My boyfriend is very big into organic foods and trying to stay away from genetically enhanced produce, etc. I have to say that as I make choices to be healthier, this spectrum of health becomes more and more appealing. Especially as I plan on having a child within the next couple of years, I want to make sure I know how to provide them with healthy nutrition. I've noticed a lot of young girls now 'develop' much faster then when I was a child, and I have to wonder if it has something to do with the food they are eating.

I guess the whole reason why I started this thread was because I need help becoming educated regarding all of this. I know I can go to local farmer's markets, etc. But if you have any advice on certain brands to stay away from I'd really appreciate it! It just seems so overwhelming. I mean, he literally looks at the companies that sell the seeds of plants and what they do to those seeds genetically. Are there any resources out there that really show the truth of these things?

Thanks!

Good for you for seeking to become more educated! It can definitely be overwhelming. My advice is to take it bit by bit and learn as you go.

This might be a place to start:
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/vote-yes-on-37.html

Followed by this:

Oh wow. Sorry that image is of dinosaur proportions. I'm not sure how to shrink it...

WOW! I kind of like how big it is, haha. BAM in your face!

Thanks for the information. I already fwd it to my bf.

This is my area of fun! So there are two "camps" one is whole foods and one is organic. Now .... often whole food is organic but to ease your mind a bit just begin thinking "whole foods" first. I personally recommend anything By Michael Pollan. He has some very basic rules. Only eat what your great grandparents would recognize, don't eat items with more then five ingredients, don't eat anything with items you can't pronounce, and get rid of all high fructose corn syrup!!

THAT being said, begin thinking in terms of "whole" foods meaning an entire chicken, vegetables from farmers markets, whole grains etc.

A book that many people love is Nourishing Traditions, it makes a good case for the importance of whole foods, healthy fats, and organic foods.

Asking where to start is difficult but I will give you a basic "idea" of how our home works. I attempt pasture raised and organic meat if at all possible. It is VERY expensive, don't let anybody fool you... however you can stretch your foods (roast the chicken, make 3-4 meals with it). I have a garden and supplement what I don't grow with local organic growers. I buy organic pastured eggs (far healthier for you due to the chickens diets) and most importantly, go to Azure Standard and see if they have a drop in your area. They specialize in whole foods/organic foods and are cheaper then the store. I just did my order for next month and was able to get a 38 pound box of organic oranges for 25 bucks!

There are many good websites, you will quickly see that it branches into more then just organic but also sprouted grains vs no grains, soaked vs nonsoaked, organic vs pastured etc.

I haven't posted enough to add links but google the following...

kitchenstewardship

100 days of real food

whfoods

azure standard

and a ton more. I would be more then happy to share more with you. I'm not quite sure what questions you have. GMO's are terrifying... If you buy "certified organic" then it won't be a GMO but that is only a small piece of organic foods... stay away from any conventional corn product (corn syrup, popcorn, cornmeal, cereals etc), canola (or any packaged foods with canola) and more and more zucchini and yellow squash..

Ok... I could go on and on lol, specific questions?

Oh gosh, that graphic makes it very difficult to read this post - yikes!

I agree with the above poster, read everything you can by Michael Pollan. Watch the movie Food, Inc. Here are some of the things that I do to help me in my whole foods quest.

- Shop the parimeter of the grocery store. Stay away from the aisles, they contain all the processed foods, instead shop for perishable foods.
- Look at the labels. You want as few ingredients as possible. If you're looking for peanut butter then only ingredient on the label should be peanuts.
- Walk to the market every day, for fresh food. Every day for lunch I have a salad. Therefore, I walk to the market every morning and buy a head of lettuce, a cucumber, and an avocado.
- Since organic food is quite expensive I can't buy everything organic. I stick to the top 10 organic food list http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy...foods#slide-15 Anything that grows in the ground (potatoes, onions, carrots) I buy organic. Anything that is dairy (milk, eggs, butter) I buy organic. I don't buy organic bananas or avocados because they have a thick skin. All lettuces and spinach are organic.