It’s a buzz topic that’s been around for
quite a while now; how and why eating organic food is better for you. What
started out as a ‘hippy’ craze, strongly refuted by scientists and ‘Big Food’
companies, has started to take on a new significance in the last 4-5 years.
Organic food, people are deciding, IS better, and so we see more of it pop up.
If you haven’t give it a try and let your own taste buds be the judge. Organic
produce is available in sections at major supermarkets (depends what time of
day you shop and where you are how much you can get though) and farmers’
markets have seen a massive uplift in popularity and exposure. Two years ago I
didn’t even know there were markets close to me in inner-west Sydney, but now I
have discovered no less than 4 big ones within a 10k radius, and they are
bustling on the weekends, are featured in magazines and a huge number of my
friends started going before I did. The idea is spreading, and the campaigns
overseas against companies like Monsanto have highlighted the issue to a whole
new generation. Monsanto in particular is being singled out for two reasons:
pesticides and GMOs.
I only have a judgment on whether one of
those is bad, and it’s pesticides for sure. You can read all about what’s
happening, and hear arguments against both but in my opinion we only know for
sure that the chemicals used in growing massive crops are harmful, and deplete
the land apart from what they do to the body when ingested. GMOs, genetically
modified organisms, are a completely different story – and scientists argue
that they are necessary to feed a booming population and are harmless. In a lot
of cases that could turn out to be true, but it’s way too soon to tell, and the
real issue is whether or not you get to find out whether your food is from a
GMO crop. That’s a problem and makes it virtually impossible to avoid GMO if
you decide you want to in my opinion, so worth avoiding any risk and going
organic on both counts, at least for now.
I’m not going to list everything that’s bad
about non-organic fruit and vegetables, and don’t judge anyone for going along
with what’s available and what’s affordable when they do their shopping. The
only purpose here is to give those who are new to the world of organics a
couple of tips about how to source local, or at least Australian, produce and
some hints I wish I knew before I learned about them. Cost is always a factor
but the only thing to say about that is ‘what price is your and your family’s
health worth to you’? The problems associated with chemicals found in
pesticides and herbicides are too many to mention and will cost you in both
time, medical costs and your sanity– they run the gambit from mild allergies or
headaches or fatigue you think you just have to live with to cancers, digestion
problems, a greater rate of infections, symptoms attributed to gluten
intolerance and a lot more.
Start
with the Dirty Dozen
If you do have to make a choice or can’t
afford organic prices, or are still learning your way around, there is a
compromise – you can make the effort to avoid these 12 foods when they’re not
available organic. They have been found to have the highest concentration of
pesticides when grown through ‘normal’ methods (peeling doesn’t get rid of it
all either):
1)
Apples
2)
Capsicum/Peppers
3)
Blueberries
4)
Celery
5)
Cucumbers
6)
Grapes
7)
Lettuce
8)
Nectarines
9)
Peaches
10)Potatoes
11) Spinach
12) Strawberries
When it comes to everything else, or when
you have no other option available, you can remove a lot of the harmful
chemicals by washing your remaining produce thoroughly with warm water and at
least 2-3 capfuls (or tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar. Soak them for at
least a minute, remove, rinse in cold water and enjoy without all the nastiness
J
To avoid laziness (my biggest weakness) you can just do this to
all your vegetables at once - throw them in the clean sink - when you get home
from shopping then you don’t have to worry about anything but a really quick
run under water before using them.
Is
‘pesticide free’ the same?
If you shop at a fruit and vegetable shop –
or ideally a farmer’s market, you can always ask whether the produce they sell
is at least ‘pesticide free’. In Australia, at least for now, this can be a
pretty good assurance that what you’re eating is ok. The fact of the matter is
that yes, organic food is more expensive, but it also costs a lot to get
organic certification and there are farming methods that have to be followed,
so if you can find a place supplying pesticide free produce, but not
necessarily certified then so long as they’re not lying it’s probably safe! If
you’re in doubt, just use the washing method I’ve described above – it’s just
great knowing that what you bought wasn’t grown using harmful poisons in the
first place though.
Get
organic delivered
5 years or so ago, there were not so many
places delivering quality, organic produce, but the numbers have swelled – and
chances are that if you do a google search in your area you’ll find someone who
brings boxes to your area either weekly or fortnightly. This almost always
works out cheaper than store-bought and you can’t argue with the convenience of
a box of fresh, yummy food at your doorstep! If you haven’t done it, give it a
try and see what’s available. The more demand there is for this type of food
the more readily available and cheap it will become, it’s just a matter of time
thankfully.
Get
friendly with your favourite organic websites
There are huge resources available online
to support an organic lifestyle – and often these deliver and have great tips
and recipes too. Here are my top resources to get you started incase you hadn’t
heard of them already:
The
additive free pantry – great for navigating food labels and brands, totally
inspiring and makes you realize that anyone can do this.
Australian Organic
Directory – listings of what you can get organically grown and made here in
Australia and locations. Very useful especially if you travel a lot or are
moving.
Organics On a Budget – This is a
nice site sourcing unusual and quirky things like fun little mashies to fill up
with home made goodness for kids to take to school. Unfortunately a lot comes
from overseas, which is a shame and means things may be unavailable for a short
period.
People
for Plants – If you’re into the organic lifestyle that also means your
skincare and beauty routine needs an overhaul. There are a lot of brands
popping up selling organic skincare ranges, and I love People for Plants, which
is associated with master gardener Jamie Durie.
Regenerative
Leadership Institute – A great free permaculture course with lots of
resources available on the website, and a paid course you can choose to join
too to get started growing your own food and living sustainably.
The Wellness Warrior – Jess
Ainscough’s gorgeous blog is full of great recipes, discussion about organic
foods and brands, why it’s so important and how to transition to an organic
lifestyle. She also does celebrity foodie interviews and has a new book out,
having just completed the national tour and you can read all about those there
too.
Grow
your own
A surefire way to supply yourself with at
least some fresh organic herbs and produce is to start to grow some of your
own. If you’re not lucky enough to have a garden or yard, don’t give up on the
idea. Small herbs and greens can be grown on tables, along footpaths, up and
down doors and walls and on terraces (Indira Naidoo’s fantastic book shows you
how to start a whole garden on nothing but a small terrace if you’re game!).
There is a great online permaculture course available through the Regenerative
Leadership Institute link above, and there’s a free guidebook on green living
too. Jess Ainscough aka the Wellness Warrior also has a video
blog post on growing your own garden, well worth a look.
Ease
into it with simple swaps
The fact is we were designed to feel good,
and function on a much higher level, but we’ve somehow accepted so many
illnesses as a part of life. No one ‘has’ to put up with feeling crappy, it
isn’t ‘normal’ and it might take work and a lot of experimenting with different
foods but most of the time what you put into your body really is the answer to
the problem. Trying simple swaps, like making your own guacamole or mayonnaise,
is how I have started, and the difference in taste, quality and the fun factor
knowing you made something from scratch are enough to keep me motivated. Keep
an eye on the blog for some simple recipes and get creative and come up with
your own too! The whole process of learning to eat well is actually a joy – and
speaks for itself when you start to feel better, when people ask you what
you’ve been doing, and you realize you don’t even like chemical laden food
anymore. It doesn’t happen overnight, and we all have our ‘weak spots’ when it
comes to food but with a bit of energy and effort you will get the
transformation everybody talks about.
If you’ve been experiencing mild health
problems you don’t know how best to deal with, my first piece of advice would
be to start cutting the crap from your diet meaning packaged food and pesticide
laden produce– whether or not you need additional help or medication down the
track. The results of switching to organic can be astounding, and if you fall
off the wagon it’s all the better because it shows you how much a difference it
was making to your life and helps you stay on track longer the next time.
I don’t advocate cutting out any food group
except for a short period to test for allergies on an elimination style diet,
but what I DO tell every single person who asks is that yes, you should be
eating organic and it matters.
Book a consultation with me
Follow me on twitter: @kaliannagrace
