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ORGANIC: Good for You, Good for the Planet! | | | DR. PRAGYA KHANNA
Today the food advertising industry uses an array of terms that are quite misleading to a layman; think of how many times you see so called healthy phrases plastered all over the expensive food containers like Fat Free, Reduced Fat, Low Fat, Sugar Free, Diet etc. In this world of increasing consumerism and the variety of foods that are available from all over the globe these categories are thought to represents healthier food. However, we need to ponder over a little on those catchy phrases and analyze what they actually mean: Fat free, but full of sugar and chemicals. Reduced fat, but increased processed carbohydrates. Low fat, but high glycemic index. (enhances your blood sugar.) Sugar free, but artificial everything else. “Diet” yes! Enables you lose weight and your health, shown to cause cancer in lab rats.
Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to utilize the foods up to their maximum that natively occur on this earth. When we fiddle with that, the results cannot be anything but bad. Mounting waistlines, unprecedented obesity or low physique, stunted growth and diminished energy levels that typify these times surely support this claim. A common and easy way to differentiate food items is to know that if food comes in a jar, box, can, or bottle it is generally processed. So as much as possible choose foods that are whole, pure, natural and organic. Organic foods are foods that are not grown in cocktail of chemicals such as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical ripening agents or food additives. It is well known that Fresh Organic Produce contains many more vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Organic products protect us from toxic and chemical induced diseases while nourishing our bodies to support good health. In a hurry to produce more and more crops to satisfy growing demand the agriculturists have been using a combination of pesticides to control disease and insect attack. It is shocking to know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it. On the other hand it is also true that one has to eat more fruit nowadays to make up for all kinds of deficiencies, but unfortunately that means eating more chemicals leading to more potentially harmful affects on your health like Cancer, Obesity, Alzheimer’s, congenital birth defects, the list is endless. An average child receives four times more exposure to cancerous pesticides than adults. Moreover, chemical farming has led to continuous erosion of the soil, killing off some total species of birds and near extinction of some of our beautiful wildlife. Pesticides now contaminate more than half of the drinking water from groundwater sources. Organic farming uses natural, synthetic chemical-free techniques that produce foods that are non-toxic for humans, as well as to animals that consume them. And if one grows his/her own fruits and vegetables, using organic garden fertilizer, natural pesticide methods, and organic soil (along with a good composting bin), he/she can grow healthy, natural, organic produce and can help make the entire planet safe. Organic farming practices also preserve precious natural resources by using less water as well as less energy. The organic system for meat production is safer and gentler for livestock than industrial farming methods. Instead of spending their lives in filthy, overcrowded cages, animals raised for organic food enjoy fresh air and open space. The routine use of antibiotics is forbidden as a simply preventive measure, the use of growth hormones is prohibited completely, and the animals are fed an organic diet to guarantee a blissful, healthy life. However, there is another side of the coin; some critics argue that organic food production is not as productive as food grown by modern methods. Hence, cannot feed a large populace. It has a major disadvantage that most organic food has a shorter shelf life than non-organic food products, preservatives are not used on processing organic food, so it spoils more quickly. This is a disadvantage for both
consumers and stores, as it can be quite costly in the end. Less food is produced per acre, and the food doesn’t keep as well, so it is more costly to grow and produce organic food. The point that I want to emphasize here is that everything in this world comes at a price and it would be a very bad deal to stake our lives, it is quite worthwhile to purchase organic food from the market if the pocket allows or else to grow food in your vicinity if otherwise. Nonetheless, in India the organic food is still not a luxury as in the US and other developed nations and can be acquired with a little effort and vigilance. The globalization, increased consumerism and trendy lifestyles all urge us to use supermarkets and malls to buy products rather than the small local stores that are not as stylish. These super stores have everything from the controlled temperature and lighting to the bizarre, deodorized smell. It is strange that you can not really smell food in a supermarket; I presume because most of it is so tightly wrapped up. The children are generally allowed to pick whatever they like and more often than not they quickly scoop up packets of chocolates, bags of chips, candies, coated cereal, huge bottles of soft drinks etc. The display of other mouth watering items also appears lovely, so adults also buy lavishly. But have you ever noticed that when children are fed on such items, they are much hungrier and frail than they would normally have. Bottom line is that in the long run we feel unwell, gain weight, acidity, gastric problems, headaches, spent more money and end up with enormous bin bags full of wasteful packaging and leftovers and keep wondering why we often lack vitality and why diseases keep ravaging our bodies. We then take lots of drugs to combat our health problems and that in turn leads to other problems. A common saying goes “You are what you eat”! So let’s try to eat healthy and organic for a better and healthy life!
LET’S GO ORGANIC!
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