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To full time organic food eaters
What physical benefits did you feel when you converted to an totally organic diet? Just curious. Was it a miraculous change, or a subtle difference sweetened by the environmental benefits.?
This is just another thought.... I'd imagine, if you pay $ 5 for an organic melon, you are less likely to gobble it up in one day, or throw any of it away.
Inversely, when I by things in bulk, like maple syrup, for example, since I have such a BIG jug in front of me, rather than a little bottle, I find myslef adding More of it to recipes, smoothies, etc. It actually doesn't stretch as far as it should because I have an abundance and indulge in it!
This is just me, but I didn't primarily go organic for the health benefit. I did it for the environment and for my babies. Do I notice a health difference? Not really. But, that's not my gig. Also, it is something that might not pan out for years. Imagine the cumulative effect of eating foods with pesticides and/or hormones. You might not see the difference today, but that doesn't mean that it isn't there or that it isn't worth it.
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Location: In a big white house at the center of the village.
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that's true.... I see your point. How BAD is produce that is not organic? I know very little about the research done in this area. Fortuantely, we have ample opportunities to buy organic at reasonable rates in my area through food coops, local farms, organic markets, etc. We do avail ourselves to those resources, but don't buy organic exclusively.
So.... will we be glowing in the dark in ten years? I certainly hope not.
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
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I felt it in my immune system with in a year. (and I am still not 100% organic, we do eat out occasionally and I do go on the every now and the tater tot binge (meaning one bag... lol...).
Mostly for me it was to salvage what I could of the world for my kids. And to put my foot in the right corner so to speak. I start them off with as few of the modern pesticides as possible. Cyan didn't have her first non organic meal until she was over 3 years old... and it was ice cream. I have pictures. lol... It is also just the dedication to nature. Nature can make things very very well... she needs no chemicals to help things grow... they do because they were meant to. I work off that with everything... not just food. I don't give my kids fever meds either. Their bodies will work it out. The only time my kids get trad meds is if their cough is keeping them up at night. Sleep is essential... but for the most part, anything that comes along I let it pass without interferance. I feel the same about our food. Should I balk at a frost bitten artichoke? Should I worry that my lettuce is toxic? Nah... I'll take the blemishes and not worry about what the chemicals are doing to my kids. Thanks.
Val
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Val; Living the dream we have been working towards for over 5 years.
Mama to Alex, Cyan, and Logan. Wife to my very best friend.
I buy organic for environmental reasons. I have bought organic for a long time. since my 17 yr old was a baby, and before that. I was macrobiotic for several years while living in Boston, where organic foods were avilable at a store called Erewhon, and then later at a tiny store called Bread and Circus (now whole foods) in Brookline. I moved to CA after I got married, and we had easy access to orgnaic food at a store called People's Food Store in San Diego.
I feel better when I eat a certain way, organic or not. In fact, I am not as thin or healthy as I was when I was eating less organic. I am not as active as I need to be, and that's nothing to do with organic food. lol I don't (knock wood) get sick much , and my Achilles heel is my ears, which I keep from getting infected with 1 Motrin at the first sign of pain. I used to get several nosebleeds a year, but 20 yrs ago I went through a series of acupunture treatment and that was that. Maybe one every couple of years now.
My kids rarely (knock wood) get sick. But I credit varied foods, a healthy environment free of constant anitobiotics, plus lots of garlic and onions, with that. I also credit genetics on my dh's side, and unknown bio parents on my oldest dd's side. She was nearly fully vax'd before she arrived, the only one of my children to have formula etc. She is the healthiest child I have. She has had the flu once in her life, has no allergies, and we laugh that the last time she was ill was in 1993--when she was still drinking formula. Life is weird.
I actually do not believe that eating non- organic foods is the death sentence a crunchy person like me should think they are. I am more about not taking unec medications, not eating high fructose corn syrup and refined flours and foods etc. I think a non- organic diet of whole grains, legumes, flours, no trans fat, with good fruit and veggie variety etc. is more important to the body than eating 100% organic. I will buy local farm foods here in summer over tired organic produce flown in from Chile or trucked across the country from CA to MA. The energy and pollution required for this is not healthy for people or the environemtn. Local farmers here know their soil is their life, and at least where I am, the owners limit abusing the soil as much as possible. I feel the fresh nutrients in just-picked food under the care of a thoughtful local small farmer trumps old lettuce from Mexico (even if organic) any day.
Anyway- do I sound like a hereitc? I am organic for environmetnal reasons-- the more people who buy organic, the better off. There is no down side to taking care of the soil.
This book is written by a leader of the organic movement. He talks about the current state of farming in America (not as pesticide-laden as we all think, which surprised me). It's very encouraging. It will help folks make choices about buying organic00where it's more important. etc All in all, a great resource. I think anyone interested in organic food should read this. I think I have recommended it here before.
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mamax4
I actually do not believe that eating non- organic foods is the death sentence a crunchy person like me should think they are. I am more about not taking unec medications, not eating high fructose corn syrup and refined flours and foods etc. I think a non- organic diet of whole grains, legumes, flours, no trans fat, with good fruit and veggie variety etc. is more important to the body than eating 100% organic. I will buy local farm foods here in summer over tired organic produce flown in from Chile or trucked across the country from CA to MA.
Yeah... that!
There are many things that these chemicals do to our bodies, and many others that are just theroies. But most, we just don't know, and I don't want a lot of "not knowing" to come into my childrens lives if I can help it. Their bodies are like little sponges, and there are certian DDT's and PCB's (both used in food pesticides and plastic production) that are linked to sterility... which is becoming a world wide epidemic. Others have been banned (by all people, President Nixon... who would have thought he would have been a enviromental pioneer? lol...) since the 1970's and are no longer used, but the damage has been done. These are the PCB's that reside in the fat cells of mammals and have to be bread out. Like your child has some becuase you ingested some of these chemicals years before they were born and their children will have some because you ingested them before their parents were born, etc. I don't even want to know what those are doing. Yuck... Still others are just unnecessary. (see my nature statements above. lol)
I do buy local when I can. I live in an area where heavy pesticide use is very uncommon. More often than not things get sprayed on the flowers (before they even fruit) once a year and that is all. I have two local farms I buy from that do this type of prevention and I will continue to go there becuase I know that the closer my kids are to the plant that grew the food the more vitamins and minerals they are getting out of it. Not even to mention the truck pollution etc that Laurie is talking about above. There are statisitics that state a certian ratio of vitamins leach out of the food for every mile it has traveled. I don't know that info, but I get as much of my stuff local as possible. I tend to be partial to the west coast as well... like just a few weeks ago I got CA strawberries for the first time this year. Yum...
I belong/work for to an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I am good friends with a mama that owns another one. lol... So all summer and fall we have TONS of organic yumminess running around our house, to the point that often our diets are 100% organic (espically when I have my garden in. There have been weeks that we have not had to buy food, we just eat what we grow and pick). But in the winter? I will buy some nonorganic things if they are local. Like Kale and swiss chard. These nutirants are essential for growth and the nonHeme Iron in these veggies is very important to ward off seasonal depression... so I get them. Organic or not. I am not terribly strict about it, but I do believe that it is the best way to go... I just happen to be very lucky where these two beliefs often colide and create a mostly organic diet.
Val
Last edited by BlueRoseMama : 03-19-2006 at 12:59 PM.
I have to believe that chemicals intended to kill tiny creatures has got to have a negative effect on the human system. As these chemicals build up in the body, I really believe it is part of the reason why cancer rates are so high. I just read recently that the "average" American (meaning those who eat a common American diet) has something like 13 different toxic pesticides in their body at any one time.
We are not 100% full time organic, but we do our best to be as aware as we can be. Kaya did not have anything but organic until she was around 3 as well.
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This is an article from the LA Times which states that the nutritional value of commercially farmer fruits and veggies is significantly lower then organic foods.
Personally, I have a father who has chemical poisoning and his father also suffered from chemical exposure working in the feilds and parks of central california........I know what can happen....and I know that each person's toxic load (overlaod) is different......we do what we can to lower our exposure by eating mostly organic and not bringing chemical into our home.
Our bodies are amazing and when we treat them well they are able to detox so well. We can't control so much, but what we put in our bodies and bring into our homes we can....I say start with that.
I would like to share that my mother nursed my father back to health in the late 70's (when drs didn't know what was wrong with him) by feeding him quarts of raw veggie juice and completely elliminating sugar and all refined food from his diet. He did juice/sweat/herbal detox programs and literally regained his life. He will be 67 in April and many of the people who worked with him and where also posioned but chose RX to combat effects and have/had a SAD diet are not.....many have passed....cancer was way too frequent....
My father recently returned to a much more stingent diet of whole foods and organic food and lost 25lbs and looks better then he has in years. He was says he feels better then ever and is able to work like he did at 40. LOL.
I have to believe that chemicals intended to kill tiny creatures has got to have a negative effect on the human system. As these chemicals build up in the body, I really believe it is part of the reason why cancer rates are so high. .
This is called bioaccumulation and it affects organisms like us who are at the top of the food chain. We store toxins in our fat and they function as endocrine (hormone) disruptors.
Lab studies have linked chronic exposure of pesticides to birth defects and cancers.
I don't have cable. I drive a 14 year old car. I buy thrift. I buy organic. I can't afford cancer.
So what are these chemicals doing to our kids....I guess that's where I'm heading with this thread.
My children are the reason I go with organic verses non organic foods. I know that I can't ever completely protect them from every little thing that may harm them.
I do however take comfort in the fact that I can at least try my best, by buying, growing my own organic foods.
I know there is an ever present on going debate over organic vs non organic foods and we will probably never know for sure whether or not organic is in fact better for them but I would hate to find out later on down the road that they could have been healthier and lived longer if I had only boughten organic foods. (Among other things of course)
I know, I know you can't live your life based on "what if's?" because then.... you just might go crazy and you can't really control anything in this world but I can, to a certain point and time in their lives, while they are young, control what goes in my children's mouth.
And if organic foods can help them live healthier, longer, happier lives... then why not? So I buy organic, grow organic etc...
Because the fact is pesticides are harmful to our bodies.
I prefer to grow my own, since the possibilty of spray over from non orgainc fields exists. That way I know for sure what we are eating is truly organic.
We are about 60% organic, but 100% for fruits and vegetables.
My husband thinks that his energy level improved and he was originally (many years ago) very critical of my wanting to convert to organics and not supporting pesticides spraying our precious earth.
We are seldom ill and seem to fight off the germies we do get quite well.
Location: You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. ~ Maya Angelou
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mammakat
This is called bioaccumulation and it affects organisms like us who are at the top of the food chain. We store toxins in our fat and they function as endocrine (hormone) disruptors.
Lab studies have linked chronic exposure of pesticides to birth defects and cancers.
I don't have cable. I drive a 14 year old car. I buy thrift. I buy organic. I can't afford cancer.
Ditto. We don't have cable, either, we don't buy new clothes (or new cars, for that matter).
And, we do buy organic/vegetarian everything...
Just switched the dogs to vegetarian kibble, too. I feel bad "depriving them" (sp?), but, (Garrett just did that), when I had both meat and vegetarian kibble a few weeks ago, they took the veg over the regular. You go figure. I feel like I should offer both to give them a choice, so, maybe I will buy some of that nasty meat food again for them this week.
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,502
Quote:
Originally Posted by mammakat
I don't have cable. I drive a 14 year old car. I buy thrift. I buy organic. I can't afford cancer.
Very good point.
We do the same. I make or buy thrift my kids clothes. We don't have cable either. We have one car for both of us. But organic is a priority, as is local and just plain good food.
I am more about not taking unec medications, not eating high fructose corn syrup and refined flours and foods etc. I think a non- organic diet of whole grains, legumes, flours, no trans fat, with good fruit and veggie variety etc. is more important to the body than eating 100% organic. I will buy local farm foods here in summer over tired organic produce flown in from Chile or trucked across the country from CA to MA. The energy and pollution required for this is not healthy for people or the environemtn. Local farmers here know their soil is their life, and at least where I am, the owners limit abusing the soil as much as possible. I feel the fresh nutrients in just-picked food under the care of a thoughtful local small farmer trumps old lettuce from Mexico (even if organic) any day. 
(Garrett just did that), when I had both meat and vegetarian kibble a few weeks ago, they took the veg over the regular. You go figure. 
I feel like I should offer both to give them a choice, so, maybe I will buy some of that nasty meat food again for them this week.
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