There is no better way to "Be Green" than buying and consuming certified organic foods and products. I can't easily control a lot in my life, but one thing I can try to control is what I put into and on my body. I'm a firm believer in using all certified organic ingredients and products if possible. It makes so much sense. And it's so "Green."
When preparing meals, I use all certified organic ingredients if at all possible. I'll substitute another ingredient if I can't find what I want that's organic, that's how important it is to me. I rarely eat out at restaurants unless I know for sure their foods are prepared with certified organic ingredients. Do I make exceptions? Of course, but I will generally make an effort to let the server know I'd prefer organic options and kindly suggest they consider it.
Organic Fruit
While it's true that certified organic foods and clothing are more expensive than those that are non-organic, I would submit that paying a few cents or even dollars more is well worth it when you consider the positive potentials. The positive potential of overall better health means fewer visits to the doctor's office; the positive potential of long-term cleaner and more potable water; and, the potential for positive long-term impact on our environment are all worth it. Those are but a few positive potentials that are more than worth the higher price to me. The negative potentials of paying less and buying chemical soaked and permeated foods and clothing are just not worth the trade off. Not to me. Without getting too maudlin, cancer rates in this country are climbing as are autoimmune disorders that were unheard of a hundred years ago. What has changed? I would say there's a good argument that the way our food has been mass produced and processed with myriad chemicals may be having a considerable impact.
There are few non-certified organic foods that are not sprayed or treated with some type of toxic chemical. The one crop I know for sure isn't is hemp because of its natural resistance to pests; yet, there is a longstanding embargo on growing hemp in the U.S. due to the government's lack of distinction between hemp and cannabis. It's a shame because it's an amazing crop for food, clothing, other products and our environment. Compared to cotton as a crop and the amounts of pesticides needed to grow it and the negative effects growing it has on the environment, hemp is hands down a superior crop in every way. All currently available U.S. hemp products are imported from other countries. I carried a wallet made of hemp that I bought for about ~ it held up for ten years. The numerous health benefits of ingesting hemp foods are also excellent.
Other than hemp, I try to err on the side of all things certified organic; otherwise I have no way of knowing what toxins I'm putting into my body. I only have one body, and I'd like to hang onto it for as long as possible, in as good shape as possible. When we ingest foods grown aided by massive amounts of pesticides, whether we realize it or not, we are purposefully putting toxins into our bodies. Would any of us in our right mind drink a bottle of poison on purpose? Of course not. But when we eat non-organic foods, that's essentially what we're doing. Additionally, to me, I find organic food is tastier than non-organic foods. Organically grown foods have also been found to contain more nutrients than non-organic foods.
There is nothing more "green" than eating organic foods or purchasing organically produced products because it's not just the foods and products that are affected. It's the whole process from growing to production and manufacture; and as more and more crops are being organically grown, fewer pesticides are being unleashed into the air, soil and water; more arable land is being preserved for future and healthy production; fewer animals are being tortured with poisoned foods they are not meant to ingest; fewer animals are being filled with antibiotics to fight the infections brought on by incompatible foods they're forced to eat; fewer water sources are poisoned... you get the idea. The whole process of organic farming is just about as green as you can get, contributing to the environment instead of taking way from precious resources such as land, air and water as massive corporate farming has been shown to do.
Daily we are losing arable land and potable water to pesticide use, which I have to tell you scares the daylights out of me. There are three basic needs our bodies need to live - food, water and air. Though there are some who claim to be able to live on air ~ Breathatarians ~ I'm thinking if they do, it's not for long. Without those three vital necessities, we cannot live.
By making the extra effort to control what goes into my body, I am sending a small, but daily signal to the produce and merchandise buyers that I will only buy organically grown and processed foods. I also try to buy organic clothing, cleaners, lotions, shampoos... anything I put on, in or near my body, because I know that that, too, contributes to my health and the health of my world.
Every year, more and more companies are getting the message and have begun to increase their certified organic offerings. Every year, more and more small and intermediate farmers and businesses are turning organic, realizing the short and long-term benefits of producing organic products is an excellent business model.
Treat your body, your health and our environment ~ Be Green and buy organic!
Be Green - Buy Organic
Jules Hamland is a California Certified Massage Therapist, Certified Raw Food Nutrition Specials, Advanced Health Practitioner, author, educator and massage business consultant. http://www.wholisticbodywork.info
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