photo credit: valessio_brito

I know it’s naive, but when I buy “organic” foods, I have the image I’m supporting family-owned businesses who farm using sustainable methods and give back to the local economy. Singing cows from California, sustainable farming raising my grass-fed beef – I buy into the image hoook, line and sinker. Seeing as how the USDA’s National Organic Program defines “organic” as “produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations”, I don’t think I’m being entirely unreasonable.

Imagine my surprise when I read an article at Diet Blog (which in turn cites FitSugar) about organic and natural food labels and the big companies that own them. Among the organic brands I recognize are Dagoba (owned by Hershey), Seeds of Change (owned by M&M Mars), my favorite Odwalla bars (owned by Coca-Cola), Cascadian Farms (owned by General Mills), Kashi (owned by Kellogg), and Silk (owned by Dean Foods). See the entire chart here.

Disease Proof and the New York Times followed up with further information, pointing to an article assembled by Dr. Phillip H. Howard which illustrates, among other things, numerous organic and natural brands that have been purchased or created by big companies. Among the brands I recognize that aren’t mentioned above is Green & Black’s (owned by Cadbury Schweppes), my only other brand of choice for organic chocolate besides Seeds of Change.

Why is all this a big deal? The New York Times says it best:

Obviously, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a big company buying an organic brand. But Dr. Howard notes that many consumers seek out organic foods, in part, because they don’t want to buy foods from multinational food companies.

“Often organic consumers are interested in supporting smaller scale farms and food processors,’’ Dr. Howard said. “In the marketing of a lot of these organic brands the firms try to evoke that image of a small pastoral farm.’’

I personally buy organic and natural foods for two reasons: health and supporting small businesses that practice environmental stewardship. The fact that Coke owns Odwalla doesn’t affect the bars’ nutrition, it does shatter the image I’m supporting small, “good” businesses. I don’t think I can give up my Odwalla bars, but I will definitely be looking for another brand of organic chocolate. Anyone have a suggestion?

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To understand where this addiction came from, you have to understand a little about the Optifast program I underwent recently.  After an initial consultation, you begin a 12-week strictly-regulated diet, eating only Optifast products.  (There are other aspects, like monitoring by doctors and nutritionists and educational classes, but those aren’t pertinent to this story – I just don’t want to make Optifast sound so much like a scam.)  For the first three weeks, you only get liquid products – soups and shakes.  After three weeks, you get to eat one of three types of Optifast bars.  And let me tell you, after three weeks of liquid, those bars taste good.

It’s not the taste that got me though; it’s the idea that health can be regulated through small portions of prepared foods in bar form.  I not only became used to the ease of “meal” preparation, I think I actually find emotional comfort in eating bars – I don’t have to spend energy or thought on what to eat, beyond what flavor I select.  For someone who used to plan Thursday’s dinner during Tuesday’s lunch, and all meals in between, based on what I craved at that moment, there’s a lot of emotional comfort to be found in trusting one little bar to have all the nutrients I need, the right portion I need, and a controlled amount of calories.

I realized today I’ve been lying to myself.  Sure, I select bars made with all-natural ingredients, no trans fats, sweetened with agave nectar, high in protein, sold at Earth Fair, made with hemp seed or flax seed or enriched with Omega-3′s.  I am the $400/glass wine snob of health bars.  But I realized, as I was munching my 180-calorie Hemp Java bar on my way back to work, even the healthiest health bar is still a manufactured blob of stuff that satisfies my emotional needs.

This is just one more emotional hook I’m going to have to sever.  Fortunately, I at least now have the awareness to recognize my emotional hooks – chex mix was the first I battled after completing the Optifast program, apparently health bars are the next.  Not to say that health bars won’t have a place in my life – after a raquetball game or during an exceptionally busy day, they can come in handy, and at least I have now learned what brands I like and how to shop for them.  But 3 bars a day?  I’m starving my body’s needs for natural foods and vitamins in order to satisfy my emotional needs for comfort, stability and consistency.

From here on, I’ll be packing baggies of fresh fruit and veggies and throwing them in Ziplock bags.  I can still control my portion sizes, eat snack-size meals and satisfy my emotional comfort needs without sacrificing nutrition.

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[Note that it seems most of the information available on sucralose is either based on assumption or surveys funded by either sugar associations or Splenda - thus, all the information I've seen so far is probably biased one way or another.  Bottom line for me - sucralose is a chemical, not a natural substance.]

I have since discovered agave nectar.  I have been using agave nectar by Madhava Honey to sweeten my coffee and water for the past week, and so far I’m very impressed with it.  Madhava’s agave nectar page has some interesting history and information about agave nectar in general and its product in particular, including the following: 

Because Agave Nectar is high in fructose, it enjoys all the benefits which continue to make fructose a preferred sweetening agent. It is sweeter than refined sugar (approximately 1.4 times sweeter); in fact, fructose offers an equivalent sweetness for nearly half the amount of carbohydrate calories. Fructose does not stimulate digestive insulin secretion as do other sugars. It is less disturbing to the glycemic index. In common parlance, it does not create a “sugar rush.”
…
Agave Nectar is certified organic. The manufacturers have obtained organic certification from BCS Oeko Garantie Gmbh, a German firm accredited by the USDA. The Agave crops used in producing Agave Nectar are herbicide and pesticide free. Growers that supply the raw material will use only natural fertilizers and employ agricultural practices that meet organic certification standards. The manufacturers will also obtain organic certification on their manufacturing process.

I haven’t found too much research or discussion on agave network, but if what Madhava claims is true about the low glycemic index, the low insulin response and the organic certification, I have found my ultimate sugar replacement.

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