There was a time when the term “organic” was not a part of our everyday language. It wasn’t all that long ago that people associated the word with hippies. My family decided to go organic five years ago. At that time my family and peers thought it was strange and unnecessary. A friend of mine gave me the nickname “hippy chick” just because of our organic lifestyle.

Now, organic is everywhere. It has become mainstream as people realize the benefits; especially the benefits of organic vegetables. There is some controversy surrounding the difference between organic and conventionally grown produce. Many agencies and researchers will tell you that there is no difference. However, you will have just as many claim that there is a difference. The key is doing the research and then deciding.

From my own research I’ve discovered that cancer survivors are often instructed, by their doctors, to adopt an organic lifestyle. That tells me there must be some evidence out there that points to benefits of eating organic. The FDA admits there are levels of pesticides on the produce we eat. But they get to determine what they deem acceptable. The amount of chemicals the FDA tests for is staggering. And the FDA can only test a small percentage of our food so what about the percentage that wasn’t tested? Read the rest of this entry »