So, we fell out of eating raw for the past few days…maybe even a week. Of course, I still sent hubby out the door with a nice raw salad or made sure my lunch wrap was mostly raw, with maybe a little hummus here and there (or on every wrap-that stuff is awesome). Unbeknownst to him, we're about to jump back on the raw wagon. But, I think it is important to know why we haven’t wavered from our convictions on eating organically grown produce. I’m also going to include some things we stay away from, organic or not.
First of all, I know the feeling that organic produce is just too expensive and too small for its worth. I know from experience…after eating conventional all our lives (for the most part), Andrew and I always think the same thing when we go to our local grocer and pick up a cucumber that’s half the size and twice the price of a conventionally grown cucumber. The fact of the matter, though, is that that beautiful, hunter green giant cucumber in the conventionally grown isle or market is a mutant cucumber. The cucumber has been mutated by pesticides, herbicides, hormones, genetic tampering, and nitrates. By the way, have you SEEN those GIANT strawberries?! They are like the size of half my fist. MUTANT. Anyway, the point is this: it isn’t natural. Its …pretty disgusting, actually. And, as I believe, enmeshing yourself in God’s creation, in its most natural state, is the most beautiful and most perfect way to live in this world. You can’t really say you’re eating God’s pure creation, or something God gave us to nourish our bodies and keep us strong to do His will, when it is genetically tampered with by humans...twice the size, dyed, mutated, etc. EW. As for the price, continue reading to my second point.
Second, pesticides are neurotoxins. Check out the book “Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine” by Dr. Cousens. Read the first few chapters and you’ll be shocked by a study conducted in South America, where children in neighboring areas were studied. One area used pesticides, the other didn’t. The pesticide-eating children had much lower levels of brain development, and performed much worse on simple tasks than the others. Of course, the areas were screened for economic levels and other variables like that. CHECK IT OUT. It’s freaky…That was a rough overview, but the book explains the study for a long, long time. I'll see if I can find the original study to check out.
Third, a quote from Lifefood recipe book: Living on Life, information from a study conducted at Rutgers University:
“Organically grown food generally has about twice the amount of vitamins and minerals than commercially grown food…. Not only that, but Organic oranges contain 30% more Vitamin C than nonorganic, even though they tend to be about half the size. Organic peaches and pears were found to have higher cancer fighting compounds. In fact, a recent review of 41 scientific studies from countries around the world found that organic crops contain on average 27% more Vitamin C, 29.3% more magnesium, 21% more iron, 13.6% more phosphorus, 26% more calcium, 11% more copper, 42% more manganese, 9% more potassium, and 15% lower nitrates."
The list goes on, but if you’re interested, you can check out the book or other books like it. A lot of live or raw books have information about organic farming and its health benefits (to consumers and to producers!). Need I say more, though? I mean, really, so the produce is smaller-you eat smaller portions but get much more nutrients and protein. Its really true. I eat a lot less when I eat raw, organic food than I ever have!
Fourth, its SO GOOD. The taste is WAY better in organic produce. Seriously, get one of those fat, giant strawberries and cut it up. Eat it with an organic strawberry, and I PROMISE you will taste a difference. A Copenhagen zoo was shocked when their chimpanzees chose organic bananas over conventionally grown bananas. I mean, its THAT much better, even the chimps can taste the difference.
Fifth, eating and buying organic is better for the earth, and its better for farmers. Organically grown produce creates a flourishing eco-system of bugs, natural pesticides, soil microbes, etc. Soil fertility increases dramatically. Farmers don’t have to inhale pesticides and other harmful chemicals, nor will they be tied down by the giant chains of corporate GMO seed producers.
Ok, so that’s just a basic overview of everything organic. Now, we also have been consciously staying away from processed foods. Everything we eat must be one ingredient (or, in the case of sprouted grain breads/wraps, only organic grains/seeds, etc.). No wheat. No white flour. Nothing enriched. No processed soy or tofu.
Always remind yourself when you’re checking out that the scanner is actually your ballot, and each conventional item that swipes by is a vote that counts you as a “YES!” to pesticides (ie neurotoxins in our foods), herbicides, destroyed health for you and our farmers, destruction of the natural, God-made foods, etc.
Creepy Food, Inc Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0&feature=related
