Organic- The Final Plunge

The last step.

It's time to make the switch to all organic.  Fruits and veggies.  Canned beans, rice, potatoes, canned tomatoes, snack foods.  Condiments and cereals.  Everything.  Many foods you will be able to find replacements for- like ketchup and canned beans.  Some products you will need to give up completely.  This change won't hit your budget quite like the meat and dairy but it will require the most effort on your part.  It will take time to change the way you grocery shop.

You'll be buying lots of fruits and veggies.  Well, at least I hope you will be....so here's a handy way to remember what's best to buy.  A sticker with a bar code of a 9 is organic.  Buy this one!  A sticker starting with an 8 is a GMO.  Run!  Run for your life!  And finally, a sticker with a bar code starting with a 4 means it's a conventional product.  It is grown with chemicals and pesticides.  Not good either.  Whew!  Confused? Here's a silly little rhyme that I use- if it doesn't have a nine, it's not worth my dime!

There's also another very helpful label to look for when doing your shopping.  It's the Non-GMO verified label.  The Non-GMO project is a non profit organization dedicated to labeling products that do not contain any GMOs.  To read more about the Non-GMO project, visit their website here.  I simply LOVE this website!  Great search function to help you find alternatives and lots of helpful information, so be sure to check it out!

Look for this label when shopping!

It's at this point that your life will naturally take on some other major changes.  You'll start shopping the outer isles of the grocery store where the "real" food is kept.  You'll buy less process foods.  Cook more from scratch.  Instead of offering your child some goldfish crackers you'll have fresh organic grapes.  Dinner consists of lentil stew instead of beef stew.  McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell and other fast food places will start to upset your tummy and frankly- it won't taste as good as it once did.  Soda won't be as refreshing.  You'll have less waste and will actually eat all the foods in your fridge and pantry.  Ah- the changes are coming your way!  And all because you made the switch to organic foods.

The real change is the best one of all.  You will feel so good.  Your body will start to function as it should without all those harmful chemicals and toxins weighing you down.  You may also notice your skin clearing up, your moods will stabilize, your trips to the bathroom becoming more frequent- lots of fiber in all those kale smoothies!  My son was even able to cure his eczema by simply changing his diet.  It's amazing!

Oh and one last thing before I end this blog post....every time you buy a product, even an organic one, you are making a vote for that product.  You the consumer are saying YES- I approve.  So its very important that we are making the right choices with how we spend our dollars.  Wouldn't you agree?

Not all organic foods are worth spending your hard earned money on.  Many of these organic companies are owned by non-organic major corporations.  Sneaky buggers!  So you the consumer think you're making wonderful choices and supporting organic- however your money is really going towards major food giants like ConAgra, Kraft, Kellogg's and Pepsi.  These companies support using GMO's in food.  They support the poisoning of America.  I strongly encourage you to NOT buy from any of these companies.

Yikes!  Are you thoroughly confused now?  I know I was!  So what should you buy?  What companies are ok to support?  Below is a quick and easy cheat sheet to help you figure out the very best organic companies that are worth buying from and worth supporting.

I realize this is easier said then done.  It will take time.  For some of you- your location will severely limit what products are available to you.  And that's ok.  I would rather you choose organic yogurt with a Stonyfield label vs Dannon's yogurt.  Even though these are owned by the same corporation- you better believe they are keeping track of how many consumers are buying the organic yogurt vs the conventional yogurt.  So perhaps if we buy more, they will figure it that it's a good idea to make more.  So give yourself the ok to buy from these companies when there is not a better alternative.

And finally- I just want to tell you how amazing I think it is that you are making this change.  It's not easy.  It's very expensive and there's lots of confusing information out there.  A bit overwhelming is putting it mildly.  I hope that my little blog has helped you and I hope that we can continue to learn together. Committing to feeding yourself and your family organic foods will prolong your life and make you healthier inside and out!  Get down with your BAD self!  You rock!

Up next- what the heck is a CSA and why you should do it.