Organic, Non-Organic, or Neither?

I am about to pose some questions for which I have no answer. But they are questions that have been nagging at me, and I am wondering if anyone else has an opinion that will quiet the discussion that's been going on in my head.

I haven't written much about organic vs. non-organic on this blog because it's a subject that is, quite frankly, over my head. Between the science of growing organic food, the politics over food subsidies and labeling, and the impassioned arguments on both sides of the issue, I don't feel equipped to tackle the subject on my friendly little "Let's Exercise and Eat Healthy!" blog.

For the sake of this argument, though, let's go ahead and make the assumption that purchasing organic fruits and vegetables is superior to "regular" produce (and dairy/meat, too). Some studies have shown that organic food contains more nutrients than non-organics, and there has been a lot of media coverage about the dangers of pesticides and hormones in our food. Publicity about "The Dirty Dozen" and other scary stories are enough to raise a red flag when you reach for that "dirty" conventional peach.

Before I go any further, though, let me state that most of the fruits and veggies that I purchase are not organic. My biggest consideration when choosing a grocery store is convenience, and the second consideration is price. We are basically a one-income family. I live in suburb about 20 miles from grocery stores that carry mostly organic food. I only have small chunks of time without my kids, and that is when I like to grocery shop. I drive an SUV that gets poor gas mileage.

So I make the choice to shop at my local Walmart. It provides a good selection and one-stop shopping. And yes, my soul dies a little bit every time I think about how much of my money goes to the corporate goons at Walmart, and I hate that they put "the little guys" out of business. But the reality that I've got to pick my kid up at 11 -- and he's gonna be hungry -- trumps any altruistic notions of shopping at the out-of-the-way organic store on a regular basis. I like to visit occasionally and stock up on some things, but when it comes to the weekly trip, Walmart it is.

I'd be willing to bet that most average Americans are in my same boat. They don't have a lot of time, they're spending double the amount on gas than they did two weeks ago, and they heard a story on the news the other day that there's an invisible poisonous pesticide on the apples they've been eating for years. Then they pull their buggy up to the apple cart, see the "regular" apples that cost $1.29/lb. and the organic ones that cost $2.75/lb, and the dilemma begins. What will they decide?

Here is my fear and the crux of this post:

When faced with "dirty" produce or expensive organic produce, will the general public forgo both and instead turn to Apple Jacks and Froot Loops? People have a hard enough time eating fruits and vegetables as it is, and now we are sending the message that you've got to buy organic food or else you're poisoning yourself? And anyway, what's worse? Ingesting potentially harmful pesticides, or eating preservative-filled, sugar- and fat-laden pseudo-food?

Like I said, I don't know the answers to any of those questions, but I do know that we are literally killing ourselves with the food we eat in this country. Two out of three Americans are either overweight or obese. High cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension are rampant. The economy is struggling, and chances are that most people aren't willing to fork over the extra cash for organic food.

So tell me, what's worse? Pesticides or fake food that kills by inches?

Workout of the Day
Yoga MC:2   I took a break from RevAbs today to do some yoga...I needed stress relief after getting all riled up writing this post last night.