More about organics

I get a Runner's World digest in my email every week; I love their stories on nutrition and their training tips. I thought it was fitting that the top link I received today was 5 Reasons to Go Organic. It's written by Maria Rodale, author of Organic Manifesto.

The article goes into much more depth, but the 5 suggestions are:

1. Eat Nutrients, Not Toxins - I especially found this quote interesting: "They found far fewer chemicals in the children's urine the same day they switched to an organic diet—and a return to high levels when they went back to a chemical diet."

2. Protect Your Body - Did you realize that arsenic is commonly used in pesticides? I didn't! Yikes!

3. Get Plenty of Protein - This we knew, but it's emphasizing the fact that grass-fed, humanely treated animals are out there.

4. Solve the Climate Crisis - I thought this was unsurprising, but interesting: "In a study commissioned by PepsiCo, an independent researcher found the most significant component of the carbon footprint for Tropicana orange juice (a PepsiCo product) wasn't transportation or manufacturing, but "production and application of fertilizers."

5. Enjoy the Taste - Again, something we knew, but organic does not equal bland. In fact, I'm finding the taste to be better with organic fruits and veggies!

The below was posted at the bottom of the article and I thought it was really important:

What's Organic, Anyway?
How to decode the claims on food labels
By Joanna Sayago Golub

100 PERCENT ORGANIC
Must contain only organically produced ingredients and processing aids. These foods can carry the USDA Organic seal.

ORGANIC
Must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (remaining ingredients must be approved). Can also carry the USDA Organic seal.

MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Will not have the USDA Organic seal.

NATURAL
Term often refers to food without artificial ingredients or preservatives, but (aside from poultry and meat) no official standards legally define it.

As a follow-up to the study I posted recently about more obese shoppers shopping at the cheaper chain store like Albertson's, I wanted to share this blog post. I think the author makes a good point about people needing not only the time but the skills to be able to cook good, whole foods. I was also pleasantly surprised at the intelligence of the commenters as relative to many of the comments I see on others sites. There are some pretty diverse views there, and I saw a few that were pretty interesting. I have a feeling that this will be something for which there is no easy answer, but it's good that people are thinking about it.