start eating more organic foods

Bought Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner today. Am trying to replace mainstream stuff with less chemically laden products. Food is one thing; cleaning products and toiletries are scary too. BB is 97%+ natural. I can pronounce the ingredients, which is an improvement. Watched a CNN program where Anderson Cooper was tested for toxins in his body. He had over 100 present in his tissues. Yikes.

Gradually finishing off “conventional” things and replacing with organic as I can. Brown rice, orange juice, ketchup, pasta. Using Presidents Choice brand organic line. Have kept up the dairy (milk and yoghurt). Butter is too pricy right now—the Whole Foods/Capers brand for milk; Stonyfield Farms for yog). With food prices going up globally, I wonder how it will impact local costs. What is going on??

I am gradually trying to replace regular cleaners with bio-degradable, natural ones. I like METHOD products. I use their handwash, dish detergent and just got the almond oil wood cleaner. Yum. I used to always use PLEDGE on wood, because that’s what was in the house growing up. The almond oil is terrific. Nice scent. No chemicals.

I found that Canadian Superstore (I think it is Zehr’s back east) has lots of organic products and produce. Because they are huge their prices are a bit better. I got their organic baby carrots. Also found org. canned tomatoes at a small food market closer to home that is a very good stop on the eastside of town. Still sticking with the original plan of org. dairy and yoghurt. Because I am cooking a lot at home my overall costs aren’t going up hugely. As long as I stay away from organic meat, the price difference is managable—anywhere from 10-30% difference so far. If it is more, I just don’t buy it.

Loaded up with veggies and fruits for the week. Got organic bananas, carrots and caulifower. The rest is conventional. Does anyone know anything about produce from Mexico vs. California vs Chile? As in controls over chemicals and that sort of thing?

Now that I am trying to find reasonably priced organic stuff, I find I am having better eating habits overall. Makes me think about everything I put into my body not just the organic food. Smoothie recipe—1 c. frozen blueberries, 1 c. organic vanilla soy milk, 1/2 frozen org. banana, 100g carton org. strawberry yoghurt. Yum!

I would like to have more organic food in my diet but it is so pricy! I would love to live in a world where pesticide and chemical-free food was available to all—not just the rich who can shop at Whole Foods every day. But I am going to try. I live in a city apartment, so growing my own food will be a challenge. I have balcony space though so I will try this Spring to grow something to eat at least. :D I have been reading a few websites about strategic foods to go organic with first if you can’t afford to do it all at once. The worst pesticide ridden foods to begin with: milk, potatoes, peanuts (a la peanut butter), apples. Drinking organic milk and buying organic potatoes and apples is a good start. When my current jar of PB is done (Kraft) I will go to an organic one. That’s my start.

This is part of a general goal to eat better and not pollute my body. I figure many aspects of the environment are beyond my control for the moment so I will begin with what I can control—what I put in my mouth. I have already been cutting down on white sugar. I have been trying to retrain my taste buds and get over sugar cravings. I am trying to eat more fruit. I invested in some nice fruit and after only a week, I had a cookie at a meeting without thinking and I found it unpleasantly sweet. I hope that is a good sign that I am training my body off the sugar addiction. For lots of health reasons, I think it is good to avoid it.

Okay, first step: get organic milk when the current carton runs out. One step at a time.

I now look for organic food when I’m grocery shopping whereas in the past I didn’t really think too much about it. I’m feeling a lot healthier, since making the switch, and can taste a difference in the food. My digestion has also improved too since I started eating organic food.

Eating organic food is now becoming a part of my lifestyle.