Why Eat Organic

Recently we made the switch to eating organically. While this doesn't change the types of food we eat, it has obviously made it much more expensive. We actually couldn't make the switch until our little girl got potty trained because for us eating all organic costs about an extra $150 a month. 

Yes, I was a bad environmentalist and didn't use cloth diapers. Why? Because with all the exhaustion and stress of motherhood I wasn't adding scrubbing poop out of cloth everyday to my chore list. I applaud those who do!

Why did we switch to eating all organic?

This is an important part of putting our money where our mouth is in order to protect our health. The thought of feeding my family foods soaked in pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides was unappealing to say the least. I always washed our produce, but I knew we couldn't wash our cereals, bread, or meats. Plus there are some plants that have been genetically modified (GMO) to produce their own pesticides.*

Yes, the EPA and USDA claim these are safe for us to eat. I don't trust that. Why? Because I can name 17 friends and family members who have or had cancer. 17! Of those 7 have died. 2 were over 80 so their deaths can be contributed to a combination of old age and cancer. According to the CDC, "Approximately 39.6% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes (based on 2010-2012 data)."**

I was born in 1986 and the first GMO food crops planted in the US were in 1987. My generation is the first to grow up on GMO's. People born in the US since 1990 are now twice as likely to get colon cancer and four times as likely to get rectal cancer as opposed to people born in 1950, according to research by  the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. There are many factors that can go into a person developing cancer, but I believe the use of GMO's and the uptick in digestion tract cancers for those raised on them bares a strong enough correlation to warrant research (aka, this can't be good).

How to switch to all organic

Like I said, it's expensive. Slowly switching over will allow you to adapt your shopping habits and adjust your family budget. We actually began to switch to eating all organic a few years ago by buying a few things organic. We started with hormone free milk, cheese, and butter. Not too bad of a cost difference. 

I'm also not comforted by the USDA claiming the cow growth hormone Rbst has no effects on humans. If I drive by a middle school I can't tell if the students are middle schoolers or high schoolers. No, I don't think it is at all natural for 9-year-olds to start their periods and 12-year-olds to be as developed as 18 year olds. Come on! 

After switching to hormone free dairy, I read and learned that the crops that are grown with the most pesticides are spinach and strawberries. Organic spinach isn't much more than conventional spinach, but strawberries are twice as much per pound. Ouch, but worth it. Click here for a list of the 2017 Dirty Dozen crops that test the highest for pesticides. Then this year when our little girl finished potty training we took the leap and have fully switched to eating all organic. 

Game Plan for Switching to Eating All Organic

     1. Start with hormone free Dairy

     2. Switch your Dirty Dozen produce to organically grown

     3. Add 3 organic foods to your groceries for a month and note the difference

     4. Adjust your family budget

     5. Make the full switch!

Do Your Small Part Today

To sum this all up, I know organic foods cost more and not everyone can buy them, which is a travesty of capitalism over humanity. But the point of me sharing what I know is to help you do your small part today. When you buy food today, buy organic. It's a small step, but an important one. Even if you can only buy one thing organically a month, you'll be reducing the amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides in your body. By buying one thing organically this month you'll be telling the food industry you want more affordable organics. Demand changes supply. And by buying one thing organically this month you'll be reducing the amount of poision pumped into our land, our water, and our air. Join me in doing your small part today.

Read next - Why are Organic Foods More Expensive?

* Did you know Monsanto has to register its genetically modified (GMO) corn as a pesticide? They spliced its genes in a lab so that it now produces Bt toxin, a pesticide. Yes, this pesticide is toxic to humans and has been proven to cause cancerous tumors in lab rats. Why are they able to use it? The EPA and USDA has listed it as safe for humans to consume in small quantities. Hmm, wonder how much corporate lobbying money went into politicians pockets for that one. Like my momma always says, "follow the money."

**https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

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