The road to a healthier me

By M

After reading this article via a link posted by Organic Authority on Facebook, it got me thinking. What exactly am I eating? Where does my food really come from? Frankly, I thought it would be good to really analyze this matter. As I am still on my NOMU (click here to know what it is), I am more aware on what I put on my skin as I only use organic ingredients found in my food cabinet. I realize that my skin feels better, breathes better and notice what the benefit of my skin’s natural oil on my face actually does – it protects my skin. But what about the rest of my body? What I ingest? We go to the butcher, and most of us do not know where the meat comes from. All we know is that it’s from a farm in our province, state or region.

I spoke with a chef recently (whose restaurant will very soon be featured on the blog), and he raised the matter as well. And again, it got me pondering some more. I open my refrigerator’s door to further analyze my grocery and I look at ingredients on certain food packaging and find elements ending with -ose, -yl, -ine, which aren’t extract of anything, and that I have no idea what they are. Are you in that situation too?

Changing our grocery shopping habit takes

1) awareness and change of percetion

2) knowledge

3) will and

4) a higher budget

Fact. Organic food costs more money. It contains more vitamins, minerals and also tastes better. Whereas intensively-farmed produce food often contain insecticide, pesticide, fertilizers, flavoring, and the list goes on and on. But with less chemicals, why does it still cost more? Their are several reasons. The cost of labor is higher, yield may be lower as these farmed foods aren’t as protected from insects and pests and are picked only when ripe. And there needs to be a return for the loss. Their counterparts, on the other hand, often are picked before ripeness because of the travelling distance, thus the needed use of strong protective chemicals, nuclear by-products or waxes, according to Katharine Vansittart in an article in Canadian Geographic.

Though skepticism about organic food exists, the choice lies only in us. In this day and age, when it comes to food, we often only see the price tag, and it’s understandable. However, a quick look to the ingredient list may help us make a wiser selection in our grocery shopping. Mixing non-organic and organic is a balanced way of going about it too, it could also serve as a transition. Starting one’s own garden is an amazing decision too!!

I intend to start a little garden in my parents’ backyard and grow herbs on my balcony starting this summer. The same goes with getting a home water filter. Did you know we intake more toxic elements when we shower than when drinking the water?

Friends of mine changed their water system and were raving about how food tasted better, how their bodies and hair felt and were much much cleaner & healthier since that change. Makes one think. How about you?

Along with my little garden, starting on a transitional mode to organic shopping is the best route right now. My first step will be, clean up my fridge, write up my weeks cooking menu, and head to Jean-Talon market. Wish me luck!!

What’s your view on organic eating and farming? Leave us a comment!!

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Want to go organic too? Check these places out…

The markets

http://www.marche-jean-talon.com/