Organic Food Guidelines
Eating food that has been grown organically is very important to our health as well as the health of the planet. If you’ve known me very long you’ve heard me say this over and over and over. I won’t stop until the craziness perpetrated by the Agriculture and Chemical Industries, especially but not solely in the US stops poisoning our lawns, gardens and the food they grow and sell us. This issue has inspired many countries around the globe to prohibit the use of these toxic chemicals in farming but unfortunately that has not happened yet here in my home country. I haven’t given up hope nor the opportunity to make my voice heard as often as possible and supporting many good organizations that are dedicated to cleaning up our footprints here on the globe that so generously provides for us. Thumbs up to #foodtank for shepherding the cause across the globe. Go to foodtank.com to find more resources for your area and learn more about why organic food production is so important not only for the food we eat but also for the water we drink and the soil that supplies nutrients. If you don’t know about Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist, philosopher, physcist and social activist then check her out on Instagram, Wikipedia, google, and your local book store.. Join the movement and let your voice be heard for the sake of yourself, your children and at least the 7 generations to come.
You might think if you are eating organically raised food you are not exposed to pesticides but that isn’t true. When pesticides are applied to farm crops they don’t just land on the crops but can become airborne and migrate to streams, the drift can cover our clothes, sidewalks, streets etc. You may think you are spared that because you don’t live near a farm but the toxic substances used in most landscaping such as herbicides and pesticides are enough to sicken the whole planet; and that discounts the fact if you are not eating organically grown food you are ingesting these poisons that have become part of the cellular structure of the plant.
I have primarily eaten organic foods for a few years now and I promise I feel much healthier and more energetic as a result. You may be worried about the cost because there is a lot of media attention that supports the great cost of eating organic food.
I suspect the cost isn’t as great as you may think. Eating locally, pure foods support your own good health so the difference saved from skipping a couple of trips to the doctor to treat a minor illness might even out the cost fairly soon. Especially when it come to your children. There is numerous research linking pesticide and herbicide use with allergies, asthma, cancers, neurotoxicity, low sperm count, liver and pancreatic disorders.
Please remember you get to choose what you feed yourself and your family.
Make good choices.
Below is a helpful list of the safest and most dangerous non-organic food choices published by Environmental Working Group. Visit their website and you can print a wallet-size so it’s always handy at the grocery. There are many additional vegetables and fruits that have been tested and simply do not fall into the cleanest or dirtiest category. I try to eat organic whenever possible.
CLEAN 15
(lowest in pesticides except for organic)
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Sweet peas (frozen)
Asparagus
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Cabbage
Mushrooms
Mangoes
Sweet potatoes
Watermelon
Carrots
DIRTY DOZEN
(please make a point to buy these foods in organic form or grow your own organically)
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, collards and mustard greens
Grapes
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Bell and Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green Beans
In addition I recommend organic wine if you drink. I have seen farmers testify to not being able to urinate for a week after spraying their vineyards with pesticide cocktails while wearing full protective gear. It seems obvious to me that eating those grapes or drinking their wine is not really a healthy choice to make.
