Do you eat organic?

[LaurenLC]

I was having a chatting with two moms-to-be at my OBs office this afternoon and the topic turned to organic food... It became an interesting conversation because the two women I was speaking with had VERY opposing views. None the less, it got me thinking, do you eat organic food? And why or why not?

 

[themilesfamily]

We are moving over to organic, locally-grown foods. I am really, really uncomfortable with the pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that are in foods today.

I read a great book that really changed the way I think about eating -- The Omnivore's Dilemma. My argument for organic, locally-grown foods is all there.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

No - Not enough evidence that it makes any difference.

 

[Freyja]

To a certain extent. If I can purchase organic, without going too far out of my way and without paying double then I choose organic. A lot of what we eat is pretty much organic (without being certified). For instance, we eat a lot of free ranging lamb, which has never been fed anything but the grass they eat up in the mountains.

 

[ThanksForNoticingMe]

I try to eat as much locally grown and organic foods as possible. When it comes to food quality I feel you get what you pay for. I look at the increase in price as an investment in my future health.

The majority of our food that is not organic is consumed when we eat out...or when we eat at other friends houses.

 

[luvillians]

We do what we can when we can. We don't always have an abundance of organic produce where I live. I understand it doesn't have any more nutritional value than non-organic produce but it's what is not there that I like.
The book "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan is a fantastic read. Basically, if your great grandma wouldn't recognize the ingredients then don't eat it. Here's a little excerpt from the book:
Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion.

http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php

 

[ZephyrHawk]

No. It's not that I have a problem with organic, I just don't care all that much. My basic feeling is, if it didn't kill me as a kid, I shouldn't worry about it. I certainly never ate organic as a kid, so I don't bother now. Plus, it costs more.

However, I do try to buy free range eggs and meat. I started after taking an Animal Law class in school. It has nothing to do with me or DH or any kids we might eventually have. It's about not causing animals additional, needless suffering.

 

[Geoff_M]

No... Why pay a premium for no demonstrable benefits? If is says "Organic", it stays on the shelf. However, that's different than "buying local". We do like to purchase local products (in particular chicken from a nearby producer).

My Great Grandmother may not recognize a lot of the ingredients in the food we eat, but the same goes for most the equipment in a doctor's office and that doesn't make MRI's a bad thing.

 

[OceanAnnie]

That's an interesting question especially in light of the recent news with possible links to pesticides and ADHD.

I don't know what to think of the information, but it is something to consider. Have you read about the, "dirty dozen"? Nutritionists on several news shows and health magazines have listed fruits and veggies that have the highest percentage of pesticides and such. Basically they are the thinnest of skins (grapes, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, apples, I can't recall the rest). The nutritionists recommend if you don't buy organic, keep the "dirty dozen" in mind and try to at least buy those organic.

Anyway, I have read a bit about it. I do pay attention. For now, I'm washing the fruits and veggies well. But I don't think washing will take care of all of the residue. I might switch to organic for the, "dirty dozen". Eventually.


Here is one article on the pesticides and ADHD: (There were news clips about it on the news tonight too)

Pesticides on Produce Tied to ADHD in Children

MONDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that exposure to high levels of organophosphate pesticides, commonly found on berries, celery and other produce, could raise the odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

At this point, though, there is no evidence that pesticide exposure can actually cause ADHD, stated the authors of a paper appearing in the June issue of Pediatrics.

Certainly parents and children shouldn't swear off fruits and veggies, said study lead author Maryse Bouchard, an adjunct researcher in the department of environmental and occupational health at the University of Montreal and at Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre. However, "I think it's safe to say that we should as much as possible reduce our exposure to pesticides," she said.

That would meaning going organic, buying at farmers' markets and washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consuming them, she said.

"I always encourage my families to embrace healthy lifestyles in general," agreed Dr. Nakia Scott, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a child psychiatrist with Lone Star Circle of Care. "I think it's much more important that they're eating fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains instead of sodas and fast foods and I'm not saying that they're not going to eat any produce because it might contain pesticides."

Previous research has shown an association between both prenatal and postnatal organophosphate exposure and developmental problems in young children.

But most prior studies have focused on excessive rather than average exposure to organophosphates.

"Organophosphates are one of the most widely used pesticides in agriculture to protect crops and fruits and vegetables," Bouchard noted. "For children, the major source of exposure would be the diet -- fruits and vegetables in particular."

In their study, Bouchard and her colleagues analyzed data on pesticide exposure and ADHD in more than 1,100 American children aged 8 to 15.

Children with higher pesticide levels in their urine were more likely to have ADHD, the team found.

"The analysis showed that the higher the level of exposure [as measured by metabolites in the urine], the higher the odds of having ADHD," Bouchard added.

Just how might pesticides harm brain development? According to the authors, high doses of organophosphates may inhibit acetylcholinesterase, a nervous system enzyme. Lower doses of the pesticide may affect different growth factors and neurotransmitters.

The findings, if replicated, may provide another clue into the causes of ADHD, a condition which affects three to seven percent of school-aged children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We do have a fair amount of evidence about other causes of ADHD," Scott said. "We know that ADHD is a highly heritable disorder. At least one-third of fathers who have had ADHD in their youth have a child with ADHD."

"There are also prenatal risks such as tobacco exposure and alcohol exposure," she added. "There's also a possibility that children who are exposed to high levels of lead prior to the age of six may develop ADHD."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100517/hl_hsn/pesticidesonproducetiedtoadhdinchildren

 

[luvillians]

My Great Grandmother may not recognize a lot of the ingredients in the food we eat, but the same goes for most the equipment in a doctor's office and that doesn't make MRI's a bad thing.

With all due respect.....what does eating healthy/natural have to do with medical advancements?

 

[treehugnmama]

for the last 8 years we have eaten local organic meat. Our produce is organic and local when in season. We buy shares from a local farmer as well as grow a huge garden in the summer.

I don't like all of the chemicals and that is why I buy organic veggies. I do not like the hormones added to the chicken and that is why I buy organic meat. To take it one step further my house has been as free of chemicals as it can be for just as long. we don't use chemicals for cleaning or personal care products...we filter the chlorineout of our water etc etc.

I am happy with my choice but to each is own.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

We eat mostly organic. I especially buy the dirty dozen in organic. I would say we eat about 90% organic. We can afford it so I figure why not be on the safe side. I'm pregnant and we also have a DD15 months so with such tiny bodies I think it would affect them even more than me. Granted I grew up with my parents feeding me crap (Tastycakes for lunches, velveeta or frozen meals for dinner, mcdonals 3 times a week). Looking back it disgusts me, but I can't do anything about it now.

 

[Aisling]

We don't eat organic. Well, if it's on sale and costs less than non-organic, then we do. I'm not really convinced that it makes a health difference. We just avoid processed foods, but we're not fanatics about it.

 

[disfan07]

organic...sometimes.

Locally....yes.

We have a farmers market at my community college every sunday sand we get the majority of our fruits and veggies there plus breads, mediterranean foods and pies.

We also drive down to the farmers market in Beverly Hills once or twice a month and get local meat there. We have to take a cooler becaus eit's a 45 minute drive but it's worth it

I think it's 100x better and more important to each local than to eat organic.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

we do organic and local.

we shop in the natural/organic aisle for many reasons. It easier to find vegetarian and HFCS free foods - just a couple of the reasons.

 

[FireDancer]

Some things I buy organic, some I don't. I try to get as much produce organic as I can and try to get a lot of it at either a farmer's market or a local grocer that carries food grown close to home that is also organic. I would usually choose organic over locally grown if we are talking about most fruits and vegetables, but not all. Some foods are more important then others because of factors like skin thickness and whether or not we eat the outside flesh. I'm willing to pay a small premium for it and don't find it that much more expensive to purchase most things either organic (produce, fruit), organically or grass fed (beef, bison), or made without ingredients that have come from a science lab in the case of things like soup, bread, and other pre-made items.

Basically, I stay away from as many of the chemicals and GMO frankenfood as I can. If it comes from a science experiment as opposed to nature I stay away if possible.

what does eating healthy/natural have to do with medical advancements?

Well, I am not sure what it has to do with medical advancements per se but one of the main reasons I eat healthy is to avoid needing all the drugs that are pumped out by the pharmaceutical industry. I'm not opposed to the scientific remedy for disease but treat them not as a first defense but as a last resort. I know everything I do now will effect me not only now but down the road. I'd rather not need one drug for cholesterol, one for blood pressure, one for ED, and a forth for God only knows what if I can keep all of those things in check with a healthy lifestyle. If I can't, or it is a disease like Parkinson's, some cancers, or MS that isn't lifestyle related, then I turn to the chemical cocktail, but not first. Most drugs don't actually address the cause anyway, they merely mask the symptoms.

All of this is merely my opinion and those that feel no need to do any of it are free not to. To each their own.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I live in organic world here where A LOT of stuff is organic so it's not much more, if at all.

Any meat I get comes from a local farm that I know the animals are fed well. I buy my produce at a store called New Seasons that only has organic produce. There's more organic food at New Seasons than there isn't.

I'd say at least 90% of what I eat is organic.

 

[shortbun]

We eat organic as much as possible without being crazy about it. We have a little organic cafe near us so we can even get our carryout organic. I buy from a co-op often and for frozen, it's almost always Amy's. I shop at Whole Foods once a month and Trader Joe's about that as well. What we don't get organic, I feel safer about because we DO eat so much organic. I can't grow much in my yard this year as it's not had a garden in years and we're too busy to prepare a large plot.

 

[bicker]

We focus on eating locally-grown food. The pollutants thrown into our environment by transporting food from Whoknowswhere to our grocery is ridiculously destructive. Instead of worrying as much about whether your grandmother will recognize the ingredients, we need to be worried more about whether your children could ride their bicycle to the farm where the food comes from.

 

[Geoff_M]

With all due respect.....what does eating healthy/natural have to do with medical advancements?

Because it uses the same logic that if your Great Grandmother didn't use it, then there's something likely suspect about it's use.