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| Get Organized Now! |
Today, I’m writing not as an organizer, but as a nutrition and fitness consultant – my job for 17 years
before I founded Your Life Organized. A few months ago there was lot of footage in the news about
beef cattle in California. I found myself nearly in tears watching those cows try to walk on legs that
wouldn’t support them. But beyond that, I was upset by what that type of abuse means for our food
supply. Those sick cows were going to feed school children!
Now, I’m not a vegetarian. A vegetarian diet works wonderfully for some, but I don’t recommend it for
everyone because it doesn’t work for everyone. However, I do advocate conscientious choices in food,
and that is the subject of this post.
By choosing organic, free-range, naturally raised, hormone- and pesticide- free, and locally grown
foods whenever possible, you’re contributing not only to your personal health, but to the health of
the worldwide food supply.
Taking the chemicals (and sickness, in the case of meat) out of your food is guaranteed to make you
feel good – in your heart, and in your body. The fewer chemicals your body has to process on a daily
basis, the more energy it can devote to maintaining daily natural functions. Our constant exposure to
chemicals, hormones, and other contaminants in our food supply has, according to many doctors and
scientists, contributed to the cancer and obesity epidemics sweeping our nation.
If you make conscientious choices, and change your shopping habits in an organized fashion, it won’t
be as hard as you might think to turn your food around. Here are some tips.
In General
Meats
Want to learn more? Read an interesting article on conventional vs. organic at trusted.md
Produce
Other Products
Changing the way you eat can truly turn your life around. It can help you lose weight, regain your
health, reduce stress and cravings, and improve your general well-being. So turn your food around!
before I founded Your Life Organized. A few months ago there was lot of footage in the news about
beef cattle in California. I found myself nearly in tears watching those cows try to walk on legs that
wouldn’t support them. But beyond that, I was upset by what that type of abuse means for our food
supply. Those sick cows were going to feed school children!
Now, I’m not a vegetarian. A vegetarian diet works wonderfully for some, but I don’t recommend it for
everyone because it doesn’t work for everyone. However, I do advocate conscientious choices in food,
and that is the subject of this post.
By choosing organic, free-range, naturally raised, hormone- and pesticide- free, and locally grown
foods whenever possible, you’re contributing not only to your personal health, but to the health of
the worldwide food supply.
Taking the chemicals (and sickness, in the case of meat) out of your food is guaranteed to make you
feel good – in your heart, and in your body. The fewer chemicals your body has to process on a daily
basis, the more energy it can devote to maintaining daily natural functions. Our constant exposure to
chemicals, hormones, and other contaminants in our food supply has, according to many doctors and
scientists, contributed to the cancer and obesity epidemics sweeping our nation.
If you make conscientious choices, and change your shopping habits in an organized fashion, it won’t
be as hard as you might think to turn your food around. Here are some tips.
In General
- Buy Conscientiously. Before you make any purchase, check into the companies you’re buying from.
Try to find information on how they treat their animals, or how their growers operate. The USDA
has relaxed its regulations for organic certification to the detriment of all, and many companies
take advantage of this to sell more product at a higher price. Personally, I wouldn’t buy anything
that claims to be ‘certified organic’ from the big food producers: their systems of production are
already in place, and it’s doubtful that they’ve changed much to accommodate their ‘organic’ lines
(please understand, I’m only surmising here, but it makes sense to me… bottom line and all that).
Instead, look for companies which manufacture only organic and natural foods, because all of
their quality control systems will be geared toward meeting organic standards. If you’re watching
your budget, Whole Foods 365 Organic products taste just as good as the premium brands, and
cost way less.
Meats
- Buy Free-Range. Free Range means that the animals are free to roam, which ensures they receive
daily exercise. - Buy Hormone-Free. Conventionally raised beef cattle receive up to 5 hormones with their feed to
‘optimize their growth'. These hormones end up in their fatty tissues - along with other
medications, like antibiotics, which are administered to keep the cows from getting sick in their
cramped, unclean living quarters. These chemicals are not destroyed by cooking, curing, or
anything else we do to meat before we eat it, and they are as disruptive to human systems as
they are to the cows. - Buy Pasture-Fed. When buying beef, look for ‘pasture-fed’. This means that the cattle were fed on
what cattle are supposed to eat – grass. Most people say that the flavor of pasture-fed beef is
better, too. If you can’t find pasture-fed meats locally, order online and have them shipped to
your home (a cost-effective option if you buy in bulk, or split orders with friends). - Buy Uncured. The curing process which some meats undergo (deli meats, sausage, hot dogs,
etc.) adds a lot of unnecessary things to the product – including nitrates and nitrites (usually
seen as sodium nitrate/nitrite, potassium nitrate/nitrite), which studies show are carcinogenic. In
fact, one study at UCLA confirmed significantly higher childhood leukemia rates among children
who ate more than one conventional (cured) hot dog per week. Look for nitrate/nitrite free
meats in your deli. Applegate Farms makes a number of great products, including truly delicious
genoa salami. - Buy Local. If you can actually go to the farm where your meat comes from, you’ll see what kind of
conditions the animals are living in. Here in Rhode Island, we have a number of farms that offer
free-range eggs, naturally-raised beef, pork, turkeys, and chickens, and fresh milk cheeses. It’s a
little more effort than perusing the meat aisle at your supermarket, but it’s worth it. - Buy Organic. If you can find certified organic meats, these are far and away the best choice. In
most cases, they’ll be slightly more expensive than conventional products, but Certified organic
meats come from animals that have been fed certified organic feed, and live on certified organic
land. They receive no hormones, antibiotics, or medications of any kind. Most organic meats will
be free-range as well – but some aren’t, so read the label carefully.
Want to learn more? Read an interesting article on conventional vs. organic at trusted.md
Produce
- Buy Organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, you can eliminate up to 90% of the
pesticides in your produce if you know the Dirty Dozen: conventional peaches, apples, sweet bell
peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and
potatoes. These items (conventionally grown) are the most likely to have high levels of pesticide
residues. Buying these items organic ensures that you won’t be exposed. Get a free Pesticide
Guide from the EWG and learn more about buying smart on their web page. Also good to know:
according to some research, an organic tomato can contain up to 325% more nutrients than their
conventional counterparts. Other vegetables demonstrate similar results on testing. This means
better, bigger taste in every bite, as well as better nutrition. - Buy Local. Transitioning to an organic lifestyle isn’t only about reducing pesticides and chemicals.
It’s about reducing our impact on the planet as a whole. So if you have a choice between
produce grown in your own town, and produce grown halfway across the world, always choose
local: you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and support your local economy at the same time.
Other Products
- The more products you can buy organic, the better, but at times it’s just not practical for
everyone – including me. So when you’re buying conventional, look for products that contain no
additives, trans-fats, preservatives, or fillers. Remember: the fewer ingredients, the better. And if
you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!
Changing the way you eat can truly turn your life around. It can help you lose weight, regain your
health, reduce stress and cravings, and improve your general well-being. So turn your food around!
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| Organizing Organic: Turn Your Food Around |
