Can You Get Enough from a Well Balanced Diet? Organic Worth It?

Just to add: to the responders who posted about the "Dirty Dozen" food warnings (very helpful info), there is a complementary list called "The Green Fifteen", that are fifteen foods that are regarded as being not necessary to buy organic. If you google both lists, you will have a pretty complete list of what to buy organic and what not to bother buying organic.

In terms of organic, there are a few things I try to always make sure I'm buying organic. Always milk, apples, berries, pretty much any fruit or veggie where the skin is going to be consumed. Bananas aren't really necessary to buy organic, though I usually do because they are still pretty inexpensive. Google 'the dirty dozen and organic' and you'll get some good info.

I don't eat meat but I do buy it for my family. It's important to seek out a local butcher who is getting their meat fresh from a farm, instead of buying supermarket meat that goes through a plant and is treated with chemicals for preservation. Also many of the cows used for milk production and meat for many major brands sold in large supermarkets are given hormones as well. Chicken should be free-range and hormone-free and that goes for their eggs as well.

My best advice is to sign up for a summer CSA, or veggie share from your nearest organic farm. We get a box weekly of fresh local organic produce...that was literally just picked hours before from a pest-free environment. You support local farmers who are doing it right, and you feed your family amazing farm to table goodness. Typically these farms offer recipes, and ours even offers free u-pick anytime for shareholders. Super fun to take the family and pick veggies fruit, flowers, and herbs right from the farm. Having a veggie box every week gives you a ton of produce in the house, so you have no choice but to start cooking and eating tons of veggies. Ours has an option to buy eggs each week too.

Also every few months I take several butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash, as well as green beans, carrots, eggplant, and tomatoes and roast them all...then puree then, bag them and freeze them. Thaw a bag a few times a week and slip the veggies into your cookie dough, Mac and cheese, muffin mix, etc. Extra dose of veggies without anyone even knowing it.

I think the key thing about nutrition is to eat with a conscience...keep it clean. You should be able to pronounce all of the ingredients on your food labels. Make as much from scratch as you can. Sometimes it's worth it to spend a little more on a quality food product that is good for your family. That should go for your bath soap, toothpaste, etc too. Keep it clean, reduce the chemicals in your foods and cosmetics, exercise, and be well!

I live in Japan now. We eat almost no processed foods. I make my meals from scratch. Most of the veggies available in the supermarkets are from local farmers. I must go shopping nearly every day or the fresh food spoils. As far as I know none of my Japanese friends are taking suppliments or vitamins. Kids don't take vitamins here. My family doesn't take them. I only took them while I was pregnant. If you are pregnant, you might be encouraged to take them. Otherwise you get everything you need from your food. If it works for an entire nation of people, than I am sure it would work for Americans too. You will really have to search the labels diligently if you want to cut the sugar. Sugar is even hidden in things like salad dressings. I usually make my own, that way I know exactly what is in it. Learn to use different herbs and spices for cooking. Good luck. It is possible to be healthy just by eating a good variety of foods. And the more veggies you get the better! Eat a rainbow a day. Sometimes even two. Veggies should cover more than half your plate.

Really? I've heard it all now. Does she sell the stuff? A well balanced diet is THE key. Here are a couple of links re: diet and supplements. http://www.livestrong.com/article/494832-does-our-body-fl...
http://www.livestrong.com/article/226350-what-happens-if-...
Please note where it states: "If you're generally healthy and eat a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, you probably don't need a vitamin supplement." Granted, I know that for every time you see that answer you'll see another one that says take more supplements... perhaps written by your friend. lol. The joy of the internet. =)

Regarding organic: do a google search of which items are most important to buy organic due to their thin skins and/or pesticide level usage when grown non-organically. I always buy organic milk and yogurt as well as apples, spinach, etc. I think there's debate about the advantages of organic milk so you might want to look into that. Another reason I buy organic yogurt is because it's not filled with extra sugar and HFCS like the non organic. Look up the "dirty dozen" and it will give you the items that you really should try to buy organic. I save money on bananas, pineapples, and believe it or not, broccoli.

There's always going to be a naysayer. You should hear the flack that I get for not giving my child soda. Really?!?!? It usually comes from their own insecurities or personal agenda. Please pay no mind to your friend.

Yes, I think if you're eating a wide variety and avoiding processed food...it IS enough.
As for organic.....google "dirty dozen" for a good idea of what to splurge for with organic.
Also, natural meats are very important to me. I'll gladly spend more for that. Also organic milk, especially if you are a big milk drinker.

I think your friend is wrong. We eat a similar diet to what you described and we are all healthy and almost never sick. When you read up on it you also realized that many of these vitamins and minerals you need in such low doses that a multivitamin gives you enough of it for about a months. I do realize that you can't really see vitamin deficiencies but you also can't see that you actually have enough. Advertisers are telling you that you need all those extra vitamins and minerals when in fact, it may not be necessary at all. The only time I did take a supplement was when I was trying to get pregnant. I took a folic acid supplement because that apparently is one thing that you should have lots of at the beginning of a pregnancy. I did grow up and live in Europe for a long time and it seems that vitamins are pushed much, much harder here in North America than in other places of the world. I think all those vitamins and fortified products are a bit of a scam.

As to organic stuff. I can't always afford it so I only buy organic sometimes. I wish they had more affordable organic produce. I started buying organic strawberries this year. My son loves them and I read that the non-organic variety is pretty bad.

You've had many wonderful responses. The diet & lifestyle you mention describes my family's lifestyle. Back when I was pregnant I actually had very specific cravings for mass quantities of produce. Because I was concerned with my high-risk pregnancy I opted for all organic. My son was born 14.5 weeks premature. The nurses in the NICU said the could tell I had eaten very healthy as he was incredibly strong & he had great veins. Fast forward 6.5 years & the Dr.s, nurses & teachers are all impressed with his 100% perfect health. Our diet of organic (as much as financially possible) & natural ways has been proven effective in my eyes. I do find I sometimes stress when reading ingredients lists in the grocery store- it's then that I remind myself, it's all about balance. As soon as it begins to cause stress, it becomes counter-productive. So keep it in balance, do what you can when you can. Mental & emotional health it just as important as your physical health. As for the health drinks... I'd pass. We do opt for the occasional smoothy like Odwalla, Bolthouse or Naked, but our focus is organic, non-GMO & locally grown foods. The cost may be a bit more now, but when your not having to pay for insulin, high b/p meds & various other medical treatments I think the payoff will be ten-fold. Congrats on taking care of yours & your family's health. :)
*An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.*

I sort of thought that's what 'well balanced' meant - that you got everything you need.
The health drinks are a fad. They have their place, but most people get along fine without them. People who use them a lot are then looking for fiber because the drinks don't have a lot of that in them.
People get use to white sugar, but it's not that hard to use honey, maple sugar and molasses (black strap) instead in your baking and cooking and they are great in coffee, too.
Use them in moderation - but they are part of the balance.
If the price is not too outrageous I'll buy organic, but a lot of the time it just costs too much.
We buy a lot of local produce from the many road side stands we have in the area, and we get some eggs from the neighbors chickens.
If I could find someone local who sell goats milk (I don't need it raw - it's fine to pasteurize it), I'd buy that, too.

It's such an interesting question and you are addressing lots of points. Yes, a "colorful" diet is important, and organic CAN be a part of it. However, something "organic" that was picked 3 weeks ago and shipped across the country or from South America has lost a lot of its nutrient value (or it was picked too soon, before it absorbed all of its potential nutrients). Also, organic food can be grown in depleted soils, so it's not necessarily nutrient-packed. It's free of pesticides, which is important, but it's not necessarily nutrient-dense.

Supplements in pill form are very overpriced and under-absorbed - maybe 20-30% absorption tops. The coatings that allow them to pop out of the pill molds are made of wax and even shellac, so that's questionable. There have been scores of reports about medications and supplements in the water supply - check major newspapers, and also check with any sewage treatment plant or septic pumping service. They are removing tons of undigested supplements from the filters - those are pills which people swallowed and which passed through the body not fully digested. Sometimes the name of the product is still visible! (Sorry to be graphic, but it's true.)

The vitamin/supplement market has blossomed in the US over the past 25 years, and at least 75% of the population supplements. Yet we have one of the highest rates of diseases, particularly preventable, diet-related diseases (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, allergies, even behavioral disorders and autism are exhibiting an alarming rise and early appearance in kids). So what does that tell you? The whole philosophy of choking down a handful of supplements is wrong.

The healthy human cell requires over 70 ingredients to flourish. Taking Vitamin X and Mineral Y and Herb Z in isolation doesn't work. If you're missing A, B, C and J, K, L, what you're taking isn't going to work.

The AMA even reported 10 years ago in their Journal that the American diet is insufficient, and everyone must supplement. The best form is a powdered supplement that is mixed in water or other liquid at the time you're going to take it. Pre-mixed formulas break down over time and aren't as potent.

We've found only one supplement company that does this well - everything's made in the US, it's not outsourced, it carries patents (almost impossible to get on a food product), proven safe, based on clinical trials, and so on. Unless you know exactly where your supplements are manufactured (not just whose label is on it or who distributes it), and unless it's in a comprehensive powder form, you're probably wasting your money.

So, in short, your friend is right. I've been working in this field for years and have helped a lot of people get what they need. My family's results are awesome and our physicians are thrilled with what's happened for us, and told us to keep doing it.

I am sure you know about the "Dirty Dozen" which is a list of the worst conventionally grown fruit and veggie offenders. Celery, apples, peaches, strawberries, ect are all on there. If possible, replace those. Organic celery, apples, and carrots are almost the same price as the conventionally grown ones. Organic peppers are very expensive so you need to think about things like that. The only health drink that I really believe in is Kombucha. My husband loves it (I can't get past the flavor) and his health (which was not bad to begin with) is remarkable. My friend drinks it too and it has done the same for her. I wish I could drink it but it tastes yucky to me. They like the taste though.

here are the two arguments in a nutshell:
In college my nutrition professor with a PhD in nutrition, said Americans have the most expensive pee in the world (because we pee our vitamins straight out and do not absorb them)
Those who know a lot about agriculture say modern day farming practices strip the land of nutrients and therefor our food is not as nutritious as it once was. So we should take supplements.
You're not going to find the answer here. One expert will say one thing and the other another thing. And we minions follow the opinion that suits our preferences. But by all means, if you find the answer to this highly debated issue, let us know.

organic really is important in some things. i will only buy organic milk, apples, potatoes, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries and kale (or from farmers i know personally who don't spray but haven't gone the expensive 'certified organic' route.) knowing my farmers is really important to me.
that being said, 100% organic isn't practical for us yet. there are some things i still buy that aren't, and yes, i still do shop at costco and the grocery for some things.
pfffftttt to the expensive health drink. get a blend-tec and make your own green smoothies. that's the only health drink you'll ever need.
khairete
S.

I would say to buy local and if at all possible, grow your own, fruits and veggies versus buying all organic. I agree with the "dirty dozen" but sometimes it just isn't affordable and IMHO it is more important for kids to get their fruits and veg then to go without! Also be aware of where the organic produce is coming from - I'd rather buy apples from Washington state (I live in CO) then those shipped from China - that's a long way for an apple to travel! Anyway, I think you can get everything you need without supplementation unless you have a specific deficiency - I take a Vitamin D3 pill because my levels were very low - but other then that we eat similar to you and my family is pretty healthy. I skimmed your other responses so sorry if I'm redundant but I think you are doing a great job and that your friend is off the mark. If you are really concerned I suggest meeting with a professional nutritionist as a family - we did a few years ago and it changed our lives and eating habits! Oh and for whole wheat pasta - my family loves the Barilla brand - I think it is a 50/50 mix so it isn't too grainy :)

You can definitely get everything you need. The supplement drinks/shakes are great for people who eat the typical american diet and are filling themselves with garbage most of the time.
Have you heard of Dr Joel Furhman? check out his food pyramid restructure if you haven't seen it. I think a lot of people could benefit from changing their diet from the food pyramid we all grew up with to the way he presents it with produce making up the majority of the diet.
If you haven't done Bountiful Baskets, look into it-there are a ton in Ut County so it should be easy to find one close to you. We have found that that helps us not only get produce at a lower cost, but also try some new things that we wouldn't have necessarily tried before. They do have an organic option. We also have a large family, and we do what we can but for the most part don't worry about organic aside from what we grow. And it's almost garden time! :)