Food for a Healthy Life

Most people around the globe hope to live a happy and healthy life. Reaching these goals is what most people spend their entire life trying to accomplish. Their basic needs include shelter, clothing, food and water. In the past, when people were all about trying to provide for themselves and their families, that meant that they were doing well. In the present, people wonder what type of food is the best and what food is the best for growing children, especially teenagers. Question is, what type of food should a parent provide for their growing, hormonal teenager? With studies all over the world, organic food is the best option, but what is organic? It basically means that the produce has to be grown naturally with no preservatives or chemicals. Teenagers need all the vitamins and minerals possible so their bodies can adjust to the changes. Organic foods are better for a teenager’s health compared to eating non-organic food because organic foods have the vitamins and minerals a teenager needs for its growing body. Teenagers are at the stage where their hormones and bodies are changing and their organs, tissues and brains are developing. They need all of the nutrients they possibly can get. They need more than most people to support their bone growth. Eating organic would be their best option because it has the most amount of nutrients.

Teenagers need organic food to better their health. I belive that if a teenagers eats organic food, they will grow up to be healthier both physically and mentally. With all of the foods that we have around us, its hard to see whats good for us. Teens are at the stage where they are active and trying to figure themselves out. They are going through puberty which can be really hard on them. Studies show that eating healthy can help with depression compared to eating junk food. Most junk food contain bacteria and uncesessary suagars that can really mess with their digestion. Orgnaic food contains more vitmamins and minerals that can help with teens mental health. The toxins in some of the non-orgnaic foods can kill the nesecarry microogranims and disrupt the generation of nutrients. According too PMC “organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesitry…) (Mie,1). It can help teenagers still fit while feeling healthy at the same time. Teenagers are usually more active then adults since they have more energy. Eating junk food will just make them feel crappy instead of helthy.

Organic food has been around for may years. It been around before new technologies and discoveries ever existed. Thought decades, organic food has developed and became more popular and gotten more attention from buyers. There are many standards that come to place to make a food “organic”. What does organic food come from and what does it mean? There are many definitions around the term “organic”. According to the article “What does organic mean?” they said that “organic food is the product of a farming system which avoids the use of man-made fertilizers, pesticides; growth regulators and livestock feed additives.” (Lewis, 1). Compared to conventional foods, organic foods relies more on the natural side of growth. The organic system rejects all forms of synthetic chemical pesticides.

Organic food is getting easier all over the world. Several everyday items can be produced on organic farms like vegetables, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and now cotton. Every year, the number of organic farms is increasing. The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has been monitoring the number of organic farms produced each year. About 2,500 to 3,000 certified organic farmers were in US in 1994. All fifty states had some type of organic farming in 2005. Today, about 10,000 organic farms are growing or producing two percent of the food supply in the United States. Organic food is getting easier to get because many organic companies try to teach everyone about the benefits of organic food.

Organic farming is based on holistic, ecologically approach that include soil fertility, crop rotation, and control of natural pests. By reducing pollution, water conservation and soil quality, all organic farming procedures are planned to benefit the environment. Farmers don't use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers on crops when growing organic produce. They allow their produce to grow naturally.

Organic food has a lot of great qualities for our health. Health and nutrition are the main reasons people buy and consume organic products. Some studies show that organic food can help the appearance of your skin. Reducing large amounts of acne and oily tendencies of skin. Skin appearance is not the only reason people eat organic food. Most people believe that eating organic food will help their overall health. Some people also believe that organic food will prevent diseases and increase one 's lifespan. The benefits of organic food for your health and the environment outweigh all of the costs. More and more parents believe that organic baby food will help their babies learning and physical growth. Parents also think that organic baby food is a safer alternative for infants health. Also many schools are going towards using organic products for their lunch program as a healthier choice for children. All organic users are choosing organic because of the lack of Genetically Modified ingredients.

Organic farms have a lot of rules and regulations on their livestock. All livestock has to be raised in a humane environment as close to their original habitat is. This includes no cages and unlimited outside time for the animals. Also all livestock must be fed one hundred percent organic feed. This was required by law in 2012 and is still in effect to this day. Many non-organic farms add protein to the animlas foods to increase its body weight for selling. Organic farms do not do this. They only add protein rich plants like soybeans, field peas, field beans, or potato flakes. Many organic farms have heating lamps all over their farms to keep the livestock warm in harsh climates and conditions. This will then reduce the risk of sickness of the animals. Organic livestock is only allowed one round of antibiotics in their life. They can only get the antibiotics under the age of one, after that they are not allowed. Also if one of the animals is sick and gets better, but then proceeds to get ill a second time it will not be able to be sold as organic anymore. All of the antibiotics left in the flesh of the animals can make people sick and have a resistance to antibiotics, which can cause serious health problems in the long run. A lot of doctors prescribe antibiotics to help humans from sickness. With all of this being said the demand for organic meat has increased drastically.

In order for teenagers to live an organic lifestyle they need to be educated about it. Education can come a long way because organic food just recently became the norm. As time goes by we see more and more people going for the organic lifestyle. Organic means that the crops cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides , cannot be genetically engineered, the animals must eat only organically grown feed and cannot be treated with synthetic hormones or antibiotics, the animals must have access to the outdoors and animals can’t be cloned. Basically for an item to be organic it has to be grown naturally without any preservatives or anything that would speed up the growing process. The food is also often fresher because it doesn’t contain any preservatives that make it last longer. There are no antibiotics or growth hormones added to any of the meats. There are pros and cons to a teenager eating organic food. Some pros may be that organic food has more nutrients then conventional foods, animals are being treated better and healthier, there is a lower level of pesticide residue. Some cons may be that its expensive and may spoil quicker. At the end of the day the teen should go for the healthier options rather than the “junk food” because they want to stay healthy while growing rapidly. That’s why they need to be educated. With education, they can come up with what option is healthy for them and what option is considered “junk food”.

Organic food is also better for the environment. Conventional farming has very many harmful effects on the environment from using chemicals such as pesticides, synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMO’s are lab made organisms to help crops last longer, as well as keep pests away. “The use of GM seeds is a contentious issue because we are toying with nature”. (Sustainable Table,1). Basically the seed that’s being placed into the group is a seed that has had its genetic makeup changed in a lab to grow into a desirable fruit or vegetable. It’s meant for the fruit or vegetable to not go brown so quickly and are pest resistant. Organic seeds don’t allow GMOs. The seed gets to be grown organically and naturally. Conventional soil is also messed chemical/artificial fertilizers made from fossil fuels to give the soil its nutrients. Organic soil has fertilizers made from composts which includes crop rotation, natural pest control, hand weeding and animal gazing.

To guarantee these criteria's are being met, the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) was made. The Organic Food Production Act was made to set up guidelines for how a food is being produced and handled in order for it to be labled ""organic"". It makes sure that the crops are free of residues. They're main goal enhance the life of the soil, plants, animals and people. Another rule that have a factor in thinking about whether an item is organic or not is known as the 100 mile rule. the 100 mile rule makes sure that all produce, animals and crops need to 100 miles or less in order to be bought. This one is set up to guarantee the nature of the item being that no synthetic compounds are added to guarantee the ability to with stand the shipping.

When shopping for organic products, it is important to understand the labels that are displayed. Too often people confuse the word natural with the word organic. These two words have two different meanings and two different regulations for producing them. Natural does not mean organic. Natural means minimally processed. There are no added colors, flavors preservatives, or artificial ingredients. These natural products still receive antibiotics or growth hormones. The label “USDA Organic” means that that product is certified organic. USDA Organic means that the 95% to 100% of that food is organic. The labels “100% Organic” and “Organic” are both certified to use this label. The two labels “Contains Organic Ingredients” and “Made with Organic Ingredients” are easy to confuse with certified organic products. The label “Made with Organic Ingredients” indicates that the products contains at 70 percent of organic ingredients. Although they contain organic ingredients, they are prohibited from displaying the USDA certified organic label. They are allowed to list the organic ingredients though. The label “Contains Organic Ingredients” indicates that the product contains less than 70 percent of organic ingredients. This label is also prohibited from listing the USDA seal. Other labels that may displayed are Grass fed, free range, and no hormone added. Grass fed simply means the livestock was only fed grass or hay. These animals have access to the outdoors and tend to be healthier and leaner due to their grass fed diet. Free range means the animals were not strictly confined to a cage and had access to outdoors but the access was very limited. No hormones added label means that the livestock was raised without the use of any added growth hormones. This label is helpful for beef and dairy products. All these lables may be confusing but we all really need to be aware of what they mean. Especially

Finding truly organic products is not always easy. The quality is not always available in the local grocery stores. A few tips are included to ensure you are getting what you are expecting. To ensure the highest quality and freshness, always buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Shopping a local farmers market provides a better chance of local, quality produce. Also at farmers markets, it is a good chance that the produce was grown or bought locally.

Buying and eating organic foods has many perks and benefits that cannot be received from some conventional foods. For starters organic food is fresher than regular food. Many of times, the produce is often grown on small farms near where the produce is being sold. The freshness of the produce and livestock in turn produces a better taste. All of the organic products are antibiotic free. Conventional foods that contain antibiotics help to produce antibiotic-resistant strands within the human body. Being that feeding livestock animal-by-product is prohibited; it reduces the risk of transferring diseases such as the mad cow disease to humans. Regulations on the space provided to livestock are preventive measure to keeping the livestock healthy. All meat from organic farming is fresh, disease free and healthy before being sold to the buyers. Also the produce contains fewer pesticides which can be harmful to humans. The harmful pesticides can cause disease in people. The health benefits from eating organic are considerable and long lasting. There is a higher nutrition concentration in organic products. All of the organic products are grown with quality rather quantity as the goal. Organic products contain more calcium which is a necessity for the body. More magnesium is found in organic products which reduces mortality from heart attacks and prevents muscle spasms. There is a significant amount of Selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that protects the human body from environmental chemicals, cancers, and heart disease. A micronutrient called Chromium is also found in organic products. The micronutrient prevents adult diabetes. Organic production and farming is also better for the environment because itt reduces pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and uses less energy.

Many studies have been done to find and confirm the benefits of eating organic foods. There are many controversies to whether or not organic food is better. Some believe that going organic is a waste of money and time and that you reaping no benefits from the product. But eating organic foods are a benefit to life itself. Eating organic foods will help decrease your risk for getting diseases and cancer. Cosumers can markedly reduce their intake of pesticide residue and their exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria by choosing organic produce and meat, according to researchers at Stanford University. The Stanford team analyzed more than 230 field studies and 17 human studies conducted in the United States and Europe to compare pesticide residues, antibiotic resistance and vitamin and nutrient levels in organic and conventionally produced foods. The study confirms consumers who eat organic fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce pesticide concentrations in their bodies. 

With all of the studies done about organic food and how its better for teens, the environment and everything else, if a teenager desidces to not take care of its health there can be some complications. If teenagers don’t care about their health, they can become obose. Obesity is sweeping the nation and its due to all of the amount of junk food, fast food, and sweets that are promoted and sold every day. In the United States the number of teenagers that are obese is increasing rapidly. 18% of teen from ages 12 to 19 are obese. That is tripling teen obesity in 1980. 30% of kids from ages 6 to 19 years old are obese. These statistics show a huge problem and it is growing faster than ever. 

Obesity has the ability to control and ruin your life. Health related issues that are related to obesity include diabetes, weaker physical health and well being, and depression. Bullying is also often targeted towards people who are overweight. Those who are overweight may obtain a negative body image and being unhealthy physically and mentally can cause for a shorter and unhappier life. “Teens with weight problems tend to have much lower self-esteem and be less populat with their peers” (American Academy of child and Adolescent, 1) Usually when teens are feeling down they go to food as a “pick me up” Food is, of course, a necessity of life. All living organisms need food to live but humans have made it so while we are eating it to live it is also hurting their health. The food that America has fell in love with is the problem. Fried food, fast food, sweets, and just tasty food. Everywhere people turn they just see more food. Food industries have done a great job targeting the youth. The average child watches 10,000 food commercials per year on television. That is a little over 27 commercials a day just for food. Most food commercials are for junk food and fast food. Only 2% are for fruits, vegetables, or beans. These commercials make people think they are hungry. People are always tempted to try the food they see on television. From a young age, Americans are trained to love food that isn’t good for them.

Compared to American teens, some other countries have other regulations. Japan is opposed to genetically modified foods meaning they only grow fresh fruits and vegtables. New Zealand is also non-gmo friendly. They have some foods that contain GMOs but those are usually imported from somewhere else. Australia and New Zealnd are homes to 38% of the worlds organic farmland. Other countries like Austia, Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria have banned selling GMOs foods. If these countries can ban GMOs why can’t the US? Most people say it’s becaue of our large population. I belive if we all contribute and start gardenting and starting caring about the environment we can get to the same level as some of the other countries.

In my opinion, organic food is the best option for people. In my household, everything you can think of is organic. Fruits, vegtables shampoo, makeup. This is because my mom didn’t like some of the ingredients in some of the non-orgnaic products. My doctor once said that if you can read the first 5 items in the ingreditents you know its not good for you. Ever since then my mom changed our whole diets. It was really hard in the beging but now 15 years later, I can taste a difference between non-organic produce and organic produe. Even when I go out with friends and eat fast foods, I can taste the difference with how they prepare their foods. WHneever I go to Poland to visit my family, I always loose so much weight because everthign out there Is grown organically in my grandparents garden and they raise their own animals.

Works Cited

1. “Organic Foods: What You Need to Know.” Healthy Eating Tips to Prevent, Control, and Reverse Diabetes, 13 Feb. 2019, www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm/.
2. https://sustainabletable.org.au/all-things-ethical-eating/industrial-vs-organic/
3. https://nutrition.org/interpreting-food-labels-natural-versus-organic/
4. https://ofrf.org/organic-faqs
5. https://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fff-guide/obesity-in-children-and-teens-079.aspx

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