The Important Differences Between Organic and Conventional Foods

Functional Nutrition and Wellness Eating Organic

One way to be sure your food is of the best quality is to eat fresh and organic as much as possible. The importance of eating organic is to avoid assimilating the harmful chemicals often used in conventional farming and processed foods. These chemicals range over 12,000 in number and consist of insults on our food such as: chemical sprays used to fertilize fields; colored dyes to improve appearance; preservatives to increase shelf life; hormones and steroids to quickly fatten up live-stock; antibiotics injected into animal feed; genetically modified (GMO) cells to “enhance” certain qualities; irradiation (drastic alterations to our food) for our “protection.” Luckily, you do have a choice. You can avoid all of this by making more informed decisions and some simple changes in your shopping habits.

As a functional nutrition and wellness coach, I work with clients on nutrition plans that encourage consumption of certified organic meats, produce, and other food products. If labels are overwhelming for you, I can help you understand products in the grocery store in order to eat and meal plan so you’re feeling your absolute best. 

In this chart, I break down the potential differences between conventionally grown produce and raised meat versus foods that are certified organic or organic. 

Conventional Certified Organic, Organic
Food and supplements may have been chemically manufactured, treated, or altered in some way with a range of over 12,000 different chemicals. Food that has been raised or produced without the assistance of toxic chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, fillers, toxic coloring agents, hormones, steroids, etc.
Chemical fertilizers may have been added to promote growth. Natural fertilizers are used such as manure or compost to promote growth.
Toxic insecticides and pesticides may have been sprayed to ward off pests and bugs. Native birds, insects and traps are used to ward off pests and bugs.
Irradiation, which damages DNA beyond repair, may have been applied. No irradiation is ever used.
Herbicides may have been applied to prevent weeds. Crops are rotated, mulch is used, and weeds are pulled by hand.
Plants are genetically modified to control crops, increase growth, and increase profit margins (GMO are man-made, not nature-made). Plants are left to flourish as nature made them. They are not altered or made into something other than what they are.
End products are enriched, dyed, waxed, or artificial ingredients are added. The end product is as nature intended; nothing is enriched, added, or removed. 
Animals are treated with hormones and steroids to quickly fatten them up. Animals are fed a nutritious diet of organically grown grains, or their natural diet of grass and grubs.
Animals are given antibiotics in their feed to ward off disease from poor diet and poor living conditions. Animals are tended to properly, their environment kept clean and their living conditions enhanced to ward off disease and sickness.
Proper care and humane treatment of factory farmed animals is often grossly ignored. Livestock are often sick, over-crowded and neglected, leading to an increase in stress. Animals are provided proper space to roam if not completely free-range. Stress is minimized by providing the animals with proper care in conditions that are not over-crowded or neglected.

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