Have you ever stopped to think about what are we actually eating? Do you read all the nutritional information listed on the products you consurme? Do you know the farming practices of the produce, dairy and meat you purchase? Knowing everything coming into our bodies seems impossible, and is overwhelming!
More than noticing what is in our food, do you take note of how your body feels after consuming different products? Are you irritable, bloated, or refreshed and energized, or feel normal? Being aware of how we feel and act after eating or not eating certain foods is important.
This is a never ending process. Not only can individual foods affect us, but combinations of food can wreak havoc on us as well. It has taken some time to figure out that after eating certain foods I can be more bloated, or more irritable, or more energized, or feel nothing different.
A few years ago, I began to learn more about food. I had always thought of myself as a "healthy" eater. I would choose the wheat bread over white; I would look for a balance of the food pyramid; I would take notice of how some products looked and tasted over others. I became cautious of foods with a lot of calories, trans fat, 'bad' cholesterol. All of the things the media has told us is harmful for our bodies in one area or another. But, then I began to learn about "real food" versus "fake food". This can be a tricky subject when the definition of real and fake can mean many different things depending on the source of information.
Each year the Environmental Working Group creates a guideline of what produce is considered "clean" and "dirty". http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
This year's groupings are similar to past years. The ratings are based on the amount of pesticides residing in the produce we eat. The 'clean' group means that set of produce doesn't absorb as much of the pesticides and can be easily washed away, as compared to the 'dirty' group that soaks more pesticides in and more difficult or impossible to remove. When a product you love is placed in the 'dirty dozen' and you don't want to consume the pesticides, it is suggested you purchase only the organic version of those items. Organic produce doesn't have any chemical residue to infiltrate them. Of course the list is just a guideline, you always have to listen to your body.
An example is in my family. When searching through both lists, you might notice bananas aren't listed. However, through experimentation, my husband has found his body reacts negatively to non-organic bananas, but has no reaction to organic bananas.
Also, not a factor in the "clean and dirty" list is Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO's. Produce that has been genetically modified doesn't retain the same nutritional content as those not mutated.
This picture represents putting the open produce out for wildlife to enjoy. As you can see, the animals weren't big fans of the GMO corn, but ate almost all of the organic corn.
But, if animals behavior wasn't enough to sway us, the Institute for Responsible Technology has created 10 reasons to avoid GMO food.
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs
Now that we know what not to eat if we don't want pesticides, we then need a guideline of what not to eat if we don't want GMO's - Along with a reason not to eat GMO's the IRT also developed a shopping guide to help us make the best food choices.
http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/tips-for-avoiding-gmos.html
I'm always asked if I ever eat anything in any of the "bad" lists. For the most part, the food I purchase to consume at home is organic or non-gmo verified. I've tried to help my family learn how to choose better options for themselves as well. My children take their own lunches to school, we make most of our meals at home without the aid of processed products, and try to choose good options when we eat out. However, I try not to stress about it too much. Creating anxiety over what food enters my mouth every moment of the day isn't healthy either. But, when I'm out of my home, I still want to make the best choices for my body so that I can function at an optimal level, and not feel tired, sluggish or irritable. Over time I've lost cravings for food I know have very little nutritional value, and it makes it an easy choice to pass on those items. To be able to do that, I do keep healthy snacks and protein bars with me to tide me over until I'm able to eat better food.
People also ask how anyone can afford to live a healthy, organic lifestyle. If there is just a substitution of junk food, organic for non-organic the cost can be significant. But, when you make items from scratch, choose more produce, and be diligent about shopping for a meal menu instead of however you feel at the moment, it's not as painful. And, the lists above help us to know when buying traditional produce is an option as well. More importantly, learn how to pick and choose the foods that make your body work at its best.
But, don't stress out the next time a friend offers to bring you coffee, a fruit tray is available at work, or someone brought birthday cake. If you focus on being the healthiest you most of the time, you are doing your best.