I recently posted about some easy swaps to make your pantry healthier. See that post here: Three Pantry Staple Food Swaps. One easy swap is to switch to Organic Oats. Today I want to explain why I eat organic oats, and my new favorite product.
I love oats for so many reasons. First, oatmeal is my favorite breakfast. I typically eat later in the morning and have found that a bowl of oatmeal topped with cinnamon, dates and fruit is filling, as well as healthy. When I’m not eating oatmeal for breakfast, I usually eat Greek yogurt topped with homemade granola. You can find my recipe for homemade granola here: Basic Homemade Granola.
I have always been a toast girl. Nothing is more satisfying to me than warm toast slathered with some butter and homemade jam. I also love poached eggs over avocado toast. My dogs love toast too, which is why I think they have been a little miffed with me since I’ve been eating less toast for the past several months. I did several fasts because I had long Covid and the whole process made me realize how much bread I had been eating. So now that I make most all of our bread and we have warm bread with dinner, I’ve given up my morning toast ritual. Thus, my oats are so important.
Oats and Glyphosate
In doing my research about Glyphosate pesticide I discovered that Oats is one of the most sprayed crops. Pesticide residue remains on food sold in commerce. The Case for Organic Produce. In 2018 the Environmental Working Group released a study showing that Glyphosate residue remains on Oats at a higher level than recommended for children. https://www.ewg.org/sites/default/files/u352/EWG_Glyphosate-2_Table_Full_C02.pdf. Sometimes you also see Glyphosate residue found on Organic products. The reason is that when they spray nearby crops, the pesticide can carry over to Organic crops. This is why it’s important to find a Glyphosate-free product.
Oats are not a GMO crop in the United States. Typically, genetically modified seeds are resistant to the Round-up weed killer (Glyphosate) sprayed on them. Thus, they can use more weed killer. However, many farmers in the U.S. use desiccation methods at harvest time. They spray Glyphosate on their crops shortly before harvest in order to dry it out quicker and to increase their yield. Thus, the plants still contain Glyphosate when they are harvested. The U.S. also imports oats from countries that allow desiccation. This happens even though Glyphosate is not registered for use as a desiccant, nor was it created for that reason.
In essence, Glyphosate increases inflammation in the body. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1547691X.2020.1804492. For this reason, it is linked to cancer, hormonal problems, autoimmune diseases and gut problems. Admittedly, there are no definite studies on Glyphosate and these problems. However, the WHO has classified it as a probable carcinogen. Right now, the risks associated with Glyphosate are listed as “probable” or “possible”.
This means we need to make up our own minds about Glyphosate using the information available. When I looked at all of the research on it I decided it is harmful to our health. We weren’t meant to eat poison.
Back in the 1980’s my Dad was the manager of a local Farm & Fleet store. He came into contact with a glyphosate containing product when a farmer failed to tell him that the container he asked my Dad to fix had been used to spray his crops. The contact caused a cancerous tumor to form on my Dad’s tongue shortly after exposure. Fortunately they were able to remove it and it did not return. This was when Glyphosate was relatively new and we didn’t know much about it. Now, with more research about it, and increased illness in our country, I’ve made up my own mind that it’s harmful.
Reducing Glyphosate is very important to me. I have noticed a big difference in my family’s health since I reduced our pesticide intake. In fact, I wonder why more doctors don’t talk about this to their patients. Nobody tells you that if you are suffering GI issues or autoimmune disorders or inflammation, to start with what you are eating. My kids went for years suffering through extensive medical treatments, expensive testing and useless pharmaceuticals, all of which did not make them “better”. The only thing that worked was to take control of our own health with food that addressed the problems. I am a believer because of my experience. As I mentioned, we all need to make our own decisions about this.
My Favorite Oats
Getting back to oats, while you can wash your produce, you can’t really wash your oats. So now all Oat products in our house must be organic to ensure we are not eating pesticides.
Therefore, when I discovered One Degree Organics I was so happy. As a former small business owner I know how important it is to support good, authentic businesses. One Degree Organics, started by a family that owns a bakery, hits the mark for me. The heart of the company is the farmers they source from, who use regenerative, organic farming practices. This means that they do not use pesticides and are committed to restoring the soil. This is really important to sustainability. The future of our earth and its climate depends on it. Moreover, the sprouted oats sold by One Degree are healthier because they are more nutrient dense than traditional oats. You can read more about their oats and farming practices here: http://www.onedegreeorganics.com.
When looking for organic oats, it’s important to look for that “USDA Organic” seal. The products that carry that seal have all gone through a rigorous process to get certified. I also like that One Degree puts “Glyphosate Free” right on their Oat products. Many people do not know about Glyphosate and hopefully this will increase awareness.
Finally, the cost of this safe and clean Oat product is comparable to other organic oat brands. I found my 5 lb bag of Oats for only $12.99 at Costco. While I do not support Costco’s inhumane treatment of chickens, I don’t hold that against the brands trying to get their products to consumers. You can find a lot of really nice Organic brands at Costco and so, it’s a necessary evil for me. (However, Costco chickens are a big NO from me, which I will detail in a future post).
I hope this helps you understand more about the importance of using organic oats. Whether you are trying to reduce Glyphosate or not, One Degree Organics Oats are a great product to use for your morning oatmeal and granola. Grab my Oatmeal recipe below!
