All natural and completely normal

I didn't know anything about organic eating or natural living until our second baby was born. When I first became interested, I thought the theories were simple and made sense. The only problem I had with the whole scene was the people. The weird, extreme, granola, crunchy people. I wanted to do the things they were doing, except I didn't want to be weird. I was going to be all natural, and completely normal. Fail.


My husband has been dragged along with my organic tangents for 4 years now, and he's been a really good sport. The only exception was the first time I tried to kick the conventional deodorant habit. He frankly told me I smelled like a lumberjack. I have also brainwashed my kids to believe whatever I tell them like, you can't eat a hotdog until you're 16 years old, and bananas make you run faster.

There are some hecklers, and that's ok. I don't mind paying extra money for milk, meat, cheese and eggs that came from healthy animals, produce that wasn't sprayed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and bread that is actually capable of growing mold. There are also some people who are interested in making healthier choices, so here are a few simple suggestions to get started:

• Buy your frequent items organic.

If you end up buying milk, yogurt, cereal, chicken, and apples every week- just make the switch and buy those items certified organic.

• Know what's on the dirty dozen list, and buy them organic whenever available. 

The fruits and vegetables on this list have been tested and found with the highest levels of pesticides:
Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes 

• Avoid all products that contain high fructose corn syrup.

Even though high fructose corn syrup is often argued to be the "same thing" as natural sugar, it is usually guilty by association. If you read the label on most obviously fake and junky food products, you're almost guaranteed to find HFCS listed. 

• Don't buy anything that uses the word "artificial" in the list of ingredients.

...because if it says artificial, that means it's not real. 

• When it comes to ingredient lists, less is more.

The next time you're shopping and comparing two similar items, read the ingredient list and then buy the item with the shorter list. You probably just saved yourself from eating things you can't even pronounce.


These things might seem like a hassle at first, but after a few grocery shopping trips they just become new habits that really pay off in the long run. It took him a while, but even my husband now admits that organic chicken has better flavor than the "regular kind".

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