With so much buzz these days about going ‘green’ and an emphasis on being environmentally savvy, I have to admit I was slightly embarrassed to confess to a friend a few weeks ago that I didn’t even know what being ‘organic’ really meant. Sure, I buy some organic products, but out of convenience more than anything else. I live two blocks away from a Whole Foods! As silly as that sounds, I’m guessing I’m not alone it seems to me all the hype about organic foods/beauty products just popped up out of nowhere without a real explanation. I think it’s great to have such an environmentally friendly concept thrown into the limelight and become trendy, but I also think it’s important to actually know something about this trend that you may or may not be following. Sure, it’s pretty clear that organic products are better for you, but why? What does it really mean to be organic?

There is so much information out there on organic products, it’s almost overwhelming—the simplest definition I could find explains that organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. In other words, organic products are farmed without the help of outside chemicals. The organic craze is still pretty new so in the grand scheme of things it’s hard to know exactly what long-term benefits organic products have on our health. But for me, keeping unnecessary chemicals out of the air and out of my body is a no-brainer! And what we do know for sure is that organic farming promotes sustainable agriculture—these farmers are allowing nature to take the driver’s seat once again. Supporting organic farms is a fantastic (and delicious!) way to show that you care about the future of our environment.

So, whether you’re using organic products because Cameron Diaz does, or because it’s something you truly believe in really doesn’t matter—either way you should feel great about yourself for contributing to a positive cause!

What do you think of all this ‘organic’ business? Do you buy any organic foods or products?