Anyway, this post is NOT about that, it’s about me not having time to bring you a NEW recipe!! While I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new color (picture to come), I closed down the salon (not anticipated) and now have no recipe. *tears* Keeping positive though, I DO have a fun new hair color that I ADORE! Thank you Joyce! You were a sweetheart!
5 Important Components to Healthy Eating:#3 Eat Certain Fruits and Vegetables Organically
I know what you are thinking: expensive, not worth it, same taste, no difference from non-organic, etc. Trust me. I know what you are thinking.
As a dietitian, it is essential to think of your audience before providing nutritional advice or suggesting different recipes or products. We are taught to tailor our education and sometimes our own personal beliefs, in order to meet the individual client’s needs. Currently, I work with low income families. If they even buy vegetables or fruits…I’m ecstatic. Thrilled. Beaming. I cannot stop praising them. I just think: thank GOODNESS it’s not more McDonald’s! However, this series is about MY personal beliefs. No tailoring. Just information I use myself.
I was not a big believer in organic foods until about 2 years ago. I have always known my biggest goal in life was to be a mom, so literally 2 years ago I started learning and preparing; educating myself about what would be good for baby and what wouldn’t. The more I read, the more I realized that pesticides and chemicals really are kind of scary.
With so many children developing more food allergies, reflux, developmental delays, autism, ADD, ADHD, and growing like WEEDS, I have a strong personal belief (research aside) that it probably has A LOT to do with their environment. So I thought…what can I do as a future mom? How can I prevent these problems plaguing our society in my family?
Well, for starters, I can make our environment healthier. How? By changing our terrain. We discussed the importance of protecting and keeping your terrain (body) healthy during illness but it holds true for healthy pregnancies and to prevent diseases as well! In short: we ALL need to protect our terrain, sick or not.
One of the first steps Brandon and I took to become healthier for our future was eating certain fruits and vegetables only in their organic state. While they may be slightly more expensive, I truly believe you get what you pay for. A bra from Victoria Secret will probably last you a heck of a lot longer than one from Kmart (not to bash Kmart or your Kmart bras…just saying). So perhaps shelling out a few extra dollars for certain organic fruits and veggies, we are getting more time on this earth, and giving our future or current babies a head start in protecting their terrain. I mean, they can’t do it…so we must protect it for them!
Now, before you click away and think I’m nuts, understand that I do not buy ALL organic fruits and veggies. I stick to the rules of:
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Other products but that is not to discuss here!
Always choose organic!
While research is inconclusive about proving adverse health effects from exposure to pesticides, I say use common sense. There has to be a reason why 1 in 3 Americans now develop cancer and 1 in 110 children develop autism. The stats are scary. What are you doing to prevent yourself from being a stat? Pregnant women and children are the most vunerable to chemicals and pesticides, so I suggest the highest compliance for those groups. In a study conducted at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, pesticides were shown to cross the placenta during pregnancy impairing fetal growth (source).
At the University of Washington in Seattle, preschoolers fed conventional diets were found to have six times the level of certain pesticides in their urine as those who ate organic foods. “And a 2003 report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention detected twice the level of some pesticides in the urine of children as in that of adults.” (source)
Infants through age 12 have reproductive organs that are still developing and immune systems that are not as capable of ridding the body of contaminants. It’s very important to the development of your children to eat SOME produce that is organic.
What You Can Do!
Instead of memorizing the clean 15 and dirty dozen, try to keep this in mind: generally foods with thick skin and rinds can be non-organic because pesticides are probably discarded along with the skin according to Charles Benbrook, technical director of the nonprofit Organic Center for Education & Promotion. (source). Think: bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.
Other fruits and veggies? Not the case. Some pesticides leach in to the nooks and crannies of certain produce and it is impossible to just rinse away. That can problematic. Think of foods that have porous skin or nooks and crannies: berries, peppers, peaches, apples, lettuces, etc.
Make the organic choice!
Now, stop rolling your eyes. I’m not some wealthy celebrity that can bathe in expensive products and eat strictly from Whole Foods. I’m just like you, trying to manage a grocery budget with everything else we need to pay for. Maybe the difference in me is that I DO value my health and the health of my family more than most other things and so if I shell out an extra $20 dollars a week in groceries, I’m okay with that. I’ll just cut back somewhere else (but not on my hair last night…that was expensive: SORRY Hunny! Love you!)
The bottom line is, I’m not asking you to be an organic nazi. Do what you can. But TRY TRY TRY to follow the clean 15 and the dirty dozen as much as possible and don’t forget the importance of eating seasonally and locally; it’s better for you, better for your kids, and wonderful for the environment!
[...] me? I eat about 90-95% of my diet organic. This salad is no exception. I’ve spoken about the importance of organic in the past, but I can’t help reiterate over and over again how truly important it is to [...]
I thought this quote was very fitting “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson
Great post! I try to eat organic produce as much as I can afford and local too. Since switching over to organic apples I can TOTALLY tell a difference in the flavor compared to conventional apples. Just one more reason to eat organic!
This is a great post! I do abide by the dirty dozen list, and I love your tip of “if it has skin the pesticides can’t get in as easily” — that makes perfect sense.
I love your header — sorry if its been up for a while but I just noticed it!
Great info -thanks for sharing!
To answer your question I was actually sent the vital wheat gluten in a giveaway I won and one bag lasts a LONG time! The brand I was sent is Bob’s Red Mill and I’m guessing you could find it at Whole Foods!
I don’t buy organic because to buy organic I have to drive out far, and I don’t even have a car. I’m just in a bad neighborhood for such produce here. I loved your take on this issue though. I’ve heard of it so much, but you made it hit closer home for me, and also easier to memorize which produce is best organic.
I try to buy organic as often as I can, but it’s not an easy task in this country for some reason. I also can easily give up an extra 20€ for food than for example shopping, food is a great investment
Cna’t wait to see your hair! I have been colouring mine since I was 11 and don’t know if I could give it up..
This was a great post, but after reading about your hair all I could think about was “oh man, I really need to book a hair appointment…”
I’m awful, I never buy organic. I also think I’ll never have kids so maybe this reaffirms my belief.
Cant wait to see the new color! I go in for a color change sunday!
Love this post and I’m 100% with you. As a starving grad student/intern I am not exactly rolling in the dough, but organic food is what I choose to spend my money on. I know some people think it’s not worth it but to me supporting organic food/meat/dairy and making that commitment to my body and the environment is more than worth it!
First off, I used to be blonder than you if you can believe it! I started coloring my hair at 13 too!!! A few years ago I went back to brunette, it took a few salon appointments before I got annoyed and tild her to just go as dark as she could, hated the in between phase. Now that I am preggo, I am SO happy that I am because when I was blonde I needed touch ups every THREE weeks! Now I can’t remember the last time I got my hair colored!
Secondly, I love this post. Really great points, you are SOOO right on all of them! People just don’t realize the importance of organics, and it’s lack of education on why! You hit all the points!!! I am FARRRRRR from a celeb, wealthy, whatever. I make an honest living, but have a budget, and live paycheck to paycheck sometimes with owning my own business (which is now pretty much a one woman operation)–but even when I am low on cash, I make SURE I am buying the best products…local, organic, products….living by the dirty dozen and the clean 15!
Thanks for posting this, educating others and for spreading this important message!!!
I just have to tell you how AWESOME your new header is!! I love love love it!
I agree that health is important and so I try to buy organic whenever I can and don’t mind spending the extra money. It also depends on the store I’m at, and how much selection there is.
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Such a great post! I, like you, try to follow the dirty dozen guidelines. I can’t afford to buy everything organic, but I can afford to buy a select group. We make healthy eating a priority at our house, and so if we have to cut back on entertainment or shopping in order to eat better food, we do it, no questions about it! And I totally admire your decision about your hair. You will save so much money (eventually) and you will be healthier too. Thanks for sharing sweet girl. Have a great Thursday.
I can’t wait to see the new hair!
This is a timely post for me, as I just finished reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and having a discussion with my husband about our eating and organic vs. non organic in terms of produce and meats. I’m on board for dairy and my spinach, lettuces, etc., but I just haven’t tasted an organic apple that I like. I’m so picky about the taste of my fruit – is it an acquired taste?
Thanks for stopping by my site! You have some fantastic information on your blog. I especially liked your post on “Do Doctors Always Know Best”! As for the dirty dozen, I probably should be buying them organic but sometimes the price is ridiculous! It’s so disheartening…
Great post, Erin! I think the biggest bummer for me about the dirty dozen and the clean 15 is that there are only TWO things on the clean 15 that I eat a lot of, fairly regularly. Otherwise, all of my favorite fruits and veggies are on the dirty dozen and they’re soo expensive when they’re organic. =( But I do recognize the importance in eating organically. If I see organic produce on sale, I’m ALL over it. Back in July organic black plums were cheaper than conventional… WAY cheaper… you can bet I went a bit crazy with those haha.
I love this post. I eat primarily organic fruits and veggies also and do everything I can to take toxic stuff out of my family’s environment. Rock ON! BTW: Organic fruits and veggies do actually taste different. They taste so much richer and more flavorful to me. My guess, (research aside), is that the pesticide has a flavor and without the pesticide flavor, we can get the real taste of our fruits and veggies.
i think this post is so important and i just love how there is a print button on your page next to comments!! I am printing this out and hanging it on the fridge at work!! I love it girly!
Great post, and I completely agree with you regarding the importance of considering organics–especially for children. Unfortunately, we rarely buy organic produce now due to the cost. We’ve definitely discussed making the switch when pregnancy rolls around though, for all the reasons you mention in your post. Great info!
Are you trying to tell us something with all this baby talk Erin? hahaha just kidding! Can’t wait to see your new hair color!
I think buying from the farmers market is the best thing to do. You should read the Omnivore’s Dilemma if you have not yet. Great book and really goes into more depth about this.
OK that bra analogy is so true! Hard to make a name-brand veggie.
I do try to eat organic when I can. But because of my budget, I’m very selective…
It makes me feel much better when I’m buying spinach and such that I know is- that’s for sure!
I try to buy organic as much as possible, but not all produce that I buy is offered as organic at the grocery stores I frequent.
As for the hair colour thing… I think it’s easy not to colour my hair now, but once it starts turning grey that will be a whole other ball of wax.
Great post! It is pretty eye opening to see/hear WHY eating organic when you can is sooo important! Plus, the more of us that get on board with it, the cheaper it will soon become because of the supply/demand chain!