What's On Your Food?

Here is a lovely little website if you are feeling a little too jolly about the world. Take a gander, it will show you the pesticides and chemicals that are sprayed on our foods. It has little color coded pie charts that show which are known carcinogens (cancer causing agents), what are hormone dysrupters, which are neurotoxins, etc. You can click on "Conventional vs. Organic" for each pesticide and see what the range is on organic versions of these products. Take a look at strawberries and see if you want to buy those $1 for a pound baskets on sale at most of the stores right now.

If we take a hard look at reality we see a world that is constantly being polluted. From the oil in our own gulf (and around the world as well) to the air, to our food, it is no wonder we see a rise in almost every auto-immune disorder and even now in our children being born with these disorders. Maybe all of our kids are being poisoned but these days its not just by environmental catastrophes but by juice box and otter pop. Between dyes (and do the research on those bad boys, there is a reason why other countries have banned many food colorings from foods), high fructose corn syrup (data just out about cancer cells feeding off fructose not to mention the other ills of HFCS) and the other crap in the foods that are SO commonplace, especially for children, it is not even funny.

We cannot control oil spills, we cannot control exhaust fumes, toxic waste dumping into our water supply, but we CAN control the foods we put into our children. I try and challenge parents that you can have healthy foods that also taste good. And yes, sometimes it is a process. You do have to get un-used to the heavy sweet tastes of HFCS and the MSG and additives in foods so that you can appreciate the sweetness of pure fruit and REAL ingredients. But what I am saying is that your kids will be healthier for it. There is only so much we can do in this toxic world, but I would challenge you that food is the biggest source of toxins. Household cleaners are probably the 2nd largest offenders. But food is meant to nourish and fuel growing bodies and brains. It is the building block. And if you dare, check this website out HERE and take a look at your top 3 items that you DON'T buy organic. Then learn about what these pesticides can do to us. It may change the way you shop. We vote with every dollar we spend. If we support organic (or local CSA's, local farmers markets, etc) we can have healthier options for ourselves and our families more readily available.