The Great Organic Food Debate

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Maniac Craniac, Nov 19, 2011.

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  1. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Some swear by it, some don't understand it, some think it is a scam entirely.

    I find it ironic that the current popular farming methods are considered bad when it is these exact same methods that allow the majority of people in developed nations to eat abundantly and with great variety. I can eat healthfully on a limited budget. That has never happened before in the history of mankind.
     
  2. perrymk

    perrymk Member

    I interviewed for a job with the Florida Department of Agriculture many years ago. They test vegetables for pesticides and other stuff. They found food labeled as organic had the same levels of pesticides and other farming chemicals as non-organic food. Could be blow over, could be false advertising.
     
  3. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Yeah, I don't waste my time on organic stuff, unless I have time (rarely) to shop at a community Farmers market. I like the idea of giving business to local growers/farmers, businesses, etc.

    Abner
     
  4. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    The standards for calling foods "organic" need to be strengthened - as many have noted, many of the marketed organic foods are no better than non-organic. Eating organically requires a tremendous amount of dedication to learn exactly what to look for and how to read a food label. With that being said, eating whole foods that are not processed and do not use crappy filler ingredients is a worthwhile health pursuit. As with many things, people can point out a few examples of how something is not as advertised in an attempt to discredit an entire practice.
     
  5. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    I go to my local meat market to get burgers and chicken and man are they good. They aren't organic but they are fresh and extremely tastey. They are much better than any of the grocery stores around.
    I try to eat as much protein as possible and stay away from carbohydrates which can cause diabetes. I think people should understand the body's metabolic pathways, insulin, glycogen, the Krebs cycle, and the affect that polysaccharides have on blood sugar levels and stop worry about organic food.
     
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I am willing to believe that organic foods are marginally more healthy than regular foods but I don't think that marginal difference is worth the extra money they cost. I rarely buy foods labelled "organic."
     
  7. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    You are absolutely right. After reading a couple books on the subject, I find that the years that I have eaten as you say have made me more healthy and skinnier. I don't care about organic foods; as Kizmet said, I'm sure they are marginally better for a person but the endocrine system issues you bring up are much more important.
     
  8. perrymk

    perrymk Member

    I believe fresh is as important as anything. I have nothing to back that up of course.
     
  9. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    You hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I read the argument that organic broccoli (or whatever) is slightly more nutritious than non-organic broccoli (or whatever). It may be that it makes a difference but certainly nowhere near as big of a difference as the choice to eat broccoli to begin with. Jack Lalaine, who starting in his early 20's did everything right with his nutrition and fitness believed organic foods to be unreliable and otherwise overrated.

    I guess there is not too much of a debate on this board as I thought there would be. We all seem to be on the same page, which is great for peace and community and all, but it makes for a pretty dull thread :dunno:
     
  10. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    We buy 90% organic food; We follow the 100-mile rule quite extensively and if at all possible, avoid the big chain food stores.
    Tell me how milk can stay usable for 2+ weeks in the milk cartons, but goes bad when it's in a glass bottle (oh wait! There are no additives in the milk, it's in the milk carton lining which does not have to list its ingredients on the box); Bread which can stay "fresh" for weeks, but the bread I buy lasts for a few days before it goes moldy; turkeys and chickens that go from incubation to slaughter in mere weeks - and people consume their meat w/o side effects? Cows / chickens that are fed shot full of antibiotics as measure of prevention ( "In the United States, a scathing report released recently by the Government Accountability Office accused federal officials of doing little to monitor antibiotic use on farms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that in the U.S., livestock consume 80 per cent of the country's antibiotics." Alternatives to antibiotics for farm animals sought - Canada - CBC News) and more "superbugs" being discovered that are resistant to EVERY anti-biotic we have? Co-incidence?

    Particularly in meat can you tell the difference between an animal that was raised in a healthy environment compared to those which are raised for the mass market. Have you tried unpasteurized milk lately? If you're able to, go get some, boil it and drink it and then compare it to your regular store bought milk - the difference in taste is enormous...

    There will always be differences of opinions from those who go organic compared to those who don't - to each his own. Again, personally speaking, I feel better when eating organic and I enjoy the taste of the food so much more...
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Well, I have to agree with you on the meat issues you brought. When I was in Europe, the fresh killed meat (that day) was the most delicious and incredible meat I have EVER tasted!!! There is a HUGE difference in taste. I noticed the taste difference in everything from chickens, cows, goats, sheep, etc.

    Abner
     
  12. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    What will eating organic add to your life expectancy, 5 years? To paraphrase Denis Leary, those are the Depends-wearing, drooling on yourself, living-in-a-nursing-home years......you can keep them. :cool:
     
  13. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    Opinion:
    All foods are organic. Since you're really either buying food that has been fondled by chemicals or food that's been fondled less by chemicals, the best option is growing your own and knowing that they're no more fondled by chemicals than you are by living on the soil you're currently living on. The next best option is finding your local produce vendors, bakers and charcuterie and buying what you need daily.

    The concept of the large grocery store perpetuates poor health and poor spending habits.
     
  14. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Gilad and Jack LaLanne - Chat 1 - YouTube
     
  15. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I'm convinced that you're genetically pre-disposed as to when you're going to die, and there isn't much you can do to change it, short of smoking cigarettes your entire life, booting heroin or smoking crystal meth. I've dealt with many homeless individuals in their 60's and 70's who seem to survive on fortified wine and cheap vodka, while marathon runner Jim Fixx (big proponent of nutrition and exercise) dropped dead of a heart attack at age 52.

    Considering my size (6-3, 220lbs), people are shocked when I tell them I only eat one meal a day, almost always grilled boneless skinless chicken kabobs in a wheat roll-up with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions (I work 4pm-Midnight so my choices are limited). When I'm off, I'll usually have grilled chicken or a piece of broiled white fish with a steamed vegetable (broccoli or carrots). I'm the type of person who gains 10lbs just by looking at a piece of cake, so my eating habits are all about weight control, which is necessary for my occupation.

    Believe me, if I could knock back a McDonald's Angus Third Pounder and fries every night and not gain an ounce, I'd do it.
     
  16. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Product marketing … differentiating with high pricing (e.g., telling the customer that the product is worth a lot; in essence, the high price becomes an inherent benefit of the product itself); merely a prestige pricing strategy. Consumers are inclined to believe that a higher price must indicate higher quality, particularly where safety and health are perceived factors. Also prestige value in product categories and brands; higher pricing is used as evidence to quality when no other information about the product is known.
     
  17. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    Amen Brother.
     
  18. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I'll admit it....I do hit McDonald's for a Quarter Pounder or Angus Third Pounder about once every other month, but that's it. If I take my kids there otherwise, I get the grilled chicken salad and skip the Newman's Salad Dressing.
     
  19. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    Bruce - if you haven't checked out "Eat Right 4 your type", I'd highly suggest it. The "Warrior Diet" you're on 'ok' in the short term, but you're better off adjusting your eating habits...

    As far as healthy living and aging is concerned... the Okinawa Centenarian Study has some VERY interesting results.. "one of the most important findings in free-radical research has been that eating fewer calories increases life span (Sohal RS, et al. Science 1996;273:59-63; Heilbronn LK, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:361-9).", not to mention that "Their healthy arteries appear to be in large part due to their lifestyle: diet, regular exercise, moderate alcohol use, avoidance of smoking, blood pressure control, and a stress-minimizing psychospiritual outlook" (Source: The Okinawa Centenarian Study : Evidence based gerontology )

    Yes, genes do play a part in it, but are not the sole reason some people get older while others don't...
     
  20. artichoke50

    artichoke50 New Member

    I'm always hesitant on buying "organic" Time and time again i have read articles on produce companies claiming to be "organic" when they are really not.
    They jack up their prices and doop consumers.
     

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