The Organic Lifestyle

Featured, Food & Diet, Health

By Kate Wood

I believe in the long run a certified organic lifestyle is not only cheaper but allows you to enjoy a better quality of life. I grew up on a farm where we had an orchard full of fruit trees, had our own veggie garden, had fresh eggs from our chooks, grass fed and slaughtered our own meat and even in the early days milked our own cows! I grew up with a very organic lifestyle and I didn’t know anything different. Later when it became my choice I was naturally drawn to learn more about WHY a healthy lifestyle was important, especially after I moved to Sydney after school and realised how bad shop bought meat and fresh produce tasted! Even the water tasted awful.

I made the transition to the certified organic lifestyle over time and the better I felt the easier it became. For example I used to eat a lot of pasta to “carbo load” before athletic events. Eating too many carbohydrates always made me so bloated and lethargic but I didn’t know any better. A great way to start changing your lifestyle is to add something good rather than take something away that you will miss and then likely demotivate you to stay on track! For example if you love dessert like me then start substituting refined sugars with organic ingredients like dates, brown rice syrup, maple syrup or honey and chocolate for cacao. Before long you won’t be able to eat processed sweet things anymore!

If you love bread then opt for sourdough which is lower GI, then try gluten free breads and naturally over time you may not feel the need to eat bread as often as before or even at all. I started drinking filtered water and started buying the dirty dozen produce certified organic to decrease pesticides. I decreased my carbohydrate intake without even thinking about it and felt so much better. I then started shopping at the farmers markets to ensure I was eating local and fresh produce. I started to transition out all my body products starting first with finding an organic tooth paste (I found it hard to find a good one but Therese Kerr’s Divine range is amazing) and deodorant (once again it was hard to find an aluminum free deodorant that actually worked and I find Sanctum and Therese Kerr’s Divine Spray the best). One by one I substituted all my hair and body products as I found brands I liked.

Sunscreen is another hard product to find a good certified organic brand my recommendation is to try Wot Not. Next came cleaning products, pretty much all I use now is vinegar, bicarb soda and tea tree oil. I use fragrance free organic washing powder and add essential oils like lavender and eucalyptus to make it smell nice. I got rid of all plastic in my house and replaced it with glass (e.g. storage containers, drink bottles, cups etc.) I then bought cast iron pots and pans and got rid of chemical laden tephlon nonstick ones.

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” and sometimes I think we forget that food has healing and life-saving properties. Unfortunately, our food is not what it used to be, due to a whole host of factors including over-farming (which causes nutrient-poor soil as well as cross-contamination of foods), the use of pesticides, hormones and synthetic chemicals, advances in refrigeration, the plastics used for storing food, pasteurisation, homogenisation, and GMO, just to name a few! I hear many people ask, “Well, how do I know what is best? This person says butter is bad and this person says butter is good. How am I supposed to know?” There are a few rules of thumb when you want to eat healthy. Stick to these common sense rules and you can’t go wrong:

If it comes from a packet, it’s not real food (if your great-great grandparents wouldn’t recognise it, then don’t eat it)!
If you can’t pronounce the name of an ingredient, it’s best not to eat it
Fresh, whole, certified organic foods are best
Buy straight from the farmer at farmers’ markets to have the best chance of getting fresh produce (or grow it yourself!)
Limit your sugar, and by the way, anything ending in ‘ose’ is sugar
Avoid reheating food (especially in a microwave, as it depletes the food’s nutrients)
Don’t fall for marketing ploys like lite (lite in colour and nutrients, most likely), low-fat (code for high sugar and often extra chemicals due to the process used to remove the fat), natural (could literally be anything found in nature—edible or not), no added sugar (this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any sugar, just that it’s not added, like in fruit-based products. So check the label to see how much sugar the product really contains.)
If a product doesn’t go ‘bad’ or mouldy quickly, then it’s probably preserved and, therefore, not good for you (there are exceptions, like honey, and pickled and fermented foods)
It’s not food if it’s called the same name in different languages (e.g. McDonalds)
Eat animals that have eaten well (how many cows do you see eating grains in nature?) So grass-fed and finished meat and ideally in kind conditions.
Just because it says organic on the label doesn’t mean it is organic. Look for the Australian Certified Organic Bud Logo and you know it’s truly certified organic.
Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the colour of the milk
Sweeten and salt your food yourself
Eat when you are hungry (not bored)
Sit down to eat so you can digest effectively
Stay hydrated to avoid over eating
Stop eating BEFORE you are full
Serve the proper portions and don’t go back for seconds (avoid buffet for this reason)
Avoid the rule: “You have to eat everything on your plate or you can’t leave the table”
Have your own vegetable and herb garden, and grow your own fruit trees
Eat slowly and chew your food properly

If you want more information about common sense eating, read Michael Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual.

Is Certified Organic a Healthier Option or Is It All Just Hype?

Certified organic is better because the farming practices are better and it’s well governed. The key is not just to consume the most nutrients possible in our food but also avoid harmful toxins in our foods and on our bodies. Buying certified organic ensures that your products will be free of chemical fertilisers, synthetic pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics, growth hormones, sludge, waxes and irradiation. Of course caring for our environment so our kids and grandchildren have good soil to farm with later on is another added benefit. The more naturally the product is grown and farmed (i.e. how long since it was picked/harvested/slaughtered/etc.), and the fresher it is, has a huge impact on your health.

What If I Can’t Afford Certified Organic?

Many people think that the quality of the products we eat and use doesn’t make a big difference to our health in the long run, or they say they can’t afford it! But I pose these questions: Does the extra money you spend on good quality items mean you spend less on health care? Or does it mean that you get to actually enjoy this life more now that you are healthier? For me, it is a resounding, “Yes!” Most of the modern day diseases didn’t exist in our ancestors’ day, so is it possible our diet and lifestyle are big contributors to our ill health? You do your own research and make your own decisions. Eating 100% organic might not be in the budget, but eating mostly organic can be no more expensive if you are smart! Red meat, pork, fish, eggs, chicken and dairy are best sourced fresh and ideally certified organic, if you are serious about your health. Below are some handy tips to eat quality food without the necessarily high price tag!

Grow your own fruits and veggies (or at least some of them!)
Make your own sauces, condiments, yoghurt, bread, etc. (all the staples anyway as they will be healthier and cheaper that way)
Buy in bulk (this can be shared amongst a group if you are organised!)
Shop online to get the best prices (you don’t even have to leave your home)
Pick your own fruit if you have local growers (it’s a fun family activity and saves you a fortune, not to mention you are guaranteed freshness!)
Shop at the local farmers’ markets
Order a weekly certified organic fruit and veggie box for home delivery (this varies depending on the season)
Take advantage of sales, especially for things like herbs and non-perishable goods

Eating certified organic is a long-term health investment and should never be seen as a quick fix, as often the results and benefits are not immediately evident. Not only is eating organic healthier, but it usually tastes better, too.

About the author

Kate Wood

Owner at Health Space Clinics | Website | + posts

Kate Wood is a 2015 Australian Organic Awareness Month ambassador. She is a Chiropractor, Kinesiologist, Doula & Musculoskeletal Acupuncturist. Together with her husband Nick Wood they own and run Healthspace Clinics, a series of healthcare clinics across Sydney, Australia.