What if all of your produce isn’t organic? What if you eat late at night? What if you use condiments like salt and pepper in some of your recipes?

My advice? Stop sweatin’ the small stuff.

You Must Eat All Organic All the Time

Eating organic is one topic I get emails about quite often from newbie raw foodists. Many are so worried about pesticides and the like that if they can’t get certain produce organic, they simply won’t buy it at all and end up eating a less varied diet.

Some will even buy fruit that isn’t as fresh just because it has the organic label.

If this is you, stop worrying! While eating organic is important, it shouldn’t be your top priority. A healthy raw vegan diet is far superior to a cooked food diet, even if the produce consumed isn’t organic.

Trust me on this one. I’ve been on a low fat raw vegan diet for almost 4 years and have consumed mostly conventionally grown produce during that entire time. Nonetheless, I’ve seen amazing health changes in myself and could never imagine going back to cooked food.

And anyway, organic isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

You Must Finish Dinner 3 Hours Before Bedtime

More sound advice here. Because our ability to digest food lessens as the sun goes down, finishing your last meal for the day a few hours before you go to sleep is a great idea.

But if you eat dinner a little later or feel the need to have a snack before bedtime, don’t sweat it.

Your top priority should be WHAT you’re eating, not when. Some fresh fruit or a simple salad before bed likely won’t affect your digestion or sleep that much.

You Must Avoid All Condiments

Again, good advice. It’s best to avoid condiments like salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. They’re just flavor-enhancing foods with little to no nutritional benefit. Many of them, especially salt, are actually harmful to your health.

But as long as you aren’t loading up on these ingredients, it isn’t a big deal to include them in some of your recipes. A pinch of salt here or a tablespoon of garlic there really isn’t a big deal.

Again, it’s more important to focus on the basics.

So What are the Basics of Eating Raw?

Great question! The basics are:

1. Eat as much fruit as you want
2. Get in your greens (typically at least 1 pound a day)
3. Limit your fat intake

Once you’ve got the basics down and it’s become second nature, then you can start worrying about smaller matters like cutting back on the condiments, eating more organic produce, and not eating too late in the day.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Having a tough time getting the basic down because of crazy cooked food cravings? Be sure to check out my cravings killer…

“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”

A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet

www.CookedFoodCravings.com

Click on the link below to learn more and purchase your copy today:

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com

Penn and Teller’s: BS

As promised, here is Part II of Monday’s article on organic foods. I examined an episode of Penn & Teller’s: Bulls**t in which they called “BS!” on the whole organic food craze based on these five factors:

1. Environment
2. Pesticides
3. Nutrition
4. Taste
5. Small Business Farmers

You can read Part I here.

Today I will be discussing nutrition, taste, benefits for the small farmer and conclude with the absolute best option when purchasing raw produce.

Better Nutrition

One reason people cite for choosing organically grown food is because it has a higher level of nutrition than conventionally grown produce.

Penn and Teller

The show quotes a 2009 LA Times’ article quoting (I know, a lot of quotes) a study conducted by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in which they concluded that there was no significant difference in nutritional quality between organic and conventional food.

From the LA Times article:

Surveying 50,000 studies conducted over 50 years, the authors focused on 55 that met their standards of scientific rigor. The studies that led to the group’s controversial conclusions covered a wide range of crops and livestock that are raised and marketed under organic standards.

For 10 out of 13 food crops studied, the researchers found no significant differences. Where they did find differences, those were attributed to differences in fertilizer use (say, the use of nitrogen vs. phosphorus) and the ripeness level at which the crops were harvested. The authors judged the differences observed “unlikely” to “provide any health benefit” to consumers.

My Comments

While the study draws an interesting conclusion, the results really depend upon the farm and the farming methods, whether organic or not (e.g. the soil quality, when the fruit is picked, etc.)

That’s why I highlighted the portion of the quote regarding ripeness; I believe the ripeness level of the food to be the real key. The closer the food is to being tree-ripened, the more nutritious it will be.

This is especially important for fruits that do not continue to ripen after being picked.  It’s also one reason your best option is to eat locally sourced produce, but we’ll get to that a bit later.

For now, let’s take a look at the fourth criterion.

Better Taste

I’m sure you know this one!  How many times have you been told (or maybe told others) how AMAZING organic produce tastes compared to conventional?

Penn and Teller

For this portion, the show conducted a blind taste test for which they had multiple people tasting two different unlabeled plates of food (conventional and organic apples, tomatoes, and bananas) and then asking them which one was organic.

In each test, the majority of the people chose the conventional fruit because it was tastier and so they figured it was organic!

My Comments

The last test was my favorite part of the show. A girl—a raw vegan, actually!—was given half of an organic banana and half of a non-organic banana and asked which one tasted better.

She was very enthusiastic about the organic half, exclaiming that it tasted more like a banana than the conventional banana. In actuality, both halves came from the same conventionally grown banana! It was just one banana!!!

I know, pretty mean, but she was a good sport.

When it comes to fruit, I have to agree with the taste testers.  Organic fruit is typically less tasty than conventional.  And while the quality has definitely been improving over the years and I’ve had some tasty organic fruit, it still isn’t miles and away better than any conventionally grown fruits I’ve ever had.

Greens, on the other hand, are another story. Organic greens are almost always tastier than their conventional counterparts. I’ve also had bitter organic greens—in that case I throw them out—but usually the quality is very good.

Benefits for the Small Business Farmer

Lastly, many people interested in eating organic do so because they believe that they are lining the pockets of small business farmers.

Penn and Teller

According to Penn and Teller, this is BS. Now that the organic food movement is such a profitable industry, most (if not all) of the organic farms are owned by large companies.

My Comments

While it is definitely true that the organic foods you find in your local grocery store mostly come from corporations, you can still support small businesses by purchasing produce from local farms at farmers markets—or from the farms directly—in your area.

Which brings me to…

The Best Option

By far the best choice for fresh, tasty, nutritious, environmentally friendly produce is to buy locally.

Why?

The closer the produce is to where you live, the less distance it will have to travel to get to you (environment). Also, the fresher and higher-quality it will be because the farmer will not have to worry about the food decomposing on the way and will be able to pick as close to ripe as possible (nutrition).

As far as pesticides go, each farm is different. However, it has been my experience that while many of the farms at the farmers markets are not USDA certified organic, they practice many sustainable methods (i.e. no sewage sludge, no genetically modified seeds, and no irradiation) and use as little harmful pesticides (or even none!) as possible.

There actually IS a certified organic farm at one of my markets, but the prices are ridiculous and the fruit tastes no different than what is offered at the other farms.

Oh, and taste! Fresh, ripe fruit is always tastier than fruit that was picked early to ship, wait in a warehouse, sit on the store shelves, and finally find its way into your kitchen.

The absolute BEST tomatoes, peaches, cantaloupes, watermelons, and blueberries I have ever tasted were not certified organic, but were grown just a few miles (in many cases, less than 30) from where I live.

The best part about buying local produce? You actually get to communicate with the people growing your food and buy directly from them! You can ask them all about what produce they grow, their prices, their farming methods, etc.

To find farms and farmers markets in your area, check out www.pickyourown.org and www.localharvest.org

Final Words

Bruce Ames, famous biochemist and creator of the Ames Test (a test that screens chemicals to see if they cause cancer) quoted in this NY Times article:

Everything you eat in the supermarket is absolutely chock full of carcinogens…But most cancers are not due to parts per billion of pesticides. They’re due to causes like smoking, bad diets and, obesity.

And here again in a Reason Magazine interview:

I just think all this business of organic food is nonsense basically. We should be eating more fruits and vegetables, so the main way to do that is to make them cheaper. Anything that makes fruits and vegetables more expensive may increase cancer.

In other words…

Stop obsessing over organic and EAT MORE FRUIT!!!

UPDATE: Judy brought up an excellent point: home growing!  Growing your food yourself is even better than sourcing locally grown produce, for obvious reasons: you have complete control over the seeds you buy, the composting you use, the soil, pesticide management, etc.

Thanks, Judy!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Need help filling up on fruit?  Check out my healthy and tasty raw recipe book below:

Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes

P.P.S This is the 100th post on Fit On Raw!

* Feature Article: Is Eating Organic BS?

* Your Questions Answered: Is Raw Chocolate Healthy?

Is Eating Organic BS?

Penn and Teller’s: BS

One of my very favorite shows on TV is Penn and Teller’s: Bulls**t.  It airs on Show Time and involves magician duo Penn and Teller calling “BS!” on various different hot button issues, from taxes to video game violence.

Each episode focuses on a particular topic and one that I watched recently centered on organic foods.

As someone who has supported the organic food movement for many years by purchasing organically grown produce, clothing, bathroom supplies, etc, I couldn’t wait to watch this episode.  I was expecting to school them both (by yelling at my TV in the comforts of my own living room, of course) on all the merits of going organic.

To my surprise, Penn and Teller schooled me!

That said, I think I have some important insights to add and will do so today by examining all 5 of the different components discussed in the show:

1. Environment
2. Pesticides
3. Nutrition
4. Taste
5. Small Business Farmers

Let’s start things off with benefits for the environment.

Environment

As I’m sure you know, one of the biggest reasons people give for buying organic foods is because it’s far better for the environment.

Penn & Teller

Growing organic actually requires MORE land than conventional, thus being less energy efficient.  Not only does the food itself require tons more land, but the livestock necessary for fertilizer (synthetic fertilizers are not allowed and so organic farmers must use animal manure) do as well.

My Comments

First, it depends upon the food being grown as well as the farm itself.  According to this article on organic farming from The Independent:

“The report for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found “many” organic products had lower ecological impacts than conventional methods using fertilisers and pesticides. But academics at the Manchester Business School (MBS), who conducted the study, said that was counterbalanced by other organic foods – such as milk, tomatoes and chicken – which are significantly less energy efficient and can be more polluting than intensively-farmed equivalents.

Ken Green, professor of environmental management at MBS, who co-wrote the report, said: “You cannot say that all organic food is better for the environment than all food grown conventionally. If you look carefully at the amount of energy required to produce these foods you get a complicated picture. In some cases, the carbon footprint for organics is larger.”

This problem can easily be avoided by refraining from purchasing these organic foods.  Chicken and milk, whether organic or conventional, are not appropriate for humans anyway and conventional tomatoes – or, even better, local tomatoes – can be purchased instead.

Second, animal manure is not necessary for organic farming.  Even commercial farms can use what’s termed “green manures,” or manures comprised only of vegetable matter.

While this method does require land to grow the vegetation, it is still a much more environmentally friendly option (not to mention much more animal friendly as well) than relying upon animal feces.

Third, buying produce in season is another environmentally-friendly practice, as it requires more energy and resources to produce the crop out of season. This is a common practice for both conventional and organic growers so no matter which you purchase, make an effort to buy in season.

Finally, if you really want to be environmentally friendly, there are three things you should do that have nothing to do with organic growing:

1. Don’t buy animal and animal by-products (e.g. milk, cheese, leather, etc.)
2. Don’t buy processed foods
3. Don’t cook.

You can find out more about the environmental benefits of consuming a low fat raw vegan diet by checking out my article here.

Pesticides

Another reason so many people support organic farming is because organic growers do not use pesticides, which are believed to be bad for both us and the environment.

Penn & Teller

Contrary to popular belief, organic farms DO use pesticides and preservatives.  And because they are not using synthetic, the farmers have to use even more  poisonous pesticides, some of which are even more dangerous to both us and the environment than synthetic.

Further, technology regarding farming has improved so much over the years that the synthetic pesticides today are perfectly safe for us.

My Comments

You may be completely surprised that organic farming also involves pesticide use.

Don’t worry, you are certainly not alone.  It was news to me, too!

The reason this still is not well-known is because the general public has always assumed that since the pesticides are natural, they must be perfectly safe to use.

However, as this 2007 NY Times article explains, the truth about natural pesticides has been known for quite a few years:

Dr. Ames was one of the early heroes of environmentalism. He invented the widely used Ames Test, which is a quick way to screen for potential carcinogens by seeing if a chemical causes mutations in bacteria. After he discovered that Tris, a flame-retardant in children’s pajamas, caused mutations in the Ames Test, he helped environmentalists three decades ago in their successful campaign to ban Tris — one of the early victories against synthetic chemicals.

But Dr. Ames began rethinking this war against synthetic chemicals after thousands of chemicals had been subjected to his test. He noticed that plenty of natural chemicals flunked the Ames test. He and Dr. Gold took a systematic look at the chemicals that had been tested on rodents. They found that about half of natural chemicals tested positive for carcinogencity, the same proportion as the synthetic chemicals. Fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices contained their own pesticides that caused cancer in rodents. The toxins were found in apples, bananas, beets, Brussel sprouts, collard greens, grapes, melons, oranges, parsley, peaches — the list went on and on.

Remember, poison ivy occurs in nature too.  Just because it’s natural does not mean it’s healthy!

As far as the comment that synthetic pesticide use is perfectly safe, I just don’t buy it.  Pesticides are poisons used to destroy insects and other organisms that harm the crop.  They are toxic substances not originally present in or on the food and we would not be consuming these substances in nature.

But don’t worry!  There are other options if you are worried about pesticide use:

First, source out farms that practice Non-Pesticidal Management (NPM).  This means that the farmers do not use synthetic OR natural pesticides, but instead rely on techniques to control the pest population.  Neem and Diotomaceaous Earth are two harmless products commonly used on NPM farms.

Second, wash your produce before you eat it.  There are many effective, yet harmless fruit and veggie washes available on the market.  Vermont Soap offers a very good one.

Part II Still To Come

Stay tuned for Part II of this article in a few days, where I’ll discuss nutrition, taste, benefits for the small farmer and conclude with the absolute best option for purchasing tasty, nutritious, environmentally responsible, pesticide-free, small farmer-friendly raw produce.

So until next time…

UPDATE: Check out Part II here:

http://www.fitonraw.com/2010/06/organic-food-bs-part-2/

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

Jan asks,

I have been eating Xocai Healthy Chocolates (they are raw). I like them but they are expensive and I didn’t really notice any results. I’m just getting ready to order a supply because for two months’ supply I can get a free month. I am tempted. Is eating this Healthy Dark Chocolate a good thing, or haven’t you heard about it?

First, raw chocolate does not exist; there is no chocolate tree in nature.  There are cacao beans, which are the seeds of the cacao fruit, and these seeds are  heated and processed to create chocolate.  Without processing them, cacao beans are extremely bitter and inedible.

Second, chocolate is a stimulant.  The “energy boost” that people get after eating chocolate is really just the body working overtime to eliminate it.

The caffeine in coffee gives us the same results, which you can learn more about in my article here.

Hope that helps,

Swayze