Organic or Not?

Published: Sat, 10/17/15

Hi


Every now and then in my clinic I get people asking if it is really worth going organic or not.

That and a sprinkling of people who totally dismiss the idea of organic foods because,  of course, it's a marketing scam - 'how can people justify charging that much more money?! Usually for a smaller volume?!'

Well the BBC also released a report back in 2009 with the title "Organic Has No Health Benefits" -  it was a turning point for organics and the sceptics could say hahaha I told you so. Organic purchases fell dramatically. Nutritionists everywhere were sad.

Anyway, good news guys - new figures announced by the Soil Association (February 2015)  show that while both food prices  (down 1.9%) and food spending fell (down 1.1%)  there was significant growth in the organic food sector!  Shoppers spent an extra £1.4 million a week on organic products and the organic market exceeded £1.86 billion, bringing sales back to levels in 2009, prior to the damning report. Growth in sales across Soil Association Certification symbol holders has also  increased by 7.7%.

So what do I say to the clients who ask me about whether they should go organic or not?
I say: "Well, it's up to you really, but yes I think you should" followed by a few facts and opinions....

Read on:

FACTS:

What is Organic?

Organic farming is a holistic approach to food production, making use of crop rotation, environmental management and good animal husbandry to control pests and diseases.
Some key aspects of organic farming and food are:
  • restricted use of artificial fertilisers or pesticides – most are ruled out and the soil is kept fertile with manure and crop rotation. Pests are controlled with predatory insects, weeding and co-planting of crops that deter pests.
  • emphasis on animal welfare, and prevention of ill health, including stocking densities, free range, choice of suitable breeds. Animals must have access to free-range areas and their feed must be organic. Minimum slaughter ages are specified.
  • use of conventional veterinary medicines is focused on treating sick animals
  • emphasis on soil health and maintaining this through application of manure, compost and crop rotation
  • processors of organic foods have a restricted set of additives to use – only 30 are allowed, out of a total of 500
  • no use of GMOs in their products allowed

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How do I know if it is organic?

All food sold as 'organic' must be produced according to European laws on organic production. In the UK, there are 10 certification bodies with the Soil Association being the largest. Others include Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd, Organic Food Federation, Biodynamic Agricultural Association and the Organic Trust Ltd.
Manufacturers of organic food are permitted to use specific non-organic ingredients provided that organic ingredients make up at least 95% of the food. If the product contains between 70% and 95% organic ingredients, organic ingredients can be mentioned only in the ingredients list, and a clear statement must be given on the front of the label showing the total percentage of the ingredients that are organic.


Our Health

Eating raw, organic food is the most natural and beneficial way to take food into the body. Choosing organic foods where possible is the nearest we can get to eating a pure diet – it takes a lot of energy for the body to eliminate toxins in the form of pesticides from food, and some cannot be excreted from the body so accumulate in body tissue- especially in fat tissue and in the liver. It is also useful to know that hydrogenated fats and controversial additives including aspartame, tartrazine and MSG are banned under organic standards so by choosing organic we are automatically removing the risk of such toxins from our bodies.

The Environment

Organic farming releases less greenhouse gases than non-organic farming - choosing organic, local and seasonal food can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. By choosing organic we are helping to minimise the damage of chemical pollution which poses a real threat to the future of humanity. Organic farms are havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds and butterflies. In fact, the UK Government’s own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms. A million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed non-organic livestock which produce pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products.

And what about that Report

Well, I mean look at that title for one - "Organic Has No Health Benefits" what's it there to do? Exactly - shock - especially those who are trying their hardest to be healthy. Grab the readers' attention, and that it did. I call rubbish on this one (as I did with that horrid 'chocolate helps you to lose weight one'!) because:
 
1. Among the 55 of 162 studies that were included in the final analysis, there were a small number of differences in   nutrition between organic and conventionally produced food but not large enough to be of any public health relevance.
  • What about  the other 107 studies?!
  • The analysis showed that there are higher levels of beneficial nutrients in  organic compared to non-organic foods -  it might be a small amount, but for me, a small amount over days, months, years adds up
  • What nutrients did they test for? And A,C,K, iron, folate maybe - there was never a list. I wonder if they tested for the many other beneficial phytonutrients like lycopene, which protects against cancer, lignans which helps with hormone balance, the curcuminoids and capsaicins which are have been proven outright to have strong anti-inflammatory effects.

2. The FSA themselves agreed that without large-scale, longitudinal research it is difficult to come to far-reaching clear conclusions.

3.  The review did not look at pesticides or the environmental impact of different farming practices. There is not sufficient research on the long-term effects of pesticides on human health yet.

The "Dirty Dozen"

The Dirty Dozen list for 2015 is comprised of apples, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, peppers (capsicum), cucumbers, tomatoes, sugar snap peas,and potatoes.
Each of these foods tested positive a number of different pesticide residues and showed higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce items. You also eat the skin of these on the whole.

Key Findings(USA):
  • 99% of apple samples, 98% of peaches, and 97% of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
  • The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
  • A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides.
  • Single samples of cherry tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides apiece.
  • Leafy greens - kale and collard greens were also frequently found to be contaminated with insecticides toxic to the human nervous system.
KIM'S OPINIONS:
  • Organic produce may not look better but day...um it tastes better!! A tomato actually tastes like a tomato, an egg, like an egg. I love everything about real food, taste especially and taste of organic food, to me, is just so much more satisfying compared to the non-organic food.
  • In my experience, my organic chicken breasts or bacon actually browns quickly when fried - it doesn't just simmer in an inch of water and end up half the size. I don't have to empty the George Foreman tray twice because there's too much flippin' water!
  •  In my fridge, an organic broccoli turned, believe it or not, by it's use by date yet I found a packet of  opened non organic green beans I forgot about looking as good as, if not better, than the day I bought them  - 2 weeks ago!
  • I just can't handle the idea of "plastic chickens" which is only 51% meat according to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-181626/The-plastic-chicken-thats-51-meat.html. Also the fact that chickens are 4 x the size at 56 days old than their ancestors back in 1950 just make me a bit queezy and sad. In the UK it's more not what is injected into the chickens or eggs themselves (like in the US), but what they are given to eat.
  •  We all know that the world is a different place compared to what it was 50 years ago even- more pollution, more vaccinations, HRT, OCP, more stress (both external and internal) - which is probably why there is more alcohol, more refined food/sugar (even if we do try to eat as naturally as possible) etc etc so our livers already have this extra burden of dealing with plenty more  xeno oestrogens (please see our email on Oestrogen for more info.). Increased xeno oestrogen exposure combined with an already strained liver  inevitably leads to the disruption of the endocrine system and unbalanced hormonal profile. Eating organically means a lessened exposure to xeno oestrogens, less work for the liver and it's detoxification pathways and a better chance of rebalancing hormones or keeping them in balance at any age.
 
So if you find yourself pondering whether to choose the £3.00 whole chicken or £5.81 for two organic chicken breasts or the squiffy organic carrots vs the perfectly shaped ones.

Next time, try choosing the organic, just this once for me, to see if your findings match mine when it comes to taste :-D

"I would love to go organic but it costs too much, not to mention goes off quicker..."

I would love to do organic everything too- just to make sure I was doing the best I could do for my family and myself. Cost is always an issue in this house. We cannot always afford to buy everything organic, so to have organic in our house as much as possible we:
  • Go organic animal products no matter what: meats, cheese, yoghurt, eggs simply because I can't be dealing with the possible extra hormones, the unfair raring and it always tastes better.
  • Shop from the local market on Saturday. Produce is cheaper, in season, local,  and not wrapped in that thick foul plastic stuff.
  • Grow your own.
  •  At least stick with making the "Dirty Dozen" organic for produce purchases.
  • When it comes to veg, I refuse to buy anything other than organic tomatoes, cucumbers, beans  and carrots to cook with because I DESPISE no taste - no taste for me means a complete waste of money and I feel I have been rooked!  The other stuff, for now, can get past my taste radar. But I soak every non-organic fruit/veg in 1:3  vinegar: water for 20 minutes to clear off the pesticide residue.
  • Have two vegetarian meals a week (although these usually involve a cheese topping).
  • Add legumes (usually, peas, lentils or chickpeas) to organic meat recipes to make up the protein and bulk (extra fibre and phytonutrients too!) e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, cottage pie, chilli, chicken stew, soups etc.
  • Keep an eye open for the organic in specials.
  • If it is going off, you need to eat it faster. This is where planning comes in- write a menu, stick to that menu, buy only what you need  and I can guarantee you will reduce waste, save money and perhaps even lose weight (less convenience meals right?)
  • I rarely get into the whole organic packaged foodstuffs. Firstly, usually too many additives such as sugar or "healthy"? sugars, secondly, I hate paying for packaging and being a target for marketing, thirdly I don't want to fall into the trap of thinking I need them because time is so short- for me this is about priorities and preparation - Kim, either make some homemade protein balls or watch two episodes  of Home and Away (actually, I usually make my protein balls while watching Home and Away ;
Saying this though, I will buy the occasional packaged snack and would usually choose the organic version where I can.

Organic boxes.

If you are interested in purchasing boxes of organic foods, the Independent newspaper has a good list of the top 10  best vegetable box deliveries here:
Independant Organic Delivery List
 Some of them also sell animal products.
Otherwise, plenty of supermarkets have a good range now. We  tend to use Ocado every now and then and have always had a good fresh selection of meats and of vegetables (boxes come in small, medium or large sizes).

Remember, with more support for organic food out there, produce will come more readily available and the prices will drop.

Let us know what you think about going organic :)

Kim

(References available on request)

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Kim Chandler
Nutritional Therapist
07870 262741
www.eatwellandworkout.com
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