with what else should i be going organic?
produce isn't the only area what organic counts.
meat: particularly beef, poultry and pork have higher residual levels of pesticides than any other plant food. animals raised conventionally for slaughter are often fed GM feed, are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics. chemicals accumulate in the animals fatty tissue and unfortunately, wind up on your plate.
if it is too costly to buy organic meat all the time, try:
- eating vegetarian more often (which also helps lower your saturated fat intake). grains and beans combined make a complete protein - try it as a substitute once or twice a week with tofu or wild fish.
- look for meat labelled 'non-medicated' or 'specialty' which means that although it is not fed organic feed, but raised in a more humane manner and not injected with growth hormones (but check with the butcher to be sure that this is the case in their store).
coffee: the pesticides that are considered to be dangerous are not permitted in our country for farming, are often used in other countries on crops which are then shipped back to us as food. we don't wish to get into the business of fear mongering, but be aware that coffee can be one of the worst foods for carrying pesticides that are banned in our country.
when buying coffee, look for the 'fair trade' logo, which guarantees fair wages for the farmers who grow the coffee. sugar, chocolate and bananas are often labeled as fair trade as well. for more information on fair trade check out these sites:
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