Has anyone seen success switching to Organic?

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited July 2021
    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Speakeasy76 wrote: »
    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Washing produce will remove some amount of water soluble pesticides on the surfaces. Nothing as to systemic pesticides and nothing useful as to bacteria. Probably fans of organic will not want to hear this but the washing actually removes antibacterial agents found on some produce. So it will actually increase bacteria levels. And, of course, no dry produce should be washed and put away. It should be washed, if at all, immediately before consumption.

    I found about five little green bugs on my broccolini today! The little stinkers blended in really well and even hung on through washing and chopping. I even had to pick a couple out of the pan after I started cooking it thinking I'd finally found them all!

    Some people say yay for the extra protein, but I say no thank you.

    I tend to store produce in whatever way it will keep the longest. TBH I'm not always sure if it's the absolute "cleanest" way that's longest lasting, but I'd rather get to eat it than have to throw it out for going bad. Then it just becomes expensive compost.

    Off topic, but we (or rather my husband) have a giant garden, and broccoli has been growing like crazy. The first ones we picked had several green larvae in them (which I hate!). He even blanched them in salt/vinegar water, as he read that was supposed to make the come out...nope, still found some ALIVE on them in the fridge the next day.

    Still off topic: Salt water soak might help.

    If they're cabbage looper larvae or similar, Bt (thuricide) spray is an organic (i.e., US certifiably organic AFAIK) option. It's been controversial, especially in commercial overspray or GMO contexts, but if you have a lot of trouble with larvae, I'd encourage you to look into the pros/cons more deeply, and see if it seems OK to you.

    This is helpful! A lot of our produce comes from an organic CSA (including the buggy broccolini) but I have a small garden too, and I'm a definite novice. I'm actually having more trouble this year with things eating my flowers rather than my veggies and herbs. But pest control is definitely not easy, and I'm really only fending them off a few plants that I see constantly and can painstakingly look through, not huge crops designed to feed hundreds or even thousands of people.

    I use BONIDE Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew to control the little orange/red bugs (not ladybugs) on my tiger lilies. Per the label, I spray in the evenings, after the bees have finished feeding for the day.

    Captain Jack is another naturally occurring bacterium also approved for organic vegetable gardening, but Bt is even milder, so I stick to that for veggies.

    https://bonide.com/product/captain-jacks-dbb-conc/

    I also plant marigolds among my veggies, as they attract beneficial insects. Hmm, I see they are supposed to ward off cabbage worms. Will try planting more around my kale next year.

    https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-marigolds-vegetable-gardens-53427.html

    In addition to the cheery flowers that marigolds bring to your garden, they also attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, hoverflies and parasitic mini-wasps, that prey on garden pests. If you sow the marigolds as a cover crop and plow them under before planting, they will repel harmful nematodes.

    And there is some evidence that marigolds ward off cabbage worms from cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
  • Onedaywriter
    Onedaywriter Posts: 326 Member
    Always wash fruit and buy either prewashed veggies (eg salad bags) or wash them whether organic or standard.

    Antimicrobials are applied to fruits post harvest. One example is ortho Phenylphenol being applied to citrus and pears to prevent fungal growth. This material is water soluble and easily rinsed off, but has been proven to be harmful to humans.

    Often, people don’t wash citrus and other fruits they will peel, but the antimicrobials get on your hands and into your mouth.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ritzvin wrote: »
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).

    Yes, the strawberries I grow are AMAZING. I don't attribute this to my lack of pesticide use, but to me picking them at peak ripeness and only transporting them to my kitchen, if that far.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).

    Yes, the strawberries I grow are AMAZING. I don't attribute this to my lack of pesticide use, but to me picking them at peak ripeness and only transporting them to my kitchen, if that far.

    Yeah, I buy a mix of organic and non-organic vegetables at my farmer's market. I don't notice a difference between organic and non-organic, but everything that is grown at farms in my area tastes miles better than the same product purchased at the grocery store. And the produce I buy at the "local" section of my grocery store often tastes better than the other produce I'm buying.



  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,906 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).

    Yes, the strawberries I grow are AMAZING. I don't attribute this to my lack of pesticide use, but to me picking them at peak ripeness and only transporting them to my kitchen, if that far.

    Yeah, I buy a mix of organic and non-organic vegetables at my farmer's market. I don't notice a difference between organic and non-organic, but everything that is grown at farms in my area tastes miles better than the same product purchased at the grocery store. And the produce I buy at the "local" section of my grocery store often tastes better than the other produce I'm buying.



    Carrots from the farmers market taste like a completely different vegetabe compared to the ones in the grocery store!
  • NVintage
    NVintage Posts: 1,463 Member
    BTW these sunscreens were just recalled and I threw mine away for the same reasons that I choose organic when possible. "out of an abundance of caution."
    J&J said in a statement that "use of these products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences" and that it voluntarily decided to recall them "out of an abundance of caution."
    Reducing pesticides and contaminants is part of a healthy lifestyle. I don't foresee weight loss or anything based solely on eating organic, but it's all part of a healthy mindset. & with that you will see results! I eat organic whenever it's available, but am only particular about a few things; organic berries, celery, bananas (because taste) and wine. There was a study, a few years back, showing high arsenic levels in some of my favorite cheap wines, but not in any of the organic ones so I tend to buy those now.

    https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/johnson-johnson-consumer-inc-issues-voluntary-recall-specific-neutrogenar-and-aveenor-aerosol
    iam4scuba wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    dancingonstarz wrote: »
    What keeps me paying the premium for the organics is when I drive past the extensive corn and soy fields where I live and I see all the weeds yellowing and dying amongst the sparkling green crops after they come through with the crop dusters. It just highlights for me the absurdity of literally drenching a plant with poisons throughout its growing cycle and then eating it. That just can’t be very good for you.
    So do you use makeup or cleansers on your body? You realize soap is made of lye (which is caustic)? Dosage matters. And specific pesticides kill specific plants/weeds. If you go to a lawn and garden shop, you'll find fertilizers that kill weeds in your lawn, but don't affect the lawn itself.


    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
    9285851.png

    I take issue with the premise. Even assuming makeup and soap is bad for you, the argument that you shouldn't decrease contaminants in your food because you are subject to contaminants elsewhere seems flawed.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).

    Yes, the strawberries I grow are AMAZING. I don't attribute this to my lack of pesticide use, but to me picking them at peak ripeness and only transporting them to my kitchen, if that far.

    Yeah, I buy a mix of organic and non-organic vegetables at my farmer's market. I don't notice a difference between organic and non-organic, but everything that is grown at farms in my area tastes miles better than the same product purchased at the grocery store. And the produce I buy at the "local" section of my grocery store often tastes better than the other produce I'm buying.

    Carrots from the farmers market taste like a completely different vegetable compared to the ones in the grocery store!

    I only buy peaches from a local orchard. I'll make do with supermarket apples if I have to, but the ones from the orchard are so much better.

    And don't get me started on the amazing bananas and pineapple I had in Costa Rica!
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Speakeasy76 wrote: »
    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Washing produce will remove some amount of water soluble pesticides on the surfaces. Nothing as to systemic pesticides and nothing useful as to bacteria. Probably fans of organic will not want to hear this but the washing actually removes antibacterial agents found on some produce. So it will actually increase bacteria levels. And, of course, no dry produce should be washed and put away. It should be washed, if at all, immediately before consumption.

    I found about five little green bugs on my broccolini today! The little stinkers blended in really well and even hung on through washing and chopping. I even had to pick a couple out of the pan after I started cooking it thinking I'd finally found them all!

    Some people say yay for the extra protein, but I say no thank you.

    I tend to store produce in whatever way it will keep the longest. TBH I'm not always sure if it's the absolute "cleanest" way that's longest lasting, but I'd rather get to eat it than have to throw it out for going bad. Then it just becomes expensive compost.

    Off topic, but we (or rather my husband) have a giant garden, and broccoli has been growing like crazy. The first ones we picked had several green larvae in them (which I hate!). He even blanched them in salt/vinegar water, as he read that was supposed to make the come out...nope, still found some ALIVE on them in the fridge the next day.

    Still off topic: Salt water soak might help.

    If they're cabbage looper larvae or similar, Bt (thuricide) spray is an organic (i.e., US certifiably organic AFAIK) option. It's been controversial, especially in commercial overspray or GMO contexts, but if you have a lot of trouble with larvae, I'd encourage you to look into the pros/cons more deeply, and see if it seems OK to you.

    Yes, this is what they are! I will definitely look into that. What's interesting is that they don't seem to have gotten into the later-bloominh broccoli or cauliflower.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    On the taste thing, it's likely nothing to do with pesticide choice. Probably smaller-scale production versus the massive scale producers who have bred for appearance and longevity for extended shipping at the expense of taste. (such as those god-awful ubiquitous Driscoll Strawberries at most supermarkets here versus the amazingly more flavourful (but more delicate and having a shorter season) local strawberries).

    Yes, the strawberries I grow are AMAZING. I don't attribute this to my lack of pesticide use, but to me picking them at peak ripeness and only transporting them to my kitchen, if that far.

    Yeah, I buy a mix of organic and non-organic vegetables at my farmer's market. I don't notice a difference between organic and non-organic, but everything that is grown at farms in my area tastes miles better than the same product purchased at the grocery store. And the produce I buy at the "local" section of my grocery store often tastes better than the other produce I'm buying.

    Carrots from the farmers market taste like a completely different vegetable compared to the ones in the grocery store!

    I only buy peaches from a local orchard. I'll make do with supermarket apples if I have to, but the ones from the orchard are so much better.

    And don't get me started on the amazing bananas and pineapple I had in Costa Rica!

    I'll occasionally buy apples, tomatoes, and stone fruit (nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots) out of season at the grocery store, but I load up on them at the local farm stand when they're in season and have at least one a day.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    soldiergrl_101 wrote: »
    I have been reading alot about nutrition and your body lately and how the effects of toxins in our food can lead to weight gain and other health issues. I am curious if anyone switched to an organic lifestyle and saw good changes in weight or medical condition?

    Well...could be wishful thinking, or could be something that you are doing is really having an impact. :-)

    I had to switch to organic due to medical issues (turns out I have a lot of reactions to many chemicals that are present in the pesticide residues).

    I feel MUCH better eating organic. Chronic pain is lower, fatigue is lower, brain fog is lower.

    And I even had some accidental blind taste tests at a friends house when they kept their home grown plums in a bowl on the coffee table for anyone to snack on when I visited. I could eat them just fine, but one day i got very sick on them - found out their hubby had replaced them with conventional store bought ones that day. :-/

    That said - I don't disagree with anyone talking about nutrient levels, or how they look, or anything - I don't think they look better, or taste better, or have more nutrients. But I DO react less to them, so I have less inflammation when I eat organic, and it really makes a difference. More confirmation for myself is that it's expensive and this last year I haven't been able to afford to eat organic and my health has been getting worse again as a result, including chronic pain, so...yeah, organic made a BIG difference for me, medically speaking.

    But that said...another thing I noticed is that when I ate organic, I ate less processed foods because they, too, were more expensive. So i had a big dietary shift with that and turns out a number of chemicals present in processed foods cause me problems too (a LOT of chemicals cause me problems, but they were 'low level' enough that for a long time, I just kind of felt like crap all the time, for a long time, and thought it was normal.). so if there is anything in processed foods that's an issue, that could have an impact as well.

    And not just for chemicals. Like, soy and gluten are added to a LOT of foods so you get them all the time eating processed foods, but you don't get them as much if you make more foods from scratch, so people with celiac disease or soy or wheat allergies can feel better dropping more processed foods, too, sometimes.

    Honestly, I'd say just keep track of what you are eating, and how your diet is changing, and how you are feeling, and just see what seems to correlate, if anything. :-)

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