Don't go all crazy now, and isolate yourself from the rest of the world. Please keep in mind that this is a lifetime goal to reduce the amount of chemicals you consume. It is not rational to think you can avoid them completely. Reducing the amount of exposure in your own home will help to make up the difference for the rest of the exposure when you are not at home.
Most of this stuff is probably redundant for a lot of you, but it has to be covered at some point, so here are a couple ideas to try that are budget friendly. Feel free to take and leave what you like from this list. You should be the one to decide what is best for your family.
Most of this stuff is probably redundant for a lot of you, but it has to be covered at some point, so here are a couple ideas to try that are budget friendly. Feel free to take and leave what you like from this list. You should be the one to decide what is best for your family.
Buy Organic
Organic foods obtain their label by following strict guidelines. These foods are free from pesticides, fertilizers, genetic modification, ionizing radiation, antibiotics and hormones.
Now, there was a time when I thought if I washed and cooked regular food really well it didn't matter if I bought organic or not. Well, I was wrong. I had finally realized this when I tried to regrow romaine lettuce from their stumps (I would not recommend this because the outside started to rot and attract fruit flies). When I started this, though, I had some regular romaine stumps that I set in water to see if it worked. Then there was a sale on organic romaine, so I started growing the leftover stumps of the organic romaine I had bought. I changed the water in the bowls every couple of days, and the water in the organic romaine bowl was always clear, but in the regular romaine bowl the water was bright yellow for several weeks. Yuck!
Now, I am no expert or have any idea what actually caused the water to turn bright yellow, but my assumption was there were pesticides leaching out of the lettuce. I decided then that harmful chemicals are not only on the outside of food, where they could be washed away, but they were absorbed on the inside as well. Not something I want my family to eat.
The Environmental Working Group has a list of the 12 foods you should buy organic. I am a black and white person though, and unless they are clean then they are dirty. The EWG has also made a list of 15 foods you don't have to worry about buying organic. I normally stick to this list.
EWG's Dirty Dozen
EWG's Dirty Dozen
Debatable, But Currently I Would Not Worry About These Either
- Baby carrots are washed and cleaned (yes they are washed in a chlorine solution, but it is reported to be less chlorine than what you have coming out of your tap), so I wouldn't worry about buying these organic.
- Frozen vegetables are washed and cleaned as well, so I wouldn't worry about buying these organic. I would still avoid frozen blueberries and strawberries though, because they have been found to contain a higher level of pesticides.
Buy on Sale
Buying organic can be expensive, so try to buy things when they are on sale.
Buy at Farmer's Markets
Produce at farmer's markets has been shown to have reduced amounts of pesticides. You can always ask them too what they use on their produce.
Avoid Canned Foods
Canned foods still contain BPA. Try making your own beans or can them yourself. Also, try making your own creamed soups.
Canning Beans
Cream of Anything Soup Mix
Buy meat and dairy products that are antibiotic and hormone free.
Read the Labels
Buy foods with the simplest list of ingredients. There are a lot of food products that are just as good even though they do not have the organic label on them. If you are in doubt about an ingredient just look it up. Sometimes they will list some crazy names for natural ingredients.
Start Your Own Garden
Grow your own fruits and vegetables. I have not had a chance to try this completely yet. I am slowly working on my green thumb. Hopefully by next year I will have something growing. I would not recommend growing from scraps, though, unless you would like to have your kitchen infested with flies.
Clean Your Food Thoroughly
I take all of my produce when I get home, and let it soak for about 10 minutes in a bucket of vinegar and water (not sure on exact measurements, but a couple glugs to a huge bucket of water will do). I soak my strawberries and blueberries in a separate bowl. After 10 minutes I set the berries on a towel to dry completely before I place them in the fridge uncovered. I scrub and dry the rest of my produce, even the produce I am going to remove the skin from (the skin could cause contamination during cutting). Leafy greens I wash under running water (they will wilt easier if left in water), shake off as much of the water as I can, chop, and then place in a partially covered bowl. Then I am all set for the week!
Cleaning Produce
Eat Healthy
If you are interested in a great, healthy diet I am a big fan of Joel Fuhrman, and his Eat to Live or Nutritarian diet. It basically involves high fruit and vegetables, low oil, low salt, low sugar, low processed foods, low meat and low starchy vegetables. Pretty much low anything that makes food taste good. This is a life-long diet though, so one cheat a week is a great way to keep you on track. Plus, once you see how eating all of that bad stuff really makes you feel, you won't have the desire to eat that way anymore. The detox is the hardest part, but after 2 weeks you feel amazing, no longer crave food, and really just eat like you were intended to; to nourish your body.
Recipes
I haaate cooking, so you really don't want to take any recipes from me. When I need a recipe, though, I find looking up vegan versions gives me the healthiest options, and you can always just add meat to it.
~I hope some of these tips have been helpful for you. I would be happy to help if you have any questions or need any guidance. Please feel free to share your own insight as well!~
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