Did not know where else to post this, so I figured this would be the best section as any...

Due to my various symptoms, I am exploring so many various things. Multi Vitamins, Herbs, Teas, and yes, Organic Foods...

A friend that I work w/has been after me for about a year, as to the positive effects of going Organic. She said something to me a few days ago, about the amount of Hormones that are injected into Beef and such, and how this could surely affect my hormone levels...

Well that was it, I went to at store called Whole Foods... And must say, loved it! Now I am find myself reading food labels, and not only concerned say about hormones and antibiotics used, but especially those words that I can't even pronounce...

I gradually making that shift to organic, and I must say, perhaps just a combination of things, but I do feel a little better. I love the taste of organic, too... Yes, some of the food is little higher, but hey I am starting to think it might be worth it...

What do you think?

Have you tried and/or eat only Organic? And if so, have you notice any difference?

Look forward any thoughts...

I've always loved Whole Foods and their hormone free beef is the best! I usually just shop there for organic vegetables and meats. Anything else I try to buy in the supermarkets because Whole Foods can get expensive. I think its better to keep our diets as natural as possible, avoid all those chemicals and additives, especially when going through these lovely hormone changes. There is a great bread called Eckzikel Bread at Whole Foods in the freezer section. No white flour.

I've eaten organic foods since the early 80's. There wasn't much at the time; mostly vegetables like carrots and broccoli, but I could taste the difference and I was immediately hooked. I have Whole Foods near me and I get some stuff there, though it's pretty expensive. There's a reason people call it "Whole Paycheck" . I also grow my own vegetables; mostly greens. It's easy and they taste so sweet! I do like the meat there. Trader Joe's carries some organics as well at a better price. I don't eat as much meat as I used to; I just don't seem to be able to digest it as well as I once did. If eat too much it just seems to sit in my stomach and give me indigestion, especially at night. Several years ago a coworker gave me an article published in New York Times Magazine called "Power Steer" by Michael Pollan. It's all about how feed cattle are raised and brought to market. It sickened me to the point I RARELY eat regular supermarket meat anymore. IMHO I think the way meat is raised nowadays is part of the reason for our sky-high obesity rates and other health problems; It's not just the hormones, but also what is fed to the animals. It's still online if you want to read it, which I recommend everyone do. Here's the link...

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine...ml?pagewanted=1

So to answer your question, yes I DO feel better eating organics.

I just wanted to add this....

Take the time to read this article, and this dont even really address the (6) different hormones that used in our beef products. Did you know that Europe will NOT import our meat due to the Hormones used, neither does Canada. I also believe that it is Europe that wont import any dairy products from the US, for the same reason... This also does not even touch on the anti-biotics used....

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html

Kind of pisses me off. PPL eating fruits and veggies to be health, but yet they are saturated w/pesticides.

I use only dairy from europe, cheese, greek yougurt, or by oranic milk and make my own kefir, but cheese only from europe, and also butter, french or irish.
We bye beed from local organic, 100% grass fed farm, much leaner and taste delicious, we buy in bulk and it is cheaper this way and gives us variety of cuts for different dishes and methods.
We buy only organic free range eggs and poutry, but when it comes to produce, not all oranic is better than none.
There is a list of top 10 produce you have to buy organic, the rest is just not a requirement, like strawberries must be organic, while bananas can be regular.
It is just me and the DH, so we can splurge, but if one has large family and on a budget, it is hard to keep 100% organic.
I prefer farmer's market to Whole Foods, I remember there were food and produce recalled from Whole Foods, like ground beef with E-Coli, organic spinach, etc.
I think the mostly food causing bacteria born illness, is indeed oragnic produce. Having organic regulation being quite loose, IMHO, you may pay lots of money for pretty much same food, unless you grow it yourself.
I think it is more than gimmics when it comes to organic produce, dairy and meat is different story.

If you ever tried to grow produce , you know how hard is it to avoid using persticides. We used to have summer house, and I was interested to see, if i can grow something without using persticides and herbicides. I can tell you, you can do it in very small quantities, if you run a commercial scale farm, it is hardly possible. I had apples dropping from the tree before they had chance to get large and ripe, because worms would get them first, tiny tomatoes, eggplants, everything was tiny and in not much of a crop to speak of, but it was experimental garden patch, not commerical farm.

As for Eruope, they have no need to import anything from anywhere, they have plenty of local produce, they were also using hormones long time ago and abandoned this practice, and they run sustainable agreeculture, same way as it was done for centuries, when it comes to making cheese, ham, sausages, etc. Prices are much higher also in Europe, so ppl eat fresh but cook at home more, and eat less in general.

Try to do it in US, everyone wants cheap food and lots of it, preferable already made by someone esle.

It is personal choice, what to buy and also, budget to consider. I still think even non-organic but fresh produce cooked from scratch is much better than junk food labeled "organic", or frozen premade food.

There are also many organic choices in regular supermarkets, but majority coming from Mexico or Chili, so we don't know what constitues as organic products there. Although, we go to Mexico all the time, and love how food adn produce taste there, very fresh and delicious.
Organic produce not always appealing, not uniform, does not look that good as regular commerical, and often, I see wilted and oh soo old produce in health food stores, because prices are outrageous.
Makes me wonder, what are they grow it on different planet, as they use same water, many farms located along the highways, where the produce is exposed to heavy metal and gasoline residues, and then it is labeled organic and sold at much higher price.
I see these organic farms popping everywhere, but where they grow it and what water they use, makes huge difference for consumer.
JMO

Not here to cause a debate over Organic vs conventional, just wanted to share what I had personally experienced, and what I too had researched...

Case in point, look how long the FDA allowed DDT to be used not only on our bodies, but also as a pesticide on our foods.

Sure I can see whereas steps need to be taken as well to protect the crops from pest, and at the same point, do I totally trust the current FDA guidelines as to what they consider "safe", honestly, based on their track record - no. And right now, with all the issues I am having (or was having) w/my hormones and my health, there is no way that I am going to eat meat or anything for that matter that has been given hormones. I think if anything the FDA really needs to put a stop to that, but they wont, bcz just like anything that has to do w/govermental policy, it's all ran by the lobbiest w/the big bucks...

I don't think that anyone should ever take anyone's advise, then run out and do it... But at the least, research and learn more. Knowledge is power that's all.

The only thing that concerns me as a parent, a wife, and a consumer, are they currently allowing all of the so-called additives, just to find out 20 years from now, just like w/DDT, hey that stuff causes cancer, birth defects, ect. And yes a really good point is that this is a "consumer" driven issue, and so it is much cheaper for the big dollar cattle companies to have their stock grow at a faster rate, and produce more milk, but at what is the "true" cost to the consumer in the long run....

Then go look in your cabinet, and see how many words that in the ingredients that you can't even pronounce, all of that just to preserve the shelf-life of the product. We are what we eat, that can not be denied, and w/all the issues I was having, I started to question, what am I am really eating....

The only reason why I wanted share, I just wanted to get ppl thinking, that's all. If something is working for you, and you feel good, you want to pass it on. Heck the lady I worked w/tried to tell me the same thing in the past, but I thought she was just a little over cautious, now I tend to agree w/what she had to say...

And finally.... So many ppl I talk to are basically doing what I am doing, but not having the same results, so this is for them, like my husband said to me, "change things up" and that's what I did. Ah hey for I know perhaps some ppl, such as myself, are just more sensative to those type of additives and/or hormones they put in our food...

Take care, and honestly, blessings on everyone.... My prayer is that everyone finds the relief from their hormonal issues....