Living Raw n Organic is good but is it affordable?

[Hozwe]

Would you agree that organic is expensive, more individuals should realize the potential of raw foods, and that this form of lifestyle should be available to everyone,and making that transition to buying organic or living raw and seeing all positive benefits that it can bring through the course of a life time is a tremendous accomplishment.
But why do we still see minimal change in the organic, and raw living in this country especially in the urban communities? though their have been exceptional movements which have led to educating the communities through living a healthy life, the majority of common people are still in the category of unhealthy living status, because of low living wages.

So does Wealthy mean Healthy?

How can this lifestyle become available to everyone?

[The David]

Yes, Wealthy means Healthy. The 'Organic' fad, in my opinion, is elitist and aristocratic.

Now, I'm all for buying from local farmers. I would be interested in finding some in my area. But when I shop at Wal-Mart, I don't want bugs (commercial 'ethical' farmers) on my apples.

As far as raw foods, well, since I tend to shop at supermarkets, I go for frozen. It's cheaper, and from what I hear, better quality because the food is frozen as soon as it is plucked, while the 'fresh' vegetables are left on the counter to rot or ripen artificially.

If you do have the money, it's probably a worthy investment. I just don't think it's as ethical issue. Well, if anything is an ethical issue, I suppose shopping at Wal-mart is.

How to make it more available? Grow your own fruits and vegetables.

[WanderingOak]

I think a lot of it has to do with convenience. There are many people who don't actually cook (opening a can'o'glop/nuke-a-meal ain't cooking), either because they don't know how or don't want to be bothered with the trouble. This is doubly true since in America at least, there are many familys where there is either only one parent present, or both parents work. June Cleaver is nowhere in sight.

For the single working (IOW poor) parent, in most cases that means convenience food. Sure the 'organic' mac'n'cheese may be more PC than the store brand, but it is probably just as unhealthy as the store brand which costs a tenth as much.

For the typical two working parent family, the choice is usually take-out. Now, this could be healthy if done right, but more often than not, it isn't.

The Slow Food/Organic/100 Mile diet/etc movements all have their merits. However, they are nowhere near as ubiquitous as the cult of convenience which encompasses Mall Wart/7-11/McD's, etc. It would be great if there was a mom'n'pop '100 mile diet organic grocery store' on every street corner, but that isn't the case (yet). It can be done, but it requres more money and effort than most people are willing to put into it.

I have noticed that the regular grocery stores in my area are starting to sell more and more fresh organic produce, but most of it is still trucked halfway across the country. Even though I am in the heart of apple country, most local stores don't sell local apples. All of the grocers in my area are chain stores which are forced to deal only with their national suppliers. I have to go 10 miles out of my way to the farmers market to find anything local. Of course, they also have fresh squeezed cider with no preservatives (can you say Applejack! ), so it is worth the trip.

I would grow my own, if I didn't have the commute from Hades every morning and evening. I'd need a 10 foot fence around my yard to keep Bambi out of the garden, but it would be worth it. I've done it before, and had so many volunteer tomatoes that they literally took over the entire garden. I was eating fresh vine-ripened tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for nearly four months . Then again, I had nearly a quarter acre of garden back then, and that is beyond the reach of many people.

[IAmSoOverMe]

Sure, eating organic will cost you twice as much or more if you buy all of your stuff from Whole Foods. But if you select the right things, eating organic, or natural, can actually be cheaper. For example, although fruits have gone up in price, they are still rather cheap to eat as an alternative to junk foods. Junk foods are addictive, so you end up eating more. If you eat more, then you spend more. Chicken breast is a great meal for dinner. Find a good organic chicken breast recipe. A big bag of chicken can feed you for more than several meals, and it only cost $6-$10 for the bag. Avoid anything organic that uses "evaporated cane juice". Although it isn't refined sugar, it is still sugar and still addictive. In short, I try to eat organic and natural as much as I can. I've been on a big kick about it the last 6 months or so. Basically I stick to fresh fruits (strawberries,ripened bananas), some vegetables, nuts (almonds, cashews), and lean game meats. I occasionally will buy some type of organic meal from Whole Foods, but it is kind of pricey. Aside from that, my grocery bill has been very reasonable compared to the days back in 1999 when I drank kool-aid and bought gallons of ice cream and oven pizzas. I had a high grocery bill and a high waistline.
http://www.IAmSoOverMe.com/organic-is-affordable

[Andwan]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

For the single working (IOW poor)

Thats a shallow way labeling a single working parent

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Andwan

Thats a shallow way labeling a single working parent

I apologize if that sounded wrong, but I was raised by single working parents, and that was the way that I saw it. We were poor. I am not sure how that is considered to be a shallow statement.