Detoxing your Body, your Mind, and your Life

Oct

23

Organic: Why You Should Switch Part 2

Filed Under detox your body, detox your planet

Part 1 of Organic: Why You Should Switch talked about the importance of switching to organic produce, in part 2 I’ll give you a few reasons why you should switch to organic meats and dairy. One thing to remember, and you’ll learn more through The Detox Blog, is that large portions of animal meats and dairy products like milk and cheese are not ideal foods, even when organic, for the detox lifestyle. I’m not saying cut these out of your diet completely but I definitely suggest scaling back and turning toward more plant sources for the same nutrients. I’ll be the first to tell you I still enjoy a good steak- organic of course.

As you’ve probably guessed by now the main reason for switching to organic meat and dairy is the toxic load that non organic products carry. Organic regulations ban the use of hormones, antibiotics, and of course pesticides. Pesticides in meat? You bet. Feed grown with pesticides are consumed by the animals which store these chemicals in its tissues which end up on the consumer’s plate. Antibiotics are widely and heavily used to control disease outbreaks and hormones like rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) are used to increase milk production while others increase size. Residue from all of the chemicals, just like the pesticides, end up on our tables and in our bodies. There’s a bigger picture. Here’s another quote from the EPA:

“Antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones are organic compounds which are used in animal feeding operations and may pose risks if they enter the environment. For example, chronic toxicity may result from low-level discharges of antibiotics and pesticides. Estrogen hormones have been implicated in the reduction in sperm counts among Western men (Sharpe and Skakkebaek, 1993) and reproductive disorders in a variety of wildlife (Colburn et al., 1993). Other sources of antibiotics and hormones include municipal wastewaters, septic tank leachate, and runoff from land-applied sewage sludge. Sources of pesticides include crop runoff and urban runoff.”

We are beginning to see residue from these chemicals in our rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and soil. Buying organic will not only limit your exposure to these toxins directly but there’s an indirect advantage as well. Organic food producers have a decreased reliance on nonrenewable resources. They promote soil sustainability by using natural fertilizers, crop rotation which can minimize nutrient loss. You’ll also help to decrease the amount of pollution, like the dangerous chemical runoff discussed above, and who wants antibiotics in our tap water? Oh and another thing, just with vegetables and fruits you’ll also notice that organic meats and dairy taste better! I know I keep talking about how much better organic tastes but it’s true. Is it worth the extra cost? This is your health and well being we’re talking about. This is for the health and well being of our children who are just as exposed if not more at risk than we are. This is for the health of our planet. So, yes… it’s worth it.

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Comments

3 Responses to “Organic: Why You Should Switch Part 2”

  1. Nick on October 24th, 2007 10:21 pm

    This is exactly why I became a vegetarian. Great information. Just a quick note on the taste - I couldn’t agree more - it’s an unbelievable difference when you eat organic.

  2. Andrew Pasquella on October 25th, 2007 8:31 am

    Thanks for the comment Nick! You’ll definely want to come back when I talk about the absolute best vegetable source of nutrients, you may be surprised what it is…

  3. Nick on October 27th, 2007 8:13 am

    Can’t wait!

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