An Eco-Conscious Diet
Jan 21st, 2010 by April
I have a friend who is a chemist with a Ph.D. The last time I saw her, she told me all about why it is essential to eat organic foods only. She explained that non-organic foods are chemically altered and can be extremely damaging to your health. Though I haven’t made the switch to organic foods, I have been thinking about this a lot recently.
I just spent a few months in another country and the whole time I was there, minor physical conditions I deal with were no longer an issue. For months, aches, pains and indigestion were completely gone. As soon as I returned to the States, however, they were back with a vengeance. Anyone who has traveled can tell you that there is a big difference between preservative-laden food in the United States and the food in other countries. And so, it really got me thinking about a change in the way I eat.
The New York Times Magazine published an interesting article entitled, “Eating Food That’s Better for You, Organic or Not.” As the title suggests, the article contemplates how Americans can change their ways, even if they are not yet ready to take the organic plunge. One example given is to reduce animal based product consumption (on average, we Americans consume nearly 2 lbs a day of this stuff!) and to increase plant based product consumption, a suggestion that comes from Michael Pollan’s new book, In Defense of Food. (You might know Pollan as the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.)
If you are thinking about an organic diet, or simply a better one, here are some resources that might help: