The greatest way for me to effect change is to practice what I preach and use my media presence to bring attention to human and environmental health. Here is another piece of my heart, the part that prays for a healthy body, mind and planet.
I’m sure a lot of you are curious what ORGANIC eating really means. How is it classified and what are the benefits? Before anything else, it is important for me to share how personal this issue is to me. I do not see this as a trendy style of eating or an extravagance in my lifestyle. This is a movement in the food industry to go back to basics and create food the way we did before the advent of industrialism. Pure and free of chemicals, as nature intended food to be.
My interest in nutrition and organic eating skyrocketed when my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer and my dad had quadruple bypass surgery in 2012. Last year, he was also diagnosed with diabetes. Not a good thing when you already suffer from hypertension. But I discovered that he wasn’t alone. A lot of people have both. I started to do my own research and trace what could have possibly caused their illnesses. Are they related to food and could they be eating differently to improve their quality of life? Could we make adjustments to the way we eat when we’re young to lessen our chances of getting these illnesses? The answers I found all led me back to the conclusion that, yes, their choices in food are directly linked to the illnesses they suffer from and yes, their conditions can be improved by making adjustments to their diet. Apart from eating unprocessed, chemical-free organic whole foods, choosing plant-based food over animal-based food can improve and possibly even reverse heart disease and diabetes. But don’t take my word for it. Google and YouTube are your friends. Help me do more research and post links in the comments section for us to talk about, even those that counter everything I said above. Let’s see what we come up with to help my dad.
Moving forward, there is a debate on whether organic food is better than conventional food – is it healthier, worth the price and better for the environment? Instead of bombarding you with words, I’ve attached some helpful creative videos to spark your interest in an organic lifestyle.
Regardless of Philippine standards being less regulated than that of the USDA, I still believe sourcing your food from legit local organic farms is far better than buying conventionally farmed produce and animals. Choosing local over imported products not only helps the economy but it also helps the environment by burning less fossil fuels from not having travel so far to get to your plate. You have a greater chance of getting fresh fruits, vegetables and meat from organic sources closer to home.
I believe that farmers who work with nature to produce food, free of unnecessary chemicals, are doing the right thing. Not only are those chemicals potentially harmful to humans but they also have huge environmental implications. The pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables, hormones and antibiotics injected into farm animals and the preservatives and artificial ingredients added to processed food, even the chemicals in our personal care products could be absorbed by our bodies. Are you willing to take that risk? Do you have certain diseases in your family that could potentially be awakened in your genes? I could be completely wrong about everything I believe. But what I do know for sure is I want to learn the truth and hopefully, a better way to live.
If you have a choice like I do, why not invest in your health today to lessen the chances of you spending on expensive health care in the future? Stop going on diets and just stay on a good one by eating well and eating clean! At the end of the day, whether you choose organic ingredients available to you or not, healthy eating is all about balance. Don’t deprive yourself, eat a variety of healthfully prepared ingredients and reward yourself with food that you love.
You are what you eat.
Some resources for you to check out:
- Organic FAQs
- Organic vs. Non-Organic Food Guide
- Should You Go Organic Or Not?
- What Is Organic Food? (Video)
- Why Organic Eating Is Better (Video)
- What Is Organic? (Video)
- Why Sustainable Farming Matters (Video)
- Organic Farming In The Philippines (Video)
I so agree with you bianca king. . corporate food has made processed shortcuts that r slowly killing us. we have to he more proactive in what we eat.
Yup! It’s good to know where your food comes from
The only problem with eating all-organic is budgeting. I become so broke now, LOL. I started ‘dieting’ in the first week of June. But I feel light and less toxicated. I avoid all refined foods like rice, sugar and breads. I opted for fresh fruits, raw/cooked vegatables, root crops, etc. I also buy at Healthy Options like organic extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, organic raw honey, organic maple syrup, Bob’s Red Mill products and Cadia products.
I’m happy to find that such a celebrity like you has a healthy-minded principle. Sometimes I’m about to give up and eat what on our dinner table (like the typical rice and ulam) but I still persist, I’m on my 2nd month of dieting now.
Concerning buying locally-grown products, though, powerfoods such as blueberries, maple syrup, quinoa and other products are not locally grown here, That’s my only problem. I’m also looking for local organic raw honey but to no avail.
Don’t think of it as a diet. Think of it as your default way of eating. The pattern of eating you always return to even if you occasionally indulge. That way, it’s mentally sustainable.
We have local blueberries occasionally sold in Salcedo and Legaspi market on the weekend. But we do have strawberries from Baguio that are a good source of vitamin c and antioxidants. Coco syrup from Coco Natura is a good alternative for maple syrup. I use on pancakes, in coffee & tea, oatmeal and many others. Weekend markets also have honey for sure.
I buy all my skin-care products at Healthy Options and I am very particular with the vegetables and fruits that I buy in Supermarkets. Currently, I only trust Robinsons (no intention to advertise) but they do have a section for organically grown veggies and fruits. I was wondering where do you mostly shop for your groceries?
Btw, I only follow a few on IG and I had no second-thoughts to follow you when I started seeing your posts about wellness. I hope that you continue to blog more about nutrition and organic food. Thanks for all that you do!
From your co-organic advocate,
Cel
Rustan’s in Rockwell and BGC has the best organic stuff in my opinion. SM Aura also =)
Dear Ms. Bianca,
I am a fan of yours ever since you were still in GMA 7 and even now that you’re working on something else. I loved it so much when I saw you on the Ryzza Mae show and I was very impressed with the recipe you created. Like you, I am passionate about learning what can be done to eat in a healthier way. I know how you feel on why you are passionate about this. I too went through something the same. My Dad had an Illness which made him virtually impossible to eat delicious food. It made me sad to see him that way so I’m kind of on a journey to see what can be done. Especially when Filipino foods (Truthfully, though savory are unhealthy to eat. There’s lots of salt, fat and processed ingredients). I’m searching for a way to somehow make these Filipino homegrown foods healthier. You actually inspired me to do so. Thank you for your work and I look forward to dine in your restaurant and see more organic recipes. God Bless!
I’m going to post more Filipino recipes done a healthier way! Keep reading!
Hi! My mom was diagnosed with cancer too. You can check out Gerson therapy diet where eating organic and vegetarian are part of the treatment. 🙂
BTW, I love your blog. 🙂
Thank you for reading! My Lola died. I hope no one else in my family gets cancer. Yes, I know of the Gerson diet.