Choosing an Organic Lifestyle
Anthia Koullourous, extract from presentation to Garvan Institute
First let’s define what I mean by an organic lifestyle:
1. Acknowledging the interactions between people, animals, environment, food and products we use
2. Taking into consideration source and processing of products
3. That these interactions and products produce very little waste.
My definition does not include organic soft drinks, cereal and organic products which are sold as food.
Some of the benefits of choosing organic are:
- Free of chemicals: pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides/additives, drug/vaccine/hormones.
- Guarantee GM free.
- Produce Clean Water - Chemical run off and residues end up in our drinking water, waterways and coastal areas which also cause the diminishing of marine life, plants and animals.
- Produce Clean Air and ameliorate climate change by producing less green house gas emissions and capturing carbon dioxide back into the soil.
- Produce nutritional soils - But this does depend on a polyculture or permacultrue rather than a monoculture system and supports biodiversity and sustainability
- Healthy wildlife and humane treatment of animals.
- Protects farm workers
- Develop a greater appreciation of the food you buy: In 2004, Planet Ark research found that Australian threw away more than $5.2 billion worth of food and drink and what about every time you eat out: According to the Water Audit Consultancy Services, approx 25% of total waste generated by commercial kitchens is food. It depends on what you buy and how you prepare it. So is it really expensive?
- Tastes, smells and feels better
- As a result is healthier, more nutritious and more digestible and absorbable and aligned with our natural human body.
Is supplementation with vitamins and minerals really necessary?
Quite simply no… This does not address the cause of deficiency or underlying reason of ill health ie the reason why someone is taking a supplement. These are my reasons worth considering..
1. Source and Processing:
- Synthetic ingredients, petroleum coal tar for B vitamins rather than liver.
- Natural ingredients such as corn for Vitamin C but it is so highly processed and refined that it is no longer natural.
- The binders and other additives are usually from a genetically modified source.
2. Supplements are prescribed like drugs and are created by the same drug companies. Having said this I can see a place for some drugs in acute situations.
3. No such thing as wonder cure all or super food that is better than other foods. Eg cancer is not a superfood deficiency.
4. Does not fit with my ethos of an organic lifestyle. Even if ORGANIC supplements they are processed food products in a pill.
5. Sold on the belief that our soil is too depleted of nutrients. So who are we going to support the farmer that takes care of our soil or the supplement company? Vote with your dollar!
6. Taking a pill does not give the responsibility back to the individual and rather the power in the pockets of your pharmaceutical company, Supplement Company and practitioner or individual that prescribed it or sold it to you.
7. Processed food products are enriched or fortified with synthetics.. In September 2009, it became a legal requirement in Australia for all bread-making flour, except organic flour, to contain added folic acid. Also, from October 2009 the Australian Government required that salt used to make bread, except organic bread, be replaced with iodised salt. Choose organic wholefoods to avoid synthetic enriching with supplements..
8. Vitamins and minerals or single nutrients do not exist on their own in nature. They require cofactors for absorption. Even if a vitamin supplement has its co factors there are other important unknown natural constituents which also aid in absorption and healing. There is no such a thing as a vitamin C fruit or B3 plant.
9. The body can’t assimilate them: With Vitamin E, for example, the d- form of vitamin E derived from vegetable oils and other natural sources is different from the dl- form (which is often called the synthetic form). The human body uses only the d- form.
Is one food type more super than another?
No it’s either whole food or not food or it’s a product. But I believe in Super Soil rather than Super Food. Because that is where it begins….that is the Foundation for healthy food, healthy waterways, healthy animals, healthy climate, and healthy humans. KEEP IT SIMPLE….Just eat real whole food..
Closing remarks..
In summary:
1. Look at the reason why you require a super food or supplement.
2. Get educated about how to take care of your health with a daily rhythm being mindful of how you think, breathe, hydrate, nourish, exercise and sleep.
3. Get educated about what we are meant to eat. Look at what humans ate pre industrialization of our food.
Consider the source and processing of your food as well as being organic and whole.
4. Eat organic, whole foods as close as possible to the way they occur in nature.
5. Prepare whole foods in with traditional processing methods that enhance nutrition and digestibility for example: sprouting and fermentation and slow food cooking rather than fast food methods such as microwave and frying.
Visit Anthia’s website at www.ovvioorganics.com.au
