Why It’s Important to Eat Organic Food

Eat organic and you will be doing your body a huge favor, avoiding many of the worst toxic chemicals that are sprayed on our food. Unfortunately, organic crops are not 100% free of any sprays or chemicals, but they are shown to be much safer than conventional crops.

Round-up is extremely dangerous to our gut and overall health and is found in many of our crops here in the U.S, but banned in many other countries. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, destroys our good gut bacteria and causes a whole slew of other health problems.

Here are some things to consider when purchasing organic food:

Buying organic is the best option to avoid chemicals and toxins in your food but it may not always be an option depending on availability or cost. You may want to consider some of these ideas when shopping for groceries.

• Buy local and in-season if possible. Your local farmers market is a great place to start and helps to support your local farmers and local economy. Uncertified organic produce can be a great option and is often much less expensive. Talk to your farmers and learn their practices.
• Prioritize organic meat, eggs, and dairy. If you have to choose, meat, eggs, and dairy can be full of antibiotics and added hormones and these can destroy your gut lining, mess with your hormone balance, and cause so many other problems for your body. Buying organic animal products is a really great place to start.
• If eating all organic is not an option, take a look at the “Dirty Dozen,” and make these foods a priority to buy organic as they have the most chemical residues on them. Also, take a look at the “Clean Fifteen” so you know the fruits and veggies that have the least amount of chemical residues on them. Some of the foods on the clean fifteen are genetically engineered crops such as corn and papaya, so try to be mindful of those and buy these foods organic when possible. Be sure to always wash your store-bought produce well.
• Know your sources. If you can’t buy locally, try to buy from reputable sources like a co-op or a company with ethical practices. The food industry can and does have a lot of corruption.

Grow your own food by starting an organic garden

Starting your own organic vegetable garden is a wonderful thing to do. You will have complete control over what you put in and on your garden and can avoid even the certified organic pesticides and herbicides. Gardening can be a fun hobby, a great way to get outside and connect to nature, and you can save money if you do it right. It can also be very convenient as you won’t have to go to the grocery store as often and you get the freshest food straight from your garden to your table.

• Buy local organic seeds or starts from your local nursery or farmer. Our friends at Uprising Organics have a wonderful variety of organic and heirloom seeds that can be easily shipped.
• Shake off, but don’t wash your organically, garden-grown veggies and you will get more of the good bacteria and microbes that live in the soil to further enhance your gut microbiome. To learn more about your gut microbiome and improving your gut health visit my health coaching website at leahvong.com. Sign up for my email list and get a free download, along with valuable and practical tips and tools to improve your gut health.