I have to admit that I used to be a skeptic about organic food. Recently, I had a change of heart. First I read Maria Rodale’s book Organic Manifesto: How Organic Food Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe, which gave me a new appreciation for organic food. (In addition to being the author of the book, Maria is chairman and CEO of Rodale Inc., which publishes Prevention.) Then I visited her family’s organic farm in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was an eye-opening educational and culinary experience. Because the fertilizers and pesticides they use are all natural (Maria showed me beetles protecting the plants), I could just pick a mint or lettuce leaf and eat it without washing it first. (When you buy it in a store, though, wash it, because you can’t know how it’s been handled.) Breakfast was their chickens’ freshly laid eggs. In fact, all the food I ate that morning came from the family farm. I was ready to move in. Here’s some of what we talked about. Dr. Arthur Agatston: Many people agree in principle that organic food is better but say they can’t afford it. How do you respond? Maria Rodale: The true cost of not buying organic is never factored into charts that compare, for example, the price of organic versus nonorganic apples. That price needs to include the toll that all the toxins used in conventional farming exact on your health and the health of your children. Moreover, the commercial agricultural techniques that are used for nonorganics are very damaging to the environment, so we end up paying in other ways. AA: Such as? MR: Applying chemical fertilizers to soil is a very short-term solution that creates long-term devastation to the soil. So, you basically are accelerating the desertification of our planet–whereas organic agricultural practices actually improve the soil over time. Organic production also requires 20 percent less fossil fuel than chemical production. That’s another bonus. AA: Why should people care about the health of the soil? MR: Healthy, organic soil is alive with billions of living creatures per square inch. All those living creatures absorb water that can help prevent the type of catastrophic flooding we’ve been seeing lately. They absorb so much water, in fact, that if you look at healthy soil under a microscope, it looks like a sponge. But the massive application of agricultural chemicals in conventional farming kills off that microbial life. It’s soil genocide, really. Just as too many antibiotics kill all the good and bad bacteria in your body, too many chemicals leave soil a dead, empty filter. It can’t feed the plants. It can’t protect the plants. It can’t absorb water. Those are huge costs. AA: What about the more immediate costs at the cash register? MR: There are ways to eat organic without blowing your budget. Farmers’ markets are a great place to find locally grown, often more reasonably priced organic food, and they’re fun to visit. If you haven’t looked recently, you may be surprised by the variety of organic produce at local supermarkets, and even the well-known pricier chains often have sales. Many communities have thriving food co-ops that buy organic produce at significant discounts and also help sustain local farms. AA: Growing your own would be even cheaper, wouldn’t it? MR: Yes, you can grow organic produce right in your own backyard if you have one. Many communities, especially in underserved urban areas, have thriving community garden projects. AA: What about the “I don’t have time to cook” excuse? MR: It’s true that when you commit to cooking your meals at home, it’s not the same as pulling out two bucks and buying a fast-food hamburger. But if you buy fresh or frozen organic produce, you won’t be buying processed or junk food, which will save you money. In reality, once you start shopping organic, you eliminate a lot of unnecessary products. Adapted from The South Beach Wake-Up Call: Why America Is Still Getting Fatter and Sicker. . .Plus, 7 Simple Strategies for Reversing Our Toxic Lifestyle, by Arthur Agatston, MD (Rodale)
