What's That?

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Ever wonder what the word "organic" means? I mean, isn't everything that grows in the ground organic? I used to think so. I was all on board with healthier eating but thought that organic was a total sham.

In case you are a skeptic, like me, I have compiled a short list of what exactly it means when you see that a food is organic or natural on the label.

First, "Natural".

* As close to a natural state as possible
* Free of artificial ingredients, colors, preservatives, and non-natural chemicals
* Limited refined ingredients
* Responsibly packaged and produced

What does this mean for you? Well, it means that your crackers won't have yellow lake #6 in them, your flour won't be refined to non-nutrition, and the packing facility that it comes from won't be dumping the hydraulic fluid from the machines into a nearby stream.

Now, "Organic". This designation includes all of the preceding and:

*Grown and packaged to strict uniform standards and certified by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
*Produced using sustainable farming methods
*Free of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
*Free of irradiation, sewage sludge or genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
*Free of artificial antibiotics or growth hormones in milk, meat and poultry
*100% organic feed for livestock

Okay, okay, I'm not the brightest crayon in the pack - but what? If it's certified organic, then they CAN'T use sewage on it?? This IS food we are talking about, right? Yuck!!

Just thought I would pass this along. I am in the process, myself, of unpacking the wealth of information available on the topic.

I did learn that one of the reasons that they keep dairy cows on antibiotics all the time is due to the growth hormones that they have them on to increase their milk supply. This is attributed to increased incidence of mastitis (an infection in their udders). What a vicious cycle. Poor cows. Ouch.

If you can stomach it, check out the film Food, Inc. Educate yourself, do some reading, and find what the real sham is with regard to our food supply.

Knowledge = Power

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