Organic Mom

Buying Organic:  Is It Worth the Cost?

Organic foods have begun to receive widespread attention in recent years.  They are viewed as being healthier, more ethical, and a more socially responsible choice.  Consumers are often willing to pay the higher price necessary to obtain organic foods.  But are they really worth the added cost?

By definition, organic foods are produced without using man-made chemicals.  This means that they do not have the hormones, antibiotics, synthetic pesticides, and other harmful substances that can be found in non-organic foods.  This is one reason that people buy organic, but not the only one.  Many proponents of organic food are looking to buy foods that are produced locally in an effort to boost the local economy, support the ethical treatment of livestock, or reduce the use of fossil fuels used for the foods’ delivery.  While some organic food producers share these ideals, many of them do not.

Problems with Organic Products

The growing popularity of organic foods has made it more difficult to find foods that are produced entirely locally.  Mass production has necessitated the use of some ingredients that may not be available in large enough quantities locally.  For example, companies that use organic milk in their products often have a hard time getting it from suppliers in the immediate area.  They may use powdered organic milk from distant locations in order to keep their ingredients pure.

There are also some so-called organic products that aren’t really any safer.  Certain fruits and vegetables, including asparagus, bananas, broccoli, pineapples, and sweet peas rarely contain significant amounts of pesticides in their conventionally grown form.  Processed foods that claim to be made with organic ingredients often contain inorganic ones as well.  And organic seafood and cosmetics are notorious for having the same health dangers as conventional ones.

Prices for organic foods vary substantially.  You might pay anywhere from 10 percent more to twice as much for an organic product.  Mass producers of organic products tend to incur much higher costs in an effort to keep the ingredients pure, and because of that they charge a premium.

You can often save money by buying locally.  Your fruit and vegetable choices will be limited to what is in season, but the lower cost and fresher taste are worth it to many consumers.  You can be sure that you’re buying locally by patronizing farmer’s markets or going directly to the source.

When determining whether an organic product is worth the extra cost, it is important to know as much as you can about it.  Many people make the mistake of assuming that all organic foods are created equal, and they are not.  Checking out providers and reading labels can open our eyes to any shortcomings that an organic food may have.  In many cases, your best bet is to buy locally for better prices and higher standards.

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Buying Organic:  Healthier or Just Hype?

It is much easier to buy organic food today than it was ten years ago.  The popularity of these products has lined the pockets of those in the organic food business, leading them to increase production.  Chains of health food stores are flourishing thanks to the organic trend, and mass merchandisers are starting to stock up on organic foods.

The key selling point of organic foods is that they are healthier than their conventionally produced counterparts.  By definition, organic products are produced without the use of any man-made chemicals, including hormones, antibiotics, or synthetic pesticides.  Organic meat is obtained from livestock that is fed an organic diet, and so is organic milk.  As defined here, it would seem that organic is synonymous with healthy.  But that is not always true.

Truly organic animal products are certainly safer than those produced by traditional methods.  They do not contain the toxins that can be found in regular ones, and in beef there is a much lower risk of mad cow disease.  You also do not have to worry about ingesting antibiotics, which may cause antibiotic resistance.

When it comes to baby food, buying organic is definitely the way to go.  Babies are more susceptible to ill effects from the pesticides and heavy metals contained in inorganic foods.  The preparation of baby food also involves condensing the fruits, vegetables, and meats used, resulting in higher concentrations of these things.  For these reasons, organic baby food is generally considered much safer.

Organic fruits and vegetables are often heralded for their lack of pesticides.  While this is certainly a good thing, organic is not necessarily a lot better in this regard.  Some fruits and vegetables do not retain pesticide residues easily, so they are generally safe as long as they are washed thoroughly before eating.  These include avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn, mangos, onions and pineapples.  However, buying organic apples, celery, cherries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, and berries is usually a good idea.  These items tend to carry high levels of pesticides.

Processed organic foods may or may not be healthier than conventional ones.  Many of them use a combination of organic and inorganic ingredients.  They also tend to lose nutrients during manufacturing, decreasing their health value.  For the healthiest possible product, look for labels that say “USDA organic” and read the nutrition facts on the container.

Organic seafood rarely has any added value.  That is because the USDA has not developed standards for it.  Seafood labeled organic may contain all sorts of harmful substances, yet it is legal for them to be labeled as such in most states as long as the USDA name or the word “certified” is not used.

When buying organic for health reasons, it is important to make sure that the food you’re buying is 100% organic.  If it isn’t, you may not be getting all of the health benefits that you expect.

Recommended: To buy or not to buy organic - what you need to know to choose the healthiest safest most earth friendly food

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What is Organic Meat?

Organic meat is meat which is derived from livestock that are neither given hormones nor antibiotics. Is organic and natural meat the same? The answer is no. In order to obtain organic status, there are strict guidelines that must be adhered to. Let’s review what they are.

When an owner of a cattle ranch decides to go organic, the process involves several components which take three years to accomplish. The land must first build up its fertility. This is known as the conversion stage. Once it has been deemed fully organic, then additional guidelines are set in place to assure the livestock are properly raised.

The feed or grass that is grown must be 100% certified organic. No pesticides or fertilizers can be used. In fact, even the fence posts have to be untreated in order to meet the guidelines imposed. The feed must be free of animal by-products. The livestock must be able to roam freely, as their wellbeing is a priority.

Machinery used on the farm must be cleaned regularly. Livestock are checked to ensure they are healthy, and if any of the livestock develop a condition which requires intervention in the form of antibiotics, the organic status is lost.

Organic status begins from inspection of the farm and animals to the processing and distribution of the organic meat. Unless the meat sold in supermarkets has the USDA Organic label affixed to the package, it is not considered organic.

Organic meat can cost more than conventional meats. This is mainly due to labor intensive management of the farms. Farms are inspected yearly to ensure they are keeping within the organic status guidelines.

If you compare organic meat to traditional meat, you can see a remarkable difference between the two. For example:

* Use of hormones are prohibited in organic meat, but are allowed in regular meat.
* Feed grown with fertilizers and pesticides is used in conventional farming - not so with organic meat.
* On conventional farms, cattle cannot graze in pastures and are confined, whereas in organic farming they have complete access to the land and are not confined.
* Traditional farms feed animal by-products to cattle; organic farms do not.

These are just some of the major differences between organic and non-organic meats. It is no wonder that more consumers are opting for organic meat since the practice used to obtain organic status is of the highest caliber.

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Organic Isn’t Just for Food
Upon researching organics and what is available other than food, it was not surprising to learn that there is clothing available made out of organic cotton.  What was surprising was that 25% of pesticides and fertilizers are used in cotton farming.According to the WHO (World Health Organization), over 20,000 deaths occur as a result of pesticide poisoning because of the chemicals that are used on farms.  The good news is that organic cotton, for example, has none of these chemicals whatsoever.

It has been reported that the UK has a wide variety of organic cotton available, and many organizations have banned the use of chemicals.  What types of cloth is made from organic cotton?  The answer is organic clothing for babies, as well as the rest of the family, bed linens and towels.  In fact, organic clothing is on the rise and is not only readily available, but growing affordable as well.

If you cannot find organic clothing in your area, you can certainly find websites that sell organic clothing and other items as well.  For example, some sites offer clothes for men and women, and shoes.  You can visit the Soil Association’s website for a listing or organic clothes and suppliers.

As we become more environmentally responsible, more and more households are turning “green”.  That is to say, they are becoming completely organic.  This would include food, clothes, and other products that are organically grown.

One of the more interesting developments, and quite frankly, a relief to find out, is that you can now purchase organic paint.  If you’ve ever painted your home, the odor and the chemicals in the paint can be overwhelming, especially if there are children in the home or if someone is allergic to paint.

Organic paint is free from petrochemicals, fungicides, and preservatives.  It is made from natural wood resins, plant oils, and earth pigments.  Another important note is that by using organic paint, you can reduce the carbon and ensure that none of the chemicals are released.

Here’s another great reason to use organic paint.  It can be added to your compost pile.  While it is a bit more expensive than traditional paint, think of the benefits it derives.  You can check online for more information on organic paints so that the next time you decide to redecorate your home, you have another choice.

As you can see, organic isn’t just for food.  There are other important ways in which organics can be used to leave your home healthier, wear clothes that are safer, and keep your children free from toxins and allergens that can cause undue harm.

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The world is buzzing with all this talk about organic lifestyles. Most think that if they eat produce marked with an organic sticker then they have done their job. Living in an organic way is more than just what you eat. It is a state of mind.

Many thought that organic was just a fad, but it has become a popular trend. People are living longer, but not necessarily better. Old age is still bringing with it health problems that we have not corrected. Adopting an organic lifestyle means restructuring not only what you eat, but also how you think and how you conduct your everyday life.

When you get sick, do you automatically reach for the nearest medicine? What did our grandparents reach for? Herbal remedies for common ailments like cold symptoms, allergies, upset stomach, and headaches have been around for centuries. Detoxifying the body is also a part of organic living. Using lemon juice at the first sign of cold symptoms reduces or eliminates further cold problems. Baking soda in a four ounce glass of water helps calm acid indigestion and upset stomach. Certain oils like menthol help to reduce nasal congestion.

What about our homes? People are injured or killed every year when they mix the wrong cleaning chemicals. The products that we purchase from the stores say that they are safe for septic systems or certain surfaces, but what about our bodies. Some chemicals are caustic and can burn the skin or mucous membranes if we are not careful. Good old soap and water can do the job on most surfaces. Sprinkling crushed mint about will keep ants out of your house in the spring and summer months. Ammonia can be used to clean glass surfaces. Baking soda and white vinegar followed by hot water can unclog a drain and clean it as well.

Food is just the beginning. Organically grown foods are good for our bodies, because we eliminate the possibility of pesticide residue entering our digestive system. But we must also eliminate chemicals that are not good for us in our home environment. Children love to explore the area under the sink for some reason and some find danger lurking there in the form of household cleaners. Dipping a finger in the baking soda will give them a bad taste in their mouth, but dipping a finger into the bleach will send them to the hospital.

It takes time to set up a total organic lifestyle, but the rewards are worth it. Knowing that you are doing everything you can to keep your home and your family safe brings peace of mind. Think of organic living as a return to the old ways.

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We have all seen the labels on food products that say “organic” but what does that mean? Organic living has come to mean a return to a simpler way of life. We won’t be giving up our televisions and cell phones, but we can learn to detoxify our lives.

When the notion of organic living first burst on the scene, the talk was mainly about the dangers of pesticides. A biologist named Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring (1962) that brought to light the dangers of the cumulative effect of pesticides. Pesticide use was high during the 1950’s and ‘60’s.

People have become more concerned about their health. What was it about our parents and grandparents that helped them to live longer? We have so many modern conveniences these days but major health problems still exist. In the search for the key to long life, organic living got its start.

Organic living encompasses every facet of our life. Moving away from the smog and smoke of the city to live in the country is an admirable idea. But, buying and eating food that contains preservatives is counterproductive. For one to say that they are “going organic” they must investigate ways to purify their life from every angle.

In order to live organic, one must do their homework. Read all the information that you can about organic and synthetic substances. Synthetic substances are ones that are created to mimic naturally occurring ones. Synthetic substances are cheaper than the real deal. Chemical compounds can become unstable or breakdown into other substances that are not so good for the body.

Changing to an organic lifestyle takes time and patience. Each change that is made becomes a habit that can be passed on to your children. They in turn will learn to simplify their lives. Think about your family predecessors. What about their lives is different from ours? Well, they worked sun up to sundown. They had gardens, raised chickens and cows, canned vegetables, made soap or bought from someone who made theirs, and a host of other things.

To live organically is to live from the earth. If we don’t have time to tend to a garden, we can visit farmer’s who do and refrain from using pesticides. We don’t raise chickens in the city, but chicken farmers who want healthier animals give them certain feed so they can raise an organic product.

We don’t have to leave our jobs and return to a log cabin in order to go organic. With a little legwork, we can find the products we need to better our lives. When our bodies adjust to the lack of chemicals we will feel like new people.

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We have all seen the organic labels in stores and wondered about them. Are those products really better? If a product is truly organic, nothing used to make it contained or came in contact with synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Without the added preservatives, the product is healthier.

The body has problems digesting these non-organic substances. Think about our ancestors. All of their foods, medicines, and beauty treatments originated from the earth. Some would argue that that was because they could do no better. But, I would say that they were on to something.

Sometimes the cure is worst than the disease. If you’ve ever read the insert that comes with a bottle of medication, there is a section entitled “Adverse events”. This is the list of side effects of the substance they are trying to market to you. The list of possible reactions to the drug can be quite long. Taking the medicine will solve one problem, but create others.

Using natural remedies keeps the body detoxified. Most conditions we suffer from today, our parents and grandparents encountered as well. They experienced headaches, constipation, fever, and the like. They didn’t have Tylenol® or Maalox® so they had to use what they did have: herbs and plants. Tribes of peoples living in the jungles of South America and the bush of Africa still use herbal medicines to treat themselves.

Modern medicine has its place. There are new ailments that were not heard of in grandmother’s day. Modern and ancient medicine working together can heal the body in a more natural and less harmful way. More and more people visit holistic healers to seek medical treatment. Herbal remedies keep the body free of toxins and delivers a treatment free of harmful side effects.

Pesticides used to keep vegetables free of insects and pests are toxic to the body. Rain can wash these pesticides off of the leaves of the plants and into the ground and the water table. The particles in factory smoke released toxic fumes in the air. Acid rain resulted from rain water mixing with these chemical particles. Now that scrubbers exist on smokestacks, the toxic release is less, but can still be unhealthy.

Remember the first time you heard about “mad cow disease”. The medical term is bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Cows were being fed ground up remains of diseased cows as a protein supplement. Cow owners were also selling cows potentially infected with BSE to meat plants where dangerous neurological tissue was mixed into the hamburger beef. The resulting hamburger meat made people sick and many died.

The world is not perfect. There is no one solution to healthier living. Organic products do give us a better option for keeping our bodies running in tiptop shape.

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Organic health products were few and far between about twenty years ago. Some of the more “earthy” types bought into it, but the mainstream resisted. Now, the industry has made great strides mostly due to the mainstream.

The sale of organic products is a billion dollar industry. The United States leads the way in organic trade with over eighteen billion dollars in sales. The organic food market in the UK has grown to over a billion pounds and is continuing to enjoy an upward trend. Japan has also jumped on the band wagon with over three billion dollars worth of sales. What does all this mean? The consumer is getting savvy about what they put into and onto their bodies.

Cosmetics and skin care has always been a multimillion dollar industry. With the addition of organic beauty and skin care products, the sales are better than ever. Unfortunately, with the popularity of organic products comes the problem. What is truly organic?

Companies have been getting by with a thoroughly inadequate definition of “organic” for far too long. They consider any compound in their product that contains carbon atoms to qualify as organic. We all know that carbon is a basic building block of all life on earth. But, toxic chemicals can contain carbon as well.

Read the labels. The front of the shampoo or skin lotion bottle may say it contains palm oil, but how much? If we see it listed on the back amongst the ingredients that’s good enough for us. Ingredients on labels must be listed in order of the amounts of each that are contained in the product. You may see palm oil on the label, but if it is at the bottom, then that means that there is actually very little in the preparation. What’s more, the product is not as organic as it appears to be. Most of the ingredients are actually not good for your skin or hair and can be hurting you instead of helping.

Local chain stores such as Target, Walgreen’s, Kohl’s, and Wal-Mart carry certified organic skin care products. Paul Mitchell and Weleda carry body wash and lotion that are all natural. Mod Skin Labs and Ojon offer organic hair and body cleansers that don’t produce a build up on chemicals in the skin and they reduce irritation. All of these companies are also active in the environment, trying to make it a better place to live. These products and more are easy on the pocketbook and wonderful for your body.

Organic encompasses more than food. We start with the inside and work our way out. Then, we work to give back to the earth for all it has supplied to us.

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