Mmmmm... Pesticides and Genetically Modified Garbage. YUM!

What we choose to fuel our bodies every day is such an important decision, and is far too overlooked. I just finished a great film that has further cemented my belief that we need to buy produce and grains that are organic, and not genetically modified to enhance flavor/appearance/size/seedlessness, oh, and profit for the companies producing it. Products that have been genetically modified "GMO" have been mutated and manipulated, but aren't always packaged in a way that a consumer can recognize. Take produce for example, you can't pick up a tomato in the supermarket and tell if it has been modified to be larger, redder, or sweeter, unless it is Certified Organic (safe!). If that tomato had growth factors added in to make it bigger, and you ingest that, is it really all that good for you? I think not.

Ahhh, pesticides. Pesticides that are sprayed onto our produce end up in the air that we breathe, the water we drink, the soil our crops grow from, and ultimately, our and our animal friends' bodies. You can wash that fruit off all you want, but chances are, if it ended up in the water and soil that it grew from, you're ingesting it anyways. Ok, so switching over to "all organic", can seem daunting, and expensive, so if you aren't convinced yet, this list may help. From highest pesticide content to least, here are a couple of fruits and veggies you should try to buy organic whenever possible, courtesy of www.thedailygreen.com:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale

Here's another great resources for more info on the benefits of organic foods: www.mayoclinic.com.

A fantastic film that I recommend to anyone who wants to improve their health is called "Food Matters", and is available to stream instantly on Netflix if you have it. It goes over some of the benefits of eating raw foods, benefits of vitamins, toxic prescription drugs, eating organically, and of course, how life changing a whole foods, plant based diet can be. Check it out at www.foodmatters.tv.