September is National Organic Month!

What does this mean, why should I care, and what should I do?

The Organic Seal

What does the Organic Seal mean, and why is it important when shopping for your food and skincare items? It means that the food and products being produced have been grown in unison with nature. Organic farmers avoid using toxic pesticides and fertilizers. The Organic Seal guarantees you are avoiding over 700 toxic chemicals used in conventional food production!

Everything that goes into or onto your body matters!

When you buy organic, the seal holds a ton of information. No GMO's, No Antibiotics, No growth hormones, No artificial color, No preservatives, No artificial flavors, No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, No irradiation, No sewage sludge!

Tip #1 - Not all products are "natural"...

Just because something is labeled "natural", does not necessarily mean it is free of all the ingredients above, nor does it suggest that it came straight from the earth.

Manufacturers are allowed to use the word natural in meaning that it does not contain artificial ingredients or preservatives and the ingredients are only minimally processed. However, they may contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and other similar chemicals. Regulations are fairly lenient for foods labeled "natural.” - used by the site, starbrokerage

Tip #2 Start Reading labels!

It's important that you love yourself enough, to give your body the very best in order to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Chemicals, Pesticides, and all the above can wreak havoc on our hormones, liver and can possibly ignite the fire for cancer, autoimmune disease, chronic inflammation and chronic illness. Start reading labels, to the point where, if you can't pronounce or know what an ingredient is, the red-light goes on, and you opt for a more viable product or food item. Organic foods are far more nutritious than conventional! They are 20-40% higher in antioxidants and Omega 3. For example, an organic tomato has 50% more Vitamin C!

Tip #3 Learn the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15!

The "Dirty Dozen" is a list of the most highly sprayed and modified fruits and vegetables. It is good to know what is most important when it comes to purchasing them. The Clean 15 are ones that you can buy conventionally and not be overly concerned. But, be sure to wash all of your fruits and veggies - most have been on a long trip to your grocery store, and they've picked up germs along the way.

DIRTY DOZEN: Strawberries, Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Bell & Hot Peppers, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Celery, Tomatoes

CLEAN 15: Avocado, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Onion, Papaya, Sweet Peas (frozen), Asparagus, Honeydew Melon, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Cabbage, Mushrooms, Mango, Watermelon, Sweet Potato

Is it worth it?

Are you worth it? Think about it, would you serve a plate of pesticide, preservatives, antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers, sewage sludge? I know I wouldn't, but when you buy conventional, it is like eating an array of all of those things, with condiments on the side! Imagine what the inside of your body is saying! A lot of illness is derived from these unnatural additives. You are worth taking care of, and you are worth the small cost of buying organic to live a long healthy life.