Going Organic: Results

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08robyngreen
08robyngreen Posts: 31 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has your family made the switch to eat only Organic (Non-GMO) foods. What have the results been like? Any noticeable changes from switching your diet?
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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I tried to go organic a few years ago and the only thing that I noticed was that my grocery bill became significantly larger. Many foods became too expensive to be anything but occasional treats and I didn't feel like it was benefiting my health to limit my fruit and vegetable consumption so dramatically.

    I am also not convinced that there is any evidence that going all organic makes a difference to health.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited April 2015
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    No because unnecessary.

    And @janejellyroll we sometimes buy oranges labeled organic and the only benefit I've noticed is they tend to taste better. But that's solely because they are small(er). When I make sure to buy non-organic but still small-sized oranges (or apples) they also tend to taste better. Same with tomatoes.

    Still not going to buy organic.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    Definitely makes your wallet lighter.
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
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    I eat organic whenever possible (fiscally and practivcally). IMO organic tomatoes and most fruits taste better. The meat and chicken (the only thing I only eat organic, and the reason I rarely eat out) tastes WAY better and I have less trouble digesting it. Health wise? I can't say I have noticed a difference that is attributable to eating organic and not just general overall better health choices.
  • 08robyngreen
    08robyngreen Posts: 31 Member
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    So as far as you could tell; no improvement in digestion, decreases in seasonal allergies, becoming sick less often, etc..?
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
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    As I said, I definitely noticed better digestion of the meat. Way better. With the veggies? No, not especially. Allergy reduction? None at all.

    I have recently had TREMENDOUS success with allergy reduction through eating moringa seeds. They're the only thing that works for me other than a pill. Unfortunately they're extremely hard to get in the US, mine come from family in Jamaica who send a huge bag full to us periodically.
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I do try to get my apples organic. I can taste a difference in them and don't know if it's the pesticides or waxing...I hate that some produce gets waxed.

    Other than that, nope
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    you should look into the dirty dozen (foods you should always try and buy organic) and the clean 15 (foods that you never have to buy organic.

    also, look into what words like organic, free range, and all natural mean in the grocery store and even the pharmacy. sometimes they're just buzz words to get you to pay 15% more.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    This is hard to say because over the short term I myself dont see a difference, if any, btwn the two. I will say that over the short term for my personally I like the taste of organic foods over non-organic. As for the long term... that I can not answer. Over the course of say 10, 15, 20 years, is one better then the other? Who knows.
  • jenncornelsen
    jenncornelsen Posts: 969 Member
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    I was on an organic kick for about a year. Spent alot of money that year. I still buy organic when my favoritr farmers market opens in spring but its more to support local than anything. Some food does taste better when organic. But no noticable health benifits im afraid
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    edited April 2015
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    As physicist Neil Degrasse Tyson once pointed out, everything is GMO. So if you use a strict definition of organic and GMO, then you would starve if you were to truly eat organic.

    What is sold as organic is a different story. It's expensive and not as readily available (especially in rural areas like where I live). If these barriers did not exist, then I would likely eat more organic foods. Not for any particular health reason, except I don't like the idea of eating foods that have been drenched with Roundup.

    It's the same reason I rarely eat hamburger with pink slime in it - I just frankly don't like the idea of my meat being sprayed with ammonia (the same ingredient in glass cleaner Windex) during processing. Is it unsafe? I don't know... it's probably safe enough... I just don't like the thought of eating it. So when I cook hamburger at home, I buy the stuff that doesn't have pink slime in it. But then again, I eat hamburger much less often than I eat fruits and vegetables. So the extra cost is not as big of a deal when I rarely buy the stuff.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    No because unnecessary.

    And @janejellyroll we sometimes buy oranges labeled organic and the only benefit I've noticed is they tend to taste better. But that's solely because they are small(er). When I make sure to buy non-organic but still small-sized oranges (or apples) they also tend to taste better. Same with tomatoes.

    Still not going to buy organic.

    I have had some organic berries that tasted much better and I wasn't sure why. Now that you mention it, I think it was because they were smaller than the mega-berries that I typically buy. Awesome observation.
  • 08robyngreen
    08robyngreen Posts: 31 Member
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    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    you should look into the dirty dozen (foods you should always try and buy organic) and the clean 15 (foods that you never have to buy organic.

    also, look into what words like organic, free range, and all natural mean in the grocery store and even the pharmacy. sometimes they're just buzz words to get you to pay 15% more.

    Thank you I have actually looked at both. We actually look more for the Non-GMO labels than we look for organic, but I believe most if not all foods at Whole Foods Market is organic. We made a switch to organic non-gmo due to a study that resulted in increased kidney damage, inflammation, digestion issues, and cancer rates in animals fed GMOs. I know there are people that have extreme views for or against Organic non GMO and I thought maybe some people on Myfitnesspal would have some insight as too why they tried going organic and why they ultimately switched back aside from money issues.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    I get some organic fruits and vegetables at our local farmers market, but that's because I want to support them, not because I believe it's any better nutritionally than non organic.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • 08robyngreen
    08robyngreen Posts: 31 Member
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    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    As physicist Neil Degrasse Tyson once pointed out, everything is GMO. So if you use a strict definition of organic and GMO, then you would starve if you were to truly eat organic.

    What is sold as organic is a different story. It's expensive and not as readily available (especially in rural areas like where I live). If these barriers did not exist, then I would likely eat more organic foods. Not for any particular health reason, except I don't like the idea of eating foods that have been drenched with Roundup.

    It's the same reason I rarely eat hamburger with pink slime in it - I just frankly don't like the idea of my meat being sprayed with ammonia (the same ingredient in glass cleaner Windex) during processing. Is it unsafe? I don't know... it's probably safe enough... I just don't like the thought of eating it. So when I cook hamburger at home, I buy the stuff that doesn't have pink slime in it. But then again, I eat hamburger much less often than I eat fruits and vegetables. So the extra cost is not as big of a deal when I rarely buy the stuff.

    My thoughts exactly, I don't like the idea of eating food that is "drenched in round up" or "meat being strayed with ammonia". We also have the problem of being limited to where we can buy organic foods aside from our local farms. But while our local farms are selling produce we typically have already grown the same foods. We plan on starting up a small farm just for our food but large quantities of land are hard to come by where we are at and unfortunately we only have room for the 6 chickens that we already have.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    08robyngreen wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    you should look into the dirty dozen (foods you should always try and buy organic) and the clean 15 (foods that you never have to buy organic.

    also, look into what words like organic, free range, and all natural mean in the grocery store and even the pharmacy. sometimes they're just buzz words to get you to pay 15% more.

    Thank you I have actually looked at both. We actually look more for the Non-GMO labels than we look for organic, but I believe most if not all foods at Whole Foods Market is organic. We made a switch to organic non-gmo due to a study that resulted in increased kidney damage, inflammation, digestion issues, and cancer rates in animals fed GMOs. I know there are people that have extreme views for or against Organic non GMO and I thought maybe some people on Myfitnesspal would have some insight as too why they tried going organic and why they ultimately switched back aside from money issues.

    Which study are you referring to?
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    edited April 2015
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    08robyngreen wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    you should look into the dirty dozen (foods you should always try and buy organic) and the clean 15 (foods that you never have to buy organic.

    also, look into what words like organic, free range, and all natural mean in the grocery store and even the pharmacy. sometimes they're just buzz words to get you to pay 15% more.

    Thank you I have actually looked at both. We actually look more for the Non-GMO labels than we look for organic, but I believe most if not all foods at Whole Foods Market is organic. We made a switch to organic non-gmo due to a study that resulted in increased kidney damage, inflammation, digestion issues, and cancer rates in animals fed GMOs. I know there are people that have extreme views for or against Organic non GMO and I thought maybe some people on Myfitnesspal would have some insight as too why they tried going organic and why they ultimately switched back aside from money issues.
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    As physicist Neil Degrasse Tyson once pointed out, everything is GMO. So if you use a strict definition of organic and GMO, then you would starve if you were to truly eat organic.

    agreed on both counts.

    are we having more and more cancer issues because of the food we put in our body, or is it because we all are driving more and more (producing and being exposed to toxic air) as well as having tiny little EMF producing computers in our pockets (near our organs) as well as the newer and better medical technology that can spot cancers way better than 50 years ago?

    it's no one thing, in my opinion. going organic can help you feel healthier, but it's just one brick in the wall. from what i've seen, it's a lot of scare tactics and placebo effects. GMOs have there place. people complain about world hunger, increased price in foods, etc. well, foods are going to be expensive when a sudden cold snap in May kills off entire crops. people will go hungry if their food doesn't produce better natural insect repellants....
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    Going organic is a great thing to do for environmental reasons and to support better farming practices which is why I whole heartily support it, but as others have pointed out there is no evidence for it helping overall health
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
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    Capt_Apollo wrote: »

    agreed on both counts.

    are we having more and more cancer issues because of the food we put in our body, or is it because we all are driving more and more (producing and being exposed to toxic air) as well as having tiny little EMF producing computers in our pockets (near our organs) as well as the newer and better medical technology that can spot cancers way better than 50 years ago?

    it's no one thing, in my opinion. going organic can help you feel healthier, but it's just one brick in the wall. from what i've seen, it's a lot of scare tactics and placebo effects. GMOs have there place. people complain about world hunger, increased price in foods, etc. well, foods are going to be expensive when a sudden cold snap in May kills off entire crops. people will go hungry if their food doesn't produce better natural insect repellants....

    Agreed with all of this. I'll eat as organic as I can within reason, mainly because I think it tastes better, but I don't really care about GMOs (so silly). The best we can all do is try to live a generally healthier lifestyle. Eating organic is just a tiny part of that.

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