Marketing has turned a new chapter in convincing American consumers that junk food is good. Find out the truth and why 'Organic' doesn't make it healthy.
The term organic is very loose in the eyes of the USDA and FDA.
An excess of calories, organic or not, is going to lead to fat storage.
The antioxidant effects of chocolate dwindle with the processing.
'Organic' Junk Food: What Advertisers Don't Want You To Know!
Organic Organic junk food may sound like a simple oxymoron, but it is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. The mere mention of the word "organic" implies that something is healthy. Marketing has turned a new chapter in convincing the basic American consumer that junk food can actually be healthy.
A simple trip into any grocery store has a new section called "nutrition" or "health food" and is loaded with products carrying the words: Organic, natural, wholesome, fresh, healthy choice, nutritious, low fat, baked, etc. Most of these terms are not regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Click To Enlarge. Any Grocery Store Has A New Section Called 'Nutrition' Or 'Health Food'.
The definition of organic is pretty simple from the USDA and the FDA under the testimony of Dr. Robert Rondale in the early 70's. Others healthy terms are very sketchy and lost in translation.
Organic Foods:Food grown without pesticides; grown without artificial fertilizers; grown in soil whose humus content is increased by the additions of organic matter, grown in soil whose mineral content is increased by the application of natural mineral fertilizers; has not been treated with preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, etc.
The use of the term organic gets even more interesting as we look at the farmers. Some farmers choose to use no chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides, while other farmers use them sparingly. The interesting thing is that the United States Department of Agriculture still terms both farmers as "organic."
Is "Organic" Food Really Better For You?
My wife refuses to eat non-organic food and we end up spending twice as much money for "organic" food. She claims they have all sorts of health benefits but I've never opened up an issue of Muscle and Fitness and read "organic food is better than non-organic food" so I'm kinda iffy on the issue.
Now if you take these organic products and you process them into refined sugar, or other empty calorie content food they can carry the name and seal of approval associated with organic foods. Processed table sugar is now considered organic if grown in the previous mentioned conditions. Although sucrose is not as bad for you as High Fructose Corn Syrup, the white powder is still the leading cause of diabetes in the US.
Who's Watching?
The entire process of organic farming is almost on the honor system. Foods and the farms they come from are not often tracked by the USDA to verify an ongoing high quality of standards with organic farming. They are more concerned with keeping the general American public healthy and safe, but they are not concerned with defining the products true organic character.
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Although the candy that they may be eating has been produced using less pesticides and herbicides, the excessive calories that they are putting into their body is still going to be converted and stored as fat. It never ceases to amaze me how many unhealthy people seem to be eating simply too much food.
Click To Enlarge. Is It Good For You Just Because It Has Been Produced Using Less Pesticides And Herbicides?
A bag of potato chips can be organic, which only refers to how the potato has been grown. The process to make the potato chip is almost identical to any other standard processed food. They are boiled in high fat oil and dried, showered with lots of salt and packaged and priced three times higher than any non-organic product.
The high salt and high fat content are still associated with these organic foods. I noticed that a chocolate bar that maintained in organic statement on its labeling actually had twice the fat content when compared to a typical Hershey Bar. Given the choice of high fat or purely organic, your body is likely to succeed and do better with the lower fat content.
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There is no special healing power associated with organic products. If you are having health problems, then it is better for you to be grabbing for fresh fruits and vegetables, rather than a bag of organic lemon drops. Several studies have shown that organic food taste is absolutely no different than standard food.
Fresh food has far more vitamins and minerals associated with it, but there is little gain when food is grown organically. If crop rotation is utilized, then some improvement in basic nutrition is noted, but that is not truly regulated by the USDA. The organic benefit does not seem to have a "trickle-down-effect" to your 3 scoops of high butter fat: lavender boysenberry ice cream.
The golden role of fitness will never change: "calories in versus calories out". If you consume five thousand calories a day and only burn off a thousand calories a day, then you are going to gain one pound per day of fat. It doesn't matter if someone eats only protein and no carbs, their body will quickly convert the excess calories into fat for storage.
Click To Enlarge. Excess Calories Lead To Fat Storage Whether They Are Organic Or Not.
If your client is stressed and over-eating, the combination of our stress hormones and excess calories are likely to go right to their hips and thighs and stomach.
Food should always be eaten in its most raw and natural state to obtain the maximum amount of nutrition and possible. This allows trace minerals to help with digestion and absorption. The benefits of raw organic vegetables are of a concern since in the United States, what regulation is there, truly, over asparagus from Peru? Yet the producers charge a much higher cost for the same product.
Leave Chocolate Out Of It
Chocolate has a green bean associated with it and is not very tasty by itself. Chocolate is an incredibly powerful antioxidant, but the more that the cocoa bean is processed the less benefit it will provide to our body. Coffee is also a green bean, it is the strongest antioxidant known to man, but it is also less effective with over processing.
Click To Enlarge. The More That The Cocoa Bean Is Processed The Less Benefit It Will Provide To Our Body.
Candy is no different and by the time you heat sugar up to the temperature required to caramelize it for candy, there is little nutrient value available, hence the term zero calorie. After enough processing of any food, you are likely to be dumping high calories with zero nutritional benefit into your body.
First Lady Michelle Obama Is Right
The best thing is to grow your own food and then you will know what is in it. Grain fed beef, chicken, etc., are all great choices, but beware of who is actually growing them, so you don't just fork over more cash for trash. Fish is best when fresh caught and usually a farm raised variety offers no difference in price or mercury levels.
In the world of food and nutrition, there are no shortcuts. You cannot take a pill to speed up your metabolism, which usually leads to long-term damage to the thyroid. You cannot eat junk food, even if it is called organic junk food, and think that you are going to have anything except very expensive organic fat on your hips, thighs, stomach, arms, and buttocks.
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