It’s true that non-organic foods cost less, however there are other costs: hidden costs. Health costs. We are not only dealing with nutrient deficient food in this day and age but many of the food we buy are full of pollutants and farming chemicals that we don’t know about. Pesticides have shown to cause cancer, disease in the liver, kidneys and blood. They weaken the immune system so lets be mindful of the choices we are making.
Pesticides are great, they’re designed to kill bugs and they are really good at it. What is the difference between a human and a bug? Size right? The same pesticides designed to destroy the bugs are harming us but on a much longer time scale. Everything we eat becomes us, food doesn’t just pass through us, it becomes our hair, nails, skin, blood, feeds our organs etc. It’s important we choose natural organic food where we can.
I recommend that when switching to organic produce, you make it a gradual process, to help you adjust to the price difference. Knowing which foods make up the ‘Clean Fifteen’ and the ‘Dirty Dozen’ will help keep your budget in check.
Next time you’re doing your shopping, why not take this list with you? Or stick it on your fridge. It contains the fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated by pesticides.
The ‘Dirty Dozen’ should always be bought organically if you can:
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Peaches
5. Strawberries
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Spinach
9. Lettuce
10. Cucumbers
11. Blueberries
12. Potatoes
The ‘Clean Fifteen’ are cleaner than you might think, so non-organic is fine if you can’t stretch to organic:
1. Onions
2. Sweetcorn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocados
5. Cabbage
6. Sweet peas
7. Asparagus
8. Mangoes
9. Aubergines
10. Kiwis
11. Cantaloupe melons
12. Sweet potatoes
13. Grapefruit
14. Watermelons
15. Mushrooms
You’re worth every penny you put in your body so don’t budget on quality. We’ll happily spend so much money on the new iPhone or a new piece of clothing but the amount of people who cut back on the quality of what they’re putting into their bodies that make us who we are amazes me. It Is everything.
‘The greatest wealth is health’ - Virgil
Get in contact if you fancy a supermarket tour where I’ll teach you how to be a pro food detective in your local supermarket or health food store. I’ll teach you the crafty secrets behind the geography of any supermarket and how we are so incredibly patterned in how we walk around our local supermarkets being seduced at every corner.