There is no single thing that you can do that will have a larger positive effect on your body, as well as the planet, than by choosing to go organic. The truth is that more and more people are choosing to live life the organic way because it is simply better. Choosing organic food products, taking part in organic farming, using organic skin, beauty, and cosmetic products are just a few ways you can choose to go organic.
Why choose organic?
Organic food products are produced without using herbicides, chemicals, fungicides, fertilizers based on sludge, sewage and petroleum, or pesticides. When you choose organic, you can be assured of not eating food that has been irradiated, genetically modified, or bio-engineered. The beef and poultry you eat is going to be fed organic foods, and they will not be given animal by-products, hormones, or antibiotics. Organic animals grazed on pastures which are organically maintained.
The time when ‘organic’ was the way of life
Until World War II, organic farming was what was considered “normal.” Farmers only had natural means to produce the food they sold to society. Life was much simpler and things like chemicals and pesticides were hardly known to the common farmer. But then things changed. Toxins and synthetic materials started to be touted as good; a way of improving the normal day to day life of man. In fact, in those days it was very common for chemical toxins to be sprayed directly onto children to help kill off the bacteria! Trucks spraying chemicals to kill off mosquitoes was another common practice of those times.
Conventional farming of today
In today’s world, conventional farmers end up using millions of pounds of pesticides each and every year! These chemicals not only end up in the food that we eat, but much of them also go into the drinking water and the oceans of the world. These chemicals and pesticides are experts at killing living organisms. Animals and bugs that eat our food are common victims, and micro-organisms and parasites are not spared. Pesticides also cause the depletion of natural minerals in the soil. Consequently, farmers have to use more chemical fertilizers to enable the land to produce more crops. Thereby the cycle continues.
Why are pesticides and chemicals so bad?
Pesticides are nothing but poison. Not only do they cause life threatening diseases such as cancer, they also interfere with our hormones and may even stunt the normal growth of children. It is not always possible to wash off pesticides with water or soap, as they get ingested by the plant, and hence become an intrinsic part of the organism. When you clean your house you will also want to make sure that you are getting rid of toxic chemicals and are using clean products to clean your home. I went to visit a friend in Toronto last week and she did a great job of making all her own products. Actually her maid was the one who made them- it’s so progressive and refreshing to find a maid who cares enough to make her own non-toxic cleaning products!
Going organic
Organic farmers are actually protectors of the environment in which we live. Organic farming is coincides with the natural ecosystem, so that the soil improves. Rotating crops and maintaining the bio-diversity of the soil is a theme of organic farming. An organic farmer works with nature, instead of using chemicals to fight nature. As such, the products of organic farming are far more valuable than commercially produced products.
Choosing organic foods and skin care
It is easy to choose organic foods. Not only are many stores today selling special organic animal and plant food products, you can grow at your home them as well. Having an organic garden of your own on a roof, yard, or patch of earth is not difficult if you make the time for it. Growing your own organic foods to sustain yourself and your family is a wonderful idea. Even if you manage to grow just a part of your food, you are actually doing something productive for the planet.
Choosing organic skin care products is also not difficult. Quite a few skin care product manufacturers sell organic products. Of course, you must use your diligence and intelligence in choosing products which are truly organic and not those which have just been labeled “organic.”