Eating OrganicGood For You Or Just A Scam?Does eating organic really make a difference or is it all just a scam? Anyone who chooses to teach others about healthy eating is bound to be asked this very question often. Eating Organic Food - all hype?I was recently at a function giving my expertise on how to fit in exercise in any busy schedule when I overheard a conversation that troubled me. It was between two women. They were discussing the idea of organic foods. One of them commented on how they don't like the idea of so many different chemicals and hormones used and the other said in a nut shell that it was more hype than anything and that Canada did not allow hormones to be used in our food.I was shocked. I wanted to go over and shake her and ask her if she was serious, but I also wanted to be sure to have my facts very clear. The Search Begins...
My question to him was simple....does Canada use hormones in their meats when raising chicken, cattle and pigs. He didn't even hesitate. It was a resounding “yes”. He went on to say that in the example of a chicken, that it takes 6 weeks for a chicken to fully mature. I appreciated his honesty and continued my search. After all my looking, I'm still convinced that eating organic is not a scam. So The Question Is... How can consuming less pesticides and more vitamins and minerals be a scam? I know there are studies for everything you want to believe. If you think eating organic is no different, you can find studies to support that. Although with some digging and research many of them are unfounded, or even sponsored by the same industry that sells the hormone-injected foods.One of my biggest frustrations is that big corporations will pay anything to make you believe what they want you to believe. Let's face it, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if you consume less chemicals you will be healthier. Eating organic vs. conventionally grown foods will be debated forever, but in and amongst all the reasons that are given, one thing cannot be ignored ... organically raised foods should be free of of harmful chemicals that are present on commercial farms. Does this alone not make it worth consuming organic foods? It Costs How Much?  The most common response I get when I encourage an organic diet is the cost. You do pay more for organic food, but the organic food industry has been growing substantially since the 1990's and the costs have come down. There have been many times where I have purchased organic produce for the same and even less than their conventional counterparts. I have found a great organic grocery store (not a big chain) close to me that I shop at every week. They have a special that when you buy in bulk it's cheaper. So each time I go I get 5 lbs of lean beef and get $1 off per pound and my chicken I get a big bag of boneless, skinless chicken and save a great deal over purchasing the same amount from the grocery store down the street. I simply divide it when I get home and it did not cost too much more than I would have paid. It's all about priorities... To me it's worth it. Someone once said that people are more concerned with having an expensive or flashy looking car than spending a few extra dollars for good health.Look around and find either a great little organic store like I did, or find the local farmer's markets or if you are lucky you can find organic farms quite close to you. In the end, when you are eating organic, what harm is being done? No matter what side you listen to, your body will be free of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and getting more vitamins and minerals...a risk worth taking. If you're here to learn all about what you can do to make good nutritional choices, click to return from Eating Organic to my Nutrition Page To see how to put all that nutrition together with healthy exercise, click a tab on the navigation bar on the left, or go back to the Home Page.
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I hit the internet to try and confirm what I knew already. I looked up in all my resource books about organic vs. Non organic foods, and I even went right to the meat department of a major supermarket to ask how their meat is grown. What I found was comforting to me. It was everything that I already knew and believed, but what was shocking was the direct “say it as it is” response that I got from the meat manager from the supermarket. 
There is no way a chicken is fully mature without the use of hormones. He then contined explaining to me that is why organic chickens are more expensive. They take longer to mature.
