Something to try......

We are trying to make healthier choices for our family. Part of that is buying organic foods when it is important. I truly feel that many illnesses and diseases have come from the cumulative effects of eating pesticides and genetically modified, and "enhanced" (with hormones) foods that we eat. Preservatives are also scary. I mean, these chemical preservatives are meant to make this stuff last weeks or months or YEARS on the shelf...how can it be good for you to EAT that stuff????

So...we are trying to buy organic and natural foods. It can be very pricey, but how much is your health worth? Your children's health? I found a list online of some guidelines for when and when to not pay the extra for the organic foods:

TO ALWAYS BUY:

Apples, peaches, bell peppers, strawberries, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots: Conventional versions have higher levels of pesticides than other produce, although still well within safe limits.

Milk and dairy products: Free of the growth hormones that are given to conventionally raised cows. (My friend Bethany told me that fatty dairy is important to buy organic, like butter, but if you buy skim milk it won't hold on to the "stuff" like whole milk....)
Meat and poultry: Free of growth hormones and antibiotics.
Baby food: Free of pesticide residues found in vegetables and fruits.
… and foods you eat a lot of.

NOT AS IMPORTANT:
Broccoli, bananas, frozen sweet peas, frozen corn, asparagus, avocados, onions: Levels of pesticides are low even in conventional versions of these.
Seafood: No USDA organic certification yet exists for seafood. Even seafood raised in the wild can contain mercury, PCBS and other contaminants.
Some processed foods such as breads, chips, pasta, oils: They often do have whole grains or other healthful ingredients, but processed foods may also contain non-organic ingredients, and processing in general removes many nutrients …and foods you eat only occasionally.

Here is the full article if you want to read it all. Some good info!

There are many varying opinions online about what you should definitely buy organic. One included a very strong opinion about rice. Supposedly rice is loaded with "stuff" you don't need and therefore important to buy organic. The processed foods mentioned above may not have posticides, but the preservatives are what worry me!

I want to share a little firsthand immediate experience I have had already with making a "wiser" choice with chemicals in our house. On a trip to the grocery store about 3-4 weeks ago, I was browsing the "Nature's Market" section at Kroger. On the last aisle they had the "7th Generation" all natural cleaning products. I looked, thought about it, picked it up, put it down....it was a $4 bottle of all purpose cleaner. It is a "regular" size bottle. I usually buy a GIANT bottle of generic ammonia chemical cleaner for $1!!!! It was a tough decision, but I finally made the splurge thinking "if it helps Katie's allergies, it would so be worth it." So....I brought it home. The same week, however, I decided that we were going to give up the "sugar free aspartame sweetened drink mix." We are now drinking watered down organic apple juice and plain water.
A couple of weeks go by, and we are getting ready to go to the park and I noticed that the pollen count is HIGH for our area so I figure I need to give Katie some Zyrtec before we go out. It was then that I realized that Katie had not woke up with a cough in a couple of weeks now! I haven't been giving her Zyrtec since we changed cleaners and cut out the sweetener. Now, I don't know thing I should give credit to. I guess I will maybe make a container of drink mix and see what happens, but maybe I should just keep things as they are....we haven't really missed the drink mix anyway!
So...here's the thing I think everyone should try: all natural cleaning products! It won't hurt....and what's paying a little extra if you are able to eliminate your allergy prescriptions every month?!
Well, speaking of cleaning, I need to go DO SOME!
Until next time.....