How to Begin your Organic Lifestyle.

The question I hear the most is “But, where do I start?”  While choosing to live a healthier lifestyle, you’ll need to make some changes. I know. I said it. CHANGES. Here, take my hand, don’t be afraid. You know I’m not going to let you down. I marched into my local big box grocery store and starting taking pictures of food just for you. I’ll show you how you can simply switch some of your every day staples to healthier options. You don’t have to change all at once, tiny baby steps.

*NOTE* (I am working on a slider for all of the switches you can make. Please check back and follow us on social media to know when it will be up.)

Switch Regular Mayo for this JUST MAYO. Regular Mayo has a lot of cholesterol. Just Mayo or any Vegan Mayo has ZERO CHOLESTEROL and tastes just the same. I switched it for my family and they have no clue. Shh…

Ranch dressing is full of fat and high amounts of sodium. Making your own ranch is so much better and so easy! You can also switch your Ranch for Goddess Dressing by Annie’s. Or make your own regular Ranch here

Always buy Organic Tomatoes. You do not want to eat GMO tomatoes. The USDA has detected 35 different pesticide residues on fresh tomatoes, so it might not be a big surprise that the FDA regularly detected pesticides in tomato sauces, as well as in other tomato-based processed foods like ketchup and salsa. The most common, 2-chloroethyl linoleate, is linked to nerve and liver damage.

Insects love grains, especially those stored in dark grain mills. So wheat, rye, and other bread ingredients are commonly sprayed with insecticides to keep the bugs away, particularly a class called organophosphates, which have been linked to IQ problems and ADHD in children. The FDA regularly detects levels of the organophosphate malathion on most of the bread and other flour-based products like flour tortillas, crackers, white bread that it samples. Always try to buy Organic Wheat Bread. I like Dave’s killer bread, you can even find this at Sams Club.

There are over 16 chemical pesticides typically used on conventionally produced wheat. The most common is malathion (same medication used to get rid of head lice). On its own, malathion is only mildly toxic…unless you ingest it…or it gets chlorinated during water treatment. Then it morphs into the highly toxic malaoxon. Another study on children showed that kids with this pesticide residue in their system were 55-75% more likely to have ADD/ADHD. Switch to Whole Wheat tortillas. Bonus if they are Organic!

Again, Always eat Organic tomatoes. If it is not Organic, more than likely it is Genetically Modified. Tomatoes ranked tenth in the list of dirty product and the USDA Pesticide Program found that they carry 69 different pesticides!

Regular potatoes that are grown above ground are sprayed with pesticides, and the soil they’re grown in is treated with fungicide. By buying organic varieties, you avoid both these threats. In case you can’t find organic potatoes, try sweet potatoes; they are usually grown with less pesticides overall. Since we let our children eat so many potatoes when we go out to eat, it is so important to buy organic potatoes for your home. If you don’t see any at your local grocery, just ask the manager to order some! Try switch to sweet potato fries in the place of regular. Make your own fries here.

Always buy Organic Corn! That goes for anything made with corn.  Corn is the No. 1 crop grown in the U.S. and nearly all of it — 88 percent — is genetically modified. In addition to being added to innumerable processed foods, genetically modified corn is a staple of animal feed. This crop is used to produce many different ingredients used in processed foods and drinks, including high-fructose corn syrup and corn starch. But the bulk of the GM corn grown around the world is used to feed livestock.

Do not buy Canola Oil unless it states that it is NON-GMO. Try switching to grapeseed, safflower, sunflower or coconut oil. Over 90 percent of canola oil is genetically modified. Canola oil is a refined oil that’s often partially hydrogenated to increase its stability, but this increases its negative health effects.

Always buy Organic eggs. FREE RANGE PREFERRED. Cage free does not mean anything. If labeled ORGANIC, the chickens are required to eat an organic diet. Regular chicken farmers feed their chickens with fed that contain GMO ingredients. Buy organic for a better quality egg and more nutritious egg.

Repeat after me: STOP BUYING COUNTRY CROCK!!!. Use regular butter, organic or grass fed. Eating regular butter is HEALTHY! Just look at all those chemicals in country crock. If you are worried about your cholesterol, please just eliminate some meat from your diet. You are more than likely just using butter for toast or greasing pans. A little bit of real butter is not going to clog your arteries. Don’t ingest these chemicals. Put real food in your body so your body can process everything.

And one more thing!!!

Get this. Talk to the manager if you want to see more organic at your store or if you want them to start carrying a food product that they don’t normally carry. 9 times out of 10 they are going to be happy to serve you and order whatever you want. Especially, if you are going to buy it, duh!