Organic vs non organic
Many Boise residents are looking for ways to better their life; whether it’s through diet, exercise, or a combination of both. There are so many different trending diets and fads going around which makes it very difficult to choose which route to take. Weight watchers, ketogenic, low carb, low fat, and paleo diets are just some of the many options we have all heard about. One of the many complaints about any diet is that people tend to gain all of their weight back; some even complain about gaining more back. This is because a diet is just that, a diet. The problem with diets is that the majority of them are based on cutting calories for weeks on end, which tricks your body into thinking that it is actually starving. This will not allow your bodies to effectively lose the fat people are trying to lose, instead it prevents it. Diets do not lead to long-term weight loss or long-term health benefits for many people. For life-long health, it’s essential to realize that in order for us to better ourselves and become healthy, it requires a long-term lifestyle change. That being said, where do we start? In a world full of sick and obese people, lifestyle is so very important and in order to become healthier, we must realize that it won’t take a diet or a short-term lifestyle change to become our best selves. Let’s start by knowing the facts. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and arthritis are the most common disease found in our world.
These diseases are also mainly preventable through lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, eating the correct foods, and by limiting alcohol and tobacco use. But in a world full of trending diets, sometimes it can become overwhelming to people to know exactly what to eat. We all know that we should eat less breads and carbs and focus more on healthy fruits, vegetables and lean meats. But just as important as eating more whole foods, it’s even more important to know where our foods come from and which foods to pick out. In a world that requires mass production of foods, it also means that more ‘safety measures’ have to be taken to keep our foods clean. Conventional produce farmers utilize pesticides and animal farmers utilize antibiotics to ‘keep things clean.’ Unfortunately for us, it is these two very things that are contributing to our lifestyle illnesses. We can avoid this by choosing to buy organic foods and products instead. Organic foods have more nutrients, including enzymes, vitamins and minerals compared to conventionally grown produce. Conventionally grown foods are known to have more pesticides used among many other chemicals. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, children who are exposed to even small amounts of pesticides, in this case organophosphates, are more likely to have behavioral and learning problems. They can even lead to conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Another study by the JAMA showed that these pesticides can decrease fertility and increase the chance of miscarriage. In another study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, these pesticides can also be linked to some cases of breast cancer.
Needless to say, avoiding these chemicals by choosing to eat organic can better your health and decrease your chance of chronic lifestyle diseases. It’s not just produce that uses chemicals that ruin our health, but it’s also conventionally grown meats. Conventional farms use a variety of antibiotics that can make the health of our nation worse. Next to antibiotics, our cattle and other animals are given artificial hormones to increase production of supply, which also increase risk of health problems. Organic meats and dairy products do not have any antibiotics or artificial hormones. So although they may be a little more expensive to buy, the cost outweighs the negative health effects associated with pesticides and antibiotics. So instead of changing your entire life to accommodate a diet, instead choose to make baby steps toward living a better, healthier life. One of the best health decisions anyone could make is to choose to buy all organic. Incorporating this into your life will lead you down the path to better health, not only for you but your whole family.
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2659557
