Organics- Answering Questions

Since I can't post pictures at the moment, I thought I'd answer more questions. I'm often asked why I try to buy and cook with organic foods. I don't know if there is a short answer to this question but I'll try to answer it as precise and simple as possible.

First, what does "organic" mean? Organic means that the foods are NOT grown using pesticides (neither bug pesticides or weed pesticides) and animals used for foods are not fed feed with pesticides nor are they given antibiotics or hormones. Those are the basics behind the word organic. The term "organic" can be thrown around with a wide range of meaning when it comes to labels in the grocery store. For example, chips might say "organic" on them but if you read the label carefully they are made with just one organic ingredient but the rest of the ingredients are not organic. It helps to stick with "certified organic" labels because those are the ones that have been inspected usually as a 100% organic product but not always. Reading labels is wise. In the case of organic sugar it is sugar that has not been refined as well. There are other factors as well such as genetically altered food and radiation processing....not to mention splenda which is processed by bleaching the sugar. If you want to know more and get more details, here are a few links that offer a more in-depth look at what "organic" is. Check here and here.

So, why do we personally try to eat organic?
Several cancers are being linked to pesticide influence. Some scientist believe that pesticides and other chemicals in our environments are causing diseases and creating new ones. I'm personally diagnosed with a disease that is being linked to pesticides and is considered a "new" disease. My disease has no current cure and so I eat as organic as possible to help fight that. I also want to fight off any potential for cancer which is in my family health history. It's also the most practical way I can help my kids be healthy and also fight off the potential for these diseases. Those are our main reasons but in general there are several benefits from avoiding extra hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.

A side note: The benefits are great when it comes to taste! Ever since switching to organic eggs and produce, we are amazed at the freshness and flavor of our foods. I was beginning to not like bananas until I started eating organic bananas which are so sweet and yummy. Same with apples...I was tired of mushy soft apples in the store and now we enjoy crisp hard apples with lots of flavor and sweetness. Just a few examples.

So, I hope that answers some of the questions I've been asked lately....explains a little more why we use organic foods. We haven't switched to only organic nor are we 100% organic purest but we make changes where we can. It is more expensive which is the biggest complaint I hear and I totally understand how huge of a factor that is. For us, we've been willing to cut back in other areas to make this organic eating possible. It's a decision each family has to way for themselves. It just depends on how much it matters to you and to what degree is realistic for your family.

I hope this post was helpful or in the very least, interesting. =0)