Why Organic Foods Are Better Than Conventional Foods
July 14, 2009
LOOKING FOR DETAILS ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL FARMING? Read More Here…
When it comes to your child’s health, the environment that you create and the environment around you go hand in hand. I am not your usual green activist, but when I became pregnant my nesting instinct went into overdrive. My need to create a healthy and safe environment took over and what I found is that a clean environment, goes hand in hand with a safe environment and is a must for baby.
I am sorry to say that while I thought I was doing everything right during my pregnancy I later found out that there were many other steps I could have taken to be healthier, and there were many other resources available to me to prepare for baby that I was not aware of.
In an age where there is scary things like arsenic, lead and mercury in our toys, cosmetics, water etc. I thought what other things are out there? Unfortunately the bad news is that we live in a world filled with chemicals, toxins and preservatives that can do harm to our bodies, the good news is, is that once you get the hang of “Greening Up” it’s simple, efficient and less expensive! Not to mention healthy for the whole family. So lets get started from the top down.
Greening “the vessel”…you!
When it comes to giving your child a healthy start, it all begins with you and the environment you create in utero. We have all heard the buzz about “organic” foods, but why are they supposedly so great, and why are they so expensive?
Organic Foods are:
* Inspected and approved by USDA independent certifier
* Grown with no synthetic Pesticides, synthetic Herbicides or genetically modified organisms GMO’s
* Grown without fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge.
* Specific labeling and record keeping to ensure organic integrity.
* Grown with buffer standards between organic field and nearby conventional farms.
* No use of ionizing radiation .
* Mandated 3-year transition period for fields that were previously farmed conventionally.
* Long-term soil management plans in place.
Essentially these are pure foods. In the past harmful pesticides were used to prevent famine, however in killing the pests, the essential nutrients in the soil is killed as well producing foods with far less flavor and nutritional value, not to mention harmful pesticides. If these chemicals that are put on food are strong enough to kill pests and sustain nutritionally depleted crops, what are they doing to our bodies over time?
On that note, Organic should not be confused with Natural Foods. According to Wikipedia Natural Foods are:
“ Foods that are minimally processed. Natural foods do not include ingredients such as refined sugars, refined flours, milled grains, hydrogenated oils, sweeteners, food colors or flavorings.”
So while Natural Foods are a step in the right direction, the stringent guidelines and the entire process that defines Organic Foods are ideal for you and your growing baby.
While it is worthwhile to try to eat an exclusively organic diet, some foods are OK to eat conventionally, these include:
Onions
Avocado.
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet Peas (frozen)
Asparagus
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Eggplant
Some of the foods that should always be organic are as follows. NOTE: These foods may be even more expensive because they are much harder to grow without the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes (imported)
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes
Don’t see your pregnancy craving here but want to check out it’s pesticide content? Check out The List.
Dairy products (especially Milk) are another MUST on the organic list. In order to produce more milk, conventional methods pump the cows up with a steroid called Bovine Somatotropin or rBGH, however they run the risk of complications such as infection (mastitis or infection of the udder) and pus in the milk so that is followed by an anti-biotic; rBGH otherwise known as rBST.
Now any woman who has nursed before can imagine how painful it must be for these poor cows, and with all of those unnatural additives in the milk it changes the composition completely.
Milk in its natural state is a great form of Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and essential minerals like Magnesium. However when you add in all of the harmful drugs it becomes a concern. So while dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt are all ideal snacks for pregnant and nursing mothers, make sure you get only the good stuff and go organic. Look for labels that state “organic” or “no “rBST.”
For the same reasons listed above try to choose “organic” or “free range” meat as well. Chickens, cattle etc. who are allowed to roam, cows who are grass fed, and animals in general who are in a more natural state provide healthier meat products.
At the end of the day, eating organically and better yet locally is a socially important thing to do as well. Every year hundreds and thousands of workers are hospitalized for pesticide related poisoning. Farmers who choose to grow organically do not get supplementation from the government and so they are often forced to use harmful pesticides on their crops to provide for their own families.
Finally the soil that is farmed is compromised and becomes depleted which could be threatening for the food supply for future generations.
There is a huge organic “movement” in this country. The rate of organic food growth is approximately 20% each year and is expected to continue to rise. Large corporations such as Wal-Mart, Costco and Safeway are now making organic products less expensive and more highly available, so try to:
* GO ORGANIC whenever you can.
* Make sure that all your baby food (solids) are organic.
* Use this guide to make the healthiest choices for you, your growing baby and your family.
For more in depth information on why organic food is better check out this site courtesy of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.
Beware of “Greenwashing”:
Greenwashing: Is defined as:
“The act of misleading purchasers regarding environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”
As the “Green” movement has started to grow, companies have jumped on the bandwagon by making false claims (i.e. Tyson Chicken promotes “all natural” even though they treat their chickens with antibiotics) or by misleading the purchaser into believing that the products that they are advertising are “natural” or “green”. Unfortunately this is not the case and the corporation is often inflating the environmental benefits for marketing purposes.
Beware of “creative advertising.” Again, read the labels, make sure that there are no parabens, parfum(e), fragrance, phthalates. Etc. The brands listed above are safe choices.
For more in depth information on “Greenwashing” check out a great article HERE
Finally, avoid all canned foods if possible. The metal cans contain a plastic lining with can contain BPA’s that may leach into food. This includes infant formula as well..
What is “pesticide/herbacide?”
For a more in depth look at pesticide/herbicide check out our article that takes a more in depth look at weed and lawn care and how you can create a healthy yard environment for your family. www.beyondpesticides.org they have so much great information and forums. In the meantime see these 5 reasons why not to use Weed and Feed.
As you can see there are many reasons to eat organically wherever possible.
Remember that you are a powerful consumer. Us parents account for a lot of U.S. dollars, so although it may be a bit more of a challenge to find all the products we need at our fingertips, if we demand them the government and corporations will respond.
Please let me know your thoughts and questions anytime by contacting us at:
pregnancyandbabyinformation@gmail.com
Comments
Got something to say?