Go Organic Today

Going organic means being in touch with nature. Pure foods, cleaning products, and clothes are some ways to celebrate living an organic lifestyle. There's nothing to lose, except bad habits! Living organically can be small steps like trying a few new foods.

Organic budgeting is easy! Just as nonorganic brands vary in price, so do organic products. Kashi is known for cereal, oatmeal, and protein bars. Paul Newman makes everything from spaghetti sauce to cookies. Amy's is a great frozen food brand. Amy's has Italian, Mexican, Indian, and many other kinds of flavors to satisfy those taste buds! The 365 brand at Whole Foods Market is the store brand name and is very affordable. Silk makes soy milk that tastes great! Cow's milk is so expensive anyway. Silk also makes tofu, which cost around two dollars for 16 oz. Buying fresh vegetables is cheap, because you can buy in bulk. Green beans, bok choy, corn, carrots, and lettuce are the best at about two dollars or less.

An easy organic menu would consist of a grain, vegetable, and a protein. Rice, lentils, potatoes, whole wheat pasta, or couscous are some choices for grains. Any organic vegetable will do. Organic meat is very important in protecting your body against diseases. Animals are often subjected to harmful treatment like hormone injections, chemically altered food, and packed into small spaces. Organic farmers treat animals with respect offering free range, natural feed, and a friendly environment. Fish, beef, chicken, and other meats are sold as USDA organic in most super markets today.

Organic is an umbrella term when it comes to the standards of food. Not all labels featuring the word "organic" means the product is 100% organic. Always look for the green and white or green and black label saying, "USDA Organic." A small sticker will appear on fruits and vegetables. The seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk, eggs, cheese, or other single-ingredient foods. Multi-Ingredient Foods displaying the words "100% organic" are safe. If the product only contains the word organic then it's 90%-95%natural. If the label says, "Made With Organic Ingredients," it's 70%-94% organic. All other products are 70% or less organic.

Celebrating the big O can be fun! Invite friends over and have an organic pot-luck dinner. Make the kids sandwiches with all natural jam and ask them which flavor is the best. Try making homemade oatmeal and peanut butter cookies or fruit smoothies. If you've never had tofu or tempe try one new food a week. You'll be surprised at what can taste good and be good for you! Start celebrating the big O today!National guidelines assure that organic food is produced without the use of genetic engineering, sewage sludge, ionizing radiation, toxic and persistent pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. Maybe this summer is the time to say, "I won't take it anymore!" Throw out all that unhealthy food and those harmful cleaning products! Mother Earth and your body will thank you. The reasons to celebrate organic living are many. Organic food is one way to celebrate the O in your life.Organic products meet stringent standards which don't include procedures with persistent toxic chemical inputs. As a child your mother always said, "you are what you eat." Eating natural vs chemically altered food is a no-brainer. Organic food taste better anyway! Well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. Organic production reduces health risks by not using harmful chemicals to treat or process food. Living organically can be a defense against cancer, e-coli, and many other illnesses. Reducing farm pollution is a huge thing to celebrate! Pesticide drifts affect non-farm communities with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit in harming delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico. Eating seasonably supports your local farmers market, while also supporting a global organic economy year round. Most major grocery chains have an organic section. Publix and Kroger have a section celebrating organic living called "green living." Whole Foods is an entire store dedicated to organic living!