When someone says organic, what do you think?
For many of us, the answer involves food. Earthy looking carrots with their tops still on; a spotty apple, and irregular shapes. Iconic images such often represent organic, but is organic food really worth paying extra for?
What Exactly Is Organic?
To warrant the label organic, products must contain at least 95% certified organic ingredients, derived from plants or animals. Essentially, this means that they have been produced according to a set of standards, and adhering to strict values. Certain ingredients, such as water and salt cannot be guaranteed, so the other 5% takes care of this. Organic food never contains artificial food colours of flavours, so you know that what you’re getting is just the way nature made it.
Organic food is not limited to fruit and vegetables. In fact, organic is not limited to just food.
Organic Meat
To be certified as organic, meat has been raised adhering to specific organic principles. Ultimately, this means the welfare of the animal is a primary concern. Organic cattle, pigs, chickens and other meats sources are given space to move freely and a pesticide free diet. This means no nasty chemicals, which invade your body, can be added. Hormone additives are some of the most dangerous additives that can be included in meat rearing and buying organic means there will be no dangerous hormones added.
Organically raised animals are less stressed, which reduces the chances of infections and illnesses; meaning the meat is better quality as well as containing no debilitating steroids, antibiotics or chemicals.
Organic Dairy
Organically produced dairy must come from cows who have the space to roam free and are fed on a nutrient-rich diet. This means that everything they have consumed is completely free of chemicals, so it is as natural as Mother Nature intended it to be. In addition, cows are not milked as frequently, which means the milk is richer and full of goodness. Similarly, eggs from free range chickens must be fed on grains that are produced on land free from the use of toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years. They cannot pass as organic without these requirements. This leads to richer eggs, containing more immune boosting vitamins.
No GM crops can be permitted, and all organic animals must be maintained without hormones, antibiotics, and other intrusive drugs. This means that not only is your produce more healthy, but also that you will be so too.
Organic Fruit and Vegetables
When you buy organic fruit and vegetables, you can be assured that they contain only the delicious nutrients nature intended and no nasty chemicals. Free radicals and other invasive chemicals can often be used in the pesticides used to control non organic species; making healthy foods, like salads, more toxic. What’s also great about organic food is that it tastes as it should: apples are appl-ier, meat is meatier and milk is creamier. Garlic, onions, chillies and other ‘flavouring’ ingredients are so much stronger tasting, that it actually saves you money, because you use less! Synthetically produced flavourings are distorting our palates by tricking the mind into believing these sweeter, sharper flavours are right. Eating organic gets you back to the basics of food.
Organic food is ultimately a set of principles. As well as preventing illness by ensuring there are no chemical additives, you can be sure that nothing is GM. Read more about the dangers of GM foods here.
Whatever organic supplies you can include in your diet, and lifestyle, mean you are contributing towards a better planet because:
- Organically produced health and beauty products ensure your skin absorbs more pure ingredients, keeping it fresher and more natural
- Ordering from box schemes means you save time on going to the supermarket, which lowers carbon emissions
- Organic food uses little, no or sustainable packaging, which prevents using up the earth’s resources.
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