Organic Produce: More Vitamins and Minerals
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 10:00AM 
A great way to get more vitamins and minerals in your diet is to eat organically grown produce.
For any food (or food product) to be labeled as “certified organic” it must adhere to a set of very specific standards. Those standards cover everything right from the beginning (such as the soil or feed that the plant or animal was raised on) to the end where the food ultimately lands in your shopping cart, and everything else in between.
Strict guidelines on the growing, storing, processing, packaging, and shipping of certified organic food products must all be met through every step of the way or the food can’t be declared as certified organic.
Most "western" countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and the members of the European Union, have comprehensive organic legislation. These legislations set some rather wordy criteria for what “certified organic” means exactly, but for our purposes I’ll paraphrase the key points.
Certified organic foods:
- Have not been treated with any synthetic/chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
- Have not been injected with / fed antibiotics or hormones.
- Have not been irradiated.
The benefit that most consumers associate with organics foods is that they’re untainted. In other words, they don’t have all the nasty chemicals that come with unnatural growing practices. This is absolutely true, and a good enough reason on its own to switch to organic.
What’s often forgotten, however, are the secondary benefits of organic foods.
It’s not just what they don’t have (the toxins), but also the extras that they do have.
That brings us back to my original point. Organic produce is grown in much healthier soil that’s been fertilized by green growing practices like crop rotation and the use of natural compost. Just like us, plants need to be fed properly to excel.
When grown organically, plants are well fed by soil that’s rich in nutrients, and as a result they become nutrient-rich themselves. When we eat those well-nourished plants we reap the benefits. This is why eating organically grown fruits and vegetables is a great way to help ensure proper nutrition.
If you’re eating a raw-vegan diet and most of your produce is organically grown, you’ll be getting so many vitamins and minerals that you shouldn’t ever need to worry about falling short.
=========================================================================
Real-World Raw Health and Nutrition:
The raw food diet made easy for your busy life!
Mike Dillman is a self-taught raw-vegan who began his journey nearly five years ago. Having worked his way through all the challenges firsthand, he wants to save you from making the same mistakes yourself. You can visit Mike's blog at Real-World-Raw.com to learn how easy it can be to make a raw-vegan diet fit your busy lifestyle.
If you want to experience the amazing health that comes with living the one truly natural diet, Mike's new book, "Real-World Raw: The Busy Person's Guide to the Raw-Vegan Diet" is just what you're looking for. See for yourself.
To Download a FREE 20-Page Sneak Preview of the eBook click here!
Reader Comments (1)
An excellent point there. You are what you eat, right? If I want to fill up on vitamins and minerals, why not eat "well fed" high-nutrient organic fruits and vegetables?