Healthy Lifestyles: Five Compelling Reasons to Go Organic

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” –Gautama Buddha

Have you ever given much thought about what you eat? Did you ever stop to think about the ingredients of the food you are consuming every day? Were they sourced? Are they natural or organic? Or are they heavily laden with chemicals and preservatives?

These are the things we should constantly ask ourselves if we want to maintain and keep a healthy lifestyle. Having a blasé attitude towards what you eat would eventually lead to future consequences. Sure, that salad might not look so appetizing today but choosing that over flavored chips can make all the difference between a healthy geriatric life and one that would potentially have you visiting doctors on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, going organic is not an easy decision—particularly because chemically laden food items have always been the norm and it can be rather difficult to adapt to this change. However, if we truly want a healthier lifestyle we have to commit to choosing organic over conventional food products.

Unfortunately, going organic is not as easy as everyone might think. Apart from the marked difference in food flavor, organic food products are a lot pricier than their conventional counterparts. However, price point aside, going organic has been shown to have a myriad of benefits and advantages that it significantly outweighs the higher cost. After all, you really cannot put a price tag on your health. So, think of going organic as a long-term investment on a healthier lifestyle. In this regard, you can even see the greater price as an offset to exorbitant medical and clinical fees had you insisted to keep your conventional diet. If you had been contemplating of going organic for a while now, perhaps you should visit the Weekend Market in Manila and take a look at their organic offerings.

In any case, here are some of the excellent reasons why you should go organic:

You do not deal with chemicals

If you choose to organic, you will only be dealing with dirt—not chemicals. Of course, dirt is an inevitable consequence of having natural and organic food. However, while you might be able to wash the dirt off of conventional food, it is not enough to remove the waxy residue, chemicals and other pesticides that might have embedded themselves in your food. Conventional farming uses synthetic pesticides. Studies have shown that the consumption of such food can lead to chronic diseases and health conditions with long-term exposure.

Nutritionally Sound

A common misconception among consumers is that you get about the same amount of nutrients from food regardless of whether they are sourced organically or conventionally. However, studies have shown that organic food tends to deliver thirty percent more vitamins and nutrients than their conventional counterparts. This is because chemicals such as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides can block a plant’s ability to create nutrients.

Better Taste

If you have always believed that all food taste the same whether they are sourced conventionally or organically then prepare to have your mindset changed. Organic food items have been shown to be more flavorful than their organic counterparts because the latter does not have as much antioxidants. More importantly, higher levels of synthetic fertilizers in conventional sourcing of food compromises soil quality which can eventually stress the plant and significantly impact its resulting taste.

No to GMOs

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs for brevity) make up a huge fraction of the most common crops in the world today. Over the years, people have been encouraged to avoid GMO as research has heavily alluded to its potentially harmful effects. To ensure that you do not buy any GMO products, buy only organic.

Promote humane treatment of animals

More often than not, conventional livestock are sourced from farms that practice inhumane and confined conditions. More importantly, they are constantly pumped with synthetic hormones to increase production and keep up with the consumer demand. Unfortunately, these stressful conditions coupled with the inhuman treatment can cause a significant decline in the animal’s health and quality of life. Organically sourced products—while more expensive—have access to the outdoors and are kept in human treatment.

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