We first began our journey toward organic eating our first year of living on our own. Quite simply, we started by trying to buy a majority of foods labeled, "All Natural." We never bought Cokes or lots of Little Debbies. (Had we had the money, we might have.) However, our house was still filled with things like Kool Aid and Doritos. Bologna and sometimes Pop Tarts. My idea of healthy lunch for my daughter was a bologna sandwhich, apple sauce, and chips.
Over the next few months, maybe even a year, I slowly started cutting out the Poptarts and Bologna. But our meats were still coming from cloned, hormone induced cows and chickens.
About a year ago, we decided to crack down. We only bought organic, grass GED meats, non GMO vegetables, non GMO granolas and oatmeals, and organic snacks and other staples.
Most people say, "Impossible! I don't gave that kind of money." We spend $250.00-$270.00 a MONTH on groceries to feed 3 "very hungry" people. Granted, we eat the same breakfasts: granolas, oatmeal, and the ocassional treat of cereal or a left over piece of homemade organic cake. Yum! Lunch is sandwhiches-no, not bologna, hormone free, natural deli meats or peanut butter and occasional leftovers. But dinners are always extravagant with homemade tortillas, breads, or noodles. Fresh, sometimes canned natural vegetables. And organic meats. My very favorite meal of the day. Takes a bit to prepare, but gives DD and I good, quality learning time. And always worth the taste when we sit down to eat a family dinner.
I used to think that people only ate organic because they wanted to be "high class" or hippies, or maybe they just truly didn't like pesticides use. I never knew the horrors of what our food contains until the last few years. Here is why we chose to cross the line and eat organic:
Meats: It goes without saying that most of your non organic meats are supplied by farmers who use inhumane and unsanitary practices. No antibiotics. No growth hormones. Nothing out of the ordinary in their diets like candy, animal parts, and waste....sha'll I continue? Organic meats are also richer with the natural nutrients our bodies need. It is all around healthier for our Earth and our body.
Milk: The same goes for milk as far as the quality of the animal's living. No antibiotics or hormones, etc. In my opinion, if we are going to drink milk, I'm not sure why we aren't drinking breast milk. I mean, it's weird for a child to drink human breast milk after 2, but cow's milk is fine? If we have another child, I will prolong my milk supply as long as possible. Until then, I prefer cow's milk in its purest form. We use the cream for butter and drink it raw.
Fruits/Vegetables: Pesticides are definitely a cause for concern. If workers are having to wear protective suits to spray the plants, why is the USDA allowing these pesticide covered fruits and vegetables to be approved for consumption?
An even bigger cause for concern is GMOs. Genetically. MUTATED. Organisms. Just the sound of it gives me the E-B-G-Bs. ew. Recent studies have not only found that GMOs are harmful to the environment, but also extremely harmful to our bodies. The makes us sick, cause allergies, give us intestinal problems, chronic illnesses and disorders, cause infertility, and other long term issues such as cancer. I could go on, but that is the beginning of the list.
Drinks: I'm not super concerned about drinks. We drink water and juice. I just don't want drinks filled with artificial sugars or preservatives, etc. Natural juices or homemade juices with real fruit and organic sugars are okay by me.
Basic Staples: I buy organic staples. I mainly started because DD's body will not tolerate refined sugars anymore-since we switched to organic foods. And because I make a lot from scratch. This way, with a $4.00 bag of organic flour, I can make all or our spaghetti and lasagna noodles for the month as well as tortillas and breads. All organic for a fraction of the price. (A box of organic lasagna noodles can cost you $4.00 alone.)
To add, buying local, in my opinion, is the best way to go. Keeps you healthier because the contain local pollens. Plus, our bodies crave the in season fruits and vegetables. Not to mention you know the person it comes from! And connecting in your community is important too. To do that, it takes a lot of networking. But it is more rewarding by far to hunt down your own food or make your own foods and sit down to something you know will taste good and help you live a long time than it is to drop a few frozen or boxed foods into your buggy and go home to a microwave meal that will make you feel perpetually sluggish.
I have spent lots if time hunting down my foods by talking to others in the community. The man at the fruit stand can point me where to go to split a cow with somebody or where to get organic dirt for my garden. The man at the library can point me to the farm for raw milk....And then those farmers can help me find the other things I need.
Since we began eating healthy, we have:
1. Slimmed down to a healthier size.
2. Felt more alive. More awake. More focused.
3. Been sick less. Foods have actually been found to heal more effectively than medicines. And the work quicker too. My Husband thought I was crazy when I told him to chew on some garlic for his throbbing tooth pain. He was ready to pull his own tooth. When garlic provided instant pain relief. THAT is the moment he began trusting in my crazy remedies. Who knew you could cure almost any basic illness with something in your kitchen cabinets. *DD's recent earache was instantly cured with warm olive oil.*
4. Been awakened to what traditional American food REALLY tastes like! We can taste a real difference in organic meats and non organic. Pasteurized milk and organic raw milk. Traditional, everyday foods literally make us such to our stomachs. What does that say about what the USDA is allowing us to put in our bodies?
A note on "All Natural:" The definition of All Natural means that it does not contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, etc. Basically, it is the pure substance. It may have been sprayed with pesticides, and there is an impending court battle over weather "all natural" can be used in GMO foods, so make sure to talk with the parent company. However, there has been a significant improvement in health in those who switch to even just natural foods instead of tradition junk and filler foods.
