Why Organic is Important!

[Jenifae]

I've seen many people here discuss why Organic is not important due to price. Well, I guess we'll pay now for organic or will pay later for what non-organic does do us like: cancer and other diseases.

Why do I post this? Because, Kevin Gianni just shared a site that tells you what's on your food and another site with what those toxins do.

See for yourself and you decide if Organic is Important.

http://whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=WM

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/

[spicyfull]

THANKS...........I'm not Organic:eek::eek:

[artgirly4]

Oh thankx. I love having this list. Many do not believe it is important.

Me organic....yes I yam.

[Seedy]

There was an interesting article on MSNBC yesterday about how the big ag lobby is gutting the organic food law. Check it out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31719136
Seedy

[iluvmangos]

I believe it's important. I just refuse to fret over something I can't do anything about right now. I am praying for what to do to afford organic, though. All some people can do is avoid the dirty dozen list and wash their produce. For real.

[T-Bird]

I sure hear you Iluvmangoes!

Who wants to live to 100 if you have to work the entire time because you can't retire! LOL!

I am CSAing and growing right now. Not sure if the CSA will come out to be a savings or not....depends on the harvest. The garden plot has it's ups and downs, my last watermelon went over last night - bummer!

For you - can you do some container gardening? grow some greens and herbs like parsley and cilantro?

It could help a little with more organic and some more money to buy a few organics?

[iluvmangos]

I sure hear you Iluvmangoes!

Who wants to live to 100 if you have to work the entire time because you can't retire! LOL!

I am CSAing and growing right now. Not sure if the CSA will come out to be a savings or not....depends on the harvest. The garden plot has it's ups and downs, my last watermelon went over last night - bummer!

For you - can you do some container gardening? grow some greens and herbs like parsley and cilantro?

It could help a little with more organic and some more money to buy a few organics?

We do have a garden, but the green beans, tomatoes, and peppers aren't working out. Our greens are doing well, though. We also planted some watermelon and cantaloupe, but they're not ready yet. We've got some zucchini that's not ready yet either.

[katchmoleen]

I believe organic is important....we used to be certified organic durum farmers before it was "sexy," way back in 1990. But the honest truth is we absolutely don't have the cash, unless we want to leave some bills unpaid or take a second job.....no thanks. I buy organic as much as possible and do the best I can. I am seeing improvements even with mostly non-organic produce. If you insist that you have to do only organics, you will turn the Raw Movement into a "class" or status thing and millions of people who could benefit from being all raw would miss out.

[TaupeRawMan]

I eat only organic, but I don't need it to be certified organic. I find many non-certified farmers are "purer" than the certified ones.....and pricing is usually about the same as conventional.

[Sugar Snap Pea]

Good info, Jenifae! Thanks!

[cara4art]

"I believe organic is important....we used to be certified organic durum farmers before it was "sexy," way back in 1990. But the honest truth is we absolutely don't have the cash, unless we want to leave some bills unpaid or take a second job.....no thanks. I buy organic as much as possible and do the best I can. I am seeing improvements even with mostly non-organic produce. If you insist that you have to do only organics, you will turn the Raw Movement into a "class" or status thing and millions of people who could benefit from being all raw would miss out." - katchmoleen

I agree completely, especially with the last statement. There's enough of a class division already in this country with diet, with the poorer people eating cheap starchy, fatty calories, and the more affluent health-conscious ones eating more organic produce and leaner SAD items(if they haven't shifted into a greater percentage of raw that is). In a perfect world there would be reasonably-priced organic produce available to everyone, but sadly we haven't gotten there yet. I have one friend who is hard-line about eating organic - if a food, or even a condiment or spice, is not organic, she won't eat it, and she was always telling me to eat organic, no matter what, even after I repeatedly told her that our budget simply didn't allow for that. Now, I will pick up organic items if they are well-priced so I look for these. Sometimes I do find good deals and specials. So, like many, we do the best we can with conventional produce. One is far better off eating that than eating organic junk food - you know, the "organic chips and soda" thing.

[Jenifae]

If you insist that you have to do only organics, you will turn the Raw Movement into a "class" or status thing and millions of people who could benefit from being all raw would miss out.

Most Raw People I know and MOST RAW Educators I have listened to say to "Eat Organic". I've only heard one say if it has a thick peel on the fruit it's okay but, that's not neccessarily true. I've eaten or tried to eat a non-organic canteloupe and it tasted so chemically that we threw it out. It just doesn't make sense to say "I Eat Raw to Heal Myself" and then eat non-organic because, then you are "Essentially Poisening Yourself" I've also noticd that it is really not that much more expensive and in the long run for your health you'll glad you did. Alot of those pesiticides on fruits and veggies were "HORMONE Distrupters" and "Reproductive and Developmental Distrupters" What the HECK? :eek: No wonder Breast and Prostate Cancer are on the rise including child disabilities. :eek: It's all a personal decision but, I hope we are start choosing more for our health.

PEACE & LOVE to ALL!

IMHO :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

This is true... organic is obviously better. But if I can't get organic then I'm happy to buy non-organic... cause IMO raw is where it's at.

After all... cooked non-organic (nutritionally) is was worse than raw non-organic so I'll take the raw and do as much organic as I possibly can. ;)

[Humanist]

Someone advised me NOT to buy chlorella labeled "organically grown" because it means it was grown under artificial conditions, rather than in the wild.

[T-Bird]

interesting point humanist....

[lori ann]

I believe of course it is important to buy organic and this is an important post, but It depends on your situation as well. One you may not be able to afford and two like me I have some produce available at the stores I shop organic, but not everything. I would leave out some wonderful fruits and vegtables if I did organic only. So I just try to do the best that I can do :)

[Jenifae]

That's really all any of us can do - is the best we can do. :)

[gabriele]

I believe of course it is important to buy organic and this is an important post, but It depends on your situation as well. One you may not be able to afford and two like me I have some produce available at the stores I shop organic, but not everything. I would leave out some wonderful fruits and vegtables if I did organic only. So I just try to do the best that I can do :)

Me too, i buy organic when i see it, otherwise, especially bananas, i eat non organic. It's hard enough for me to just stay on this new "diet", i can't be fixated on whether it's organic all the time, even though it is better, in my opinion, in the long run. Ideally it should all be organic, all the time....

[Seedy]

For those of you with ipod touches or iphones - you guessed it - there's an ap for this. Dirty Produce from the Environmental Working Group lists the dirty dozen and clean 15 produce as well as a list of the top 47 foods ranked according to pesticide level. Free on iTunes.
Seedy

[T-Bird]

http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf

here it is for us non-ipoders!

[Thick]

I agree that there are manyenvironmental and health reasons to eat organic--but for me the main reason I continue to choose organic over conventional whenever available is because the nutrition in organic foods is much higher.

When you are eating a raw diet I think it is important to get the most nutrition out of your food. After all, I might have an entire meal of canteloupe, so I am happy that I can find a high mineral variety=)

Here's a chart-- http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/whyorganic/whyorganic.htm

[Thick]

Also, famers have to pay a lot to become certified organic by the government--so ask around at your farmers market or roadside stand and you might find cheaper organic produce that is much fresher as well.

Here's a link to look up what is near you. http://www.localharvest.org/