So a couple of you asked me my thoughts on a recently publicized article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which cited a report by the British government that stated that organic food is not nutritionally superior or have any more health benefits than conventionally grown food. Well I have lots of thoughts on this!
First off, we can not get too wrapped up with a report from any governmental agency. Let’s not forget that our own government has deemed certain pesticides safe while independent agencies have concluded that up to 93% of these pesticides have not been adequately tested independently or in combination (!) to ascertain their ability to cause cancer and other diseases, as well as genetic mutations and birth defects. And what of independent, non-governmental studies, such as one conducted by Rutgers University in 2002, which found an astonishing difference in mineral concentration between organic and commercial produce?
Hmmm. Interesting. It seems my dear friends, quite apparent that we must think for ourselves, instead of blindly trusting what the world governments publish…which are not always in our best self interest. We must also ask ourselves the question, “Who controls the food supply?” and “Don’t commercial farmers, and the massive chemical companies that supply their pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc. have huge personal interest to protect?”
Let us remember loves, that there is lobbying and all kinds of inside governmental deals with the food industry. And let us remember that studies can always be skewed to show what a particular party wants to prove.
Although this article did not see documented significant nutrient differences between organic and conventional food, it also did not necessarily rule out that possibility. For more fun political discussions, check out my blog on corn, and the cornification of America. :)
So now let’s put aside governmental studies aside and defer to our own common sense and what rings true to our intuition. Organic farming does not use pesticides, synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics, and builds healthy soil (while protecting natural resources) through methods like crop rotation, so there is not a depletion of minerals in its soil. Minerals are our one of our key beauty building blocks!
Conventional farming uses tons (literally) of ultra scary pesticides that leak into the soil and into the produce themselves. Instead of being healthy and strong, the plants are basically kept artificially alive in unhealthy soil— unhealthy partly because so many massive quantities of the same kind of crop are grown over and over again, season after season, which goes against the natural laws of nature. It also uses lot of genetic modifications- to help grow more! faster! But at the cost of being grown naturally and being well…natural!!!!
We all know that organic food tastes significantly better than conventional food. If you have ever had the good fortune of trying an organic banana, you will agree with me that its conventional pseudo brother banana tastes like a chalky imitation with about 25% of the banana flavor added back in.
The color of organic food is vibrant with life force, grown naturally in the sun with maximum chlorophyll and strength. The conventional food is pushed and propped up through the food chain as fast as possible, in as large amounts of possible.
It is not ripened on the vine, but rather prematurely picked from an already mineral-depleted soil and ripe instead with chemicals, then shipped all over the country and world. The health of produce has to come directly from the soil content- where it gets all its minerals. Once picked, a fruit or vegetable stops deriving additional nutrition, including chlorophyll and minerals.
Come on guys- can we really not think that organic produce is healthier than commercial produce, when we really look at the process that each is grown? Again, forget about “studies” and let’s take our own view.
To me, the choice is obvious. We are at a crucial juncture where we must protect our planet, our environment, our water sources (which are being destroyed by the chemical pesticides) and the natural laws of nature.
And on a microcosmic scale, we owe it to ourselves, our families and children, to get as much organic produce that we can afford and is available to us, to keep chemicals, fertilizers and genetically modified foods away.
I stand by organic farming 100%! And what could be better? Well organic and local. So I hope to see you at the farmer’s market. :)
All this talk about corn reminds me of my favorite taco salad recipe, paired perfectly with the many different types of organic corn.
Have a great start to your week! See you back here soon.
All my very best,
Kimberly
Wow, Kimberly. Great post, as always. I am a big fan of your blog.
I have been about 95-100 percent raw (the other five percent being things like nutritional yeast) for over four years, and I love it. Unfortunately, I have had some issues-including overeating and not feeling balanced, etc. While I don’t have a weight problem at all, I do have bloating sometimes, and slow digestion. I was wondering if you could possible answer a few questions for me? You seem to be thriving so much that I am anxious to hear your take on these.
Some foods I avoid (due to having heard negative things about them from other raw foodists)are:
-salt (Although I love salty foods. I still miss salt. I use kelp sometimes, and when I eat sea veggies I don’t rinse them.)
-Onions/garlic/chives/leeks (I like the tastes, but not the longevity of the odor.)
-Grains/pseudograins (including buckwheat, amaranth, etc)
-bell peppers
-mushrooms
-eggplant
-olive oil (I use flax oil)
Do you think that these are a good idea to keep avoiding? I eat mostly juicy fruit, (a lot of pineapple, grapes, apples, etc.) I love fresh oj, lettuce and dark greens, carrots, daikon, radishes, beets, fermented cabbage (no salt), nori, wakame, dulse, alaria, cayenne, wasabi (reconstituted powder with mustard powder as a filler), raw apple cider vinegar, lemon and lime juices, GT’s kombucha (1-3 per day), celery, bananas, dates, hemp seeds, ginger, green tea, raw honey, agave, and sesame seeds, and flax oil. I have in the past few months also begun eating soy yogurt (O’Soy brand) and I’m thinking about getting into almonds, cashews, and chia seeds. (Raw almonds and cashews are just so expensive.) A typical day for me is: 1 pineapple, 24 oz fresh oj, 4 cups grapes, 2 apples, 2 kombuchas, 24 oz o’soy yogurt, 2 TBS flax oil (I use Barlean’s with Lignans). With yogurt, I usually take a HCL tablet and some enzymes.
Can you offer any insight? Thanks.
Hi Chantal,
I can’t give a full nutritional consultation without meeting with someone, but here are some thoughts!
Though your diet may be pretty good, it sounds like you have not cleansed enough, or on an ongoing basis. Have you had any gravity-based colonics? If you are eating that much raw and kicking up a lot of toxicity, it is important to make sure it gets out. I recommend them, as well as taking a probiotic every day.
If you are bloating a lot, be sure you are not eating the fruit after your heavier digesting foods, like nuts or flax oil. Also, you list lots of great foods, but be sure that greens dominate your diet! Many raw foodists rely on dehydrated foods and seeds and nuts too much, and you need the vibrant greens.
Keep in touch on how you do!
xx Kimberly
Chantal, soy yogurt is usually toxic for most and not raw, so cutting that out should make a huge difference. also the kombucha is not very healthy at all and can also cause health issues. flax oil goes bad very easily so you’d be better of with a raw olive oil like bariani. apple cider vinegar-make sure you’re not using much of it as its not the best thing to have often. are you positive you even need a HCL tablet as its not necessary for everyone and usually not long term.
I SO agree with you about this!
I heard about this study a few days ago, while I was reading a health blog, and guess what the author was asking: Will you stop eating organic after this study? I was stunned! Hello there, have you heard of pesticides? Unbelievable!
That’s why your blog is great: it brings a different point of view, a passionate one, which is clearly lacking in the mass media.
Have a nice week,
Ophélie
HI Ophélie,
Thanks!! I hope that this study does not deter anyone from buying and supporting organic farming, which is so important for our planet and our health!!!
Hello Kimberly
I admire your advocacy for organic foods. And I am truly a big fan. In fact, I am sipping on your spinach and peach smoothie as I write this.
But, in the interest of fairness, I feel obliged to point at that, although commissioned by the British government, the study at issue was performed by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Moreover, their findings were derived from a “systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years.” And this may well have included the Rutgers study you cite.
I assure you, I have no vested interest in promoting “ordinary food” over organic. I just think it’s a little misleading to suggest that the findings of this study are the inherently untrustworthy result of some conspiracy among world governments and commercial farmers to keep us hooked on contaminated, bad-tasting food.
Cheers,
Anthony
Anthony- thanks for your comment. I am already aware of how the study was conducted. It does not change my opinions one tiny bit. I wish we lived in a world where the governments always acted in our best self interest, but that is simply not the reality. Again, citing my previous example, why would our government subsidize corn in our country, which incidentally requires more fertilizers and pesticides than any other crop, it is so genetically modified.Chemicals and pesticides are a huge money business. Also, I think you missed the main point of my blog, which was to encourage people to think for themselves outside of studies and government itself- but rather to see what makes the most sense independently. Instead, you bring up more details about the study (ies)!! Well, anyways best of luck to you in your future.
Even crazier, Britain’s study claims that organic farming is less environmentally conscious than conventional commercial farming! It states that organic farming has more problems w/ nutrients leaching into the water and a larger carbon footprint. However, pesticide adds to low-level toxin contamination of water, which the Federal Council On Environmental Quality says attributes to 2/3 of all cancers. The carefully worded study also states that organic produce does not contain extra nutrients, but it doesn’t take time to compare the quantities of low-level toxins prevalent in pesticides used in conventional farming.
HI Martha Jane,
I know!! The legality of pesticides in our food supply is enraging!!!
Chantal, soy yogurt is usually toxic for most and not raw, so cutting that out should make a huge difference. also the kombucha is not very healthy at all and can also cause health issues. flax oil goes bad very easily so you’d be better of with a raw olive oil like bariani. apple cider vinegar-make sure you’re not using much of it as its not the best thing to have often. are you positive you even need a HCL tablet as its not necessary for everyone and usually not long term.
Hi Kimberly,
We love to read your blog you are knowledgeable about eating correctly. We have been drinking your smoothies for 3 weeks now and we love it.
I have a couple of things to ask:
1. My husband has diverticulitis, can recommend some foods to help clear it up.
2. Where do for find your raw organic Cacao, Acia and Goji, there are so many web sites selling these items, I don’t know who to trust.
Thank You
Jeanann
Hi Jeanann,
That is great that you are having the Green Smoothie! It is so alkaline and will help the whole body. As for your the diverticulitis, I am not an expert on that, so I would ask your doctor or your naturopathic doctor about specifics.
I get my Acai at Wholefoods in the freezer section, where they have some raw brands and you can buy it frozen in chunks. I don’t get it powdered. I get my Goji berries in Chinatown…but for cacao I have a great website (and spices as well!) http://www.mountainroseherbs.com.
Check it out!
All my very best,
Kimberly
Hey Kimberly,
Have you seen the movie, “The Future of Food”?
Everyone should watch this movie. It’s available on Hulu for free
What’s Hulu? :)