A Benefit to Eating Organic
The #1 reason my family eats organic foods
Eating organic, changed my life. After being diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and feeling awful on meds, I was open to anything that may help. That’s when I heard about organic foods. Well, I had actually already “heard” of them but I didn’t understand what it meant for a food item to be organic. I didn’t realize that non-organic veggies are covered in pesticides and herbicides and I had no idea what GMOs meant. I didn’t know that these things (pesticides, herbicides, GMOs) could negatively affect my health. I thought I ate healthy and didn't know that hidden ingredients in my fruits and veggies could be causing my issues.
If you or someone you love are currently in the place I was and you're thinking, “what’s the difference, why should I choose the more expensive, organic apple?” Below is the first of a few thoughts and my number one reason why organic foods are the better choice for you and your family.
Pesticides and herbicides can be endocrine disruptors.
First a little background on organic and conventional produce. According to usda.gov produce is called USDA organic if it has been grown on soil that has not been treated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for the last three years. Just to restate that, to be labeled organic a veggie can not have been treated with a synthetic pesticide, but non-organic veggies can. To kill bugs and weeds, conventional farmers use synthetic pesticides. One of the herbicides that has been used on produce for decades in the US is documented to be an endocrine disruptor.
Endocrine disruptors are any agent that interferes with the endocrine system. The endocrine system and its glands produce hormones in your body. This includes the pituitary gland, also known as the master gland, and the thyroid gland. The book The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford says that hormone imbalances can cause major problems in your body potentially leading to sickness and disease. Because hormones can be made from parts of the food you eat, diet plays a significant role in regulating them. For example, certain pesticide residues found on conventional produce can mimic hormones, causing an excess or disrupting the signals, confusing the body. If you are eating foods that are saturated in pesticides and herbicides then it is very likely that those foods will affect the function of your endocrine system. In my case, this caused a pituitary tumor. Other potential side effects can range from eczema to infertility. From my experience, when I cut out synthetic pesticides and started eating organic produce, dairy and meats, my endocrine system started to function better, my hormone levels balanced out and my pituitary tumor shrunk. Eating organic helped to heal my body.
In babies pesticides and herbicides have been negatively linked to neurological and behavioral development, birth defects and ADHD. Introducing these pesticides into a baby’s system could negatively affect their health into adulthood.
If you'd like to start eating organic but are unsure where to start, check out the EWG's dirty dozen. It's a list of the top 12 whole foods that are the worst to buy conventional because of the amount of pesticides sprayed on them. These are an easy way to dive into the organic world and can help to tremendously lower your intake of endocrine disruptors.
I hope this small amount of information helps to encourage you and your family to start your organic journey! Or if you already have I would love to hear how organic foods have changed your health for the better! Leave a comment or two on instagram @nourishedmommaandco