Is organic food better than conventional food?

When I first landed in Minnesota it was amazing to see fruits and vegetables in the grocery stores, because they are shiny, big sizes and it is available in grocery stores for all seasons. It might be good because people have access to get different kinds of nutrition from vegetables and fruits, which is not their actual season for crops. Do we get real nutrition from it or is it safe to assume those shiny and big sizes of fruits and vegetables are really good? People might think, if they consume vegetables and fruits are contains with hormone, antibiotics and pesticides are not safe for health, there is an option of word “ Organic, “ but can people afford it all the time? All this could be depends on their healthy way of eating and to be a smart shopper.

1. I don’t buy organic product all the time but I don’t eat processed foods, such as, Lean Cuisine’s ready made food and other processed packets foods. I cook all the time but ones in while I prefer to try eat in the Indian restaurant and some fast foods (I like to go buy at Chipotle, when I don’t have time to cook).  Most of the time I shop my vegetables at ethnic grocery store like Indian stores because I get what I like to cook and I know how to cook it. I tried many organic products, which has better taste and different prices at different stores, but most expensive grocery store is Whole Foods in my experience. I think I am a healthy eater because I don’t keep processed foods; I don’t keep any kind of soda in my refrigerator; and I cook every meal for my family and myself. I bought a juicer and I make the juices from fruits, it has a lot of work to do it, but it’s worth it. When I buy a juices, I always look for the label whether it was from the concentrate or not and its nutrition facts. I try not to buy juices made from concentrate.

2. Is organic food better than conventional food? Of course, organic food is better than conventional food because it doesn’t have synthetic fertilizer (unnatural fertilizer), no pesticides ( a chemicals, which kills the insects from harming the crops), without hormones ( a chemicals, helps to grow bigger from the actual sizes ), it also helps the people’s health as well as the environment from being damaged to the land. However, it is good for the health but it is expensive and there is no guarantee that organic consumer are healthier than conventional consumer. Mark Bittman says, “But eating “organic“ offers no guarantee of any of that. He also talks about the, to eat better and one of the audience in the group raised this question, “ What if I can’t afford to buy organic food?”  Bittman thinks that, “It seems to have become the magic cure-all, synonymous with eating well, healthfully, sanely, even ethically.” Therefore, we all think that, when people talks about the healthy food the big words “organic” it naturally comes in their mind and they are worry about its expense. In reality healthy foods means I guess, not eating processed food, not eating lots of sugary and calorie. As long as if people eat real food like- fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, try not to eat fast food all the time and avoid junk foods.

As long as vegetables and fruits are safe and fresh to eat by cooking and in proper way to eat there is not need to be is an organic. Bittman says, “And the food would not necessarily have to be organic, which, under the United States Department of Agriculture’s definition, means it is generally free of synthetic substances; contains no antibiotics and hormones; has not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; was raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contains no genetically modified ingredients.” Ms. Shaffer also mentioned that,  “ As long as it meets the standards it’s organic.” Therefore, organic food is better than conventional food but if conventional food meets all the standards than it can also be healthy foods to eat.  The main point is that people have to know what and how to consume food rather than be worried about whether the food is organic or conventional food.

3. Phil Howard says, “People believe it must be better for you if it’s organic,” in modernize and competitive world people were believed that it is healthy and better for the health to eat if food is comes from organic farm. I like this quote because it is a true statement that organic is better to have it, but I think it is also not a true what people believe that if someone eats all the time organic packet food and drinks organic juices, which contains lots of calorie, sugar and comes from processed. Why is it not a healthy food to eat but it is still organic?  Therefore, “organic “ itself brings misconception in peoples’ mind. Healthy food doesn’t mean that it should be an organic, rather if it’s safe, fresh and it meets all the standards would be considered as good as organic food. 

1. Following Your Dreams and Passions: Why does Jamal choose a different path than the other boys in the movie?

In “ Finding Forrester “ Jamal was raised by his single mom. He started writing on his notes, since his father left from the Jamal’s family.

Jamal: I didn’t knock this time.

Forrester: I know you are sneaking.

Jamal: I don’t go until I have my five thousands words back.

Forrester:  lock the door if you are coming in. The man was in the car?

Jamal: Hmmmm, He was from the private school. He wants me to go there. We don’t have to pay anything though. We live a couple of blocks from here man me, and my mom. Hmmmmm, My brother was here a couple of year ago but he left after my dad left.

Jamal: Hmmm, My mom got tired away from dad himself to clean and my dad got tired to trying, that’s why I started to writing.

Jamal has a passion on reading, writing and he was inspired by Forrester after Jamal saw the correction on his notes. Jamal saw Forrester as a father figured that he could look up to. Below is the reading of the letter by Jamal Wallace, which he wrote to Forrester.

“ Loosing family! Loosing family obliges us to find our family. Not always the family that is our blood but the family that become our blood and should we have the wisdom to open our doors to our new family. We will find that our wishes we had for the father who ones guided us, and brother who ones inspired us. Those wishes……music…..! The only thing left to say will be I wish I had to see this or I wish I had done that, I whish……! “

Jamal passion on reading and writing was main key of different path than the other boys in the movie and writing was the way to expressing his emotion.

2. On that night Jamal took Forrester to the Yankees game after he saw the album in Forrester apartment, because Forrester and his brother were likes to go watch the game. It was also Forrester birthday and it was treat from Jamal as a gift from the son who was not related as a biological father. There was a moment of fear in Jamal’s eyes when Jamal loose Forrester in the crowd for a few minutes. He found the Forrester standing alone by the dark corner from the crowd. Jamal took Forrester from the huge audience to quite place, which was on their way to Forrester apartment. Jamal paid for the private time in open stadium for Forrester on his birth date present.

This scene was very touching to me as a relationship between father and son even though there was not blood connection between these two. This scene also shows the meaning of true friendship as well as father and son relation, when Jamal softly grab the Forrester hand from the fear of the crowd, as the father grab when their children’s fall down on the ground. Jamal seems very responsible son in this scene and he didn’t want to loose his father again.

3.  This quote was taken at end of the movie, which Forrester wrote to Jamal before he died. Jamal open that letter with the knife he took from Forrester apartment on the night he left his backpack.

“ Dear Jamal, Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams afraid that we may fail or worse yet, afraid we may succeed. You need to know that while I knew so very early that you would realize your dreams, I never imagined I would once again realize my own. Seasons change young man, and while I may have waited until the winter of my life, to see the things I’ve seen this past year there is no doubt I would have waited too long, had it not been for you.”