Why Organic?

This is a question I hear often.  I realize it's more expensive, but what if it decreased your medical bills in the future?  If you knew it would prevent disease, would I have your attention?  Well studies indicate that eating organic does help prevent life threatening disease such as cancer.  Or another way to say it is that eating commercial (non-organic) could contribute to life threatening disease.  Let me explain.

Did you know that there are over 1000 chemicals and pesticides approved by the FDA for use in our food and beverages?!^  According to PAN (Pesticide Action Network), pesticides can have a cumulative "toxic loading" effect, both immediate and long term. Each person accumulates and responds to chemicals in a way that is unique.  They describe that from birth, we have a build up of chemical "body burden".  Accumulation of these toxins in our body is thought to be a contributor to disease.  This would lead us to believe that reducing or eliminating the "toxic load" of chemicals would reduce our chance for cancer and other health issues such as immune deficiencies.  

One of my favorite sources for all food and supplement nutrition as well as overall health is  Dr. Andrew Weil .  This link will take you to his page on "fruits and vegetables you should always buy organic".  For your convenience here is the list: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines (imported), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas (imported), and potatoes.

That said, an even bigger issue is with meat, poultry, dairy and eggs.  According to prevention.com, 90% of the pesticides we consume come from the fat and tissue of these food categories.  And unfortunately, there is a lot more to worry about when you consider the impact of eating non-organic animal products.  Not only are animals fed other animals and pesticide ridden grains.  They are also factory farmed*, and given antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids which are not approved for human consumption.  By ingesting these unknown and unwanted 'drugs' we are wreaking havoc on our bodies.    

When buying vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to buy organic.  It would not be realistic to think that you can convert to 100% organic.  But every change is a step in the right direction.  When I do health counseling with people who have young children, I tell them the number one change I recommend is to buy organic milk (if they insist on drinking dairy milk).  More in milk alternatives in a future issue!  

I realize that health is very subjective and there are many 'theories'.  I suggest doing your own research, weigh the options and determine your priorities.  Your choices today could make the difference in your health (and medical bills) in the future!

In good health,

Jackie

^Source FDA Glossary of Pesticide Chemicals
*Factory farming: A system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.

Are you eating for "life"?

I know, "are you eating for life"...that sounds very dramatic and draconian, but I truly believe we make the choice to 'eat for life', the alternative not needing to be called out...  Have you ever wondered "does this food choice have redeeming value to my body"?  

I have a food pyramid which I use for conversations with clients and at seminars.  It's not your typical food pyramid - eat this, don't eat that - but rather challenging the quality of food choices.  

The idea here is that most of America's diet (aka SAD*) consists of foods which have no nutritional or redeeming value in our bodies except for momentary gratification. Now as fun as that is, you are doing yourself no favors.  These DISEASE** foods consist of fast-food, fried food, soda, foods with hydrogenated oils (look for the word 'hydrogen' in any form), high number of sugars, artificial colors and many more.   These foods cause, exacerbate or promote bad health leading to disease.  

The middle section and the largest of our intake 'should' be MAINTAIN.  This consists of healthy foods which include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and organic lean meat and dairy.  These foods will maintain your good health, keeping your body fueled for work, exercise and enjoying quality of life.

The top section is HEAL.  These are foods that you consciously seek for healing your body.  By healing I mean transforming your health with food.  Did you know that is possible?!  This category includes many super-foods such as green tea, kale and other leafy greens, blueberries, wild caught salmon, quinoa, +70% cocoa, gogi berries, and many more.  The key here is to eat organic or the best quality available.  Pesticides wreak havoc on our system and very little has been published on the long term impact.  I would venture to say we are seeing the impact of all those hidden chemicals in our foods (more on that in the next issue).  By the way, the list does not include any meat, dairy or sugar, sorry! 

So for today, I challenge you to start thinking like this, and I bet that you will find that you make much better choices, and perhaps only the occasional slip, which will be a conscious decision.

In good health,
Jackie

*Standard American Diet
**Disease in this case is any debilitating physical ailment including but not limited to obesity, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, IBS, etc.

Coming next:  Why organic?



I am a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I received a certification in Holistic Health Counseling