Perhaps one of the more controversial organic products, the question about what health benefits are really provided by buying organic milk is much debated in the health food world. Several countries, including the US, don’t even recognise organic milk as being healthier for you than the mass market milk. Still, health food enthusiasts around the world insist that organic milk isn’t just better for the environment, but better for you too.

Organic Milk

For some mindful shoppers, simply knowing that buying organic milk supports organic farming practices is reason enough to eat the extra cost in their weekly grocery bill. Organic dairy cows have to be grazed entirely on organic fields that aren’t treated with pesticides. Any extra feed they are provided must be grown organically.

What It Means For You

Of course, there are customers who want more than generic assurances that they’re helping the environment by spending extra money – they want to know that they’re helping themselves. Luckily, there’s ever growing proof that organic milk provides a lot of health benefits for the average consumer. Obviously, pesticide residues are less of a problem with organic milk. Perhaps even more impressive, though, is that tests are proving the organic milk actually has more vitamins and healthy components. With more vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids, milk from organic cows provides a nice boost to our bodies. It can even improve the quality of a mother’s breast milk and has been known to help protect children against asthma and eczema.

How do you feel about organic milk? Do you buy it?

TOFWD (The Organic Food and Wine Deli) is a gourmet deli in Melbourne where you can find ready prepared meals, salads, sandwiches, snacks, sweets, and cakes.

A little about TOFWD:

After many reincarnations TOFWD*the organic food & wine deli has grown into a successful business offering the best in organic produce into ready made food and café offerings in an environmental setting for all to enjoy.

The new store has ‘biopaint’ on it’s walls, the shelves are made from low emission plantation timber.

Sugar cane fibre packaging which breaks down in 6 weeks, is used for takeaway. Including certified organic Bioplates , paper straws, recycled paper bags.

Shopping bags made from non sweat shop, non child labour villages.

Coffee which is fair trade and is part of the rainforest alliance.

We use local growers and suppliers as wherever possible to avoid unnecessary food miles.

We cater to the following dietary requirements, wheat free WF, sugar free SF, dairy free DF, gluten free GF, vegan VG and vegetarian VEG.

You can visit them for takeaway meals, to order catering, or to pick up one of their organic gourmet hampers.

TOFWD
28 Degraves Street
Melbourne Vic 3000

If there’s one segment of the population that is sure to benefit from an organic diet, it’s babies. While you might not think that it would make much difference what a baby eats, there is plenty of research to support the idea that an organic diet for at least the first few years of a child’s life can decrease their exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. This can reduce the risk of any possible health complications that might arise all the while fostering a healthy appetite for their vegetables and whole foods.

Why Are Babies At Risk?

Babies naturally only eat a limited number of foods at any given time. Also, the amount they eat in relation to their size means that they are going to be much more vulnerable to any lingering pesticides in their baby food than an adult might be by the same amount of pesticide on their food. Their brains are developing more rapidly than at any other period of life, which leaves them vulnerable to neurotoxins, hormones, and antibiotics that traditionally can be laced into most commercial baby food products. Match that with their still developing gastrointestinal tract that may not be able to process them all correctly and you have a nasty combination that means one thing: the more you can reduce their exposure, the better.

Potential Side Effects

If babies really are more vulnerable to adverse effects from pesticides and other additives in their food, then the side effects can be worrisome. In larger doses, pesticides have been linked with cancer, lung disease, and immune disorders. They also may have lingering effects and ties to behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. They can block the absorption of needed nutrients for growth and development. While the extent of these potential effects has yet to be proven, the ties are significant enough to worry plenty of conscientious parents out there.

Organic Baby Food

Commercially prepared organic baby foods are becoming more and more common as the demand for them increases. If they still don’t offer ingredients you’re comfortable with, try preparing your own baby food. It’s easy enough and just requires a little more time with a food processor than you might otherwise spend. 

Even the most fanatical organic food specialist has to admit that switching over completely to organic food just might not be financially feasible for every Aussie. If you’re willing to make an effort, it can be confusing – where will your limited funds do the most good for the environment and for yourself? Well, here’s an easy list of six foods that should always be bought organic if you can manage it. What’s more, make sure it is ‘certified organic’ so you know you’re getting the real deal.

Chicken and Eggs

Although certified organic chicken is significantly more expensive than regular chicken, there are a lot of environmental and humanitarian bonuses to buying organic chicken. Organic chickens are free-range, offering a bit of peace of mind to the soft-hearted who can’t stand the idea of the birds in tiny little cages. What’s more, they are fed at least 95% organic feed and grazed on pastures that aren’t treated with harmful pesticides. No antibiotics means that when you eat chicken, all you’re getting is quality chicken. Eggs offer all of the same benefits and peace of mind.

Beef

A lot of Aussie beef is already free range, but organic beef is also fed with organic feed. Organic feed and grazing on pesticide free land is the way to go for a healthy animal and you won’t find toxic chemical residues in their milk either.

Apples

People swear by the taste of organic apples, stating that they’re more than worth the increased price. What’s more, apples often have the residue of synthetic chemicals on their skin, meaning that switching them in your diet can automatically decrease your exposure to these potentially harmful chemicals.

Strawberries

A 2003 study called the Australian Total Diet Survey found that strawberries contained more synthetic chemical residue than any other fruit, having traceable amounts on at least two thirds of the fruit tested. A few studies even suggest that organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than their traditional counterparts.

Chocolate

While a lot of people wouldn’t think that going organic could be important when talking about junk food, the truth is that organic chocolate is simply better for you. Cheap choc bars often have trans fats that aren’t allowed in organic foods. With the number and kinds of additives limited in organic chocolate, you know you’re getting more actual chocolate for your money.

In this day and age of low carb diets mixed with the bizarre bedfellow of convenient processed foods, whole grains have largely fallen by the wayside. Dismissed either as too high in carbohydrates or too much work to cook, these old staples are too often passed over for less healthy alternatives. If you’re serious about going green with your diet, adding these 5 whole grains back into your diet is a great way to really support the planet and your own health.

Brown and Wild Rice

Unlike white rice, organic brown rice is high in fibre and vitamin E. This means that not only will eating less of it fill you up faster, but that simply from eating it you’ll gain a boost in immunity and other essential systems in your body. Although it takes slightly longer to cook than white rice, it’s easy enough to switch in any basic recipe. Organic wild rice isn’t actually a grain at all, but rather the seed of an aquatic grass. It’s a bit higher in price than a lot of the other grains on this list, but it’s also idiot-proof, with a natural nutty flavor that’s hard to ruin. Low in calories and easy to cook, its an easy addition to any diet.

Barley

Barley has a great history of being useful, and has been used for centuries as a source of food, medicine, and even money. High in fibre, it helps keep you regular, which is something no one likes to talk about, but everyone appreciates. Organic barley has igh levels of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, zinc, protein, and loads of other vitamins and minerals make it a great option in any diet.

Oats

It’s important to note that we don’t mean those rolled kind that come in cardboard boxes. We also don’t mean the kind that are microwavable and come in prepackaged flavors. Real organic oats should be as whole as possible, because the more you break them down, the less nutrients you’re going to get out of them. Easy to make and tasty, these grains should be on everyone’s menu.

Spelt

Related to wheat, spelt is actually more nutritional than the average wheat you eat every day. High in protein and other minerals, it boosts energy. What’s more, oftentimes people with wheat allergies can eat spelt with no problem.

Quinoa

Actually a herb, organic quinoa is known to help with migraine pain and lessens the risk of heart disease. Being a protein rather than a carb means that it’s even fad-diet friendly.

While a lot of specialised, pre-prepared organic snack foods can break your budget and be just as bad for you as their generic food counterparts, there’s a healthier, cheaper option that you may not have considered: organic nuts. Nuts are often overlooked as being a throw away items in salads or desserts, but the truth is that good things really do come in small packages. Loaded with all sorts of healthy proteins and fats, organic nuts can be easy on the environment and great for you. Easy to transport and store, they don’t even require the extra energy of a fridge to keep them around.

Organic Nuts

Heaps of people know that nuts have fat – a word that might scare the health conscious off. Luckily, the fats in nuts are almost exclusively unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to help lower cholesterol levels and help keep your heart beating in a strong, regular rhythm. Also loaded with fibre, nuts help you feel full without gorging on them which is a great feeling for all you dieters out there. What’s more, there’s a lot of new evidence to suggest that including a certain amount of nuts in your diet can help stave off heart disease, with plenty of plant sterols and vitamin E which prevent the build of plaque in your arteries and lower cholesterol even more.

Which Organic Nut Is Best?

Although most organic nuts seem to have some health benefits, there are a few that stand out in the crowd. Walnuts, being the most studied, do well when taking omega-3 fatty acids into account. Almonds, macadamia nuts, and pecans also show a high concentration of vitamins and other healthy components. Even peanuts, although they aren’t actually nuts despite the name, have a lot of the health benefits of their namesakes. Just remember that a lot of the good you’re doing by eating them can be cancelled right back out if you cover these delicious treats in all sorts of salt and sugar. Also remember that while nuts oils are still great with regards to vitamin E or omega-3 fatty acids, they don’t fill you up like an actual nut would and have some of the dreaded saturated fat everyone fears.

Is There Too Much of A Good Thing?

Sure there is. Even if it is the "good" kind of fat, fat translates to calories. So like anything, nuts should be eaten in moderation – ideally as a substitute for some other, less healthy fat in your diet. No one should expect something as simple as an almond to be a magical health cure – but it sure can help.

Although the potential benefits of organic diets have long been touted by health food gurus and organic food stores, many parents often question whether the additional monetary cost really provides any measurable difference in their children’s health. Can one peach really differ that much from another that’s usually half the price? Thanks to a number of studies in recent years, it looks like the verdict is in: the organic diet is a great route for the concerned parent. 

A Study in Cause and Effect

In a study in the US, researchers discovered that infants and children can almost immediately benefit by switching to an organic diet. While the amount of damage pesticides can do to a full grown adult may seem negligible, simple math indicates that the same amount of pesticides could prove dangerous to children.

During the course of 15 days, 23 children from suburban Seattle were put on conventional diets for 3 days, then organic for five, then a conventional diet for the last week. Foods on both diets included fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, processed fruit or vegetables as well as wheat or corn based foods, all chosen specifically because they were known to contain high levels of pesticides. Throughout the testing period, the children’s urine was collected and tested for metabolites from pesticides.

The Results

Remarkably, all 23 children showed that these harmful metabolites were immediately lowered to a non-detectible level during the period when they were fed organic foods. This result continued all through the five days of controlled diet and the metabolites only reappeared once conventional foods were reintroduced during the last seven days of the test.

This isn’t the only test to produce strong evidence that organic diets can be good for children. An earlier completed study in the United Kingdom found that children on an organic diet scored higher on both physical and mental tests than those who were not. In animal studies, rats who were fed an organic diet were better able to fight off infection, slept better, and were slimmer.

What It Means For You

Parents concerned about pesticides and their possible side effects would gain peace of mind with an organic diet for their children. If switching over completely isn’t an option monetarily, why not just try switching a few key fruits and vegetables like apples, strawberries, or capsicum as these are thought to have higher concentrations of pesticides?

A lot of people have been talking about clean food recently and how that is what we should be eating, all of the time. What is clean food? My take on clean food is that it is simply real food – food free of additives and preservatives and without processing.

Here is a more thorough definition:

In the winter issue of The Trends Journal, Mr. Celente, the director of the Trends Research Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y., describes the clean-food diet as something beyond organic — "a new standard for health and reliability." The keys are "foods free of artificial preservatives, coloring, irradiation, synthetic pesticides, fungicides, ripening agents, fumigants, drug residues and growth hormones" and those that are "processed, packaged, transported and stored to retain maximum nutritional value."

This is what most of us are looking for when we buy organic produce and why so many people are going out of their way to shop at organic farmers markets where they know the produce is fresh and free of chemicals.

Organisations like Cleanfood Australia focus on organic produce which is grown in clean air, clean soil, and clean water systems.

Cleanfood Australia is proud to supply high quality fresh organic fruit and vegetable produce, pristine Tasmanian spring and sparkling water as well as food produced under our own production label, “Cara’s Organic Produce”. All of our produce is certified organic.

An Australian magazine, Clean Food Organic, discusses clean food and organic food in Australia:

Clean Food organic is a publication unlike anything published around the world. Its readers, contributors and supporters share the belief that consuming conventionally produced products is, by and large, not good for you. The ‘cocktail’ effect of the thousands of synthetic chemicals that our bodies have been exposed to over the years is unhealthy, and THE major positive step toward better health is by consuming organic products.

Clean Food organic is a fresh series of publications for everyone who lives an organic lifestyle. It is a major reference source of information examining how conventional products are produced and what is actually in the stuff non-organic farmers and manufacturers expect us to consume.

What are your thoughts on the clean food diet?

Personally, I find reading the labels on food products pretty scary in itself but after checking out this list of scary food facts at Forensic Science Technician I’m so glad I don’t eat fast food. I don’t eat much processed food either but really, I should cut out processed foods completely and just eat organic, clean food.

Here are some scary food facts:

2. Most fast food chains dip their French fries in sugar to give them that deliciously golden brown hue after frying . – What many of us don’t realize is that some fast food fries aren’t just fatty and starchy. They are also sugary as well. While they don’t taste very sweet, the sugars are added for other incentives. It also helps to develop that nice outer crispiness that can be complicated to imitate when frying at home.

9. About one-third of bottled water contained synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. - In a study of over 900 bottles and 100 store brands that were tested by the National Resources Defense Council. On another note, there are also more than 115,000 human-made chemicals that are finding their way into the public water supply system.

12. The phosphoric acid found in cola is so acidic that it can dissolve a nail in 4 days. – The pH of soda is equivalent to the pH level of vinegar .That’s what makes this the most acidic beverage that is sold. Next time you see a truck toting concentrated Coca-Cola, look for the highly corrosive materials sign.

21. Over 90% of the salmon that is sold to us in stores is farm-raised and can contain as many as 16 more contaminants than wild salmon. – Did you realize even realize that salmon are gray and not supposed to be pink? Since farm raised do not consume their natural foods, they are given coloring agents that give them the salmony pink color.

Check out the full list here.

Some tips and ideas for a successful organic farm: