From vegetables to meat, these days, organic foods are definitely a great option for anyone wanting to stay healthy. Yet, the flip side is organic foods can be expensive and sometimes hard to find. To clear the confusion, HEALTH speaks with Nils Accad, Founder of The Organic Foods and Café, who lays down the facts about organic foods.
Why it Matters
Organic foods, points out Accad, are really important since chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional agriculture remain in the products we eat and can ultimately create havoc in our bodies. These also contribute to the creation of free radicals in your body- antioxidants are required in order for your body to get rid of free radicals-if you have a lot of free radicals and not enough antioxidants; they get stored and may develop into a tumor over years. This can lead to cancer or a weakening of your body’s immune system working overtime to get rid of these toxins.
Cost
As volumes are smaller, organic food is definitely more expensive. “Organic food is real food made with nutrients and not created to sell by weight- like chicken- which is fed growth promoters which cause weight gain,” he says. “It also takes longer to grow; as in the case of chickens, you cannot breed another batch until space is available again.”
Important Organic Foods to Include in Your Diet
- Whole foods, such as whole wheat bread or rye bread instead of white.
- Brown rice instead of white should be eaten as these provide more fiber and nutrients.
- Lettuce, as this is typically the most polluted crop.
- Beef, as typically inorganic beef has been injected with hormones.
- Chickens, which are almost always typically fattened using hormones and other chemicals.
- Pasta and pasta sauces.
- Potatoes
- Green vegetables such as cucumbers, spinach, and beans.
