With many people in an economic crunch, the first thing that seems to get put on the back-burner and deemed “not as important” is our eating…and thus our health. While we may not be able to eat everything organic due to costs, there are a few items that would be worthy of purchasing, just to save your health now and in the long run.
One thing many people don’t realize is that when we consume foods that are high in toxins (from pesticides, additives, or preservatives), you most likely will not feel the effects immediately! This is why many people feel that they can get away with eating poorly and that it is not effecting them. However, the effects of toxic foods typically show up later (this is not the case for everyone!). Toxins accumulate in the body and DO NOT LEAVE, unless otherwise detoxed out. So you may have years of toxins built up in your system and oftentimes, it is like the old saying, “It was the straw that broke the camels back.” It may only take one more “straw” to send your body into full-blown disease or disfunction. This may sound extreme, but it follows the principle, “You reap what you sow.”
It is easy to get the mentality that what we are putting in our mouths is not really THAT bad. However, we eventually WILL reap what we are continuing to sow. The great thing is that this works in the positive as well! If you begin to sow good food and nutrition into your diet, you will reap the great benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Today’s Swap Out is an easy fix. If you eat white potatoes, make the switch. The best choice is to switch to Sweet Potatoes, but this switch is something to think about if you are a french fry lover as well! French fries are adding insult to injury…toxic potatoes that are fried! Yikes! We all eat them at some point or another, but we can all make better choices on a daily and weekly basis!
The Farm Director Won’t Eat Nonorganic Potatoes
Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes — the nation’s most popular vegetable — they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.
Swap This: Conventionally grown Potatoes
For This: Organic Potatoes
