When it comes to the decision to buy organic or not, it’s more than just a “good” or “bad” decision. Ultimately, you need to do what’s best for you and within your budget.
Mass product
Countries outside the United States, such as Mexico, tend to treat their crops with synthetic pesticides. Farmers will do this in order to ward off insects and diseases that negatively affect the amount of produce they can produce in a season. Let’s be real…the only reason to use pesticides is so companies can mass-produce crops keeping the “pest” out of the way, because that’s how these companies survive.
The same products that farmers use to kill insects and disease have negative effects on hormones in humans, specifically causing reproductive problems in women.
For more information on how pesticides affect female hormones, check out this article by the National Library of Medicine.
Although you adopt healthy and clean habits such as washing your products before using them or cooking with them, this does not eliminate all pesticides.
Buy pesticide-free food
If you are able to buy locally grown produce (I am referring to your community or neighboring communities) this is my top recommendation. Contact your local farmers to see how they manage their small crops so you know for sure how they are doing manage “parasites”.
Another good option is to buy organic fruits and vegetables. In the United States, it is common for these foods to come from farms where synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers or bio-engineered (GMO) genes are not allowed to be used on the crops.
This also applies to livestock raised for meat, eggs and dairy. Ranchers and farmers producing “organic” meats, eggs, and dairy products do not feed their animals antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal by-products. Instead, the animals live in conditions that naturally meet their needs, such as pasture, or they are often fed organic, hormone-free, and GMO-free foods. Farmers and ranchers will also use natural methods to eliminate insects and weeds, boost their crops, or prevent crop and livestock diseases.
Why organic?
Organically grown foods tend to be higher in certain nutrients. They are also generally fresher because they do not contain the preservatives added to foods to make them last longer and the produce has been harvested when ripe.
Additionally, some pesticides used on crops are considered common hormone disruptors because they can contain high amounts of estrogen. This can lead to increased estrogen levels and imbalanced estrogen levels can lead to fat gain and hormonal issues.
Overall my advice is to buy organic when you can, eat a varied diet, wash and scrub all produce thoroughly before enjoying the first bite.
If you want more information on nutrition and healthy eating, visit the FitWhite website or message me on social media.
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