Living Jackson Magazine :: Fresh From the Earth

Fresh From the Earth:

Choose Organic for a Healthy Lifestyle

By P. Anne Fulgham
Photos by Joshua T. Barnett

Euell Gibbon…remember him? He’s the guy who hawked Post Grape Nuts cereal on television in the 1970s, touting it as all natural. He was also the author of several books, including Stalking the Wild Asparagus, that promoted eating food from the wild.

Gibbons died in 1975 but not before becoming the poster child for eating naturally. Organic foods have come a long way since then. Consumer food-source safety and environmental issues have fueled mainstream knowledge of organic eating. Big chain grocery stores now offer sections of organically grown fruits and vegetables, antibiotic-free beef and free-range chicken. Locally, several farms in northeast Georgia offer organically grown foods as well.

Nationally, more than 4 million acres are farmed organically; however, Georgia only has about 800 acres in organic production, according to the Georgia Organics Growers Association and its Web site directory at www.georgiaorganics.org. The site includes a listing of many organic farms in Georgia, including several in North Georgia.

“It’s smart to eat as organically as we can,” says Mark Restivo, who is a chiropractor in Jackson County. “Anything God creates is better to eat than things that man creates. Many foods commercially available are grown using pesticides and fertilizers that can be harmful. Eating foods raised without pesticides or toxic chemicals is much better for your long-term health.”

The majority of meals for Restivo and his family, including wife Rebekah and 16-month-old daughter Hannah Grace, are organic. Rebekah makes breads with nuts and vegetables using whole-wheat unprocessed flour; the family eats raw vegetables or steams them. Even young Hannah Grace is fed organic milk and a product called “Yo-Baby Yogurt,” because it’s more healthy.

“Being involved in the health industry for over 25 years I've come across so many health food fads and diets,” Restivo says. “Although some may work, they’re most likely temporary fixes to what should be a life-long process. The only thing that truly works is living fit, making a lifestyle change.”

Restivo says today’s rushed pace contributes to poor eating habits. “I see more people with arthritis, depression, advanced aging, fibromyalgia, ulcers and tons of stomach conditions, all from the things that they are consuming,” he says. “Our fast-paced lifestyles have created a market for quick-fix foods that have little or no nutritional value, and to put it bluntly, are killing our nation.”

Why Eat Organically

First, there’s a difference in eating foods that are organically grown and those that have packaging marked Natural. For a food to be labeled organic, it must not contain or be produced using synthetic products or additives. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates foods, requires complete labeling on products to identify all ingredients, calories, carbohydrates, sugars and fiber. These labels can also alert buyers to additives.

“Beware of marketing labels on packaging, and read the contents before you buy,” Restivo says. “If you can’t pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.”

He lists 10 reasons to eat organically when possible—better taste, better nutrients, fewer toxins, easier to digest, better for disease prevention, rich in antioxidants, provides more energy, better for your children, provides more enzymes and “we’re designed to eat this way.”

Organic eating also makes for a happier planet. Growing methods of organic food are kinder to the earth and the care and feeding of animals for organic food also are more eonvironmentally responsible.

Taking the Plunge

Eating organically need not be an all-or-nothing proposition, Restivo says.

“I don’t advise completely switching to an organic diet cold turkey,” he says. “Although I have to admit not everything in my house is organic, my family and I each day are making more and more efforts to consume the healthiest foods available to us.”

Choosing whole-grain foods over processed ones can be an easy decision. Eating brown rice instead of processed white rice, adding nuts and fresh fruits/vegetables to a daily routine and avoiding fried foods are one-at-a-time steps that can begin to incorporate organic choices.

“Change involves transitions or turning points which can be fulfilling and exciting, but also challenging especially if your body is conditioned to a typical American way of eating,” Restivo says. “It’s really about being aware of what you’re eating and making the right choices. Read labels and avoid foods with additives. Look for ways to eat as clean and healthy as you can.”

P. Anne Fulgham is a freelance writer living in Flowery Branch.