Organic Panic

Health gurus will tell you that the only way to eat is all organic, all natural, only grass- fed beef...  They try to make you believe that it's an all or nothing situation.  

But, I live in the real world.  I don't have an unlimited food budget.  I have 6 people to feed and I can't spend all my money on organic foods- and truthfully, some of them aren't any better than the regular foods ;)

So what do you do if you're on a budget?  Be smart about how you shop.  If you have access to a farmer's market, talk to the farmers.  Many of them practice organic farming, but because of the cost involved in being certified, aren't.  You can get organic fruits and vegetables at the farmer's market cheaper than you can in the store.  

If you do have to shop at the store, use the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists to help you decide what to buy organic and non- organic.

Dirty Dozen Plus^™

Buy these organic

1

Apples

2

Celery

3

Sweet bell peppers

4

Peaches

5

Strawberries

6

Nectarines
– imported

7

Grapes

8

Spinach

9

Lettuce

10

Cucumbers

11

Blueberries
– domestic

12

Potatoes

Plus

+

Green beans

+

Kale/Greens

+ May contain pesticide residues of special concern

Clean 15^™

Lowest in Pesticide

1

Onions

2

Sweet Corn

3

Pineapples

4

Avocado

5

Cabbage

6

Sweet peas

7

Asparagus

8

Mangoes

9

Eggplant

10

Kiwi

11

Cantaloupe
- domestic

12

Sweet potatoes

13

Grapefruit

14

Watermelon

15

Mushrooms

In the last 10 years, the organic food business has exploded.  With revenues of $27 billion in 2010, the movement continues to grow exponentially.  This growth is good, because it gives us more access to healthier foods, but it can also create a problem.

Focusing on the quality of food (where it came from, how was it sourced,  how was it grown...) can lead many to an unhealthy obsession with healthy food.  They get to the point where their obsession with what they eat creates an imbalance with the rest of their life.

"It's good to eat healthy food.  But if a focus on healthy food begins to crowd out the rest of life, then that focus is becoming a problem." Dr Steven Bratman

Even for those who don't need to lose weight, obsession about the quality of food can lead to unhealthy eating habits.  This can deprive the body of nutrients it needs.  It can also lead to over- spending and unnecessary debt.

Just like in everything else, moderation is the key.  The next time you're grocery shopping and picking up vegetables, be wise about which ones you're picking.  Take small steps now to change your family's diet and soon you'll realize that it's been weeks since your kids had a bowl of sugary cereal =)

Monday, Monday

Mondays are tough for me.  I tend to oversleep on Monday, the baby picks Sunday night to fuss and nurse, I tend to forget to put something out to thaw and have to scramble around to figure out dinner.  

All of these things used to send me into a ice cream shoveling, beating myself up, Dr Pepper slugging nutcase.  Now, I still have the option of doing all of these things (and sometimes I still do) but for the most part I chose to take a different route.

I tend to plan breakfast for dinner on Monday.  That is something that I normally have all of the ingredients for.  If I miss my morning workout because the baby was up all night or I overslept I do a night workout.  My husband and I have discussed that we are ALL happier when mommy is getting in her exercise.  It might not be the full hour long bootcamp that I love but it is at least something.  

By me making the choice to not beat myself up and roll with the punches my family and I are learning to be more flexible and happier.  What do you do when life goes awry?