To be (organic) or not be?

As I was standing in line at PCC the other day, patiently waiting buy my usual pint of salad, I took a moment to survey the crowd lining up in the bustling little deli. The variety of people intrigued and astounded me. Yes, there were the stereotypical 'granola-y' type crowd wearing hemp, Birkenstocks, and the requisite Bob Marley tee, but also businessmen in pinstriped suits, SAHM's with their kiddos, young women rocking their Seven jeans and stilettos as well as elderly couples doing their routine grocery shopping. Just across the street, a new (bigger) organic market is currently being constructed. Obviously, this organic, healthy eating is not just a trend for the vegans, vegetarians, and food conscious epicureans of the world.

I have mentioned the steep cost of buying organic in a previous post, but I often wonder how important it really is to buy organic. There are so many variations of "organic" on labels these days - USDA Organic, Certified Organic, Contains Organic Ingredients, Made with Organic Ingredients - how's a gal to know whats what?! You practically need to bring your decoder ring to the grocery store. Moreso, what IS the main difference in organic versus non organic, anyway? Amount of chemicals and pesticides? If so, are there things that don't normally get pesticides anyway? Its hard to know what things are crucial to buy organic and what's not.

I found this nifty little chart online that helped me sort it out... kind of. Dairy products are one thing that I will always buy organic, and not flinch at all at the price tag. Have you seen what that growth hormone does to those cows udders... yeesh. Only rbst-hormone free milk for me, thankyouverymuch.

When it comes to the fruits and veggies, though, when is it important to spend the extra cash and buy organic?

I had never heard of the dirty dozen until my mom printed me out a list. Apparently, you should ALWAYS go organic when purchasing the following fruits and veggies. They have the highest "pesticide load" of all other veggies, and are listed in order of most contaminated to least.

1. Peaches
2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce (does this include kale, chard, and other leafy greens? Hmmm....)

9. Grapes

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

So, now you know. Knowledge is power! The list also mentioned those fruits and veggies that are 'safe' to buy non-organic all the time. No use wasting money on organic if you don't need to right? Buy the following freely, and don't waste time getting organic: eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, bananas, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado and onion.

Happy Shopping! Or, in my case, Happy Organic Growing!

My Sick Person's Diet

Without fail I always tend to lose a few pounds when I'm sick, just like many other people do I'm sure.

If we're friends via Facebook then you'll know that I was a bit ill this week. I did go to the doctors and found out that I have asthma which is pretty common for people who live in Hawai'i because of the vog (smog+volcanic ash from the Big Island volcanoes = VOG...only happens when the trade winds aren't around). So I now have an inhaler for my asthma and I feel so much better than I did earlier in the week.

Anysnooze, while I was sick all I consumed was Cup 'O Noodles (I know terrible), clementines, popsicles, and lots of water & tea. This is my sick person's diet. Actually, I think I my abs got a workout too from all the coughing. This is what helps me lose at least FIVE pounds when I'm sick. Which is what I lost this week. Which is AWESOME!

And then I ate fried chicken last night.

Does it count that I walked 10 minutes to the park with the Bambino, chased him around and then walked 10 minutes back to our house afterwards?

Didn't think so. Going to kick my ass this weekend for those THREE pieces of friend chicken I had last night.

Do you have your own "sick person's" diet?

P.S. Another drink I sometimes add to my sick person's diet is chopped garlic, red onions and chili peppers in boiled water. Totally gross but it really helps clear up the sinuses and the garlic & red onions are beneficial for the immune system. Only try this if you have a strong stomach because it really tastes nasty but it helps. Have I mentioned that I HATE taking medication and only use it as a last resort? Yeah, those hangovers in college - cured with apple juice and greasy food plus lots of hurling and dark rooms.

P.P.S I'm drinking coffee again. With cream. And sweetner. And I just dipped a white chocolate macadamia cookie. I'm pretty sure I just gained back the 5 lbs that was lost.