Should You Eat Organic?

"You are what you eat!" How many times have you heard that one?

Even though you don't turn into whatever your eating, what you put into your body determines what you get out of it.

But this doesn't stop just when it comes to the types of food you're eating... it extends even further to where and how the food is made.

Which is why I want to talk to you about organic foods today. For many, eating organic has become a big part of their daily diet.

But others aren't quite sure what it means and if they should be eating organic too.

This article will give you a simple breakdown of eating organic and what you need to know.

What  Does Organic Mean?

Organic refers to the process and ingredients in the foods you eat.

How much of the food you eat is processed vs. an all-natural background?

Every day, millions of people eat processed foods that aren’t meant to be metabolized by their bodies. It isn’t the end of the world if you have a processed food every once in a while.  But not all processed foods are as obvious to spot.

That’s why the USDA refers to organic foods as being composed of less than 5% synthetic additives.

This could be eating vegetables that weren’t grown using pesticides. Or snacks that don’t contain certain dyes to create a more eye-pleasing color.

It could also refer to the feed animals eat which end up making up the meat you buy at your local grocery store as well.

Having ingredients like these in some foods is what drives a lot of people towards options that are 100% USDA organic.

What Types Of Organic Foods Are There?

There are three different types of organic foods...

The most obvious is “organic.” The food contains (or is made) from a 95% or more natural process.

The second is "100% organic." Every ingredient used to make the food is natural and anything added during its production is as well.

The last one is a little bit trickier. “Made from organic” is a term referring to a food that contains 70% organic ingredients.

Anyone browsing through the grocery store can take some relief in knowing that any foods made with these labels on them.

What Difference Does Eating Organic Food Make?

Again, organic foods are more accessible for your body to metabolize.

Being made from and containing all-natural ingredients is easier for your body to digest and absorb nutrients as opposed to eating unnatural additives.

Some studies have shown that organic foods are more nutritional than their non-organic counterparts.

Organic fruits and vegetables contain more antioxidants and micro-nutrients too. Even meats and dairy have higher levels of healthy fatty acids like omega-3 and less saturated fat.

On top of all that, your mind can rest easy knowing that your food didn’t have as much of a negative impact on the planet itself.

One of the biggest selling points of organic foods is the knowledge of the natural processes used to create them.

Is There Any Downside To Eating Organic?

For your diet and health, the answer is no.

Some people think eating organic foods will make much of a difference in the results they see from their diet. Though it’s impossible to argue that it will have an adverse effect either.

The only real hangups come from the price of some organic foods.

Going the extra mile for your body can also mean the same for your wallet.

This is the unfortunate truth and is a major sticking point for some who will argue against eating organic foods in the first place.

Another to point out is that organic foods tend to spoil faster than non-organic. This is because of their lack of unnatural preservatives.

What's The Takeaway?

No negative aspect takes away from the real reason to eat organic though: your health.

Choosing to eat organic or not is a matter of preference.

It comes down to how committed you are to your health as well as the results that you want to see from your everyday diet.

Don’t forget how often people eat unnatural ingredients in their food on a regular basis. That includes pesticides that are used to make the fruits and vegetables you eat too.

So, if you want to feel better about what you are putting into your body, organic foods are the way to go.