Why Eat Organic? Food Consciousness....

Over the years I have been one of those people who have insisted on sourcing and eating organic food as much as humanly possible. And my body has thanked me for it. I know it has made a difference in my health, my life and it a far better choice of food for my children. 

Yet....

Every now and then I see in the media (or mass-mis-information system) how there is either little difference between organic and non-organic foods, some study or piece of research will pronounce how little health benefits there are to be gained and any other negativity they can send forth.

So, why do I intuitively feel better mentally, physically and spiritually when I eat organic foods, grow my own as much as possible and enter the entire scene of rising food consciousness? Perhaps there are a few reasons and each of them very important.

One of the most important things I see in my own life, is how because I am seeking out organic vegetables and fruits I am far more involved in where my food comes from. I speak (in many instances) to those who grow it and I ask where it is from - choosing Irish grown when available.

It also means I frequent local farmers markets and some local farms who produce some vegetables of their own. Leading on from there, I then also require seeds compatible with my region (and also locally grown) for encouraging a few plants to come through the soil in my own garden.

Yet, this is not all - over these many years of eating only organic, natural and back garden sources of food - my palate has become far more discerning and sensitive. I remember a few years ago having wanted grapes so badly at Christmas time, being unable to find organic ones (it must have been one of those years) we ended up with 'ordinary' grapes from a supermarket.

Our tongues burned after eating one grape and they were quickly abandoned to the compost heap. At the time it left us wondering what we had been eating all those years which was now missing from our food - and how toxic was it!

This is just the tip of an iceberg for me here - I could go on about organic foods. Especially when it comes to re-esestablishing a connection with your food, spiritual and otherwise. There is just no comparison to eating foods produced with care and thought given to the soil, the local area, the plants themselves and most of all health benefits of the consumer.

This alone completes the cycle of sustainability - when we look after our environment, feed our bodies well, nourish our minds and spirits - they take care of us. 

April

It's a little snow day in West Cork!