Eating Organic..things that make you go hmmm!

Are you supporting your local farmer's markets and buying organic food? If not here are ten food reasons why you should. From The Green Guide.


1. Potatoes.
Mashed potatoes are delicious and worth the calories, unless they're laden with pesticides or have been genetically-modified.
When genetically modified, potatoes impair the immune system and shrink the brain, liver and heart.So, mash a clean, real, organic potato and forgo the new-fangled monstrosity.

2. Strawberries. Enjoy them while they are in season from local organic farms or buy frozen organic strawberries from your local whole market.

3. Rice. Domestic rice is splattered with mega-doses of pesticides, and now, the chemicals companies are producing "pharm" rice used to produce and store pharmaceuticals. Buy organic rice where you can find it and store it in an airtight container. It stores very well.

4. Green and Red Bell Peppers. Super sources of Vitamin C, but wrought with pesticides. Buy organic, or, better yet, grow your own. Seeds of Change has a plethora of organic seeds, and pepper plants prove to be a hardy bunch!

5. Got Milk? We hope not, at least, not from conventionally raised cows. Today's commercial brands are loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones. Make sure your milk and other dairy is from organically-fed cows without the extra rBST, rBGH and antibiotics.

6. Corn. Corn is typically not a scale tipper when it comes to pesticide residues. But, take into account that 75- 90% of all domestic corn has been genetically-modified, that the average American eats 11 pounds of it, that most cooking oils include corn oil, and that most everything is sweetened with corn syrup, and suddenly, buying organic corn and corn products, makes more than a little sense. Eat local organic corn in season and freeze some for later, or, leave some kernels to dry, and plant them in the spring.

7. Bananas. This tropical favorite has a short window of ripeness and a very long distance to market (quick, how many local banana farms does your town have?). All of which adds up to a lot of heavy chemical dousing along the way.

8. Green Beans. Over 60 different pesticides are used on green beans. Even beans used in baby food have been found to be contaminated.

9. Peaches. Nothing beats a peach. Until you realize that they often have the highest rates of illegally-applied pesticides. Isn't that just peachy . . .

10. Apples. A decade after the dangers of Alar were exposed, apples are still soaked in pesticides. Put only organic apples in your pie.

Nosh on,
~Shoshi