BUY SIMPLE: The Price of Food, the Price of Health
Standing in the aisles of your local grocery store, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unsure as you juggle a conventional apple in your left hand and an organic apple in your right hand, weighing the pros and cons of buying one over the other. Sure, the organic apple is probably the healthier choice, you tell yourself, but is the extra cost really worth it? Will a small amount of pesticide-residue really make me sick? Given the rising prices of food, many people who are health-conscious, but also mindful of their budgets, may find themselves in such a quandary.
Here are some tips on how to approach the grocery store, so that you may make choices that lead to vibrant health, while watching your wallet.
Choose organic whenever possible
Selecting certified organic produce (and food in general) really is worth the extra penny. Studies link pesticide exposure to cancer, infertility, stillbirth, birth defects, and nervous system damage. Pesticides can also trigger and worsen allergies and asthma. It is also important to keep in mind that some particularly dangerous pesticides have been banned from use in the United States, but may be used in other countries. Thus, produce imported from unknown origins may be especially suspect.
Choose local foods
Foods that are grown locally are beneficial for many reasons. In terms of price, it obviously costs less to transport goods from within town, than across the world. By eating locally grown foods, you are also supporting growers in your local community and decreasing impact on the environment (by lessening the amount of packaging and oil used to transport goods). In regards to health, you are eating foods that nature has intended you to eat, particularly if you are a native inhabitant of the region in which you live. This means that there is a smaller chance of food intolerances.
Choose Simple, Unprocessed Whole Foods
Look for foods that are in their natural forms, or only have a few ingredients in them. Select fresh, organic produce, whole unprocessed grains, organic meats and wild fish, eggs, organic dairy products, cold pressed vegetable oils (olive and coconut are best bets), nuts and seeds, and legumes. Processing foods and packaging them takes labor and costs money. The benefits of eating fewer processed foods includes saving money, as well as improving health, maintaining a healthy weight, and lessening the burden of packaging materials going into the environment.
