I picture a world where choosing organic options isn’t a luxury. Where clean eating and living is a viable option to anyone no matter the socio-economic status. Sadly, as big corporations push small business farmers who’s hearts are in the right place, right into a corner where their only option is to fight the ‘good-fight’ everyday to maintain a standard that cares for the health or their loved ones and ‘us’, by pushing back against being ‘bought-out’, or forced to purchase altered seed crops only to be replaced by something sub-optimal, branded, for all the wrong reasons. The pricing scale against nutritional value is completely skewed in regards to taking care of our communities health as well as the health of the planet. It’s the little choices we make that can make a huge impact, for our health by choosing organic and that of supporting small businesses, which compete everyday with mass produced, sub-optimal produce.
The main reason I choose organic, is because as a naturopath, I’m aware of what I’m surrounded by, my options and am well versed in ingredients lists. What goes into my mouth; what I drink and eat as well as what products I apply to my skin or spray around my house are a huge part of my thought processes when I do my shopping, as these factors are in my immediate control. I choose to limit my exposure to toxins, unfortunately which are extremely hidden, many out of my control, so much of that comes down to what I buy.
I’ve just launched the Jivana Health and Wellness, new organic loose leaf tea range, made from certified organic loose leaf herbs, flowers, seeds and spices from around the world. The main reasons I will only drink organic teas are:
1. They are not sprayed with toxic pesticides, rather they are rotationally planted which means that the herbs are consciously paired or grown together to symbiotically protect one another from bugs naturally. Some common pesticides and carcinogens that have been found lurking in some of the popular tea brands displayed our supermarket shelves include
- acetamaprid
- chlorpyrifos
- thiacloprid
- imidaclopride
- dicofol
- methomyl
- endosulfan sulfate
- and carbendazim.
Firstly, they don’t sound healthy or relaxing! These synthetic, lab-made toxins end up penetrating our bodies causing havok in many different ways. Some act as endocrine disruptors, mimicing our natural bodies hormone production for example, oestrogen, increasing the risk of hormonal diseases. Some of these unnatural compounds are also carcinogens, increasing prevalence of many cancers. The list goes on, they can alter mood, cause kidney failure…
2. Certified organic herbs are not grown from genetically modified (GMO) crops. GMO crops have the purpose of producing higher yields, or combating against specific insects with out the need for heavy spraying of pesticides therefore saving money for the growers, but taxing to our health as we consume un-natural properties, plant DNA, inevitably having an effect on our cellular biology.
3. It’s good for the planet. Mother nature provides us with powerful healing properties and everything we need to regenerate and live a healthy life. The natural breakdown of organic matter plus the use of ancient farming systems involving green manure and composting, replenishes and re-feeds the soil, improving the quality of growth year after year. There is a natural cycle, maintainable without the need of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, which therefore benefits us by not ending up in our bodies.
4. Richer flavours and nutritional profiles. Whilst taste is subjective, you can absolutely taste the difference between organic and non organic produce. I feel like we innately know what our food should look and taste like, but we’ve been so engrained to reach for the most perfect looking apple on the shelf, due to the marketing we’ve been exposed to over our lifetime. True, the higher quality produce comes with natural bumps and bruises or has a shorter shelf life, but that’s how it’s meant to be. The nutritional profile of organic is above and beyond non-organic produce and since our ‘food is medicine’, our bodies rely on the nutritional components of plants and naturally grown foods to function at a metabolic level. Quality is key, especially when it comes to obtaining the vitamins and minerals received through natural sources, therefore preventing the need for heavy and pricey supplementation to maintain optimal health and wellbeing, to replenish what we can’t get from our diet
One of the most valuable lessons that I’ve been taught in this life time is that if we don’t make the choice for ourselves, then someone else will choose for us. I choose organic. Most of all, I want my health. I see what synthetics are doing to our planet, and that’s not the world I want for myself or my children and hopefully many of my generations to come.
