Pesticides and ADHD and cross post about Azure Standard

I have blogged before about pesticides and the "dirty dozen" list of products that you should always buy organic. As I read yet another story about the link between these neurotoxins we use to kill the crickets and roaches around our house and neuro-developmental disorders, I was also checking on my co-op order from Azure Standard. I always, always, ALWAYS get organic strawberries. I buy them frozen, in bulk from Azure Standard. They are frequently used for smoothies and popsicles in this house. So, I reviewed my order to see what actually shipped and will be arriving tomorrow and was shocked to see I ordered NON organic strawberries. It always happens that way. I read about something bad and find out that it was exactly what I just ordered a boat load of. We often take a break from the co-op during the summer months because so many people go out of town. You guessed it, I ordered a 3 month supply of non organic strawberries. Eeeek! OK so I grab the phone and call them to ask about the growing practices. I give them the item number and ask "I'd like to know about the pesticide use of the grower of this product". I get a kind of stunned answer "It is none or we would not be carrying it". SAY WHAT? So I reiterate "so even though these are not organic strawberries, you require little or no pesticide use or you don't carry their product". "Yes, we require that of our growers". WOW!! As if this company did not already have enough gold stars from me, add another one. If you don't know about Azure Standard, you should. Their customer service is bar none and they truly CARE about the products they stock. They are not just another wholesale distributor getting their cut. They investigate the products they carry. Now, I still advocate reading labels and all, what may be important to one person may not be important to another. But, I am so shocked to hear about standards like Azure Standard has. So, please support them, check out if there is a drop point near you! Once a month they truck down your shipment, good prices, wide variety of products, and great customer service. So there is my cross-post about pesticides and Azure Standard. So check out their website HERE.

Click HERE to read the full story on the link between pesticide use and ADHD. It will give you yet another reason to start your own garden or look for more organic produce while shopping. We get so focused on keeping those nasty bugs out, that we have lost sight of what we are using to get rid of those critters. Our little ones are often running around barefoot, putting toys in their mouths that have been laying on the ground and we have to be conscious of what we spray around that our kids are crawling and walking through. And, this is a good reason to leave shoes at the door. Not only are these hazardous chemicals tracked in on our shoes but if we don't remove our shoes, they are tracked onto the carpets that our kids roll around on. I hate bugs just as much as the next person, weeds too, but speaking from experience, I hate trying to heal my child's neurological problems more. And given that our kiddos with Autism already have impaired detox mechanisms, getting this crap out of their systems is even harder. So, hopefully this story will make you look for alternative ways to kill bugs and weeds. Vinegar is a great alternative for weeds, I have blogged on that before as well. It also makes a great cleaner/disinfectant in lieu of the toxic chemical cleaners. And beware the "all natural" label, it means very little these days.