Starting Organic/Natural Lifestyle?

[Guest]

Can anyone give me a link to a forum where people share about starting or living an organic/natural lifestyle? I know there are a million books, but I love forums and learning new things from people (like here, lol). I have googled and googles and not really having any luck. I am looking to change my bad eating habits. I have switched over to organic dairy (only eggs and milk so far), I want to start purchasing organic produce-its just so darn expensive. Of course the hermies eat more organic stuff than me, LOL! Thankx!

[GSnicklegrove]

Most people who are living a more organic lifestyle find and utilize a local buying co-op. Also, find out from your local chamber of commerce if there are any local or driving distance organic farms, and go buy direct from the farmers.If you live in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho or Montana, I can give you the name of my co-op. Just pm me. Sometimes the co-ops are a little hard to find. Usually, some of the booths at your local farmers market (if you have one) can give you the info. When I first found and contacted my co-op (which is in another state), they gave me the names and phone numbers of the people who are on route for my area. Even when I lived in a town of three thousand, there was a co-op delivery.If you know how to cook, it shouldn't be too pricey to move over to organic. It's the processed food that kills. If you need to learn, then take your time moving over to organic. Substitute a few things to start with organic, and go from there.Some of my big reasons for going organic are not only environmental and heavy metal related, but simply, foods grown organically without herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers are being grown in nutrient rich soil, with proper crop rotation practices, yielding fruits and veggies with higher amounts of polynutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Also, since the genetically modified food scene is growing huge, and more and more pesticides must be used because of the changing resistance of crop bugs, it is another reason that I prefer organic. There are alot of allergies that people (like us) are developing to GMO's, and there is not enough testing of these foods, no answers to why this may be, and lots and lots of unanswered questions.My other reason for changing to organic and local foods...they last longer, are much fresher, taste alot better, don't have to worry about asparteme and food colors in my local foods (which we are also allergic too), get to know some of the people who grow the food, free range food. Often foods marked "free range" in the grocery store aren't really free range, but just meet the criteria for being "labeled" free range. There is alot less bad cholesterol and cortisol in free range meet and eggs. I guess you should determine what you like to eat, your budget to spend on food each month and go from there. First, find a good co-op. I rarely step into places like Wild Oats, only when I run out of something and HAVE to go. So overpriced, and many of the products are no fresher than any other store, although organic.I really like knowing where my food comes from too, who grew it, where, the region, the taste. The soil that food is grown in departs a certain flavor from place to place, region to region. I enjoy these aspects. I also make my own yogurts and cheeses, and it is imperative to start out with really fresh, good fatty milk from a healthy cow or goat. When I deem it necessary to pasteurize, I only flash pasteurize, as opposed to the steady 15 minute 148 degree pasteurization for most milk, which is mainly used to disguise how old it is, and kill all the bad microbes from the blood that gets mixed in from over milked animals. I believe if you purchase Organic Valley milk at Trader Joe's and Wild Oats, they only flash pasteurize too, which leaves more of the milk molecules in their whole, natural and healthy form. Organic Valley uses local milk producers in each state, so it should be much fresher than other milk, if you are only using store bought. Eating healthier is a process, you needn't accomplish it over night. You can fit it into your budget if you work on it (after finding a decent priced supplier). Waste less, eat better, make your own food.I order from a co-op, but for weekly fresh produce, I order from Organics To You.www.organicstoyou.orgI live in Washington, but you might want to click on that website just to get a feeling for what they are doing and how they do it. There are a few recipes there as well. It has taken me two years living here before finding them. lol They deliver to my house free. So neat.Gertie

[GSnicklegrove]

check out www.greenpeople.org for local stuff for your area.Co-ops are not always listed. Sometimes, if you contact some of the stores in your area, talk to employees, etc. somebody will know something for your locality. Alot of organic farms have their own co-ops, basically, they will drop a minimum order to someone's house if enough people buy. My co-op is Azure in the west. Check out what they have at www.azurestandard.com. They will drop at someone's house for a $400 minimum order, with individual orders a minimum of $40. People get together, pick a house, and there you go. That's how co-ops work, in conjunction with farms that can order other foods as well, and so, there is often no advertising. I am sure you will find something if you look hard enough.This came from the GreenPeople Website.New York Albany- Honest Weight Food Coop - committed to providing the community with affordable, high quality natural foods Amherst- Feel Rite Health Foods - Binghamton- Sunrise Health Foods - Binghamton's Largest Health Food Store Binghamton- Suny Binghamton Co-op - Please ask them to provide further information to GreenPeople BROOKLYN- DOWNTOWN NATURAL MARKET - FULL SERVICE HEALTH FOOD STORE Brooklyn- EatRaw - Raw, Wild & Organic Foods & Information to help You Detoxify, Cleanse & Revitalize Your Life! Brooklyn- Flatbush Food Co-op - a full-line whole foods grocery store with a strong emphasis on organic products. Brooklyn- Park Slope Food Coop - Brooklyn's largest coop grocery - members only Buffalo- The Lexington Real Foods Community Co-op - full service cooperative Cambridge- Village Store Co-op - Mostly organic food and produce. Chestnut Ridge- Hungry Hollow Co-op - specializing in organic and biodynamic produce, dairy products, baked goods Delhi- Good Cheap Food - Whole food store, community center High Falls- High Falls Food Co-op - Please ask them to provide further information to GreenPeople Huntington- OrganicMarket.com - We specialize in products that are vegan, organic, and cruelty free. Islip- Country Health and Diet Foods, Inc. - Your premier store for health and specialty foods, vitamins, and herbs! Islip- Country Health and Diet Foods, Inc. - OVER 30 YEARS OF FRIENDLY SERVICE Ithaca- Greenstar Co-op Market - hundreds of organic and natural products Ithaca- Ludgate Farms - Ludgate Farms Ithaca- Oasis Natural Grocery - Natural foods grocery, bakery, deli, produce, bulk, supplements. Little Falls- Community Co-op (NY) - Open to public. Organic produce Middletown- The Rose Garden - Natural Foods Store New York- 4th Street Food Co-op - Manhattan's only food coop Pattersonville- Esperance Co-op - Please ask them to provide further information to GreenPeople Plattsburgh- North Country Co-op - Natural & Organic food - over 300 bulk items Port Washington- Twin Pines Food Co-op & Thrift Shop - Long Island's last retail co-op Potsdam- Potsdam Consumer Co-op - a comprehensive stock of everyday cooking and baking supplies Purchase- Purchase College Food Co-op - Please ask them to provide further information to GreenPeople Rochester- Abundance Cooperative Market - successor to The Genesee Co-op Foodstore. Rochester- Lori's Natural Foods Center - Welcome to Upstate NY Largest Natural Foods Store Family Owned for 21 Years! Syracuse- All In Good Taste, Health Food on the Hill - Natural and Organic foods, vitamins and supplements Syracuse- Syracuse Real Food Cooperative - full-line grocery store Watkins Glen- Good Groceries - Natural Foods / Bulk Foods and Buying Club There are co-op stores, which can be find, but the cheapest are the co-ops with no store fronts. If you check out my co-op, you'll notice there is almost an unlimited amount of things you can buy. However, cooking your food at home, and not buying processed foods is both healthiest and cheapest. I found Green People by doing a google search for Co-op Produce New York. There were other hits to check out.www.localharvest.orgCheck this one out for sure...it gives a directory for different areas to CSA...Community Supported Agriculture athttp://www.foodroutes.org/faq12.jsp

[GSnicklegrove]

Interesting info. For people who think eggs are bad, cholesterol issues, this is why truly free range is better. Free range eggs have a third less cholesterol than the factory egg counterpart does. Healthy chickens lay healthy eggs. Unhealthy chickens lay unhealthy eggs. Healthy chickens lay eggs with higher amounts of vitamin A, more balanced fatty acids, and an 18% supply of cysteine and high amounts of lutein. Good amino acids that are deficient in so many foods these days.>>>It is now known that the wavelength absorption of cholesterol is in the ultraviolet, and if chickens, or maybe even people, do not get any ultraviolet, then the cholesterol level builds up just like the bilirubin serum does.<<<Gertie

[KittyCaller]

I know the Wegmens grocery stores also carry what they call organic foods , well, at least my local one does. I honestly don't know a whole lot about organic food other than what I learned in my Enviromental Science class, but it all looks and tastes very fresh with a lot of flavor. Also, in their organic food isles, they have some frozen organic veggies and such and a whole bunch of dry goods, like peanut butter, tuna, trail mixes, teas, etc.

[Guest]

Wow thankx alot! I read a pamphlet in my local coffee shop, where you can pay a certain amount/monthly and pick out produce from this local farm here. I will have to make sure its grown organically. Its like you are a shareholder, seems to be like the co-op thing. I have battled acne since I was like 12, I am 25 now and I have tried everything a dermatologist could prescribe. But being I have no insurance now, ( doing an internship for college ) and I hate to put years of antibiotics in my body-I read alot on changing my diet would possibly help.So I have been eating organic milk, cereal, snacks, veggies, eggs, and some fruits. I am breaking out more-LOL maybe I should cut out dairy all together. Oh well. I am still looking forward to eating healthier and kicking the fast food and processed foods. You wouldn't believe the stuff that is added to foods!

[Guest]

I made the choice to switch to organic food too. My family has always been into health food, but they still bought regular produce at the grocery store. When I started shopping at a large health food grocery store, they had a sample out of strawberries. I couldn't believe what a difference in taste there is between organic and "regular"! Organic was so delicious, it makes regular taste like nothing. And it's so nice to know that my strawberry doesn't have any ostrich or platypus DNA in it, it's just 100% strawberry. (haha) I do a lot of juicing, which can get to be very expensive with organic produce. We once looked into buying produce from a co-op, but with carrots for example, you couldn't buy anything smaller than a 50 lb bag. I don't juice that often during the week! hee hee Now I don't even mind paying the extra money for organic produce at the store, because I figure that my health is worth it. Who knows the extent how GM food affect us. I agree that it's nice to know where the food that you eat has come from, and how it was grown. I'm going to try to start my own organic garden this year. (If this awful New England weather ever lets up!) I'll still visit the local farm stands and the health food supermarket, but I think it will be so neat to grow watermelons or raspberries myself, go out in the morning, pick them, and know that they're 100% natural. It's also a lot cheaper!If you find any forums, let us know. I'm interested too!

[Guest]

I don't know if you eat meet, but I get sick thinking of the hormones and other crap that is injected into the meat. Even Perdue chicken, I forgot what it was but they inject stuff into there meats to give it that beautiful golden yellow color! I checked out those sites and they were very helpful~! There are a few farmers markets starting in June right in my area! Also many farms where the cows eat a grass only diet, which is great!I have become addicted to health food stores An expensive but good addiction I suppose,LOL.

[GSnicklegrove]

All a co-op is is a farm, or a group of farms that sell their produce, dairy and meats customer direct. Often, if they have alot of customers, they will then become a vendor and be able to order commercial products as well to sell to customers. Then, if the farm has enough customers, they may drive the products to a drop point, sometimes from another state. A drop point would be someone's house, usually, or a parking lot a local business gives permission to use. So, all a co-op really is, is a group of individuals buying directly from a farm.SOme people, if too many people sign up for food orders, decide to go into business for themselves and open a co-op grocery. It is different, because it is then a commercial entity, and the prices are more expensive.Neighborhood health food stores have way higher prices, because they must pay for advertising, lots of shipping and delivery costs, because alot of the products are imported, this moves further away from supporting small,local organic farming, and eating freshest food possible.Basically, to find a co-op, you have to work at it for awhile, or contact farms yourself and start your own buying club. These farms can be the next state over even. Their is potential for an unlimited amount of co-ops in each farming state or state situated next to one. The co-op I use is so large, they even make deliveries up to Alaska, but for smaller farms and co-ops, when a buying club is formed, each customer will take turns each week, bimonthly, monthly or whatever to go drive out to the farm and pick up.All co-ops are different, and sell in different quantity. The co-ops I am familiar with sell 50lbs of carrots, for instance, at substantial savings, but only a commercial restaurant or a rabbit hobbyist would benefit. lol Azure, for instance, sells carrots in 50lb bundles or 5 lb bundles. I usually pay around $3 dollars, but no more than $4 for 5lbs.Now, for co-ops that only sell in huge quantity, that's when things can get creative. Like the old days, when people were not so isolated from their neighbors and communities, people would travel from farm to farm, to buy or trade for the excess from crops. You and your neighbors in the buying club can agree to divide the produce, seperate out in 5 lbs for whoever wants carrots. It is a wonderful way to get to know people locally, and have fun.There are unlimited reasons to eat free range and organic meat. First of all, commercial meat operations do not use feed what the animals would naturally eat. Also, there are harmful additives, like cadmium, that are so cheap, enables the big operations to make more money off of less. Cadmium is a heavy metal and builds up in humans over time.Dyes are often used to cover up the bad color of less than healthy meat, and to cover up how old the meat is. The difference in taste between healthy, free range animals and animals who do not get exercise, see daylight, and live in squalid surroundings is like night and day. When you have had really fresh meat, the old meat in the store is no longer tolerated. It tastes putrid.When you have had fresh milk, the very old milk in the store that had to be cooked for 15 minutes at 145 degrees, with that terrible smell after a few days being open, it is putrid. Fresh milk doesn't do that. It sours, it doesn't turn putrid. Yuck.See, the thing about food, if you haven't experienced what is really fresh, you don't know what you are missing. Once you taste a really fresh egg, really fresh milk, healthy meat, there is no going back. You have to season food to death bought from the store, it is so bland.On a side, I love the eggs in my refrigerator. Each is a different size, a slightly different shade, produced from chickens that clucked outside, free in the sunshine. The shells are nice and thick, a sign of healthy chickens. Takes awhile to learn how to crack them just right without breaking the yokes. The lining between egg and shell is very connected in a fresh egg. And, these eggs are much thicker shelled and variable then the free range organic eggs in the store. While they are better than the standard eggs from confined chickens, they are not nearly as good as fresh, organic free range from a local farm. All I can say is, don't give up looking for a co-op. I would talk to every employee at every health food store, to see if anyone knows of a co-op. I would pin up flyers in these stores too. I would ask the chiropractors in your community. Just keep looking.Health food stores are great places to shop, if you have no other venue for the moment, but they are very expensive, and stuff isn't the same as direct from the farm fresh. And your right, there hasn't been enough looking into the hormone issue in dairy and meat. They are being associated with early onset of puberty for girls, as well as additional acne and allergies in many individuals as well. Gertie

[GSnicklegrove]

Floppydee, I missed an earlier post you made. Sounds like you have a food allergy, or multiple food allergies. You may not have a right out allergy, perhaps just food sensitivities, which is a sign of a leaky gut. Leaky gut means the lining has been compromised from chemicals, allergies, a refined diet, etc. Particles of food are passing, not completely digested, into the blood stream. This is poisoning your blood, and thus, your body tried to clean the blood, using the skin as a filter. Tell me, do you have acne elsewhere on your body? This has happened to me as well. I have about a hundred articles and studies reported in medical journals, that ironically, most doctors are not paying attention to. Some are, but they are few. Anyway, you should evaluate what you eat normally for a week, write down everything without changing it. Write down the foods you crave everyday, and when you have your worst outbreaks. You have to write it down, because it can take one day or a week before symptoms show up from an allergenic food. Your best bet is to try an elimination diet at some point. But first, you need a food diary, then after analyzing that for sometime, take a look at your cooking methods, and go from there.REMEMBER folks, the FDA allows up to 2% of foods/additives to be added to foodstuffs, without it being labeled. Many ingredients, like MSG, can slide under the heading of natural flavorings. For people with multiple allergies, they may have an allergic reaction or some other symptom, and finger the wrong food. It's ridiculous, isn't it?Oh, one more thing, all those medications you took for your skin have been shown to both impair immune function and to wear down the mucosal lining of the digestive tract. Even if your stools are normal, you may have some form of leaky gut. You should consider enzyme therapy. As of this time, the only answer for being rid of improper digestion through an injured intestine is through dietary and enzyme measures. Basically, improving your digestion and healing your gut. Be careful. Gertie

[Guest]

I am going to start a food journal-I should have done that years ago. I haved developed a slight case of hypoglycemia over the years, so I have been battling that too. I must have developed that from eating wrong all these years and skipping breakfast every morning all through high school. I do have acne on my back and chest as well I am 25, and didn't develop acne on my back ot chest until I was about 20. My mom has ance, not as severe as mine, and my father had back acne only in his younger years. So I can see its genetic. My brother went through acne too, but he is 21 now, and he is pretty clear. My mom is 50, and still has a mild breakout on her face only. I am sure acne is genetic and is related to hormones but I feel a healthy diet should at least partially control it. So I am going to definately start a journal. Say I am breaking out from a food allergy-how long does it take for the breakout to occur once I have ingested the food? I am leaning toward the fact that dairy is the colprit. (spelling?) I appreciate all your advice and time!

[GSnicklegrove]

It depends on the person. Some researchers say a full year, although symptoms may clear up in one month, three months, or six months. With undiagnosed food allergies, damage to the intestine may have caused other food sensitivities and allergies. The best way to pinpoint allergies, is to do a food elimination diet, go clean for 6 months, and introduce a new food every week or so, one at a time. People who suffer from dairy allergies, often suffer from soy allergies/sensitivities, because the proteins are similar enough, the immune system flags them both for removal, the immune reaction. Dairy is very possible for you, but so is a gluten allergy, and gluten allergies cause dairy insensitivities. YOu can take out only one food at a time, like dairy, but if you don't notice a difference, it may be because of a food allergy or sensitivity to another food as well, but you could be sensitive to dairy as well. Sensitivities, that mimic allergies, are not true allergies, but are a sign of something amiss, like in celiac disease, or an intestinal problem, in which case, removing a good allergen can cause the immune system overtime to flag another food protein. Leaking food proteins are most often the culprit in sensitivities, and if you do not to plug up the hole, heal it, than the rash reaction and other things will continue, unabated. So, if I were you, take out dairy completely, try not to buy processed food which can contain up to 2% casein unmarked on the label, and go from there. If you see no difference after 3-6 months, though, I would not rule out a dairy allergy.Good luck to you!Gertie