Does Organic Matter?

Organic foods are all the rage these days. You can find organic products just about everywhere and they’re not just limited to fruits and vegetables anymore.

Meat, eggs, dairy, beans, flour etc. all have organic varieties these days. Does it really matter though? Should you spend extra money on organic products or is it fine to just pick up the cheapest option?

In a perfect world, the answer would be yes. However, not all of us can afford to buy everything organic but there are some things that you absolutely MUST buy organic, just because the ‘normal’ version of those products are really, truly bad for your health.

Although the definition of organic varies greatly (by country, standards, etc.), the general meaning is that the product does not contain any synthetic pesticides, artificial ingredients, chemicals or hormones. Now of course none of these sound too appealing and organic suddenly sounds much better and if you can afford to buy everything organic than you’re lucky. However, if you can’t, here is a list of things that you SHOULD buy organic foods and some things you can get away with.

Things you should buy organic:

Meat– First on the list and for a good reason. A lot of meat these days, specially beef, has been pumped full of estrogenic hormones to fatten them up faster. These hormones are transferred to our bodies when we ingest them and it wreaks havoc on our own hormones causing a negative balance between our testosterone and estrogen hormones.

Leafy vegetables– Vegetables like spinach, are known to have a high amount of pesticides in them as they are eaten in their natural state, the state in which they are sprayed.

Celery– This crunchy vegetable came out on top in terms of pesticide content when compared to other vegetables. Celery stalks are porous and thus absorb the pesticides that they are sprayed with.

Apples– These sweet juicy fruits, are the MOST contaminated fruit. They were found to have the highest pesticide content than any other fruit. Pesticides ruin your body’s hormones and you should avoid them at all cost.

Berries– Berries, specially strawberries, are known to contain up to 13 different types of pesticides according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Canned food– If you prefer buying canned foods, make sure to go organic, as the normal versions can contain chemicals such as BPA.

Coffee– If you don’t drink so much coffee than its okay to avoid organic but if you drink it on a daily basis, choose the organic variety as the coffee crop is heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Things that are ok to buy non-organic:

Fruits and vegetables with thick skin– Fruits and vegetables like pineapples, bananas, avocados, oranges, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, etc. are safe to buy non-organic as the pesticides are not able to penetrate through the thick skin.

Spices– You just cannot consume enough spices for them to have any significant (negative) impact on your health.

Carrots– Most of the pesticides are found in the skin of the carrots, which you peel off anyway, therefore it is safe to buy non-organic.

Garlic– This smelly herb is a natural pesticide and therefore, is usually not sprayed with any, making it safe for consumption.

Cabbage– It has been found to contain very little pesticide residue and considered safe for consumption. Make sure to wash thoroughly just to be safe.

Onions– Like garlic, they are rarely sprayed and found to contain little to no residue.

I hope this list of organic foods can help you along your dieting journey.