A Guide to Buying Organic

[gams]

Organically-grown, or Natural food products - the labeling on these things can be confusing...and are sometimes misleading.

This is kind of a guide, I found in Family Circle magazine, explaining some of the labels.

"Certified Organic": implies that manufacturers and farmers meet standards ensuring that animals were treated humanely and not given hormones, antibiotics or feed grown with pesticides, or produce is grown pesticide free. Can also be called "USDA organic" and is a closely regulated designation. Look for a green-and-white seal on the package. Expect to pay a higher price, but peace of mind may be worth it.

"Natural" or "All Natural": implies food is free of all preservatives, additives and other chemicals. This label isn't as strictly regulated, so animals may have been given growth hormones and antibiotics.

"Grass-fed" or "Pasture-raised": implies animals grazed outside on pasture, which usually means meat has more omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, and less saturated fat. The USDA is debating the definition.

"Free-range": implies chicken and other poultry had plenty of fresh air, sunshine and room to roam. There's no government-approved definition, so this can mean simply a cage that's open to fresh air. Instead, look for "certified humane", or "free-farmed".

[gams]

Organic fruits and vegetables are expensive, but it can pay off. Research suggests that you can lower your pesticide exposure by up to 90% by avoiding the 12 most contaiminated varieties and opting for organic instead.

Fruits and veggies high in pesticides: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes (imported), spinach, lettuce, potatoes.

Fruits and veggies low in pesticides: onions, avocados, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, papaya.


Oh, and I learned this from a book I recently read about flowers....everything coming in from Peru is fumigated...this means asparagus - and I asked Hubs, we import tons of asparagus before our country's crops are ready for harvest; the import season from Peru ends about late March, early April. So all of that organic, naturally grown asparagus with a Peru label on it, may have indeed been organically grown, but it was sprayed with pesticides upon leaving the country.

[Quettalee]

So true, for all of that, Gams. Thanks for posting. We did not know at all about the Peruvian practice of fumigation. We eliminate as much chance as possible by washing everything that comes into the house with a product called Basic H by Shakelee. You can do everything from washing your hair to brushing your teeth to cooking with it.

I am so proud of the changes we have made in our diets around here. We still get too much refined sugar, but we are all vegetarians for almost two years now, we eat mostly fruits & veggies, we avoid the trans fats and anything with hydrogenated oils (poison preservatives), we only cook with extra virgin olive and real butter (very little butter), the microwave now lives in the garage awaiting the next yard sale (replaced with a small toaster oven like my grandmother used to use & I love my open-faced veggie subs toasted in), we have eliminated the top five cancer-linked foods from our diets completely and replaced them regularly with the top five cancer-fighting ones....we have actively and aggressively made some very healthy, life-altering changes in the past 18 months. I can definitely tell a difference in my energy level and my overall mental awareness.

It feels good and I wish I had known 20 years ago what I know now. Perhaps I would not have to struggle with the weight issue like I must on a constant basis. Now that I'm not on third shift, I can tell a big difference in my energy levels as well. I am starting to peak at different times of the day...times that are more conducive to jump-starting my metabolism.

Keep sharing the info! Knowledge is power.

[gams]

I'd love to make changes in our diets too. We eat fairly healthy, me probably the healthiest, (though I do love sweets). But I've got one child who loves fruit, and another who eats vegetables; neither likes the other. The fruit lover with only eat green beans as a vegetable, and the only fruit the veggie lover will eat is apples. To get either to eat the basic daily requirement is a struggle. Both share my sweet tooth. Hubs doesn't eat sweets like us - the bakery products, and he eats a decent dinner....because I plan it. But at work, he eats like crap: chips, ham and cheese every day on white bread with pickles and mayo. Salts nearly everything. Peanut M&Ms are his weakness. Whoppers too, (those malted milk ball things).

We don't fry anything; we don't drink soda; I try to limit the processed foods out of boxes, (except Rice-a-roni - the girls love it). We could still do a lot better though.

we have eliminated the top five cancer-linked foods from our diets completely and replaced them regularly with the top five cancer-fighting ones

Share the knowledge, Sista Q.

[Quettalee]

Share the knowledge, Sista Q.

I think I had originally posted this at "Did You Know"...but I'm happy to post it everywhere if more peeps will read it.

Top Five Cancer-causing Foods


The "list".
...Hot dogs: The Cancer Prevention Coalition recommends that children should not eat more than 12 hot dogs per month because of the risk of cancer. If you must have your hot dog fix, look for those without sodium nitrite listed among the ingredients.

Processed meats and bacon: These meats almost always contain the same sodium nitrite found in hot dogs. You can find some without nitrites, but you'll have to look for them in natural grocers or health food stores. Bacon is also high in saturated fat, which contributes to the risk of cancers, including breast cancer. Limiting your consumption of processed meats and saturated fats also benefits the heart.

Doughnuts: Doughnuts contain hydrogenated oils, white flour, sugar, and acrylamides. Essentially, they're one of the worst cancer foods you can possibly eat. Reader's Digest calls doughnuts "disastrous" as a breakfast food, and many experts agree it's probably one of the worst ways to start the day.

French fries: Fries are made with hydrogenated oil and fried at high temperatures. Some chains even add sugar to their fry recipe to make them even more irresistible. Not only do they clog your arteries with saturated fat and trans fat, they also contain acrylamides. They should be called "cancer fries," not French fries.

Chips / crackers / cookies: These generally contain white flour and sugar as well as trans fats, but it's not enough to simply look for these ingredients on the label; you have to actually "decode" the ingredients list that food manufacturers use to deceive consumers. They do this by hiding ingredients (such as hiding MSG in yeast extract, or by fiddling with serving sizes so they can claim the food is trans fat free, even when it contains trans fats (the new Girl Scout cookies use this trick).

[Quettalee]

...The fruit lover with only eat green beans as a vegetable, and the only fruit the veggie lover will eat is apples. To get either to eat the basic daily requirement is a struggle.

I used to have that problem with the oldest...very picky veggie eater. So I started sauteing the green beans in extra virgin olive oil with garlic and onions. They both loved it. So then I starting adding different things--a little broccoli here (they both like it raw), a little fresh spinach there. Tonight I sauteed green beens, (the frozen whole ones), onions, garlic, fresh spinach, and at the end I tossed in a cup of black-eyed peas that I had already cooked. Turns out beps have 8 grams of protein per serving. They gobbled it up completely.

So I got green beans, peas, and spinach down them in one sitting! That's a very good thing. Oh, and I also bought up some fancy mushrooms that were marked down and sauteed a huge pan of those in oo, garlic, and pepper. (Not for #1 tho--doesn't like them) Another big hit and sooo good for you.

And that's "Q's Kitchen Que" for the day!

[Quettalee]

"Q's Kitchen Que"...I really gotta find some way to market that. Very catchy, don't 'cha think?