Better health

By JennyD

June 5, 2006 10:31 AM | Link to this

My first foray into organic was not on purpose. I was buying milk at my local Kroger and it was al expiring in less than a week so I grabbed the organic, which has a way longer shelf life. Now it’s all we buy. Plain and simple reason - It tastes better. I also plan to buy organic baby food when we have kids. I think there is something to be said for all the lactose-intolerance and acid reflux disease that is so prevalent in children nowadays. Maybe I’m being crazy, but at least there is no harm in choosing organic…other than to my wallet.

By sheesh

June 5, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this

I hate the term “organic” food. ALL food is organic. What in the hell is an “inorganic” banana? One made out of rock?

By derek

June 5, 2006 01:30 PM | Link to this

Organic is the way to go. All organic foods are not expensive, Harrys Farmers market a subs. of Whole Foods has a generic brand of Organic food called 365 it is the same price and sometimes cheaper than the kroger and publixs brands. BUT it is always always organic! We dont buy everything organic but we at least get organic veggies meat and dairy you have to balance all those chemical sin your other foods with some natural stuff too. try it for 2 weeks I promise you wont go back!

By DaveR

June 5, 2006 01:32 PM | Link to this

Non-organic food contains various pesticides, and contain less nutritional benefit than organic food. The slow impact of this combination drags down general health, making the body suseptable to infections, allergies, etc.. Any money spent on oragnic is recouped later in health costs. After eating organic for just 1 month, all traces of pesticides were purged from kids in a very recent study. Organic rules!

By Temp

June 5, 2006 02:15 PM | Link to this

I agree with JennyD. I wouldn’t buy organic food just because it’s organic, but the taste on certain foods is definitely better. Organic milk especially is far and away better than the regular stuff. Organic meats and tomatoes also tend to be much better.

However, I haven’t been able to tell any difference in organic and regular apples and most other fruits and vegetables.

By PEACHES

June 5, 2006 02:22 PM | Link to this

I love organic foods. It taste better and a lot healthier for you. Our grandmothers and grandfathers ate from the garden and were healthier and lived a lot longer without any diseases. Can I afford it? Yes to allow me to be healthier money dont matter.

By Lisa

June 5, 2006 02:29 PM | Link to this

Not all food is organic..Organic has to due with the way food is grown or how we get it. For instance, using soil that has no pesticides or chemicals in it would be one way of growning organic food either for us of for our live stock that we eat. So before one give such an ignorant question with an even ignorant answer please so some research.

By MrLiberty

June 5, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this

For those who don’t like the term “organic,” why don’t we just call the other stuff “chemically-contaminated?” Is that better?

Pesticides, chemical fertilizers and the like are not necessarily something you can taste, sense, smell, etc. They are there, and the amount that is “allowable” is up to some politically-appointed bureaucrat. The USDA is in bed with every farmer in this country. The majority of them choose to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Allowable levels of chemical residue are set for their benefit, not yours. Don’t expect the FDA to care either - remember its all the same bureaucracy.

Eating organic is the least you can do for the wonderful creation god has bestowed you with. A bit more money for orgaic produce can be easily paid for by buying less hormone and antibiotic filled meat.

Cancer is not a pretty thing. Since nobody seems to be able to say what causes every cancer, why contaminate you body with any more polutants than you need to.

Besides, organic produce prices are coming down every day. The more people demand organic the healtier the soil, water, and air become, and prices will naturally fall with increased demand met by increased supply.

Check out DeKalb Farmer’s Market on E. Ponce de Leon for the best selection in town.

By katrina

June 5, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this

i love organic but it is no longer what it should be sometimes. i have learned that some organic companies (like horizon) still farm using conventional farming methods (agri-business instead of small, sustainable farming) which means, animals eating grain, housed on concrete and wastes polluting the nearby communities as opposed to smaller, sustainable farms that handle smaller numbers of animals, dramatically reducing the amount of waste, animals grazing on grass instead of eating grain (which makes their intestines acidic - which makes them more susceptible to e-coli) and because the animals are healthier, the food is too. as for milk alone, i am sold on raw milk straight from the farm. i was an organic milk buyer until i tried low-pasteurized milk from dekalb farmers market (by farmers all natural creamery). it is not homogenized so the cream sits on top and it’s pasteurized at a lower temp so it has WAY more flavor than organic. it’s even cream colored instead of white. then i tasted raw milk and that was IT! raw milk is unpasteurized and unhomogenized and the flavor cannot be touched by organic OR low pasteurized. if you are interested in info on eating from sustainable farms or raw milk, check the web or e-mail me. www.eatwild.com has info on why organic is sometimes just a name, why if you are striving to eat healthy, you should investigate purchasing from small family farms and where local farms that sell to the public are located. www.meatrix.com has info and sources as well as two funny videos on sustainable farming. www.westonaprice.org is full of info www.breadandmoney.com is a site started by a man that was 400+ pounds and lost half of it by eating the things that we have been told that are not good for us (butter, red meat, whole milk - of course he eats vegies) from sustainable sources and how he was SEVERELY (pass out from drinking it) lactose intolerant until he drank raw milk (which he now does regularly and with gusto) there are an abundance of sources on the net for info. and if you are afraid of raw milk, the dekalb farmers market sells low-pasteurized milk that is delicious and perfect if you are “lactose intolerant”. which, by the way, does not exist. lactose intolerance comes from what is done to the milk. i know of several people (my husband, mother and a close friend included) who were “lactose intolerant” and some that had “milk allergies” (my daughter) and once they had low-pasteurized milk, they had NO PROBLEM (the problem comes from the high heat pasteurization which alters the natural proteins in the milk thereby making them harder to digest - you can read this at www.realmilk.com). in conclusion, for all who are interested in taking back and/or maintaining their health and the health of their loved ones, please check the web for info on buying fruits, vegies, meats and dairy locally. there is an abundance of info on the sites that i mentioned as well as other sources on the web.

katrina

By Paul

June 5, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this

While buying organic in and of itself is a good thing, I would suggest that consumers do some research also. With WalMart jumping on the organic bandwagon, we are already seeing a push to further “stretch” the organic standards by allowing sythetic ingredients to be used. Most of the produce we see in the mainline grocery stores are produced by a handful of large companies out of California. Many of the small, grass roots organizations that helped grow the organic movement over the past 30 years, are now focusing their resources on local and sustainable rather than watered down organics. If you do the bulk of your shopping at the Publix and Whole Foods of the world, then going organic is certainly better than not. But if you have the choice of a locally grown tomato that isn’t certified, or one shipped from California that is, give me the local anytime.

By

June 5, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this

OH MY GOD!!! Can someone explain to me why this happened? (pesticides I presume) I make spinach dip often from the Knorrs veggie recipe. I was using just any old frozen spinach brand and when I squeeze it to rid of excess water, my hands would break out with a red rash and itch like crazy! I thought I was allergic to spinach… WELL, one day the store was out of regular frozen spinach and I was forced to by Cascadia Farms Organic. MY HANDS DIDN’T BREAK OUT OR ITCH…. That was proof enough to me, I’m sticking to organic!!!

By harold

June 5, 2006 04:07 PM | Link to this

Harold says organic food should just be called “food” and agribusiness foodproduct should be called “agribusiness processed foodproduct in a box.”

Harold does not eat agribusiness processed foodproduct in a box.

By Dan

June 5, 2006 04:16 PM | Link to this

Here is a tip there is no legislated standard for using the term organic on your packaging ergo it is a marketing term nothing more. An individual company may or may not conform to what you consider organic, but there is no consistent standard. Furthermore people who claim organic food lasts longer are deluding themselves. Most of what people consider “inorganic” are preservatives. Almost universally organic food has a shorter shelf life from packaging to market. They may simply get to market faster if they are locally produced.

By Cletus Snow

June 5, 2006 04:33 PM | Link to this

marketing ploy,a simple way to triple retail prices.I’m not sure how to look at a vegetable and tell if it’s organic or not,I guess you have to take thier word for it. The U.S.dept of agriculture inspects all food products and certifys its quality and safty,both organic and non organic. NO I DO NOT THINK IT’S WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY.

By Buzz

June 5, 2006 04:41 PM | Link to this

My wife and I about a year ago switched to “organic” food as well as meats and chicken that were not produced in the manner they are today. No GMOs, antibiotics, etc. The flavor was better but to know that we aren’t consuming volumes of chemicals that are used to produce large quanities of common foods is a huge relief. It’s no wonder kids today are developing at such a young age, and that cancers of all types are on the rise. I appreciated the comments and links that Katrina shared, it sounds like there’s a lot more to just eating organic than we know.

By MrLiberty

June 5, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

Cletus,

You probably believe everything the government tells you don’t you? If so, you are hopeless. If you are going to take the government’s word for what is safe, then here is a good example for you.

When I lived in California I used to get my water from a local co-op. The state said that there was an acceptable level of “nitrates” that could be in our water. These nitrates were basically just urine and feces from the local dairy farms that had made their way into the underground aquifer. Tell me Cletus, how much cow urine or manure is acceptable for you to drink? Get out a measuring spoon and mix in enough until you think you have enough.

Organic is certified by both state and independant labs based on strict criteria. True, many are trying to undermine these criteria, but “no chemical fertilizers” and “no pesticides” is NO. NO is not a marketing ploy Cletus.

Jack LaLane once said “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Great advice, and for you trying to eat organic animal products, just get smart and go vegetarian. There is nothing healthy about eating animals, no matter how they were raised.

By JennyD

June 5, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this

Here’s a tip: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm

That would be the link to the USDA Organic Standards Program. If you take the time to educate yourself, you can be assured that you are buying organically produced foods.

As for shelf life - My organic milk comes from Colorado and the expiration dates are always 3-4 weeks in the future. No delusions there.

If you are going to spew your pessimistic views as fact, please do your research.

By atlalien

June 5, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

Organic is the only way to go. Just make sure it is USDA certified organic or you may not get what you think you are getting. There are many rules and regulations a company must follow before stamping there product as organic. As far as the price goes I have no problem paying extra $ to stay in good health. If everyone in the US ate Organic foods I would be willing the bet that Healthcare cost would not be as much of an issue as they are. Would you rather pay more for healthcare cost or pay may for your food and live a healthier lifestyle?

By Beezie

June 5, 2006 05:07 PM | Link to this

Here is what Consumer Reports (Feb 2006) has to say about buying organic foods: Buy organic when it’s affordable, and make those things foods that when tested contained the most pesticide residue: Nectarines, peaches, raspberries, spinach, celery, apples, bell peppers, cherries, imported grapes, pears, potatoes, and strawberries. It’s also a good idea to buy hormone- and antibiotic-free animal products.

Don’t worry so much about paying for processed organic foods since many have conventional ingredients anyway.

By Phyllis

June 5, 2006 05:13 PM | Link to this

Katrina, thanks for the additional web sites. I’m currently trying to change over to organic food. I have also lost a few pounds from just eating organic. Again, thanks for additional info.

By Love

June 5, 2006 06:01 PM | Link to this

After the doctors found out 5 months ago that I was not ovulating at all, and probably hadn’t in nearly a year and a half, I switched to 60% organic foods with an emphasis on meat and dairy. I am a healthy 25 yo woman with a healthy body weight, so there should have been no reason why I stopped ovulating.

About a week later, I sprayed some pesticide in my home and had the worst asthma attack I have ever had - and I don’t have asthma. My husband even made me leave the house until I felt better. It was then that I realized how severely allergic to pesticides I am. I am now moving to organic shampoos and body washes and different problems that my husband and I have had our whole life are now disappearing. He has had a small rash on his head since he was a baby - his mom just calls it “his raspberries.” Now, even that is disappearing. When I was young, my mom researched the Feingold Diet and it worked on my brother’s ADD and anger issues. It’s amazing the way chemicals poison our bodies. I don’t even drink tap water anymore - Gwinnett has one of the highest rates of flouride in the country and my dentist said it’s the reason so many children have crystalization in their teeth.

It may not be for everyone and I have doubled my grocery budget since we started, but it’s worth it to me. I’m completely convinced that the less chemicals I ingest, the better.

By Berly

June 6, 2006 01:02 PM | Link to this

katrina, if you come back to this site, please email me with where you find raw milk in georgia…. thanks! kiwikimberly@hotmail.com

By MrLiberty

June 6, 2006 04:57 PM | Link to this

Berly,

I don’t drink milk anymore (and you shouldn’t either), but here is a web site that may help you out if Katrina doesn’t come back with assistance:

http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html#ga

Consider organic soy or even better rice or potato milk.