Pros and Cons of Organic Foods

It is not hard to find the label “organic” on anything these days. If you stroll through the aisles of your local supermarket it could pop up on anything from apples to makeup to energy drinks and candy. Organic foods have been on a steady growth for almost 20 years now and continue to bring in more and more revenue every year. People do not mind paying the extra money if they think they are avoiding putting dangerous pesticides and growth hormones into their bodies.  Are organic products more wholesome, though? What are some of the pros and cons of eating organic foods? We will take a quick look at the history of organics to better understand what makes an organic food product so that we can compare the positive and negative aspects of shopping organic for you and your family.

              All you need do is hop on the USDA’s website to see a history of organic food farming. Around WWII production all around the world was working overtime to keep up with the demand for supplies. Farms were no different. Many “industrial farms” were searching for new ways to increase productivity to keep up with the food shortages that were occurring on and off the battlefield. Many farmers began turning to synthetic fertilizers to increase their harvest. Sure, these synthetic fertilizers worked, but many farmers recognized them as health concerns. These skeptical men and women opted to look for other natural strategies that could increase yield without putting their family’s health at risk. They began to be referred to as “organic farmers”.  These organic farmers’ claims that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers were detrimental to health were not pulled out of thin air. Around 1938 during a dust bowl on the great plains, dry top soil was blown off farming land by the wind and it left many farmers in the area destitute because of the pesticides that were trapped in the dirt. Fast forward to the end of WWII in 1945 and we see a huge pro-organic figure, J.I. Rodale, publish an article warning about the dangers of DDT. America was distracted by the war and then the great depression at the time, but these events laid the groundwork for future generations to take a stand against industrial farming.

              Fast forward a number of years and organic food started becoming more popular in the 90’s especially. Foods brought in from China were notorious at this point for being contaminated and local farmers could advertise organic food that was clean and cheaper. Soon after the USDA released a regulation on organic foods in 2002. They define organic agriculture as “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.”. Organic foods just so happened to fit nicely into our current culture with the health craze that started in the early 2000’s and continues to this very day.

              Now that we know a brief history of organic food farming let’s look at what organic food is. Organic farming has the following characteristics according to organic agriculture’s sustainable table :

•Are grown or raised by a producer who uses practices in balance with the natural environment, using methods and materials that minimize negative impact on the environment. The organic farmer is committed to replicating the ecology of the natural environment by maintaining biodiversity and fostering healthy soil and growing conditions.

 •Are produced on land that has been free of known and perceived toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years prior to certification, and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not used in production.

•Are planted on a rotating basis within the farm system. Crops are rotated from field to field, rather than growing the same crop in the same place year after year. Cover crops such as clover are planted to add nutrients to the soil and prevent weeds.

•Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that use organic feed, do not administer added hormones to promote growth or any antibiotics and they allow animals the space and freedom to behave naturally.

Sounds great doesn’t it? Of course, it does. The USDA’s regulation also states that if a product has the USDA Organic seal on it then the farm has been inspected and the product contains at least 95% organic ingredients.

Let’s get to the point here, though. What are the pros and cons of buying and eating organic foods in our modern time? There are several points we need to observe in order to answer this question.

·       Cost- Looking at the coast analysis from business insider shows that simple fruits and vegetable food items will cost you about $10.00 to $25.00 more every year. While meats could cost you over $100.00 more every year. Eggs are in a league of their own, if you opt for the organic, pasture raised eggs it will come to an extra $300.00 more every year. When you get into peanut butter it will be about $110.00 more per year while almond butter (already a pricey item) will cost you about $365.00 more for the organic version.

·       Safety- There was a huge test done by the consumer’s union on organic and non-organic foods. The study showed the organic foods consistently have one-third less pesticide residues on them than non-organic foods. While non-organic foods have well below dangerous levels the concern is how those pesticide residues add up in our bodies over the years. That is something only time will tell. One interesting fact is the natural toxins and pesticides that organic un-altered plants create. A potato for example cannot easily get up and run away if it is attacked so as it turns green it produces its own version of pesticide called solanine. Ingesting too much of this can make a person violently ill. Organic foods contain more natural toxins than non-organic crops. An easy way to combat these toxins, in both organic and non-organic foods, is to simply wash them before consumption or preparation. Most food poisonings come from unsafe handling of foods after they leave the farm.

·       Nutrition- Many studies have done on whether organic food bares more nutritional value than other food items. The fact of the matter is, it is inconclusive. Some studies have shown that organic foods hold more vitamin C, anti-oxidants and minerals, but the margin is so low that it holds little benefit for us. If you want more nutritional content from your food an easy way to do it is to eat your food fresh! Even organic foods, if left in the fridge for too long, lose some of their nutritional impact.

·       Environmental Impact- This is where organic foods pull a big one over on non-organic items. Synthetic pesticides and some fertilizers do not easily breakdown. They build up in our soil, water and bodies. The only way to fight back against this pollution that causes both short and long-term illnesses to include migraines, cardio vascular diseases and cancer in humans, plants and animals is to eliminate the use of it. It is no secret to anyone that these chemicals are harmful to the planet, yet they continue to be used. Organic farming is better for the environment. They are required to allow pasture for their livestock, they rotate crops to allow natural replenishment of soil nutrients and they do not use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides which are known to damage the ecosystem on their crops. All of these points add up to a farm that works in conjunction with the environment instead of against it.

So, lets add up the points. When we look at cost it is clear who wins. Non-organic farms and organic farms cost about the same to run, yet organic food can cost over 75% more in the stores. Organic food is still seen in many areas as a fad, and business owners want to make a few bucks off this trend before it goes out the window. As organic food becomes more popular though we see that price steadily leveling out. It is only a matter of time until organic food prices drop to normal levels. Currently, however, non-organic food gets the win in price.  In safety, I would have to give the win to organic foods. Organic foods avoid synthetic toxins that are known to build up instead of breakdown and can cause cancers and other illnesses. While it is true that organic foods produce their own toxins, and natural fertilizers can hold dangerous bacteria such as E.coli, these are natural poisons that can be avoided with proper care and, not to mention, are natural bacteria and toxins that have been around for millennia. Take care to wash your food and only eat ripe foods fresh and you will not need to worry about food poisoning from organic food items. Next, we look at nutrition. This is a tie between non-organic and organic foods. Multiple studies have shown that on a nutritional level they are at an impasse. Finally, environmental impact is a landslide victory for organic foods. Industrial farms are one of the leading causes of pollution in our world today. They only way to fight back is to stop supporting them by not buying their products. In the end it is up to the consumer, if you think that organic foods are worth the price or not. If the trend continues as it is, we will see organic foods continue to take over the market.

The Importance of Health and Wellness

The health and wellness market is predicted by experts to be the next multi-billion dollar industry. This should come as no surprise when one looks at what is included in this market; beauty products, healthy eating, fitness trends, gyms and even things such as meditation classes.  People are realizing the importance of health and wellness. With things such as cardiovascular disease on the rise globally the need for a higher quality of life is becoming more sought after. Unfortunately, if you were to do a quick google search to see what portion of the health and wellness industry generates the most revenue it would be the “beauty and anti-aging” portion. I say “unfortunately” because such products are not, in my opinion, part of either “health” nor “wellness”. These products are completely superficial. If we look at the term health and wellness we will see it referring to two separate ideas; “health” and then “wellness”. Most people think of these as the same thing, and most are mistaken. Let’s break down what “health and wellness” is and then we will take a look at the overall importance of it and how it plays into everyone’s lives.

            What is “health”? Health refers to our overall physical condition and lack or presence of disease and injury. If a person is healthy then they are not injured or afflicted by illness. It is pretty straight forward, right? Things get a little more complicated when we want to define “wellness”. According to the dictionary wellness is the state of being in good health especially as an actively pursued goal. That is the point I want to hone in on; “an actively pursued goal”. Wellness is a way of life, health is the product of that life. If we put the two in conjunction we will see the importance of a well-rounded approach that addresses both aspects. To help understand what I’m saying let’s use the mnemonic “SPICES” which was developed by DR. Terry Fulmer for the evaluation of geriatric patients. While this mnemonic is intended specifically for geriatric patients the NFPT (National Federation of Professional Trainers) took it and spun it to use it as a tool to teach about the aspects of Health and Wellness. It is such an easy one to remember I wanted to use it here. Many of these definitions are pulled directly from their text book “Personal Trainer Fundamental Theory and Application”.

Social Health- Involves your ability to form satisfying interpersonal relationships with others. It also relates to your ability to adapt comfortably to different social situations and act appropriately in a variety of settings.

Physical Health- Refers to one’s overall well-being and is the easiest to observe of the various dimensions of health.

Intellectual Health- this is the capacity to assimilate and integrate new information into one’s thinking/thought processes. We should all work to understand and comprehend new concepts on a daily basis, even when it is not “formal education”.

Cognitive Health- While intellectual health is the assimilation of new information, cognitive health is referring to the efficiency of the processing of said information as well as how we perceive the world around us.

Emotional Health- It means you are aware of your emotions. You can deal with them, whether they are positive or negative. Emotionally healthy people still feel stress, anger, and sadness. It is the ability to take a step back from yourself, understand what you are feeling and then decide to act or not to act on those feelings.

Spiritual Health- While many give this a religious context, it is focused on the connection of ourselves with a higher power, a sense of purpose, self-actualization, and an inner joy. It is often described by self-acceptance, repentance for misdeeds, a willingness to give to and forgive others and a desire to seek peace with the community and world overall. This dimension is closely tied to emotional and social health but is clearly its own category.

            So, we can see plainly the multiple levels of health and how it relates to our wellness. These six levels; Social, physical, intellectual, cognitive, emotional and spiritual health should all be actively pursued. They are fluid aspects of our lives. By fluid I mean to say that as we age they will change and should be challenged to change for the better. Modern medicine has enabled humanity to live longer lives, but a longer life does not guarantee a quality life.

Let’s look at the skeletal muscular system since it is an easy example. When we are in high school our bodies are going through an extremely important developmental time in our lives. How much physical activity we put ourselves through at that time will lay a foundation for our adult lives. It is widely believed that if we spend more time participating in physical exercise when we are young and developing then our “baseline” physical fitness level will be higher when we are adults. It is also widely believed that losing weight will come easier to those who were physically active as children than those who were not. As we grow older the body begins to slow down, muscle tissue is lost, the distribution of body fat begins to change, and recovery time increases. This does not necessarily have to be a hard truth to face, though. If we understand just a portion of the science of our bodies we will understand that a well-balanced exercise routine can go a long way to balancing hormones, reducing stress, retaining muscle and keeping us moving well into old age. Basic exercise can combat and at times even reverse the negative effects of aging.

More than just our muscles suffer as we age, all 6 levels of health take a toll. That means we must try to stay healthy in every level of SPICES. The good news is that they are all interconnected. There are numerous ways one can make an effort to literally “re-engineer” themselves to make health and wellness more of a priority. Some of the obvious choices are avoiding negative behaviors like tabaco use, alcohol abuse or consuming too much junk food. These negative behaviors are not only bad for our physical health, but things like alcohol are depressants and even a small amount of alcohol can take a toll on our emotional and mental state. There are also positive behaviors that we can use to invoke positive change. Reading a book, socializing with friends, going to the gym, drinking enough water and being creative are all behaviors that are easy to add to our day and can bring on positive change.

 The simple act of physical activity is enough to not only make us stronger physically but supports us emotionally. Exercise releases a cocktail or hormones, all of which help promote healthy brain cells. Even the very act of doing something that we know is positive helps our mood and nourishes future choices to continue to care for ourselves.

In the end wellness is not something that is earned once and then kept on a shelf like a trophy. It is constantly changing, evolving and must be grown and then nurtured throughout our lives. Wellness is a zest for life and requires a level of self-responsibility. We need a level of discipline to keep moving, keep striving to challenge ourselves to grow. Any given behavior can lead us towards our goal or it can lead us astray. It is like the adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. We all start somewhere, and it is important to have goals set. They should be goals that are reasonable and in sight. Anything that is set too far away or is unrealistic will only lead to discouragement and then disappointment. The mindset should be more on why one is doing something and not what one is doing. Those who frequent the gym generally go because it gives them a sense of balance and accomplishment afterwards. That is the mindset that should be fostered to grow. One must think about how they have moved to achieve a goal for the day, which is part of the bigger goal instead of an endpoint in of itself. If one takes the time to nurture the aspects of health and wellness they will find that it is a type of preventative medicine that will lead to a long, quality life filled with happiness and fulfillment in themselves and their relationships.