I wasn’t always a huge supporter of eating organic. I was a poor college student… a poor medical student… and a poor resident. In fact, I didn’t start thinking about my health seriously until my husband and I were planning to get pregnant. Maybe this was a little late in the game at 37 years old… but better late than never, right?
In college, I lived off of lean cuisine microwaveable meals with plastic and drinking 3 diet dr. peppers a day. In medical school, I survived off a protein bar, sandwich, and microwaveable dinners as well. Did I mention that I experimented with smoking to help me study? Ick, what horrible habits! In residency, I continued with protein bars, microwaveable meals, and hospital food that was free for residents around 9p. Not to forget, that I made sure I went to a bunch of residency interview dinners to meet potential incoming residents. Fast forward to getting ready for my wedding day, I went 3 months on a paleo diet and felt incredible and saw real changes in my body without feeling deprived or hungry. We went organic during my first pregnancy. We’ve placed more importance on sustaining our baby and helping her maximize her growth and learning with a more nutritious diet. During my second pregnancy, I again ate organic. But, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and moved to a more Whole30 diet — eliminating processed foods as well as sweets. I was able to really control my blood sugars with diet alone, and I feel better without all the processed food and sweets in my system.
Why do I think about this now? More and more, I feel the impact of a well-balanced diet on my body. My AGING body. Perhaps in our youth, we can fake it and make it by eating crap food and maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle. But as I’m aging, I feel the effects more and definitely sooner. Additionally, I care more now about what I put into my body and in my family’s. I would love to teach my kids the importance of healthy eating and what good food tastes like. So, enter my quest to eat organic as well as grass-fed, hormone-free meats as well as going more plant-based.
Resources:
HelpGuide – Organic Foods: What You Need to Know
HelpGuide – Healthy Food for Kids
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research – Organic vs. Non-Organic PDF
MindBodyGreen – A Doctor’s Top 4 Reasons to Eat Organic
EWG – EWG’s 2018 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce
Time – 4 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Eating Organic
The Organic Center – Bringing you the science behind organic
Clean Label Project: Methodology
Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health: Health Risks of Pesticides in Food
U.S. Right To Know: Monsanto Papers
U.S. Right To Know: Pesticides
Time: Why Organic is the Right Choice for Parents
NBC News: What a nutritionist wants you to know about pesticides and produce
Key Points
- Eat organic and free-range/cage-free/grass-fed/hormone-free when possible
- Pesticides are toxic and can lead to health problems later in life
- Choose organic alternatives to the Dirty Dozen
- Babies, young children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women are more susceptible to pesticides and toxins in food.
- Research the labels and get the facts
- Consider these Netflix documentaries on Health and Nutrition
Love. Laughter. Life. Medicine. 
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