Organic? or no?

Justamanatee

As long as you wash your foods, it's not a huge difference (although I've found that organic strawberries last longer in the fridge than non-organic), healthwise. What does make a difference is the amount of processing. If you can cut down on the highly processed food, then it's generally better for you.

reddi2roll

Organic all the way esp. for the soft skinned fruits and vegetables. You can wash the skin but some of the pesticide is absorbed into the meat of the food and can't be washed away. Organic fruits last longer in storage so that may offset some of the cost.

bcampbell54

Organic standards are poor, and the benefits, both personal and global are also dubious. That said, it is worth researching which produce should be washed more thoroughly, or otherwise treated, especially if you feel that you harbor some sensitivities.
What you don't want to do is start cutting out your fresh food intake because the organic makes it too pricey for you.
I think locally grown (and therefore most likely seasonal) is a good way to start.

eillamarie

There is an epidemic of childhood illnesses (ADHD, autism, etc) that is correlating to the increase in chemicals and hormones in our food. It's not a coincidence. And the rise in diagnoses isn't just due to increased awareness and education. If I could afford to eat only organic food I would! I know first hand the effects of sugar and other toxins on the brain-my adult ADHD is immensely affected by it.

Be smart about it tho, food with a thick peel and onions and garlic absurd far less of thhe pesticides. As for meat & animal products I would go 100% if you could! Do you pump your body full of antibiotics and hormones? No, cuz it's unhealthy. So why eat food that has come from an animal like that?

MantisToboggan_MD

Yes, I prefer food that contains carbon.

KellyL23

I read Jillian Michael's Master Your Metabolism, and I now buy organic berries and apples, organic milk and eggs, and organic meat when possible. She talks about how the chemicals in non-organic produce/meats can reek havoc on your metabolism and make losing weight harder.

solyhhit

soft-skinned fruit and vegetables, as these are sprayed with millions of pounds of chemicals

Wow, that's one heavy apple.

I find that there's not a lot of grey area in this matter. Pro-organic people will give their slanted, propaganda, and those opposed will do the same. It really doesn't take much to label something as 'organic'. There's a lot of BS involved in the marketing. If you want to see the other side of the propaganda, watch Penn and Teller Bull**** - Organics and you will see it.

Both sides are full of a amazing amount of **** though.

meeka472

I eat local and organic whenever I can. It's a personal choice but I prefer not to eat genetically modified foods and pesticides. It may cost more in some cases but for me the benefits outweigh the cost.

WendyBlendy

Organic is definitely better for your body, but there are certain foods where it won't make a difference if they're organic or not, such as orangs (because of the peel).

bcattoes

I would try to adhere to this list: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

I too try to buy organic if the food is on the EWG dirty dozen list. But, if I want the vegetable and organic isn't available, I buy it anyway. There is no evidence that eating organic is better for your health, though I don't know that anyone has really studied it much. The veggies I grow at home are all organic, but I do lose a lot to the bugs. :grumble:

SeamsSewWright

Funny, the majority of the responses here are based on opinions and not the facts. Doesn't surprise me that the attitude towards organic could also relate to one's outlook on fitness and an overall healthy lifetyle. Don't just choose what's easy. For heaven's sake, we're all here on this website to better ourselves, don't resort to the typical human responses or just eat something because it's convenient. Educate yourself.

To answer the poster's question, by eating Organic foods you are avoiding:

Hormone residues in food that can increase the risk of different types of cancer.
Pesticides that are known carcinogens.
Toxins that affect us at a cellular level.
Further unknown risks which develop over time and over long term consumption.

Organic foods really aren't more expensive as there are so many hidden costs involved with buying conventional products. Billions of dollars go into federal agriculture, big company energy subsides, chemical regulation testing, hazardous waste disposal, cleaning up environmental damage, illnesses and hospitalization. Low costs are also a sign that the farm workers did not receive a fair wage. If you've ever seen the documentary "Food, Inc." you'll know that illegal immigrant workers are involved.

So the excuse that organic produce is "too expensive" seems to carry little weight. What's the price of saving on medical bills and maybe adding years to your health? Compare it to the expense of non-organic produce to your health and conscience. By eating organic, we are also supporting the environment by encouraging farming methods that produce less toxic byproducts, supporting small farming communities, looking after animal welfare and probably most importantly, being responsible for our own health by making the right choices that affect our health from a cellular level not just a superficial one.

steppingstones

I would try to adhere to this list: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

thank you very much

That list is valuable. It is what I use when I can't get to the farmer's market.

Charger440

In terms of organic, local versus non-local means absolutely nothing. As far as washing your non-organic food, you should wash all your food so in that respect non-organic should not make a difference. Now when it comes to the environment goes, the way people are as a whole, is the world really worth saving? There are an amazing number of people that want to "save the world" but will stab you in the back the first chance they get. This however, is an entirely different discussion.

bcattoes

Organic is definitely better for your body, but there are certain foods where it won't make a difference if they're organic or not, such as orangs (because of the peel).

The thickness of the peel makes no difference. When crops are sprayed with pesticides the pesticide is washed into the soil with rain and the roots carry it throughout the plant. While some pesticide residue can be washed or peeled away, the entire plant will contain the chemicals.

Brunner26_2

Yes, I prefer food that contains carbon.

:laugh:

bcattoes

I would try to adhere to this list: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

thank you very much

That list is valuable. It is what I use when I can't get to the farmer's market.

Farmer's markets usually provide fresher and more local produce, but you can't assume that all produce bought at a farmer's market is organic. Most farmer's markets actually have very little certified organic produce as small farmer's are no less likely to use pesticides than a large farm, but they are far less likely to pay the expense to get certified.

mattpusateri

We try to eat organic as much as we can; not because we think it's nutritionally better -- an apple is an apple -- but because we just want to minimize the amount chemicals and pesticides that are on our food, especially with our kids... We find that at Trader Joes, the price difference isn't huge.

We also generally go by EWG's dirty dozen/clean fifteen list. We don't do everything organic, but we try to be careful with the items that are the worst in terms of exposure to pesticides:

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

EmilyOfTheSun

I was going SO broke with all the fresh fruits and veggies I was buying. I just switched to frozen. I can't speak on what's better about organic versus not, but..... I got TEN servings of blueberries for what I would have paid for just TWO servings when I was buying them fresh. My wallet is definitely thanking me!!

Chief_Rocka

There is an epidemic of childhood illnesses (ADHD, autism, etc) that is correlating to the increase in chemicals and hormones in our food. It's not a coincidence.

I don't think you know what the word "correlated" means.

IrishAmericanPrincess

Funny, the majority of the responses here are based on opinions and not the facts. Doesn't surprise me that the attitude towards organic could also relate to one's outlook on fitness and an overall healthy lifetyle. Don't just choose what's easy. For heaven's sake, we're all here on this website to better ourselves, don't resort to the typical human responses or just eat something because it's convenient. Educate yourself.

To answer the poster's question, by eating Organic foods you are avoiding:

Hormone residues in food that can increase the risk of different types of cancer.
Pesticides that are known carcinogens.
Toxins that affect us at a cellular level.
Further unknown risks which develop over time and over long term consumption.

Organic foods really aren't more expensive as there are so many hidden costs involved with buying conventional products. Billions of dollars go into federal agriculture, big company energy subsides, chemical regulation testing, hazardous waste disposal, cleaning up environmental damage, illnesses and hospitalization. Low costs are also a sign that the farm workers did not receive a fair wage. If you've ever seen the documentary "Food, Inc." you'll know that illegal immigrant workers are involved.

So the excuse that organic produce is "too expensive" seems to carry little weight. What's the price of saving on medical bills and maybe adding years to your health? Compare it to the expense of non-organic produce to your health and conscience. By eating organic, we are also supporting the environment by encouraging farming methods that produce less toxic byproducts, supporting small farming communities, looking after animal welfare and probably most importantly, being responsible for our own health by making the right choices that affect our health from a cellular level not just a superficial one.

I agree and buy organic whenever possible.