Why organic?

Posted by Lee-Anne Moore on 5 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Food was largely organic until the introduction of chemical pesticides, fertilisers, hormones & antibiotics, last century.

Certified organic food is free of chemical pesticides, herbicides & fertilisers. Animal products are free of the use of growth hormones & antibiotics. Rather, organic animal & plant waste/compost is used to feed the soil & sustainable land-practices are used. As a result, the food is richer with vitamins & minerals, & far more beneficial to us.

These days, it is much more rare to see crops rotated & land allowed to rest to ensure that the soil is not stripped of it's vitamins & minerals. The food can only be as good as the soil that it is planted in because the plants are created from the soil, ie. they get nutrients from the soil. Similarly, the lifestyle of the animal (eg. stress-free, open pastures), & the food & chemicals it consumes has a direct effect its health & therefore a direct effect on us & our health when we eat/drink it. Chemical pesticides, herbicides & fertilisers tend to remain part of the food that we consume. Likewise, we consume the hormones & antibiotics that are used in the animal products we eat & drink.

Don't let this discourage you, though! Be informed about the quality of our food & be empowered to choose. Eating natural foods are by far more healthier than processed foods! Processed foods are made from these treated products anyway but have even more chemical/artificial ingredients added to them & often loose a lot of the remaining nutrients with the processing it undergoes.

Every little bit that you do, counts! Become more aware of the source of your foods & choose foods accordingly. Organic food may be more expensive because of the extra care that goes into it. If affording it is a problem, try to introduce some organic foods slowly. Remember that the cost involved in investing positively into your health now, will surely be rewarded not only now with increased energy, vitality & health but will save you the enormous cost of ill-health later in life.

Enjoy discovering the benefits of great, natural food!

Lee-Anne