Once labeled as a fad, organic lifestyle not only stayed with the consumers who first adopted it but also converted many businesses in its favor. While the increase in the number of people who adopted an organic lifestyle has been slow, it has been consistent nonetheless. Those who try it end up sticking with it for experiencing its benefits firsthand.

If you have been wanting to make some changes to your lifestyle to feel healthier and happier or if you have been looking to reduce your carbon footprint on the planet, then an organic lifestyle is something you can benefit from. Let’s see the various advantages you will experience once you go organic:

Improved Physical Health

An organic lifestyle has a direct and powerful impact on physical health. Organic food is not only rich in nutrients but does not contain toxins from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. These are not just statements but are facts backed by science. Many scientific researches have proved that consuming organic food saves one from repeated exposure to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. While most of the synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used by regular farms are allowed for conventional farming, their repeated exposure can be harmful, especially to children and immune-compromised.  

Organic dairy products also contain a greater percentage of healthy fats compared to conventional dairy products. This difference in the percentage of healthy fats comes from the difference in the food the livestock consumes at an organic or conventional dairy. Full-cream milk from an organic dairy contains fewer calories than full-cream milk from a conventional dairy. While one glass of organic milk may not make much difference in one’s health, when one commits to only consuming organic food, the changes in their physical health can be drastically positive.

However, the benefits of organic food on one’s physical health don’t stop there. Conventional livestock farms inject livestock with various antibiotics and growth hormones to maximize their muscle mass to get a greater meat percentage. When one stops consuming conventionally raised livestock, one also stops consuming the traces of these various antibiotics and growth hormones that the meat contains. It should be noted that none of these chemicals are suited for human consumption, yet their indirect consumption by humans occurs all the time. Though it occurs in minor quantities, constant consumption can add up and lead to various health issues among the consumers.

Grown without the harmful toxins and chemicals, and in a cleaner and more natural environment, organic fruits and vegetables also contain more nutrients and minerals than conventional farm produce. Organic foods contain a higher percentage of essential nutrients such as Vitamin C, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Iron when compared to inorganically grown foods.

Cutting down on inorganic food also means cutting down on unhealthy chemicals, and regularly consuming organic foods means regularly consuming healthier food. Both of these acts when done for a longer period produce effects on physical health which are not only visible but also make one feel good.  

Improved Mental Health

There is no doubt that physical health impacts mental health. The old saying, “a healthy gut keeps a mind healthy,” has been proven to be true too. The harmful toxins and chemical consumed with inorganic food not only affects the physical health but also increase the risk of mental illnesses too.

Researchers have proved that those who regularly consume junk or processed food have a higher risk of experiencing psychiatric distress than those who don’t. The increased risk arises from the lack of nutrients from inorganic food and proves the importance of receiving the right quantity of nutrients in one’s daily life. For humans, the only method of receiving the required nutrients is through consuming food, or more specifically, nutrient-rich food.

When one doesn’t fall sick and doesn’t experience unexpected aches and pains in their body, their mental health starts improving too. While the effects of organic food on one’s physical health are more noticeable, improved physical health starts improving one’s mental health too. When one feels physically active, they begin completing more day-to-day tasks in their everyday life. This, slowly, brings them a sense of control over their day and their plans. Nothing can bring a greater sense of achievement than having confidence in one’s physical and mental capabilities.

Adopting an organic lifestyle is not a day’s job. It requires one to make conscious choices all day and every day. Making these choices also add to the sense of control over one’s life and the sense of achievement for doing something better for one’s health and the environment. The daily work that goes into maintaining an organic lifestyle further boosts one’s mental well-being day too.

 

Involvement in Local Community

Going organic also means going local. It does not include foreign foods shipped across the world. Even if a food item is produced organically, it no longer stays organic when flown in from the other corner of the world or even the country. Consuming organic food also means not consuming food that’s packed in plastic and placed in the freezer section of the local supermarket.

Consuming organic food means going to local farmers’ markets and buying produce grown on the nearby land. It also means asking the local farmers questions about their farming methods and knowing their practices. It means getting involved in the process of the growth of the food one will consume.

Adopting an organic lifestyle connects them to their local farmers, producers, artisans, and other important professionals of society that contribute to the sustenance of one’s organic lifestyle. As adopting an organic lifestyle also means supporting these professionals and becoming their regular customers, it strengthens one’s relationship and their involvement with their local community. The local professionals producing organic goods almost always practice living an organic lifestyle themselves.

As one goes organic, they provide these local organic goods producers a chance to expand their customer base and hence their business. Similarly, as these local organic goods producers see other local members of the society adopting an organic lifestyle and supporting their small businesses, they welcome them into the community.

 

Strengthened Connection with Nature

An organic lifestyle comes with making deliberate choices that one knows will be beneficial for them and the planet. When one truly adopts an organic lifestyle, they learn what product does or does not grow in their local area. They learn the different farming practices and the effects of these practices. It brings one to the ground level, right by their food. More often than not, it also makes one take an interest in growing their own food so that they can learn more about the dos and don’ts of growing organic produce.

The knowledge that comes with adopting an organic lifestyle deepens one’s connection with nature. One begins to appreciate nature and how it works, which further strengthens their commitment towards living an organic lifestyle.

 

Reduced Carbon Footprint

If one wishes to preserve Mother Nature for future generations, then they have to work on reducing their carbon footprint. Carbon footprint refers to the amount of Greenhouse gases emitted as a result of one’s choices and actions. When one chooses to adopt a lifestyle that requires a lesser amount of greenhouse gases to maintain, their carbon footprint is automatically reduced.

An organic lifestyle requires the least amount of greenhouse gases to maintain. Most organic livestock farming and organic produce farming practices reverse the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment.  

Industrialization and conventional farming practices are the leading causes of increased greenhouses gases in the environment. They not only pollute the air, but also the water and the land. Their practices have permanently changed the chemistry of soil and water underneath the earth’s surface. And each new crop season, they require a greater amount of synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers to grow the crops.

On the other hand, organic livestock farms and produce farms reverse the damage done by the harmful chemicals. They preserve the soil’s chemistry by keeping it naturally fertile and clean the water sources underneath. This way, they end up increasing the fertility of the land and increasing the variety of the products that can grow in a certain area. Organic farming practices also encourage the use of reclaimed water instead of emptying freshwater lakes and rivers.

Increased Savings

Adopting an organic lifestyle may seem to come with a hefty price tag in the beginning, but it makes one saving money in the longer run.

Consuming organic food reduces one’s appetite in the long run. Human beings don’t feel hungry only when they need energy, they also feel hungry when their body’s requirement of essential vitamins and nutrients is not met. When one’s requirement of essential vitamins and nutrients is met through their regular meals, they feel less tempted to snack or binge eat or spend money on snacks or large amounts of food.

Moreover, organic produce stays fresh for longer. It is an unfortunate reality that about 35% of food purchased all over the US ends up in trash cans. This is because inorganic food stays fresh only until it stays inside the specially formulated packaging or at a specific temperature. Since the air and the temperature inside most people’s homes is different than the artificial environment at farms and supermarkets, the produce gets spoilt quickly. Inorganic produce at the supermarket aisles also contains out-of-season produce. This product also gets spoilt as soon as it’s removed from the temperature-controlled environment or the preservative-laden packaging it’s placed in.

The choice between organic and inorganic food is of that between quality vs quantity. For all the above-mentioned reasons, inorganic food consumers buy food in a greater quantity. They don’t end up consuming this food either, which adds to food waste and their carbon footprint. On the other hand, those who consume organic food buy less food yet gain more nutrients from it. They also stay healthier which, in the long run, reduces their medical bills and saves them money. Most people who choose to live an organic lifestyle also end up growing food in their kitchen garden or backyard, and hence making more savings.

Though food is a major part of it, the organic lifestyle is not limited to food. As one decides to go organic, they stop spending money on impulse buys. With a relatively higher number of inorganic goods and fewer organic goods in the market, those who live an organic lifestyle don’t get tempted by a large variety of options to choose from or to buy things they don’t need. They make a conscious choice every day not to add to their carbon footprint or indulge in practices that may harm Mother Nature.

One stops contributing to fast fashion and trendy materials that lose their charm after a season. Like their food, they invest in things that keep benefitting them in the long run. For this reason, they don’t feel the need to constantly shop for new things and instead buy things that are truly worth their money. They also recycle and upcycle things whenever they can to reduce their carbon footprint wherever possible.

An organic lifestyle is more about seeing the labels on items in a market and more about knowing where all the raw materials for an item are coming from. However, it’s not at all as difficult as it may seem.

An organic lifestyle is much simpler compared to an inorganic lifestyle. An organic way of living is mindful living. All it requires is a little bit of thought before making day-to-day choices. In return, it frees from many thoughts and practices that don’t bring one any good.

The greatest freedom that comes from living an organic lifestyle is the freedom from the artificial things all-around one, made up of or wrapped in plastic. It is said, “We are what we eat.” Are you ready to stop consuming plastic and feel more real instead?