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Old 02-10-2008   #1
sebzzz Undisclosed
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Organic vs non organic raw diet

Hi,

Started a raw food diet on January 3rd and loving it so far but I'm on a budget so I can't really afford organic food yet.

I've seen a lot of people preaching for the benefits of organic and I surely am interested in that and looking forward to it, but I also wanted to be reassured that I could still benefit a lot from a non organic raw diet.

I'm particularly looking forward to having my own garden and growing most of my own food. This would be great I think but unfortunately I live in a place where there is a lot of snow during winter so it's quite difficult to do this all year long. Hope someday I will be lucky enough to be able to live in a place that's hot all year long since I also want to get rid of my car and be able to use my bicycle all year long. I think at this moment I would be in a really good harmony with nature.

Thanks
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Old 02-11-2008   #2
jroo Male
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I'm in a very similar situation, and am also curious to see what people say. Here are some of my thoughts:

Fruits and Vegetables have a much lower concentration of pesticides than meat and dairy (the one hard statistic I found off-hand is a 35% higher amount of pesticides in mother's milk for meat eaters vs. vegetarians - from "Diet for a New America"). They also give lots of antibiotics to animals, as well.

I try to buy organic whenever it seems feasible. Around here, organic bananas and carrots are usually only $.20 a pound more than non-organic. Also, anything organic that's less than $2 a pound seems to be a no-brainer.

Several recent studies rating the average pesticide residue in fruits and veggies can be found online. This can help you prioritize--for instance, apples have high quantities but avocados have fairly low; so we buy organic apples.

The GMO factor is another thing to consider. Corn has low pesticide levels, but is most likely genetically modified.

We're joining an organic CSA this summer. We decided on only a half share for the first year and will supplement from the farmer's market. We chose the half share partially because we're not completely raw, and partially because we're not sure what quantities to expect of foods that we might try to minimize (like white potatoes).

I also realize that we vote with our dollars. I will correct a cashier if he/she rings up my organic food as non-organic, even though it would save me money. I read someone who said they pay more for organic now, so someday everyone will be able to afford it.

My current conclusion is that a non-organic vegan diet is a better choice than most, but 100% organic raw vegan diet would be optimal.
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Old 02-11-2008   #3
healthyme Female
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I have to agree, going as organic as possible for now is a whole lot better than continuing a SAD diet. I think that winter is a little harder to go organic as quite a few items are hard to get this time of year, especially in colder areas. Fortunately spring is soon to be here and the Farmer's markets will soon be stocking fresher produce. Talk to the local growers in your area and see if they would work with you and cut you some slack on pricing if you become a valued customer. You would be an advertising spokesperson for them, you would both benefit. I have a couple of contacts here and they let me know when they will have new produce.
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Old 02-11-2008   #4
Double Helix Undisclosed
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An organic apple would be a better choice over a conventional apple.

A conventional apple would be a better choice over a bag of organic cheese puffs or cookies.

So, the best thing you can eat would be fresh & organic, and next best would be at least all fresh.
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