Organic Food Blog

How cool is this….there is an entire conference being held in Michigan surrounding the topic of organic food. The Michigan Organic Conference will feature a slew of educational sessions for those who love organic food as well as farmers who grow it. There will also be a film festival surrounding the topic.

What’s so cool about this festival is that it shows how eating organically is really moving to the forefront of our society. For so long, diets and speciality eating plans have been part of mainstream culture when organic has always been one of the truly healthy ways of eating.

The idea behind the conference is to offer consumers in Michigan an opportunity to meet and greet with the people who grow and sell organic foods in the area. What would be nice is if we could have a traveling festival such as this one that traveled around the country. This would be such a fantastic way to introduce people to the idea of eating organic and educate them on the benefits. Once we see what a success regional festivals such as the one in Michigan can be, perhaps a national organic food conference could be in the near future.

I am definitely what you would called a dedicated “foodie.” I love food and I love trying new things. In my quest to eat healthier, much of my exploration has been devoted to finding organic food brands that actually taste…well…good. A lot of times, people shy away from eating healthy and/or organic because the flavor sometimes isn’t as explosive as the food found in our high-fat, high-calorie diets. But trust me, these brands more than deliver..both in great flavor and organic makeup. Here are my top three favorite organic brands:

Celestial Seasonings: I love all kinds of teas and their yummy organic flavors make up the overwhelming majority in my cabinet. The flavor is rich and bold and full of great antioxidants for the body.

Annie’s Homegrown: The very best in natural and organic pastas, their organic Alfredo Shells & Pasta tastes just as guilt-inducing as anything you will have at Olive Garden.

Amy’s Kitchen: Found on the frozen food aisle of grocery stores across the country, Amy’s is an organic food-lovers staple. The meals are easy and quick to prepare (as most frozen food is) and comes in an endless variety of dishes. Try the Vegetable Lasagna - it’s my favorite!

Anyone who has ever eaten organically knows that you pay for the better quality you receive. After all, it’s worth it to pay more to know that you are eating food free of pesticides and harmful additives to keep your body healthy.

But how much is too much? According to a recent report by the Associated Press, growing demands for biofuels and food in China combined with less supply coming from US farmers and more demand for organic foods have driven the price of all grocery goods through the roof — and the organic industry is finally going to feel the effects. In fact, industry experts say that this will truly test the devotion of those dedicated to eating organic. Just how much are you willing to pay for the health benefits of organic food?

Apparently, whatever it takes. According to the Natural Marketing Institute, when asked in 2001, 17% of consumers said that paying an extra 20% for organic foods was well worth the investment. When polled again in 2006, 26% of consumers said they would pay more for organic.

These numbers prove that a significant chunk of the American population understands there are significant health benefits to eating organic. And there is no price too high for that!

In the light of these studies, it is surprising that few studies have compared the health consequences of eating organic and conventionally grown produce. Any fruits and vegetables are better than none. In a study, those who ate the fewest plant foods had the highest cancer rates, and those who ate the most produce had the least cancer. Most pesticides are fat-soluble. If you eat plants that have been treated with them, you ingest a tiny amount of residue that accumulates in your fatty tissues, such as female breast tissue. But the real problem develops when you eat animal fat.

Food animals accumulate pesticides in their fat tissues throughout their lives. By the time people eat them, they have much higher levels than any of the feed plants they ate. When people eat meat, they consume most of the pesticides the animals ate. The higher up the food chain you eat, the more toxic chemicals you ingest. The cleanest produce is organic. Even organically grown fruits, vegetables, grains and beans may pick up some pesticide contamination because of chemicals in groundwater, in the air from neighbouring nonorganic farms or from fumigation of trucks and warehouses. But compared with conventionally grown produce, organic fruits and vegetables are significantly cleaner. If you opt for organic fruits and vegetables, the good news is that they are more available than ever. Health food stores, farmer’s markets and even some supermarkets now carry items called organic. So what are you waiting for?

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