New the the organic World

VeganInTraining

Hello Everyone!
I am currently working on "becoming" organic. Once I'm out of shampoo I will make my own and same with other body products and what not....Anway I have a few questions. what is HMO? Is that hormones? I live in a very NOT organic friendly area. If you can find organic stuff it's real expensive but even so not easy to find. What are some things that you would sooner do without than eat "non-organic?" currently I purchase organic when I can but don't stress if I can't. Anyway, I hope this group starts hopping because I feel like we could really share some good ideas and stuff
Namaste

jbdowns35

Ok, I am not organic, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be!!! Maybe being a part of this group will give me a push in the right direction. The bottom line is money. If I could afford it.... I grow my own garden, so produce is not something I worry too much about, but I would love to really have more control over the meat I eat!!! My boyfriend is a hunter, so we do have some wild game in our diet, I'm sure there are a variety of opinions about that. Everytime I cook dinner, I can't help but think about the documentary "Food Inc".

My boyfriend's aunt, who I am very close to, is a big influence on me when it comes to organic eating. She is a wealth of knowledge in the areas of natural healing, holistic medicine, organic living, she is amazing. Everything in her household is all natural, her foods, her household products, cleaning supplies, toiletries. I would love to live the lifestyle she has adopted. I'm trying to move in that direction & am changing things a little at a time. It is great to have his Aunt as a source of information & support.

havalinaaa

If you're just getting started, this list is VERY helpful: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ We aren't 100% organic in my house, but we don't buy anything on the dirty dozen list that isn't organic and get other things organic as price allows (or find an alternative).

We also joined a CSA - community supported agriculture - otherwise known as a farm share, that provided us with a weekly bounty of local, organic fruits and vegetables. http://www.localharvest.org/ is a great website that can help you find a local CSA if you're interested - a lot of farms do winter shares as well and it might not be too late to sign up for one! Basically you pay a lump sum at the beginning of the growing season to provide a farmer with capital, and then they bring your fresh produce to a pick up location. Our summer share worked out to about $20/week and we barely had to buy any produce to supplement it.

I do make most of my own house cleaning products but still use pre-made dish soap, detergent, and toiletries, though I chose brands that are earth friendly and people friendly ( ie treat their employees well). If anyone wants any tips on making your own cleaning products, feel free to ask!

We have slowly been moving toward all organic, free range, local meat. It means we eat a lot less meat than before, and I consider that a good thing. Right now we're about 80/20 on the organic/conventional meat, thinking about making that a firm 100% starting in the new year. I am fortunate to live in an area (NYC) where local meat is readily available year round from reputable farms that aren't just organic in name, but actually practice sustainable and ethical practices. I know there are many people who feel their is no ethical way to eat an animal and while I respect your opinion I have chosen another path. For me, meat is quickly becoming one of those things I'd rather do without than buy non-organic/antibiotic free.

I think you meant GMO, not HMO. GMO stands for genetically modified organism and there is a LOT of debate over how safe GMO foods are (lots of tomatoes, oranges, most of the soy and corn you eat, and lots of other produce currently in stores are GMO's and they aren't required to be labelled at this point). I am still working out how I feel about GMO's, they all get lumped together as lab food that is inferior to natural food but not all GMO's are bad. Monsanto and other large companies use very questionable legal practices to force many farmers to grow their products, but they aren't the only ones creating GMO's. It's a complicated situation and while I do strongly feel labeling should be required I'm not sure how I would use that information. I believe that if a product is certified organic is has to be non-GMO.

havalinaaa

One more great website is http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx if you're a big seafood eater. They show you what fish are sustainable and what aren't, while providing the information they based their rating off of.

VeganInTraining

JBdown, I'm so glad you joined us. I'm so with you about being far from organic but wanting to get more and more 100% there. now that I'm working on having a kid I am really considering more and more what I put in my body and have in my house

Havalinaaa- thanks for the long response I checked out the CSA a while ago and there's nothing near my house but I do live with in hour and a half of Philly so I will be going up to the Reading Terminal Market hopefully at least once a month. the good thing is that my in-laws live near there so we can visit his family and go shopping
What do you use to make cleaning products? i'm going to be making some soon and I'm thinking baking soda, vinigar and water for the majority of it and maybe some Borax and baking soda to make scouring powder. I need to talk to my husband about the prospect of going organic/hormone free for meat. I could go veggitarian but he couldn't so I guess it's something to discuss. Thanks again for your input

havalinaaa

What do you use to make cleaning products? i'm going to be making some soon and I'm thinking baking soda, vinigar and water for the majority of it and maybe some Borax and baking soda to make scouring powder.

You have the right ingredients in mind! For my all-purpose spray (counter tops, tables, stove, bath tub, sink) I use a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water with a tbsp of baking soda and whatever essential oils I feel like using that day - the oils are just to help cut the vinegar smell. For things where bacteria is a huge concern, like my cutting board after cutting raw meat, I use lemon juice and vinegar, let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse with hot water. I also have a bottle with watered down rubbing alcohol to spray on things like my trash can and around the litter box. Borax and baking soda are great for things you would use scouring powder on, like bath tub floors and stubborn pots/pans. I use vinegar in my laundry to help with tough odors, like when the cat decided my towel closet was a good place to pee.

SimpleStepsHealthCoach

Hi EmilyRanae22,

Thanks so much for joining the group. I really hope that this group will grow into a wealth of knowledge about organic food\lifestyle and better help members like you in the future. I believe we can all benefit by sharing each other's knowledge and I commend havalinaaa for sharing her homemade cleaning product ingredients.

Since most of the members have already addressed many of your questions I will try not to repeat them.

As havalinaaa mention, I believe you mean GMO as well.

GMO is a huge problem in today's farming and agriculture. In summary, chemical companies find ways to genetically modify traditional seeds that will resist their pesticides. They then sell these seeds to farmers and advertise greater yields and less expenses to grow the seeds. Instead, farmers do not see greater yields nor do they save on expenses. Many farmers have to use stronger chemicals and more pesticides then before just to get the same results. Even more so a problem, bugs and plants are starting to resist these pesticides as they are adopting through their own evolution. This causes farmers to spray new and additional pesticides to get rid of the bugs and weeds. Something to think about the next time you are shopping, there is an average of 23 pesticides on a conventional apple sold in almost every supermarket in the United States - yum right?

As for the cost to the farmers (which is important to our agriculture), in the US they receive kick backs from the government to produce yields from GM seeds. In other countries, they do not receive such kick backs - that's why Europe, South America, India, and other countries have such protest against GM seeds. Not only are they loosing money, but it's killing their land. India has nicknamed BT Cotton (GMO cotton seed) as the "suicide seed" for a really good reason. See for yourself and simply Google "suicide seed" and read what comes up.

Another catch of GM seeds is that they are patented. This becomes a problem for organic farmers as if they are caught with any GM plant on their land, the chemical companies can come after them for patent infringement and they can also loose their organic certification. Got to love being sued and loosing your livelihood just because mother nature carried a seed in the wind or by and insect and started growth on your land.

With all this being said, the FDA does not regulate GMO's. There is no testing as they are generally recognized as being safe. Which means, because they look like the natural thing, and we know the natural thing is safe, then these products must be safe. However, in other countries they have done many studies that show that these seeds can have a negative effect on our health and our environment.

I encourage you to spend some time and educate yourself on what GMOs are. It's hidden in most food sold in the US as there are no labeling requirements for GM foods. However, as havalinaaa mentioned, any product certified organic must be GMO free. My stance on GM food is a strong one, perhaps a little too strong for most people. I have done extensive research on the seeds and seen a lot of negative health reports and damaged environments due to the seeds. I also do not like the fact that a certain company is trying to purchase and patent all the seeds of life to control the stock and selling of all the important seeds to sustain life on our planet - but that's a different conversation! If you're open minded, I write a blog about food and the way it's destroying our culture. It also has been my personal journal about being organic and covers a portion of my weight-loss adventure: http://thenextchallenge.blogspot.com/

Onto other, happier topics. I personally only purchase organic foods. It didn't happen overnight though. I started with vegetables, fruits, and meats. Then it was replacing my current spices, sugar, flour, etc with organic products. When I ran out of what I had, I purchase an organic replacement. After about 8 months I had almost all organic products in my home. I am now all organic in not only my food, but cleaning products, and personal care products. I also started purchasing clothes made from organic fibers and recycled materials.

What's nice about purchasing organic groceries is you only purchase what you need. You also don't purchase as much in the way of junk food because it's very costly. Instead you pick products for meals, not snacks. While it's true that organic food does cost more, I look at it a different way. When I purchase food I don't think of the cost of the product, but the cost of the meal. So while my organic soup is 2.99, and a conventional soup is .99 cents, $3 for a healthy dinner or lunch is not bad! To quote one of my reader's, "I rather spend more money to get a better quality food now, then to spend money on a quality prescription later." I think that statement says a lot and I agree with it completely!

My apologies for such a long post. I hope that my "activist" ways with talking about GM seeds do not scare you away. I only wish to help and discuss - not force and lecture. I always encourage everyone to look things up themselves and figure out what works best for them - so I hope it wasn't a turn off. I do welcome you to get more comfortable and open as many new topics as you wish. Help us grow this group so everyone can benefit!

Cheers,
y.

SimpleStepsHealthCoach

Welcome to the group jbdowns35!

Your boyfriend's aunt sounds amazing! I would love to hear about your journey on trying to be organic, so please share your experiences and stories with us. I think it would be really insightful and fun!

If you have any questions please don't by shy and ask our group. Maybe someone can help!

Cheers,
y.

VeganInTraining

Yabi,
no worries about your openions on GMO. i like hearing what people have to say and you sounds like a wealth of knowledge. That's total BS about them being patented. I totally get what you're saying about looking at the price of the meal rather than the price of the product in and of itself. We'll see how it all works out. Here in South Jersey things are much more expensive when organic but I'd really prefer to eat organic.....I'm sure that once I get pregnant I'll be able to convince my husband that it's worth the extra 4+ dollars a pound for organic chicken and what not lol.
Thanks again for all your input

SimpleStepsHealthCoach

Hey, I live in South Jersey. Depending on where you're at maybe I can help....

jaelhanson

I am very new to organic eating. I haven't delved into the idea of organic soaps, cleaning products, etc yet. First I'll focus on what's going into my body. This week I shopped at a local organic/whole foods store and it was AWESOME! I felt so good about buying foods that are going to be healthier for me and my family. I have a friend who I work with who is an organic vegan. WOW! She's committed to the lifestyle and has been for over 35 years, so she's a huge help to me. I can't say that I'll go vegan, but I'm a partial vegetarian...I eat only fish and white meats such as chicken and turkey....mainly because they're easier to find organically. I hope to find out LOTS more about living organic!!!

SimpleStepsHealthCoach

Jael,

I am glad to see that you are making a commitment to not only yourself, but to your family and the environment. Choosing to go organic is a rather fun and exciting experience with so many wild and unimaginative benefits. I am intrigued to hear your story on how the transition is effecting your lifestyle and your feelings about the changes as you go deeper into the organic world.

Please continue to share on this group as your contributions are a huge asset for everyone!

Cheers,
y.