Exclusively Organic - Watching closely what goes in the body!

Is organic food actually healthier than traditional food?

This is the question that I attempted to answer by eating only organic products for an entire week.

When I revealed my plan to forego normal meals and on-campus

dining, I received mixed reactions from friends and colleagues. Some told me that I would have to get a second job in order to pay the grocery bill; others encouraged me and said that I could be their “organic guinea pig,” giving them insight about the effects of organic eating.

Despite a few negative comments, I was ready to begin my food adventure. Before taking my first bite, I began with research.

Barbara Haumann, press secretary for the Organic Trade Association, shared a study from the French Agency for Food Safety, finding that organic foods have marginally lower amounts of nitrates, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Seeing great value in organic products, Haumann said that the association has multiple plans in place to encourage farmers to grow organically; including cost share programs and partnerships between seasoned organic farmers and new growers.

Dennis Avery, director for the Center for Global Food Issues at the Hudson Institute, had a different opinion about organic food.

“No one has ever been able to find any evidence that organic is better in any way,” Avery said. He said that too much land is wasted on organic food and that it should not be pursued.

Even more confused about organic food than when I began my research, I decided to speak with a (hopefully) non-biased nutritionist.

Karen Mason, associate professor of nutrition at Western Kentucky University, said that the nutritional advantage of organic food is debatable.

“There tends to be more minerals…and there seems to be more antioxidants in organic produce,” said Mason, who worked in nutrition research before completing her Ph. D. in nutritional sciences.

Mason said that the public has a perception that organic foods are healthier, which leads to increased sales of organic foods. As an individual, Mason said that she incorporates some organic food into her diet; however, she does not recommend exclusively organic diets to patients.

“My recommendations align with the American Dietetic Association’s view on organic foods,” Mason said. This viewpoint instructs dietitians to recommend that patients increase their intake of vegetables, fruits, non-fat dairy products, and whole grains, whether they are local, organic, or conventional.

Feeling more informed about my new eating habit, I was ready to begin.

My food adventure began with less-than-satisfactory visits to the local Kroger and Wal-Mart stores in search of organic foods. I was able to acquire small amounts

of organic produce and a few of the basic essentials (cereal, milk, juice,) but in order to feed myself for an entire week; I knew that I must search elsewhere.

I drove to Whole Foods, in Nashville, Tenn. and spent nearly $200 on a week’s worth of food.

“Have I gone insane?” I thought to myself as I slid my credit card through the reader and visualized my bank account quickly shrinking. With my wallet aching, I knew that I must persevere.

After returning home, I fit the food into my small dorm room before going out for sushi, my version of the last supper.

While eating my last bite of sushi, the familiar taste lingered in my mouth as I wondered what different foods awaited me in the coming week.

My research began with a bowl of cereal and a glass of skim milk. The cereal tasted similar to the type that I sometimes eat but was not as satisfying as the cinnamon roll or chicken biscuit that I normally pick up in the mornings.

During the week, my breakfasts cost an average of $3.14. If I were to get the meal by traditional means, the meal would have cost approximately $2. The price for a meal on campus, $3.45, surprisingly costs more than the previous category.

By lunchtime, I was extremely hungry. I had to forego eating with my parents after church and cook a can of chicken and dumpling soup with a bowl of spinach salad. Although the meal was delicious, I was unsatisfied.

As the day went on, my hunger intensified. When it was time to prepare dinner, I was ravenous. As the oven was preheating, I picked almost all of the sausage off of my homemade organic pizza.

The delicious pizza filled the empty parts of my stomach and left me feeling full, thankfully! I soon realized that my stomach wasn’t the only part of my body that needed adaption; my brain must cooperate with my diet.

Remembering to turn down food was challenging. Other than accidentally eating a few gummy worms, I was able to resist soda, pizza, freshly baked chocolate-chip-cookies, and even an early birthday cake.

As days went on, I began each morning with the same cereal and milk as usual. Some days I would throw in a glass of deliciously tart orange juice. Thankfully, I found organic coffee at Whole Foods. Without caffeine, I could have imploded.

Lunches were interesting. I had to pack my lunch and take it to campus cafeterias. While my friends enjoyed their pizza, chicken, or salads, I ate ham and turkey sandwiches accompanied by a surprisingly delicious granola bar.

The price for lunch was very similar to the price for breakfast. Organic meals typically cost a little bit over $4, while traditional meals nearly $3. These prices fall within the range of on-campus dining.

After these meals, I was never very satisfied, and by 3:00 p.m. I

was normally hungry again. A jar of peanut butter quickly became my best friend. One spoonful of peanut butter could easily satiate my hunger until it was time for dinner.

Dinner normally consisted of a frozen meal or a bowl of soup that I could easily microwave. Most dinners were delicious, including a bowl of hearty lentil and vegetable soup with crackers and a spinach salad, or a plate of chicken nuggets with a large carrot and salad, or simply frozen vegetable lasagna. I accompanied dinner with a bowl of fresh berries or an apple.

Dinner and snacks are where the bulk of my cost came from. After spending approximately $8 on every dinner and $3 - $4 on my snacks. These meals would have each been a few dollars cheaper if I had eaten traditional food or if I had eaten on campus.

At the end of the week, I began to notice that my hunger waned. And, I felt healthier.

I began to wonder what caused me to feel so much better. I quickly looked back at my notes to what I had eaten. I noticed that I had been eating more fruits and vegetables than I normally do. Was this the cause of my feelings or was it the organics? I’ll probably never know the answer, but I would like to think that it is a mixture of both.

As for the future, I will no longer eat exclusively organic, but I will keep better track of what I eat. Even if there are not proven health benefits, I know that I felt better. Certain organic foods, such as milk and peanut butter, will always have a place in my diet as well as many other products, just as long as my stomach and wallet can both stay full.

Therefore, I give two thumbs up for delicious, affordable organic food!

Leia Mais…

Eating my way around New York City!

Hi Followers!

Sorry that there has been a delay since my last post, but I've been working hard and eating well for the last week, for you!

As it was WKU's Spring Break, I headed up to New York

City with my mom and dad to visit my sister, Katie, an aspiring actress who is making her way in the big city by auditioning practically constantly!

While in Manhattan and the other boroughs we were able to do some of Katie's favorite things and eat at her favorite restaurants.

Let's get started exploring the city!

After arriving in the city, Katie led us to the subway and we made our way

to Little Italy. After being called and pleaded to by the many front-workers for the restaurants, we decided on "Caffe Napoli."

This delicious Cannelloni rivaled what I had eaten last year in Italy. The al dente pasta and fresh sauce and chee

ses paired exquisitely with the chicken and spinach filling.

For an affordable trip to Italy, be sure to visit Caffe Napoli, located at 191 Mulberry Street, right outside of Chinatown.

For dessert, two nights in a row, we went to Ferrara's. With a huge selection of Italian pastries, cakes, cookies, gelato, and other

desserts, you can't go only one time! Over my two visits I ate: a piece of delicious carrot cake, a small cannoli (with perfectly flavored filling), a daquise, and a fruit tart!

Here is a view of their many desserts! Having been in New York for over 100 years, it should be a stop

on your next trip!

Max Brenner a chocolate themed is a delicious oasis that everyone will enjoy. A very extensive menu coupled with beautiful plating techniques and even more exquisite food will make you want to come back! Be sure to get the waffle fries dusted with cocoa powder and ask for the chocolate ranch dressing. You absolutely will not regret this!

In between seeing the wonderful Broadway musicals, "In the Heights" and "next to normal," I continued eating!

For what has been touted as the best Chinese Food in New York, head to Chelsea and visit Grand Sichuan!

There truly is no other way to describe the restaurant except exceptional and truly amazing! The meal on the restaurant was only

$9.55 and the portion could have easily made for another serving.

Well, there you have it. There are some great recommendation that you can eat in New York while remaining on a budget, but living that New York experience!

See you next time!

Leia Mais…

A recap of the last few days...

On Sunday I officially began my adventure and exploration into organic eating with a bowl of Kashi Strawberry Crunch cereal and an ice-cold glass of organic milk. Although this was an easy meal, I knew that it would be one of the easiest parts of the week.

Even preparation was very challenging. After disheartening trips to Wal-Mart and Kroger to search for organic food, I decided that I must head down south to the Whole Foods Market in Nashville, Tenn. if I had hopes of getting an entire week's worth of only organic food.

Luckily, I had two of my great friends, Maggie and Maria Blair to go with me on this trip.

After millions of laughs, near tear experiences of searching for parking, witnessing two wrecks, almost being in one, hundreds of photos being taken, and nearly $200 being spent at the store, we headed back to Bowling Green with multiple bags of

organic food in tow!

We celebrated my last meal with very delicious sushi as I prepared to cast of all pesticides, herbicides, steroids, growth enhancers, and other non-natural items from my diet.

So far, it's been more challenging than I expected. I was unable to accompany my family to lunch after church as I normally do and the Chicken & Dumplin' soup that I ate, along with a baby green salad and saltine crackers, left me feeling empty and hungry for more. This

is when I realized that my body might not be very happy during this week, but I have hopes that it will adjust and grow to like healthier and less amounts of food!

I ended Sunday with a delicious pizza that left my stomach full. The whole grain crust, rich sauce, just right mozzarella, and zesty andouille sausage really hit the spot.

Despite having a major headache before bed, I felt good about the day's accomplishments and was excited about the days to come.

In the next few installments, I will continue to give you great insight into my exciting, healthy, natural, organic week!

Check out this slideshow of my trip to Whole Foods and for more pictures of the last few days!

Leia Mais…

Starting next week...

Starting next week, I will attempt to eat only organic or natural foods. Do you think I can do it?! I'll be researching health benefits, cost analysis, and ease of access for these foods vs traditional supermarket foods.

Stay tuned for a day-by-day breakdown of how everything is going to happen!

Drew

Leia Mais…

O'Daniels Organic Growing

At a balmy 50 degrees, I set out to visit Joe O’Daniel of the 116-acre O’Daniel farms on Friday afternoon. O’Daniel, who grew up on a farm and began maintaining his own farm in 1991, grows most of his products organically and is one of the only local growers who refrains from using pesticides and herbicides.



“At first, I didn’t think I could make the leap to grow without pesticides,” he said. However, after 7 years, O’Daniel’s fears about being able to succeed while growing organically have been assuaged.

A steady profit was one of the reasons to convince him that he had what it takes to grow this way. He said that the farm grosses approximately $100,000 annually, with a majority of the sales coming from the SKy Farmers Market, delivery orders, or orders that customers pick up from the farm on Fridays.

“Customers seem to be happy with the farm,” O’Daniel said, “They like being able to see where the products come from.”

Although O’Daniel grows organically, he has not been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Until my customers demand it, I won’t switch,” O’Daniel said. Although he is not certified, O’Daniel Farms is one of the only organic growers that attends the SKy Market, automatically giving him a leg up on the competition.

On the farm, the O’Daniel works with his wife, Debbie, and their daughters to prepare the land, plant the seeds, grow and maintain, and harvest a myriad of crops, including: lettuce, arugula, peas, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, asparagus, carrots, kale, leeks, and multiple other types of produce.

O’Daniel said that he once had a family of nationalized Mexicans working at his farm, but he prefers for everything to be done by the family for the sake of carefulness and privacy.

Chicken and eggs are two of the O’Daniel’s other endeavors.

“I like to eat chicken and their eggs,” he gives as a reason for getting in to the chicken business, “But then I saw that there was more demand for them and they were more profitable.” This moment was when O’Daniel decided to raise chicken in a larger quantity.

Currently, he has a flock chickens that roam around a small pasture area and lay eggs everyday in their covered-wagon style coop. These aren’t all of the chickens that the O’Daniels have on their farm. Inside the dining room of their house, 153 three-day-old chicks peep and peck around as they bathe in warmth underneath 100-degree heat lamps. These chickens have been given no antibiotics or hormones, adhering to O’Daniel’s pure ideas about farming.

O’Daniel said that he likes to keep his chicken products and all of his other growth in the local community. While in one of his hoop-houses, he also said that he was proud to own a small, yet productive farm.

“I don’t see how they can be big and make it. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

Leia Mais…

The Organic Trade Association

The Organic Trade Association’s mission statement outlines the main goals of the organization: to “promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy.” Barbara Haumann, press secretary and staff writer for the organization, said that the association provides a network for organic growers and the distributors through which organic food is sold.



Haumann said that a current goal of the organization is to allow farmers to see past the initial costs for going organic. “OTA has asked for money to be provided for a certification cost-share program,” Haumann said. This new plan would pay half of the farmer’s cost to be a certified organic grower.

Another way that the association promotes organic growing is by creating working relationships with seasoned organic growers and younger, traditional farmers to dissuade the thoughts by some farmers that organic cannot produce a profit.

“Costs or production for organics is higher, but the sales are higher,” Haumann said. “Farmers have pre-conceived notions that it will be too hard.” Haumann postulates that this is the reason that most greatly deters farmers from organic growing.

When converting a farm to organic growing, there is a period of time where the land must be weaned off of the previously used chemicals and there will be a major drop in production. However, when the yield returns to its normal level, the profit margin will be greater because organically grown plants have a higher return value than non-organics.

“It’s entirely possible to go organic,” Haumann said.

The association also believes that organic growing is not only better for those who ingest the products, but also for the health of the Earth.

Haumann said that traditional synthetic materials used by non-organic farmers are dependent upon fossil fuels for creation. Haumann hopes that as people’s ideas about food become more progressive, those thoughts will be transferred to care for the Earth.

Another goal of the organization is to make organic food more accessible to all, especially low income people.

“Some farmers’ markets accept food stamp type coupons to get organic food to those who might not get it,” Haumann said. This procedure seems to be taking off in various parts of the country, especially in Chicago. Haumann discussed a low-income neighborhood who grows organic community gardens for sustenance and for a community farmers’ market.

Unfortunately, a program like this would not be able to happen in Bowling Green, Ky. According to Laura Goodwin, manager of the Sky Regional Farmers Market, there are no organic growers who attend this market.

Goodwin hopes that within the next year there will be at least one organic grower and distributor.

Leia Mais…

Where are the organics?

According to a recent study by the U.S.D.A. there are approximately 2.6 million acres of organic farmland in the United States. That may seem like a lot of acreage, but when compared to the over 300 million acres of traditional farmland, cited by the U.S.D.A, it isn't much land. .

Perhaps this is the reason that in the past couple of years many organic products have been undersupplied in major grocery stores and in the diets of Americans. In the 2008 Farm Act, congress appropriated an initial $5 million for "an expanded organic data collection initiative" and an annual $5 million for the research team to conduct their studies. This decision was made after evidence from grocers indicated that more and more people are trying to go organic.

Although there is a relatively small number of organic farms, the number could be increasing more and more within the next few years. The U.S.D.A. has issued several stipulations in order to be a certified organic farmer. A report by the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service broke down the steps that are required to meet the certification. The most stringent parts of the process are the need for a third party organic observer and three years of organic growing before the certification process can be finalized.

A three, sometimes more, year waiting period can pose problems for farmers who want to sell their organic products but are not allowed to marked them by what they really are. In those three years, a farmer could lose out on a large amount of profit from the organic community. Because of the time requirement, the journey that "organic" food takes from farm to fork turns into a much longer travel.

The sales of organic products has increased over six-fold since 1997 and only shows signs of increasing if the amount of farmland is able to multiply as necessary to meed the ever-growing demand.

In 2005 the largest quantity of an organic crop was grain, with over 607,000 acres; however, organic produce accounts for the most sales of any product. If sales are so good, then what is keeping some farmers from becoming organic growers.

For next time, I'll dig more into they WHY of organic farming, and for some, the WHY NOT. I am also interested to find out: if any requirements were changed, would farmers make the switch.

Leia Mais…