Whenever possible, choose certified organic meats, dairy products, and produce. The reason for this is that large-scale agribusiness producers follow practices that undermine the health value of these foods. For example, these producers give animals large amounts of hormones to accelerate their growth so they can hurry them to slaughter or increase milk production. They feed the animals foods that contain animal by-products to minimize waste, turning otherwise herbivorous animals into carnivores. They feed the animals foods that are not natural to their diets, such as feeding cows corn when they naturally eat grass, which compromises their health and immune systems. To avoid losing these unhealthy animals to illness or death, they give them a constant supply of low-grade antibiotics to increase their resistance to infections.

In contrast, organic farmers allow animals to eat foods that are natural to them. They permit animals to roam freely, to enjoy exercise and fresh air. As a result, these animals produce meats that are lower in levels of saturated or unhealthy fats and higher in health-enhancing fats. These chickens produce eggs that have lower levels of cholesterol. These farmers also use sustainable methods of farming that do not deplete, strip, and destroy the land, but rather support it for continued healthful uses.

The recommendation to eat organic whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods is not meant to be a strict and impossible standard. No one eats a perfect diet. You need to enjoy your life and eating pizza from time to time may be a part of that pleasure. What the recommendation stands for is that the best way to promote your health and well-being through nutrition is to eat a well-balanced fresh, whole foods diet that is rich in plant-based foods, as much as possible. Rely on fast foods and other packaged and processed items as exceptions that are consumed in moderation and do not provide the bulk of your diet.