3 Organic Resolutions for a Healthier Future
Commit to implementing these simple organic resolutions this year for a healthier future for you & the planet…
The start of a new year is a great time to commit to new healthy habits – both for yourself and for the planet. If you’ve already implemented some green resolutions this year, why not take it to the next level by committing to going organic?
This doesn’t have to happen all at once, but even by making the switch with just a few items, you will be supporting organic growers, and helping do your part to support healthy soils and a healthy planet. Just making these simple changes to your shopping list can have a big impact in the long term – not only on your own health, but also on the health of the environment and the world at large.
By supporting organic grower and producers, you’re taking a stand for the health of bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, as well as voting for a healthier future for your children and grandchildren! If not for yourself, do it for them.
Here are a few easy organic resolutions to implement this year:
1. Swap just TWO conventionally produced products you regularly purchase to certified organic products.
Studies link eating organic to a variety of beneficial health benefits – especially important during a pandemic. Research from Friends of the Earth showed that switching to an organic diet decreased levels of cancer-causing glyphosate – the main ingredient in Bayer-Monsanto’s pesticide Roundup – by 70 percent in participants’ bodies in just one week.
There are numerous studies linking chemicals used in conventional food production to health-related problems and diseases. One study found that exposure to fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide cocktails can lead to DNA damage and elevated blood cell death. Pesticide exposure has also been associated with depression and the development of Parkinson’s disease.
…In today’s diverse marketplace, there is a healthy swap for every one of the familiar conventional products you use. It’s a great time to commit to skipping the chemicals and choosing organic.
2. Support local agriculture with your food dollars once per week.
Local and organic is better for the environment and it helps mitigate climate change by offsetting carbon emissions. Choosing to buy local, organic products benefits the entire ecosystem in which you live.
If farmers in your area use chemical-dependent agriculture, contamination is likely in the local water supply and soil. Those chemicals also likely cause a decline in the population of beneficial insects, such as pollinators – studies show that pollinators such as honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and birds are in decline. Local farmers who grow organically help these pollinators and lead to fewer chemicals in the water and soil.
Perhaps the most important reason to buy your organic locally is to lower the fossil fuel costs involved in transporting it. Most produce travels about 1,500 miles from farm to plate, and this long-distance, large-scale transportation of food consumes large quantities of fossil fuels – about 10 times the amount of energy derived from fossil fuels as the energy we get from the food itself, according to Cuesa.
To eat out-of-season produce, we also pay a high price in the number of carbon emissions produced when our food travels long distances. That’s not healthy for the consumer or the environment.
And it’s not just the continued reliance on fossil fuels, with their effects on the climate. There are also the extra measures involved in bringing something to market that’s not local. For example, to ship produce and keep it shelf-stable, it must typically be picked before it’s ripe and then gassed to “ripen” it after transport.
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Eating locally with the seasons is not only better for you but it is also the most effective way to save money on organic food and help offset the energy costs of transporting food out of season.
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You can choose to grow some of your herbs and produce using organic methods, even during the winter months. You cannot get more local than growing your own food! Click here to learn more about how you can grow an indoor garden in the winter.
3.) Swap a conventional self-care product for an organic product.
You might think that anything sold on the cosmetics or self-care aisle is safe, and that’s a common assumption, but it’s far from accurate. The FDA regulates personal care and baby care products and cosmetics, but it doesn’t require long-term safety studies or pre-market testing for most ingredients used in the products. Highly toxic ingredients are added to products without strict oversight, and many chemicals are dangerous carcinogens.
Why does this matter? Up to 60 percent of what you apply to your skin makes its way into your bloodstream, so choosing safe products is important. But the cosmetics industry has only 30 toxic substances banned in the U.S., compared to 1,500 in Europe and 500 in Canada. Legislation to change this remains stalled in Congress. In fact, laws haven’t been updated in 80 years! Thankfully our friends at EWG are leading the charge for stricter regulations and more transparency in the personal care product industry. You can learn more about their efforts and how to get involved here.
If you’re unsure about what is hiding in your personal care products, use EWG’s Skin Deep® cosmetics database to identify chemicals of concern and swap out the most toxic. Organic and natural personal care products are becoming more widely available in offline stores across the U.S. If you’re unable to find them locally, you can shop online for many healthy personal care (and other) products at ThriveMarket.com.
Find more ideas at OnlyOrganic.com…
