Organic - Is it worth it? Posted By : David Grisaffi

This is a million-dollar question in the health and wellness industry today and probably the question that has been confused and compounded by various studies and research material that seem to point in various directions. All said and done, it always boils down to the consumer and his/her awareness as to the fact - Is Organic worth it? No two consumers today would have the same opinion unless they are biased by pricing and so the debate rages on. Let us look at a few ideas that can open up opinions and could help one take a side on the answer to this question.



Firstly coming to the practical understanding of what organic actually means, a visit to the grocery store would reveal a lot of labels that include natural and organic. This is especially so when one looks at fresh produce like milk, meat, fish, eggs or poultry. Learning what the labels means and what they stand for is a good way to begin the process of decision-making. "Natural" label is the one that describes mostly fruits and vegetables. Contrary to popular perception, it is a normal marketing ploy to induce a buying decision from the consumer. This is so because, basic education tells us that fruits and vegetables are not artificially produced and are "natural". Now, what we are looking for is the label that says "organic". When you find such a label stuck on fruits and vegetables, it basically implies that the produce has been grown without the help of fertilizers and pesticides. Now, if this true, it is always advisable to buy such products since there are two benefits that come from it:



a.As a consumer you are not adding to the environmental pollution since no fertilizers and pesticides are entering the atmosphere.



b.Also, you will be eating healthier food since you will not be taking in the chemicals that are a part of the fertilizers and pesticides used.



Now, coming to the next part, as a consumer, you will see that organic food is more expensive than the conventional food and the difference quite hits the eye. This would be a right time to decide. In case, you are on a budget, a simple fact can help you. You can actually skip buying organic bananas and oranges and instead opt for organic apples. The secret here is that once you peel the banana or the orange, you are rid of most chemicals and in case of apples, you will be eating the peel too.



Since we are already discussing the supermarket labeling conventions, there are two more labels that you need to be careful about. The first one is "no hormones". This is highly misleading and is found on diary and meat products. There is no living thing on earth that does not produce hormones and no animal product is hormone-free. This label indicates that no artificial hormones have been injected into the animal to produce more milk or eggs. Another fact here is that injection of hormones does not violate any animal rights and the produce is safe for human consumption despite hormones, so don't pay more for "no hormones", it is just another marketing gimmick.



Another label on animal produce would indicate if the animal was caged or penned. With all due respect, this does not affect the quality of produce that you would be consuming, but if you are a humanist and care for animal rights, this could be the opportunity to do your bit.



Let us come to the pricing..! Prices of organic products are known to be high but some consumers have reported that in few instances, the prices were almost three times. So, is organic only for the rich and the famous? It is a fact that a consumer cannot increase his/her grocery bills by 300%. And, even if he/she mixes and matches, it could still be 200%. So, is organic worth it? At such prices, it certainly is not..!



What is the solution? Going organic has a lot more to do with global warming and reducing environmental pollution and at the same time improving people's health and arrest any genetic disorders that could result from consumption of mass-produced foods using fertilizers, pesticides and genetic engineering. It would be more apt to state and believe that government regulations should be put into place for farming and agriculture to restrict use of pesticides and fertilizers and probably subsidize the farming of organic food.



Any further ideas are welcome. Please share your thoughts with us to make the world a better place to live in.

David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditioning Coach and holds multiple certifications including three from the prestigious C.H.E.K. Institute: Level II Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic, and Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. Plus he is also the author of the popular selling e book, "Firm and Flatten Your Abs," which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region. Visit his site at http://www.flattenyourabs.net/