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After doing a lot of research on organics, an 11 billion dollar industry, and discovering the dangers of eating non organic food, I personally am making the switch to organics and would like to share with you what I've learned in order to help you develop a healthier lifestyle too. Today I will be discussing what Organic food is, why other foods are dangerous, and how you can make the transition to eating Organic food easier.

So what is Organic Food? According to Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivoure's Dilemma", the word Organic as it pertains to the food industry first appeared in the pages of Organic Gardening and Farming. Founded in the 1940's by J. I. Rodale, a health food fanatic from New York City, the magazine devoted its pages to the agricultural methods and health benefits of growing food without synthetic chemicals- or "organically". Today the USDA defines Organic food on the web in their Consumer Brochure titled, "Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts", as food that is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. USDA regulations for food state that organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products must come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food must be produced without using most conventional pesticides, or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge.

Now that we have defined what Organic food is, I will explain why people should refrain from eating regular foods and switch to Organic food. The first reason people should switch to Organic food is because it provides a healthier alternative to foods that contain toxic chemicals. Woah! Toxic chemicals? What do you mean?! The Pesticides, Fertilizers, and Herbicides used for the production of non-organic foods contain neurotoxins, endocrine disrupters, and carcinogens that we ultimately ingest. Let's break these down one by one to see their effects.

1. According to the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Trends Progress report for 2009/2010, Pesticides are chemicals used to eliminate or control unwanted or harmful insects, plants, fungi, animals, or microorganisms in order to protect food crops and other plants. Some pesticides like Chlordane and (DDT) are suspected to be cancer causing chemicals. General studies of people with high exposures to pesticides, such as farmers, pesticide applicators, manufacturers, and crop dusters, have been found to have high rates of blood and lymphatic system cancers; cancers of the lip, stomach, lung, brain, and prostate; as well as melanoma and other skin cancers. Michael Pollen writes that instead of toxic pesticides, insects are controlled by organic farmers by spraying approved organic agents made from plants and by introducing beneficial insects like lacewings. Sweet Alyssum, a type of flower, is planted throughout crops. This plant attracts the lacewings and flies that eat the insects which can molest certain crops.

2. The use of fertilizers also poses a health problem. Pollen writes that Sir Albert Howard an English agronomist claimed that the wholesale adoption of artificial fertilizers would destroy the fertility of the soil, leave plants vulnerable to pests and disease, and damage the health of the animals and peoples eating those plants. Also, studies are now showing that plants grown in synthetically fertilized soils are less nourishing that ones grown in composted soils. Davis researchers found that organic and otherwise sustainably grown fruits and vegetables contained significantly higher levels of vitamin c and a wide range of polyphenols which are important to human health and development..

3. The use of Herbicides is particularly troubling. Exposure to small amounts of atrazine has been shown to turn normal male frogs into hermaphrodites. Although its use has been banned in Europe, American farmers continue to spray this dangerous chemical. Organic farmers use an alternative method to the use of herbicides. They irrigate fields prior to growing crops to germinate the weed seeds present in the soil; a tractor then tills the field to kill them. If weeds are present when crops are growing, they are hand pulled and propane torches spot kill the biggest weeds by hand.

4. According to the Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research at Cornell University, the use of hormones and antibiotics in our food supplies is very dangerous to our health - There is a concern that because of increased milking, hormone-treated cows may become more prone to infection of the udders, called mastitis. This could lead to more antibiotics being used to treat the cows, in turn leading to more residues of antibiotics to remain in the milk. Frequent exposure to antibiotic residues through milk or dairy products is a health concern for people over the long term. In the normal body, there are bacteria that live in the gut and mouth and help in the digestion of food in the gut. These "friendly" bacteria do not normally cause disease since the immune system keeps them in check. However, if the immune system is weak, these "friendly" bacteria can invade tissues and cause infection. Bacteria in the normal body that come across small amounts of antibiotics frequently, can develop ways to survive the antibiotics and become "antibiotic resistant."

The second reason to eat organic food is because it promotes a more ethical treatment of animals. In order for chicken and beef to be stamped organic, chickens must have access to roam outdoors and cows access to roam pastures. Also, when chickens are treated with hormones, their bodies develop so fast that their legs can not keep up with their weight. As a result, chickens often lay in their own feces which is high in ammonia that burns their skin. Abstaining from the use of hormones also allows animals a longer life in order to reach maturity before they are slaughtered for their meat.

Now that I have explained what Organic food is, and why it is essential to our well being to switch to eating Organic food, I will explain how you can make the transition to eating Organic food. You may say, "Well I don't know where I can get this stuff". Nowadays, most supermarket chains such as Publix, Marsh, and Krogers carry organic products and Whole Food,s an all organic supermarket, is beginning to pop up all over the country.. Walmart and Target have also jumped on the organic bandwagon and sell these items making it virtually available to anyone anywhere in the US. You can also look up organic directories on the internet to find organic farms in your area.

"Yeah but it's so much more expensive than regular food." Organic farmers don't receive federal subsidies like conventional farmers do with your tax money. Therefore, the price of organic food reflects the true cost of growing. The price of conventional food also does not reflect the cost of environmental cleanups that we pay for through our tax dollars. In the end, the costs even out.

"How do I know if something is organic?" Easy! Look for the certified USDA organic label. There are three types of Organic labels. The first is "100% Organic" - pretty self explanatory. The second label is "Organic" which means that the product contains at least 95-99% organic ingredients. The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. The third label does says "Made with Organic Ingredients" but does not carry the USDA seal. This seal is for products that contain anywhere from 70-94% organic ingredients.

The purpose of this article is to persuade you to switch to eating organic foods by informing you about what organic is, why eating anything else is dangerous to your health, and how easy it is to make the transition to an all organic diet. I know people are creatures of habit, but the epidemic of cancer in this country alone exacerbated by our food industry should be enough for you to want to make the change. Go to your local organic farms, shop in the organic sections of your supermarket, and above all look for the organic labels- you'll save your health, you're body will feel better with the added nutrition, and you'll be making a difference in the quality of life for millions of animals throughout our country.