How to Switch to Organic Foods

Have you been thinking about trying to switch to organic foods but aren’t sure where to start? If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts you probably know that my family and I eat organic foods and that I am very passionate about it. I decided to make the switch to organic foods after having health issues that weren’t being healed by traditional medicine. Even with all of my motivation to feel better, it was tricky to navigate the organic switch at first. So, I would love to share with you what I think are the easiest ways to get started and transition to eating an organic, whole foods diet.

Produce

I would first recommend switching your produce to organic, specifically the “dirty dozen”. The dirty dozen is a list of twelve whole foods that have been shown to have the highest amount of pesticide residue. By buying the organic version of these foods you can significantly cut down your family’s exposure to toxins and chemicals along with GMOs. The Environmental Working Group puts out a list every year that can be found on their website. For 2022 the list includes strawberries, spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell and hot peppers, cherries, peaches, pears, celery, and tomatoes. If you consume these foods, it is best to purchase organic. 

Organic produce can be bought at most grocery stores. It may be difficult to find mustard greens but I have found organic strawberries, apples, grapes, spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers at stores like Publix, Walmart, and Aldi. Most stores group their organic produce together. Look for packaging that says organic or a small circle, most times green, that says USDA Organic. Even if you can’t find everything you are looking for, switching just a few items at a time is beneficial. 

So, why are consuming pesticides harmful? Toxins found in pesticides have been shown to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Exposure to pesticides has also been linked to depression, birth defects, and degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Pesticides can also be endocrine disruptors, causing harmful disruptions to glands and hormones in the body. (In a previous post I shared more in-depth how pesticides can negatively affect your endocrine system.) For example, according to the book Staying Health with Nutrition, strawberries have been shown to have high levels of endocrine-disrupting pesticides and, in the US, strawberries are sprayed with 300 to 500 pounds of pesticides per acre. When tested 70% of conventional strawberries had pesticide residue on them. If you and your family are consuming conventional strawberries you are likely consuming toxins that can disrupt your endocrine system and potentially your brain. Then, if you are pregnant and consuming conventional strawberries you are likely passing these toxins on to your baby. After all, pesticides are meant to kill bugs, and living beings, so why wouldn’t they also be harming us?

These statistics are shocking to me. Some believe that pesticides help protect our food supply, but I believe that pesticides are doing more harm than good because I have seen the difference in my health after removing them from my diet.

I hope this small amount of information is helpful and encourages you to try and make the switch to organic foods. Especially if you are dealing with health issues, it could be a good place to start to help your body heal.