Mom Goes Green

One of my most recent “switches” was when I started to buy only organic coffee a few months ago.  I don’t really have a reason for not buying organic coffee sooner, except that (while I was worried about my to-go cup) I really hadn’t given the content of the cup much thought… no, not a good excuse, but an honest one…

There are a multitude of reasons I’m happy that I finally made this change… and they’re big reasons, so consider these facts:

• Organic coffee is grown without herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic growth chemicals, therefore these chemicals will NOT be part of your morning java.  Avoiding these chemicals is also much safer for farmers and workers, and will prevent contamination of the soil, water sources and surrounding environment.

• Organic coffee prohibits the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer.  Yes, you heard that right… sewage sludge.  Every disgusting thing you can imagine that ends up in sewage can end up in the sludge that is added to coffee crops for fertilizer.

• Organic coffee cannot contain genetically modified organisms or use ionizing radiation (both common in non-organic coffee production!).

• Organic coffee can be shade grown, so large areas of trees do not need to be cleared for this crop, and wildlife and their habitat will also be spared.

If you think it might be easier to just give-up coffee (no, never!), remember that there are also health benefits of coffee… it actually contains powerful antioxidants and is believed to help protect a body against diabetes, liver disease, gallstones, and even the onset of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s…

I know there are times when we all think we might go a little crazy without our coffee(!), but the important thing is:  you want the benefit without the harmful “extras” and practices.

Organic coffee is the healthier, greener way to serve up a much better cup of joe.

Every time I visit the organic dairy case, I get more and more overwhelmed by the classifications and categorizations of eggs.  Too many terms… too many confusing terms!

They can also be misleading and aren’t always as “dreamy” as they might seem, so take a look at the real deal on these most common terms in the   “egg world”:

• Organic – these eggs come from hens that are free of hormones, steroids and antibiotics.  They are fed an organic, vegetarian, pesticide-free diet.  Organic eggs are said to include three times more omega-3 fatty acids, twice as much vitamin E and 40% more vitamin A than non-organic eggs.  This label is regulated by the USDA.

• Cage-free – while cage-free sounds more humane, the reality isn’t always as great as it sounds.  While the hens aren’t confined to tiny individual cages, they are often placed in much larger common areas with other hens, but have no more individual space than a single cage… so no, cage-free does not mean they have ample space to spread their wings either.  Also keep in mind that this “label” is not regulated and cage-free does not mean organic unless it says so.

• Free-range – these hens are raised with “access” to the outdoors, but sadly it doesn’t mean they spend their life prancing around the grassy hillside.  The reality is that they still spend much of their life in a cage-free environment, but are supposed get some time outdoors.  Since this term isn’t regulated either, some reports say that free-range hens may actually spend little to NO time outdoors despite the claim.  Again, free-range does not mean organic unless it says so.

There are plenty of other terms –- “natural” which essentially means nothing (all eggs are natural!), “pasture-raised” which means they do peck around outdoors or “grass-fed” meaning they do get outdoors and eat grass, insects and all that nature intended (so these eggs contain the most nutrients, but you will pay for them… dearly!), “certified humane” meaning they live indoors, but are confined much less densely –- so all you can do is know what the terms mean and choose what matters to you.

I haven’t even touched on conventionally-raised hens but believe me, they are often fed cheap, disgusting grains and foods (including the by-products of other animals), kept in the smallest of cages with deplorable conditions, and have the tips of their beaks burned off so they don’t peck one another… sure, the dozen eggs you purchase may be 99 cents, but I cannot condone or support those practices.

We’re an “organic, free-range” family because, aside from raising my own chickens (no, not likely!) or knowing someone who does (unfortunately, I don’t!), I’m hoping that the eggs come from somewhat happy chickens that maintained a healthy diet and drug-free life!

(There you have it…  and I didn’t say “egg-cellent”, even once!…)

The chores are done, the day’s “to do list” is complete, the kids are asleep and you need to relax… drinks anyone?

I’m sure many of you are waving frantically enough that I’ll feel my monitor shaking!  I, for one, am always up for a nice, new, green adventure that goes beyond the daily routine of regulating water and energy usage, keeping harsh chemicals at bay, reusable bags and recycling!

Thanks to Paul Abercrombie, I can look forward to an adult beverage adventure in his new book Organic, Shaken and Stirred.  It’s the first book of its kind, full of unique creations and, the photos are so deliciously tempting, I want to lick the pages… and then grab my car keys and head to the store!  (Okay, so a bike would be greener transportation, but balancing the bottles can be tricky!)

In all seriousness, just like all of the foods and beverages we consume, cocktails made with organic alcohol and ingredients also mean organic growing methods that are less harmful for growers, better for our environment and more sustainable. (See, when you host an “Organic Mojito Night” you’re actually being environmental!)

Speaking of… I love, love, love Mojitos… so this speaks to me…

Prickly Pear Mojito

• 2 ounces organic rum
• 3 organic mint leaves
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed organic lime juice
• ¼ ounce organic prickly pear juice (canned or fresh)
• splash of club soda

Combine the first four ingredients in an ice cube-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice cube-filled glass. Top with the club soda and give a quick stir.

Mmmm… can you already taste yourself relaxing?

Now, the next time you host a party, whip up a tasty concoction for a few friends, or simply settle in for the night with your beloved, skip all of those commercial, syrupy mixers and eco-unfriendly ingredients, and instead… get Organic, Shaken and Stirred.

This past weekend I actually recognized how far I’ve come in my pursuit of greening my daily life.  Without even realizing it, I made decisions that I recognized have become automatic rather than a conscious decision.  I’m not sure what made me take special notice of how far I’ve come in the past few years, but I realized “you’ve come a long way, baby!”…

• I shopped organic, big time.  I avoided high fructose corn syrup, excess sugar and hydrogenated oils, and skipped the frozen food aisle entirely.  I used reusable shopping bags and reusable mesh produce bags too!
• I had to buy cups for an event at our daughter’s school.  I bought paper cups.  I would have preferred something reusable, but I needed about 75 and couldn’t round up that much… but plastic or styrofoam were never a consideration!
• I bought a new shower gel, skipped the regular soap aisle and went straight for organics.  Ended up with “Yes To Carrots”… good stuff!
• After my husband accidentally sent a big bowl of uncooked (organic!) scrambled eggs plummeting into the cabinets and floor, I did a clean-up with a dishtowel and Skoy cloths.  I made everything sparkly clean with a spray of vinegar and water… not one paper towel used!
• I did a leaf clean-up – no leaf-blower, no lawn mower… just a rake, a tarp (to drag the leaves down the ravine instead of bagging), ME and some great exercise… and the kids playing for hours outdoors!
• I prepared a meal that included an organic roast, organic carrots (it was a carrot-kind-of-weekend, apparently!) and organic potatoes.  No steroids, hormones or pesticides for us!
• I did some laundry with all of my beloved, eco-friendly Method products.
• I had to grin… my son actually noticed that my husband left the light on in the shower and reminded him “don’t forget to turn off the lights, Dad!” (The “green” apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!)

I realize that I am truly practicing what I preach and it wasn’t because I knew I should; it was because that’s what I “do”.  It’s what I know, and I can “live” with that!

The other day I wrote a post about pesticides and using sea salt and water to wash fruits and vegetables before we consume them to remove those dangerous pesticides.

Well, a close, personal friend, Will, was bold enough to call a foul.  He is very passionate about the topic and went so far as to call the post “lame”… (ouch!).

I’ll first say that the post was written in response to a few readers’ prior comments that they didn’t feel the added expense of organics was in their budget and had limited access to affordable and available organics because of where they lived geographically.  While I wasn’t attempting to mislead anyone or act irresponsibly, and this sea salt and water wash can remove the pesticides from the surface of produce, this is (admittedly) only part of the story.

The reality is that you absolutely cannot prevent consuming pesticides unless you are willing to invest in organics… period.

The fact of the matter is also that pesticides aren’t sprayed on the produce just prior to harvesting; they are applied constantly, being spraying and absorbed all throughout the growing process.  No amount of soaking and scrubbing can eliminate that.  This “solution” isn’t the solution!

And while we continue to buy conventionally-grown produce, we are actually (financially) supporting this farming practice, therefore lessening the demand for organics, slowing widespread distribution AND keeping their cost high.  All the while these pesticides are harmful to us as consumers, extremely dangerous to farm workers and contaminate our ground and surface water, as well as wildlife and the environment… a cycle that goes on and on unless practices change… dramatically. Pesticides (and herbicides) are simply bad news all around.

So, I’ve said all along that this “greening my life” would be a journey, mistakes included.  But now you know the FULL story… supporting organic farming is the only true option for an abundance of reasons.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program… hopefully with any further lame posts excluded!

I’ve talked a lot about the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on conventionally-grown, non-organic produce.   It always seemed crazy to me that our most healthy foods often come with a load of non-healthy “additives”.   And it’s especially alarming where our children are concerned.

You can stick with the “Clean 15” list and buy non-organic, but if you’re on a budget and run across that “Dirty Dozen”, what do you do?  Well, some solutions can be especially expensive to make.  And Fit can also get quite costly.

At a Health and Nutrition session I recently attended (where I learned about all of the grossness of fast food!) I also learned about a quick, easy and cheap way to clean our produce and remove those harmful pesticides… a recipe I had never heard before.

All you need is fine-grain sea salt and water!

• First, wash the fruit or vegetable with water.
• Prepare the solution in a large bowl by mixing one teaspoon of sea salt to each cup of water and stir it to dissolve the salt.
• Soak your produce for all of TWO minutes.  (For sturdier produce, you can give it an extra scrub with a vegetable brush if it makes you feel better!)
• Rinse the produce under fresh water, pat to dry or dry on a clean towel and voila!… clean produce!

It’s best to do this right before you plan to use or eat the fruits or vegetables, to help maintain freshness and because it’s quick and easy, it won’t add a bunch of extra time.

There you have it.  Now walk away and be sure to add sea salt to your grocery list!  Healthy produce, HAPPY MOM!!!

(The issue doesn’t end here… please read the FULL story.)

I recently read an article about the psychology of food.  I can’t remember where and I haven’t been able to locate it again (brilliant, I know!), but it talked about how our food choices not only have a physical effect on our well-being, but also a psychological effect.

This study was coupled with the recent claims that organic foods have no nutritional superiority to non-organic foods but, like I stated before, my preference for organics has little to do with an expectation of more nutrition; it has to do with the absence of harmful pesticides, herbicides and extra chemicals.  (However, Grist also has an interesting article about the antioxidant levels in organic vs. non-organic foods.)

The more I think about it too, the more I realize that there is some psychology to making my organic food choices.  I really do feel better when I eat organic foods and it’s because, mentally, I feel like I’m doing myself and my family a better “service”.  It may be, in part, like that placebo effect in medical studies where people just feel better when they believe they’ve taken a medication that will help them when, in actuality, they’ve taken nothing all.  But for me, knowing that our foods don’t contain harsh chemicals and additives does make a difference that is both physical and mental.

This was even proven in our own home yesterday morning when our daughter changed her mind about wanting to try out her school’s cafeteria food (despite my recent discovery of an abundance of waste!).  At the last minute she said “mom, I don’t think I want to eat in the cafeteria today.”  When asked why, she said she “just liked my food better.”  As I packed her yogurt, organic carrots and apples, I realized that even she may have a sense of what those “better foods” might do for her.  And asked at the end of the day how she enjoyed the lunch I packed, she said it was “great”!

To get a “fresh” start, try this detoxifying salad from nutritionist Natalia Rose, author of Detox for Women.

• Combine a half cup each of shredded red cabbage and carrots, julienned yellow bell peppers and alfalfa sprouts with one cup mesclun greens or baby lettuce
• Top with a mix of ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. diced fresh garlic and stevia, to taste.  These water-rich foods do wonders to eliminate impurities.

Maybe one day I’ll learn that I wasted a ton of money buying organics (although I doubt it!) but for now I’ll take that extra “perception is reality” sensation of “doing a body good!”

…so this is what the latest review is telling consumers.  My first reaction sounded something like this: “AUGGGHHHHH!!!!!”  My second reaction was: “Well, what about the rest of the story?”

In summary, this conclusion was the result of a British review of studies held over the past 50 years.  It states that organic and non-organic foods possess the same nutritional content and therefore there is no superiority in organically grow produce.

Now first of all… I would consider the inclusion of studies that are 30, 40, 50(!) years old fairly irrelevant at this point. But what bothers me more is what this study DOES NOT include.

At no point does it ever address the real reason organic foods are important.  I can honestly say that I have NEVER purchased organic foods because I had some expectation of nutritional superiority. I do not buy these foods for what they contain… I buy them for what they DO NOT contain…

What organic foods DO NOT contain are the herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals that are sprayed on the crop… chemicals that are harmful to both us and the environment.  It’s that simple.  If you have been buying organics for some other reason, then you’ve been buying them for the wrong reason.  I’m buying them to prevent my family from consuming chemicals while they are consuming the foods that have a high nutritional value, regardless of the value (especially if they are equal!).  And our children are the most vulnerable when it comes to consuming these chemicals.  What it also does not mention is that the presence of pesticides can actually block the absorption of nutrients, so then doesn’t this automatically make the amount of nutrients irrelevant if they can’t be properly absorbed?!?

In my opinion, this result is misleading and irresponsible.  It’s only half the story.

You can decide for yourself, but my opinion has not been swayed one inch.  It’s not about non-organic vs. organic, it’s about chemical vs. non-chemical.  Which one would you rather give to your child?

As if there wasn’t enough debate (and yes, confusion) about the benefit of organic vs. non-organic milk, now “natural” milk is being introduced on grocery store shelves.

I’ve never wavered in my preference for organic milk.  It is higher quality; contains more nutrients; does NOT contain high residues of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics or hormones; and it comes from cows that have an overall better quality of life and receive organic feed.

Now enter: natural milk. What this essentially means is that the milk cannot contain artificial ingredients and additives like sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup, but it CANNOT make any of the claims of organic milk or the absence of all the harmful residues.

The pricing for natural milk will be somewhere between organic and non-organic. And with organic milk being high priced in comparison, some shoppers may be misled into believing that they’re buying a product that is less expensive than organic but getting all the benefits of organic milk.  This simply isn’t true. The difference is simply in the processing after it comes from the cow, not in the quality of the milk itself.

There is already so much confusion about organic milk and its beneficial qualities, and now natural milk will serve only to create more confusion. But be advised that natural milk is not better than organic milk (despite how it sounds), and giving a product the term “natural” is not regulated like the use of the term “organic”.

Just like non-organic milk, natural milk is like a box of chocolates… “you never know what you’re gonna get!”

Summer has arrived!  Yippee!

Not only does summer gift us with the best weather of the year, endless opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy every activity imaginable but also the gift of the freshest organic produce to grace our tables (”hold” the harmful and dangerous pesticides!).

In fact, this weekend while visiting my in-laws house, I was assembling a wonderful BLT (I normally steer clear of bacon, but it smelled so temptingly good, I couldn’t stop myself!), but the lettuce was fresh from my mother-in-law’s garden so it felt a little more justifiable.  It was so organic that I actually had to wash off the dirt and lovingly picked off two tiny little green bugs and released them back into the yard!  (My sister-in-law and niece thought I was nuts!) If the lettuce had come from the grocery store I probably would have squealed in horror, but knowing it came from a true organic garden, it just kind of felt acceptable!

Maybe you have a backyard garden (not me, unfortunately… we have far too many trees and ravenous deer… they’ve even come onto my patio to get my veggies when I’ve attempted to grow them!).  If you were lucky enough to participate in a CSA, you’re probably already enjoying some amazing bounty.  But if not, remember to take advantage of the season.  Locate your nearest farmer’s market (check Local Harvest or the Farmer’s Market sites if you need help) and indulge in locally-grown, organic produce while you can.

Remember the dirty dozen and the clean 15 too… the necessary and unnecessary organic produce, if you feel you need to pick and choose what to buy.

Since our own garden isn’t an option in the foreseeable future, I will be visiting the local farmers markets and taking my mother-on-law up on her offer to “come by and just take what I need”… the dirt and bugs are just a part of nature’s goodness!