Written by Jackie Sloves for Anamaya
Why go Organic?
At Anamaya Resort Hotel we serve meals with strictly organic ingredients. Organic food products are those which are produced sustainably and without pesticides. The land is treated to have a prolonged yield overtime through enriching the soil, rather than exhausting the land by attempting the extract the largest immediate yield at any cost. Organic farms do not use pesticides, or chemical fertilizers, which inevitably causes soil to become infertile and barren. The foods are not genetically modified or bioengineered, but rather grown naturally. Livestock are not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. Cooking our meals with organic ingredients is central to our detoxifying program because here at Anamaya Resort Hotel we wish to provide our guests with an environment that will cleanse the body and mind. As one cleanses their body from the outside through yoga, one can detox their body from the inside through our organic meals.
Higher Nutritional Content
Though the debate still persists about whether organic food is truly healthier than commercially produced food, one can not discount the many studies showing the benefits of organic foods. One such benefit is that many organically grown foods are richer in antioxidants than non-organic food products. Antioxidants rejuvenate cells, and can help prevent aging of the skin and body. Many detox diets are centralized around foods that are high in antioxidants because of their long-lasting positive effects on the body. There have been recent studies showing that organic foods have a higher nutritional content. For example, organic tomatoes have higher levels of Vitamin C and phytochemicals than non-organic tomatoes. Another study has shown that organic milk has higher levels of Omega 3s and other nutrients than conventional milk.
Detoxifying through Natural Food Products
In addition, antibiotics, growth hormones, and pesticides that are found in commercially produced livestock and agriculture are also found in trace amounts in the human body. Though there are no immediate significant effects, over time these trace amounts build up and can have harmful health effects. In some cases they affect children through mother’s breastmilk. By eating organic foods, one begins to detoxify their body from the build up of these trace chemicals.
Quality over Quantity
One of the downsides to organic foods is that it is more expensive. It is more expensive because many organic farms do not receive subsidies from the government, so the prices reflect the true cost of agricultural production. In addition, organic farms often require more oversight and management because they use more labor intensive farming techniques, such as crop rotation and composting. In addition, organic farms are smaller than conventional farming corporations. In short, one can think of extra money spent on organic food as quality over quantity.
Trust Your Taste Buds
There are many claims that organic food just simply tastes better. Taste is a preference, so there may not be a scientific or objective way to determine this, but at Anamaya Resort Hotel, we prefer the taste of organic food. Come to one of our Yoga Retreats and try it out for yourself!
Organically grown food is better sustaining the human body and the Earth. So whether it costs more or tastes better, Anamaya Resort Hotel has chosen to support local and organic Costa Rican farms.
