Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do to boost your overall health and wellness. Studies show that eating organic foods can improve cardiovascular health, reducing your risk of heart attacks and stroke. Some people are choosing to eat organic foods because of the health benefits.
Eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle is also important if you have cardiovascular disease. Your physical health can also affect your financial health. For example, life insurance rates are based on your current health status, medical history, age, gender, and occupation.
You may wonder if you can get life insurance after a heart attack. You can, but it may be more costly. The healthier you are, the cheaper life insurance rates you will find.
In this article, we’ll overview ways to choose organic affordably, including growing an organic garden. We’ll also discuss the positive financial impact of eating organic foods, including keeping your life insurance rates as affordable as possible.
What are organic foods?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has standards for determining if food is organic based on how it was grown or raised. Organic processed foods have no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. The ingredients used in the food must also be mostly organic.
Organic fruits and vegetables have been grown without any synthetic pesticides, although a limited amount of pesticides can be used. The soil must not have been treated with any prohibited synthetic substances for three years prior. They also do not contain any genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Organic meats and eggs mean that the animals have been raised in living conditions that are similar to their natural behaviors, including grazing. They have also only been fed 100% organic feed and have not been exposed to any hormones or antibiotics.
The USDA organic seal can be used on foods that are 95% or more organic ingredients. A label that has 100% organic means the food is 100% organic and contains no non-organic ingredients.
Benefits of Organic Foods
The main benefit of eating organic fruits and vegetables is less pesticide residue on those foods. For meat and eggs, the animals have been fed only organic feed and have been allowed living conditions that are more natural for their breed.
There is evidence to show that organic foods have a few more vitamins and minerals than conventional foods. However, the difference is minor. Fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and eggs have many vital nutrients for good health, regardless if they are organic or conventional.
Some research also shows the health benefits of eating organic meats, eggs, fruits, or vegetables. It’s difficult to determine if the benefits are from eating the organic versions or if it’s the nutrients in these foods, regardless if they are organic or not.
Downsides of Organic Foods
It is more expensive to grow organic foods, and this cost is passed on to the consumer. Without pesticides, a farmer will lose more of their crop to insects or other pests. When organic fruits, vegetables, meats, and eggs are on sale and priced similarly to the conventional versions, this is the time to purchase these items if you’re concerned about your food budget.
GMOs, hormones, and pesticides do not pose a problem to adults. There is some evidence that it may be better for children to avoid pesticides, but this is an area that needs more research.
Fruits, vegetables, and lean protein have many nutrients and can boost overall health and wellness, regardless of if they are organic or conventional. The benefits of these foods, even if they aren’t organic, outweigh any risks of eating conventionally grown or raised fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meats.
If you’re concerned about pesticide residue in fruits and vegetables, ensure you’re washing them under running water and peeling the outer skin or peel.
Choosing Organic Foods
You can use the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists from the Environmental Working Group to choose fruits and vegetables.
The Dirty Dozen are the 12 fruits and vegetables that are the highest in pesticide residue, so eating them organic would be beneficial. The Clean Fifteen are the 15 fruits and vegetables that have the lowest amount of pesticide residue.
Strawberries, spinach, and leafy greens (kale, collard, and mustard greens) are the top three of the Dirty Dozen. Avocados, sweet corn, and pineapple are the top three of the Clean Fifteen. You can find the full lists on the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
One way to avoid the higher costs of purchasing organic fruits and vegetables is to grow your own organic garden using organic soil. To keep your fruits and vegetables organic, you just need to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides and use other natural options to repel pests and insects. You can also make natural fertilizer.
A Heart-Healthy Diet
Whether you eat organic or not, a heart-healthy diet should include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.The many benefits of eating a heart-healthy diet include lowering your risk of gaining weight, which will also help improve your height/weight ratio for a lower rate on your life insurance. So increasing heart-healthy foods boosts not only your physical health but your financial health as well.
Melissa Morris writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, EffortlessInsurance.com. She is a university professor of nutrition, a certified exercise physiologist, and a certified sports nutritionist.
Last Updated on November 10, 2023 by admin
