Beware of the organic trap

Organic is my default. I will always choose organic given the choice. My reasoning behind this started when my healing journey began and I had to eliminate toxins from my life. Now my choice to choose organic is about eating clean, reducing toxins and supporting a system which is creating a world that I want to live in. One which supports local agriculture and respects the soil in which our food is grown. Organically tended soil is higher in microbes, which when eaten supports our microbiome (our gut bacteria) resulting in a healthier gut - Yes I actually try and eat some dirt on my veges. I will tell you more about this later.

What I want to share with you today is just because it is labeled organic does not always mean it is nutritious. I sure fell into this trap when we switched our diet to wholefoods and on reflection maybe it is a transition process you need to go through, but we transitioned really hard. We were eating organic chips, organic lollipops, organic processed juice, organic lollies, organic icecream. Basically organic anything with organic refined sugar, and I was convinced we were eating a clean diet because I was choosing organic. I was also frustrated that although I felt better, I still was low on energy, carrying too much weight and took a very long time to heal my auto immune disorder. From what I have learnt now I see that refined sugar and highly refined foods whether organic or not were not helping my body fight the inflammation. Over time I've found myself coming back to simple wholefoods, as close to nature as possible. If you are at the supermarket shopping for organics just check the ingredients list on the package and think is this made with wholefoods, or is it packed full of processed organics? I like to make sure the ingredient list isn't too long and that I recognise every ingredient. It's a simple way that helps me make choices that feel right for me. I still choose organic whenever I can, but these days I spend less time looking at the front of the packet and more time looking at the ingredients list.

The simpler the food, the happier my body tends to be. As Michael Pollan beautifully reminds us: "If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't."

It's a simple idea, but one I find myself coming back to again and again.

With love,
Leanne x