Organically grown foods are grown without the help of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. With people growing in awareness of their health, it is important to know what to do when buying your food. The reality is your expenses may increase when purchases are "organic" but think of the long term benefit, and alleviated cost of medical expense when you invest in the health of your body. Organic foods are especially beneficial for a developing child and a pregnant woman.
Conventional Foods: use chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth, spray insecticides to reduce disease, give animals growth hormones & medication to prevent disease and increase growth, and use herbicides to prevent weeds.
Organic Foods: Use natural fertilizers like manure/compost, use insects and birds to reduce disease & trap pests, give animals organic feed & access to the outdoors while providing a clean area to live & graze that prevents disease, and mulch, till and rotate crops to prevent weeds.
For the Vegans or Vegetarians, the notion of organically fed meat is not a factor. In my opinion Organically grown produce tastes better and usually supports your local farmer.
According to the "Environmental Working Group" EWG, there is an annual dirty dozen list that they release, highlighting which foods we are better off purchasing organically grown, since these 12 seem to have the most pesticide residue.
The dirty dozen include : apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, kale/collard greens.
The 15 foods with the lowest pesticide residue included: onion, sweet corn, pineapples, avacado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, cataloupe, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and mushrooms.
Obviously the more foods you have on your grocery list that are natural like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, the more benefits you will see for your body, and inevitably your yoga practice. Fruits and Vegetables are rich in vitamins, water & oxygen which are crucial for cellular development and prevention of disease.
The reality is that many diseases today can be linked to our dietary habits. Sadly, my personal observation has been that the foods that are being heavily promoted, usually cause the most harm to our body (due to high chemical contamination)...foods like Milk, Potato Chips, Burgers, Soft Drinks, etc.
With films like Food Inc., books like Eating Animals, and Yoga and Vegetarianism...Many believe our food industry has a heavy hand in the pharmaceutical business, and thus, work together to create profits, at the expense of the common individual.
Choose health and wellness, educate yourself, and support your local grocery store and farmers. Always remember for those with a sweet tooth, there are Vegan/Vegetarian, Organically grown snacks, cakes, cookies that are available and very tasty. Also, invest in a juicer and sip your way to wellness. ~ Namaste
Photo: This photo was secretly taken of me waiting at the Lifethyme Organic Market for a yummy cookie
