Stanford Study... To buy or not to buy Organic?

I'm sure by now, everyone has heard of the Stanford Study... No? Kind-of? Unsure of what it means?  Well, here's a recap and what it really means buying organic foods and my household.

The Study:

Earlier this month, nutritionists and researchers at Stanford University released a study of other studies, if you will, that compared organic versus conventional food.  The researchers sifted through thousands of papers and identified 240+ of the most relevant studies to analyze. Those included 17 studies (some of which were clinical trials) of populations consuming organic and conventional diets, and 223studies that compared either the nutrient levels or the bacterial, fungal or pesticide contamination of various products (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, milk, poultry, & eggs) grown organically and conventionally.  However, there were no long-term studies of health outcomes of people consuming organic versus conventionally produced food; the duration of the studies involving human subjects ranged from two days to two years.  There has been no significant research on children or pregnant women.

The Results:

“There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,” said Dena Bravata, MD, MS, senior affiliate with Stanford’s Center for Health Policy, and the senior author of a paper comparing the nutrition of organic and non-organic foods, published in the Sept. 4 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.  A team led by Bravata, and Crystal Smith-Spangler, MD, MS, an instructor in the school’s Division of General Medical Disciplines and a physician-investigator at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, did the most comprehensive analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. They did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure. 

To buy or not to buy:

If your budget allows, I say "yes, buy Organic!"  And here are my 2 main reasons...

1. There is no long term research or results on the effects of genetically modified foods (GMOs),  pesticides, non-human hormones, animal antibiotics, or bacteria on the human body... So, what happens on year 3, or 10, or 40?
2. What's the effect on children, babies, the elderly, pregnant women, or on people with pre-existing health conditions?  

We all know that a strawberry is a strawberry, an apple is an apple, and a zucchini is a zucchini. An organic strawberry doesn't give anyone super powers, and has the same amount of vitamins & nutrients as it's non-organic counterpart.  However, if organic foods limit your exposure to pesticides and non-human hormones/antibiotics, which humans are not supposed to consume anyway, then good!  Organic food also forces you to consume truly conventional, natural food not made in some laboratory, like GMOs.  Buying organic also reduces the amount of chemicals dumped and sprayed into the environment, bonus.  We don't know why cancer, behavioral problems, and food allergies are on the rise... But buying organic does help.  If your budget doesn't allow for the price of organic, then be smart with you and your family's food choices.  Buy whole foods, clean produce throughly (with a wash or vinegar/water), limit artificial sweeteners and processed foods, know what's in your food (ingredients), and stay away from Genetically Modified Foods.  

Health of the Soul 46

Your soul will have to press every day to survive sanity.  The will, mind and emotions should press to hear from the Creator.

Grocery Shopping- Healthy & on a Budget

Today, I made one of my many monthly trips to the grocery store... I cannot lie, eating healthy can be very expensive, if you're not smart about it. Every shopping trip I have a strict budget, but need to still feed a family of 4. I try to stick to my core desires to serve healthy, organic food, drinks, and snacks. Here's how I shop for healthy groceries while staying on budget...

1. Set your budget, and stick to it! Cash works great, because once the money is gone, it's gone. If using a debit or credit card, link your accounts to Mint.com, this website & app, allows you to set budgets for different monthly spending, and tracks your purchases to keep you in budget. It can be annoying, but I use the calculator on my phone to keep a running total of everything I put in my cart. I aslo round up, so I am sure to stay on budget, or come in under budget- Bonus!!

2. Enroll in Store's Saving/club card. There are tons of savings throughout the store just for club members. Club cards also keep track of what you buy, and print out coupons at the register based on your habits. Don't forget to shop the weekly circular too, it'll help you plan... which leds me to #3.

3. Plan out weekly/daily meals- this work whether you enjoy or hate cooking. Planning out your meals prevents expensive surprises with take-out dinners, eat-out lunches, and on-the-go breakfasts. Making sure you have your favorite coffee and breakfast food in your house, could save you upwards of $150 a month. Packing a couple of lunches each week could save you over $80 a month. Now, you just need to decide how much money you want to save!

4. Clip coupons. Don't be a coupon snob, everyone can do it, and does do it! I'm not saying "extreme couponing" with stock-piles and products you don't like or use. I'm suggesting clipping coupons from the Sunday newspaper or from online to save money on the brands and products you prefer to use. You'd be surprised, a few coupons on certain items can save you quite a bit, especially because most stores double coupons- Double bonus!!

5. Buy Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables. They are usually on sale, and taste the best because they are in season. We run through fresh produce, especailly fruit, but by buying fruit in season I am able to keep our fridge stocked with fresh produce. I also don't over buy, I hate throwing out produce gone bad, so I'll only buy 3 apples sometimes, if that means they will get eaten.

6. Meat eater? This is one thing I do try to buy in larger quantities, once or twice a month. I then portion it out and freeze it, so we have it for later in the month. Keep in mind, I only buy meat when it is on sale, and I plan my meals according to whats on sale or already in my freezer.

7. Don't forget the toilet paper! Yes, you need to budget for this too, and all other houshold cleanng products. I usually plan these into my shopping trips which don't include a lot of meat. I also buy them from other locations besides my local grocery store. I check around to see who has toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, etc on sale. Sometimes, I stock up when it is on sale, for the rainy day when we run out, and I don't have extra room in the budget to replenish the household items... Everyone needs toilet paper!

8. Beware of the Wholesale-Bulk stores. Most of the time, just because it comes in bulk, doesn't meant it's a good deal. Many times it's more, i.e. My local wholesale place had my favorite paper towels fpr $17.99/24 pk, my local grocery store had the same brand, same pack for $13.99 after club card savings. No brainer, right?

I personally try to buy 75-80% of our hosehold products and food as organic or earth-friendly. I mostly shop at my local Safeway, but I do not hesitate to shop around. I also budget out 1-2 of my monthly shopping trips at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. However, I try to have an idea of the average price of items we eat and use, so that way I can pick up something if I see it's a great deal. I do try to stock up on my non-perishables when they are on sale, again for those times when the grocery budget is a little leaner than usual. Even some of the richest people shop on a budget, that's how they stay rich. Saving money is healthy living for the Soul, and of course eating healthy is great for the Self! Everyone can eat healthy, by shopping smart and staying on budget! Try some of my tips and watch the savings talley up on your next grocery bill, Happy & Healthy Shopping!