How to go organic this summer

June 17, 10:50 AMNewark Healthy Living ExaminerRebecca Cunningham

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Newark Healthy Living Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

(weheartit)

According to a recent article on CNN.com, Americans spend about $28 billion on organic foods, which is up from $1 billion in 1990. This is good news as far as the nation’s health is concerned because research has shown that organic foods contain higher levels of nutrients than conventional foods. In fact, The Organic Center, a nonprofit research organization based in Rhode Island, recently issued a review of 97 studies, drawing the conclusion that organic foods offer a 25 percent higher levels of nutrients like vitamin C and higher levels of antioxidants, which are typically produced by plants as natural pesticides.

So what exactly is considered organic? As of 2002, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised the standards for American organic farmers, organic foods must be grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers and livestock must be raised without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic foods also cannot be genetically modified or cloned.

Here are some tips on going organic:

• Prioritize what you buy. Some types of produce contain more pesticides than others and it’s most important to invest in traditionally pesticide-heavy produce. Such produce includes peaches, apples, bell peppers, nectarines and strawberries. Check out this site for more info.

• Keep nutrition in mind when buying meats, dairy, or processed foods. It is important to factor in the item’s whole nutritional package, than to simply consider the method by which it was produced. Just because an item is organic, doesn’t mean it’s 100% healthy.

• Save your cash on seafood. There are currently no government standards for what makes fish or shellfish organic, so it’s not worth the investment to go organic on seafood.

• Think local and seasonal. The best way to stock up on organic foods to is shop at a local farmers’ market. Not only will you find the best deals on organic produce, milk, eggs, and meats, these items typically have a lower environmental cost than those which travel far distances to a supermarket, using fossil fuels and energy during shipping. Furthermore, products at a farmer’s market are far fresher than what is at the supermarket. The Newark Farmer’s Market at Military Park, in Downtown Newark offers great organic produce at a terrific price. Check out http://www.localharvest.org/ to find other farmer’s markets in your area.

Via CNN.com