Food is indeed a powerful influence on one’s health and well-being. An adage even says, “every time you are eating a meal, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.” In this era when staying healthy has, more than ever, become our top priority, how do we keep our overall health in tip-top shape? And for parents, how do we ensure that our children live better lives?
Dr. Celeste Gomez
Today, many parents are now embracing the concept of switching to healthier options and advocating organic nutrition for their children’s growth and development, medical expert and a mom to a toddler Dr. Celeste Gomez, from The Medical City Pediatrics and the Institute of Functional Medicine, shares the benefits of organic nutrition and guides fellow moms in their shift to organic to help strengthen their family’s immunity.
Shifting to an organic lifestyle may sound intimidating for others. But essentially, vegetables or grains are organic if they have no GMO, synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, chemical additives, or sewage sludge. For meat, dairy, poultry, and fish to be labelled as organic, there should be no hormones and antibiotics, fed with organic grains or vegetables, no animal by-products, no GMO corn or soil, poultry must have access to outdoors, livestock must have access to pasture, and fish are wild caught and not farmed.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM International), a Germany-based organization of organic certifying bodies, regulates the standards of Organic Agriculture which should be maintained for a certain product to be accredited as organic. In the country, the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP), accredited by IFOAM International, gives the Certified Organic seal to products grown using agricultural standards.
Compared to conventional food, there are a few differences between organic and all-natural. In some instances, “all-natural” products may also use artificial fertilizers or pesticides, irradiation, and GMO ingredients. On the other hand, conventional food products may use artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, fertilizer, pesticides, irradiation, and GMO ingredients.
In addition, some food products and their packaging may also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can decrease or increase normal hormone levels, mimic the body’s natural hormones, or alter the natural production of hormones when absorbed in the body. Some examples of EDCs in food are pesticides (found in vegetables, grains, and fruits), bisphenol A or BPA (food storage containers), and phthalates (food packaging).
While Dr. Gomez clarifies that conventional food is still nutritious and isn’t entirely that bad, its way of processing as well as presence of pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria growth add stress on our body systems. Hence, we just need to detox more. How? By choosing whole and organic food in every chance we could.
In relation to organic food, whole foods are natural products that are not processed or refined in any way. Or if they are processed, they need to be able to retain 95% of the natural nutrients. They do not need to be bought in organic options as they are already rich in vitamins and minerals as they are. According to EWG’s 2020 Clean 15, among the examples of whole foods are avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, cauliflower, and broccoli. On the other hand, some examples of plant produce that should be bought in organic are strawberries, spinach, kale nectarines, apples, tomatoes, and potatoes.
Gomez, who is a member of the Institute for Functional Medicine, further explains that Functional Nutrition is an emerging field which studies about finding the right way for each of us as individuals to use food to maximize the potential for health and wellness, specifically, by focusing on whole foods and organic choices.
“There is no single “right diet” that applies to all of us. We have different genetic backgrounds, different preferences, and different lives. We all want to be healthy, but most of us haven’t figured out just how to make food and dietary patterns serve that goal,” she added.
The world has indeed evolved now, more than ever, and we have seen so many changes in everyone’s lifestyle. Along with that change should also be the way we take care of our family’s health, particularly our little ones, through proper nutrition. A smart way to go organic is choosing an organic milk for our children. Luckily, Wyeth Nutrition’s PROMIL® Organic knows exactly what parents need.
PROMIL® Organic is made with 100% organic milk sourced from certified organic dairy farms, following all the strict standards in manufacturing an Organic formula milk, with higher levels of DHA and AA versus previous formulation to help support the development of children over 3 years old.
Organic Certified: free from antibiotics and chemical pesticides! Only the good is in PROMIL® Organic.
“PROMIL® Organic follows strict compliance of the 95% processing level and international standards from the IFOAM Organics International. It is also certified organic by the OCCP,” says Associate Marketing Director Maria Carmela Gabunada of Wyeth Nutrition.
It is the only organic formula milk expertly designed with key nutrients DHA, AA, iron, iodine and vitamin B12 to help the child with mental and visual development; boosts immunity with Vitamin A and C; Calcium, Vitamin D, K, and zinc to promote proper growth; and dietary fiber (oligofructose) to improve digestive health.
To know more about PROMIL® Organic, visit the following:
- Website: https://www.wyethparenteam.com.ph/products/promil-organic
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PromilOrganicPH/
- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PROMILORGANICPhilippines
Together, let’s choose the #SmartWayToGoOrganic with #PromilOrganic
Also read: Andi Manzano shares practical tips on how parents can transition to an organic lifestyle