"Organic": What Does It Mean To You?
@buttheadface932 (708)
United States
January 9, 2016 9:03pm CST
The word "organic", as it relates to food, is officially defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as
"of food : grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals"
Do you think that organic food is that much better than non-organic food? Is it more nutritious?
Apparently, some research suggests that it isn't. (See link below)
What do you think, is the "organic" label overhyped? Worth the extra price? Is it really more nutritious than ordinary food?
Well guess what! Organic produce is not *supposed to be* higher in nutrients than non-organic produce!! That isn't why we buy them! We buy them because they are more *safe* and therefore more healthy.
The media statements which are supposed to disappoint us by telling us that organic food is not more nutritious is a strawman argument. They are a manipulation and "re-framing" on the part of I believe- the corporate sponsors of these news outlets.
We don't care that organic food doesn't have more nutrients than non-organic food, we care that it is more *healthy* than produce grown in cold, sterile rows from manipulated DNA and then sprayed with herbicides and pesticides, some of which wafts over to local schools, homes, etc.
Aaron Carroll says there's little evidence that organic foods are better than conventionally grown foods.
5 people like this
6 responses
@sparial02 (858)
• India
10 Jan 16
Everytime when i see this word, first thing come in my mind is "C H E M I S T R Y"
2 people like this
@rebelann (111487)
• El Paso, Texas
10 Jan 16
I used to get leg cramps really bad way back, nothing I did helped with that problem until I started eating more organically.
Sure, at first I didn't make the connection but then I started experimenting. I'll lay off the pizza and fast foods for a while and eat only organic and noticed I didn't get leg cramps at all. So to be sure I wasn't just dreaming or something the next week I'd go back to the fast food and pizza and yepper, those dadblasted leg cramps hit me each night.
I've been on an organic diet for over 15 years now and only get leg cramps if it gets really really cold or I decide to get a pizza ...... I do love pizza.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111487)
• El Paso, Texas
10 Jan 16
Thank you both @buttheadface932 and @ivyparkgirl.
I've always eaten what I thought was healthy, veggies, fish, dairy etc so when I switched to organic veggies, dairy and meats I knew that the regular veggies had something in em that wasn't healthy and I was right, as you've pointed out, those chemicals is what caused my cramps plus MSG was being used on lots of the foods we get at fast food restaurants and diners like Denny's. I think, not really sure, that no one uses MSG anymore, at least I hope not.
1 person likes this
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
10 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl Kelly, it is unhealthy to eat frozen dinners of any kind. Most of their "low calorie" food is a gimmick.
1 person likes this
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
10 Jan 16
Rebelann, that could be due to an electrolyte or nutrient deficiency of some kind. Often, leg and foot cramps come because of lack of calcium. You may have not been paying enough attention to your diet at the time, leading to problems. But once you started focussing on your diet more, you were feeding your body sufficiently and those problems then went away! That's my theory at least.That seems like your experience.
Whatever it is, I am glad you're not getting them anymore!
1 person likes this
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
22 Jan 16
Wonderful! Yes the terrace can allow for a surprising amount of gardening! The best wya to garden in confined spaces is through "vertical gardening".
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
11 Jan 16
I think that title is a licence to up the coast of mant foods. No one wants to eat poisoned food better or not,
1 person likes this
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
10 Jan 16
I have had an organic garden for the past 6 years. It is a very large garden where we grow food for the markets and clients. I'll tell you the truth. Growing food 100 percent natural is so much better than adding a ton of crap to the food. I can tell the difference in the taste of salad grown naturally and ones that had a lot of fertilizers added to to the food. I can taste the difference. I can even tell if they call food BIO and what they add to the food. Before nobody used anything except the earth and rain to grow food. They weer much healthier than they are today. So if you want to grow food grow it naturally and only use the soil and water. You will have much better tasting food if you ask me on this one.
1 person likes this
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
10 Jan 16
Wow Ann that is pretty powerful stuff! That you can tell the difference in taste and texture of the same foods when they are grown organically! And let me tell you, I believe you! They way that growing food has evolved in this country has been horrible- I mean, look at the Dust Bowl- but luckily there is a strong movement to take it back to its natural state and return the agricultural power to local farmers.
The only amendments I use are some organic fertilizers, worm castings and compost. I never use any herbicides or pesticides not even naturals like neem oil!
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
10 Jan 16
@buttheadface932 This is the best way to grow. I use plants to control the bugs. Marigold, ginger, and garlic for starters. Then there is basil and mint that also control bugs. If you know where to plant them and what to plant next to each other you don't need much of anything but water to grow your food.
Yeah salad grown with the fertilizers we have here has a metal taste to this one when it is eaten. You can tell if it is really organic or grown rapid with fertilizers to enhance the growing time or shorten it I should say.
1 person likes this
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
10 Jan 16
@poehere Yes, "companion planting" I have heard is an amazing and efficient technique. I am trying to learn all this myself! Although, for my outline, I will be planting in containers like garden towers, so I may want to plant things next to each other categorically (herbs together, cruciferous veggies together, root veggies together etc)
Many fragrant plants, herbs especially, if they grow too fast from synthetic fertilizers, will not emanate as much fragrance as those growing at a more constant, natural rate. That is another example of negatives that come from chemical methods of gardening.
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