Overall organic living is better for your health in the long run. Organic living is better for the health inside and out of your body. Even though organic products cost more and are a little different than non-organic things. It is worth the price and difference. You can shop organic fruits and vegetable, meats and household items and make significant changes to your body and the environment around you.
Organic fruits, vegetables and meats, are foods that are grown or raised without chemical enhancing its growth. Also animals that are raised in free range farms and fed organic grains. Organic living has just recently became popular over the last 10 years. Over the last twenty years people have been working on ways to enhance organic production. The motivation by the desire of customers to have a better and healthier diet also has increased (Nikolic). In the 1990’s people started to care about organic and be observant about the organic products. People also started to see the different benefits in buying organic. In today’s farming, 63 million acres are being used for organic farming. This is only 1% of fruits and vegetables farms. To be considered as an organic product, the product must be certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Due to the Food Production Act of 1990, where they are required to do onsite testing, in order to get accurate information (Turner 104). According to Samuel Fromartz, 70% of Americans buy organic products and almost one fourth of Americans buy it once a week” (qtd. in DeCostole).
In American households the most organic product purchased are organic fruits and vegetables (Straub). Studies at Harvard University School of Public Health have discovered that organophosphates, a chemical in non-organic foods can contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, in children. Also preservatives are put into the fruits help the fruits last longer on the shelf. This can lead to stomach cancer and can increase asthma attacks. Without the preservatives your food will also be fresher (Traister). Most people just think about organic fruits and vegetables, buying organic meat and milk is also very beneficial.
Organic beef is the second most bought organic food (Straub). To qualify as organic meat, the animals must be free ranged. This means the animals are raised in cages. They also must be fed organic grains, no antibiotics or growth hormones can be used on these animals (Turner 104). Adding hormones to animals speed up the growth, which speeds up the production. The grain cost is lower also, because the animals are reaching its peak faster. When the chemicals are in the animals systems, the chemicals are later passed into the humans systems. According to Carolien Thompson, “Every year there are cases of sporadic Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, also known as mad cow disease in the United States, according to the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA). Eating organic beef, chicken, pork and other meats is a healthier option.” Organic beef has higher levels of omega-3 fats, than non-organic beef. Omega-3 fats help protect against heart disease, organic meat has less fat and cholesterol in general. With organic meat your blood sugar levels can improve, getting healthy fat can keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. Organic meat also helps fight against cancer. Using organic beef can also help prevent food poisoning (Tamar).
Other organic meat, such as eggs have to be completely organic from the day the egg has hatched. Eggs also have high levels of omega-3 levels. The US as no efficient way to get organic fish (Tamar). And not only does organic milk also provide healthy omega-3 fats, it also has a longer shelf life (Lallanilla). These foods are always organic and are always good for you, flax seeds and peanuts. Peanuts provide protein and flax seeds is another source of food that can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes (Ruhlman 159). Not only do we need to worry about what is going into our body, but also what is going into the air we breath.
The chemicals we put into our home are harmful as well. Many air fresheners that we use on an everyday basis aren’t the best for our body. Air Fresheners are filled with all kinds of different chemicals. You should avoid using different fragrances, they have been found to contain toxic chemicals. Benzene and formaldehyde, can cause headaches, nausea and increase asthma attacks, they have been linked to damage your nerve system and can be cancerous (Carimé) You can replace these air fresheners with different essentials oils. When cooking, avoid using non-stick pots and pans. This cookware, when heated, releases chemicals that can later develop cancer.
Not only does going organic have benefits for you, it’s better for our environment also. Organic farming reduces pollution, increase soil fertility and conserves energy. Farming without pesticides is also better for nearby animals and as well as people who live close to the farms.
The biggest thing people would argue that the cost is the biggest disadvantage when thinking about organic food. Most families have a grocery budget, not everyone can afford to buy organic products. Not only is it costly to the consumers, it can be costly for the farmers also. To be an organic farmer, the farm requires a certification, which costs a chunk of money. Growing organic can also take longer to grow and takes more effort to maintain the crops (Whitmore). Not only does it take cost more to maintain the crops, but also growing organic also takes up more farmland. Plus the more tillage there is, the more CO2 is released, because the crops don’t use chemicals, they need to till the land more. Tilling means using the tractors to keep up with the crops in preparation in harvesting them, by using tractors (Zaruk).
The higher prices food has created an unavailability of healthier and better food. Families who have budgets are not always able to pay for the higher priced products. Environmental Working Group provides a website giving consumers advice on how to shop smart when it comes to putting chemicals in your body. Eating purely organic can be very costly. They have provided a list of products that have fewer chemicals. Environmental Working Group tests products for the amount of pesticides, they created a list called, “ The Dirty Dozen,” that lists the products with the most chemicals. The food on that list always get organic. They also created a list containing the least amount of chemicals in your foods, these foods don’t always need to be organic. This list is called, “The Clean Fifteen” (McGuinness 44). Here are some examples of fruits and vegetables that you will always want to buy organic; apples, potatoes, grapes, peaches and strawberries. These are some fruits and vegetables that don’t always have to be organic they have the least amount of pesticides; avocados, onions, kiwis pineapples and cantaloupes (Riemenschneider).
If you are trying to go purely organic there are some tips to making organic living affordable. Buying fruits and vegetables in season, the produce will be fresher and is more affordable in season. There’s also homemade cleaning products, an all purpose cleaner is really easy to make and most useful. You can clean your countertops, mirrors and floors with distilled vinegar, water and essential oils for scent, heat until warm to enhance the cleaning power (Carimé). The most affordable thing you could do is start your own garden with all organic fruits and vegetables.
Many stores don’t offer a wide variety of options for organic products. These store only sell organic products, Trader Joes, Sprouts Farmer Market and Whole Foods, Walmart also provides a wide selection of organic products.
When it comes to the cost of organic products, buying organic is worth it. It is worth the extra cost because it involves your health and wellbeing. Now days cancer is a big deal and common, and buying organic can help prevent that. Most chemicals that are put into our foods, can cause cancer and other illnesses. Of course eating organic can’t stop the cancer from growing, but if organic foods help tame the cancer, the cost is worth the protection. Also in organic milk and meats, the omega-3 levels are higher which protects against heart disease and can decrease the risk of depression and strokes. You will also being living a healthier lifestyle, once you get into the habit of buying organic, you will start to only get organic products and see the difference. Most people will argue it’s not worth it, buy it is. Your health is always important and should be a main focus in your life.