| When you travel to the grocery store, shopping for | | | | organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. (I |
| things like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be | | | | would recommend eating the peel on foods such as |
| very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling | | | | apples because they contain more nutrients than the |
| food as natural, organic, and a number of other | | | | fruit itself.) No matter what you buy, however, make |
| things--but what is the difference, really? Learning | | | | sure that you rinse off the food when you get |
| what these specific names mean can help you decide | | | | home, and with apples and pears its best to soak |
| if you should spend the extra dough on a product if | | | | them in cool water for several minutes. |
| they are just using "natural" as a marketing ploy. | | | | Another tricky label you will see is "no hormones." |
| Natural is a term associated with a number of fruit | | | | This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and |
| and vegetable products. Typically, this is simple a | | | | is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. |
| marketing device to convince you to buy it. After all, | | | | Hormones are what helps an animal (or a human) |
| all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it's a | | | | regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise |
| new kind of food that has been developed and | | | | function correctly. All meat products have hormones. |
| processed, the product is natural. What you are | | | | What the labels really mean is that no hormones |
| probably looking for is organic. Organic foods are | | | | were unnaturally given to the animal, which is |
| grown without harmful chemical pesticides and | | | | sometimes done to increase milk production. |
| fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic | | | | Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and |
| foods. First, you are not harming environment | | | | meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an |
| because those chemicals are not being introduced | | | | animal's rights. |
| into nature--more specifically the local ground water | | | | Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the |
| run-off. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting those | | | | animal was caged or penned. This does not make a |
| chemicals on an otherwise perfectly healthy food. | | | | difference in the quality or nutritional value of the |
| However, organic products are usually more | | | | meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These |
| expensive. If you're on a budget, skip over organic | | | | products may be a bit more expensive, but if you |
| fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges | | | | want to make human decisions, it may be the way |
| and bananas. Thick skins prevent chemical seepage | | | | to go. Reading the label and making healthy choices |
| best. After all, once you've discarded the peel, you've | | | | can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so |
| also discarded the excess chemicals. Instead, opt for | | | | can help you make the best choices for you diet. |