Buying Organic is more important now than ever before!

What does climate change and leaky gut have to do with buying Organic?

“ We are at the most critical moment in the history of our species as man-made changes to the climate threaten humanity’s security on Earth” Rodale Institute/Regenerative-organic agriculture. Too much CO2 in our atmosphere is causing a big problem

Regenerative Organic Farming is a real viable solution.

There is a direct link between the health of our planet’s soil and the health of our gut/microbiome

"We depend on a vast army of microbes to stay alive: a microbiome protects us against germs, breaks down food to release energy, and produces vitamins" Oxford Dictionaries

Industrial and conventional farming kills these microbes and instead adds toxins. This leads to increased CO2 in the atmosphere -Not Cool- and leaky gut which lead to disease - Ugg -

In a nutshell ( pun intended) here is what is going on:

1. It all starts with basic photosynthesis;  Photosynthesis relies on plants to pull CO2 from our atmosphere. The plant then depends on the energy from the sun, water and nutrients from the soil to make carbohydrates. The plant then uses these carbs to “barter” with the soil’s microorganisms to get/exchange nutrients that the plant might need. -WOW it never ceases to amaze me. This perfect design.- Of Course us humans would not be alive without the byproduct of this sweet design, ie., oxygen and carbs.
2. Regenerative Organic Farming is about taking the CO2 from the atmosphere making carbs that feed the soil. So CO2 acts as a tonic for the soil not a toxin.

Here are some of the big problems:

1. Industrial conventional practices; Tile and Kill. When we do this to our soil we do this to our own gut. We are that connected.
2. Industrial conventional farming practices not only hurt our soil and the food that grown in it it has also created a thing called the suicide belt. “ As explained in Shiva’s The Violence of the Green Revolution, technologies of modern agriculture, such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanized tillage, have destroyed the biodiverse ecosystems that, in the past, guaranteed the security of a farmer’s livelihood.” The USA is now seeing these suicide.
3. These industrial farming practices are also responsible for increased CO2 in our atmosphere.
4. Deforestation: This takes away any ability for the soil to sequester the CO2 from our atmosphere. I will not even go into the orangutan habitat. I will save that for my Blog on Palm Oil:)
5. Leaky Gut: As a nutritionist I agree with Dr. Ax and other practitioners who have stated for years that the health of your gut is directly linked to your overall health and wellbeing.  We know now without a doubt that “industrial” food that is full of chemicals, GMO’s, hormones and antibiotics is directly linked to leaky gut and that leaky gut is directly linked to all kinds of health issues like autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation.
6. Brain Health; according to Dr.Perlmutter a neurologist and author of Grain Brain, “From my perspective as a neurologist I want to consider all possibilities when it comes to factors that may increase a person’s risk for such maladies as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. New research clearly links pesticides and other toxic exposures to increasing risk for these conditions.”

Solution:

1. Buy Organic Foods whenever you can.
2. Shop at farmers markets and support your local farms. Join a CSA (community supported agriculture.) Don’t miss out on the chance to get your daily dose of SBO’s (soil based organisms by NOT scrubbing off all that healthy dirt. SOB help in healing leaky gut. -Imagine that-.
3. Take the Jem Challenge. Challenge yourself, no matter where you live, to grow 25% of what is on your plate. More on this later ;)
4. Support a group that is working on solutions. I like The Carbon Underground; helping climate change from the ground up
5. Stay informed. We no longer have the privilege to be in the dark. Check out the other links I have given below.

Other reasons why to buy Organic besides CO2 sequestering:

1. More nutrients in the food you eat. Here is a great article published by my friend Max Golberg showing one of many examples of nutrient density from organically grown foods
2. Healthier farmers : There are approximately 500M small farms 2-2.5B farmers 70% of the food in the world are still produced by small farms. Lets support these farmers and tell them we want organic food.
3. Healthier planet: goes without saying
4. Profit: More sustainable lifestyle for farmers and we all can spend less on healthcare bills.
5. Purpose: When you support organic practices you support a larger life purpose. I embrace the value; do no intentional harm; and leave the world a better place for at least 7 generation to come. This is my life purpose and the guiding principles that inform the choices I make every day. What is your guiding purpose?

We vote with our wallet. Every choice we make matters.

Thanks for choosing Jem and choosing Organic!!

Here are some great resources to connect to:

1.Max Golberg’s Livingmaxwell. Max will keep you updated on all the latest and greatest when it comes to organic foods and the organic industry.

2. Rodale Institute whose mission is “Through organic leadership we improve the health and well-being of people and the planet.”
3. The Carbon Underground The Carbon Underground connects the worlds of academia, business, financial markets, government and the general public to avert catastrophic climate change.