Does eating organic worth the extra cost?

I feel energized, fresh, mentally focused and full or energy today. It's been quite some time ago, since I last felt burn-out, fatigue or sick. I've been eating organic food for quite some time now, and eliminating as much processed and fast food as possible, which includes food products sold in supermarkets and grocery outlets. 

A lot of my friends, colleagues and even relatives ask me what is organic food? I'm surprised that very few people realize the bright side of consuming organic food.  More and more people are enjoying processed food more then ever, dining at hawkers stalls, fast food outlets as well as restaurants seem to be a common meal routine whenever couples, friends and families decided to fill up their stomach. What's your favorite fast food outlet? McDonalds? Pizza Hut? KFC? Do you know how much of trans fat, MSG, sugar, HFCS are being digested into your body in a single meal? What happen to real whole organic food? Doesn't anyone eat real whole food anymore? 

Whoever is reading this post and is a fan of organic food, please leave a comment after you finished reading this article. I think it’s important to realize that the “price” we pay for organic food is not just about the price tag of the food itself, but also the long-term savings, in terms of reduced health care costs. 

Traditional farming practices used before the 20th century are generally recognized as being organic.  This was before the creation of pesticides, herbicides, irradiation, synthetic fertilizers, and a host of other “progressive” farming “inputs”, used to control pests, decrease farm labor and supposedly increase crop yields. In other words, in the old days, farmers planted non-genetically altered seeds, rotated crops, pulled weeds, and put in long hours to ensure their harvest was bountiful.  Farm animals ate grass and lived off the land. 

The result was an organic food supply and much lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Let's fast forward to the 21st century, where farmers routinely spray their crops with poisons, plant genetically altered seeds, and feed animals growth hormones, unnatural grain diets and antibiotics.  And the current rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer (along with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and autism) have reached proportions never seen before in human history.

The truth is, organic farming, or doing things the old fashioned way, is just as sustainable, if not more so, than “progressive” modern farming with its reliance on “inputs”. But not subject to debate, and definitely NOT a myth, is the fact that any chemical designed to kill bugs, mold or fungus can seriously damage your health. Likewise, it’s a well-known fact that modern farming practices deplete the soils, which in turn produces less nutrient-rich produce. Please read my previous post about organic apples, which I mentioned briefly about  the quality of organic and commercial.

I've came across with friends telling me that he or she can't afford to eat organic. To whoever is reading this right now, I'm telling you "You can buy a nice expensive car or mobile phone but you can't afford to eat healthy?". It doesn't make sense folks! What happen to priorities in life? I think it's time to wake up and have some responsibility of your own health and life. Some people tell me he or she doesn't have a degree in nutrition or medicine, thus, do not have the knowledge to know what to eat? Are my ears deceiving me? You don't need a doctorate or degree in nutrition to eat healthy! Majority of parents don't even have a clue how to ensure their kids eat healthy. Parents thought whatever they are feeding their kids for years, are actually healthy. Yeah, giving your kids ice-creams, white bread, soft drinks, concentrated fruit juices, cookies, cakes,  infant or kids milk powders, FAST FOOD and a million more of harmful food list which I can go on and on and on all day long!

To all the parents out there, I know all of you love your infants and kids with all your heart. But, would you take further responsibility to ensure your kids live and eat healthy? If the answer is YES, then before all this can happen, YOU yourself needs to ensure you show good example by eating a healthy diet, and not some shitty poor diet. You eat Junk food, you get junk mood and health! Simple as that.

Question, does anyone knows how many types of pesticides are used commonly in majority of all our vegetables and fruits and grains including rice? Let me tell you this folks. Read carefully and open your eyes wide! Pesticides are used in Biological warfare! And every commercial vegetables, fruits and rice and whatever grains  and meats and eggs sold in supermarkets, they are all contaminated with pesticides! Yes, that is the different between buying organic and commercial food products.

If any of you wants to suffer infertility, suppression of immune system, cancer, miscarriages, neurotoxicity, disruption of endocrine system, then continue your consumption of commercial food products. Of course there are lists of other damages which can impact your body but let's keep it short.

What does a farmer gain by NOT using chemical inputs on crops? Higher costs. Natural fertilizers, such as chicken manure, cost more then synthetic fertilizers. But restrictions on pesticides and synthetic fertilizer are only part of the higher cost of organic food. Organic farmers are also not subsidized by the federal government, putting them at further economic disadvantage compared to conventional farmers. 

Why is organic food more expensive? Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and to reduce pollution. They are not designed to save money. Organic farming cannot use:

Pesticides

Synthetic Fertilizers

Sewage sludge

Genetically modified organisms

Ionizing radiation

Antibiotics

Growth Hormones

For instance, not using ionizing radiation means foods spoil faster. Not using antibiotics means conditions that create sick animals must be avoided in the first place. Not using growth hormones means animals grow slower and not as large. All of these things can translate to lower profit margins.  So, in order for organic farms to remain economically viable, they need to charge a premium for the products they produce. The question is: is it worth the extra cost? From my point of view, the answer is absolutely YES. Organic food is much more nutritious and dramatically improve your health, thereby, reducing health care cost. Also, organic food has lower nitrate content.

Organic apples, beef, and spinach, for example, give you more bang for your buck than other produce because their conventionally grown counterparts are heavily laden with pesticides and other harmful additives. When it comes to produce, you’ll want to keep in mind the presence of pesticides. I now present to you the list of food which usually has the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. 

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion     

Since animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins, it would make sense to make sure your meat choices are organic. When choosing organic meat such as beef however, you should also go the additional step and make certain the cows are grass fed exclusively, especially the few months before they are slaughtered. For chickens, it would be important to make sure they are organic free-range chickens.

The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies perfectly to the food supply in your 21st century stores and supermarkets. Sounds familiar? Processed foods are full of sugar, white flour, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, artificial flavor enhancers, MSG, chemical colors and preservatives. What about the cost to your health and quality of life from eating these foods? These costs don’t show up on your food bill.  But they show up in medical bills and in your quality of life. 

I strongly encourage everyone who read this post, to change your eating diet, particular practice consuming organic food and ensure your family is doing the same, as you will be setting exemplary status for everyone including your colleagues, friends and relatives as well. Remember, every meal you eat, you are voting for the food and health industry. The choice is yours.

P/S:  I have colleagues and friends who don't like to talk about health and nutrition. I have a message to them, "Living in ignorance can kill you, or contribute to a miserable life". All my best wishes to you all.