The Dirty Dozen - Tips For Going Organic
Why Organic? Okay, we have all heard organic foods are better for you, but is that the only reason to eat them? The choices we make every day have a huge impact on other people, the earth, the air we breath, the water we drink and so much more.
Here's how: Better for your health: A review of 41 studies indicates organic crops provide substantially higher levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous.
These minerals boost your immune system, give you energy, and taste better.
Protect Future Generations: The average child receives 4 times more exposure than an adult to at least 8 widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food.
The food choices you make now will impact your child's health in the future.
Prevent Soil Erosion: Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming.
In conventional farming the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized.
As a result, American farms are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.
Protect Water Quality: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates pesticides (some cancer causing) contaminate the groundwater in 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country's population.
Save Energy: Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12% of the country's total energy supply.
More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the U.
S.
Organic farming is still mainly based on labor-intensive practices such as weeding by hand and using green manures and crop covers rather than synthetic fertilizers to build up soil.
Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate: EPA considers that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides are carcinogenic.
Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and can also be harmful to humans in addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage, and genetic mutation.
Protect Farm Worker Health: A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a 6 times greater risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer.
Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in California.
Help Small Farmers: It's estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade; organic farming could be one of the few survival tactics left for family farms.
Support A True Economy: Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods, conventional food prices do not reflect hidden costs borne by the taxpayers, including nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988.
Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean-up, and environmental damage.
Promote Biodiversity: Mono-cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year.
The lack of natural planting diversity has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients.
Single crops are more reliant on pesticides while some insects have become genetically resistant to certain pesticides.
Flavor: There is a good reason why many chefs use organic foods in their recipes- they taste better.
Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately, our bodies.
The Dirty Dozen Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.
S.
government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.
C.
, have developed the "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides.
You can reduce your pesticide intake by 90 percent by eating organic varieties of the following fruits and veggies: 1.
Apples 2.
Cherries 3.
Milk 4.
Peaches 5.
Red raspberries 6.
Strawberries-read here to find out how nasty this industry is! 7.
Grapes 8.
Cucumber 9.
Corn-Get the story on corn: The Omnivore's Dilemma.
10.
Bell peppers 11.
Potatoes 12.
Spinach Still having a hard time making the switch to organic food? I would love to support you! Even if you've never thought organic was important, or if you think you can't afford it, I can help you become a more conscious eater.
Choosing to eat organic food is one of the simplest, most pleasurable ways to protect the earth and promote your health.
Here's how: Better for your health: A review of 41 studies indicates organic crops provide substantially higher levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous.
These minerals boost your immune system, give you energy, and taste better.
Protect Future Generations: The average child receives 4 times more exposure than an adult to at least 8 widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food.
The food choices you make now will impact your child's health in the future.
Prevent Soil Erosion: Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming.
In conventional farming the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized.
As a result, American farms are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.
Protect Water Quality: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates pesticides (some cancer causing) contaminate the groundwater in 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country's population.
Save Energy: Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12% of the country's total energy supply.
More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the U.
S.
Organic farming is still mainly based on labor-intensive practices such as weeding by hand and using green manures and crop covers rather than synthetic fertilizers to build up soil.
Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate: EPA considers that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides are carcinogenic.
Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and can also be harmful to humans in addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage, and genetic mutation.
Protect Farm Worker Health: A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a 6 times greater risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer.
Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in California.
Help Small Farmers: It's estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade; organic farming could be one of the few survival tactics left for family farms.
Support A True Economy: Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods, conventional food prices do not reflect hidden costs borne by the taxpayers, including nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988.
Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean-up, and environmental damage.
Promote Biodiversity: Mono-cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year.
The lack of natural planting diversity has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients.
Single crops are more reliant on pesticides while some insects have become genetically resistant to certain pesticides.
Flavor: There is a good reason why many chefs use organic foods in their recipes- they taste better.
Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately, our bodies.
The Dirty Dozen Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.
S.
government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.
C.
, have developed the "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides.
You can reduce your pesticide intake by 90 percent by eating organic varieties of the following fruits and veggies: 1.
Apples 2.
Cherries 3.
Milk 4.
Peaches 5.
Red raspberries 6.
Strawberries-read here to find out how nasty this industry is! 7.
Grapes 8.
Cucumber 9.
Corn-Get the story on corn: The Omnivore's Dilemma.
10.
Bell peppers 11.
Potatoes 12.
Spinach Still having a hard time making the switch to organic food? I would love to support you! Even if you've never thought organic was important, or if you think you can't afford it, I can help you become a more conscious eater.
Choosing to eat organic food is one of the simplest, most pleasurable ways to protect the earth and promote your health.
Source...