Change your life with Organic Foods

Most people today can't trace where their food comes from.  It’s not like 60 years ago when you bought your produce from the local farmer.  The majority of food in the grocery store travels almost 2,000 miles from where it is produced to your table. Most fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ready and ripened during their travels with harmful chemicals.

In the last 20 years we have turned into a culture where the majority of the food we eat is based on its convenience factor and this is showing in our waistlines as well as in our medical bills.  America is listed as the most obese nation in the world.  According to the CDC 34% of our adult population is obese.  In our younger age groups it varies between 11 and 18% of the population.  Can we change this deadly trend with choosing organic alternatives compared to our normal fast food life style?

Shopping organic can seem like a daunting task if you don't know where to begin.  Lucky for anyone who is interested in trying organic alternatives there has been a recent surge in consumer awareness and the majority of grocery stores have a large variety of organic products to choose from.

The most common misconception is that everything that you put in your mouth must be organic.  For someone starting out or who doesn’t have a lot of money to invest on a fully organic diet changing the items you use the most, such as daily items like milk, butter, fruits and veggies, can make a huge impact.

When shopping for vegetables or fruit, or anything that has a four digit PLU code, the first number can tell you a lot about what you are about to put in your cart. Anything that starts with the number 4 is grown with chemical assistance, the number 8 is genetically grown or man made and if it starts with the number 9 you’re fine and the product is organic.  If you are buying something that has an ingredients list on it’s packaging read it and pick the one that has the least amount of ingredients and really consider the purchase if it’s filled with ingredients that only a scientist can pronounce.

There are recommended items that you should always try to buy organic.  Meat, Dairy and Egg products should always be as close to organic as possible.  Thin skinned fruits and vegetables such as peaches, nectarines, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, Cherries, lettuce, spinach, grapes, pears & potatoes. Coffee farming today depends heavily on pesticides and herbicides so it’s recommended that your coffee be organic too.

Organic foods have been proven to have a higher nutritional content and a cleaner more robust flavor that should be given a try instead of the smothered vegetables that commonly end up on our tables.  The next time that you're perusing the grocery aisle really take a look at what you're taking home to your family and how better choices could lead to a longer, happier, more active life.