Do you know what you're eating?

I'm taking a break from posting recipes this week because I REALLY want to share this post with you all. Now, for those of you who aren't eating organic and hormone free, this post is especially for you! I know sometimes "organic" can be a scary thing. Maybe when you hear organic you immediately think "Oh I could never buy organic. It's way too expensive and most organic foods are weird. I mean isn't organic like tofu and bean sprouts?" Let me put your mind at peace. Instead when you hear organic, think healthy. I am convinced that eating organic and clean is the best way to jumpstart a healthy eating lifestyle. By making simple changes to the produce and meat you buy you can naturally eliminate SO many things that shouldn't be going into your body. Seriously. Listen up people. Or you will regret it later, I promise.

The husband and I made the decision about a year ago to eat as organic as possible. This was before I found out about my gluten intolerance but having made this switch first really did make going gluten free a lot easier. What helped us make the decision were two documentaries, "Food Inc." and "Forks over Knives." (Both are available for instant streaming on Netflix by the way...watch them!) These two documentaries do a great job of explaining the food industry and the dangers of eating processed and non-organic foods. They do a much better job explaining it than I ever could so just watch them. It will make you change your mind about eating organic.

Now, organic things are more expensive. I know, it seems unfair that the things that are better for everyone are more expensive but that's how the world works unfortunately. So, my new job was figuring out how to keep my husband from freaking out over the grocery receipt and still feel good about the food we were eating. It turns out that you don't have to buy EVERYTHING organic, but instead should focus on the foods that contain the most pesticides and artificial ingredients and start buying those organic. Also, as you will find out if you watch the documentaries, conventional meat has gross levels of hormones, additives and preservatives in them. Even name brands like Tyson and Perdue have hormones. The husband and I only buy organic, hormone free chicken. They sell it in bulk at Costco and it's wonderful! We really can tell a difference, and while it is more expensive we are considering it an investment in our health. You only get one body...take care of it! To help you figure out what to buy here's a list of the pesticide levels found in produce. The lower the number, the higher the pesticide level. In other words: low number = buy organic, high number = buy conventional. We just started using a produce deliver service (Orlando Organics) that delivers organic, locally farmed produce right to your door. It's fantastic!

Have a great week everyone! And I'll be back to posting recipes next week!

1

Apples

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Celery

3

Sweet bell peppers

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Peaches

5

Strawberries

6

Nectarines - imported

7

Grapes

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Spinach

9

Lettuce

10

Cucumbers

11

Blueberries - domestic

12

Potatoes

13

Kale/collard greens

14

Cherries

15

Hot peppers

16

Pears

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Nectarines - domestic

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Green beans

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Plums - imported

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Blueberries - imported

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Carrots

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Raspberries

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Summer squash

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Oranges

25

Broccoli

26

Green onions

27

Bananas

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Honeydew melon

29

Tomatoes

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Cantaloupe - imported

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Cauliflower

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Papaya

33

Plums - domestic

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Winter squash

35

Mushrooms

36

Watermelon

37

Grapefruit

38

Sweet potatoes

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Cantaloupe - domestic

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Kiwi

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Eggplant

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Mangoes

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Asparagus

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Sweet peas - frozen

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Cabbage

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Avocado

47

Pineapples

48

Sweet Corn

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Onions