Eating organic is NOT a luxury. There, I said it. I have some pretty strong feelings on this subject so please, hear me out. I want to preface by saying that I am not judging or looking down on people who don’t choose to eat organic.
I’m a huge proponent of informed decisions and educating oneself. This is what I’m passionate about and this is why I have such strong convictions in life. After much research, we made the decision for our family to eat organic when at all possible.
When I say organic, I’m not talking about getting that “certified organic” government stamp of approval. That’s definitely not the way to judge whether a food is healthy or not. There are many great farmers that raise clean food without becoming certified. I’d much rather support a local person that is honest about their practices than purchasing an organic labeled item from the store. Besides, I don’t want to pay 4 times the amount for the same product just for that little label.
I’m also not against farmers who are working hard to raise animals in the way they see fit. I know there are many good farmers out there who choose different raising methods than I do and that’s ok. I’m talking about the large agricultural food industry as whole, not the family farm.
Why Eating Organic is Not a Luxury
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Our national food system methods are often toxic and very unsustainable. Animals and plants are raised in a manner that is contradictory to nature. Confinement, genetic modification in laboratories, chemical fertilizer, chemical pesticides, overuse of antibiotics, steroids, etc… are poisoning the plants, the animals, the earth as well as the consumer. Risk of cancers, infertility, and other health complications are associated with the use of these products. If you have to wear a HAZMAT suit to produce it, I don’t want to eat it or feed it to my family.
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The health issues associated with conventional farming practices, gmo’s, and chemical and drug use are downright scary. For us, we want to avoid the associated risks as much as possible. For one, we want to be healthy and feel good. For two, being sick is way more expensive than eating healthy.
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Point 2 brings us to point 3……. The extra cost of organic food outweighs the costs of healthcare from not eating healthy foods. Our nation is plagued with health issues. Many people live with inflammation and brain fog and don’t even realize how much it is from the foods they eat. Once you start eating clean and detox your body, you’ll be amazed at how good you feel and shocked at how bad you felt before and didn’t even realize it. All those medical bills will begin to get smaller and you’ll be investing in your health instead of your sickness. You are what you eat when it comes to produce and you are what you eat eats when it comes to meats. Eating organic clean food is a necessity for health and recovery.
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I like to make a point that if you cut out buying any junk food, processed food, and sodas, your savings will help make up the difference for buying wholesome real food. If you are buying organic processed foods, it’s expensive and unhealthy. An organic Twinkie is still a Twinkie. 😉 I credit Joel Salatin with that little gem. So, eating organic doesn’t have to be way more expensive. Meal plan, choose simple ingredients, and raise everything that you can for yourself and you’ll find that you can eat well on a decent budget.
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We are stewards of our bodies and of God’s creation. This is of utmost importance to our family. God has given us a life to live and live well. He has also given us children to raise and teach. We feel that it is so important for us to eat healthy and raise our children to understand the importance of caring for themselves. We are stewards of what He has given and we don’t take that charge lightly. We also don’t want to contribute to poisoning the earth and waterways with chemicals and toxins. We choose natural farming and eating practices to avoid doing this.
I’ve heard so many people say that they just can’t afford to eat organic because it costs so much more. When you look at the whole scheme of life and where you are willing to invest your money, what is more important? The fancy car, designer shoes and purse, name brand clothes, top of the line everything? Or is your health and well being more important? For us, we choose health and well being for ourselves and our children.
I certainly understand the challenge of eating organic on a tight budget. After all, we are a family of 10 living on a (very) tight one income budget. We just do what we have to do to make it work.
In all honesty, we did slack off on eating organic and healthy for a while. You know what happened? We got sick, our health greatly suffered. Being plagued with brain fog and inflammation is not fun. Catching every bug that goes around is not fun either.
When we decided it wasn’t worth our health to save a few dollars, we started feeling great again. We also boosted our immune systems and didn’t catch any of the illnesses that were running rampant this year. Believe me, we were definitely exposed over and over again, our bodies were just able to stay healthy due to our healthy eating habits.
This is why eating organic is not a luxury for us. It is absolutely a necessity. We sacrifice and do without a lot of things and I’m sure many people think we are crazy for eating like we do. I think a lot of people even think it is a novel and noble thing, they just don’t think they can afford it. We can’t worry about what others think, we just have to do what we know is right for us. That’s what I want for everyone to do…. do your due diligence and research until you can make a fully informed decision based on facts and information not just dollar signs.
I really do approach this with a heart of love and full of passion. I hope that comes across to you in that manner. I want to see people healthy and thriving, I want to see people caring about where their food comes from and how it was produced. I want people to take responsibility for their health and live life well. This is truly my heart’s desire.
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When you replace the junk and heavily processed food with healthy organic the price difference is not as drastic.
Such a good article. Thank you!
Thank you!!!
Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods. farm land in bangalore
Awesome article! I drink juice I have made all the time. I like drinking green juice and healthy snacks, it gives a buzz as coffee does except it’s a healthy buzz.