Some people immediately dismiss going organic because they believe the cost is too much. Though most organic products are more expensive than other foods (because of many farming practices, including the fact that organic farmers don’t get government subsidies), that is not always true. In fact the organic navel oranges we buy from a national natural health food chain are comparable to the non-organic oranges at our local traditional chain grocery store. Like you seek to get the best deals at your regular grocery store, you have to seek to get the best deals on organic items, if eating chemical-free and non-genetically modified foods is that important to you. You must do the cost-benefit analysis, often looking long-range, like considering how much you may have to pay to treat an illness you’re likely to get years from now from eating pesticide-laden food (Organic.org). I’m not trying to scare you; I just want you to be aware that many illnesses we see today are the result of the nutrient-deficient and chemical-rich foods we consume. With a little effort, you can decrease your toxic intake and your chance of developing disease.

Follow these tips:

1. Prioritize your budget. Do you really have to get your hair and nails done as often as you do? How many times a week do you eat out, either as a family or buying lunch at work? Do you drink coffee and soda pop more than once a week? What other snacks do you eat often? Find those items in your budget that are not necessities and use the money you save to buy organic.

2. Buy products with less than 100 percent organic ingredients. This won’t work with produce, but you can get packaged foods, like pasta sauces and crackers, that are made with some organic ingredients. In fact, there are four levels of organic labeling that you will find at the grocery store: 100% Organic—those made with 100 percent organic ingredients; Organic—Those made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients; Made With Organic Ingredients—Products that have at least 70 percent organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30 percent, including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms); and Other—Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may list organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package” (Organic.org).

3. Shop at a farmers’ market. Late spring to early fall is a great time to get fresh and locally grown produce. Some farmers who sell here have been certified as having organic products. Others may not have gone through the process to become certified but don’t use harmful chemicals to grow and preserve their foods. If you go late in the day you often get to haggle with sellers to get reduced prices on already competitive products. Click here to find one in your area.

4. Join a food cooperative (co-op). Some natural food grocery stores run cooperatively, where workers and/or customers own and operate the store. Membership fees allow owners to collectively purchase organic items from farmers, getting a better price on organic items (usually a smaller selection) than those carried in traditional markets. Anyone can shop at a co-op but only members get a discount on shelf prices. Food cooperatives can also be in the form of a buying club, where members’ collective monies help to buy products from a local farm and members pick up their own items at a designated location. Click here to find a food cooperative in your area.

5. Join a farm cooperative. Officially known as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a CSA allows the public to buy food directly from a farmer, some of which grow organic products. You pay a fee, or a share (a.k.a. a membership or subscription), to receive a weekly box of vegetables and sometimes other farm produce, like eggs, meat and cheese. Read here for more information on CSAs and where to find one in your area.

6. Grow your own food. You can plant your own garden to supplement what you get at the store. The cost for seeds is minimal and you get the joy of cultivating and collecting food that you know doesn’t have any harmful chemicals.

7. Mail order organic items. If organic food is limited where you live, you can mail order, though this is more expensive than organic products in the stores. There may be one or two items that you would love to have and can’t get locally so this still may be a viable option.

With these tips, I know there is at least one way you can incorporate organic products in your budget. Doing so will preserve the environment and your body, making you a good steward over that which God has entrusted you and giving you bodily strength to do the necessary work to build His Kingdom.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Growing up I had little chance of developing a habit of eating fresh fruit. My dad would buy an equal amount of apples and oranges and cheese twists, cookies, pop and fruit punch. We children always had a choice of what we wanted, and we always chose the junk food. You know we had a lot of rotten fruit and taste buds spoiled for good nutrition. Over the years I made myself eat fruit; I did love vegetables, though. It took a major health challenge nearly 20 years ago that forced me to enter for the first time a natural health food store and another health issue about 10 years ago that put me on the path to eating organic foods. This is where I plan to stay.

Organic means that “the produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones” (Organic.org). As a result, you get food closer to the way God intended for it to be. My husband, who is frugal and has historically eaten whatever is given to him, was ready to return to conventionally-grown produce once I completed my nutritional healing plan that included organic produce. When he did, we both noticed that the produce didn’t taste as good as the organic.

Now most of our produce and many products we buy are organic. People wonder if organic foods are more nutritious and otherwise healthier for you than non-organic products. The general consensus among traditional healthcare providers is still out, though some scientists are discovering organic to be better. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found organic oranges had more Vitamin C and phytochemicals (plant chemicals with protective and disease-preventive properties) than non-organic ones, and those elsewhere found organic produce to be higher in antioxidants. Studies aside, my husband and I reasoned that we’d rather spend the extra money that organic products sometimes cost than to spend it later on healthcare for illnesses we may get from modified foods that were never intended for human consumption.

Eating organic has helped me in two major ways: 1) I desire healthy food. My taste buds now dance instead of dismiss fresh fruit. I now eat better without forcing myself to do so. 2) I detox more fully. When I fast, my body not only dispels old fecal matter but flushes out old toxins without digesting new ones. Click here for other reasons to eat organic.

When I started my journey to organic eating, I didn’t know where to begin. Now there is a ton of information available to help you get started. Be sure to read next week’s Friday Feature where I give you tips on how to select and save money on organic products. In the meantime, check out these websites (Organic.org and Living Maxwell) and let me know what you find. And those of you who have been eating organically, I would love to hear about the benefits you have experienced.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith