Organic Foods

[AngieDoogles]

I've been buying organic products lately (as much as possible) and I was thinking about it today and wondering if it is really worth the extra cost. Brendon and I are pretty health conscious so we don't mind spending a little extra if it will possibly impact our health in years to come, but I don't want to just throw money away either, especially since I'm paying for grad school and not working for the next year while I complete my degree. I do like that organic farming uses less pesticides and chemicals. I can't decide whether to be frugal or healthy...

So do you buy organic? Do you think it's healthier or just a gimmick? Is it worth the extra cost in your opinion?

[gja1000]

I do buy organic when possible. I'm fortunate in that money is not tight for me - oh I don't have an unlimited supply by any means, but I can afford the organic food. I think it is definitely worth the extra money. Pesticides are very harmful - and in fact we know they can cause extreme illnesses and death. Here's a little story - it's only an N of one, so who knows.

My daughter has a 12 year old who is very smart and does very well in everything she attempts. She was fed "whatever" as a baby/child. She grew and developed normally, BUT, she has early onset puberty - age SEVEN! We took her to an endocrinologist and we got it stopped with medication. There is a theory that the hormones in milk and meat may contribute to early puberty.

My daughter had another daughter 2 years ago - my sweet little granddaughter, Emma. My daughter decided before she was born to feed her only organic, as much as possible - which of course you can't eat everything organic. She only gets hormone free milk/meat/produce - again, as much as possible. Of course, she is only 2 years old - and lots will change - but we can tell that she is light years ahead of her older sister in terms of cognitive development. She's not a genius or anything like that, but she is so smart and healthy. Again, this is an N of one - so no conclusions can be drawn. But you will never convince my daughter that it is not the result of mostly organic foods.

Angie, you are young, and if I were as young as you, I'd be doing everything possible to stay vital and healthy and that would include eating organic as much as possible.

OK, that's just my $0.02 worth. There's another thread in health and diet that contains the top foods that you should always eat organic. Have you seen it? I'll see if I can find it and link to it.

Here is the thread. You have to scroll down a little way to see the lists of things you should always buy organic

http://www.4womentalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6395

Also, I try to avoid buying anything from Mexico - unless it's something like melons that can't be contaminated on the inside. I don't trust anything coming out of Mexico. Even if it says it is organic, I don't buy it if it is from Mexico

[AngieDoogles]

Thanks so much for the advice Gayle! I think I just needed someone to tell me I'm not being silly for spending the extra money. :) Life will be really nice when we have professional jobs and don't have to worry about budgeting quite so much. I am trying to figure out how to pay for grad school without taking any loans and unless I get a few of the scholarships I applied for, I don't know how that will happen. But I will keep buying organic if it's more healthy. I hate to think of all the chemicals and pesticides I've consumed over the years...

Thanks for the link! (I miss so much since I can only pop in every once in a while!) I have already been buying organic spinach and strawberries--and sometimes other vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and such--but the list was definitely helpful! Also, I've been buying hormone and antibiotic free meat and eggs (regular milk though because it's a huge difference in price). Do you think I should get the ones labeled "organic" or is hormone and antibiotic free and grain fed just as good?

[gja1000]

I think hormone and antibiotic free is good. Grain fed is good, but if there were pesticides used on the grains, then the meat will have some pesticides - but not as much as vegetables that had pesticides sprayed directly on them. However, you can wash off some or most pesticides on fruits/vegetables, if you use soap and water - but pesticides in meat from contaminated grains, you can't wash off. Many grain fed meat will note the grain as pesticide free, so look for it.

Unfortunately, we can't avoid all bad things, so even with trying, you will ingest some - but less is better, I think.

[judy]

Go for it Angie! I was just in the Woodstock health food store and watched a young Mom buying organic food for her twins, with the nanny at her side. Nice!

I do have a very skeptical point of view about organic/health foods. I see a lot of stuff there that, I think, is useless. People spend a fortune, and it upsets me to see them taken advantage of. JMO!

I am an advocate of growing your own - veggies, fruits, whatever you can. They are basically free and as organic as you want.

[Lindsey]

My doctor gave me this website to do some research on what fruits and vegetables are best to buy organic. This list ranks them on the amount of pesticides used. The ones near the bottom of the list are okay to buy just regular, but you should try to buy organic for the products listed at the top.
http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php
I found it very interesting!

[Lindsey]

Oops I just realized there were a bunch of lists in that other post!
The site it is linked from is http://www.ewg.org. There are a ton of articles about the safety of food, water, and even cosmetics under the Health/Toxics category

[gja1000]

Thanks Lindsay!

[judy]

Great list Lindsey. Now I have to look back at Gayle's list and see what to do.

[AngieDoogles]

Thanks for the information! You guys are awesome!