18/6/2024

Organic Food and Budget Alternatives

Richard Health Coach

Are you interested in eating a healthy diet and wondered if the extra cost for organic food is worth it? Although, I can’t tell you how to spend your money, I can tell you a few facts that might help you with this choice.

Please note the information provided in this article should not be used as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor regarding any changes to your exercise and dietary habits.

Soil / Chemicals

When we talk about our food and where it comes from, ultimately, we have to think about the soil it was grown in. It is estimated that 95% of our food is directly or indirectly produced on our soils.

An ecosystem occurs within soil as it contains air, water, and minerals as well as plant and animal matter, both living and dead. Nutrients from these substances are exchanged in a cyclical fashion and although crops may grow at a slower rate, this organic, natural, non-fertiliser process is sustainable and causes no damage to the soils ecosystem.

Oppositely, the heavy use of chemical fertilisers to increase yield and other agrochemicals such as, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides used in every day farming, have and continue to damage the health of our soils. Lower quality soil can also lead to lower quality food.

“Pesticides are killing the organisms that keep our soils healthy”. Was the title of an article published by Scientific American, in 2021. (1)

We seem to be in a bit of a viscous cycle, damaged soil requires synthetic chemicals to produce food, which damages the soil further and again means natural fertilisers may not be good enough to produce our food so chemical fertilisers are again needed.

“Many scientific studies are trying to determine the relative value of organic versus non-organic soil. After considering both aspects of the soil, research indicates that organic soil is found to produce higher quality and better-tasting food than ordinary soil”. (2)

Nutrient Density

Is there a big difference between the amount of nutrients found in organic food versus non-organic food, it looks as though the answer is yes, in most cases. Many studies have been conducted to find the answer to this question and after a group of scientists analysed more than 100 of these papers, they concluded that on average, organic food contained 25% more nutrition than conventional food. The same team also found that organic produce contained 30% higher levels of antioxidants than non-organic produce. (3)

Toxins / Sprays / Agrochemicals

In addition to the reduction in nutrition provided by non-organic food, the chemicals used such as pesticides can also have harmful effects on humans. According to Pesticide Action Network UK, long term exposure to pesticide residue found on food has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, asthma and even cancer. (4)

Animal Feed / Animal Movement

We all know the saying, you are what you eat but a more accurate way of putting this would be, you are what your food eats. Ideally the chicken on your plate would have been fed a high-quality diet, which means you would be eating a high quality diet but unless you are eating an organic bird, it is unlikely that it was fed with good quality feed.

Organic chickens must be fed organic feed, they won’t have been treated with antibiotics and would have outdoor access. The ability for a chicken to roam freely can be easily seen when comparing an organic chicken with a non-organic chicken. The muscles and joints of an organic chicken are much stronger due to their increased use and are difficult to pull apart when cooked. Non-organic chicken legs however fall of the body with the lightest of touches.

Farmed fish doesn’t seem to fair much better and in fact it is believed that farmed non-organic salmon is the most toxic food on the planet, up to 5 times more toxic than any other food, research suggests. (5)

Conclusion

In summary, it’s best to opt for organic food wherever possible and to help cut down on the cost, check out the discounted section in your supermarket as sometimes, organic food that is close to its sell by date can be found there.

We should also remember, that some organic food may still have some pesticide residue as a result of wind sometimes blowing sprays across to other farms. (6)

Non-organic food tips

If, however you are unable to buy organic, then you may need to consume more fruit and vegetables in order to meet your optimum nutritional needs as well as wash your food before eating. Here are 3 ways to help wash away those nasties.

Soak in salt water

Soaking fruit and veg in a 10 percent saltwater solution for 20 minutes gets rid of most of the residue from the common pesticides. You should then rinse off with clean water.

Soak in vinegar

Vinegar is an alternative way to remove residues from fruits and vegetables. Use a 1 to 4 ratio of apple cider or distilled white vinegar to clean water and rinse off afterwards. Be careful soaking porous fruits, such as berries, as it may affect their skin.

Soak in baking soda

Adding 1 tablespoon of baking soda to a litre and a half of water is another way to wash off pesticides. Soak produce for 12-15 minutes in this solution, and then rinse with water.

It’s also helpful to note that some foods are ‘cleaner’ than others so here is a list of foods separated into:

Most contaminants found:

Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, Collard, & Mustard Greens
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Bell and Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green Beans

(Buy organic if possible)

Least contaminates found:

Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Onions
Papayas
Sweet Peas, frozen
Asparagus
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Cabbage
Mushrooms
Mangoes
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelons
Carrots

(Less need to buy organic)

(7)

Lastly, the idea of showing gratitude or saying a prayer before eating may have more than a religious connotation. Dr Masaru Emoto found that water exposed to positive influences, like saying loving words or playing calming music, produced symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing crystals, while water subjected to negativity, like angry thoughts, formed irregular and unappealing patterns.

Seeing as water is contained in our food, this practice alone could improve the quality of what we eat.

A subject I will be delving into soon!

References:

https://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/en/c/277682/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pesticides-are-killing-the-worlds-soils/

https://seasonalpreferences.com/organic-vs-non-organic-soil/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24968103/

https://www.pan-uk.org/health-effects-of-pesticides/

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/farmed-salmon-most-toxic-food/

https://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2012/10/4-reasons-organic-foods-are-healthier.html

https://www.ewg.org

The Hidden Messages in Water

Best-selling book by,

Dr Masaru Emoto

29/1/2023

Top 5 Tips to Help You Lose Weight - Even if You Eat Out A lot

Richard Health Coach

Do you sometimes look at your diary and think, losing weight this week is about as likely as a stick of celery winning the Grand National. You’ve got work lunches on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, dinner with friends on Friday and that party you wish you could get out of on Saturday but you know your friend will have a meltdown if you say you can’t make it.

Unfortunately, what you are probably thinking is right, it’s not going to be easy but it is possible to lose weight while eating and drinking out a lot and I don’t mean only eating house salads and drinking a gallon of sparkling water. With a bit of planning and any one of the 5 top tips below, by the time you have finished reading this, your scales might just be a bit friendlier then you expected.

Please note the information provided in this article should not be used as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor regarding any changes to your exercise and dietary habits.

Tip Number 1

Try to move more

One of the best ways to keep your weight loss journey headed in the right direction, is to spend more time moving. Whether that be in the gym working out, playing sport, walking more or doing some extra household chores, this tip is a great way to keep the extra calories in check.

This option works best for people who are able to find extra time in their diary but for those of you who are already time poor, then why not try taking the stairs instead of the lift wherever possible, unless of course you live or work on a floor that makes your ears pop, in which case take the stairs for part of the journey. The extra time taken here will be small and as an added incentive, the quicker you walk the less time will be used up.

Walk between places more or just walk more in general, additionally pack a rucksack with something slightly heavy to add extra difficulty and burn more fat.

This is also a great time to do those household chores you have had on your to do list for the last six months, this also comes with the added benefit of earning you some brownie points at home, win win.

The only downside is that when confronted with a nightmare calorie week like the one above, lots and lots and lots of movement is needed to keep your goals on track. Meaning, these lifestyle changes may need to be followed for 2 weeks or even 3. I know, it’s just not fair…

Tip Number 2

Eat light meals or try fasting during difficult weeks

A few overly indulgent meals are not going to have a negative impact on a medium or long-term weight loss target. Try to stay focused and work out where you can make up for the extra food and drink that you’ll be guzzling down. Although eating light before going to a restaurant might leave you so hungry that you decide trying the whole menu is a good idea, eating light after can be a great tactic.

Even better is to look into one of the many fasting techniques and see if any might work for you. The ones I have personally tried are the 5:2 diet, which involves eating 500-600 calories for two non-consecutive days in the week followed by eating a normal diet for the remaining 5 days.

A 24 hour fast once to twice a week, which is a pretty tough ask for anyone used to the standard 3 meals a day diet. I manage it by eating a big dinner one day and holding off until dinner time the next day.

Or the method I use most days, which I now find extremely easy to follow, the 16:8 method. This fasting method restricts your eating hours to 8 hours per day and for the remaining 16 hours, you fast. Overeating becomes difficult when you leave yourself only a small window for meals.

Tip Number 3

Track your food / calculate calories

This approach can be difficult to get right, as portion sizes, a full list of ingredients and like many people, a general fear of math can altogether make this tip more trouble than it's worth. There are however, some good food tracking apps available and just the process of being aware of what you are eating, can make a positive difference to your choices.

The other thing to bear in mind, is that you don’t need to track your food all of the time, try doing it for the really tough weeks or pass the job onto someone else like us, where all you have to do is send photos and name the food and drink shown and we will do the rest. Contact us

Tracking food and calories shouldn’t be a never-ending difficult task nor is it something I would advise for anyone where an unhealthy obsession could result.

Tip Number 4

Choose low calorie restaurant meals

This might sound like an obvious tip but knowing which meals have the lowest calories, isn’t always straightforward. The amount of butter, oil, sugar or any other ingredients used will very likely differ from the amount we are used to using at home.

According to the UK Government however (1), as of April 22nd 2022, calories labelled on menus are to be introduced in cafes, restaurants and takeaway's, meaning choosing the low-calorie options should become far easier to do, as will overall calorie tracking.

As a general rule, there are two simple foods that are best avoided while on a weight loss plan, these are the sometimes very moorish bread served at the start of most meals and of course, dessert. Sticking to a starter and a main or even just a main course will be your best bet to get out of there with a fighting chance of not having a setback.

Tip Number 5

Alcohol

The amount of calories in alcoholic drinks seem a bit unnecessary if you ask me, it almost feels like punishment or a deterrent from over doing it. Nevertheless, the choices you make here have to be factored in when pushing towards your weight loss goals.

No alcohol days are the obvious best choice but if a social drink is required, here is a short list of low-calorie alcoholic options:

Prosecco glass 66 calories

Champagne glass 75 calories

Vodka shot + diet tonic 58 calories

½ Rose glass + soda water 58 calories

A more comprehensive list can be found below. (2)

Summary

In summary, if you are not in control of the meals being made, then be prepared for the weight to take a bit longer to fall off. Sticking to any or all of the points above, will give you a good chance to maintain that downward trajectory. By the way, look out for my upcoming blog on how to avoid the dreaded weight loss plateau.

The best advice is to plan your meals for the week ahead and stay focused on why you decided to embark on your weight loss journey in the first place. Thinking this is a load of rubbish, what was I thinking, is probably not what you said to yourself at the start, so try to stay strong.

Remember to also enjoy your wins. Any days where you manage to eat light or make good choices needs to be celebrated as a major victory, breaking habits and being disciplined deserves praise.

Good luck and if all else fails, don’t give up, there’s always next week.

References

UK Government - Eating Out Calorie Labels

Calories in Alcohol