pesticides in your food are being directly linked to “birth defects, nerve damage, cancer and other effects that might occur over a long period of time.” And that’s straight from the website for the Environmental Protection Agency. Wow. I suppose this might explain that although our medicine is more advanced than ever, our society is plagued by more types of illnesses than ever before as well.

The benefits of buying organic products – other than your health – include being generally better for the environment In terms of the soil, water and wildlife and your purchases support small farmers. Additionally, if you are buying heirloom tomatoes from Farmer Jethro down the street, that full effort probably left a much smaller carbon footprint than those tomatoes imported off a ship from another country you can buy at the local grocery chain.

However, there is a significant amount of information overload out there on this topic. Because of this, I am consolidating the vital details to hopefully simplify the process for selecting your everyday essentials. What should you be buying organic? What is not worth it? Let me also add a disclaimer that this list is for protecting our physical health specifically. The environmental benefits mentioned above are relevant for all organic products, no matter the effect on your personal health. It goes without saying that if organic products were sold in abundance and for the same price, we’d automatically switch to 100% organic. Since I haven’t won the lottery lately, I need to spend wisely.

Organic Products “worth the money”:

• Nectarines
• Celery
• Pears
• Peaches
• Apples
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Imported grapes
• Spinach / Kale / Leafy Greens
• Potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Red raspberries
• Carrots
• Tomatoes (**have recently been found to be on the “clean” list – perhaps due to excessive attention?)
• Meat
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Baby food

Don’t bother (aka either not enough harmful toxins to make a difference, the product has a protective skin that is generally removed before consuming, or the product grows so fast that pesticides aren’t needed):

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papayas
• Pineapples
• Sweet peas
• Sweet potatoes
• Watermelon
• Breads
• Oils
• Potato Chips
• Pasta
• Cereals
• Canned & Dried Fruits & Veggies
• Seafood (no organic certification exists)
• Cosmetics (labels not always correct anyway)

Some general information:

• Definition:
  • Animals have not been treated with: antibiotics, growth hormones, or feed made from animal byproducts.
  • Animals must have been fed organic feed for at least a year.
  • Animals must have access to the outdoors.
  • Food hasn’t been genetically modified or irradiated.
  • Fertilizer does not contain sewage sludge or synthetic ingredients.
  • Produce hasn’t been contaminated with synthetic chemicals used as pesticides.
  • Organic Meats come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.
  • Organic dairy cows cannot be fed with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rBST.
  • Organic coffee cannot be grown or processed with the use of potentially hazardous chemicals. (“Fair Trade Certified” states the sales support farmers who are paid well and treated fairly.)
• Labeling:
  • “100% Organic”: Product must contain 100 percent organic ingredients.
  • “Organic”: At least 95 percent of ingredients are organically produced.
  • “Made with Organic Ingredients”: At least 70 percent of ingredients are organic. The remaining 30 percent must come from the USDA’s approved list.
  • “Free-range” or “Free-roaming”: Misleading term applied to chicken, eggs and other meat. The animal did not necessarily spend a good portion of its life outdoors. The rule states only that outdoor access be made available for “an undetermined period each day.” U.S. government standards are weak in this area.
  • “Natural” or “All Natural”: Does not mean organic. There is no standard definition for this term except with meat and poultry products. (USDA defines “natural” as not containing any artificial flavoring, colors, chemical preservatives, or synthetic ingredients). The claim is not verified. The producer or manufacturer alone decides whether to use it.
    

    The Little Seed carries eco-friendly and organic children's products.

One additional thought…there is an industry gaining momentum regarding organic clothing, specifically for children and babies. I know we want the best for tomorrow’s leaders – but is all this expensive clothing necessary? Cotton is grown with a considerable amount of pesticides, and from what I have found in my “research” organic clothes, blankets, etc. are generally softer and cause less irritation to the skin. And that is a good thing, since those of us still in our developing stages need as few complications as possible. Will that non-organic blanket your Aunt Beth knit for your son make him sick? No, it won’t. Will he prefer the softer organic blanket you received as a gift at your baby shower? Absolutely. I know I would.

I suppose now I should start looking into the vegetarian/probiotic/vegan reasonings…so I can at least have an opinion.