Why We Love Organic Food?

She took some ragi flour and neatly kneaded it into the dough with her expert hands using a small amount of curd instead of water. Then she made nice and small balls out of that dough. I knew what would follow next. But to my surprise instead of using a rolling pin to roll them, she used her palms to flatten out the balls, till they spread out to the desired size. Ragi rotis that she made turned out to be exceptionally soft and supple. And everybody loved them!

I always enjoyed watching my grandmother cook. For me, my granny has been the source of formulae to some lip-smacking old time delicacies. She always emphasised on the use of grains like ragi and bajra for all their amazing health benefits.

With time, rice and wheat have become the primary ingredients of our regular meals and lesser used grains like ragi and other millets had taken a backseat. But in recent times, with the growing consciousness towards health and preference towards gluten free food, more and more of us are again including ragi and other non-glutinous food grains back into use.

But the regular ragi flour is something that everyone refrains from buying, owing to the awareness about the pesticides and fertilisers used in conventional farming methods. Organic and natural are the buzzwords today. Industry experts are surprised with the rate in which the demand for organic ragi flour and other organic food is growing.

When it comes to advantages of eating naturally grown food, it is not just about you; it is also about others and the environment. Here is why we love organic ragi flour more than the regular ragi flour.

1. For nutritional superiority:

   Our grannies have told us enough about nutritional values of ragi grains, what they would not have said is that how organic ragi is denser in those nutrients. Choose wisely what you eat to derive the maximum nourishment for your body.

2. For protection from the dangers of pesticides:

   Pesticides are known for causing leukaemia, breast and prostate cancer, infertility, Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and depression. Does that sound scary? Go organic if you don’t want to invite these ill effects of pesticides used in non-organic food.

3. For safeguarding against chemicals:

   Food, when not grown organically needs a lot of processing and treatment with herbicides and fertilisers. These chemicals cause cardiac diseases, immune disorders, hypertension and many types of cancer. Your body deserves better than this.

4. For giving the best to your little ones:

   We know ragi makes a great baby food. And when it is about our small bundle of joy, we don’t want to compromise, and we want to feed them purest of the pure. Organic is a safe bet for babies as their digestive system are not mature enough to fight with the harmful effects of pesticides, chemicals and adulteration.

5. For more health to plants and animals:

   When more and more of us will use organic products, there will be less chemical exposure for farms and wild spaces and birds and water life. Thus healthier plants, animals, birds and water lives.

6. For environment-friendly options:

   When we resort to more natural ways of growing our food there is minimum cruelty to mother nature through pollution, nutrition depletion, soil erosion and scarred landmarks from cutting of trees and plants. Moreover as discussed earlier we will have healthier plants and animal and thus healthier ecosystem.

7. For a stronger local economy:

   More you buy organic products, less is the need to import, creating more demand and jobs locally. Thus letting you contribute to the local economy.

8. For your guilt free eating:

   When you eat organic food, you are safe from chemicals and pesticides, you know your eating habit is not causing any threat to the environment. You know you are enjoying the best nutritional benefits. All these reasons are enough to shun away any guilt while you eat.

9. For a healthier generation:

   The usual eating habits are known to cause congenital disabilities, autism, leukaemia, learning disorders in children. The conventional ways of producing food lead to people coming into contact with harmful effects of chemicals. Support organic farm to benefit the entire nation’s and ultimately world’s health.

Considering the countless benefits of organic food, today we want all our ingredients, from fruits to vegetables, grains to pulses and even the spices as natural and fresh as we can have them. Moreover, in a country like India, where we are most liberal with the quantity of spices we put in our food, we should be careful when buying spices and should go with organic spices only.

You don’t need more reasons to go organic. While you are looking to buy organic ragi flour, organic spices or other natural food products, find the best quality products at TerraGreens.

Why Should You Eat Organic Cereals?

What has made cereals enter the mainstream of food and why is every food marketer jumping on the bandwagon? There must be something significant that is making every food category vying to include this element in some form or the other. From products made for kids to items intended for adults hitting the gym or sports-ring, they are a part of every package today.

The interesting twist is that food marketers in our households have been selling us this power-source for many years, but we have not been listening carefully.

• Cereals like Upma, Poha provide not only taste but also immense health benefits. Nowadays you can access ready to cook Upma mix.
• Foxtail Millets Upma Mix: Regular use of foxtail is a good guard against coronary diseases and reduces chances of cardiac arrest and fatalities. Being a diabetic friendly food, it contains a fair amount of phenolic (a strong anti-oxidant) used to get rid of toxins in the body. People who cannot consume wheat are left with very few options as most of the products in the market like biscuits, bakery items like bread, etc., are made from Wheat. As a gluten free diet, foxtail millet is a perfect food for people suffering from Celiac, promoting digestion, increases energy levels and helping in maintaining cholesterol levels.
• Sooji Rava Upma Mix: Sooji is very good for diabetics or those who wish to lose weight. Sooji is made from the durum wheat and is slow to digest, thus sustaining energy for a longer period of time.
• Wheat Daliya Upma Mix:  An excellent source of dietary fiber, Daliya is one of the best alternatives to wheat. It aids in weight loss, diabetes and prevents constipation. It is also used as a weaning food, to transition babies from breast milk to semi-solid food. Being rich in proteins it helps in building muscles.   
• Cereals need not be equated to Oats. Cereals like puffed paddy are simply store-houses of health. When one has to control weight without starving too much and without letting the stomach run empty, the best way is to eat a good organic cereal like puffed paddy, also called nel pori or aralu in the local language. It is a very good source of potassium, zinc, copper, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese. The presence of magnesium aids in enzyme function, energy boosters, strengthening heart muscles, preventing strokes and avoiding heart attacks. Magnesium is also linked to treatment of depression. You can make Bhel Puri with this puffed paddy.  

Many recipes that are usually sacrificed by weight-conscious people can be easily remade with cereals like Wheat Daliya, Foxtail Millets, Rava Sooji and Puffed Paddy.

It is an added advantage when the cereals are organic. Organic crops are not exposed to synthetic pesticides, GMOs, and fertilizers that are petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based. Organic farming practices include the usage of natural fertilizers such as compost and manure to feed soil and plants. Crop rotation, mulching and tilling are used to control weeds, while insects are controlled using natural methods such as traps and birds.

Enjoy the comfort of organic cereals and the health that accompanies them.