Organic food is becoming more popular as we begin to understand the long-standing health benefits, we’re seeing more organic fruit and vegetables available at our local supermarkets. Some of us reject the higher prices, some are happy to pay more for the knowledge that no toxic chemicals in the form of pesticides have been used to grow the food we eat. Growth factor, pesticides, and antibiotics are all possible sources of toxins in our food today.
Ten years ago when I first starting buying a vegetable box from our local organic farm, I expected the food to taste different to non-organic varieties. I expected more for my money, more freshness, more flavour, but I’ve since come to understand that the benefits lie with our future health.
When we buy organic foods we’re not consuming toxic chemicals that contribute to illness and disease.
Organic fruit and vegetables are what our grandparents consumed. Today, food that’s been grown using pesticides is cheaper than food grown without and is considered the norm. Organic food is more expensive as it is more expensive to grow.
I believe that eating organically is investing in your health and what you spend on clean, nutritious food now will save you in treating health conditions later down the road.
It can be hard to see the connection between our health and what we eat, especially if there is resistance to giving up certain food.
Ailments such as skin problems, digestive issues, fatigue, lethargy, headaches, migraines can be stubborn to shift. These ailments have developed over a long period of time, so diet changes can also take time for the results to take effect.
If you would like to limit your exposure to harmful chemicals and eat ‘clean’, then how can we make organic eating more affordable?
Here are my tips to introducing organic food into your diet.
♥ The Environmental Working Group have put together a list of foods – The Clean Fifteen and The Dirty Dozen . Use them to help you prioritise which produce to buy organic as they list the foods the least and most affected by toxic substances. Store them on your phone for quick reference when you’re out shopping.
♥ Buy in bulk. Stock up on items you regularly buy to reduce the cost.
♥ Buy a fruit and vegetable box from your local organic farmer. This provides the added bonus of eating seasonally so you’re getting the freshest produce, packed with nutrition and flavour.
♥ Transition gradually to an organic lifestyle. Start switching to organic for those foods at the top of the dirty dozen list as they have the most pesticide residue on them.
Do you buy organic food? I’d love to hear your tips and how you make it more affordable, let me know in the comments below.
If you want to read more on organic food, what it is, what the benefits are for our health and well-being, check out this post.
