Going Organic

“Organic” has been the buzz lately. We are learning that all tomatoes and corn kernels are not alike. Nutritional differences, taste, disease risk factors and carbon footprints are separating well, the tomatoes from the tomatoes.

It’s daunting for most of us to think about the inevitable “switch” to organic foods. The following information will provide you knowledge that will help convince you to take action with easy to incorporate step-by-step practices over a gradual period of time so you will not become overwhelmed.

Going “cold turkey” just isn’t practical in today’s society, so it is advocated to take measures slowly, to increase the chances that you’ll stick permanently to a new way of eating. Following new behavior patterns over the course of a year or longer will give your body and your mind plenty of time to slowly adapt and change. The time needed will depend on your personality type, and the effort you put into the program.

Processed and Packaged Foods, Health vs. Price Tag

Processed and packaged foods with their bright colorful labels adorn store shelves all in the hopes that they will be selected for the next meal. It is unfortunate that most of these packaged foods contain additives, coloring and other flavor-enhancing synthetic chemicals and are most likely made from grains or vegetable oil byproducts and/or produce that was grown using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The public is becoming increasingly aware of the diseases associated with the high intake of these chemicals over the course of a lifetime. Just like smoking cigarettes, it’s not the single cigarette that wreaks havoc on the system, but the cumulative damage over time that eventually breaks down healthy systems in the body.

Organic packaged foods are appearing in select one-aisle “natural food sections” of local grocery stores which can make it easy to switch to organic items. The difference is in the price tag. The increased price of staple items like organic pasta and organic sauce is enough to scare away the average consumer on a fixed food budget.

There are a few approaches to overcoming this hurdle. Eliminating sugary foods and snacks (as well as sodas etc.) from the food budget can supply the extra dollars needed for these items. Swapping a $4-5 latte for a home-brewed version can save $10-$40 per month or more! Trading a restaurant meal for a home cooked meal can free up an extra $20-$50 towards your organic grocery bill. You can be eating organic, and even freeing up food dollars for other expenses in your life if you choose multiple approaches.

 

 

Small Steps to a Healthier Body and Planet

Every small step you take, which translates to every single bite of food you choose to be organic (and healthy) is a big step to your overall health and in a very broad perspective, a step toward the health of the planet. The less you pollute your biological system, the less the planet is polluted. If you are eating an organic apple, it came from an organic apple grove, that didn’t use synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Because of that choice, every bee that pollinated that grove, has a better time surviving because the immunity of the bee wasn’t compromised with the ingestion of chemicals during pollination along with you!

Organic apples can be $1 a piece. Too expensive? Try eating 1/2 of an apple a day to make it .50 cents if you need the fresh crisp bite. Another option is to dice apple chunks on your salad to “stretch” out the apple. Make sure to squeeze lemon juice on the cut half of the apple while storing in your refrigerator in a plastic container or bag. Lemon juice contains high amounts of Vitamin C, which preserves the apple and keeps it from turning brown. You can also purchase organic dried apple rings to get your apple fix, as these keep for months in re-sealable packages. Organic dried apple rings surely stretch the apple allocated food dollar without compromising organic.