"Seeking Information on Introducing Organics into Our Diet"

i'm not quite clear on the mamasource boards and how they work - i think you are from the greenville, sc area, but if you are not, disregard my answer! :)

whole foods market on woodruff road is a wonderful grocery store. offering organic and conventional produce, as well as packaged foods that contain NO high fructose corn syrup and NO hydrogenated oils, it is a wonderful place to procure healthy foods for your family. while i have never taken a tour of the store or one of their courses, i would encourage you to do that. they have calendars in-store telling times and topics. they'll give you a tour of the store, explaining their products, and they even offer some classes on how to feed your family.

also, the barnes and noble at greenridge has a great section on organics. enter the store and start walking back to the children's section. turn right just before you get there and walk to the back wall (pass the restrooms on your left). when you are about to run into the wall :), turn around 180 and the shelf in front of you holds cookbooks and general food info books on all kinds of special diets, lots of these books cover organics.

also, the library is a fabulous resource. i like to use its website and amazon.com in conjunction with one another. look up books on amazon by subject, read the synopsis, then search the greenville county library site for that book. request it online for pickup at your closest branch of the library.

while i have no specific recommendations for you, i encourage you to move forward with as much organic, whole food as you can afford for your family. look for specials at local supermarkets, and shop the state farmers' market on rutherford road. you'll find you may only spend just a little bit more (sometimes less!) on organic food than conventional...and in my case the extra amount i have spent on organics has been saved by avoiding excess medicines and doctors' bills. remember organic is not new - we've only been eating "conventional" foods for about the past 45-50 years, making us the guinea pigs in a dangerous experiment.

most of all, enjoy it, and be open to new flavors. :)

If you have a good local health food store (not like GNC), they should have an experienced person working there that can help you get started. I started using natural cleaning products when I developed an eye inflammation that causes blindness--thankfully, I'm not blind as after 4 years the white blood cells left the vitreous on their own--(Praise God)-you would be amazed at how we are harming ourselves with traditional cleaning products.

R.-
We too are trying to make this switch a little at a time. Here is something that has helped us. It is a list called the "dirty dozen." One or two things may differ so I have included 2 links, but they are generally the same. Dairy and meat are two things that you should try and go organic on, and these 12 fruits and veggies. We have introduced it a little at a time, because like you said it does push your budget more. We started with milk, then creamer, now cheese... We try to buy organic or non-hormone/antibiotic meat when we can and eat more veggie based meals. Good Luck!
R.
Here are the links...
http://www.reneeloux.com/go_organic/dirty_dozen.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737389/page/2/ (this article is great, because it also tells you the fruit and veggies with the LEAST pesticide residues so you know when it's ok to buy conventional.

R., I'm a grandmother who has switched to HEALTHY/ORGANIC as much as I can in our diets. Below are 3 of many web-sites that will be informative. The first is where to find local/organic growers in your area. On the 3rd site, there are several articles about GMO (genetically modified foods). I pray you well in learning about the health benefits of organic/locally grown foods!

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." III John:2

http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.knowledgeofhealth.com/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx

Good for you! I preach about this to parents all the time. You should really talk to your pediatrician about this subject. I was fortunate to get a great ped. for my children (girls- 7 & 4) from the beginning of their life. He sat down with me and explained the importance of organic foods for their development. We eat nothing but organic in our house. Fresh Market and Harry's market are great places to shop. Both of our kids have great immune systems and neither of them have ever been on antibiotics. Other than a broken arm for one of them they have never seen a doctor other than their annual checkups. The food is more expensive but you make up for it not having to take them to the doctor all the time. Meats and dairy are most important to begin with. Meats & milk carry hormones that are making our young girls not only develope soon but also sexually active sooner (not because of peer pressure as some say, but because they simply have the urges earlier.) They also inject cows with antibiotics that weeken our own immune systems from fighting normal colds. After the meats and milk start replacing the fruits and veggies that you eat the outside peeling of. This is where the pesticides are sitting (and most do not wash off as you would think.) Pesticides are some of what causes toxins in our bodies when we eat them. Our God given bodies do not know what to do with toxins so they file them away in little pockets in our bodies. Sometime they attach to fat cells and sometime they hide in your digestive system and turn into polyps that can eventually turn into cancer if not removed. Cancer is toxins that are never removed from your body and have set up residence in an environment that helps them grow.

I am a religious person and the book that has most helped me is...The Maker's Diet...it has a biblical reference that really makes you understand from the perspective of how God intended us to live. I strongly suggest reading this book even if you are not a religious person. It just makes sense. And the author talks about how it is never too late to start.

One fair warning...the government is not on board with organic and the public school system IS the government. It has been very difficult since my daughter has started school..do not think for one minute it will be easy...I have gone round and round with them trying to force my daughter to drink their milk that is provided free to them from the government. Keep working at it and it will be well worth it!!

You can do it,
Pamela

R.,
I got this from my mother:

These 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of pesticides; buy organic to reduce your exposure.

Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
Also buy organic meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy to limit your exposure to
antibiotics and growth hormones.

Don't Worry (as much)

The pesticide levels of these 12 fruits and vegetables are low to
undetectable; okay to buy conventional.

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Sweet corn,
Sweet peas

I will get back with you on organics specifically but did want to share what I do know off the top of my head. I provide women's health seminars and this is something I discuss. Most of our meats at the grocery stores have been raised with added sterroids and hormones. If you get a chicken breast that is the size of a turkey breast it isn't normal. These hormones cause various health problems for us. The pesticides used on our fruits and veggies contain chemicals in them that act as estrogen, called xenoestrogens.
Our household cleaners are also culprits. A good book to start with is The Safe Shopper's Bible by Dr Samuel Epstien. Because I focus on women's health the book listing I have is specific to that. Actually, the easiest thing for me to do is send you to my website and have you go to the recommended reading page and the links page. I list websites that could help you get started too. www.purelybalanced.com

Hope that helps get you on the right track

C.

R.,
I think it's terrific that you want to do what is best for your family when it comes to food! We eat raw dairy and all organics on everything else. And with the rising cost of food, locally grown organics is just pennies more than the reg stuff in the grocery stores. 2 sites to get some really good info are,

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/81773/?page=entire _

http://www.westonaprice.org/

Check with your local Dept of Agriculture to find out about local farmers or farmers markets in your area that sell organic. You can also check this site and put your area in the search.

http://www.localharvest.org/

Local Harvest should be able to guide you to not only locally grown organic fruits and veggies, but organic meats. Once you fell the difference in the texture and taste the difference in real meats without the chemicals and added hormones you'll never be able to go back to what they sell in the stores.

Good luck with your transformation to real food!!!!

I would highly suggest talking to the children's doctors first - changing a diet radically can be very unhealthy. Even cats can't get bounced around from one food to another! Organic may work for you and your budget, but it may not. I think it's great that you are willing to try - my personal take on it is that I am more afraid of bugs and "natural wastes" on my food than I am about pesticides, lol! Also, while waiting to see the doctor, I would check out the local library and see what information you can find there. Good luck!

There are many people out there with lots of info for you- and I cannot wait to read their responses. I alwaya buy organic milk, and definately organic apples, grapes, strawberries and other fruit that does not have a skin to discard. I think you are ok to buy conventional bananas, etc. I also try to buy organic meat, but this is not always feasible. I have found that my local stores, kroger and publix, do not have a large variety and that their organic fruits are not in the best shape. I do not know where you live, but there is a Whole Foods in Duluth (near state bridge and 141) that is incredible- be sure to check it out if you can! I have also heard that they are opening one off 400 in Alpharetta. Good Luck!

Hi R.,
Good for you for looking into this. Supporting organic farming is not only better for you and your family but for our environment too:) I dont know of any specific books off hand but I do know that Barnes and Nobles carries some great ones. I would start by looking at what your kids eat the most of in one day, ie. milk, cheese, chips, etc. Try to change their favorite things over to organic. If they are milk drinkers, you certainly want to change that one. Horizon and Organic Valley are wonderful. If you like soy, SILK has a great chocolate and plain milk that is also organic. For the things that you dont want to switch to organic on, just look for natural opitions. Make sure there are no artifical sweetners, partily hydronated oils, or high fructose corn syrup in it and your already making a difference in their health. It is going to be a little more expensive but not that much when you really compare. And you have to think about the big picture... cancer is expensive too. Full Circle and Earths Best Organics offer great products too. When you shop, be sure to read the labels. If it is truly organic it will be certified and you should see a USDA organic circle on the front of the product. Best of luck to you guys;)

As you run out of food replace it with the organic variety. Eventually you will have a full organic kitchen. It does take a while doing it this way, but you will replace the things you use most first and you won't feel it as much as throwing things out and starting fresh. If there are things you know you want to only use organic, then you can replace those up front too. Once you are buying all organic, or mostly, look into a buying club and buy in bulk. It will save you money in the long run. Good luck. If you have any questions feel free to write.

R., I am a SAHM of 4 (13, 11, 2 & 2) so with only having 1 income we definitely have to budget wisely for groceries. We can't afford to do meats or milk organic yet, but what I do is by the top 1/2 of fruits & vegs on this list http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php organic if I can find it. If I can't, then we only eat the ones I can't find organic occasionally. Then we eat a good bit of the bottom 12 not organic. Then I don't buy packaged foods, so we buy only fresh meats, milk, cheese, whole grain flour, whole grain rice, fresh or frozen fruits/vegs. Basically meaning we shop on the outside edges of the store, not the inside where all the processed foods are. Also to help offset buying organic, we try not to eat out since I feel like that would be sabotaging my efforts to be healthier. I hope this is of some help to you & I hope that you find a solution that works for you & your family :)

Just a little tip on the "keeping the price reasonable" side... I've found that my neighborhood Kroger has an organic food section, and if you go at the right time of day (mid-morning) they often have marked down prices on items that are near their sell-by date (Publix has organics too, but I've never seen them mark down their merchandise). I frequently get organic milk and hamburger this way (at prices similar to conventional prices). Consider asking an employee at your store when they typically do their mark-downs and see if you can shop around then. Milk is generally good for a week past the sell-by date, and if you get more than one gallon you can always freeze it. Hamburger also freezes well. So I haven't had any problems using the food before it goes bad.

We've chosen to go organic on our milk, meats, and all soft skinned produce. I subscribe to a nutrition publication that reported a study among children and the use of organics. They feed two groups of kids non -organic food (for 6months) and tested their urine finding very high traces of chemicals and then fed one group strictly organic (for 6 months or so) and the concentrations dropped dramatically. I think it is wise to choose organics for the foods that are contaminated the most. In my opinion, our entire diet does not have to be organic or we would go broke!

My nutritionist told me to start by buying organic for the fruits and veggies that you'll be eating raw. The cooking process will at least help on the items you'll eat cooked. For example, you might buy organic grapes, but conventional (non-organic) potatoes. Another factor is the type of skin on the food. A banana or pineapple is less likely to absorb pestisides through it's thick skin and you always remove the skin before eating them, as compared with a strawberry or blueberry. That's not to say that you will not get any pesticides with a conventional banana though, because it can still absorb things from the soil that make their way into the fruit itself, but the amount may be less. Oh, and I've read that it's generally safer to buy locally grown produce or at least produce that's grown in the U.S. Some of the foreign countries aren't as good at regulating things and they may allow chemicals that are banned in the U.S. So our U.S. farmers might not use them, but can still be exposed by eating foods imported from certain countries.

It is overwhelming, but you'll learn as you go. If I had to start somewhere, I'd start with local/regional organic produce that I plan to eat raw. If you buy what's in season, the cost will be more reasonable. Also, consider which foods your children eat most often. They're growing everyday, and their bodies are so much smaller. If you and your child each ingested the same amount of chemicals, it may affect your child's body more. So you may want to get your child's favorite foods in organics as another starting point.

Good luck on helping your family stay healthy in the long run!

R.,
Eating organically is paramount if you want to limit harmful chemicals, additives, etc form you family's food. It's no secret that organic foods contain more nutrients than their conventional counterparts. Conventionally farmed foods are dangerous, laden with chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the list goes on and on. Not to mention that the use of these chemicals causes great damage to the earths air, water and soil.

www.deliciousorganics.com has some great info on their site that you are interested in. Just off the top of my head, some of the most toxic foods to buy conventionally are: spinach, strawberries, grapes(foreign), apples, bell peppers. I would absolutely opt for organic cow's milk products (cheese, yogurt, butter, etc) and meats.

R., another thing to consider when you are concerned about chemicals being absorbed into the body is your family's personal care products. This means everything from shampoos, soaps, lotions, toothpaste, deodorant, dishwasing products, laundry and cleaning products, etc. A wonderful resource to check for safety of everyday products such as these is www.cosmeticsdatabase.com We make all our own cleaning supplies for the home, and do not use any chemicals on our bodies either. Chemicals are readily absorbed through the skin, and can be more dangerous absorbed this way, than if by ingesting them. A chemical free life is something that i am very passionate about and I will gladly go into more detail with you if want to chat privately. You can reach me at ____@____.com

Love,
C.
www.LostRiverNaturals.com
Organic Goodness for the Whole Family

There are list on the internet but from what I can tell you if you are trying to go organic but cost is a factor, anything that you eat the skin such as red peppers or apples,things of that nature you need to try and get organic because those tend to hold more of the pestisides and such whether the actually do hold more I am not sure but it makes sense just because if you are going to be eating the skin you would get more of that stuff unlike a watermelon or oranges. Hope this helps.