Go Organic will enhance the healing experience

How do you “go organic”? Read labels. You can also support local organic farmers who don’t get the big government subsidies doled out to large operations. Frequent farmers’ markets. Ask questions. Or read labels on foods at your grocery store. Request organic products at the store and in restaurants.

If you’re on a tight budget, save your money for organic animal foods. Pesticides and other toxins concentrate in animal fat. If you have room in your heart, consider the conditions in which the animals were raised. Look for pastured, grassfed beef, free-range chickens, and sustainably harvested fish. Your health, along with the health of animals and the environment, will benefit. For instance, compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef is leaner and higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

If you have money left over for organic fruits and vegetables, check out the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen charts, which list the most and least contaminated produce. The Environmental Working Group, in collaboration with the FDA and the USDA, created the list. You can use it as a buying companion.

The Dirty Dozen, in order of most contaminated:
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The Clean Fifteen, in order of least contaminated:
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocadoes
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

We hope you can take time to appreciate the sensuality of purchasing (or growing), preparing, and consuming these foods. Savor the sights, textures, smells, and tastes. That mindful awareness will enhance the healing experience.