Organic Food
Strictly speaking, organic food is that which is grown without the help of pesticides, fertilizers, or chemicals. Even the
soil cannot contain them either (though organic versions of these additives are OK). Foods that claim to be organic use materials and practices that do not hurt the environment and should adhere to a set of principles and standards. The primary goal of organic agriculture is "to optimize the health. of soil , plants, animals and people" and thereby aims at producing food that is as ‘natural’ as possible.
People who buy organic are seeking assurance that food production is gentle to the earth, and/or looking for safer, purer, more natural foods. But are organic foods really worth the added expense. Well, talking from the scientific perspective, there is conclusive evidence to prove that diets high in fruits and
vegetables are associated with better heart health, lower risk of diabetes, several cancers and stroke, lower blood pressure, the list goes on and on. Significantly, the research that demonstrated these benefits did so on the basis of conventional produce and not organic. Hence, there’s no cause for concern as we can see that traditionally grown fruits and vegetables are quite healthful: there is a mountain of research to prove this.
However, if you have decided to go organic for environmental reasons, then go ahead. Organic farms naturally promote biodiversity as the lack of herbicides and pesticides encourages wildlife. Green and animal manures are used to enrich the soil, whereas some intensive farming methods result in soil erosion. Here are a few things regarding organic food that would be of help:
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middot; If you like your fruits and vegetables to look perfectly symmetrical and evenly colored then be prepared. Organic produce can never be perfect looking.
· You can’t buy organic fruits and veggies for a week at one time. They don’t last that long. So be ready to make frequent trips to buy them.
· Buy locally whenever you can. And buy seasonally.
· Buy directly from the farmer’s markets. Most major cities have them and they’re worth a trip.
Whether or not you buy organic, you can do your part to reduce
pesticide residues on foods with the following tips:
Always wash and scrub produce under streaming water to
remove dirt, bacteria and surface pesticide residues
Remove the peel from fruits and vegetables.
Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
Trim visible fat and skin from meat and poultry because pesticide residues can collect in fat.
One thing the experts agree on: Regardless of whether you choose locally grown, organic, or conventional foods, the important thing is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The health benefits of such a diet far outweigh any potential risks from pesticide exposure.
More abstracts about the Organic Food