There are a few important topics that I want to discuss in this blog post. I think that many people become overwhelmed with information about nutrition, diet, organic, GMO's, and other topics that they decide it is too big a topic to tackle. This frustration leads to them throwing in the towel and going back to their normal thinking about food and nutrition. I want to create a starting point for people looking to investigate this topic. There are many outlets that people can get information from whether that is the media, internet, newspaper, or other sources. You need to think about the source and the bias that source has on any topic they are covering. Some sources are motivated by profit and sales while others are motivated by helping people. You will have to do your own homework and decide who you are going to believe. I have been researching these topics for awhile and have found a few sources that I want to share with you.
Where do I start?
I happen to be the type of person who enjoys watching a well produced documentary. So if you are like me I would recommend two documentaries on Netflix that you can watch right now.
1. Hungry for Change
2. Forks over Knives
Those two documentaries will have a huge impact on you and your future food choices. By this time the importance of organics should start to become apparent. Here are a few of the most beneficial aspects of organic foods:
"So, why organic and will it help?
Organic refers to food that contains no preservatives, no added chemicals, fertilizers, coloring or additives and is not genetically modified. With regards to meat, the animals are reared without any antibiotics or growth hormones.
1. Organic food contains lower levels of pesticides - Up to 70% of pesticides which appear in conventional food are banned in the production of organic food.
2. Organic food does not have any synthetic additives - They do not have artificial food colors and flavors, preservatives, nitrates and sulphites, artificial sweeteners or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Food is preserved and sweetened naturally using substances such as honey and grape juice.
3. Organic food has significantly higher levels of nutrients - Depending on the choice of produce, organic food is shown to have higher amounts of salicylic acid and more Vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
4. Organic livestock production does not use antibiotics or growth hormones - In a lot of cases, antibiotics or growth hormones are injected into cattle to make them larger, fatter and hence deliver more meat. In organically reared cattle, they are allowed to grow and develop at their own pace, and without any synthetics injected into their system.
5. Organic food is free of Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients - Organic farmers do not use GE seeds or irradiation methods. Instead crop rotation and use of natural compost produces a richer soil in which to grow and harvest their produce."
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Organic?-The-Importance-of-Organic-Food-in-a-Healthy-Diet&id=1741454
Genetically Modified Organisms
GMO foods are just now starting to get some exposure in the main stream media outlets. There is a large group of the population that is waking up to the fact that GMO's in our diet is not healthy for us or the environment. On May 25th, 2013 I participated in a world wide event called the March Against Monsanto. Don't know who Monsanto is?
Monsanto Destruction Machine in a Nutshell
Here's a quick look at the destructive tactics in which agrochemical giant Monsanto engages to the detriment of all human kind and wildlife and the environment in general:
- Leading the world into a new age of potentially hazardous genetic modification of seeds.
- Patenting not only their own GMO seeds, but also a huge number of crop seeds, patenting life forms for the first time -- without a vote of the people or Congress.
- Not allowing farmers to save their seeds to replant the next year -- a practice which has been done for generations. Instead, they aggressively seek out and sue farmers they suspect of doing so.
- Suing farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of Monsanto’s GE pollen or seed onto their land for patent infringement.
- Producing two of the world's most toxic substances ever known -- polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, and dioxin (Agent Orange).
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these topics and my hope with this blog post was to spark your interest in all or some of what was covered. Now that you understand some of the basics, dig deeper and research these issues more. Knowledge is power and you can't be expected to make the right decisions for you and your family unless you know the myths from the truths.
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