Going organic – the way to be

Organic food sounds a bit redundant to me. To think of food and to have to add the word Organic is sad as, it clearly shows what we have come to.

With the help of pioneering work in science, we had developed new techniques to increase production and yield, make food more resistant, protect it and store it longer. Today the same scientists tell us how those very pesticides, fertilizers, additives and preservants are killing us.

It’s hard to think that you are eating something that is layered with these poisonous chemicals and even though we wash our fruits and vegetables well enough, all we manage to get rid of is macroscopic dirt and dust. From whatever was sprayed onto these fruits, most of it finds its way to our stomachs. Equivalently, we could be munching on a big bag of fertilizer for all we know. This stirring thought is what has made the Organic food ‘idea’, an Organic food ‘phenomenon’ and a booming billion dollar business.

The Organic food phenomenon hasn’t hit Asian nations the way it has hit the west. But that by no means goes to say that they are not as conscious about health and fitness. Food branded ‘Organic’ is hard to come by, and where it’s found, it’s not cheap. Recently there has been an introduction of a “healthier” ‘ghee’ by Le Bon in India, with 80% less cholesterol. “Organeggs” have hit the markets as eggs by hens that are given a special diet of selected herbs. In the urban stores, one can come across daily groceries too with the Organic brand. But this would be accompanied with a 20-25% hike in the regular food budget.

Many however, can not fork out this much for a healthier lifestyle. To get the best of both worlds, you could simply follow steps like those mentioned here.

1. Don’t make all your groceries Organic.
Its only fruits and vegetables that are consumed with the skin, are leafy and thus might pose a problem. So start your list of organic foods with potatoes, apples and spinach etc. Onions and garlic can be safely left out.

2. Grow them yourself
If you have a garden, many daily herbs and spices and even lemons and chillies can be grown at home.

3. Shop Locally
You should know that whatever food you buy that is not organic comes from close by. Because if it has traveled a long way, stored and transported, then it might just have a big fat delicious layer of artificial preservants.

So get beyond the contradiction the name poses. Choose your combination and get started. Because going organic is the way to be!