KATIE CLARK/A&E EDITORWould you like to know what you are putting into your body by the foods you are eating? If so, one way to be absolutely sure of this is by switching to an all organic food diet.
Organic food simply is food that does not contain any pesticides, artificial fertilizers or sewage sludge. Also, the food must not have any chemical preservatives. When it comes to the meats that we eat, the animal must be reared without the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones. The animal must be fed a diet of organic food as well.
According to the Green Basics website, all the organic food that is sold to consumers must be certified. The food needs to be produced under specific, legally-regulated standards and be subject to testing in order to retain certification. The farm that the food is grown on must be certified as well. They need to pass a series of tests and pay a fee for the process.
Shannon Steele, a sophomore communications major, and her family came to the realization of “healthy eating” after years of being the average junk food family. The Steele family always did, “take-out, taco bell, pizza and potato chips for their meals,” Steele said. Steele explains that her family and she made the conscious choice to change their eating habits to something healthier. “My mom was a huge influence on organic foods,” Steele said. Eating organic food has many benefits to the body. Obviously maintaining an organic food diet is healthier than conventionally grown foods. According to Green Basics, “77 percent of conventional food carries synthetic pesticide residues, while only about 25 percent of organic food does.”
Steele eats organically because she is aware of the health issues that come from conventionally grown food. She has been able to learn what exactly she was doing to her body when she was eating nothing but junk food. “Potato chips are deep fried in high temperatures which cause a chemical reaction when soaking into the chip causing cancer,” Steele said.
“Another plus from eating healthy is the feeling of inner joy, along with the outer joy of self-confidence and knowing that what your putting into your body isn’t going to harm you in the way that regular, conventional food does,” Steele said.
Organic food has grown more and more popular. According to Green Basics, “The United States has grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years, while sales of conventional food have grown more slowly, at about two to three percent a year.” Now more food items are becoming available in organic varieties. There is now enough organic food out on the market to supply meals on a daily basis.
Society is one reason behind the growth of organic foods. Societies are becoming more influenced to “go green,” doing what is best for the environment and themselves. In the past, organic producing was mainly coming from small family-run farms or at farmer’s markets. The popularity of such foods has led to bigger companies, like Genuardi’s and Wal-Mart to begin the sale of organic foods.
Steele can shop anywhere now that organic food has become as popular as it has. She prefers shopping at Whole Foods. “Whole Foods is a great store and almost everything in there is organic. You name it they sell it, organically,” Steele said
Organic food is a positive thing to add to your diet. However, the one thing you need to watch is the portion of what you are eating. “Portion control is the key to eating healthy,” Steele said. Even if you shop at the organic stores, you can’t over eat.
