When I’m leading my seasonal cleanse programs, the question I hear almost immediately is, “must I eat only organic food?”
Sounds like such a simple question, but, can, in fact, be a complicated answer. Fortunately, there is a wonderful organization known as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that does do a tremendous amount of work to educate the public and help people make educated choices when shopping for food.
Every year the EWG publishes various lists, including the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, to alert consumers to the foods that have tested highest for pesticide residue and the lowest. Check out the list here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/.
That list is where I begin when I’m asked, “must I eat organic?” Do I believe it is better to eat organic? Yes. Do I eat only organic food? No. I do my best.
I look at what the EWG labels as “dirty” and “clean” and buy accordingly. I also love shopping at farmers’ markets and speaking to the farmers about how they treat the land and grow the produce. Often times a small farm may not be certified organic, but the farmers do not use any pesticides. If that’s the case, I’m comfortable buying and eating the food. Not only am I getting quality food, I also feel good about supporting local farmers who are working so hard to cultivate land safely and provide me with nutritious food options.
It’s no secret that buying organic food can be expensive. Using the information from the EWG and exploring farmers’ markets can save you money and yield some delicious food for you and your family.