One man's 3-year experiment in eating organic food - all the time

[Guest guest]

Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own

opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic. If you do not wish to

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---------------------------------------------------------

One man's 3-year experiment in eating organic food - all the time

By Tara -Pope

Published: December 2, 2008

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/04/healthscience/snparker.php

Fruits, vegetables and animals can be 100 percent organic. What about

people? In a fascinating experiment - on himself - Dr. Alan Greene, a

pediatrician and author in Danville, California, decided to find out.

For the last three years, Greene has eaten nothing but organic foods,

whether he's cooking at home, dining out or snacking on the road.

He chose three years as a goal because that was the amount of time it

took to have a breeding animal certified organic by the U.S. Department

of Agriculture. While food growers comply with organic regulations every

day, Greene wondered whether a person could meet the same standards.

It hasn't been easy.

" This isn't a way of eating I could recommend to anybody else because

it's so far off the beaten food grid, " said Greene, 49, the founder of a

popular Web site about children's health, drgreene.com. " It was much

more challenging than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be

tough. There were definitely days where there was nothing I could find

that was organic. "

Other writers have ventured off the traditional food grid, notably

Barbara Kingsolver in " Animal, Vegetable, Miracle " and Pollan in

" The Omnivore's Dilemma. " But what makes Greene's experiment remarkable

is the length of time he devoted to it, and his effort to incorporate

organic eating into the routines of everyday living. His findings offer

new insight into the challenges facing the organic food industry and

those who want to patronize it.

Organic farmers don't use conventional methods to fertilize the soil,

control weeds and pests, or prevent disease in livestock.

Organic methods often lead to higher costs, and consumers can pay twice

as much for organic foods as for conventional products.

To cut back on the cost of an organic diet, Greene said he had to cut

back on meat. " Whenever you go up the food chain, the costs pile up, " he

said. " If you don't eat meat at every meal, if meat becomes more of a

side dish than a centerpiece, you can fill the plate with healthy

organic food for about the same price. "

Questions remain about whether organic foods are really better for you.

The data are mixed. In autumn, researchers from the University of

Copenhagen reported on a two-year experiment in which they grew carrots,

kale, peas, potatoes and apples using both organic and conventional

growing methods. The researchers found that the growing methods made no

difference in the nutrients in the crops or the levels of nutrients

retained by rats that ate them, according to the study, published in The

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

But other research suggests that organic foods do contain more of

certain nutrients - almost twice as many, in the case of organic

tomatoes studied for a 2007 report in The Journal of Agricultural and

Food Chemistry.

Greene said he was inspired to go all-organic after talking to a dairy

farmer who noted that livestock got sick less after a switch to organic

practices. He wondered if becoming 100 percent organic might improve his

own health.

Three years later, he says he has more energy and wakes up earlier.

As a pediatrician regularly exposed to sick children, he was accustomed

to several illnesses a year. Now, he says, he is rarely ill. His urine

is a brighter yellow, a sign that he is ingesting more vitamins and

nutrients.

At home, he said, the organic routine was relatively easy. Organic food

is widely available, not just at natural and organic food stores but at

traditional supermarkets. He also shopped at farmer's markets and joined

a local community-supported agriculture group. Because he bought less

meat, the costs tended to balance out. And his family (two of his four

children still live at home) largely went along with the experiment.

On the road, though, life was more challenging. In corporate cafeterias

and convenience stores, he looked for stickers that began with the

number 9 to signify organic. When dining out, he called ahead; high-end

restaurants were willing to accommodate his all-organic request.

Greene reached the three-year milestone in October, but his diet is

still organic. He hasn't decided whether to keep going full tilt or to

ease up in the interest of cost and convenience. In his latest book,

" Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth

and Baby Care " (Jossey-Bass), he advocates a " strategic " approach,

urging parents to insist on organic versions of a few main foods, like

milk, potatoes, apples and baby food.

The biggest surprise of the whole experience, he says, was that many

people still don't know what " organic " means.

" It's surprising to me how few people know that organic means without

pesticides, antibiotics or hormones, " he said. " In stores or restaurants

around the country, I would ask, 'Do you have anything organic?' Half

the time they would say, 'Do you mean vegetarian? " '

--

ne Holden, MS, RD

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/

[Guest guest]

It is interesting that this article makes one think that the changes in his

energy level and overall feeling of well being was attributed to the fact that

all his foods were organic. Read carefully, he also states that in order to

lower the cost of the diet (organic foods cost more), he lowered the amount of

meat/protein he ate and consumed more vegetables.

All things were not held equal!

Cece

This message is intended for the use of the addressee only and may contain

information that is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended

recipient of this message, be notified that any dissemination or use of this

message is strictly prohibited. Un-intended transmission does not constitute

waiver of attorney-client privilege or any other privilege. If you have

received this message in error, please delete all copies of the message and its

attachments and notify the sender immediately. Thank you.

[Guest guest]

It is interesting that this article makes one think that the changes in his

energy level and overall feeling of well being was attributed to the fact that

all his foods were organic. Read carefully, he also states that in order to

lower the cost of the diet (organic foods cost more), he lowered the amount of

meat/protein he ate and consumed more vegetables.

All things were not held equal!

Cece

This message is intended for the use of the addressee only and may contain

information that is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended

recipient of this message, be notified that any dissemination or use of this

message is strictly prohibited. Un-intended transmission does not constitute

waiver of attorney-client privilege or any other privilege. If you have

received this message in error, please delete all copies of the message and its

attachments and notify the sender immediately. Thank you.

[Guest guest]

It is interesting that this article makes one think that the changes in his

energy level and overall feeling of well being was attributed to the fact that

all his foods were organic. Read carefully, he also states that in order to

lower the cost of the diet (organic foods cost more), he lowered the amount of

meat/protein he ate and consumed more vegetables.

All things were not held equal!

Cece

This message is intended for the use of the addressee only and may contain

information that is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended

recipient of this message, be notified that any dissemination or use of this

message is strictly prohibited. Un-intended transmission does not constitute

waiver of attorney-client privilege or any other privilege. If you have

received this message in error, please delete all copies of the message and its

attachments and notify the sender immediately. Thank you.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for posting - this author used to write for the Wall Street Journal

and I always enjoyed her posts.

On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 5:37 PM, ne Holden <

fivestar@...> wrote:

> Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own

> opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic. If you do not wish to

> receive these posts, set your email filter to filter out any messages

> coming from @nutritionucanlivewith.com and the program will remove

> anything coming from me.

> ---------------------------------------------------------

>

> One man's 3-year experiment in eating organic food - all the time

> By Tara -Pope

>

> Published: December 2, 2008

>

> http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/04/healthscience/snparker.php

>

> Fruits, vegetables and animals can be 100 percent organic. What about

> people? In a fascinating experiment - on himself - Dr. Alan Greene, a

> pediatrician and author in Danville, California, decided to find out.

> For the last three years, Greene has eaten nothing but organic foods,

> whether he's cooking at home, dining out or snacking on the road.

>

> He chose three years as a goal because that was the amount of time it

> took to have a breeding animal certified organic by the U.S. Department

> of Agriculture. While food growers comply with organic regulations every

> day, Greene wondered whether a person could meet the same standards.

>

> It hasn't been easy.

>

> " This isn't a way of eating I could recommend to anybody else because

> it's so far off the beaten food grid, " said Greene, 49, the founder of a

> popular Web site about children's health, drgreene.com. " It was much

> more challenging than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be

> tough. There were definitely days where there was nothing I could find

> that was organic. "

>

> Other writers have ventured off the traditional food grid, notably

> Barbara Kingsolver in " Animal, Vegetable, Miracle " and Pollan in

> " The Omnivore's Dilemma. " But what makes Greene's experiment remarkable

> is the length of time he devoted to it, and his effort to incorporate

> organic eating into the routines of everyday living. His findings offer

> new insight into the challenges facing the organic food industry and

> those who want to patronize it.

>

> Organic farmers don't use conventional methods to fertilize the soil,

> control weeds and pests, or prevent disease in livestock.

>

> Organic methods often lead to higher costs, and consumers can pay twice

> as much for organic foods as for conventional products.

>

> To cut back on the cost of an organic diet, Greene said he had to cut

> back on meat. " Whenever you go up the food chain, the costs pile up, " he

> said. " If you don't eat meat at every meal, if meat becomes more of a

> side dish than a centerpiece, you can fill the plate with healthy

> organic food for about the same price. "

>

> Questions remain about whether organic foods are really better for you.

> The data are mixed. In autumn, researchers from the University of

> Copenhagen reported on a two-year experiment in which they grew carrots,

> kale, peas, potatoes and apples using both organic and conventional

> growing methods. The researchers found that the growing methods made no

> difference in the nutrients in the crops or the levels of nutrients

> retained by rats that ate them, according to the study, published in The

> Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

>

> But other research suggests that organic foods do contain more of

> certain nutrients - almost twice as many, in the case of organic

> tomatoes studied for a 2007 report in The Journal of Agricultural and

> Food Chemistry.

>

> Greene said he was inspired to go all-organic after talking to a dairy

> farmer who noted that livestock got sick less after a switch to organic

> practices. He wondered if becoming 100 percent organic might improve his

> own health.

>

> Three years later, he says he has more energy and wakes up earlier.

>

> As a pediatrician regularly exposed to sick children, he was accustomed

> to several illnesses a year. Now, he says, he is rarely ill. His urine

> is a brighter yellow, a sign that he is ingesting more vitamins and

> nutrients.

>

> At home, he said, the organic routine was relatively easy. Organic food

> is widely available, not just at natural and organic food stores but at

> traditional supermarkets. He also shopped at farmer's markets and joined

> a local community-supported agriculture group. Because he bought less

> meat, the costs tended to balance out. And his family (two of his four

> children still live at home) largely went along with the experiment.

>

> On the road, though, life was more challenging. In corporate cafeterias

> and convenience stores, he looked for stickers that began with the

> number 9 to signify organic. When dining out, he called ahead; high-end

> restaurants were willing to accommodate his all-organic request.

>

> Greene reached the three-year milestone in October, but his diet is

> still organic. He hasn't decided whether to keep going full tilt or to

> ease up in the interest of cost and convenience. In his latest book,

> " Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth

> and Baby Care " (Jossey-Bass), he advocates a " strategic " approach,

> urging parents to insist on organic versions of a few main foods, like

> milk, potatoes, apples and baby food.

>

> The biggest surprise of the whole experience, he says, was that many

> people still don't know what " organic " means.

>

> " It's surprising to me how few people know that organic means without

> pesticides, antibiotics or hormones, " he said. " In stores or restaurants

> around the country, I would ask, 'Do you have anything organic?' Half

> the time they would say, 'Do you mean vegetarian? " '

> --

> ne Holden, MS, RD

> " Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

> " Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

> " Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

> http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/

>

>

>

--

Ortiz, RD

Great sites:

http://whatstheharm.net/

http://www.skepdoc.info/