Organic Foods

"If you eat junk, it shows," says Michel Nischen, a staunch advocate of organic food for over a decade and the author of the 2003 book "Taste Pure and Simple: Irresistible Recipes for Good Food and Good Health," a winner of the prestigious James Beard award. As a long-time and visible advocate of organic foods, Nischen has developed quite a following among organic food disciples and naturalists. He has also become a favorite subject of media outlets concerned with this topic.

In a recent interview, Nischen said he longs for the good old days when people ate food that was simple, particularly produce that was in season. Today, he says, the fruits and vegetables that are offered to us are often treated with pesticides or chemicals that make them ripen quickly. "In the old days, food was fresh. It was natural. It tasted better that way and it was better for you," said Nischen.

Nischen emphasizes eating food that is fresh, organic and healthy, whether it is meats, grains or produce.

In general, organic food refers to food produced without the use of artificial pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and the so-called genetically modified organisms or GMOs, which are foods that were modified through genetics techniques. Many people believe that these types of food have inferior nutritional value and do not taste as well as organic food.

Most of the farmers that grow organic foods are small, family-run operations that are more concerned with the health benefits of their offerings over their profits. But the market seems to be catching on. Organic foods were once only available in small stores but have become more popular and more available to mainstream America. Some estimates peg the growth of organic food sales at 17 to 20 percent over the past few years compared to the growth of conventional food sales, which is only 2 to 3 percent.

The 47-year-old Nischen was in the news recently for opening two new restaurants: Pure, which is the first Western health restaurant in India, and The Dressing Room, which is located next door to the Westport County Playhouse.

Nischen will also be hosting a new TV show called "Pure and Simple," a new cooking series that will be launched on July 5 on the LIME multimedia channel that's available on the Comcast cable system, the Dish Network Satellite TV system and on Sirius Satellite Radio.

This article courtesy of  http://www.organicfood-4u.com.
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