Happy Healthy Gut (18 page)

to kill bugs and weeds, deter rodents, and prematurely ripen fruit get absorbed into the ground, and eventually make their way to water. Once there, they affect fish and other living things that
are definitely
not
trying to eat our apples. When we spray, we inevitably (though unintentionally) affect not only our produce, but also other innocent life.

In regards to food animals, raising cattle (and other animals) organically means that those cows can only consume organic feed, and can only live in organic spaces. This goes as far as being contained in pasture with non-treated wooden fence posts. It also means no herbicides, pesticides, or genetically altered materials have ever entered their bodies. Further, they have never been treated with an antibiotic, which means that their living conditions are usually much better than that of the millions of cattle raised by today’s more common practices. (They aren’t knee-deep in their own waste, which is often the cause for antibiotics in the first place.) Also, they have never been fed growth hormones. All of this care and attention generally means healthier cattle, which in turn produces more nutritious beef.

If the idea of paying more for organic products is still a deterrent for you, then consider that the entire operation surrounding the use of pesticides and herbicides is expensive business. If everyone (or even a larger percentage of us) decided to go the organic route, we would be saving an astronomical amount of money that would otherwise be fed into the business of producing harmful chemicals and less nutritious food. We have the power to vote with our dollar for better food. We should let the food industry know what we think of their products by whether or not we choose to purchase them. If we continue to buy sub-par food, more will be produced because it shows that there is a market for it. Likewise, by purchasing good quality, highly nutritious food, it will show that there is a growing demand for the good stuff!

Shopping organic means knowing that what you are about to eat is chemical, GMO, antibiotic, and hormone free. Who knows how the incredible overabundance of these “revolutionary products” are affecting your digestive system, but they undoubtedly are. If you
want to be certain that chemical cocktails remain out of your lunch, and in turn, out of your digestive tract, then you need to go for the Big O . . .

Here are ten reasons why you should consider eating organically, all of which are undisputedly related to your health. This compilation was taken directly from Green Earth Organics,
²¹¹
and it makes a solid case for the many benefits of adopting an organic diet:

1. “Protect future generations. Children receive four times the exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. The food choice you make now will impact your child’s health in the future.
   
2. Prevent soil erosion. The Soil Conservation Service Estimates that more than three billion tons of topsoil are eroded from the United States croplands each year. That means soil is eroding seven times faster than it is built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. But in conventional farming the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized. As a result, American and Canadian farms are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history. (Poor soil quality directly contributes to poor produce quality.)
   
3. Protect water quality. Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three-fourths of the planet. Despite its importance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates pesticides (some cancer-causing) contaminate the ground water in thirty-eight states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country’s population.
   
4. Save energy. Farms have changed drastically in the last three generations, from the family based small businesses dependent on human energy to large scale factory farms highly dependent on fossil fuels. Modern farming methods use more petroleum than any
   other single industry, consuming 12% of the country’s total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the United States. Organic farming is still mainly based on labour-intensive practices, such as weeding by hand and using green manures and crop covers rather than synthetic inputs. Organic produce also tends to travel a shorter distance from the farm to your plate.
   
5. Keep chemicals off your plate. Many pesticides approved for use by the EPA were registered before extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases had been established. Now the EPA considers that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% insecticides are carcinogenic. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimate that pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and can also be harmful to humans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutation.
   
6. Protect farm workers’ health. A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a greater factor of six, than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an average of 14% a year since 1973, and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in the state. Farm workers health also is a serious problem in developing nations, where pesticides can be poorly regulated. An estimated 1 million people are poisoned annually by pesticides. Several of the pesticides banned from use in the United States are still manufactured here for export to other countries.
   
7. Help
   small farmers. Although more and more large scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small independently owned and operated family farms of less than one hundred acres. It’s estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. With the US Department of Agriculture predicting that half of this country’s farm production will come from 1% of farms by the year 2000. Organic farming could become one of the few hopes left for family farms.
   
8. Support a true economy. Although organic food might seem more expensive than conventional foods, conventional food prices do not reflect hidden cost borne by taxpayers, including nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988. Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean up, and environmental damage.
   
9. Promote biodiversity. Mono cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year. While this approach tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. To replace the nutrients, chemical fertilizers are used, often in increasing amounts.
   
10. Taste better flavor. There’s a good reason many chefs use organic foods in their recipes. They taste better. Organic farming starts with the nutrients of the soil which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately our palates.”
    ²¹²
    

It’s also important to understand that for a farm to be certified organic, it must adhere to incredibly strict guidelines that require extra time, patience and incredible expense to attain. Farmers who choose to go the organic route, whether their fare may be produce or animal products, definitely deserve special accolades.

The Dirty Dozen of Pesticide-Ridden Produce

(Top twelve foods to always buy organic)
²¹³

1. Peaches
   
2. Apples
   
3. Bell Peppers
   
4. Celery
   
5. Nectarines
   
6. Strawberries
   
7. Cherries
   
8. Pears
   
9. Grapes
   
10. Spinach
    
11. Lettuce
    
12. Potatoes
    

The Consistently Clean List

(Top twelve foods that test relatively clean for pesticides)
²¹⁴

1. Onions
   
2. Avocado
   
3. Sweet Corn
   
4. Pineapples
   
5. Mangoes
   
6. Asparagus
   
7. Sweet Peas
   
8. Kiwis
   
9. Bananas
   
10. Cabbage
    
11. Broccoli
    
12. Papaya
    

You’ve probably heard the term
superfood
before. It refers to a variety of foods, all plant-based, that hold extraordinary nutritional value. The “top ten superfoods” seem to be constantly changing, but not out of the whole food, plant-based realm. The following list is my own personal compilation of superfoods—what I consider to be nutritionally invaluable, and the ones I have at my disposal at all times. Some I use on a weekly basis, others I use daily.

1. Berries. Super full of antioxidants, berries help to fight against diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and more. When they’re in season (June–August), you can buy fresh berries by the flat from farmers’ markets. Eat as much as you can fresh, and
   freeze the rest for smoothies. In the off-season, you can buy organic, frozen berries for smoothies and baking.
   
2. Broccoli. Broccoli is super high in magnesium, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. It contains high amounts of chlorophyll and fiber, and can be used in a variety of ways. I chow down on steamed broccoli about twice a week, and juice with it almost daily.
   
3. Chia seeds. These tiny seeds are super high in soluble fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. They lend fabulous energy and are quite effective when incorporated into weight-loss plans. I use chia seeds in smoothies and oatmeal almost daily.
   
4. Chlorella. Chlorella is a fresh-water algae. It is crazy high in chlorophyll and nucleic acids. It is also a complete protein, and contains vitamin B12, making it a veggie-lover’s dream supplement. I use a powdered form of this sea green in smoothies (about one teaspoon of it), a couple of times throughout the week, and I also take it in pill form almost daily.
   
5. Ginger. Fresh ginger, in particular, can be a lifesaver for anyone with digestive issues. It is naturally anti-inflammatory, and relieves nausea and flatulence. It can be added to any juice or smoothie for a crazy flavor-changer, too. I juice with it often, almost daily.
   
6. Hemp. Legal to grow in Canada, but illegal to grow in the U.S., this protein-packed, environmentally sustainable superfood is extremely undervalued and underappreciated. It is composed of 35% protein, making it a fabulous alternate protein source for vegetarians. It also requires less water to grow than other plants, and less space. Hemp can be consumed either by eating the hemp hearts themselves, or in a hemp-based protein powder. I cook raw hemp hearts about twice a week, and use Vega hemp protein powder almost daily.
   
7. Kale. Kale is a nutritional superstar. It is extremely high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C and K, fiber, and is low in
   calories. It is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, and is teeming with chlorophyll. You can steam it, juice it, add it to soups and stews, make chips out of it, and more. Definitely add this one to your grocery list. I use kale about twice a week to make the kale chip recipe in chapter thirteen.
   
8. Quinoa. This South American grain is actually a seed, and is a complete protein. It’s super versatile, and can be consumed in place of rice or millet. It is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc, and lower in sodium compared with wheat, barley and corn. I cook up a big batch of quinoa about once a week, and use it for a variety of different dishes.
   
9. Raw nuts. These gems are all freakin’ fabulous! They are full of omega 6 fatty acids, and although high in calories, they are teeming with nutrients to include into your plant-based diet. I eat about ¼ cup of raw nuts on a daily basis, rotating through an assortment of almonds, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
   
10. Sea vegetables. Usually just called seaweed, sea vegetables are not usually part of the North American diet, but they should be. They veggies are incredibly nutritionally dense, packed with calcium, iron, chlorophyll, and naturally occurring electrolytes. Different types of sea vegetables are nori (I use this often), dulse, kelp, wakame, arame, agar, and kombu. I use nori about twice a week, and whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant, I order a wakame salad. Soooo yummy.
    

Did you know that the color of your produce is indicative of the healthful benefits that it contains? Vegetables rich in color are full of phytonutrients (plant nutrients), which are recently found to offer
immense health benefits. There are many types of phytonutrients, including antioxidants, plant sterols, natural acids, and enzymes.
²¹⁵

Think about what you eat for dinner. If your average meal consists of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a processed, white bun, what colors are present? Brown and white? Your diet would be extremely lacking in vitamins and minerals, which are absolutely essential to not only digestive health, but your overall state of form and function. In order to benefit from all of nature’s nutritional gifts, you must get used to eating the rainbow.

Red

Lycopene is a nutrient found in red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, red bell peppers, pink grapefruit, cherries and watermelon. It is good for the skin, and is known to help prevent against certain cancers.
²¹⁶

Orange

Beta-Carotene is present in such foods as carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, mangoes, cantaloupe and apricots. This well-known phytonutrient helps to improve cellular communication, and is great for protecting eyesight.
²¹⁷