Alright! Back to blogging!
After an eventful week full of everyone in my household sharing a nasty stomach flu, and a lot of food going bad from not being eaten due to said flu (very depressing), I am back on track! I'm learning as I go, and have unfortunately had to make a few compromises along the way.
1. Money
I'm a little more flexible with my budget now, and am learning to shop smart. Staying exactly on budget isn't always as great as getting the best deals - which usually come in bulk, and take out a huge budget chunk. In the end though, it's way cheaper than buying individual portions every week.
2. Dairy products.
If you're arguing raw, unpasteurized organic milk vs regular pasteurized store milk, raw wins hands down with me, no questions asked, every time. I will always go with raw. But when it comes down to organic pasteurized milk vs regular pasteurized milk (and other milk/dairy products) we get into a grey area. When it comes to Canadian milk, there is no major distinction between organic, and non-organic. Pasteurization kills everything, both good and bad. So I've stopped buying organic dairy products for now, and have just really cut back on my consumption of them so I have more money to put towards things that are important to eat organic, like meat and thin skinned veggies.
3. Local
This one is huge for me now - even more important than organic. It is so crucial that we support our local farmers and agriculture!! I always shop at my local farmers market before I go anywhere else for my food. The one I go to has an amazing selection and lots of organic choices as well (They even have a cheese stand!). It's great to be able to cultivate a relationship with and get to know the people that are growing your food.
4. Seasonal & Traditional
I highly recommend that everyone read this book by Sally Fallon - Nourishing Traditions. It is an indispensable resource in a time where it's extraordinarily difficult to figure out what is actually 'healthy'. It also has yummy recipes. You will like them.
Warning: Don't read this book when you're sleepy - I tried to read the chapter about fats after a long day of being sick with the girls, and I felt like I was trying to understand high school biology again. It was intense.
We are phasing into Organic lifestyle starting this week. I had a heartattack when I purchased my 1st gallon of organic milk $7 vs. $3 (have to admit did not do extensive research on regular milk vs. organic). In your research you mentioned you found there is not much difference. Not sure if I misunderstood. Would you mind letting me know what you found out?
ReplyDeleteIt only applies to Canadian milk - Canada has banned some of the more dangerous hormones that the US uses, and from what I understand has tighter rules about antibiotic use. Plus, pasteurization kills all the bacteria - both good and bad. So when it comes down to nutritional value, and what's in the milk, there isn't a huge difference between organic and non-organic Canadian milk.
DeleteWhole, raw, unpasteurized milk is really what you want to be after. You can purchase it legally in Canada by buying a share of a milk cow. If you're in the US, you can look up farmers online who will sell it to you.
Good luck! It's so hard going organic, but so worth it! :)