The food you eat is your best defense against disease and the barrage of toxics in our culture. We are exposed to lots of pollutants - in our furniture, in our cars, cleaning products, etc. With so much out of our control, we can at least reduce the buildup of toxins in our bodies. Eating organic foods and drinks is a tasty way to keep the skull and crossbones out of our diet.
Pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified foods, transfats - sound yummy? You want fries with that? No, of course not. But, maybe you think, "Well, I've lived my whole life like this, I'm not going to change now." Well, like so many things, having a baby forces a rethink on that.
According to the Environmental Working Groups
FoodNews website:
"The endocrine (hormone) system is perhaps even more sensitive to toxic exposure than the nervous system, and over the past decade, enormous effort has been put into the study of how pesticides and toxic chemicals interfere with normal endocrine signaling and function. A significant body of research in animals now shows that ultra-low doses of pesticides and toxic chemicals on critical days of development can cause changes in hormone function and effects on organ development and function that often only appear later in life."
You bet you need to think about it. Study after study shows that pesticides and insecticides build up in children's bodies. But there's good news - they also show that just after a short period of eating organic, the body can flush some of those poisons away.
But, you say, organics are expensive! hard to find! not available all year-round! don't store well! Well, all that's changing too. The major international food corporations have entered the scene (concerned about your welfare, for sure), so you don't need to wear Birks and shop at Granola Barn. Organic foods are available just about everywhere I've travelled, from Hawaii to New England.
So, where to begin? Produce, meat and dairy are good places to start. And the EWG's website also makes the produce part even easier. If cost and availability are issues, you can prioritize which fruits and vegetables you choose to buy organic. Because some are less exposed to chemicals in production, some are OK to eat (in terms of their impact on YOU -- organics are almost always better in terms of their impact on the environment.)
TOP VEGETABLES AND FRUITS TO BUY ORGANIC (contain the most toxics): strawberries, peppers, apples, celery, spinach, cucumbers, peaches, green beans
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS THAT ARE OK TO BUY REGULAR (contain the least toxics): avocado, corn, onions, cauliflower, U.S. grapes, bananas, watermelon, broccoli
For the complete list, go to
foodnews.org.
If you *must* choose, follow this guide. Otherwise, sign onto the organic bandwagon and don't look back. For your infants, if you can find organic formula, it's worth it. And organic jarred baby food, like
Earth's Best (our favorite), is worth it. If you think it's too expensive, read through the studies and decide for yourself. When you look back at what you spend on your children -- think of the closet full of stuffed animals, teethers, plastic thing-a-ma-jingy's -- is giving your baby the safest, cleanest, healthiest food really "too expensive"?
Gotta go eat some organic ice cream now...I said organic was healthy, I didn't say it wasn't fattening!
Kathleen
