Going Organic

When you think ‘organic’ what comes to mind? Words like ‘healthy’, ‘natural’ or ‘chemical free’ might spring into your head.

Barefoot hippies living off the land might also come to mind.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the latter, but in today’s modern society, we’re noticing a massive push towards living an organic life.

More and more organic cafes and supermarkets are popping up across the globe and as this awareness for the movement is raised, we’re forced to really look into what it actually means.

Being organic is so much more than eating healthy yet expensive fruit and veg, it’s a way of life and a belief that if you really are what you eat, then being organic is the way to go.

 

So what is organic?

 

In terms of the final product, to be certified organic means the produce complies with standards defined by FSANZ (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand).

The produce will not have been produced with harmful substances such as pesticide, man-made fertilizers, growth regulators, insecticide or additives.

Farming methods are also taken into consideration in defining an organic product. Farmers must comply with particular farming practices such as water conservation, energy conservation, reduction of soil erosion and reduction of air pollution to name a few.

Animals that are raised organically are provided substantial room to grow and move and are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones. But organic produce also isn’t limited to food and drink.

It expands across all aspects of life to cleaning products, children’s toys, clothing and beauty products. All of these rules and regulations can seem overwhelming and strict but living organically is, in fact, the complete opposite.

An organic lifestyle is at its crux, a movement to rid the world of unnecessary and harmful substances for everyone and everything’s best interest and wellbeing.

 

Whereas some popular food trends’ end goal is for an individual to lose weight or see results fast, the organic movement is all about living a healthy life in a healthy environment whilst not harming the earth or animals in the process.

An obvious benefit is yours and your family’s health, as consuming countless chemicals and preservative throughout your lives will undoubtedly take its toll on your health.

Organic food is loaded with more vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and antioxidants.

Another benefit for going organic is the environmental benefits. Organic methods for produce are much kinder to the environment and livestock with the rejection of force feeding and hormones.

It’s easy to not realize that every time you do a load of washing or wipe down the kitchen bench, the products that you use are emitting harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

 

So now that we’re all caught up on the what and why, how exactly do you go about becoming organic?

One of the words most associated with organics is ‘expensive’.

But this isn’t necessarily true. The main thing to note, in the process of making the change is that it is a process. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Start small and pick an area of your life that you’d like to make the change in. Start with your fruits and vegetables, and then you can move on to meat and cheeses, until your life is fully organic.

 

There are countless organic kitchens and cafes scattered throughout Perth, as well as everyone’s favourite fresh food market, Peaches, stocking a massive range of organic produce to get you well on your way to living a healthier, happier life.

If you have any questions about making the change, just pop into the store and ask one of our friendly staff. You’ll thank yourself for it later.