What to Expect when You Go Organic or All Natural

Starting an organic or all natural diet is a big life change. It's not an easy one to make. Learning how to afford your food and where to get it can seem a daunting task. Some things are incredibly difficult to give up. Many people are more nervous and feel a little under the weather while they are adjusting. However, the benefits are well worth the effort.

You may be overwhelmed by the task at first. So many of our conventional foods contain additives that it can seem impossible to eliminate these toxins from your diet. Know that there are plenty of organic and natural foods of all sorts. You just have to find them. There are ways to make the transition as easy as possible. Make changes one by one, and ease into the new diet slowly. Start by buying fresh, organic produce--particularly the dirty dozen. Then look for range-fed, antibiotic-free meats. Last, learn which prepackaged products and other things are healthy and do not contain additives. Take it one day and one thing at a time. You could also try eliminating one type of toxic at a time. For example, first stop eating caffeine, then high fructose corn syrup, and eventually move on to all additives and unwanted ingredients.

You may find it difficult to know which foods to buy and where to find them. Replacing your usual favorites with organic or natural alternatives can seem overwhelming. If you have a natural grocers, shop there as much as possible. Don't limit yourself to shopping at just one grocery store; try many, as they all carry different things. It can be difficult to round up all the organic food you need, especially if you don't have a whole foods store and must pick from the small organic sections of various mainstream stores. Look for keywords on the fronts of boxes like "organic" or "natural," but always check the labels for ingredients you don't want to ingest. Eventually you will know where to get your foods and which brands to buy, just as you do now with conventional foods.

You will be able to find replacements for many foods, and others you may have to give up. You may be able to find an organic version of your favorite cereal, and peanut butter is a no-brainer. However, you're probably going to have to give up your favorite gummy candy. There are natural and organic alternatives to many products on the market, from waffles to pizza. These products are much better for you than their conventional counter parts, although some of them aren't as good for you as others. For example, an orange is a lot healthier than even natural soda and potato chips. There are some things, however, you are going to have to give up for good. A tip: don't give it up completely. Treat yourself now and again.

You may have a hard time giving up certain foods. Giving something up is easier said than done. Even if you don't have cravings or withdrawals, you may simply miss some of the foods you had to give up. Changing the way you think about eating and starting a new diet can be difficult. It takes time to get used to a new way of life, and that's certainly what a diet is. It can be especially difficult if one of your favorite foods is one of the ones you have to give up. Try new things, and stick to the diet as much as you can. Eventually you will have a whole new set of favorites, and your old list will be a thing of the past.

You may experience cravings and withdrawals for weeks. Many substances are highly addictive. Some are obvious, like caffeine, but you can also be addicted to sugar. Eliminating products with these ingredients can be especially hard. You may feel like you are just going out of your mind for a bag of gummy worms or a can of soda. Try distracting yourself with another food or activity. Give in to your craving, but only have a bite or a sip. Try substituting with another food: one salty or sweet food for another, one crunchy or soft food for another. Keep yourself busy, so you won't have time to think about eating.

You may experience detoxification. If you've been eating conventional your body is contaminated with toxins. It will take time for them to leave your system and for your body to adjust to their absence. Common side effects include headaches, nausea, poor concentration, weight loss, rashes, or feeling chilly. You may also have a runny nose or feel very tired. Most of the time this only lasts a few days. Afterwards, you will feel like you have a lot more energy, and you may notice your health improving. Don't be alarmed if you don't feel well at first; this is normal and will not last. You'll feel under the weather and then on top of the world!

You'll have to learn to prepare new foods and get used to them. Trying many new foods will help you give up your old favorites, as well as afford your new lifestyle. Buy some organic, natural cookbooks, or swap recipes with friends. The internet is a great tool for finding recipes and ideas. Join some communities where folks are following a similar diet. Don't be afraid of new ways of cooking and of new foods. It can be daunting having a whole refrigerator full of unfamiliar foods, especially if you were once a canned-food junkie, but most foods can be prepared quite simply. Don't try something once and decide you don't like it; give it 2 or 3 tries, as it may take that long before you develop a taste for it. Don't go out to eat for at least a few weeks so that you will have to stay in and experiment with cooking.

You'll have to change your thinking about cooking. You'll have to find more time for cooking. It will take more time preparing fresh food than it does to prepare conventional or convenience foods. Fresh produce will need to be washed, maybe trimmed, and it'll take longer to cook than canned food. Make use of your spare time. When you have a minute, begin the preparations for a meal, so that when you're ready to eat, all you have to do is throw it on the stove. Befriend your crockpot. You can throw a bunch of things in there in the morning, and forget about it until dinner. Buy some cookbooks with recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Start making meals in advance and storing them when you have extra time.

It may be hard to figure out how to afford the new diet. Natural and organic food is more expensive per product than conventional food. It is affordable, but you have to find a way to make it work. Eliminating prepackaged foods will lower your costs. Learn to be a bargain-shopper and look for deals. Try shopping every week, instead of every two weeks. Limit impulse buys in the grocery store. Don't shop when you are hungry. Look at some things on your budget; can you eliminate or lower those expenses to make more money for groceries? You may have to give up certain foods or even certain luxuries, but it is worth it. Don't go into the store with a list; go into the store with a general idea of what you need. Plan your meals around your groceries rather than planning your grocery list around what meals you want to make. It will take time to change your way of thinking about shopping, but you'll get the hang of it.

It may take a while to create a new shopping budget. You can eat organic for about the same price that you ate conventional foods. It will take time to make this work though. Stick with it. Don't expect to spend the same amount of groceries every time, especially at first. It will take time for you to develop a system and get used to new spending habits. Your budget will balance out soon enough as you get better at shopping.

You are going to take a while to figure everything out, and that's okay. You're going to have to get used to a whole new diet. It will take time for your body and mind to adjust. You have to shop differently, cook differently, and eat differently. You may have a hard time making the transition at first, but take heart: it's not impossible. It gets easier and better as you go along. One day, your old diet will seem like your old life, and you won't know how you lived differently!