When is Buying Organic Worth the Money?

When is Buying Organic Worth the Money?

By Kyle Leon

Ten years ago, only "tree huggers" and "hippies' were insisting on eating organic food. Now we all know that there's a problem with a lot of the commercially grown or produced food we're eating. Many of the crops that are grown commercially are heavily treated with some really serious herbicides and pesticides and things like wheat, corn and soy are almost always grown from genetically modified seed, which can really mess with your immune system and your hormones. Commercial feedlot meats are dosed up with hormones and antibiotics that do the same thing.

The problem is that many people can't afford to go completely organic. Organics cost money to grow and supermarkets are charging an arm and a leg for them. It's not right for people to feel like they have no choice but to feed themselves and their kid's food that can hurt them, but there are things you can do to make more of your food supply healthy.

The first thing to do is to look somewhere other than your supermarket. Farmer's markets are usually way cheaper than the grocery store and sometimes you can even get organic fruits and vegetables for less than the commercial stuff at the store. You can also check out local CSA farms, where you can subscribe to a big box filled with all the things they're harvesting that week.

The other thing you can do is prioritize which foods are really worth buying organic and what you can either do without or buy in non-organic versions. Here's a list of the foods that can definitely be worth buying organic:

1. Meats

Organic meats can get really expensive, but the feedlot stuff is really bad for you. Organic grass-fed or free range meats have no antibiotics or hormones added, the animals eat organic themselves and the meat is way higher in Omega-3 fats than commercial meat. To afford the organic, skip something else in your budget (like the fancy coffee or the manicure or going out every weekend) and use that money for organic meats.

2. Milk

Commercial milk has all the same problems as commercial beef. The growth hormones alone are enough of a problem, especially if you're working hard to balance your testosterone and estrogen levels. Buying organic can definitely be worth it here.

3. Eggs

Eggs have the same issues as meat and most bodybuilders trying to build muscle or lose fat eat a lot of eggs. They're an awesome protein source. Organic, vegetarian fed eggs are safe to eat and have more Omega-3 fats. Organic eggs can be added to the "it's worth it to buy organic list"

4. Fruits and Vegetables

There are some fruits and veggies that are worth buying organic. Berries are heavily sprayed and because they're so porous, they absorb all of the pesticides and herbicides. Bananas are also one of the most chemically treated fruits and their skin is no protection because it's so soft. Most potato farmers will not eat potatoes because of all the chemicals they absorb. For the rest of the produce section, try to buy organic if you're going to eat the peel. A simple rule of thumb could be If you're going to peel it, you can get away with buying commercial.

Another good rule of thumb: buy organic if you eat a lot of it every week and buy commercial if it's something you only eat now and then.....This makes things even simpler.

These tips will help you to eat the healthiest diet possible while living a practical life!

To your results.

Kyle Leon