Organic Living
Organic products are expensive – but once you are educated on all the benefits thereof – you will agree that it is totally worth it.
When you purchase something labelled as organic, it means that no man-made pesticides or fertilizers were used and it is has not been genetically engineered.
Many people are not even aware of the fact that antibiotics and steroids are fed to animals on many commercial farms. When you purchase meat that is not labelled as organic, you might be consuming these things without even knowing about it. When consumed, it can wreak havoc on your hormonal system and the side-effects are much worse for children: https://drmichaelwayne.com/blog/the-meat-you-eat-steroid-use-in-livestock/
What can be the side-effects of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used on my fruits and vegetables? Is it really so bad? Yes – yes, it is. Not only does it negatively impact human health, it may also impair children’s brain development and have devastating effects on the environment:
https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/effects-of-pesticides/
Not convinced? There are numerous articles arguing the case for organic living:
o https://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/top-reasons-choose-organic-foods
o http://www.youngandraw.com/why-its-important-for-you-and-your-family-to-eat-organic-food/
o https://www.freshnlean.com/importance-of-organic-food/
How do I start to make a change if I can’t afford to live 100% organic? Here are a few tips:
• There are certain fragile foods that require more pesticides than others and therefore you really should only buy these when they are certified organic. They have even been labelled as the “Dirty Dozen”: Peaches, strawberries, nectarines, apples, spinach, celery, pears, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, lettuce, and imported grapes.
• Just like some foods require more pesticides, others require less and therefor these foods are least likely to contain pesticide residues – they have been labelled as the Clean Fifteen by the EWG: Sweet corn, avocados, pineapples, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, honeydew melon, kiwis, cantaloupe, cauliflower and grapefruit.
• Natural/Organic roll-on is expensive initially, but it lasts for months which make it worth every penny. You can purchase a natural roll-on at most health shops. Read about why you should be switching your deodorant: https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/blog/3-reasons-why-you-should-use-natural-deodorants
• Here is a shoppers guide from the EWG which sums up most of the things that I have listed above: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php#.Wo6WXKhuaUk
It is difficult in today’s economic climate to spend more on food – but what we have to ask ourselves is what is most important to us? Some of us go on holiday more than once a year, or have our nails done regularly, or eat out multiple times per month, or buy what I’d like to call “convenience food” which always comes at a cost – pre-sliced vegetables, pre-made salads and pre-cooked meals – but we aren’t willing to sacrifice these luxuries in order to live a healthier life.
I recommend that we evaluate what we spend money on and that we weigh the pros and cons. We can have everything in the world, but without health, we don’t really have anything. I always use the example of a millionaire stuck in hospital undergoing chemotherapy (and no – I am most definitely not saying that cancer is always caused by an unhealthy lifestyle). The millionaire has no financial stresses; he can travel the world with his wealth – except he can’t, because his body is not as healthy as his bank account.