The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. The farming practices employed in producing organic food are directed towards reduced pollution, water and soil conservation, and traditional fertilization and pest control methods. It eschews the use of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and growth hormones.However, you don’t need to buy strictly organic foods so your family can eat healthy. By buying and consuming food that is traditionally produced (not genetically-engineered), whole (preservative and additive-free, antibiotic-free), and locally grown in season could already greatly improve your family’s health.
1. IT'S BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH
“Read labels and understand how food is prepared,” says Jackie Dellota, full-time mom and organic health advocate and member of the Organic Producers Trade Association (OPTA). “You research and you learn that there are many things that are not in line with natural health. We have to be wise when we choose foods, (and choose) what is nutrient-dense.” Nutrient dense food is food that is closest to its natural state, usually raw, and not genetically modified by the use of hormones.
2. IT'S BETTER FOR YOUR KIDS' HEALTH
Eating organic, whole and natural foods is beneficial for children, whose immature and developing organs and immune systems make them more susceptible to toxins than adults.
3. YOU GET MORE OUT OF YOUR FOOD
Whole fruits and vegetables—whether grown using organic methods or not—are rich in phytonutrients, a majority of which are antioxidants which come from a plant’s defense system. These nutrient levels are naturally higher in organic produce, simply because the crops are not assisted by chemical pesticides.
[Read the full story on SmartParenting.com.ph]
(Photo by yuko_ppp2501 via Flickr Creative Commons)
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