I have a neighbor who I truly adore. He is a good friend of my husbands and is always available to help whenever he needs a helping hand. He is also great at challenging my position on the topic of organic -- which I embrace. It's important to surround yourself with like-minded individuals, but it's not healthy to stay in a bubble. My neighbor and I get into deep conversations fairly quickly about organic, non gmo, fair trade, eating less meat, etc. He does not believe in any of it. His stance is that it's all a brilliant marketing scam to make more money. The discussions are amicable and what I appreciate about them is that they challenge me. There's always a question I may not be able to answer or a statement that needs more support so, in turn, it motivates me to research even more. Additionally, doubt is good. Doubt drives you to ask more questions and dig even deeper. A few resources that I've learned a lot from are The Honest Life, 100 Days of Real Food, An Organic Conversation, and The Rodale Institute. Now moving on to the top 4 reasons why I choose organic when possible.
The Top 4 Reasons Why I Choose Organic:
- To consume food that is not derived from genetically modified seeds and to contribute less to:
- Super weeds and Super bugs
- Excessive use of herbicides (weedkillers)
- To support seeds that come from their natural source and not from a large company that wants total control of our ground; keeping the next generations to come in mind.
- To support organic farming and their practices:
- Use of natural fertilizers
- Use of naturally occurring pesticides
- Crop rotation to increase soil fertility
- To surround myself, family, and home with less toxicity by:
- Eating real food
- Limiting processed foods
- Using products derived from nature
- To support Fair Trade:
- Fair Trade promotes organic farming
- Bans use of GMO's
- Promotes healthy working conditions and protects the environment
I have no interest in converting anyone over. What I've come to learn is that all of this is a personal choice. There are contradictions, rebuttals, bias research, etc. In the end, I think deep down inside we all know how to take better care of ourselves. Simple acts such as: eating more vegetables, exercising, and choosing water over sugary drinks. Those are some of the basics, right? It's not rocket science. It's a matter of loving the human body that you are in and wanting better for yourself. It all starts from within and then expands outward.
To growing and sharing...