Health Basics

Friday, May 18, 2012

Eating Organic IS cheaper!

I hear this all the time. "Eating organic is way too expensive." "I don't have the money to eat organic." These two statements are simply not true, depending on who you are. If you are trying to eat organic as well as maintain your current SAD (Standard American Diet) then yes, eating organic may be too cost prohibitive for you. Try this experiment.
Go to your regular grocery store and buy all the things you would normally buy on a regular basis. Meat, potatoes, rice, dairy, eggs, hamburger helper, boxed macaroni, can soups, canned vegetables etc. Get your frozen pizza's and other convenience foods. Don't buy ANY fresh fruit or vegetables. Save your receipt. Then at your next visit, go back to the same store if it has a decent organic section. If it doesn't visit a farmer's market or a whole foods market. Do not buy ANY processed food. If it's in a box, can or any kind of packaging do not buy it. Simply fill your cart (or buggy as we like to call it in the south) with nothing but Organic FRESH fruit and vegetables. Be sure to pick up lots of leafy greens such as collards, kale, chard, dandelion, spinach. Don't forget your carrots, zucchini, beets, asparagus etc. If the organic variety isn't available do not buy its conventional version. Then visit the bulk food section and stock up on nuts, seeds and legumes. Go to the checkout counter, pay for your food and save your receipt. Compare this receipt to your receipt from the previous week and I guarantee you your bill will be lower.

Now lets add the real cost of eating the foods from your first visit to the grocery store. Eating the foods in the cart from the first trip will result in the following: Type II Diabetes, weight gain that leads to obesity, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Early onset Alzheimer's Disease, Allergies, Sinus Issues, Auto Immune Disorders, Osteoporosis and even cancer. This list is not exhaustive. Let's add in the prescription cost as a result from just developing 1-2 of the above pathologies. Do not forget the additional prescriptions that will be needed as a result of the side effects from the first set of prescriptions given. Now lets add in the time spent visiting the doctor, having tests runs to determine what is wrong with you, coupled with the time missed from work. Add in the extra gas, your heightened anxiety level and or depression that may result from your illness...need I go on?

The cost of eating organic is definitely realized immediately in your wallet, but adopting an organic, high plant based lifestyle is priceless. You cannot put a price on your health or your life. You may think the list above is a little extreme or you may be someone who is already suffering from one or more of the disorders above. Which ever category you find yourself in, you cannot discredit the fact that eat the SAD diet will catch up with you sooner rather than later.

1 comment:

  1. agreed. well said. ima about to go eat something green right now.

    ReplyDelete