Organic Produce

I had a paradigm shift a few days ago. Everybody knows that raw organic fruits and veges cost more right? When I shop, the reason I avoid much of the organic produce is because it costs more. I can get more food bang for my buck with non organic produce. I know organics are better for me, we all do, but to me, the cost outweighs the benefits.

Well, no more. Shawna Barker, of the Raw Foundation in Vancouver said something in module two of the Raw Foundation 200 hr Raw Food Educator Program that kinda just made me stop (I was walking and listening via iPod). What she said wasn’t something I didn’t already know, it just changed my perspective a bit.

I can’t quote her, because I’m writing this from memory but it went something like this. Raw organic produce is simply better because it has higher nutritional content. Not only that but consider what plants need to do in order to survive without a protective pesticide blanket…Plants must boost their nutrient and phytonutrient count in order to survive an onslaught of hungry beasts. They need to be stronger, more resilient. That strength transfers to us when we consume organic food, resulting in our own immunity boost.

So now when I’m perusing the food on display at my local Vancouver market, I no longer see non-organics as a crutch to my thrifty (frugal) spending habits, I see them as empty promises of what could have been.

So! Top 5 Reasons to “GO ORGANIC” When Buying Produce 

1. Boost immunity

Raw Food Organics

• See above

2. Give mother nature a break

• Getting rid of polluting chemical fertilizers allows soil to replenish itself naturally through crop rotation and variety. Rain water no longer leaches chemicals into water tables, rivers, lakes and oceans. All organisms that live in water can now survive and thrive.
• 

  Green Water – Eutrophication

  Stop Eutrophication! The nitrogen-rich compounds in fertilizers deplete oxygen in water. About half of all the lakes in the US are now eutrophic. That means that they’re DEAD. The ocean is suffering too.

• The high content of fertilizers in ground water can cause “Blue Baby Syndrome”. Pretty easy to figure out what that is.

Fertilizer Runoff

3. Avoid Cancer causing pesticides

• A quick rinse of food under the tap is not likely enough to ensure that you’re not consuming some pesticide residue. Pesticides are proven to cause cancer.

4. Save energy

• Huge amounts of energy are expended in the manufacture of chemical fertilizers for food production. In 2002, .6 quadrillion BTU’s were used to manufacture fertilizers. It’s hard to know just how much that is but it’s a lot.

5. Organic tastes better

• Our bodies crave raw food with good nutritional value. If we eat those types of food, our brains will be happy and tell us to eat more (see disclaimer). Therefore, organics taste better.

Kris McPhee, Vancouver, BC

Sources: Wikipedia

Disclaimer: Statements made in this publication are the thoughts and opinions of the author and have not been evaluated by the U.S. or Canadian Food and Drug Administration.