Organic foods have been increasing in popularity and many grocery stores are now carrying more organic options. Some stores even have entire sections dedicated to organics.
So what exactly is organic? Organic means that the food is free from hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and pesticides.
By eating organic you limit your exposure to these toxic chemicals. Organic foods typically have more vitamins, minerals and nutrients and many say that organic foods have more flavor and taste better.
So how do you increase the amount of organic foods in your diet? Start with replacing the foods that tend to have highest levels of hormones, chemical or pesticides like fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy.
Remember to look for foods that are certified organic and not foods that say made with or contains organic ingredients as these foods may only have a small number of organic ingredients. Remember that a label saying natural, whole or healthy doesn’t necessarily mean organic.
Look for products with an organic label like the official USDA Certified Organic label:
Although eating organic is growing in popularity, many people are still unsure about the benefits or simply don’t consider making it a part of their daily diet. Some advantages to eating organic include:
- Offers more nutrients than non-organic foods
- Includes no toxic chemicals
- Contains more flavor and taste
- Reduces ingestion of pesticides
If you have ever browsed an organic food section, you may notice that eating organic will cost you more than eating non-organic. If your budget doesn’t allow for always buying organic, you can still limit your exposure to pesticides by washing your fruits and vegetables with a special produce cleanser (found in your local health food and grocery stores). If you don’t have a special cleaner you can also use baking soda and water.
Here are a few additional tips to help reduce toxins:
- Clean your produce
- Limit your consumption of artificial sweeteners
- Store leftovers in glass, not plastic.
Since making an effort to eating more organic foods I have noticed a difference in my health and wellness and encourage others to eat organic whenever possible.
Do you eat organic? Have you noticed that organic foods taste better than non-organic? Do you think that it has made a difference in your health?
