What do you think about organic food?

[Sara]

I'm not one for soy, or those fake meats and cheeses, but I do think it's important to try to limit the amount of chemicals and other un-healthies going into our system.  We don't drink a lot of milk around here, for obvious reasons, but I've been trying to buy organic milk (the Organic Valley kind, it was reviewed/researched to be better than the other brands). 

I also really hate the current meat-farming practices, I think it's inhumane and disgusting.  Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy the expensive wholesome, humanely farmed stuff all the time. 

I dream of the day I can produce most of my food in my own backyard (it'll be a BIG backyard  )

[Black]

When we realized that Mike's kidneys were going to fail soon I knew I had to get better so I could help him.  Last month I changed Docs.  I've been working toward this since November of last year.  I did a lot of on-line research and confirmed my suspicions that my hypothyroidism was not being adequately treated.  In March I made my Doc of over 20 years so mad he was gritting his teeth -- I could see the muscles in his jaw rippling LOL  Well, it wasn't funny at the time.  I had the flu (despite a flu shot) and bronchitis, and felt like crap and I was in no mood to hear him lecture me on what endocrinologists recommend or prescribe.  I demanded natural thyroid replacement from Armour instead of the synthetic I've been on for about 20 years.  He wrote the script for a 6 month supply but he was not happy, in fact I suspect he was furious.  He could not dispute what I was telling him I learned on-line, and could not answer most of my questions.  Some Docs don't like well informed/educated patients.  We didn't know it then, but that was my last appointment with him.

Long story short, I found a Doc who does treat w/ the natural Armour thyroid and she is wonderful.  She has also steered me toward local farmers who do not use hormones, chemicals or pesticides on their farms -- grass fed beef, day range chickens and eggs, a totally chemical free dairy farm that processes and sells their own milk and cheese, and a bakery that grinds the grains immediately before baking their breads.  Cutting out the "middleman" brings the price way down -- not much more than in the grocery store.  Right now I can sample most of the locally available products at a health food store in a nearby larger town but the prices are ridiculous.  So, for a few weeks we'll still be eating the grocery store meats and poultry.  Check out   www.eatwild.com

The milk and cheese are unbelievably good -- the cheeses melt in your mouth like good quality chocolate and tastes almost as good, and they are NOT heavily salted either.  I have a half of a cow on order -- probably get it the end of Sept.  I've ordered 16 chickens for next spring/summer (you have to order many months ahead).  She also recommends buying produce from local farmers and if not available she says to buy frozen only.  She said the "fresh" produce in the grocery store is usually far older and more degraded in nutritional value than the frozen.  She suggests staying away from all processed foods and avoiding as much as possible anything packaged in plastic.

Since Mike will probably be on NxStage (hopefully) by next spring, he will be able to enjoy all of these wonderful products; and most of the foods we will be eating will not contain hormones, chemicals and pesticides no one should be ingesting.  I'm sure we'll splurge occasionally and have foods neither of us should be eating but I doubt it will be very often.  Real food just tastes so much better.

I can't help but wonder if we had been eating like this for the last 20 years where our health would be and if it would have made a difference for either or both of us.

[Hephs-little-lady]

Heph and I have been seriously talking about and considering giving organic produce a try. A few people suggested it and we began to look into it. One of the main reasons we are going to change is the amount of extra phosphate and potassium all those chemicals add to food! 

Not sure if it would mean he could eat more fruit and veggies and stuff though.  I guess if his bloods remained within good range. 

[Hawkeye]

There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden.  I have a garden, and I swear the food we get from it tastes a million times better than anything you can buy in the store.  We also do a lot of farmstand shopping.  As far as the meats go I have never had any of the "organic" meats.  I have tried some of the cheese and milk and it does have a much better flavor in my opinion, it is just so much more expensive.  Going the soy route isn't as bad as it may seem.  For the longest time we ate mostly vegetarian food which is all soy.  Depending on the brand and which item you try there is some really good stuff out there.  Bocca makes a really good "ground beef" or crumbler.  Morningstar makes a really good Riblet (tastes like McDonald's McRib sandwich).  The various burgers have to be tried to find what you like.  Different brands have different textures and flavors, so experiment and you might find something you do in fact like.

[Black]

... I have tried some of the cheese and milk and it does have a much better flavor in my opinion, it is just so much more expensive....

Search for local farms and see if you can buy directly from the dairy -- makes it MUCH cheaper.  The dairy I buy from is about 16 miles away and I go once a week for milk, cheese, and eggs.

[Python]

There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden.  I have a garden, and I swear the food we get from it tastes a million times better than anything you can buy in the store.

I agree 100% Hawkeye.

I grow some of my own veg in my garden too - and it has a completely different taste to the mass produced rubbish we buy in the shops.  At the moment I have tomatoes growing (I mean taking over) the greenhouse.  I have so many I will have to give a lot of them away.

[Hawkeye]

At the moment I have tomatoes growing (I mean taking over) the greenhouse.  I have so many I will have to give a lot of them away.

If you want to grow something that will grow ten fold each year try strawberries and rasberries.  We have both in our garden, and they seem to have a mind of their own.  We have given cuttings of our plants to friends and neighbors and they now have the same issues with their plants.  They are soooo good though.