Benefits of organic food in fitness and wellness
Page Description: In fitness and wellness, there’s a long list of do’s and don’ts, including the kind of food to eat and not eat. There are also varying opinions about these things, which has led to some form of confusion. Organic foods are part of the things people get confused about eating. In this article, you’ll understand what organic foods are and their benefit in fitness and wellness.
What are organic foods?
The term ‘organic’ means natural. So, when you talk about organic foods, you are talking about foods grown and preserved naturally without artificial products like NPK fertilizers, herbicides, synthetic pesticides, synthetic colors, synthetic preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals.
Any food can be grown organically, including fruit and vegetables. Instead of synthetic fertilizers, farmers use animal wastes like cow dung, poultry droppings, feces, and excreta from fishes, pigs, horses, rabbits, composts, and rock phosphates as natural fertilizers for growing crops.
Organic produce is often farmed in small quantities and sold out within the locality of production because they have a short shelf span. Inorganic foods are grown using synthetic chemicals like wax or other chemical preservatives that keep them fresh for weeks, giving them a long shelf span and making them easy to transport.
One major question people ask about organic farm produce is if there are 100% organic foods. The answer is yes. Organic food can be 100% organic. However, you can only be sure that the foods are 100% organic if you grow them yourself or buy from markets close to farms –there, you can see the farmers harvest and bring in the foods from their farms.
Things are a bit distinct in the US, where organic foods are packaged and certified. For packaged organic food such as dairy produce, meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables to be labeled ‘100% organic,’ it means that it meets the regulatory requirements of the United States Department of Agriculture USDA. However, that does not mean that the food is 100% organic because it may contain a few chemicals that experts must have screened and confirmed as non-harmful to the body and approved for use in the packaging of organic foods.
Examples of Organic food
Organic food products have four main categories: dairy products, meat, seafood, and fruits and vegetables. Here’s a list of some examples in each category.
- Dairy Products: Examples of organic dairy products include milk, yogurt, and cheese. These products are organic if they are from animals that have never been treated and fed antibiotics and hormones, respectively. Organic dairy products became more popular after studies showed that they contain a significant amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Meat: Organic meat is from cows, goats, pigs, and other animals that have never been treated with antibiotics and pesticides and are fed hormones. Animals groomed ‘organically’ or naturally are not fed growth hormones. Instead, they feed by grazing and are allowed to grow following their natural growth rate. Organic meats are leaner than non-organic meat. However, they taste fresher and probably sweeter, as most people argue.
- Seafood: Examples of organic seafood include fishes like catfish, salmon, carp, trout, bluefish, carp, tuna, bass, cod, flounder, char, haddock, and so on, and other edible marine creatures that never came in contact with synthetic products. Farm-raised fish can be organic or labeled as organic if they feed on 100% or 99% organic food products. It is more difficult to ascertain that seafood caught directly from the water bodies is 100%, and this is because we can’t tell if they have been in contact with any chemical substance.
- Fruit and Vegetables: Examples of organic fruits and vegetables that can be grown organically include apples, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, strawberries, grapes, oranges, celery, cherries, avocado, mango, pineapple, pawpaw, and cabbage, amongst others. These fruits and vegetables are organic only if they do not come in contact with chemical substances like fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and preservatives.
Other Organic foods include grains, cereals, beverages, legumes, tubers, nuts, and other forms of foods that grow organically.
Five benefits of Organic foods
- Tastes fresher
Many people argue that there’s a slight difference between organic and non-organic foods. The truth is that organic foods have a fresher and more homely taste than non-organic foods. If you’ve never tasted 100% organic food, you might be unable to detect the difference, but if you have tasted it, the difference is always evident.
- It’s more nutritious.
There are not many studies to back up this claim. However, any food free of chemicals would be more nutritious because the farm products are allowed to utilize natural nutrients as they grow, and the genetic makeup of the product has not been altered in any way.
- Free of chemical residues
Organic farming of foods does not allow the use of harmful chemicals in growing and preserving foods, and this is good because it prevents us from eating foods that still have residue of the chemicals on them. Most of the pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and preservatives, used in growing non-organic foods have harmful effects on the body system in the long run. When we consume these foods, we take the remaining chemicals in the foods into our bodies, putting us at risk of allergies, kidney diseases, and other diseases that affect the body’s overall wellness.
- Free of genetic modifications (gmos)
Most chemicals used in growing non-organic foods alter the genetic makeup of plants and animals, and we cannot say for sure whether these genetic modifications (gmos) affect humans when we consume them or not. Organic food is free of chemicals, especially harmful chemicals, and has no genetic mutations caused by the addition of synthetic products. So, eating organic food saves you from worrying about the future effects that consuming genetically modified organisms or foods might cause.
- Boost immune system
Organic food is more nutritious and contains fewer toxins, making them ideal for the immune system. Instead of your immune system fighting to protect you from the heavy chemicals when you eat non-organic foods, the rich nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants in organic food strengthen and boost the immune system, making it more effective in fighting against antibodies.
Now that we know what organic foods are and the health benefits of consuming them, let’s look at what fitness and wellness are and the health benefits of eating organic foods in fitness and health.
What are fitness and wellness?
Fitness and wellness, although often used interchangeably, mean two different things. Fitness refers to the body’s physical health, while wellness refers to the body’s overall stability. So, in reality, fitness is an aspect or a part of wellness.
When we talk about fitness and wellness, the first thing that comes to most people’s minds is exercising and probably building muscles and abs. However, there’s more to keeping fit than we think. Fitness refers to cardiovascular strength (heart), flexibility, body composition, muscular strength, and endurance.
Looking at the constituents of fitness we mentioned, you’ll find out that fitness isn’t just about exercise. Proper dieting also plays an important role in ensuring that we are fit and stay fit. While exercise works on our flexibility, endurance, and strength, your practice will most likely turn out futile if you are not eating the right foods. Our fitness instructors understand these facts, so they add diet plans to your exercise routine.
Are organic foods recommended for fitness and wellness?
With varying opinions and suggestions of what to eat and not eat by fitness experts, this type of question comes up often. To answer the question if organic foods are recommended for fitness and wellness, yes, they are.
Your body requires nutritious food intake and a healthy eating lifestyle. Remember that when we talk about fitness and wellness, we talk about the body’s composition. And when we cannot talk about body composition without the food we eat.
Organic foods are grown naturally, highly nutritious, and free of harmful chemicals. So, they are ideal for fitness and wellness. Whether they are 100% organic –grown by you or gotten from a trusted food market- or certified organic- eating organic food nourishes the body, enhances fitness, and poses a lesser threat to your wellness.
Some benefits of Organic foods in fitness and wellness
- Organic foods like dairy products, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables are low-carb foods and work faster to enhance weight loss.
- Organic carbohydrates like starch are healthy for the heart because they lower fat and cholesterol levels in the blood. They enhance blood flow and nutrients to the brain, heart, and other body parts and provide energy, vitamins, fibers, and other required nutrients.
- Organic dairy products are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, essential nutrients in health and wellness. Omega 3 fatty acids promote brain health, aid in losing weight, reduce the risk of heart diseases, reduce liver fats, and reduce metabolic syndromes such as belly fat, high blood pressure, blood fats, and insulin resistance.
- Organic foods are chemical-free, and eating them reduces our intake of toxins. Reduced toxins promote the production of hemoglobin and stabilize the production of hormones in the body.
- Organic foods have high antioxidants, which are beneficial in fighting off free radicals and preventing them from damaging muscle cells. Antioxidants also prevent oxidative stress, promote healing, and enhance the body’s physical performance.
Conclusion
Organic foods are very nutritious and safe for human consumption. Although they are more expensive than conventional foods, they are worth every penny. The health benefits of organic food in fitness and wellness are numerous and non-negligible. Hence, increasing your consumption of organic food is advisable to improve your body’s health.
References
What Is Organic Food, and Is It Better Than Non-Organic Food?