Adding LIFE to your years and years to your life!

If you can't find organic, do you skip it?

I'm really struggling with this lately. I normally stick very religiously to the dirty dozen, but the area I'm currently living in has next to nothing in terms of organic, so I've found myself eating more and more cooked foods, as opposed to eating non-organic fruits/veggies.

Would you choose to eat the conventional fruits/veggies in lieu of cooked foods? I'm trying to figure out which one is going to do more damage to my body. Thankfully, where I'm at is short term (probably only 2 more months) then I'll be back in Raleigh, where my options are far more bountiful.

What would you do?

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on July 2, 2012 at 9:14am

Hi Karen, I would eat fruits and veggies even if they are not organic. I wash them with my veggie was and eat. I cant afford to eat organic, for me fruits and veggies are much better than any cooked food.

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Leonard on July 2, 2012 at 9:27am

I live in Costa Rica where finding organic is tough and so I'm with Karen. There just wouldn't be enough variety for me if I didn't eat un-organic. I was with salt and vinegar allowing the fruits and veggies to soak for about 5 minutes. I also peel what I can.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on July 2, 2012 at 9:33am

oh wow, why you need organic in Costa Rica? just what is local is enough.... its a paradise land :)

Permalink Reply by Gisele Landry on July 2, 2012 at 10:12am

Me too. I eat raw, organic, ripe, local whenever I can - feel like a hunter-gatherer at times. LOL If not I will get conventional and wash really well or peel. I had heard to put a dash of hydrogen peroxide in the water for a bit. Anyone know if that really works to wash off chemicals? Any suggestions for what will?

I am also learning more about gardening and will see if I can plant a few things or find someone to do some gardening with. It seems like there are more possibilities growing all the time. After all, life is a garden - it must grow. LOL LOL

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Leonard on July 2, 2012 at 10:28am

Life is GOOD in CR but I do like it when I can find organic even more! This country uses too many chemicals. My province has the highest rate of stomach cancer too, sigh! In certain areas they are becoming more educated and I sometimes drive 1.5 hours to get the organic-goods on Saturday. That 1.5 hours is about 33 miles...yep I live in the rural mountains and the roads into town are bad.

I forgot to say I let my veggies/fruit soak in vinegar, salt and WATER for about 5 minutes. Not sure the exact amounts just pour stuff in big tubs. I have heard Clorax bleach Giesele, but not hydrogen peroxide. I'm allergic to bleach so that method is out. I have noticed that my cilantro tastes much better when I do my soak method then if I just wash it in water. So I hope it helps all the others as well.

I do need to learn more about gardening but this raw lifestyle/diet is still new to me. I've been 80% raw for about 6 months and my health is much better. So my future goals are to plant and grow some of my own stuff.

Permalink Reply by Wendy Geesey on July 2, 2012 at 1:06pm

I wondered what the long term effects were for pesticides, fungicides and whatnot- stomach cancer- YIKES!! So yeah, I think that's a pretty legit question. There's not a whole lot of organic in my area either- and what is organic is about 10 times as expensive- I'm totally priced out of organic spinach $5 for 5 oz of organic spinach vs. <$3 for a pound of non- organic... and I eat 1/2 pound daily! That's either $7.50 or $1.44 a day! wow :( I need my greens! but I sure don't need stomach cancer... tough decision... And I read somewhere that they can still spray stuff that's labeled ORGANIC if it hasn't been sprayed in the last 30 days!!!!!! so whatever chemicals there are in your organic produce cannot be washed off- it's IN the food!!! So is it even worth buying organic if we can't even tell if it's actually been sprayed or not? UGH! I hate this world....

Permalink Reply by Alessandra on July 2, 2012 at 2:56pm

It depends upon what it is. Get a list of the top 10-20 fruits & veggies with the most amount of pesticide residue and make your choices. I won't touch a raspberry or strawberry if it's not organic, but I will eat blueberries because I love them so much and the organic ones are way out of my budget. I go organic as much as possible not only for the health benefits, but because they taste so much better.

Permalink Reply by Karen M on July 3, 2012 at 9:59am

I'm aware of the dirty dozen, and thus have not been purchasing anything on that list... that is my question. Would you completely avoid that group if you couldn't find it organically, or would you, short term (2 or so months) go ahead and eat conventional versus eating cooked foods as an alternative? This is my internal struggle. I feel like both are doing damage to my body, and I am trying to figure out which is worse.

Alessandra said:

It depends upon what it is. Get a list of the top 10-20 fruits & veggies with the most amount of pesticide residue and make your choices. I won't touch a raspberry or strawberry if it's not organic, but I will eat blueberries because I love them so much and the organic ones are way out of my budget. I go organic as much as possible not only for the health benefits, but because they taste so much better.

Permalink Reply by Gisele Landry on July 3, 2012 at 11:06am

I find for myself that things feel easier when I am asking Which is better? When I ask which is worse, I feel discouraged and defeated before I start. Sometimes it even keeps me from starting. The simple switch to Which is better? just seems to feel lighter, more doable - I open myself to more possibilities - new and better options seem to pop up out of the blue.

E.g., I have been wanting a raised bed garden so I can grow a few things. I had no idea how to do this, but I kept doing the best I can to go in this direction, buying organic and conventional as I can. The other day, the woman who runs the condo where I live just announced they are going to build raised beds for everyone right beside my unit!!!!!!!! What a miracle this is for me!!!! And I just met my new neighbor who wants to grow things with me!!!! I just now know deeply that as I just keep doing the best I can every day and keep moving in this direction of true health and happiness, that unseen forces are at work helping me in magnificent ways.

I may not know what vegetable for you to eat, but I know how to ask the question which I think is my "better" for today. The very best to you in your own journey. :)))))))

Permalink Reply by Wendy Geesey on July 3, 2012 at 12:35pm

Just encouraging and uplifting concept- which is better! thanks for sharing Gisele <3

Permalink Reply by Donna Marie Aramini on July 15, 2012 at 5:53pm

Hello im new on this site can someone please give me the list of the dirty dozen please!! i try to buy organic to if i cant i just wash it well

Permalink Reply by Wendy Geesey on July 15, 2012 at 6:28pm

Hi Donna Marie- welcome! The thing is that produce has been sprayed from the time the seed was planted. The chemicals are inherent in the food itself. I've also heard that you can still label something organic as long as it hasn't been sprayed in the 30 days before it's been harvested!! (not sure how accurate that is, but I heard/read something to that effect). But anywho- here is EWGs list: apples, celery, spinach, peaches, grapes, sweet bell peppers, strawberries, imported nectarines, lettuce, cucumbers, lettuce, domestic blueberries, potatoes, PLUS green beans, Kale and greens- so that's pretty much just about everything, lol!!