Beyond Organic:
The Truth Behind the Term

Why would anyone argue that you must think beyond organic to truly eat a healthy diet? Isn't organic healthy? Isn't "natural" healthy, too? 

If that's how you think, you're missing information. Many people have been misled to believe that "organic" and "natural" are absolutely healthier than regular products.  

There are some problems with that however.

When Natural or Organic Isn't Better

First, someone who labels their food "natural" is under no federal law or obligation for the food to be any healthier than the huge produce farms that spray pesticides all over their crops to keep them pest-free. Some people use a "natural" label, just to make their product more appealing to conscientious buyers. 

Next, true organic foods are much healthier for us than non-organic. Organic means that those foods are are not genetically altered and they are free of pesticide residues, synthetic hormones, and additives. 

But again, even if the producer is certified organic, there are loopholes which say for example that the chickens only need to have access to the outside. That outside is dirt, not grass, and most hybrid birds are bred to have such heavy breasts that they just sit by the food and eat.

Not only that, but our federal government has made it more and more difficult to get certification, favoring large farm conglomerates. The small, local farmer gets put in the position of almost needing to employ one extra person just to do the paper work, or the regulations don’t make sense for a small farmer who is only selling to his neighbors. 

Still, many who say their products are organic are telling the truth. They just haven't been able to get "certified" or can’t afford to get certified.

Beyond Organic

So why look beyond organic?  Isn't organic just as good?  Well, yes. But we can go beyond organic and do even better. 

The wealth of organic products available today is great, but if you only look for "organic", you're missing a huge part of the picture.  

Cattle raised on organic corn can be termed organic meat. Good, right?  

Not really. A cows natural diet is not corn, it's grass!  

What do you suppose happens to those cows when they eat things they weren't meant to eat?  They get sick and have to be fed antibiotics to keep them alive.  They suffer side-effects to their health. Those side effects cause changes in the meat quality and content.   

Now, instead of consuming meats that have the right balance of nutrients for our bodies, we're compromising our health, too. 

Meat and dairy products labeled "organic" are not necessarily the healthiest choice for our own health needs. Why? Because if these products come from animals raised on organic grain, they can still be labeled organic, but they aren't balanced correctly for their needs, or our health. 

This holds as true for chicken, eggs, pork, lamb, turkeys, even farm-raised fish. Confine your meat-animals, take away that animal's natural diet, and you will affect your own diet and health. And not for the better. 

So what's a better choice?

Why Grass Fed is Best

Grass fed meats are by far the healthier choice for the animals and humans. Across the board. Not just beef, but chicken, eggs, pork, lamb, goat meat, or dairy products... any meat product available is better for us if the animal is fed a diet that is natural to their systems. For most meat animals, this is largely grass, though some, like pigs, who are omnivores (meat and vegetable eaters) need supplemental foods.

For cows, grass, or hay if grass is not available year-round, is all they need.

So before you rush out looking for organic, think beyond organic and find a local source of grass fed animals. You'll be much healthier in the long run.

For more information on a related topic, go to our Health Benefits and Research page.

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