In the 1970's, there was a margarine commercial with the message of "you can't fool mother nature." This statement never held more true than it does today. Up until the very early 1900's, the farming and livestock in this country was grown and raised using natural and organic methods. It was just the way it was done and it didn't need to be called "organic". In the last 50 years or so, more extensive use of chemicals became widespread. Remember when a tomato actually tasted like a tomato? With the advent of chemical pesticides and herbicides for produce and steroids and antibiotics fed to livestock, is it any wonder why people are nervous about the future of our health? We are what we eat, there's no question about that. There is a saying, "garbage in, garbage out." Biotechnology is all the "buzzword" these days. We now have genetically modified foods in our grocery stores, except there are no labels to let you know. Genetically modified foods, (or GMO foods as they are known) are products that have been genetically mixed with DNA mixed from other foods to supposedly grow a product that is more resistant to disease and will grow faster and bigger. Ever notice how the fruit in the produce aisle is so much larger than ever before? Yet, the taste leaves much to be desired. A tomato grown in a greenhouse will never compare to a tomato grown in a backyard. It is not nearly as difficult to find stores carrying organic and steroid-free foods as it was even just 20 years ago. Organic products are becoming more mainstream than ever before and are not reserved for only for health food stores any longer. Several large grocery chains now carry complete lines of organic products as a result of the demand from consumers. It is just common sense. When you mess with nature, the outcome cannot possibly be good. This is all the more reason to choose organically grown fruits and vegetables and drug-free meats. In our next series, well show you how to change your grocery shopping habits over from traditional to organic without breaking your bank account. To Your Health, Patty Gale 2005 |
