This is a personal experience, not a scientific experiment. If you are interested in eating healthier, hopefully, this may encourage you to consider organic foods, but your results may be different.
When I started college at 20 years of age, I weighed 150 lbs. I am 5 ft 10 inches tall and although I was not skinny, I definitely didn’t have any excess weight. When I took my annual physical at 80 years of age, I weighed just a touch over 200 lbs. In 60 years, I had gained 50 lbs which is a little less than a pound a year. I suppose I should be satisfied, but at 200, I am considered overweight... I should weigh:
“For your height, a healthy weight range would be from 129 to 174 pounds.”
according to the CDC.
Yesterday I went to the lumber yard to get a couple of bags of cement for a minor repair job. One of the bags weighed 40 lbs and another bag, 60 lbs. As I shifted them around to see the instructions to determine which one I wanted, I noticed that these bags were heavy!
When I was 20 and weighed 150, I worked at a feed store and most of our feed was in 50 lb bags. I was raised on a farm and it was little effort for me to carry one on my shoulder. In fact, I could lift and carry two at a time. Now... I asked for help to load the two bags of cement.
I got to thinking that every time I do something, I am carrying around an extra 50 pounds. Now I know that I put the weight on over 50 years and this gave my legs a chance to develop more muscle. Yet, as one gets older they lose muscle strength. In addition, I don't care how strong one is, laws of physic mean that moving or lifting a certain amount of weight requires the use of a certain amount of energy.
When I had my physical 9 months ago, I decided I was going to eat healthier. Although my health is not bad for someone 80 years old, I do take blood pressure medicine and some of my blood results were high. I decided, especially since I write articles on and do my gardening organically, I should eat as I preach.
I began eating organic and/or pasture-raised food (pasture-raised food is usually raised organically, but may have not spent the money or effort to have the food certified). In the first three months, I lost 3 lbs. As of today, after 9 months, my weight is down to 187 lbs, a total of 13 lbs, a little over a pound a month. My blood pressure has dropped from near 140 over 89 to 120 over 70. I even get readings with my numbers 115 over 60. In addition, my pulse rate has dropped from the mid-80s to the mid-70s.
I have noticed several changes. My appetite has dropped considerably. I usually eat a late breakfast and then a larger meal in the mid-afternoon. This does not mean I don’t eat small snacks in between and even later in the day, but seldom do I eat after 5 or 6. I have always craved a chocolate snack in the evening. I usually just eat bite-size pieces, but that craving has all but disappeared. If I eat prepared food, which is seldom now, I try to get organic food. For instance, I get organic mac and cheese from Aldi’s.
I buy my chicken, pork and beef meat from a local farmer who raises his animals on pasture. What I have noticed is that I eat a lot less meat. A pound of hamburger may last me a week. I mix it with organic beans (chili) to make it go farther. I buy Boneless Kipper Style Herring Fillets and sometimes, using organic eggs (pastured raised), make a tuna salad-like mix for sandwiches. I buy ocean-caught fish from the northern Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean. This fish is not organic, but is raised naturally and my concern for pesticides and artificial feed is appeased. I seldom buy anything in a can as they almost all have added sugar and salt.
I know that there are two items that will prevent most people from going to an all organic diet. Not everyone has the option of buying organic food either because of the availability or the extra cost. In addition, it does require extra shopping and in some cases, extra travel and this is a cost that many can’t afford.
I am going to demonstrate how you can gradually change over and even if you can’t go all out, much of your diet can change and every little bit helps.
The easiest and cheapest way to start is to begin with eggs. Most stores now have a variety of organic eggs. In addition, they may even have cage-free eggs. An egg can be organic and still be raised in a cage where it barely can turn around. A cage-free egg may only be let to mingle with others birds in a crowded area where they can barely move and wander around in their own manure. What has been shown is that hens that are allowed to roam a pasture will not only have more omega 3, but other nutrients also. You can tell the difference the minute you crack one of these eggs as their yolk will be a deep orange color. The cost will be around a dollar a dozen more which is about a dime each. Some have said eggs are not good for you.
According to www.heart.org;
“The key, Carson said, is for people to know their risk factors. In general, people at risk for heart disease, who have diabetes or who have had a heart attack should pay close attention to the amount of cholesterol in their diet, she said. But that’s not to say cholesterol makes eggs a harmful choice. Carson pointed out that if a person’s diet contains little other cholesterol, eggs may be considered less dangerous.”
and since pastured raised eggs have more omega 3, check with your doctor.
You can probably find organic milk in most stores. I pay an extra dollar and buy organic milk that is pastured raised. Organic milk is supposed to be from cows that are on pasture a certain number of days a year, so I don’t know if the pasture-raised cows spend more time on grass, but I can afford the extra few cents for each glass I drink and I seldom drink a whole glass at one time.
Organic grains and beans can be purchased uncooked and they are not cost prohibited. You can find organic canned goods online also. If you cannot find organic products, items that are non-GMO will give you a more natural product and those who don’t use GMO crops are probably farming using regenerative agriculture farming methods which provide more nutrients to the end crop.
Fruits and vegetables are a different story. One of the worst vegetables for toxic chemicals is potatoes.
Organic potatoes contain a higher content of nutritionally significant minerals with higher amounts of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus and significantly less nitrates and heavy metals than conventional crops.
- Potatoes are also a great source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, antioxidants and dietary fibre.
- The starch in them is readily digestible and converted into glucose.
- Potatoes contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Photonutrients are potent antioxidants that can neutralize free radical damage. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that, if left unchecked, can lead to premature aging and disease.
- Conventionally grown potatoes are known to be among the top vegetables that contain a high concentration of pesticide residue . It is recommended that you eat only organically grown potatoes in order to reduce the risk of sickness caused by pesticides.
from the Organic Grocer
Sometimes it is hard to find organic vegetables and I am apt to not eat enough and they go to waste. I try to add organic vegetables to items I cook like meatloaf and tomatoes in chili, etc. Since I still feel like I don’t eat enough vegetables, I get an Organic Vegan Protein Powder. I will use this powder to help me get my needed fruits. Here again, fruits are usually saturated with toxic poisons. Organic bananas are usually available locally. At our local Aldi’s, I get frozen organic blueberries in bulk. I will take half a banana, a handful of blueberries, a partial scoop of protein powder and fill ¾ full with my pastured raised milk. I now have a milkshake that fulfills much of my vegetable and fruit needs. If the bananas get too ripe, I put them in the freezer and then when I make my shake, I have a nutritious frozen milkshake. Any I don’t eat, will be put in the fridge and will be liquid the next time I mix it.
Meat is a different story. If you can find organic, it will be more expensive. Again, Aldi’s may have hot dogs and chicken that is organic. My Aldi’s has boneless chicken at the same price as I pay a farmer for pasture-raised hamburger. I usually settle for pasture-raised as I am more sure it will have the additional omega 3 and other vitamins and minerals.
What I have tried to do is show you how you can get started and even if you don’t completely switch to organic, at least you can make some additions to your diet.
I have a column on Kos “You are what you eat” and if you click on this link you can see some of the articles which I have already posted. I have more on my website “Edens Acre” which you can access by clicking Here
My blood pressure today — 118 over 67