To Stay Young And Healthy You Should Aim To Eat Pure Organic Health Food.

Eat pure organic health food that has not been genetically engineered or irradiated and therefore provides the exact amount of energy required to keep the body in perfect balance. Your diet should consist of at least 50% organic health food, but preferably much more, for the following reasons;

•In the twentieth century man began to subject our food and environment to chemicals, genetic engineering and irradiation

•There is virtually nowhere on the planet that is not contaminated in some way as a result of the by products of our chemical age

•Your body expends a lot of energy trying to expel toxic chemicals found in foods

•Some of these chemicals can not be eliminated and accumulate in the tissues of your body

•Choosing locally grown organic health food that is in season, is the nearest we can get to eating a pure diet

•By supporting the movement back to organic health food we are helping to minimize the damage that these practices cause to the planet and to man kind

•Avoid processed food with additives and preservatives

•Eat whole grains, nuts and seeds

Organic health food

Organically grown, essentially means that produce is undyed, unsprayed, untreated, and grown from seeds that are not genetically engineered and without chemical fertilizers.

Organically reared livestock are provided with natural living conditions, fed organically grown feed and drugs, including antibiotics, are not used.

Below is a comparison of organic versus conventional farming;

•In organic farming, multiple crops are grown in the same space.

•In conventional farming, mass production of one crop in one area is practiced.

Soil fertility

•Organic farming relies heavily on the natural break down of organic matter, over a long period, to replace nutrients in the soil together with crop rotation.

•In conventional farming nutrients are replaced in isolation with synthetic chemicals that are immediately available to the plant.

Pest control

•Organic farming chooses resistant varieties of crop, allows some pest damage and encourages beneficial insects to control pests. Companion crops also discourage or divert pests while row covers can be used during pest migration.

•In conventional farming specific insecticides are used to quickly kill insects. By unavoidably killing natural predator insects, an ultimate increase in the pest population comes about. Insects also become resistant to these insecticides, requiring the use of more powerful controls.

Livestock

•Organic farms provide animals with the opportunity to enjoy free range grazing and sufficient exercise.

•Feed is organically grown

•Drugs such as antibiotics and hormones are not used.

•On conventional farms living conditions are cramped and often set to the minimum standards necessary for survival.

•Synthetic food supplements are often used to improve the quality of feed

•Hormones are administered to produce more meat or milk in the shortest period

•Preventive antibiotic treatments are put in the feed to prevent diseases

Health risks

•Conventional pesticides have been linked to Parkinson’s and other diseases

•Pesticide runoff into lakes and rivers can affect drinking water, fish, crustaceans and algae

•Pesticides create a dangerous working environment and surrounding areas can be affected by the technique of crop dusting

•Hormones and antibiotics in the products are passed on to the consumer causing health problems

•Pesticide residues in food affect health negatively

Genetically Engineered foods

Scientists have been working on ways of “improving” food production with the idea of;

•Increasing storage times

•Easier processing

•Lowering reliance on fertilizer

•Resistance to insects

•Slowed ripening

•Larger fruits

•Insect resistance.

Genetic engineering is accomplished by taking the DNA from one organism, modifying it in a laboratory, and inserting it into another organism to produce a genetically engineered food.

Scientists used to use selective breading to alter food but the down side to this is the fact that it can take generations to accomplish the result that the scientists are looking for.

While this all sounds very beneficial, the issue of genetic engineering has become very controversial for the following reasons;

•Consumers do not know whether they are consuming genetically engineered foods as they are not labeled

•Genetic engineering on animals can have harmful side effects and many people are concerned that tampering with their genes is unethical

•Experiments are being carried out on the possibility of putting animal genes into vegetables and this would pose a moral dilemma for vegans and vegetarians

•There is a concern that genetic engineering might cause potentially harmful bacteria found in the digestive systems of humans and livestock, to become resistant to antibiotics

•It is known that a genetically modified soybean caused allergic reactions in people who were allergic to Brazil nuts, as the protein used to alter the soybean came from Brazil nuts

•It is feared that unknown components can pop up in genetically modified products and cause disease or death.

The only way of ensuring that you are not consuming these potentially harmful products is to buy certified organic health food. As much of the soybean production is genetically modified and is used in animal feed, you could be consuming genetically modified materials in chickens, eggs, milk, burgers and margarine.

Irradiated foods

Foods are irradiated by applying a low dose of ionizing radiation. This is done in order to extend the shelf life and reduce parasites. This is a fairly new way of treating food and has, once again, been introduced to minimize spoilage and protect the interests of the manufacturers. The long term effects of consuming irradiated foods have not been studied sufficiently, but it is feared that cancer, reduced energy, infertility and metabolic disorders could be but a few of the problems caused by this practice. The other fear is that sub standard foods could be disguised by the practice of irradiation, and sold on the open market.

Growing your own organic vegetables

Organic-gardening is a fantastic way to see nature at work. Plus, with the price of fresh vegetables today; planting and growing an organic-garden rewards you daily with a fresh salad that is full of vitamins.(This site will open in a new window so do remember to return to me once you are done.)

For more antiaging tips and advice on organic health food go to antioxidant foods , yoga diet and home water filter ,or return to food and health