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The terms all natural, preservative free and more are useless labels. There is only one label that actually has government standards to uphold. Organically grown and raised foods are regulated and can not have that label if they do not meet certain standards. The question is should we eat a diet of organic foods and does it even make a difference? We will talk about what it means to be organic versus nonorganic and how it can impact our health.
What does Organic Mean
It all starts with the farming. Organic farmers grow produce without using pesticides. They also use natural fertilizers, rotate crops to protect the nutrients in the earth and they use mulch to control weeds. All these things are good for our environment. The farmer’s focus is not only on what they grow but how they are processed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a certification program that must be followed in order for food to have the organic label.
USDA Organic Standards
According to the USDA, to be labeled organic means to produce, handle and process your product to the USDA standards. Single-ingredient foods have to be 100% organic. Examples of such are fruits, vegetables, eggs and they are labeled 100% organic and can carry the USDA seal. However, a product need only be 95% or more to carry the USDA organic seal. Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients must say “made with organic ingredients” and foods that contain less than that cannot have the USDA organic seal. If an item says “natural” it is not the same thing because there are no regulations to be considered “natural”. Basically, natural means nothing and is a marketing ploy. I have been fooled by this many times.
Health Benefits of eating Organic Foods
Studies have not shown a significant nutritional difference between eating organic versus inorganic. That does not mean there are not good reasons why people should eat organically. Taste, lack of pesticides, no food additives, and the environment are the main reasons people choose to eat organically. Conventionally grown food may look better because they were genetically altered or food additives were added. However, often the taste is not as vibrant as it is with organic produce. Organic can be more expensive which is a drawback. As organic foods becomes more prevalent and mainstream the prices will drop. I find Costco has many organic products that can be purchased in bulk. I also like Sprouts and King Soopers for a surprisingly good variety of organic foods.
Worst and Best fruits vegetables with Pesticides
Eating organic will limit the amount of chemicals going into your body and help the environment heal from abuse from over farming. It can be difficult to buy 100% organic produce. The following list are the non-organic fruits and vegetables that retain the most pesticides. These are the items you want to buy with the organic label.
- Apples
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Spinach
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
These items are considered to have the least amount of pesticides:
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Sweet Peas (Frozen)
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Papayas
- Kiwi
The Environmental Working Group keeps a massive data base on safe and unsafe foods and products that we use on our bodies. I recommend you check out their website.
The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, they drive consumer choice and civic action.
GMO and Organic foods
“Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food (AAEM 2009),” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM( American Academy of Environmental Medicine) has asked physicians to advise all patients to avoid GM foods.
Organic foods cannot be GMO which is another reason to eat organic. Basically the theory was that if we genetically modified our food we could produce more. The problem is that the human immune system looks at some of these food as foreign invaders and that triggers off an autoimmune reaction. GMO foods are designed to be used with pesticides and the pesticides are hormone disrupting chemicals that your body just cannot handle. I pretty much stick to organic. When it comes to meat I like pasture raised and grass fed. But that will be the topic of another post.
I eat and live a low carb ketogenic lifestyle. If you would like to see what I ate for a week you can check out this post.
Benefits of a Myers Vitamin IV Infusion
Since most of us are not eating organic non-GMO type foods we have certain vitamin deficiencies. Myers Vitamin IV infusions were started by a Dr John Myers in Baltimore to treat his patients with chronic diseases. He found that it worked with people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, asthma, and a variety of other conditions. I find that it really helps people with gut problems such as leaky gut, Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and SIBO. Our formulation contains vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, and B12. There is also a large quantity of Vitamin C and magnesium included. If you want to know more about what we offer go to our Vitamin IV page. You can book an appointment here— just click the button.
| Additional information on Organic food | |
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| Why eating organic is better | |
| Is organic food better for you ? | |
| What does organic mean and is organic food healthier ? | |
| The many benefits of organic food | |
| Is organic food worth the cost | |
| 25 Surprising Facts About Organic Food | |
Loveland Medical Clinic Mission
I believe everyone has the right to a healthy life. The Loveland Medical Clinic exists to make that belief a reality. We do this by challenging the current healthcare system status quo and using the best science available. By changing our clients diet we cause them to lose weight and get off their medications. I do not believe in making pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and hospitals richer. Our current diabetes and obesity epidemic is a man made problem. We can fix it ! If you believe like we do that you have the right to be healthy we would love to help you in that journey.
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