Organically grown food has a wealth to offer the body and the planet. Organic food has more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than conventional food and is void from the harmful chemicals, pesticides and toxins that dominate conventional food and are damaging to the body’s immune system and nervous system.
A 12 year study concluded that organic food has a far higher mineral and trace mineral content and also contains more iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium than conventional produce. Spinach was found to contain up to 78% more vitamin C than conventional spinach. Organic crops proved to have a dry weight of 69-96% more than conventional crops proving they held a higher food value content. Organic crops also have been proven to have a far lower toxic trace of aluminum, lead and mercury, all of which are harmful when ingested.
A study published by The Organic Center revealed that organic food is higher in certain key areas such as total antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols, and two key flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol, all of which are nutritionally significant.
While organic food is more expensive, your body and health is worth the added expense and the investment will come back to you multiplied a hundred fold. If the additional price is challenging for you, start with the ‘dirty dozen.’ This is a list of fresh fruits and vegetables that have the greatest amount of sprays when farmed conventionally. These include- apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, grapes, peaches, potatoes, capsicums, cucumber, nectarines, spinach, strawberries. And squash. The ‘clean fifteen’ are a list of fruits and vegetables that have less sprays when farmed conventionally, so until you can switch to organics, these are still ok to be purchases as long as they are washed well before eating- asparagus, avocados, cabbage, cantaloupe, corn, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mango, mushrooms, onions, papayas, pineapple, sweet peas and sweet potatoes.
Don’t forget to look out for organic produce at farmers markets where it is often less expensive as you are buying from the farmer directly. Some farmers while not certified organic may be spray-free which is a great in-between option as you can be sure you are not ingesting harmful chemicals and pesticides and spray-free produce is often significantly cheaper.
Eating organically means you also eat with the seasons- meaning you will get the greatest intake of vitamins and minerals from fresh food. Produce in supermarkets is sourced year round from all over the world, meaning that it could have been in storage or transport for months before reaching you.
When it comes to food other than fresh produce, try buying organic in bulk, which is often cheaper and allows you to buy as much or as little as you like.
Try cooking at home from scratch and making your own supplies of things such as almond milk or gluten free bread, simple muesli recipes and healthy snacks.
Look into co-ops in your local area or local organic food delivery services. There are many small businesses now that are working to make healthy living and organic food available to everyone.
Making small steps towards living a more organic lifestyle will make a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Although it can seem overwhelming at first, the more you learn and the more you slowly adapt, switching to organic will feel simple, natural and satisfying.
Here at Byron Bay Detox Retreats we use organic produce ensuring you the highest quality of nutrients free from pesticides and herbicides.