Friday, February 02, 2007

Eat Organic Foods for Better Health

It is more important today than ever before to purchase
organic foods. Organic fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy
products do not have the toxins that inorganic foods have.

With the large amounts of toxins in the inorganic foods we
eat, we all need to eat organic whenever possible. Every
time that you choose conventionally farmed foods or
processed foods over organic, you are increasing your
cumulative exposure to chemicals and raising your risk of
disease.

For example, consider the differences between regular dairy
cows and cows at an organic dairy farm. The cows at a
regular dairy are given hormone shots, antibiotics, and
live in very poor conditions. The average lifespan of a
dairy cow is about seven or eight years compared to the
lifespan of 16 years for a cow that is well-cared for.

Cows at an organic dairy are not given any hormone shots or
any antibiotics. They are allowed to graze on grassy
pastures. They therefore give milk that is not tainted with
chemicals, hormones and infections.

By eating organic produce, meats and dairy, you are saving
your body from the toxins found in the inorganic produce,
meat and dairy. Research has shown that children who
regularly eat organic foods have lower levels of toxic
chemicals in their bodies than those who only eat
conventional foods. Those toxins build up in our systems
and can cause a variety of diseases.

Farmers, dairies, and processing plants that use the label
"organic" have followed certain criteria prescribed by the
government. Only those food items that are truly organic
can be labeled as such. By purchasing organic items you can
be assured that care has been taken to ensure there are no
chemicals or other toxins in the food.

Most commercial meats including pork and beef, unless
organic, contain antibiotics, hormones and too many
polyunsaturated fats. Therefore, they should all be
avoided. The cleanest food is organic food, period.

Of all the meats, it is most important to get organic
chicken. Chickens are the most intensely farmed meats and
are therefore given chemicals to make them grow faster and
bigger. Good organic chicken is full of iron, zinc and
vitamin B12, vitamins and minerals that are very important
to good health.

One of the best things you can do for your body is to eat
at least twelve servings of fresh, organic fruits and
vegetables every single day. By eating the certified
organic versions of these foods you will benefit from their
energy-boosting power even more than eating inorganic.

Studies done on organic produce versus inorganic have shown
that organic vegetables contain significantly increased
amounts of vitamins and minerals when compared to inorganic
produce. Therefore, you can eat smaller servings and still
get much more of the vitamins and minerals you need each
day than if you ate inorganic.

Today the variety of organic food is astounding. A partial
list of organic foods available includes oats, butter,
eggs, wheat flour, sugar, milk, meats, and many fruits and
vegetables.

For people who enjoy a little dessert, there's nothing
unhealthy about a cake made with whole wheat flour, organic
butter, free-range eggs - as long as you don't eat the lot
at one sitting. Choose organic when you can for ingredients
such as sugar, flour, oats, fruits including candied and
dried fruits, milk, eggs, and butter.

Organic items often cost more, but the costs of not eating
organic can be even bigger as you will likely have higher
healthcare bills and a lifetime of disease and illness.

----------------------------------------------------
Carol Stack has written numerous articles on health and
related subjects. She lives in the United States with her
husband, three children, and various dogs and cats. Carol
and her sister Barbara have combined forces to produce a
website that focuses on healthy and nutritious foods and
recipes. You can visit it at:
http://www.healthyrecipesandmore.com