Organic or not?

I have to admit that the only time I buy organic is when it is on sale, which is rare. This may surprise you, but my thriftiness often outweighs my desire to shell out huge wads of dough on organic fruits and vegetables. I love the idea of them, and I hope it becomes more and more the norm so it drives down their price. However, I choose instead to buy fruits and vegetables that are reasonably priced and wash them really well.

I try to wash fresh fruits and vegetables two or three times, especially greens. They tend to have lots of hiding places for toxic herbicides and pesticides. For example, when I get my lettuce home from the grocery store, I tear off the leaves, core it with my hands, put it in my salad spinner bowl and fill that with water. I move the lettuce around like a washing machine, and pull it out of the water leaving the dirt and residue behind. I then pour out the water and start all over again. Then I spin the leaves, drain them in a single layer on paper towels, roll them up in the paper towels, and put them in a green bag. Lettuce (not iceberg) will last a good week or two this way.

Someday, I may decide the gain is worth the cost by buying organic, but I will also have to make up my mind to buy all things organic--sheets, towels, hairspray, lotion, etc. I do try to buy all natural, which is not the same thing, but I haven't made that giant pocketbook leap yet. Instead, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables with phytochemicals that help me eliminate all of the toxins that we consume every day. I also exercise, and when I can, I sit in a steam room at the gym. In addition, I sit at an oxygen bar for about 30 minutes a week. If you haven't heard of an oxygen bar, look them up. They are well known in Vegas for hangovers, but the true value of them is to help eliminate toxins from your cells.

Someday, I hope to have my own little organic garden, but for now I will do what I can within my families budget. If you are able to buy organic, please do so. You will be helping out the rest of us by making it more than just a trend, and hopefully, buying organic will be more affordable in the future.