Today I read an article about how scientists are linking eating organic food to losing weight. Scientists are finding that the chemicals being sprayed on our foods are endochrine disrupters, meaning they mess with the hormones in our bodies. This alters our ability to lose weight, to not gain weight, to get pregnant, to develop diseases, illnesses and many other things. The findings were that if you are eating organic you will find you can be more liberal in what you are eating because it does not affect your weight or your health as much. While that is great news the scary thing is that what we are eating is that bad for us, it messes with our hormones, and helps aid in our obesity problems, and our battle with weight. Wow! Can you imagine the other long term effects that haven’t even been uncovered yet. Also, the fact that it disrupts the ability to get pregnant is so frightening.

So here are some quick ways to go organic without breaking the budget, freaking out your family, or completely altering your lifestyle overnight

1. Stop eating & drinking things with high fructose corn syrup. It is everywhere, so read the labels. I know buying organic is more expensive so if you can’t make the switch then find alternatives, for instance, crackers: most of them have high fructose corn syrup, but there are a few brands that don’t and they aren’t as expensive as organic. This is true with almost everything on the market now.

2. Change the meat you eat. Again, organic  is  more expensive than non-organic  so if you can’t afford the organic meat look for the label that says “No Antibiotics, No Hormones”.  If you have a Trader Joe’s close that is a great place to find affordable “chemical free” meat & organic meat. Also, Costco sells organic meat in bulk, making it much more affordable to buy organic meat.

3. Find a list like this one from Planet Green, showing which foods are the most harmful and purchase these organic first. (I didn’t know green beans were so bad, containing over 60 pesticides, and testing over the legal limit for chemicals!) If you only change these items first it is a big start!

4. Evaluate what you are cooking and see where you can stop buying canned foods. Some canned foods do test positive for BPA. This is not good as it leeches into your food. Are there foods you can stop buying canned? Can you hydrate your beans instead of buying canned ones, even if just on the weekends? Look for items that come in glass instead of cans (make sure you recycle your glass).

5. As you replace your condiments and other items you buy less regularly try buying organic instead to replace them. It is a slow way to start building your organic pantry, without breaking the budget. Often times the organic alternative is a dollar more at most, so making one or two changes a week will only set you back a few dollars but make a huge difference in your diet.

6. Shop at Costco or someplace similar that carries organic foods. Our Costco sells organic eggs, milk, yogurt, meat, produce, detergents etc. at much more affordable prices. Plus, they are in larger containers  meaning less waste for the environment, less time spent at the store, and less emissions in the air from driving to the store as often.

7. I would love to say stop eating fast food, but I know for a lot of people that would be too big of a change right off of the bat. So, instead choose where you eat. For instance, at McDonald’s their french fries are perfect, because their potatoes are perfect. Their potatoes are perfect because they demand them to be. When was the last time you saw a potato grown normally that was perfect? It is rare, so McDonald’s solution, spray the potatoes with a chemical to make them perfect. Problem, the chemical is neurologically damaging. How bad? Well, after farmers spray the chemical they refuse to go into the fields, no matter what, for 5 days to lessen the risk of damage to their bodies. (Seriously, do you need to eat a perfect fry badly enough to eat the neurological chemical too?) There are other places that don’t practice this so eat there instead.

8. Shop at your farmer’s market. Talk to the farmers. A lot of them may not be certified organic but they practice organic farming so buy from them, and then freeze the fresh produce in pvc free freezer bags or BPA free containers.

9.  Don’t buy processed foods unless absolutely necessary. It is funny how habitual it is to buy processed foods. You can get into a rut and forget that really it doesn’t take very long to cook some of the things you are buying pre-made or processed. For instance, making a cake or muffins from scratch is not that much more difficult than the mixes.  You can find very simple recipes online and cook your food fresh. If you can’t do it everyday then try doing it one more day a week than you are now.When that gets comfortable and easy add another day. You will eliminate so many chemicals & calories from your diet. You will also have the chance to teach your children a new skill, and a new way of life. I have a great tomato soup recipe for instance that may take 10 more minutes than canned soup but aside from the organic canned tomatoes there are no other ingredients I don’t control. I use organic onions & garlic, sea salt, pepper, and organic milk. It tastes a million times better than canned soup, is almost as easy, and does not contain any preservatives, high fructose corn syrup etc.

10.  Watch what you are storing your food in & reheating it in. You can buy great glass containers now that are perfect for storing your leftovers, and for reheating them. This will cut down on the chemicals leeching into your food. Also, buy BPA free to go cups, or stainless steel and take your own water places instead of buying it in plastic bottles.  You will save so much money doing this you can afford to buy another organic item or two at the grocery store, plus, no more chemicals in your water or food from the container.

How are you incorporating more organic food into your diet? Have you seen a difference in how you feel or what you weigh by switching? Leave us a comment and tell us what you think!

-Sheri

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Tags: diet, organic food