Raw Food Was the Catalyst for Studying Organic

The reason I decided to study "organic" in the first place, as I've mentioned in this series before, was my interest in "raw food" three years ago. While practicing that diet, I thought, "If I'm going to do this, I should eat fresh vegetables!" and decided to rent a field and start growing my own vegetables.

What Truly Nourishes the Body?

The taste of freshly picked vegetables was so different from anything I'd had before, and as I ate them thinking, "My body must be so happy!", I began to wonder, "How are the foods we eat absorbed into our bodies, and how do they affect us? What truly nourishes the body?" This curiosity grew, and I decided to enroll in a school called "Holistic College of Nutrition" to learn about these things comprehensively. I then completed their "NTI Certified Nutrition Consultant Qualification Course" and obtained my certification.

I learned many things there, but the most astonishing was how incredibly precise the human body is, almost like a miracle. How the food we ingest is digested and converted into energy. We simply put it in our mouths saying, "Delicious!" but the more I learned about the workings of our internal organs afterward, the more I felt a sense of awe and reverence for the Creator, wondering, "Who exactly created human beings?" Dr. Roger Williams' words, "The body is made of what we eat," resonated not just intellectually but deeply within me through my studies.

Understanding Your Own Body, Maintaining Emotional Balance

Even so, there isn't one single diet or food that is universally perfect for everyone; what is good or bad varies depending on individual constitution. It can also change with one's emotional state at any given time. The human body doesn't always follow logic, and I realized that mental fortitude isn't just an abstract concept. That's why understanding my own body is so important, and I now deeply feel the significance of maintaining emotional balance for overall health.

Learning these things made me more conscious of the act of "eating." While I had vaguely chosen "organic" products and grown pesticide-free vegetables in my garden before, I realized I hadn't truly understood what they entailed. This sparked a renewed desire to learn the fundamentals...!

After much research, I decided to take an online course offered by the "Japan Organic Promotion Council" (http://www.j-organic.org/). I learned about the Organic JAS standard, which is essential when discussing organic products. I discovered the processes involved in creating organic foods, what constitutes organic cosmetics, organic cotton, and organic spaces, and why environmental issues are so closely linked to organic practices.

Integrating Organic into Your Life

I thought I had a general understanding, but I realized I actually knew very little. Learning, for me, is about recognizing how much I didn't know. As the saying goes, "Ignorance is a sin," and it certainly fosters humility. Perhaps that's the true value of learning.

Of course, I intend to apply the knowledge I've gained to my daily life. However, rather than insisting on "organic at all costs," I want to gradually expand the organic aspects of my life, starting with what I can manage.

It truly strikes me, as I write this, that taking action always leads to something new. And that one action expands one's world, and to expand one's world in a way that isn't self-centered, both knowledge and action are essential.